Against the British Invasion that was taking control of the pop charts, the ladies held their own. Their 1964 debut album, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica saw four more singles reach the top 40. Their versions of "Frosty the Snowman," "Sleigh Ride," and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" all became Holiday staples. In late 1963, the group released their first single with Spector, "Be My Baby." The song, as described by Britannica, was a "wall of sound masterpiece," peaked at #2 in the country, and Rolling Stone placed it at #22 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time. Next, the ladies also took part in a Christmas album, featuring other Spector-produced acts. Their story has left many untold chapters, so here is the untold truth of the Ronettes, the original bad girls of rock. Produced by one of the most influential artists of the generation, the Ronettes shot to the top of the music world like a comet, then disappeared almost just as fast. A mixed-race girl group with sex appeal that sang both ballads and rock music checked every taboo box. No group was able to bridge the two separate periods of rock music quite like Ronettes. Thus, the teen idol was born and would dominate the US until 1964 when new groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones crossed the Atlantic from England.ĭuring this period between Elvis' hips and Mick Jagger's lips, teenage doo-wop groups from New York found great success. Artists like Elvis Presley appealed to executives because his appearance could be easily marketed, per Britannica. By the decade's end, many of these "dangerous" early musicians either suffered tragic deaths like Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran or were swallowed in controversies like Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry. But, it made money, so it became commercialized.
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