Phil Spector vs. The Wall of Sound (DesignObserver)
Until 1966, Phil Spector possessed perfect command of his material; he was an unstoppable machine, churning out “little symphonies for the kids.” The early hits with the Crystals, Darlene Love and the Ronettes were designed through fanatical attention to detail—angling microphones, stuffing drums with bricks—then filling Gold Star Studios with musicians and instruments—pianos, guitars, brass, strings. Spector started the recording sessions late and worked his singers and musicians overtime, ordering members of the Wrecking Crew, many of them virtuoso jazz guitarists, to play eighth notes again and again, wearing them down until you couldn’t tell any one sound from another.