From Top Producer to Murderer... 'Let It Be' Producer Dies in Prison

The Beatles' 'Let It Be' and John Lennon's 'Imagine' Producer
Renowned for Developing the Editing Technique 'Wall of Sound'

Phil Spector [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Phil Spector, a famous record producer who developed the ‘Wall of Sound,’ a pop music editing technique popular in the 1960s, and produced The Beatles' Let It Be and John Lennon's Imagine, has died at the age of 81.

According to the Associated Press and other sources on the 17th (local time), Spector passed away at around 6:35 PM the previous day at a hospital in California. He was serving a prison sentence after being convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. Correctional authorities only stated that his cause of death was natural, but foreign media reported that it appeared to be related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Spector was one of the top record producers of the 1960s and 1970s. Born in New York in 1939, he formed a band as a teenager that achieved great success, but later transitioned to being a composer and producer. The turning point for his reputation as a producer was the development of the music editing technique called the Wall of Sound. This technique involves repeatedly recording the sounds produced by individual instruments during studio sessions and layering them to create a rich sound. This editing method is also known as the ‘Spector Sound’ after his name.

Spector became widely known to the public when he produced The Beatles' final studio album, Let It Be, released in 1970. In 1969, during a period of conflict among The Beatles members, he took charge of the album’s production and edited the songs by adding string and brass instrument performances over The Beatles' playing. John Lennon expressed satisfaction with this, but Paul McCartney was furious that Spector inserted orchestral accompaniment and choir in ‘The Long and Winding Road’ and even tried to block the album’s release.

Afterwards, in 1971, Spector co-worked on Lennon’s signature song Imagine and continued his reputation by producing George Harrison’s solo albums. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Through these achievements, he gained great wealth and fame.

However, Spector was effectively retired after the 1980s. In 2003, he was arrested as a suspect in the death of actress Clarkson at his California home. He claimed Clarkson had committed suicide, but in 2009 he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to a minimum of 19 years in prison.