Ronnie Spector
Kent Stage
Kent, Ohio
September 17, 2014
"Beyond The Beehive - My True Story"
(JoeRay Master Series Volume 29)

Recording: DPA 4060 > Sony M10
Location: Row 3 right of center

Transfer: Master file > Adobe Audition CS6 (24/96) > Ozone 9 > iZotope RX 8 > 16/44 > xACT 2.50 > FLAC

01 Walking In The Rain
02 �Welcome To My Show� > Jambalaya
03 �My Grandmother� > Why Do Fools Fall In Love?
04 �The Apollo� > Please Say You Want Me
05 �The Peppermint Lounge� > All I Want
06 �Murray The K� > He Did It
07 �Phil Spector� > Do I Love You?
08 �The Ronettes� > You Baby
09 �The Beatles / The Rolling Stones� > Time Is On My Side
10 �Brian Jones� > Don�t Worry Baby
11 �Returning To The US� > Breakin� Up
12 �Marriage� > Try Some Buy Some
13 �Death Threats� > Say Goodbye To Hollywood
14 �Divorce� > She Talks To Rainbows
15 �Joey Ramone� > You Can�t Put Your Arms Around A Memory
16 �Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame� > Girl From The Ghetto

Known Faults:
-None

Volume 29 of the JoeRay Master Series features Ronnie Spector's Kent, Ohio show during her promotional tour in support of her autobiography "Beyond The Beehive - My True Story". As Joe Ray mentions below, Phil Spector, in prison at the time, would not approve the use of the Ronettes biggest hits as part of the stage production. Two of the songs, "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You" were regularly performed in a "concert setting" after the autobiography portion of this show. One of those weird copyright publishing details that they could be performed live as part of a concert but not as part of the stage production of the autobiography. This is the complete stage production portion of the show but is missing the two? song concert encore portion. Interestingly, Joe Ray's 85 year old mom actually taped the show for Joe Ray, more below on that, and I'm pretty sure this is likely the product of the oldest taper ever released on dime.

Joe Ray picks it up here with more details around the recording and history:

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This was Ronnie Spector telling her life story from the Ronettes in 1963 to coming full circle after Phil Spector (her producer and ex-husband) was convicted of murder. This lady has done it all and has survived and thrived. She was there with Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen and most importantly, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. This concert at the Kent Stage was a short distance from the Rock Hall. When growing up in Cleveland during the early 1960�s you couldn�t walk by a Juke Box without hearing the sound of Ronnie and the Ronettes.

Ronnie Spector aka Veronica Yvette Bennett, grew up in New York City and started singing with her sister Estelle and their cousin Nedra Talley at a young age. Calling themselves the Darling Sisters, they performed around the city while still attending George Washington High School. After a few unsuccessful singles, Phil Spector signed them and immediately began writing songs specifically for her voice. �Watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best,� she said. �He was in complete control, directing everyone. So much to love about those days.� Phil and Ronnie married but Soon after her initial success, Phil Spector became extremely jealous and destroyed her career. They were divorced in 1972. Several years later she started to put her life back together. �My ex took singing away from me, and it was devastating because I had no idea that I would never record again. I had no idea I would never perform again, which was my life. I was in shock with that because here�s a person who wrote your records and produced them and then, you�re never gonna sing again.�

Her comeback started in 1976 when she recorded a cover of Billy Joel�s �Say Goodbye to Hollywood� with the E Street Band. But she didn�t return to the spotlight in a big way until 1986, when Eddie Money had her record a live sample of �Be My Baby� for his hit �Take Me Home Tonight.� The song became a massive success and introduced Spector�s music to a new generation.

This concert was Ronnie Spector as a solo artist. She did not try to rest on the laurels of the Ronettes. Instead, you will hear this great artists tell the story of her life and how she made it as a solo artist before she died in January 2022 of cancer. The concert featured her life story in the song, Girl From The Ghetto. I have not seen her perform this song anywhere else during her solo tours. The audio is clean and clear. Even her stories are almost as gripping at her songs. Phil Spector prohibited her from singing many of the Ronettes�s songs. He died shortly after this concert in jail.

This concert was attended by my 85 year old mom, Betts, who took me to my first concert in 1968 when we sat in the 3rd row at Music Hall to see Jimi Hendrix. My mom and her grandson, Dr. Chris Kennedy recorded this concert for me and did a great job. She used my Sony M10>a battery Box and a set of DPA 4060 stereo mics.

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Thanks to Joe Ray for continuing to keep the music flowing for all of us to enjoy...artwork included...

mjk5510 & JoeRay