Mixed reviews of Rachelle Spector’s debut album Out of My Chelle aside, her indefatigable work ethic and remarkably positive attitude are undeniable—same with her ease in withstanding the inevitable barrage of questions relating to her marriage to Phil Spector and his production of her album--his first album production in over 30 years.
She quickly dismisses the “gold-digger thing”—the charge that she married the much older producer for his money—by relating her pre-Spector bio.
“I come from a single parent home with a strong, independent female orientation,” says Rachelle, who hails from Beaver Falls, Penn., a small town near Pittsburgh, and whose parents divorced when she was two. "I've always been very goal-oriented, and very positive and strong-willed to achieve success on my own merit."
She's also been very musical from a very young age: "My dad left behind his jukebox: Tina Turner's 'What's Love Got To Do With It,' Atlantic Starr's 'Always,' Billy Joel's 'The Longest Time.' I was always happiest standing in front of the mirror holding a brush and singing--and all this is about sharing happiness with people."
Rachelle's past music activities, she recounts, also included playing trombone in an award-winning high school marching band and a jazz ensemble, and being a drum major and performing in choirs, talent shows and musicals.
"I also wrestled on the guys team in high school for two years, taught taekwondo, ran cross-country--and I'm now taking flying lessons!" she continues. "I'm always up for a challenge--since they say girls can’t do what guys can--and I'm very motivated. I want to take the negative and turn it into a positive and put the focus back on the music--but also highlight me as an artist and musician."
"The negative," of course, is the incarceration of her husband, whose conviction last year for second degree murder is being appealed. She had met Phil Spector in 2003, two years after arriving in Los Angeles. According to her Web site bio, she had earned a music scholarship to Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C., where she studied international business, French and music. But she was still bent on singing, and after tiring of local club gigs and singing the national anthem at sporting events, she drove to L.A. She had formed a rock band, written and recorded new material, and won the Best Independent Pop Artist of the Year citation at the 2003 Los Angeles Music Awards before meeting Spector--then 40 years older than the 23 year-old Rachelle Short.
"He says I remind him of how he was at this age in handling people and business relationships, that it's like looking at a younger version of himself," she continues. "Considering the legends he's discovered and worked with, to have been able to work with him in the studio in that capacity is such an honor!"
But some critics have complained that Out Of My Chelle, as a contemporary pop album, has little in common with her husband's celebrated 1960s "Wall of Sound" productions, a la The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" or the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." There have even been questions whether Spector truly produced his wife's album.
"It was a project that was in development before we even met," explains Rachelle. "He produced it and arranged it and updated it to sound more contemporary pop with elements of r&b, dance and rock--something for everybody. They're real songs with real meanings that everybody can relate to--but this is not about the Wall of Sound! Phillip says that that was in the '60s. But if you look at his earlier productions like the Teddy Bears [the late '50s group that included Spector and reached No. 1 with 'To Know Him Is To Love Him'] or later ones like John Lennon's solo albums, you can hear that those aren't about the Wall of Sound, either."
But "this is a singles market" today, she adds, "and about getting back to music and real singers and artists who are able to perform an entire CD live without hiding behind tracks and Auto-Tune, and he didn't want to give his songs to just anybody." The album's catchy lead track and first single "Here In My Heart," she notes, "certainly holds special meaning to me personally, but can apply to everyone because it's about someone you love being 'here in your heart,' but not in your arms. Even though Phillip is far away, he is always here with me. Same goes for parents who have sons or daughters in the military overseas, or even a child going away to college. Everyone can relate."
Rachelle performed a half a dozen warmup shows in Los Angeles in May ahead of Out Of My Chelle's June Internet release, and is now focusing on an unplugged-style concert presentation with an acoustic guitarist since the physical CD came out in July. The disc is on her independent Genius 4Ever label.
"I did a huge press rollout and achieved a great amount of exposure considering I'm a new artist on an indie label, and I'm very lucky people are talking about it regardless of their opinion on the music or my voice or even me in general!" notes Rachelle. "They're still talking about it, and that's what it's about: moving forward and being positive--and singing!"
She feels that most interviewers and reviewers have been fair, though "a couple just went with the bandwagon--but they were just doing their job." She acknowledges that while she wants people to see her as an individual artist "and gain respect on my own merit," getting them to "see past the white elephant in the room is very difficult and takes time. But I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for my husband, and I'm very grateful."
And she remains a tireless supporter of her husband.
"There are a lot of people who support Phillip," she notes. "He gets a lot of fan mail and letters of support, and we're thankful the appeal process is going forward--even though it's taking longer than expected. But we're confident it will end on a positive note and that we'll bring him back home where he belongs."
She hopes that Out Of My Chelle "puts the focus back where it belongs--on the music that is so much a part of our lives."
So she's busy Twittering and Facebooking, taking meetings and lunches and involving herself in charities and community activities. She looks to continue building awareness of her album, establish international distribution, and collaborate with songwriters in creating material for her next project.
"I'm networking and meeting people and doing the research that any smart business person would do," she says, "just taking the bull by the horns and going! Nobody promotes you better than yourself, obviously. I've been wanting to do this my entire life and this is my opportunity--and I have a great foundation that's growing and provides a point to move forward from."
For Rachelle Spector, then, it all comes down to believing in yourself.
"Once you believe in yourself, anything is possible!" she says. "You just have to be patient and let it happen."
(The Examiner wrote the CD liner notes to last year's reissue of Phil Spector's classic 1963 Christmas album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector.)
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Comments
Rachelle is certainly a bundle of boundless energy. Tell her to stay out of those small planes!
What a great article, it shows the passion, dedication and resillience she has for all she is and does in her life. Her energy is endless and her talent will grow into, I feel will be noticed world wide. Rachelles marrage to Phil Spector is one of Faith, Beauty and True Love. All of us should take note of it.
Hey Jerry Meyerson, are you for real? This woman sucks as a musician. She was hired to play the part of Phil's wife. Open your eyes!
The only Spector "production" of the last 45 years that might be worth hearing is the portion of the alleged Celine Dion fiasco where it's been purported his manic screaming and abuse of the Quebecois chanteuse drove her to tears.Which mean he actually got some real
EMOTION out of her voice, which is a MIRACLE!
I agree 100%. If this was a Phil Spector production, as the CD claims, than why does the CD not have the "Phil Spector Production" label and logo? Instead, it has her new label. I have been unable to find any record of any credit for his work on this CD until after he was incarcerated.
Usually when fish is smelt, there's fish around and that whole credit to my father smells fishy.
Wonderful article.
Yeah, if you're on Crack!
Rachelle Spector is amazing, personal, couragious & a star already. It's now time for the public to acknowledge her wonderful talents and a master at her craft!!
Both eyes forward Rachelle Spector & God Bless U & ur family....
Respectfully,
Ricardo :)
Ricardo, er, I meant, Rachelle, quit pattin' yourself on the back. It's not attractive. Neither are you.
Why does every interview I read about her always leave me with more questions than it answers?
Case in point:
" "My dad left behind his jukebox: Tina Turner's 'What's Love Got To Do With It,' Atlantic Starr's 'Always,' Billy Joel's 'The Longest Time.' ". Her father left when she was 2. That would be 1982. the songs listed were released 1984, 1987, 1984 (respectively, Source: wikipedia). These could not have been her fathers records in that jukebox as she implies.
The fact that her father left so early does explain her need for love from a "daddy" figure, even at her current age, but why my father?
" won the Best Independent Pop Artist of the Year citation at the 2003 Los Angeles Music Awards before meeting Spector".
Hard to believe this was before meeting my father when my father was a presentor at that very show and originally claimed that was the even he found out that she could sing.
Also, according to Al Bowman, the Executive Producer of that very show:
"in 2003, Rachelle Spector was nominated for two awards: Pop Artist and Pop Single of the Year. When voting took place in October that year, the artist Sherstin was chosen by the voting committee."
As a factoid, Rachelle Short was employed by my father to be Michelle Blane's assistant. Ms Blaine was my father's assitant and Michelle was the 1st lady my father proposed to after being told by his lawyers that it would look good publicly if he was married diring the trial (acording to Ms Blaine).
All I can say is, I am no Doctor but I'm sure there are meds for her narcissistic characteristics
I don't think anything will cure her disease man
and hello? if she had such a love for music, and she didn't know who your dad was... she is full of it. I'm sick of people acting like a happy attitude is so great every time. she is totally out of touch with reality, that is what her happy is about.
"he didn't want to give his songs to just anybody"
""It was a project that was in development before we even met," explains Rachelle."
If this was a project "in development" before they met, than what songs did he give her? She was calling this CD "Out Of My Chelle" since 2003.
Like I said in my 1st comment, I always end up with more questions after reading her interviews.
Last comment, for now:
" "There are a lot of people who support Philip," she notes":
I sure hope that was not a direct quote from something she actually wrote down. My father's name is either "Phil" or "Phillip", not "Philip", there actually is a difference. One is UK spelling and one is US spelling and 1 is not his correct name.
It may be a small matter but he is my father and if your going to spell his name, please spell it correctly. If she miss-spelt it, I'm not surprised.
Gary, Get Over It. Let her be and let her have her career. Your opinions have no impact on the fact that she is an artist and she has an album which has been released. Your constant berating and spilling of poison regarding her and your father are childish. By the way, Ms. Blaine embezzled over $1 million from your father and he filed criminal charges. She had to return the money and afterwards launched a hate campaign, so her opinions and statements are tainted.
Please forgive your father for whatever hurt you feel, and let him live in whatever peace he can find and let her have her life. I've never read any piece of media on either of them since the tiral that you didn't post something negative about. Do you work or do you spend all your time cruising the internet for damaging things to spread to further destroy their lives? Please find a life and some peace through living your own life instead of trying to ruin someone elses.
Hey Anonymous he has the right to express his opinion just as you do, and his comments are filled with facts unlike yours so why don't you get over it.
It's amazing how much you have the same tone and attitude in this posting as Nicoles mother. The same person that told my father that I was paid $25,000 to do an interview just for the sole purpose of destroying the relationship I had with my father over 20 years ago. All for the sole pupose of getting myself and my brothers looked upon as being against our father and so you could be closer to his money with us out of the picture.
Funny thing is, we never tried to get his money. If this is Janis, you are welcome to keep trying to get it with Rachelle. Personally, I have no interest in his money being used as a leash around my neck.
Greed is such a sad thing. At least my brothers and I have the ablility to live independently, on our own without being dependant on his money. Shame you can't say the same thing.
If this is you, at least I have the guts to but my name on my comment. If this is not you, I sure hope you never turn into the person she did, not much better than Rachelle.
this woman is not an artist. yikes.
I personally do not blame gary for looking this stuff up. hey guess what? it doesn't take much time to look up either. let's make it official okay? Rachelle is a singing secretary. The video is a ghastly piece of worthless lamely written baloney, it has nothing to do with anything Phil has ever done. I hope she flies better than she sings!
Funny how all the numbnuts are able to sling the nastiest barbs. blame the victim. I'm so happy to hear anything gary says about this — I am soooo glad. it is the only genuine perspective not tainted by mental illness or lazy journalism.
While I personally like Rachelle, I do think that she fits perfectly into the world hype and exaggeration that is Tinseltown. The 20th annual Los Angeles Music Awards, an event I am executive produce of, offered Rachelle a Producers Choice Award for Pop Album of the Year in 2010. We did this as a gesture to make up for what happened 7 years ago after she came up short in voting and had worked so hard to receive an award after winning two nominations. Guess what? She turned down our offer to receive a real award, still claiming she got one the she never actually received. Go figure. Yep, Hollywood is a wacky place and it appears that the inmates are running the asylum......
Anononymous. "let her have her career".? Is that what they call it now? Latch on to a much older, wealthy man, who pays for you to put out a crappy CD that Barnes and Noble lists at over #39,000 on the charts?
Nor do I see gpspector spilling poison regarding his father. His father's token wife, but not his father. And the distain for her is well deserved, and you are apparently clueless as to why. There are some out there that still believe whatever comes out of her mouth. That baffles me. When someone is caught lying, then anything else they say is suspect. And she has told too many to count here. But from way back with the proclimation that her husband never wore wigs and she styled his hair every day, to the winning the 2003 music awards, to her earning a PI's liscence, and her CD being in the top hit 40's. Those are such a small fraction where she can be easily exposed as a liar.
So perhaps, before giving such advise as "forgive your father", you need to learn all of the facts, and not just the lies she's spouted.
Get over it his own family? If their lives are being ruined it isn't by a simple comment or comments left from his own son. Obviously your comment was made to throw off the readers to the facts he pointed out. He must have hit a nerve for you to jump in to beg for them to be left alone. Phil and Rochelle have done enough to raise eyebrows all by themselves or haven't you watched the news or read articles since Feb 3, 2003? Rochelle's climb to this low level of fame took place on the back of a dead woman Lana Clarkson as I see it. That's my opinion. This situation, getting back to the music, what an insult. This situation can't be sanitized no more than one can sanitize the stinch of a dead body. The white elephant in the room that most will not speak openly in front of her is the fact she holds the title of being the wife of a famous convicted murderer. Jim, how does her CD rank among your favorites, now be honest. Same music, same sound, if it didn't have the name Spector attached to it in some manner would you have even written this piece?
Ya Big Al, big woop. Try again.
I'm confused...I was at the event in 2003 and distinctly remember seeing Rachelle arrive with Phil Spector. Yet according to this interview (won the Best Independent Pop Artist of the Year citation at the 2003 Los Angeles Music Awards before meeting Spector) ...Talk about spin. I'm not even sure she won the award either. I vaguely remember someone else accepting it onstage??? Weird!
Citation indeed. The Award is a Plaque NOT a Citation. As a winner, she would know this.
Anonoymous,
"Ya Big Al, big woop.Try again."
Interesting. It seems that every site that discusses the lies she tells, always has a "fan" in there somewhere, and the thing they always have in common is the way they resort to retorts you would expect from a very young person. No substance. But thanks for the memories. When my son was 8yrs and was either busted about something or jealous, replied with "Big woop." I haven't heard it since in several years.
Quite frankly, she is not a very kind person.
She will charm an interviewer but ask the people that really know her, the people who have
crossed her path. She is very insecure, and those insecurities cause her to treat people viciously.
Fans are giving up writing him
She is not acting grateful for the support he receives,
and either is he.
She acknowledges all the fan mail she gets so why is she keeping his fans and family from him?
SNAKE IN THE GRASS
Hey Jim, how much did she pay you to write nice things about her?
Again, it gets down to Hollywood being all about the spin. In some ways, she is a PR genius, in others she is very careless with the descriptions of her life. As the man who produced the 13th annual LA Music Awards event, I can tell you once again that SHE DID NOT RECEIVE THE AWARD at that event. She was offered a Producers Choice Award to be archived into our database of past recipients but she never personally accepted the plaque from us. We were astounded at the amount of media attention her and Phil brought to the event that year. She also performed for us at two of our bi-weekly showcase series events that year and worked super hard to do a good job on stage. As a public figure she has creative license to give herself any background she chooses. This is a "fake it till you make it" industry. I happen to think her stuff is pretty good and would love to actually present her with an award for real.
Al B.
Great backhanded compliment Al !
Al B, are you on something? She sucks! She can't sing, she has no marketability. She looks a lot older than 30, she doesn't deserve an award for anything. Plenty of really talented artists out there who don't get half the press simply because they don't have famous husbands to mooch off of, name-wise and money-wise!
From what I'm reading from Al is that she should be recognized for her hard work and the many hours she put in to promote his show. For that, I agree. If she worked hard then it should be acknowledged. The problem I have is "why was she working so hard for a show that was not hers?" I can only come to 1 conclusion, she was not directly trying to promote the show for them, but for herself. I mean, other than performing on stage, what do performers do for the show. Listing their names will bring the audience. As big as Lady Gaga and Katty Perry are, I don't think they would do anything to promote any awards show, after all, they are guests.
I see Rachelle as the person that would bend over backwards for her selfish reasons just to get an award and bragging rights. Of course not thinking that helping the show requires no music talent for which the Awards are for. If anything, that might qualify her for the same type of award that Mr. Spector once got from the Grammy's. It was a "Non-Performer" award. But to give an actual "music" award would insult all the younger, more polished performers that just want a chance to be heard not to mention, to give Rachelle a Music award as a performer, just as you would Tina Turner, Ronnie Spector, or even Elton John would just diminish the value of what the award stands for.
Just my 2¢
There is an overload of press on Mrs Spector. She is too busy patting herself on her own back and it is becoming tiresome. Why write to him anymore? No response. I've laid down my banner and have moved on. Oh, and Mrs Spector has NO control over who sees her husband in prison. The prison controls all entry and you are given a rigorous check out before you set foot inside. So, an article read that SHE says who sees her husband and who does not is erroneous, as are many comments that I've read. After a while, others will come to see that she really is not deserving of high accolades and the people will move on. You can only go so far with the publicity before it bites you in the rear end. Just my thoughts...
Why do we the readers see through her transparent BS yet most of these interviewers, many of them male, bend over backwards to give her benefit of the doubt without fact-checking or asking her the questions that need to be asked? Do these journalists ever read the comment section of their articles? No one seems to care about facts anymore. They're blown away by some bottle blonde with with fake contact lenses and a fake love for her husband.
I know!! The people who write about her in the press are so awful! The worst was bad boy Adam Carolla. Ew what an awful lame interview. More ass kissing than I have ever seen with any interview I have ever read, for less reasons!
Why is she always constantly trying to pump herself up so much? Doesn't she realize how ridiculous she looks? What about all this crap that it's all about the music now, where are the updates on her husband's appeal, where did the focus on that go to?
I know a lot of people think that Phillip is locked away where he belongs and that may in fact be the final disposition of the case, but boy has she really grown up over the last year or so. I really have to say that she has become an asset to him emotionally, and she is saying all the right things. I'm not an expert but I think that they got a punchers chance on the appeal. There is no need to bash her artistically or otherwise. She is a loving wife who is staying by her man and making the best of a trying situation.
And you know this Dee FOR A FACT because...?
Rachelle Spector got taken for a ride. I have never in my life seen so many edits throughout a video for no apparent reason. She's got this stupid grin on her face, how can anyone take her seriously?
I'm no videographer but I do know there are WAY too many edits, it seems all too gratuitous. When there's a whole bunch of nothing, they try to dazzle you with a bunch of edits. What makes her work ethic "Indefatigable"?? (who the hell uses that word) Did she tell you that, Jim Bessman and you just believed it? Who knows what she did to get good press like this.
I agree with you on the video. She has so many edits, the camera is never on her long enough to see if she is really singing or lipsinking poorly. What does that tell you about her talent.
Also, I can't help but wonder what the Gardener's daughter is supposed to symbolize in one of the videos. At the very end (yes, I sat thru them all), and she was in the passenger seat of that not-so-Smart car. I guess this is how she paid the Gardener for services rendered, put the daughter in a video.
I am almost surprised, Here we have the Executive Producer of the LA Music Awards comment here to confirm the facts about an award that Rachelle claims she earned and it seems her devoted fans believe her, who has proven to have no credibility, and yet an established person that has been in the entertaiment industry longer then Rachelle has been aware of it gets attacked.
If you don't believe who he is, check out the LA Music Awards site and look for the Executive Producers name.
Max DS: On her Facebook Acct. she has several photos of this kid, bragging about how cute the kid is etc.I think she put the kid in the video and in these photos to appear more "friendly" or "caring" as a person. so people will say, oh look at her, she's good with kids, she can't be the ares people say she is. But just because you hang out with the gardener's kid does not make you nice or matronly.
This bio is getting old. I don't believe he is getting all these fan letters. He doesn't write to anyone. Who is going to keep writing if there's never a response?
Well, my letter to Phil Spector was returned. His writing was all over it too. He wanted to make it very clear that he hadn't read what I wrote.
If it happened to me, it can happen to you. He values support so much that it either goes ignored or sent back. What a guy!
How does she know really how much mail he really gets? Probably tired of hearing people complain she's saying it is her and him and no one else cares about him.
I am such a fool! I fell for his sorry act, but after having my support literally returned to me, my advice to any fans reading this, please abort this sinking ship. Save your money you would have put towards stamps and instead pick a favorite charity that will appreciate your donation. I'm selling off my Spector collection and giving all the money to charity. Good riddens!
Jim Bessman should use full disclosure and provide us with the knowledge that at one time he did PR work for Rachelle Spector.
Unbiased reporting right out of the window!
BiasedBessman? Who's that? My mom? Brother? Sister? Dog? Don't want any of my loyal, trusting readers to believe any suggestion that at any time did I have a professional PR relationship with Rachelle Spector. But I will definitely admit to being a huge fan of Phil Spector! And if that's a problem for you, BiasedBessman, well, maybe you need to change your name--since you're so afraid of using your own. And yes, I admit, too, that I do like Rachelle Spector, and while I'm being accused of such horrible things, I pretty much like most everyone and everything that I write about, not only at examiner.com, but at jimbessman.com and every one of the scores upon scores of writing outlets that I have in the past and currently contribute to. But I'll bet you, BiasedBessman, that most of my loyal and trusting readers already know that or are smart enough to figure it out. But you win, I am biased. No! You're Biased, Bessman!
Jim, why not a blog post about Phil? Surely after such a nice interview Mrs. Spector could arrange such an interview so you could write about him and his life now. Rather then writing and telling us how Mrs. Spector works hard for her CD. I bet you work hard too at your craft, I know I do. .I don't write Phil Spector but I see his fan's point of view. He has nothing but time to lift a pencil and say Hello and thank you for your support. Just my thoughts but it has brought back memories of reading about Phil and Al Aronowitz, M. Mitchelson and others that were just sort of left in Phil's wake it seemed.
I'm sorry for the fan that got their mail returned. At this crucial time it is important to maintain his support. There is a good deal of it out there I think, but, to get your mail returned and not even attempted to be read, now that hurts. All the time it takes to write a letter, to put thought into it and buy the stamps and send it out hoping for a response (never comes) and getting this type of response it's bad pr for him and a fan has been lost.
It is possible the appeal will not go through and he will be there for a very long time. A kind and supportive letter is good to have. But, I would think that his wife would want fan support and mail coming into him . Not much is heard about the appeal, how his life is and what he is thinking. If I wanted fan support, I would most certainly promote him and maybe take a backseat for the time being. Wifely duties should take first place. Career second. Just saying is all.
Personally, from what little I have heard about what Rachelle wants to use for the Appeal (protesting the 5 women), I believe she is fighting from the wrong approach. I can not imagine what fluff they are pumping into that appeal to make it 400 pages but if I am not mistaken, Mr. Spector had an Appellant attorney in the courtroom with him. all appealable issues were dealt with in the courtroom. That was a HUGE mistake on Mr. Spector's part.
As for the angle that would give them the strongest case, sorry, I will not give information that will give chance to him being released back into her arms. If she's so smart, I want to see her do this on her own, just so we can see her fail.
When she fails and is out of the picture, maybe then I will send a letter to HIS lawyers to help them. I will not help her.
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