The group's career:
Sisters Estelle (born 1941) and Veronica Bennett (born 1943), and their cousin Nedra Talley (born 1946), began singing together as teenagers in Washington Heights, Manhattan. Encouraged by their grandmother, they entered and won a talent show at the Apollo Theatre in 1959, as The Darling Sisters. Phillip Halikus saw their potential, became their manager, and promoted their early appearances at hops and charity shows.
In 1961, while standing in line at the Peppermint Lounge, they were mistaken for a singing trio that had not arrived and were ushered on stage. After performing Ray Charles' "What'd I Say", they were signed to appear regularly there and in Miami. Later that year, they danced in shows staged by disc jockey Murray the K, but, contrary to many sources, did not appear in the 1961 film Twist Around the Clock. They did get a record deal with the Colpix label, and, as Ronnie & the Relatives, released their first single "I Want a Boy". They also worked as backing singers for Bobby Rydell, Del Shannon, and Joey Dee & The Starliters. Renamed as The Ronettes, they issued several more singles with Colpix and recorded an album, unissued at the time, but had little early commercial success.
In 1963 they came to the attention of producer Phil Spector, who was looking for a new girl group to assume The Crystals' mantle. He was taken with Ronnie's voice and style, and signed The Ronettes to his Philles label. As Spector's new protégées, they were given a strong image as "bad girls", with beehive hairdos, heavy eyeliner, and tight skirts. Their first Philles single was "Be My Baby", co-written by Spector with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, and arranged and produced by Spector. It became a worldwide hit, reaching # 2 on the U.S. pop chart, # 4 on the R&B chart, and # 4 on the UK chart. The follow-up, "Baby, I Love You", had an even denser arrangement, featuring Leon Russell on piano, and backing vocals from Darlene Love and Cher, among others. It was slightly less successful, reaching # 24 in the United States and # 11 in the United Kingdom. The Ronettes also featured on Spector's album "A Christmas Gift for You".
Early in 1964 The Ronettes toured England with The Rolling Stones and met The Beatles. They continued to have hits with "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up" (# 39 U.S., # 43 UK), "Do I Love You?" (# 34 U.S., # 35 UK), and "Walking in the Rain" (# 24 U.S.), which won a Grammy for Best Sound Effects, the only one Spector ever received. However, their LP, "Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica", only reached # 96 and other singles were less successful; musical tastes had moved beyond the girl group sound, and the Ronettes were unable to maintain their relevance. After criss-crossing the United States and Canada as one of the opening acts for the final concert tour of The Beatles, they disbanded at the end of 1966.
Later events:
Estelle Bennett and Nedra Talley each married and, in 1968, Ronnie Bennett married Phil Spector and retired from performance for several years. In 1971, under Spector's direction, Ronnie recorded "Try Some, Buy Some" for the Beatles' Apple label. This was her last charting record, reaching # 77 in the spring of 1971.
In 1973, as she and Spector were about to divorce, she returned to performing at Richard Nader's "Rock and Roll Revival" show at Madison Square Garden. Her new version of The Ronettes at that time included Denise Edwards and Chip Fields, and they issued two singles on the Buddah label.
In 1988, the original Ronettes sued Spector for nonpayment of royalties. In 2001, a New York court announced a verdict in favor of the Ronettes, ordering Spector to pay nearly three million dollars in back royalties; however, the judgment was later overturned on appeal. On February 11, 2009 Estelle Bennett was found dead at her home in Englewood, New Jersey. She was 67.
Awards and recognition:
The Ronettes were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
It was believed that Phil Spector, in his capacity as a member of the Board of Governors, deliberately prevented the Ronettes (and Darlene Love) from being nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although they had been eligible for a considerable period. The alleged reasons included the acrimonious divorce of Ronnie and Spector, in addition to the group having (unsuccessfully) sued Spector for back royalties. While Spector was awaiting trial on a murder charge and out on $1 million bail, the Ronettes were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the March 12, 2007, induction ceremony held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Keith Richards, a self-confessed longtime fan, inducted the trio. Ronnie Bennett (Spector) and Nedra Talley performed "Baby, I Love You," "Walking In the Rain" and "Be My Baby." Estelle Bennett was present to accept her award but did not perform.
Baby
The Ronettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My whole life through
And now that I'm your guy
I'm gonna live and die for only you
Baby, baby now you're gonna know
All the ways I plan to thrill you so
You gonna see
I've saved all the love in me
Just for
You baby,
You baby
You baby
Only you
Oh, oh, only you
Could have make me
Wait this long
Wanting your kiss
And now you're really mine
I'll make up for the time
You made us miss
Baby, baby now that it's all right
I'm gonna hug and kiss you every night
You're gonna see
There's a lifetime of love in me
Just for
You baby,
You baby
You baby
Only you
Oh, oh, only you
Baby, baby now that it's all right
I'm gonna hug and kiss you every night
You're gonna see
I've saved all the love in me
Just for
You baby,
You baby
You baby
Only you
Oh, oh, only you
You baby,
You baby
You baby
Only you
Oh, oh, only you
In this song, The Ronettes express their deep love for their partner, stating that they have wanted them their whole life and now that they are together, they are willing to live and die for them. They promise to thrill them and show them all the love that they have saved up just for them. They claim that only this person could have made them wait this long and now that they belong to each other, they will make up for the lost time.
The lyrics express pure, unconditional love and the desire to make up for lost time. The singer wants to communicate to their partner that they hold a special place in their heart and all of their love is reserved just for them. They also anticipate making every moment count in their relationship by treating their partner with affection and dedication. The repetition of the phrase "only you" demonstrates the exclusivity of their love for this special person.
Overall, the lyrics of "Baby" by The Ronettes is a beautiful love song that speaks on the depth of one's devotion to their loved one. The dedication and passion expressed in the lyrics is heartwarming and the Ronettes deliver it with such vocal harmony that it's hard not to fall in love with the song.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I've been wanting you
You have been the one I've desired throughout my entire life
My whole life through
Since the beginning of my existence
And now that I'm your guy
Now that I am the one you have chosen
I'm gonna live and die for only you
I will dedicate my entire existence to you
Baby, baby now you're gonna know
Now you will finally understand
All the ways I plan to thrill you so
The multitude of ways in which I intend to fulfill your desires and bring pleasure to you
You gonna see
You will witness for yourself
I've saved all the love in me
I have reserved all the love I possess
Just for you baby,
You baby
You baby
Only for you, my love.
Oh, oh, only you
No one but you
Could have make me
Wait this long
No one else could have caused me to wait for so long
Wanting your kiss
Longing for the intimate connection of your lips
And now you're really mine
Now that I possess you
I'll make up for the time
You made us miss
I will compensate for the time we have lost due to prior circumstances
Baby, baby now that it's alright
Now that things have worked out
I'm gonna hug and kiss you every night
I will embrace and kiss you every evening
You're gonna see
You will come to acknowledge and comprehend
There's a lifetime of love in me
There is an eternity's worth of love within me
Just for you baby,
You baby
You baby
For you and you alone.
Oh, oh, only you
No one else.
You baby,
You baby
You baby
You are the one.
Only you
Exclusively you.
Oh, oh, only you
No one but you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: P. F. Sloan, Steve Barri
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ivanleon6926
Lyrics
The night we met I knew I needed you so
And if I had the chance I'd never let you go
So won't you say you love me?
I'll make you so proud of me
We'll make 'em turn their heads every place we go
So won't you, please (be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby? (My one and only baby)
Say you'll be my darlin' (be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now (my one and only baby)
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
I'll make you happy, baby, just wait and see
For every kiss you give me, I'll give you three
Oh, since the day I saw you
I have been waiting for you
You know I will adore you 'til eternity
So won't you, please (be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby? (My one and only baby)
Say you'll be my darlin' (be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now (my one and only baby)
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
So come on and, please (be my, be my baby)
Be my little baby? (My one and only baby)
Say you'll be my darlin' (be my, be my baby)
Be my baby now (my one and only baby)
Whoa-oh-oh-oh
Be my little baby? (My one and only baby)
Oh-oh-oh (be my, be my baby)
Oh (my one and only baby)
Whoa-oh-oh-oh (be my, be my baby)
Oh-oh-oh (My one and only baby)
Oh (be my, be my baby)
@jamese1992
I was 17 in '63 and fell with in love with the Ronettes and listening to their music today still brings tears to an old man's eyes.
@ZimZum4ever
WOW!! 👏🏻👏🏻
@marekkondrad2235
<3
@mymo82
Dear James E, your comment is moving.
@jiita.m9992
Please be healthy. ❤️
@TheThereader1
❤
@jacquelinebataille8106
I was 15 then, just turned 73. My heart beats the same. These songs don't age.
@gondy5936
Happy belated birthday, Jacqueline!🎉
@sofiasendinocamargos1789
I wish i would have grow up with all these 60s 70s and 80s songs. Now im 16 and all the music right now its so innapropiate., but heard all these song just brings me so much joy. You were so lucky
@hagencreepy
@@sofiasendinocamargos1789 je suis tellement d'accord avec toi les nouvelles musique sont nul d'ailleurs je n'appelle pas ça de la musique j'appelle ça du bruits j'ai 17 ans et j'ai grandi avec ça et les autres me rejette car j'écoute pas leur bruit 😁 ça fait plaisir de voir des gens qui ont encore du goût