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.
He Did It
The Ronettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he, oh oh he said it
But he, he'll regret it
People let me tell you
I don't understand his alibi
I don't understand his reasons why
I don't understand him right or wrong
Oh how he fooled me
When he used me
And then he, he accused me
Let me tell you oh
I don't understand his alibi
I don't understand his reasons why
I don't understand him right or wrong
But he, oh he did it and he's gone
He, oh he shamed me
He, when he blamed me
But I, I'm not guilty
Let me tell you now
I don't understand his alibi
I don't understand his reasons why
I don't understand him right or wrong
But he, oh he did it and he's gone
He, he did it
He's gone
He did it now he's gone...
The Ronettes’ “He Did It” is a song about a man who has betrayed, accused and hurt the singer of the song. The lyrics are straightforward with hints of bitterness and anger. The singer expresses her confusion about the man's motives and actions. It is evident that the man has hurt her, accused her of something she didn't do, and then left her. The singer is angry, hurt and wants to tell people what the man has done.
The repetition of lines, "I don't understand his alibi, I don't understand his reasons why," highlights the singer's confusion and disbelief about the man's actions. She cannot comprehend why he would hurt and blame her. The chorus, "He, yes, he did it, but he'll regret it" shows the singer's conviction that the man will regret his actions eventually.
The lyrics also show an underlying theme of empowerment. Despite the hurt, the singer declares her innocence and refuses to accept blame for something she didn't do. The song is a reminder to women that they don't have to accept blame for something they didn't do and that they should stand up for themselves.
Overall, The Ronettes' "He Did It" speaks to the human experience of hurt and betrayal coupled with the will to stand up for oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
He, yes he did it
He committed the act in question.
And he, oh oh he said it
He admitted to it.
But he, he'll regret it
He will face the consequences and feel remorseful.
People let me tell you
The artist wants to share a message with the listeners.
I don't understand his alibi
The artist is confused by his excuse for his actions.
I don't understand his reasons why
The singer doesn't comprehend his motives for what he did.
I don't understand him right or wrong
The singer can't make sense of his actions, whether they were justified or not.
But he, oh he did it and he's gone
He committed the act and left, possibly to avoid accountability or punishment.
Oh how he fooled me
The artist was deceived by him in some way.
When he used me
He took advantage of the artist in some manner.
And then he, he accused me
He tried to blame the singer for something he himself did.
He, oh he shamed me
He caused the artist to feel ashamed or embarrassed.
He, when he blamed me
He unfairly accused the singer of wrongdoing.
But I, I'm not guilty
The singer asserts their innocence in the situation.
He did it
He committed the act in question.
He's gone
He left the situation.
He did it now he's gone...
He committed the act and then removed himself from the situation.
Contributed by Vivian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.