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.
I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine
The Ronettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby do you know what you took away?
You took the blue out of the sky
My whole life changed when you said goodbye
And I keep cryin', cryin'
Oh baby, oh baby
I wish I never saw the sunshine
I wish I never saw the sunshine
'Cause if I never saw the sunshine baby
Then maybe I wouldn't mind the rain
Every day is just like the day before
All alone, a hundred miles from shore
All of my dreams, I dream with you
Now they will die and never come true
And so I'm cryin', cryin'
Oh baby, oh baby
I wish I never saw the sunshine
I wish I never saw the sunshine
'Cause if I never saw the sunshine baby
Then maybe I wouldn't mind the rain
There wouldn't be this pain
And I know there wouldn't be
Cloud that's over me everywhere I go
Oh baby, oh baby
I wish I never saw the sunshine
I wish I never saw the sunshine
But if I never saw the sunshine baby
Then maybe I wouldn't mind the rain
I wouldn't mind the rain
Oh, that pain
Oh, that rain
That sunshine
The Ronettes's song "I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine" is a heart-wrenching ballad about heartbreak and loss. The lyrics speak of a devastating breakup that has left the singer feeling alone and desolate. The chorus emphasizes this idea: "I wish I never saw the sunshine, 'cause if I never saw the sunshine baby, then maybe I wouldn't mind the rain." The sunshine represents the happiness and love that once existed in their relationship, and now that it's gone, the rain (or pain) is all that's left.
The opening lines of the song ask the question "Baby, do you know what you did today? Baby, do you know what you took away?" These lines express the hurt and confusion that comes with being blindsided by a breakup. The breakup has left a void in the singer's life, and everything seems to be a reminder of what was lost. The line "You took the blue out of the sky" symbolizes the loss of hope that was once present in their life together. The loss of the blue sky represents the loss of a bright and optimistic future.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer continues to express their heartache and longing for what was lost. The line "All of my dreams, I dream with you, now they will die and never come true" is particularly poignant. It emphasizes the idea that the aftermath of a breakup is not just about the loss of the person, but also the loss of the future that was imagined together. The singer is left with nothing but heartache and pain.
Overall, "I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the universal experiences of heartbreak and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby do you know what you did today?
Do you realize how much you hurt me today?
Baby do you know what you took away?
Do you understand what you've taken from me?
You took the blue out of the sky
You've made everything around me gray and sad.
My whole life changed when you said goodbye
Ever since you left, my life has been completely different.
And I keep cryin', cryin'
I can't stop crying and feeling emotional pain.
I wish I never saw the sunshine
I regret ever experiencing happy times with you,
'Cause if I never saw the sunshine baby
Because if I hadn't known happiness with you,
Then maybe I wouldn't mind the rain
Perhaps I wouldn't be so affected by the sadness and loneliness without you.
Every day is just like the day before
Days all seem the same with nothing new or exciting anymore.
All alone, a hundred miles from shore
I feel so isolated and stranded, even though I'm not physically far from others.
All of my dreams, I dream with you
All of my hopes and goals were tied to you and our shared future.
Now they will die and never come true
Our breakup has ruined any chance of those dreams ever becoming a reality.
And so I'm cryin', cryin'
I'm still crying and feeling the pain of our breakup.
There wouldn't be this pain
If we had never been together, I wouldn't be hurting like this.
And I know there wouldn't be
I'm sure that without you, things wouldn't feel so painful.
Cloud that's over me everywhere I go
I feel like there's a constant darkness and negativity following me wherever I go.
I wouldn't mind the rain
Even with its dreariness, I wouldn't mind the rain if it meant not having to go through this breakup pain.
Oh, that pain
The emotional pain is overwhelming and feels never-ending.
Oh, that rain
Even though it's unpleasant, I'd rather have rain than to feel this sadness and loneliness any longer.
That sunshine
The happy memories of us together that now cause me pain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: ELLIE GREENWICH, JEFF BARRY, PHILIP SPECTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nicoleigtanloc179
Baby do you know what you did today?
Baby do you know what you took away?
You took the blue out of the sky
My whole life changed when you said goodbye
And I keep cryin', cryin'
Oh baby, oh baby
I wish I never saw the sunshine
I wish I never saw the sunshine
'Cause if I never saw the sunshine baby
Then maybe I wouldn't mind the rain
Every day is just like the day before
All alone, a hundred miles from shore
All of my dreams, I dream with you
Now they will die and never come true
And so I'm cryin', cryin'
Oh baby, oh baby
I wish I never saw the sunshine
I wish I never saw the sunshine
'Cause if I never saw the sunshine baby
Then maybe I wouldn't mind the rain
There wouldn't be this pain
And I know there wouldn't be
Cloud that's over me everywhere I go
Oh baby, oh baby
I wish I never saw the sunshine
I wish I never saw the sunshine
But if I never saw the sunshine baby
Then maybe I wouldn't mind the rain
I wouldn't mind the rain
Oh, that pain
Oh, that rain
That sunshine
@avid4info893
Beth Orton did a beautiful cover of this equally beautiful song
@C0293df
Just found this video too, shes great
@precog80
This song came out decades before I was born and it's a masterpiece. Rest in peace good Lady. Be with the angels.
@charlisilver7879
Ronnie is an Angel
@YummyToast111
I wish music could be like this again because this, is an absolute masterpiece
@vintagegoldenage
I think people get so focused on their hit "Be My Baby" that they forget that they had a bunch of other great songs!
@thestick52
SO TRUE!
@ednalourdesbritodesousa978
@@thestick52 . .i
@vintagegoldenage
@new555user he died yesterday
@San-br4qv
@@vintagegoldenage who died yesterday? Phil?