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.
You Baby
The Ronettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My whole life through
And now that you're my 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're gonna see
There's a lifetime love in me
Just for
You, baby
You, baby
Ooh, baby
Just for you
Woah-oh, only you
Could have made me wait this long
Wanting your kiss
But now you're really mine
I'll make up for the time you've made us miss
Baby, baby, now that it's all right
I'm gonna hug and kiss you every night
You're gonna see
That I saved all the love in me
Just for
You, baby
You, baby
Ooh, baby
Just for you
Woah-oh, only you
You, baby
You, baby
Ooh, baby
Just for you
Woah-oh, only you
Oh
You, baby
You, baby
Ooh, baby
Just for you
Woah-oh, only you
Oh
You, baby
You, baby
The Ronettes's song "You Baby" is a love song that expresses the singer's infatuation with her partner. The lyrics reflect the singer's long-term admiration for the person she is with, and her joy at finally being able to be with them. She feels that the love she has for this person is so strong that she is willing to live and die just for them. The repetition of the phrase "just for you" in the chorus emphasizes the singer's devotion to her partner.
The singer recollects how she waited for this person, wanting their kiss and waiting for them to realize her feelings towards them. The line "But now you're really mine, I'll make up for the time you've made us miss" suggests a sense of impatience that the singer might have felt during the waiting period, but she is now ready to shower him with all the love and affection she has been saving for him.
Overall, the song is a declaration of love that the singer has for her partner. The lyrics are straightforward yet nostalgic, and the music is catchy and romantic, serving as the perfect backdrop to this beautiful love story.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I've been wanting you
I have desired you for a long time
My whole life through
Since the beginning of my life
And now that you're my guy
Since you became mine
I'm gonna live and die for only you
I will devote my life to you and only you until I die
Baby, baby now you're gonna know
I am going to reveal to you now
All the ways I plan to thrill you so
All the ways I intend to excite and please you
You're gonna see
You will recognize
There's a lifetime love in me
I possess a love that will last a lifetime
Just for you, baby
Exclusively for you
You, baby
You
Ooh, baby
Oh, my love
Just for you
Exclusively for you
Woah-oh, only you
No one but you
Could have made me wait this long
No other person could have made me endure such a long wait
Wanting your kiss
Longing to be kissed by you
But now you're really mine
But now that you are truly mine
I'll make up for the time you've made us miss
I will compensate for the time we have lost due to your delay
Baby, baby, now that it's all right
Now that everything is okay
I'm gonna hug and kiss you every night
I will embrace and kiss you every night
You're gonna see
You will recognize
That I saved all the love in me
I have kept all my love for you
Just for you, baby
Exclusively for you
You, baby
You
Ooh, baby
Oh, my love
Just for you
Exclusively for you
Woah-oh, only you
No one but you
You, baby
You
You, baby
You
Ooh, baby
Oh, my love
Just for you
Exclusively for you
Woah-oh, only you
No one but you
Oh
Oh
You, baby
You
You, baby
You
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barry Mann, Phil Spector, Cynthia Weil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carl Contrera
A criminally underrated song. Thanks for posting.
Timothy Thorne
Not well-known even by Ronettes fans. It's a great song, however
TheEarl OfGloucester
Amen!
jet727vans
RIP Ronnie …thanks for the greatest songs ❤️
My Cat Alby
Ronnie was beautiful with an amazing voice. Whenever I heard her sing I was a teen back in the sixties again. I lost part of my past when she passed away. RIP Ronnie. 😔💜
Carole Ann Davis
Love this song, love the Ronettes!!!!
Tyler
I’m here again after finding out the passing of Ronnie! I was just listening to this song a couple days ago. This is one of my favorite songs just the melody the vocals! ❤️ ! RIP Ronnie 🌹🦋😞! Betty White, Sidney Poitier, James Mtume, Bob Saget and now Ronnie! 😞
pgroove211
Phil Spector's Wall of Sound !. genius..you can see how he's painting the canvas with Ronnie Spector's unique and original vocal timbre & the background vocals of the Ronettes ( Nedra Talley , Estelle Bennett)..truly a masterpiece of pop music.. which will stand the test of time..🎵
Matteo A.
R.I.P Ronnie, carry on spreading your celestial and plenty of soul voice all over the highest strata of the cosmos.
Chris Thompson
One of the best tracks on one of the best LPs ever made