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 Came You Saw You Conquered
The Ronettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wasn't in the slightest hurry
To fall in love and give my heart away oh baby
So hurt many times before that I said this time for sure
I was locking up the door then baby
Oo you came you saw you conquered all the love in me
Oo you came you saw you turned your loving right on in me oooh
You shot me down with lips of fire
I ran for cover straight into your arms
Oh baby
Footloose and fancy free nobody, could get a hold of me
Then you kissed me tenderly and baby
Oo you came you saw you conquered all the love in me
Oh baby oo you came you saw you turned your loving right on in me oooh
Goodbye heart of mine
Hello sweet ties of love that bind
I'll try love just this one more time
Cause baby
Oo you came you saw you conquered all the love in me
Oh baby oo you came you saw you turned your loving right on in me oooh
Ooh
The Ronettes's song "You Came You Saw You Conquered" tells the story of a person who was hurt in the past and had given up on love. They weren't in a hurry or interested in falling in love again, and were actually in the process of locking up their heart when the person who would ultimately conquer them arrived on the scene. This person was able to break down the singer's defenses with their "lips of fire," and they fell head over heels.
The singer had been running from love for so long that they were "footloose and fancy free" (i.e. living a carefree, unattached life), but the new love interest was able to change all that with a single kiss. Interestingly, the person who came and conquered the singer's heart is referred to as their "enemy," as if the singer was trying to fight off the feelings they had for this person.
At the end of the song, the singer says goodbye to their old heart of hurt and hello to the new ties of love that bind them to their conquering love interest. They're willing to try love one more time, all because this person came, saw, and conquered them.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't have a care or worry
I was not concerned about falling in love or giving my heart away.
I wasn't in the slightest hurry
I was not in a rush or impatient to find love.
To fall in love and give my heart away oh baby
I wasn't sure about falling in love, but maybe I would change my mind someday.
So hurt many times before that I said this time for sure
I had been hurt in love before, and was determined not to let it happen again.
I was locking up the door then baby
I was closing myself off to love, protecting my heart from being hurt again.
Oo you came you saw you conquered all the love in me
You broke through my barriers and captured all my love.
Oo you came you saw you turned your loving right on in me oooh
You came into my life and filled it with your love.
My enemy was warm desire
I was afraid of desire because it had hurt me in the past.
You shot me down with lips of fire
Your passionate kiss overwhelmed me, making me vulnerable to love.
I ran for cover straight into your arms
I surrendered to love and found refuge in your embrace.
Footloose and fancy free nobody, could get a hold of me
I was carefree and independent, not looking for anyone to hold me down.
Then you kissed me tenderly and baby
Your gentle kiss changed everything, making me open to love.
Goodbye heart of mine
I am saying goodbye to my guarded heart.
Hello sweet ties of love that bind
I am opening myself up to the beautiful connections of love.
I'll try love just this one more time
I am willing to give love one more chance.
Cause baby
Because of your love and the way you made me feel.
Oo you came you saw you conquered all the love in me
You won me over completely, capturing all my love.
Oh baby oo you came you saw you turned your loving right on in me oooh
You came into my life and filled it with your love.
Ooh
An expression of joy and happiness.
Contributed by Josiah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.