Retro Video of the Week: "Rock 'n' Roll High School" by The Ramones

As you may have heard, Phil Spector died last week.  His legacy is, of course, quite mixed.  On one hand, he was one of the greatest and most innovative music producers in rock and roll history, thanks to his iconic Wall of Sound production technique that has been copied many times over the years.  When I hear the name Phil Spector, I immediately think of The Ronettes' "Be My Baby," The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," or my favorite holiday album ever, 1963's A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector, but he also produced songs and albums for the likes of The Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Ramones, Ike & Tina Turner, and Leonard Cohen.

On the other hand, he was convicted of the 2003 murder of actress Lana Clarkson in his California home, and in 2009, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison for second-degree murder and using a firearm to commit a crime (and he died in prison while serving his sentence).  He was also a complete control freak.  During much of his six-year marriage to Ronettes lead singer Ronnie Bennett Spector, he kept Ronnie captive in their home, rarely letting her leave, he subjected her to various forms of psychological torment, and he refused to let her perform, which essentially ruined her career.  And more apropos to this post, while producing The Ramones' 1980 album End of the Century, at one point, Spector allegedly held The Ramones hostage at gunpoint in his home during the recording sessions.

The song "Rock 'n' Roll High School" from that album was previously released in 1979 in conjunction with the campy musical comedy of the same name.  There are three versions of the song, two of which were produced by Spector, including the one in the video below.  Even though it's technically not within the parameters of the "MTV Era," I made an exception, as I think it's one of the few (if not the only) Spector-produced songs close to that time period for which a music video was made.

By the way, if you're interested in learning more about the ups and downs of Spector's life, I highly recommend Tearing Down the Wall of Sound: The Rise and Fall of Phil Spector by Mick Brown, which was written in 2008, before Spector was ultimately re-tried for Clarkson's murder and sentenced, but it delves deep into Spector's psyche, brilliance, and madness.