The sweet sound of abuse

If they'd arrested Phil Spector after he produced this record back in 1962 they'd have saved everybody a lot of trouble. He hit me(and it felt like a kiss) doesn't justify domestic violence, it celebrates it. The message is essentially that women probably deserve a slap every so often and should be grateful to have a man that cares enough to administer one.

The vocals, by my favourite of Spector's many girl groups  the Crystals, are delivered without a trace of irony and Spector's arrangement conveys a sort of savage romance which I have to say I find rather appealing. The song was not a commercial success, despite the undoubted widespread popularity of intimate partner abuse both in America and internationally.

The Crystals - He hit me(and it felt like a kiss)

POP TRIVIA - Amy Winehouse is on record as saying this is her favourite song of all time!

The Lexicon of Love #4: Possession

The night we met I knew I needed you so
And if I ever had the chance I'd never let you go

The Ronettes - Be My Baby

Last year Phil Spector was finally found guilty of shooting Lana Clarkson, and on the basis of his mugshot I think it's a miracle the jury took so long to convict. There are so many amazing stories about Spector's freakishly possessive attitude towards woman, my favourites are those that relate to his marraige with Ronette Bennett of The Ronnettes fame. Like how, on the rare occasions he allowed Ronette out of the house unaccompanied, she had to have a life size cardboard cut off of Phil beside her in the car's passenger seat. Or the one about the time a friend was playing pool with Spector at his mansion when he became aware of a distant thumping sound.

“I said, ‘Phil, what’s that?’ And he said, ‘I locked Ronnie in the closet’. And there she was, cowering inside.”

Or the time he showed his wife a gold coffin with a glass top and promised to kill her and display her inside if she ever left him. Now there's a bio-pic waiting to happen.

'Tonight You Belong To Me' is a sickly sweet love song that candy coats it's sinister message. A cover of Gene Austins 1927 original, Patience and Prudence had a huge hit with it in 1956.

Patience and Prudence - Tonight You Belong To Me