Wagner influence on Phil Spector?

November 5, 2008 7:43 AM

Phil Spector's "To Know Him is to Love Him," he claims it was influenced by, or based on, a melody of Wagner's. Any guesses which one?
posted by StickyCarpet to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

According to Reckless, by Carlton Smith, the arrangement was "taken in part, according to Carol Connors, from a composition by Wagner." If that's true, the melody is irrelevant, and you might have to contact Carol and ask her what she meant.
posted by languagehat at 8:31 AM on November 5, 2008

Response by poster: Well, that book is the source of my inquiry. Maybe I'll get all nickyskye on Carol Connors, and just check the phone book.

Yes, I did see "arrangement," but how can a song be based on an arrangement, rather than influenced by it? Maybe a particular harmonic progression, rather than a melody?
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:22 AM on November 5, 2008

From "Tearing Down the Wall of Sound" by Mick Brown, pgs 39-40:

Spector told Annette [Kleinbard] that he had derived the melody from a Wagner opera. "I don't know which one - I hate Wagner - but that's what he told me."

posted by kpmcguire at 2:57 PM on November 5, 2008