REVIEW: RONNIE SPECTOR @ BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

It is perhaps both fortunate and unfortunate that Ronnie Spector’s first major record release became one of the greatest pop records ever released.  How do you follow that?  With some difficulty, but that hasn’t stopped her trying over a career that is into its fifth decade.  As one third of The Ronettes, and its defining voice,  Ronnie was a major brick in future husband Phil Spector’s legendary Wall Of Sound.  Her recording career since then has been sporadic, but with each subsequent release the critics have praised her magnificent vibrato voice,  one of those once in a lifetime vocal styles that can only ever belong to an original.

The diminutive Ronnie, framed by a birds nest wig, bounded onstage to a very warm welcome at the Opera House in Buxton,  belting out her hit anthem “Baby I Love You”.  Now aged 72,  she has lost none of the girlish enthusiasm that was evident when the record was originally released in 1963 as she weaved her magic on the Derbyshire crowd.  Backed by four excellent musicians, and three beehived Ronettes, the audience were treated to a whistle-stop tour of her musical career. This included some numbers from her latest album English Heart,  a tribute to the artists of the British invasion of America  in the 1960s.

A surprise from the audience was the sudden appearance of Dave Berry who had appeared with The Ronettes on UK shows back when they were high on the charts,  he belted out his own hit “Little Things” much to the delight of Ronnie.  But it was the famous Spector voice that we had all come to hear and we got it straight down the line. From the wistful “Walking In The Rain” to the stomping rock beat of “(The Best Part Of) Breakin’ Up”  Ronnie ploughed through her back catalogue like a seasoned pro. A version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” has been in the repertoire since the very beginning and echoes a time when The Ronettes danced at the Peppermint Lounge,  looking way older than they were, waiting to be discovered.  Ronnie casually mentions artists who wrote songs for her, the likes of George Harrison and Harry Nilsson,  showing the kind of pedigree she has among her peers. Ronnie’s voice is as unique and wonderous as it ever was,  able to show a range of emotions such as her Bee Gees cover “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?” which she dedicated to her late sister and fellow Ronette, Estelle.  This is from the latest album English Heart from which we were also treated to “I’d Much Rather Be With The Girls”, a song Keith Richards wrote on the tour bus whilst The Rolling Stones were touring with The Ronettes, along with The Dave Clark Five hit “Because”.  Ronnie clearly loves these songs,  and both the live and recorded versions are a testament to the song writing powers of this golden age and the artists who keep them alive today.  Perhaps understandably there was no mention of Phil Spector,  now disgraced but whose production and song writing genius were at the very heart of Ronnie’s chart successes.  For that story you need to read her acclaimed autobiography How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts And Madness, it’s a rock and roll tale like no other.

But of all the songs in Ronnie’s repertoire, it was the ‘boom ba boom’ drum beat opening of “Be My Baby” that caused the excited audience to reach fever pitch.  Often voted by pop archivists as one of the greatest records ever produced,  we were aware of hearing a little bit of history being recreated before us.  With everyone on their feet and singing along as one,  it was one of those spine tingling moments.  Returning to the stage to deliver wannabe Ronette, Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black” and the final ever Ronettes recording “I Can Hear Music” (which The Beach Boys later had a hit with),  Ronnie faced a sea of hands reaching out for her.   It was clear that she loved recreating decades gone by as much as we wanted her to.  She may not be the household name that her contemporaries Tina Turner and Cher became,  but Ronnie Spector has more than earned her legendary status in the music industry.   The Ronettes induction into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame was well overdue, and now stand tall among the greatest recording artists of all time.  For those of us who experienced Ronnie Spector in Buxton there can never be any doubt about this lady’s pedigree.  A star.

REVIEW: JACKIE THE MUSICAL @ THE REGENT, STOKE

I am at the time in my life when nostalgia is an ever growing comfort,  as my body ages and the world around me changes, I take pleasure in memories of the past. A time we all perceive I suppose as generally being simpler and happier. Thus the music of the 70s and 80s is particularly potent for me, as those were the decades where I first discovered pop music – principally through sitting in front of the telly on a Thursday night viewing Top Of The Pops.  In the mid-70s this would mean a wealth of glam rock bands such as The Sweet and Slade, with heart-throbs of the day being David and Donny.  No surnames are necessary if you lived through it!  So when a musical comes along purporting to celebrate this very era,  I naturally have to sit up and listen.

In this case, the pivot is the legendary teenage girls magazine Jackie.  Between 1964 and 1993 the magazine dispensed love advice through photo strips, produced pin ups of the latest music sensations and generally offered solutions to problems any teenage girl might have.  It has manifested itself into a cult piece of nostalgia with compilations of the magazine being released each Christmas in a hard back book and CDs full of music from when the magazine was at its peak – the 1970s.  So the brand name is instantly recognisable to a generation in middle age, and they turned out in force in Stoke, ready to relive the decade that taste forgot.

Jackie is a 54 year old divorcee with a teenage son who finds boxed up back issues of her namesake magazine whilst getting ready to downsize.  As she casts her mind back to the days when she purchased said magazine,  she connects to her teenage self who materialises to offer advice from the sidelines, albeit love advice based on what she had read in Jackie.  So the scene is set for older Jackie to try and find a path to love once more aided – or hindered – by those around her whilst justifying herself to the teenage apparition.

Well, on paper it sounds pretty lame I agree, but the thing is it works.  Principally because this show knows exactly where it is aiming its music and gags:  those that were there and have lived,  and understand every moment of her self doubt, regret and love of 1970s fashions and sounds.

Janet Dibley doesn’t possess the strongest voice of the night, but manages to convince as the decades challenged eponymous heroine,  and gives us a rounded character that the audience readily relate to.  Daisy Steere brings a cheeky innocence to the younger Jackie,  but the main hit of the evening seemed to be Michael Hamway as Jackie’s 19 year old son David.  His infectious energy, fine rock voice and thrusting hips made his version of T-Rex’s ‘Twentieth Century Boy’ perhaps the highlight of the evening.   Bob Harms as sexy club owner Frankie gets a rousing cheer as he launches into ‘Puppy Love’.  There is strong support too from Trica Adele-Turner as Jackie’s ex-husbands new squeeze and also Lori Haley Fox as best friend Jill.  Both ladies possess great charisma and can rock it with the best of them. Jackie’s love rivals, ex husband John (Graham Bickley) and internet date Max (Nicholas Bailey) are no slouches either.  Both possess fine voices and make the most of their solo chances to shine. Essentially this is an ensemble show, and everyone from dancers to band ensured it was a high energy evening to remember.  Arlene Phillips choreography echoes all the embarrassing dance moves we were all guilty of performing, with platform boots and bell bottom jeans among the hideous fashions that somehow we believed were cool.

 

Unusually, the posters do not advertise any of the songs included in the show.  As the biggest selling point this puzzled me,  but I realised when watching it that this is perhaps because quite a lot of the songs might be unrecognisable to the younger elements. There are no mega hits from ABBA or Queen for that matter. But if you were there you will have no trouble in recognising the songs. Vintage radio fodder such as as the David Essex number one ‘Hold Me Close’, The Osmonds’ ‘Crazy Horses’,  Barry Blue’s ‘Dancing On A Saturday Night’ and the frustratingly catchy Mud classic ‘Tiger Feet’.  The rousing finale of ‘No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)’ packs a mighty punch to delight the 70s hungry crowd and had them on their feet and yelling for more.

I doubt this will ever play the West End, but equally I don’t think it is meant to. It delivers to an audience who are happy to be transported back to the pop culture of 1970s Britain and recognise in the characters something of themselves.  If like me the 70s is an era of rose tinted magic, I can recommend this show wholeheartedly.