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b. 23 October
1940, Brooklyn, New York, USA. Greenwich's singing career began in 1958
with "Cha-Cha-Charming", released under the name Ellie Gaye. Two years
later she met budding songwriter Jeff Barry and, following a release as
Ellie Gee And The Jets, the couple formed the Raindrops in 1963. The group
enjoyed a US Top 20 hit with "The Kind Of Boy You Can't Forget", but
increased demand on the now-married duo's compositional skills led to the
band's demise. Having abandoned respective partnerships with Toni Powers
and Art Resnick, Greenwich and Barry enjoyed a sustained period of success
with a series of notable compositions, including "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" (the
Exciters / Manfred Mann ), "I Wanna Love Him So Bad" (the Jelly Beans )
and "Hanky Panky" ( Tommy James And The Shondells ). Collaborations with
Phil Spector generated hits for the Crystals ("Da Doo Ron Ron" and "Then
He Kissed Me"), the Ronettes ("Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You") and Ike
And Tina Turner ("River Deep - Mountain High") while work with Shadow
Morton reaped commercial success for the Shangri-Las, notably "Leader Of
The Pack". Ellie also rekindled her solo career with "You Don't Know", but
her divorce from Barry in 1965 put an intolerable strain on their working
relationship. Together they produced Neil Diamond's early recordings, but
in 1967 she severed their partnership and made an exclusive songwriting
deal with Unart Music. Ellie Greenwich Composes, Produces, Sings combined
original songs with current favourites, but was a commercial failure,
while her subsequent Pineywood Productions company was similarly
ill-starred in the wake of changing musical tastes. "I couldn't understand
what (acid rock) was all about", she later stated, and instead switched to
writing jingles. She re-emerged during the singer/songwriter boom with Let
It Be Written, Let It Be Sung, but this excellent album failed to rekindle
her career when stage fright blighted an attendant tour. Ellie remained in
seclusion for most of the ensuing decade but re-emerged in the 80s as a
performer in the acclaimed biographical revue Leader Of The Pack. A new
generation of acts, including Nona Hendryx, Cyndi Lauper and Ellen Foley,
have recorded her songs, insuring Greenwich's position as one of pop's
finest composers.
Discography
Ellie Greenwich Composes, Produces And Sings (United Artists 1968)***,
Let It Be Written, Let It Be Sung (Verve 1973)***.
Compilations
I Can Hear Music: The Ellie Greenwich Collection (Razor & Tie
1999)***.
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