Phil Spector: I'm very much hounded now
Phil Spector claims he has been "hounded" since trial for murder
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Saturday, 25, Oct 2008 08:41
Legendary producer Phil Spector claims he has been "hounded" since his trial for second degree murder last year.
A mistrial was declared in October 2007 after jurors failed to agree on a verdict on whether Spector had shot dead actress Lana Clarkson at his home and the 67-year-old has now talked of the trial in his first major television interview.
Despite changing the musical landscape over the last 50 years having created the Wall of Sound style and produced songs such as Let it Be and You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Spector has never given a substantial broadcast interview.
But speaking on BBC2's Arena, he has shed light on his upbringing, beliefs, loneliness and work with stars such as the Beatles and Brian Wilson.
Asked about the jury selection in his murder trial, he replied: "45 per cent of them wrote down they believed I was guilty and 20 per cent of them wrote down I was insane. Based upon their pre-trial publicity over the last four years.
"If they don't like yah, they don't like yah… if they don't like you for whatever reason they will screw you and that's just it."
He added: "I am hounded now. I'm very much hounded... "
And talking of the infamous Let It Be recording sessions, which preceded the Beatles' split, he said: "I wanted this to be a great farewell album. I knew they were breaking up, I knew they were never going to come back together again.
"I knew there was going to be no reunion. The public didn't and I was there to make a commercial album, because I wanted to sell 12 million albums and the public ended up buying it and I was Mr Commerciality."
With Spector's retrial approaching, Arena's producer/director Vikram Jayanti said it was a "timely moment" to interview Spector.
The Agony and The Ecstasy of Phil Spector is screened on BBC2 at 21:40 BST on Saturday October 25th.