Just thinking about my peeps back in Massachusetts having more snow to plow. You want to know what was really, really great about Phil Spector? The fact that he could take a Yoko Ono tune that no one else in his right mind would even consider recording and turn it into something not just worthy of release, but listenable as well.

Listen, the snow is falling over town
Listen, the snow is falling everywhere
Between Empire State building
And between Trafalgar Square

Listen, the snow is falling over town

Listen, the snow is falling over town
Listen, the snow is falling everywhere
Between your bed and mine
Between your head and my mind

Listen, the snow is falling over town

Between Tokyo and Paris
Between London and Dallas
Between your God and mine
Listen, the snow is falling everywhere

Snow, dream
Snowfall
Snow, fly
Listen
Listen

The lyrics are oh-so-Yoko, but I love them in their simplicity. But I’m wondering of all the cities in the world she chose to use Dallas – was it because of JFK’s assassination? I just think it’s strange. And you might want to quibble with his personal attributes, but Phil was a genius: listen to how he introduces the sleigh bells into the song and the way the guitars and keyboards create a pastiche of wintery wonder. It’s pure Phil.

Galaxie 500 did a very awesome cover of this tune. Without Yoko’s shrill they’re able to bring out not just the pretty melody but turn it into a quasi-’60s psychedelic version. I like it. A Lot.

Thea Gilmore did a really nice version of this as well.

Anytime you can get a wide variety of artists to translate a song and do a good job of it, you know the original tune had something going for it. Whether you like Yoko’s stuff or not, her music always provided folks with a lot of room for improvisation.

And speaking of Phil, check this site out. It’s pretty cool.