Mad About Ellie, or, The Real Leader Of The Pack

Now, yesterday was a big day in R.I.P. World. First Mr. Kennedy, then Mr. Dunne. Sad as this is, I had mixed feelings about both of them. The senator did a lot of great stuff for my home state, but there was the incident on the bridge. And Mr. Dunne was an interesting reporter, but he did at one point take an unseemly interest in a friend of mine.



But there was a third death yesterday about which I have no second thoughts - Ms. Ellie Greenwich. Greenwich was one of the original Brill Building writers - who, along with Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Jeff Barry, and her protege, Neil Diamond, wrote some of the greatest songs of the 1960s, mostly for the girl groups. Greenwich's credits include that awesome death song "Leader Of The Pack," "Be My Baby," "Da Do Ron Ron," and many, many others.

Here's a few of my favorites, in my favorite way of remembering them.


She co-wrote this one with Phil Spector, and here's the "River Deep" scene from What's Love Got To Do With It, one of my favorite bits.


Here's Ms. Elizabeth Shue bringing us "Then He Kissed Me," in what was probably my introduction to the song.

And here's Cyndi Lauper performing "Right Train Wrong Track," a B-side off of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.


Have a good time up in Heaven, Ellie. Have fun with all those choirs of angels!