Blog: The Beat!

One of Phil Spector's most enduring tracks - 'He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)' documents how domestic violence is driven by love. In keeping with the theme of the song, Spector's arrangement was ominous and ambiguous. Dave Thompson writes: "It was a brutal song, as any attempt to justify such violence must be, and Spector's arrangement only amplified its savagery, framing Barbara Alston's lone vocal amid a sea of caustic strings and funereal drums, while the backing vocals almost trilled their own belief that the boy had done nothing wrong. In more ironic [...]

• The Crystals - He Hit Me