Friday, December 08, 2006

Ronnie Spector: "Tonight You're Mine, Baby"

When I was a senior in high school I got a part-time job working at the local AMC movie theater. The job paid $3.35 an hour -- so when you factored in the costs of the transportation, the white dress shirt, the black polyester dress pants, and the black leather shoes, it probably would have been cheaper for my parents to continue to allow me to watch MTV all day and play tennis all night (it was 115 during the day, after all).

Despite this, I made a lot of friends and sometimes managed to have fun working there (well, except when that cotton candy display fell from the ceiling and knocked me unconscious behind the concession stand). But more than anything, it was the free movies that seemed to make the job worthwhile. With the exception of "Desperately Seeking Susan," I don't think I enjoyed one other movie that showed at Fiesta Village more than "Just One of the Guys." Shown endlessly on cable these days, there was something about the tale of Ralph Macchio Joyce Hyser as a cross-dressing high school journalist who lives in suburban Phoenix that I found so appealing. It helped that much of it was filmed in places I frequented (the prom was shot at the fake ocean wave park not far from my house, called Big Surf) and that one of my classmates had a small part in the movie (Dobson High's resident drama queen Anthony Galde played the Anthony Michael Hallish Ralph in the film, although when Tony rubbed it in my face talked about it in the yearbook the year before I was so jealous I could barely see straight, the film was known as "Lady's Man." That role should have been MINE!!!)

But the thing about the film that I liked best were the closing credits. When you worked as a usher, you learned exactly what time each film ended because it was your job to be waiting inside the theater to then spring the doors open and urge people out. When "Just One of the Guys" ended, suddenly these oh-so-familiar everything-but-the-kitchen-sink drums would begin clanging and soon the sweet sound of Ronnie Spector's voice would start singing "Tonight You're Mine, Baby," a nearly perfect '60s throwback written by the legendary producer Narada Michael Walden just for Ronnie (I think Ronnie's contractually obligated to only sing songs with the word "baby" in them.) That Paul Shaffer produced the track in a perfect Wall of Sound but you'd swear Ronnie's lunatic ex-husband was at the controls.

So yesterday I was reading The Daily News and noticed tickets had gone on sale for Ronnie's annual Christmas Party (I won't even get started about how wonderful her contributions to the Phil Spector Christmas album are), which got me surfing the Web looking for other Ronnie news. Sure enough I quickly came across a message board of obsessed fans who were desperately looking for that beautiful song from "Just One of the Guys"! Ronnie responded on one message board telling her fans that she too finds it horrible that "Tonight You're Mine, Baby" is out of print -- and that it was never issued on CD to the best of her knowledge (mine, either).

So for all of you fans out there, today I offer an early Christmas Gift for You: my very own homemade (not-so-perfect) vinyl transfer MP3 of that classic moment from 1965 1985, Miss Ronnie Spector singing "Tonight You're Mine, Baby." Enjoy ...


GOOGLE-AIDED UPDATE: Is my former schoolmate now spending his nights on Broadway?

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a great song -- and story! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

i've been trying to find this song FOREVER. i'm 22 now and have loved this song since i first saw this movie, which i also love, like 15 years ago. Thank u for the download!

Anonymous said...

I don't know you, but you are my hero today. I have been searching for this song for the longest time. I absolutely love, love, love the movie, and adore this song. I would hug you if I could. A million thanks!

Unknown said...

I loved this movie, and the song. I had been searching for it, what seems like an eternity. I did finally find the music download on a peer to peer site. It's probably a copy of your original vinyl burn. So thank you so much. It's hard for me to imagine 1985 was over 20 years ago. I was 15, now I'm 37. All of a sudden I feel so extremely old. It all happened over night, or so it seems. There are many benefits of the "now." I think it's great that we don't have to wait endlessly for a song to play on the radio that we want to hear now. My music library is filled with songs old and new that I can play on my iPod at any given moment. Thanks again!

Vanity said...

Thank you, thank you!! Like others, I have been trying to find the song forever. It is so nice of you to share. I absolutely love this song. Now I don't have to throw in the movie to hear it, although the movie is great too.

Anonymous said...

My Lord in Heaven!!! I can't tell you how long I've searched for this song. At every turn the reply would be "Oh, you mean Be My Little Baby"

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!

The not-so-perfect clarity only adds to its '60s style.

Thank you, Kenneth. AWESOME!

Jon Ellis

Unknown said...

You just made my night/year with that. I really needed something to lift me out of a funk and, while it is "just a song", it's something I needed to hear. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Oh my god, i've been looking for this song sing I was 13 and I fell in love with those boobs on Just One of the Guys. Finally after 17 years somebody dragged it off of vinyl. Thanks for the memories.

Unknown said...

I agree - most excellent story to read upon finding this song. Thanks for the post - it's an EXCELLENT vinyl transfer! Yes I watched this movie again the other night - something about it - it has a certain charm that brings me back to it every few years. And hearing Ronnie singing this in the middle of the film and at the end - well it's just really great.

Anonymous said...

I'm only 24 and I love this movie!!! I kept hearing this song during the film and during the credits and it kept getting to me. Thank you so much for making it available. It helps me live in a time that I was only born into and didn't get to experience.

Anonymous said...

I have looked for this song going on 15 years now. Thanks much dude.