Bert Berns
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Bertrand Russell Berns (November 8, 1929 - December 30, 1967) (a/k/a Bert Russell and Bert Berns) was one of the great American songwriters and record producers of the 1960s. A pioneer of sixties rock and soul, Berns' contributions to popular music are among the most significant of his generation. His untimely death from heart failure at age 38 put a stop to a remarkable run of success as songwriter, producer and record label chief.
Born in the Bronx, New York City to Russian Jewish immigrants, Berns contracted rheumatic fever as a child, an illness that would mark the rest of his life. Turning to music, he found consonance in the sounds of his African American and Latino neighbors. As a young man, Berns danced in mambo nightclubs, and made his way to Havana before the Cuban Revolution.
Shortly after his return from Cuba, Berns began a seven-year run from an obscure Brill Building songwriter to the chief of his own record labels. His first hit record was "A Little Bit of Soap" performed by The Jarmels in 1961. One year later, the Isley Brothers recorded "Twist and Shout." During these years, Berns wrote and produced records for a wide range of labels, including Wand, United Artists, Capitol, Laurie, MGM, Big Top, Old Town, Roulette, and Atlantic Records. In 1963, Berns would replace Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as the staff producer at Atlantic, where he produced such acts as Solomon Burke ("Cry To Me" and "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love"), The Drifters ("Under The Boardwalk" and "Saturday Night at the Movies"), Barbara Lewis ("Baby I'm Yours" and "Make Me Your Baby"), Little Esther Phillips ("Hello Walls"), Wilson Pickett and LaVern Baker. Berns was also one of the few American record producers to travel across the Atlantic to London, where he produced a number of British Decca artists such as Them ("Here Comes The Night," "Baby Please Don't Go" and "Gloria"), and Lulu.
In 1965, Bert Berns formed his own record labels, Bang Records and Shout Records. Bang was home to such artists as The McCoys ("Hang On Sloopy"), The Strangeloves ("I Want Candy"), Van Morrison ("Brown Eyed Girl") and Neil Diamond ("Solitary Man" and "Cherry Cherry"). Berns formed Shout as an outlet for his R&B passions, recording Freddie Scott ("Are You Lonely For Me Baby") and Erma Franklin ("Piece of My Heart").
Bert Berns' death in the last days of 1967 marked an end to the golden era of rock and soul music. One of his last songs, "Piece of My Heart", was originally recorded that year by Erma Franklin, covered shortly later by Big Brother and the Holding Company (fronted by then-unknown Janis Joplin), and whose chorus was the basis of Alive and Kicking's 1970 one-hit wonder single "Tighter, Tighter".
Selected writing credits
- "A Little Bit Of Soap" The Jarmels (1961)
- "Twist And Shout" The Isley Brothers (1962)/The Beatles (1963)
- "Cry To Me" Solomon Burke (1962)
- "Tell Him" The Exciters (1962)
- "Cry Baby" Garnet Mimms (1963)/Janis Joplin (1971)
- "One Way Love" The Drifters (1963)/Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (1964)
- "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" Solomon Burke (1964)/Wilson Pickett (1967)
- "Baby Let Me Take You Home" The Animals (1964)
- "Here Comes The Night" Them (1965)
- "I Want Candy" The Strangeloves (1965)/Bow Wow Wow (1982)
- "Hang On Sloopy" The McCoys (1965)
- "Down In The Valley" Otis Redding (1965)
- "I'll Take Good Care Of You" Garnet Mimms (1967)
- "Are You Lonely For Me Baby" Freddie Scott (1967)
- "Piece Of My Heart" Erma Franklin (1967)/Janis Joplin (1969)
External link
Selected discography
- The Heart and Soul of Bert Berns (2003) a CD encompassing some of Berns' best work.
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