The House That Built Pop Music
The ' Songwriters Hall of Fame' (SHOF) and Saul A. Schoenbrodt proudly presents:
Note: Stop the music player to watch the video! xo
'The BRILL BUILDING Sound' is a riveting chapter in American popular culture.
(Click the pictures to read MORE...)
Gerry GOFFIN
& Carole KING
Burt BACHARACH
& Hal DAVID
Jeff BARRY
& Ellie GREENWICH
Neil DIAMOND
Jerry LEIBER
& Mike STOLLER
Howard GREENFIELD
& Neil SEDAKA
Jerome "Doc" POMUS
& Mort SHUMAN
Barry MANN
& Cynthia WEIL
Phil SPECTOR
AN INTRODUCTION....
To most passers-by, the office building at 1619 Broadway is little more than a piece of expensive Manhattan real estate. But to fans of post-Elvis, pre-Beatles pop music, the BRILL BUILDING is a Temple -- in more ways than one. From the late 1950's through the early 1960's, the BRILL BUILDING (and its lesser-known cousin across the street at 1650) housed publishing companies that employed the era's best-known songwriters. Almost all of those songwriters were Jewish , including such pop legends as Carole KING & Gerry GOFFIN, Burt BACHARACH & Hal DAVID, Ellie GREENWICH & Jeff BARRY, Neil SEDAKA & Howie GREENFIELD, Barry MANN & Cynthia WEIL, Jerry LEIBER & Mike STOLLER, and Doc POMUS & Mort SHUMAN.
That's not even including prominent producers and music-biz figures of the time, such as Don KIRSHNER, Artie KORNFELD and Phil SPECTOR. Between them, these gifted tunesmiths were responsible for the hits that define America's last era of innocence, including:
"Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow?", "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling", "What The World Needs Now (Is Love)" "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do", "Be My Baby", "Walk On By", "I'm A Believer", "Leader of the Pack", and countless more...
Click HERE
to listen to 4 EXTRA songs!THIS TRIBUTE IS DEDICATED TO MR. DON KIRSHNER.....
The Sound is still with us today: "On Broadway", "Walk on By", "Leader of the Pack", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "You've Lost that Loving Feeling". Back in the sixties it was known as the 'BRILL BUILDING SOUND'. Based at 1619 Broadway, just off Times Square, the Brill Building was a shabby office block populated by young musicians and composers: Burt BACHARACH and Hal DAVID; Jerry LEIBER and Mike STOLLER; Carole KING and Gerry GOFFIN; Neil SEDAKA and Howie GREENFIELD. They were brought together by Don KIRSHNER in 1958.
Don KIRSHNER felt there was a real need for songwriters in the booming rock market, and to that end he hired eighteen to sit at their cubicles and churn out love songs for the teenage masses. These writers defined the music of the baby boomer generation and their songs informed the political awakening of a whole decade.
Most of those songwriters were Jewish , raised in Brooklyn, influenced as teenagers by the leftwing politics and the civil rights movement in the racially integrated borough. Inspired by black music some of their finest songs were written for Areatha Franklin*, Dionne Warwick*, etc. The rise of Latino culture also affected their music. They added new elements to their music as most of them were classically trained. Through this blend a new identity was formed which changed a whole generation.
Saluting the 'BRILL BUILDING Sound'
The BRILL BUILDING (built 1930) is located at 1619 Broadway in New York's music district, just north of Times Square, and is a name synonymous with an approach to songwriting that changed the course of music.
By 1962 it contained 165 music businesses. A musician could find a publisher and printer, cut a demo, promote the record, and cut a deal with radio promoters, all within this one building. Its creative culture defined the influential "BRILL BUILDING SOUND" and style of popular music songwriting and recording.
CAROLE KING described the atmosphere at the Brill Building:
"Every day we squeezed into our respective cubby holes with just enough room for a piano, a bench, and maybe a chair for the lyricist if you were lucky. You'd sit there and write and you could hear someone in the next cubby hole composing a song exactly like yours. The pressure in the Brill Building was really terrific - because Donny (KIRSHNER) would play one songwriter against another. He'd say: 'We need a new smash hit' - and we'd all go back and write a song and the next day we'd each audition for Bobby Vee*'s producer."
("The Sociology of Rock" by Simon Frith - Constable, 1978 - ISBN 0-09-460220-4 ).
In actuality, DONALD KIRSHNER's publishing office was not initially located in the BRILL BUILDING, but rather, a block away at 1650 Broadway (at 51st Street). In fact, 1650 was built to be a musician's headquarters, so much so that the laws at the time required that the "front" door be placed on the side of the building due to laws restricting musicians from entering buildings from the front. Most BRILL BUILDING writers began their careers at 1650, and the building continued to house many record labels throughout the decades.
A History....
The 'BRILL BUILDING Sound' came out from the stretch along Broadway between 49th and 53rd streets. "The BRILL BUILDING", named after the BRILL Brothers (Sam, Max D., Maurice, and Sidney) whose clothing store was first located in the street level corner and would later buy it, was at 1619 Broadway. After its completion in 1931, the owners were forced by a deepening Depression to rent space to music publishers, since there were few other takers.
The first three, 'Southern Music', 'Mills Music' and 'Famous-Music', were soon joined by others. By 1962 the BRILL BUILDING was a one-stop music factory with 165 music businesses that could have songs written, arranged, copied, recorded into demos, published and promoted.
(American music legend Burt BACHARACH)
The BRILL BUILDING in the early 60's was a classic model of vertical integration. There you could write a song or make the rounds of publishers until someone bought it. Then you could go to another floor and get a quick arrangement and lead sheet for $10' get some copies made at the duplication office; book an hour at a demo studio; hire some of the musicians and singers that hung around; and finally cut a demo of the song. Then you could take it around the building to the record companies, publishers, artist's managers or even the artists themselves. If you made a deal there were radio promoters available to sell the record.
DON KIRSHNER and 'Aldon Music'
Donald Kirshner (born April 17, 1934, The Bronx, NYC -), son of a Jewish tailor, masterminded the takeover of rock by the songwriters.
A native New Yorker, Don KIRSHNER, known as "The Man With the Golden Ear", spent most of his late teens in East Orange, New Jersey, where he attended Upsala College. While working as a bellhop in the Catskills one summer, Donald KIRSHNER wrote his first song, and while carrying bags for Frankie Laine*, tried to sell it to the popular star. Laine* turned it down, but explained where and how to get a demo made. KIRSHNER followed his advice, had the song published six months later, but it was never recorded.
Don KIRSHNER was working around the industry when, through a mutual friend, he met Walden Robert Cassotto* at a candy store in 1957. After hearing Cassotto* play and sing his original material, KIRSHNER decided they should be a team. It took a year for a deal to come their way, and the first few records went nowhere, but Cassotto*, known professionally as Bobby Darin*, would soon develop into a highly creative and successful recording star.
In the early years, 1956-58, KIRSHNER wrote some forgettable songs like "Go To School" and "Warm Up To Me Baby". With Bobby Darin*, the songs improved slightly, but failed to catch the public's imagination. During this time KIRSHNER and Bobby Darin* decided to go door to door, offering to write commercials for shops and businesses. On some of those commercials was one Concetta Franconero*, a New Jersey friend of KIRSHNER's. Later as Connie Francis*, she would help KIRSHNER more than he could imagine at the time.
(Bobby Darin and Don KIRSHNER)
In 1958 at the age of 21, KIRSHNER met Al Nevins* (b. 1916-1965), a successful composer, musician and recording artist, who had many pre-Rock era hits as a member of 'The Three Suns'. KIRSHNER sold Nevins* on the idea that publishing new material for teenage record buyers could be an extremely profitable venture. On May 1958 , 'Aldon Music' was born.
(Al Nevins and Don KIRSHNER)
While literally unpacking furniture at their new office at 1650 Broadway, across the street from the famed BRILL BUILDING at 1619 Broadway, NEIL SEDAKA and HOWARD GREENFIELD walked in looking for a publishing contract. They preceded to play 6 songs for KIRSHNER: "Stupid Cupid", "The Diary", and "Calendar Girl" along with a few others.
Neil SEDAKA already had plenty of performing experience, from singing at high school dances with his group 'The Tokens', to singing at the Catskills resorts. KIRSHNER wanted to sign them a long-term contract, but Neil SEDAKA and Howard GREENFIELD only wanted to give 'Aldon Music' 8 songs over a three month period. If one charted they would sign. A few days after the contract was signed, Don KIRSHNER took SEDAKA to New Jersey to play his songs for his old friend Connie Francis*, who already had two Top 40 hits.
She picked one for her next single, and by October, 1958 "Stupid Cupid", written by SEDAKA and GREENFIELD and published by 'Aldon Music', reached N°. 17. SEDAKA and GREENFIELD signed with 'Aldon Music', and in less than a year had 2 more hits with Connie Francis*: "Falling" (N°. 30) and "Frankie" (N°. 9).
Soon 'Aldon Music' signed BARRY MANN (born IBERMAN), who had over two dozen songs recorded in the 2 years before he signed with 'Aldon', some national hits. JACK KELLER (b. November 11, 1936 - April 1, 2005) and Harry Hunter*, who had track records; CYNTHIA WEIL, an aspiring actress, who had worked at TIN PAN ALLEY songwriter FRANK LOESSER's publishing house; and several other writers. Most had some experience to one degree or another, but what they really had in common they were extremely young.
By 1962 'Aldon Music' had on staff 18 writers, aged 19 to 26. Contrary to what most believe most of the writers were not brought in as teams. Eventually teams did form based on personal ties as much as by professional or artistic merits.
After 6 months, 'Aldon Music' was well established. Now Don KIRSHNER began working on his long term goal, catering to the growing market for teenage songs, through building a group of first class songwriters and making affiliations with the hundreds of record labels. Most of these labels released dozens of singles a year, with 'Columbia', 'Decca', and 'Capitol' releasing hundreds.
'Aldon Music' was constantly adding more cubicles, each with a standup piano, and filling them with young songwriters willing to work for $150 a week or less. They would compose, cut demos, and play them for each other at the end of the day, making comments, suggestions and criticisms as they went along. Don KIRSHNER who had a good ear and commercial pop sensibility, usually had the final say.
After Aldon Music's first few hits KIRSHNER became dissatisfied with the two cent mechanical royalties his company received for each record sold; one for 'Aldon' and one for the songwriter(s). So he and Al Nevins* became independent producers supplying the finished masters to the recording labels.
(Carole KING)
With this arrangement, 'Aldon Music' was able to place their songs on sides of the record doubling the mechanical income, as well as getting a royalty on each record sold. With their growing track record as leverage, KIRSHNER and Nevins* could demand a 10% royalty, with half going to the artist and half going to 'Aldon'.
By 1962, there were 18 writers on staff many forgettable. The bulk of KIRSHNER's hits were generated by his three - Jewish - star teams: Gerry GOFFIN & Carole KING; Neil SEDAKA & Howard GREENFIELD; Barry MANN & Cynthia WEIL. When the other songwriting partnerships - like Burt BACHARACH & Hal DAVID; Jerry LEIBER & Mike STOLLER; Jeff BARRY & Ellie GREENWICH, and Doc POMUS & Mort SHUMAN - had a hit it was sometimes in collaboration with one of these 3 teams.
Don KIRSHNER hired CAROLE KING (born KLEIN) and her lyricist husband GERRY GOFFIN in 1960, on a tip from KING's old high school boyfriend Neil SEDAKA. Their first song "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" went to N°. 1. Don KIRSHNER favored them, not only because of their commercial successes, but more importantly because of their adaptability and willingness to write commercial teen material. They wrote hundreds of charted hits for KIRSHNER, as well as running his 'Dimension' label and producing most of its hits.
BARRY MANN had written songs with GREENFIELD, GOFFIN and others, including a few hits. After marrying CYNTHIA WEIL, the MANN-WEIL team cranked out fifty hits in the next few years, many of them classics. Describing conditions in the BRILL BUILDING, MANN revealed:
"Cynthia and I work in a tiny cubicle, with just a piano and a chair, no window. We go in every morning and write songs all day. In the next room Carole (KING) and Gerry (GOFFIN) are doing the same thing, with Neil (DIAMOND) in the room after that. Sometimes when we all get to banging pianos, you can't tell who's playing what".
KIRSHNER's West Coast Office was headed by LOU ADLER (b. 1933 -), who would manage Jan and Dean, head 'Dunhill Records' and other labels, and be a movie producer ("The Rocky Horror Show").
In 1962, Don KIRSHNER began his own record label 'Dimension'. Distribution was handled by Amy-Mala. Artists on the label included 'the Cookies', Little Eva*, and Carole KING. 'Dimension' had 10 hits out of 13 releases in its first year.
(Gerry GOFFIN and Carole KING)
On April 12, 1963, Don KIRSHNER shocked everyone by selling the entire operation to 'Columbia Pictures-Screen Gems' for a 2 million dollars and Columbia stock; KIRSHNER was named Executive Vice President in charge of all 'Columbia Picture-Screen Gems' publishing and recording activities; and Al Nevins* was named as a consultant. The writers were included in the deal, but didn't see much of the money.
(Jeff BARRY)
Under the deal, KIRSHNER headed up 'Screen Gems', a larger publishing company and its 'Colpix' label, with offices on both coasts. The companies focus was on film and TV music (By 1968, Don KIRSHNER became music supervisor for a new Saturday morning cartoon, " The Archie Show ", and in 1971 for " The Persuaders! " TV-series, starring Tony CURTIS and Roger Moore*).
("Theme", composed by John "007" Barry* )
Colpix's records consisted mainly of uninspired actors. Songs were written, placed, records produced, new writers groomed. An effort was made to upgrade 'Colpix', though it was hopeless. 'Colpix' became little more than a proving ground for an expanding stable of writers/producers, especially in California.
As Don KIRSHNER was settling into his job at 'Colpix' things were changing. In January, 1964 The Beatles came to America. The British groups were writing their own material, the girl groups were fading, the number of indie labels had been depleted and those that remaining took fewer chances.
In 1965, the regional scene appeared, with an estimated fifty thousand groups playing teen clubs, teenage fairs, battles of the bands, and armory dances. Out of this grew a new culture, one that defined itself as "hip" and sneered at production line pop. Don KIRSHNER was now seen as a symbol of everything phony.
His response was ' The MONKEES '. With BRILL BUILDING songs, they appealed to millions of young girls. The ten year old sisters of those that rejected him. Though he kept the BRILL BUILDING tradition alive through the 60's, his market moved away from him.
"I'm A Believer" (Neil Diamond - 1966)
Today Don KIRSHNER reflects on the BRILL BUILDING era saying:
"(...) I believe that after I'm gone, my grandchildren will be whistling these tunes. Whether they know that I published them or not - they will be whistling these tunes the same as they do songs from "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot", and these tunes will be part of American culture - they'll be used in movies and so on. Of all the legacies that I have given, personally to me it's very important that I was able to come out of the streets of Harlem, out of my dad's tailor shop, and have the ability to create an environment where this sound will be part of American and international culture forever. (...)" -
[Don KIRSHNER]
On June 7, 2007 Don 'Mr. Music' KIRSHNER received the first ever Abe Olman Publisher Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Music Industry.
"He was a seminal figure in the modern music business, and his songwriting stable has been responsible for scores of classic hit songs over the years, and up to the present day. Because of the extraordinary scope of his accomplishments, we will honor him both as a publisher and music industry legend by combining elements of the Abe Olman Publisher and the Lifetime Achievement Awards." -
[Hal DAVID, SHOF Chairman]
Businesses located at 1619 Broadway (Brill Building) and 1650 Broadway
1619 Broadway:
Famous Music
Coed records, Inc.
Mills Music
Southern Music
TM Music
1650 Broadway:
Aldon Music
Bell Records, Inc.
Buddah Records, Inc.
Gamble Records, Inc.
Scepter/Wand Records
Web IV Music, Inc.
(the 'genius' Phil SPECTOR)
Further Reading:
"Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era" by Ken Emerson (Viking Penguin, 2005)
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"Emerson's affection for his subjects and the music they created permeates his narrative and makes me want to revisit every little 45 rpm masterpiece I own." --- John Kehe ("Christian Science Monitor")
"Superb... Skeptical, witty, in love with the music, Emerson is the ideal companion..." --- James Parker ("Boston Globe")
"Emerson's book is just about everything you could wish for. Love and clear-sightedness may be the most delicate of all critical balancing acts. For Emerson, it's his true north, the critical compass that makes you believe you're reading a man you can trust... Emerson makes you believe you can hear the world in a pop song, even a world that's lost." --- ("Newsday")
"Fascinating characters... Emerson takes flight when describing the cosmopolitan musical mixtures that defined the best work of the Brill Building set... Here we get the whole tale in a single entertaining package." --- Jim Windolf ("The New York Times Book Review")
"Again and again in "Always Magic in the Air", his engrossing account of the early days of rock and pop music, Ken Emerson puts you at the moment of creation..." --- David Kirby ("The Chicago Tribune").
LINKS:
"The Golden Age of TIN PAN ALLEY" (1880 - 1953)
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