U
DAILY NEWS
November 25, 2002
When
The Rolling Stones and Solomon Burke covered "Everybody
Needs Somebody to Love" earlier this month at the Wiltern
Theatre, probably few in the house could name the composer
of that '60s soul classic.
The
number was penned by the late New York r&b composer
and producer Bert Berns and it becomes clear how prolific
he was when you glance at the track listing of "The
Heart & Soul of Bert Berns,' a single-disc compilation
of his songs covered by the artists who made them hits.
The
10 tracks here include Burke's "Cry to Me,' Garnet
Mimms & the Enchanters' "Cry Baby,' Erma Franklin's
"Piece of My Heart' (later recorded by Janis Joplin)
and the Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout' (also covered
by the Beatles).
Berns,
who also wrote or co-wrote "Hang on Sloopy,' "Brown-Eyed
Girl' and "Under the Boardwalk' and often collaborated
with fellow uptown-soul composer Jerry Ragovoy, was 38 when
he died in 1967. We reached son Brett Berns, 37, who helps
administer his dad's publishing, to discuss the anthology.
Q:You
were just a toddler when Bert died. What do you remember
about that time?
We
grew up with lots of music around the house all the time.
It was always r&b, funk and all kinds of stuff. We knew
about our dad's music but didn't come to terms with his
unbelievable output until I grew up. My mom told me he always
said he'd die young and his children would know him through
his music. We eventually realized what he meant by that.
Q:Your
dad's songs seem not only timeless but more mature than
other pop tunes of the era.
He
was ahead of his time in that he wrote about mature subject
matter at a time when people were talking about fluffier
topics. He was talking about pain and lost love and he went
different places in terms of the music itself. He was one
of those rare people like (composer/production team) Jerry
Leiber and Mike Stoller that could utilize a wide array
of instruments in the studio.
Q:These
10 tracks were selected by Universal Music Group chairman/CEO
Doug Morris. How did he get so personally involved in the
project?
Doug
said my father was one of the few people in the music business
who changed the world through his talent and everyone from
the Rolling Stones to the Beatles realized it. Led Zeppelin
even performed a song called "A Tribute to Bert Berns'
during their 1968 tour, which is available on bootlegs.
This album captures the essence of the man.
-
U
Daily News November 25, 2002
By Fred Shuster Music Writer
