Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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BERNS, Bert

(b '29; d 31 Dec. '67 NYC) Producer/songwriter. Began as record salesman, session pianist; wrote in NYC early '60s for small labels, then followed Leiber and Stoller as resident writer-producer at Atlantic. Set up own publishing company Webb IV, supplying material to acts such as Ben E. King, the Drifters, Solomon Burke, Tony Orlando. Hits of the '60s for which he was wholly or partly responsible incl. 'Twist And Shout' (Isley Bros, Beatles), 'Here Comes The Night' (Them, Van Morrison), 'Hang On Sloopy' (the McCoys), 'Piece Of My Heart' (Erma Franklin, Janis Joplin), 'I'm Gonna Run Away From You' (Tammi Lynn), 'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love' (Burke, Rolling Stones). Worked for Decca in London '64, prod. hits for Lulu, Them; championed Morrison's solo career with top ten USA hit 'Brown Eyed Girl' '67, also producing first solo LP, variously titled Blowin' Your Mind, TB Sheets, This Is Where I Came In same year (Morrison was not happy with it). Formed Bang label '65; roster initially incl. Morrison, McCoys, Neil Diamond. When he had a heart attack the East Coast stranglehold on American pop had been lost, but the songs are still remembered, some written under pseudonym Bert Russell.