On This Day in 1967, the World Lost the Songwriter Behind Foundational Hits From the Isley Brothers, Janis Joplin, and Solomon Burke

On this day (December 30) in 1967, songwriter Bert Berns died of heart failure in his New York home. He was 38 years old. During his tragically short life, Berns wrote some of the biggest rock and soul hits of the early 1960s. He also produced multiple landmark records from the era.

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Berns suffered rheumatic fever as a teen. As a result, an early death was all but written in stone. According to his website, he dropped out of high school and “lived aimlessly” for years. Then, at 30 years old, he landed his first music industry job. He began plugging songs for Robert Mellin Music. He began seeing success as a songwriter almost immediately.

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In 1961, Berns found his first hit as a songwriter when the Jarmels recorded “A Little Bit of Soap.” The next year, the Exciters gave him his first top 10 hit with “Tell Him.” That was the same year that he produced the Isley Brothers’ recording of his song “Twist and Shout.” Their version was a hit on the R&B and pop charts. Then, in 1963, the Beatles released their version, which was an international hit.

Another notable composition in Berns’ catalog is “Piece of My Heart.” Erma Franklin recorded the first version in 1967, and it became a top 10 R&B hit. The next year, Big Brother and the Holding Company, fronted by Janis Joplin, recorded it. Their version went to No. 12 on the Hot 100 and became the best-known rendition of the song.

Bert Berns Goes to Britain

After The Beatles made “Twist and Shout” a major hit, Bert Berns traveled to England to work as a producer at Decca Records. This made him the first American producer to make records in the United Kingdom. While there, he produced sessions for the Irish group, Them, who had a No. 2 hit with “Here Comes the Night.”

Later, Berns formed his own label, Bang Records, and signed Them’s vocalist Van Morrison. Berns produced Morrison’s debut album. Additionally, Berns and his label handled Neil Diamond’s debut album.

In short, Bert Berns’ songwriting and production helped lay the foundations for modern rock and roll.

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