The Brill Building

When Neil Sedaka's Breaking Up Is Hard To Do became the artist's first Number One and ninth consecutive hit, the music business knew it had to sit up and take notice of a significant new phenomenon - The Brill Building. Sedaka was one of a close-knit group of songwriters and performers whose work was becoming known as Brill Building Pop, after the building at 1619 Broadway, New York, where many music publishers had offices.

It was said in the 30s and 40s that Tin Pan Alley was located just across the street from the nearest dollar. This new Tin Pan Alley could be located more precisely because in effect, the Brill Building had become a production line for quality pop music, much of it under the guidance of one man, Don Kirshner.

Kirshner's first experience of the music industry had been in an unsuccessful song writing partnership with the equally unknown Robert Cassotto (who later changed his name to Bobby Darin and became a bona-fide teen idol).

Kirshner decided to take the energy of rock music and re-apply the old-fashioned Tin Pan Alley disciplines of craft and professionalism to the art of marketing hits for the youth market. With new partner Al Nevins he formed Aldon Music - One of their first signings was the song writing duo of Neil Sedaka and Howie Greenfield whose Stupid Cupid provided a hit for Connie Francis in 1958. As a solo performer Sedaka then turned out Oh Carol, Calendar Girl, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen and a string of others.

Sedaka's ex-girlfriend Carole King was also brought onboard as a songwriter, on a wage of $75 a week (along with her current beau, Gerry Goffin). She was soon pumping out hits including Will You Love Me Tomorrow? for The Shirelles, Take Good Care Of My Baby for Bobby Vee, Crying In The Rain for The Everly Brothers, and The Loco-Motion for Little Eva.

Kirshner's next coup was a liaison with Barry Mann (writer of Who Put The Bomp?). Teamed up with Cynthia Weil, the duo quickly scored with Bless You by Tony Orlando, Uptown for The Crystals, and You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' for Phil Spector protégés, The Righteous Brothers.

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 and Gerry are doing the same thing, with Neil in the room after that. Sometimes when we all get to banging pianos, you can't tell who's playing what".

And Aldon Music wasn't the only publisher in and around the Brill Building. Successful song writing teams Leiber and Stoller, Pomus and Shuman, Bacharach and David, as well as individuals like Phil Spector and Gene Pitney could all be found plying their trade at the Brill or very nearby.