Artist's rendition of the Brill Building's main entrance on Broadway

The Brill Building (built 1930) is an office building located at 1619 Broadway in New York City, just north of Times Square. The Brill Building (named after the Brill Brothers, who owned a clothing store on the street level and who later bought the entire building from its developer, A.E. Lefcourt), was intended as a financial office space for brokers and bankers. Mid-Depression, the timing couldn't have been worse, and the owners resorted to renting space to music publishers, as there were few other takers. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 452 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (567 × 751 pixel, file size: 216 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author of Painting: Simon Fieldhouse I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 452 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (567 × 751 pixel, file size: 216 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Author of Painting: Simon Fieldhouse I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... For other uses, see Times Square (disambiguation). ... Abraham E. Lefcourt (1877-1932) [1], better known as A.E. Lefcourt, was a prominent real estate developer in New York City in the 1920s. ... For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ...

The "Big Band Era"

Even before World War II it became a centre of activity for the popular music industry, especially music publishing and songwriting. Scores of music publishers had offices in the Brill Building. Once songs had been published, the publishers sent song pluggers to the popular white bands and radio stations. These song pluggers would sing and/or play the song for the band leaders to encourage bands to play their music. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A Song-plugger is a piano player employed by music stores in the early 20th century to promote new music. ...

During the ASCAP strike of 1941, many of the composers, authors and publishers turned to pseudonyms in order to have their songs played on the air. The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) is an organization known as a collecting society that protects intellectual property, ensuring that music which is broadcast, commercially recorded, or otherwise used for profit, pays a fee to compensate the creators of that music. ...

Brill Building songs were constantly at the top of the Hit Parade and played by the leading bands of the day: This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

• The Benny Goodman Orchestra
• The Glenn Miller Orchestra
• The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra
• The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

Publishers included: Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman, (May 30, 1909 - June 13, 1986) was a famous Jazz musician, known as King of Swing, Patriarch of the Clarinet, and Swings Senior Statesman. Goodman was born in Chicago, the son of poor Jewish immigrants who lived on Chicagos Maxwell Street neighborhood. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... James Jimmy Dorsey (February 29, 1904 - June 12, 1957) was a prominent jazz clarinetist, saxophonist and big band leader. ... Tommy Dorsey (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was a jazz trombonist in the Big Band era. ...

• Leo Feist Inc.
• Lewis Music Publishing
• Mills Music Publishing

Composers included:

• Billy Rose
• Buddy Feyne
• Johnny Mercer
• Irving Mills
• Peter Tinturin

Billy Rose (September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American theatrical showman. ... Buddy Feyne (1912 - 1998) was a composer and lyricist of the Swing Era. ... John Herndon Johnny Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was a popular American songwriter and singer. ...

Racial Politics of Music Publishing

The music publishers at this time followed the racial codes of the day. They either had their own (typically white) contract writers composing songs or they opened their doors to publish songs of others, but hid the fact that songs were created by non-white or non-Christian artists.

Jewish songwriters often adopted anglicized noms de plume in order for their songs to be published. This was necessary at a time when anti-semitism was widespread. The Eternal Jew (German:Der ewige Jude): 1937 German poster advertising an antisemitic Nazi movie. ...

In the 1930s some publishers in the Brill Building specialized in publishing the songs of African American Swing composers. For example, Lewis Music published the songs of Erskine Hawkins and Avery Parrish, among others. These tunes were called "Race Music", the euphemism for songs written by black artists. If a composer wrote an instrumental (and even sometimes if there were already lyrics), the publishers provided their own lyricists. Top selling songs on the (white) Hit Parade, such as Tuxedo Junction and Jersey Bounce, were originally composed as instrumentals by black swing artists, but were not played by white bands on the radio until they had been published with lyrics, often by white writers. An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of jazz music that developed during the 1920s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States. ... Erskine Hawkins (July 26, 1914-November 11, 1993), born in Birmingham, Alabama, was a trumpet player, big band leader, and most notably, the composer of the jazz standard, Tuxedo Junction (1939), which became a popular hit during World War II. In 1978 Erskine Hawkins became one of the first five... African American music (also called black music, formerly known as race music) is an umbrella term given to a range of musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large ethnic minority of the population of the United States. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Tuxedo Junction is a song written by Erskine Hawkins and introduced by his orchestra. ... Jersey Bounce is a song written by Myron C. Bradshaw, Edward Johnson and Bobby Plater with lyrics by Buddy Feyne who used the nom de plume Robert B. Wright (as this song was written during an ASCAP strike). ...

The "Brill Building Sound"

The Brill Building's name has been widely adopted as a shorthand term for a broad and influential stream of American mainstream popular song (strongly influenced by Latin music and rhythm and blues) which enjoyed great commercial success in the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s. Many significant American and international publishing companies, music agencies and recording labels were based in New York, and although these ventures were naturally spread across many locations, the Brill Building was regarded as probably the most prestigious address in New York for music business professionals. The term "The Brill Building Sound" is somewhat inaccurate, however, since much of the music so categorised actually emanated from other locations — music historian Ken Emerson nominates buildings at 1650 Broadway and 1697 Broadway as other significant bases of activity in this field. Latin American music, or the music of Latin America, is sometimes called Latin music. ... For other uses, see Rhythm and blues (disambiguation). ...

By 1962 the Brill Building 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. The creative culture of the independent music companies of Brill Building and the nearby 1650 Broadway came to define the influential "Brill Building Sound" and the style of popular music songwriting and recording created by its writers and producers.

Carole King described the atmosphere at the 'Brill Building' publishing houses of the period: Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. ...

"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." — quoted in The Sociology of Rock by Simon Frith (1978, ISBN 0-09-460220-4).

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Don Kirshner (born April 17, 1934), known as The Man With the Golden Ear, is an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups such as The Monkees and The Archies. ... Bobby Vee (born April 30, 1943) is an American pop music singer. ...

Writers

Many of the best works in this diverse category were written by a loosely affiliated group of songwriter-producer teams — mostly duos — that enjoyed immense success and who collectively wrote some of the biggest hits of the period. Many in this group were close friends, as well as being creative and business associates — and both individually and as a duo, they often worked with each other and with other writers in a wide variety of combinations.

• Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
• Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman
• Gerry Goffin and Carole King
• Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry
• Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
• Burt Bacharach and Hal David
• Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield
• Hugo & Luigi
• Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart

Other famous musicians who were headquartered in The Brill Building: Jerry Leiber (born April 25, 1933) and Mike Stoller (born March 13, 1933) are among the most important songwriters and music producers in post-World War II popular music. ... Jerry Leiber (born April 25, 1933) and Mike Stoller (born March 13, 1933) are among the most important songwriters and music producers in post-World War II popular music. ... Doc Pomus (January 27, 1925 - March 14, 1991) was an American blues singer and songwriter, active throughout the 20th century. ... Mort Shuman (November 12, 1936 _ November 2, 1991) was an American singer and songwriter. ... Gerry Goffin (born February 11, 1939) is an American lyricist. ... Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg, 1938, Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Ellie Greenwich (born 1940, Brooklyn, N.Y.) comprised one of the most prolific and successful Brill Building song writing and production teams in the early 1960s. ... Barry Mann (born Barry Iberman on February 9, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American songwriter, and part of one of the most prolific songwriting partnerships in the world of rock music. ... Cynthia Weil (born October 18, 1937 in New York City) is a prominent American songwriter. ... This biographical article needs additional references for verification. ... Hal David (born May 25, 1921 in New York City, New York) is an American lyricist and songwriterFicticiousbyMichaelAlfredMontalbano. ... Neil Sedaka 2005 Neil Sedaka (born March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American pop singer, pianist, and songwriter often associated with the Brill Building. ... Howard Greenfield ( March 15, 1936 – March 4, 1986) is an American songwriter. ... Hugo & Luigi were a record producing team, made up of songwriters and producers Luigi Creatore and Hugo Peretti. ... Boyce & Hart promotional image (Tommy Boyce (on the left) and Bobby Hart as pictured) The Bobby Hart in this songwriting duo is different from songwriter Bob Hart (1900-1993). ...

• Claus Ogerman [1]

Among the hundreds of hits written by this group are Lieber and Stoller's "Yakety Yak", Shuman and Pomus' "Save The Last Dance For Me", Bacharach and David's "The Look of Love", Sedaka and Greenfield's "Calendar Girl", King and Goffin's "The Loco-Motion", Mann and Weil's "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and Spector, Greenwich and Barry's "River Deep Mountain High". Claus Ogerman (born April 29, 1930) is a German musical arranger/ orchestrator, conductor, and composer, perhaps best known for his work with Antonio Carlos Jobim. ... Yakety Yak was a song written, produced, and arranged by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Coasters and released on Atlantic Records in 1958, spending seven weeks as number one on List of number one rhythm and blues hits and the Hot 100 number one pop list. ... Save the Last Dance for Me was a song by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, that was recorded in 1960 by the band The Drifters, who took it to #1 on the U.S. pop charts. ... The Look Of Love is a popular song. ... The Loco-Motion is a 1962 pop song written by American songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King. ... River Deep - Mountain High is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. ...

Aldon Music — 1650 Broadway

Many of these writers came to prominence while under contract to Aldon Music, a publishing company founded ca. 1958 by aspiring music entrepreneur Don Kirshner and industry veteran Al Nevins. Aldon was not initially located in the Brill Building, but rather, a block away at 1650 Broadway (at 51st St.). 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 so-called 'Brill Building' writers began their careers at 1650, and the building continued to house many record labels throughout the decades. Aldon Music was a New York-based music publishing company, founded by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins in 1958. ... Don Kirshner (born April 17, 1934), known as The Man With the Golden Ear, is an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups such as The Monkees and The Archies. ...

Further reading

Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era by Ken Emerson, published by Viking Penguin in 2005 (ISBN 0-670-03456-8) (Reviewed by The New York Times here) The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ...

Selection of businesses located 1619 Broadway (Brill Building) and 1650 Broadway

1619 Broadway

• Broadway Video
• Postworks LLC/Orbit Digital
• Famous Music
• Coed Records, Inc.
• Mills Music
• Southern Music with Jack Newman as its A&R man. I knew him well.
• TM Music
• SoundOne
• Helios Music/Glamorous Music
• KMA Music
• Paul Simon Music

George Paxton and Martin Crane founded Coed Records in New York City in 1958, and had offices in the Brill Building. ...

1650 Broadway

• Aldon Music
• Bell Records, Inc.
• Buddah Records, Inc.
• Gamble Records, Inc.
• Scepter/Wand Records
• Web IV Music, Inc.

The Brill Building in fiction

• The 1996 movie Grace of My Heart, is in parts a fictionalised account of the life in the Brill Building. Illeana Douglas plays a songwriter loosely based on Carole King.

The year 1996 in film involved some significant events. ... Illeana Douglas (b. ... Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. ...

The Brill Building in popular culture

• The Brill Building is mentioned in The Magnetic Fields' song "Epitaph For My Heart" from the album 69 Love Songs.
• In 2007 the Brill Building was the one of the primary set locations for the Wesley Snipes and David Spade black comedy Brillow's Pad. The soundtrack to the film was written by longtime Brill Building resident Vince Neil. Having met on set, the three would later perform at the "Gucci Crew II" induction into the Rock'n'Roll hall of fame.

The Magnetic Fields is a band led by the New York City singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt. ... Wesley Trent Snipes (born July 31, 1962) is an American actor, martial artist and film producer. ...

External links

• Brill Building at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
• Brill Building
• Spectropop's Brill Building
• The Brill Building Songwriters
• Official MySpace page
• New York Architecture Images- Brill Building
• Regarding Claus Ogerman & his music publishing companies located at The Brill Building

The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. ...

References

• The History of Rock
• About.com: Brill Building
• Times Square Attractions
• AOL Music - Pop Artists in the Brill Building