A historic site in the annals of popular music, the Brill Building is 1619 Broadway in New York City. Particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, it grew to be the center of the American music business and housed some of the most illustrious songwriters, producers, and performers. Here are 20 fascinating, unique, and rare facts on the Brill Building and its background:
### Brill Building History—1. Unexpected Music Hub Originally intended as an office building, the Brill Building developed into a hub for musicians, record companies, and songwriting teams by the 1950s.
Unlike conventional music publishing, the Brill Building evolved an assembly-line system whereby composers, producers, and musicians all collaborated in the same building.
3. Over 165 Music Businesses—The Brill Building contained over 165 music-related businesses at its height, all crammed into one site!
Signing outstanding songwriters and eventually managing The Monkees and The Archies, publisher Don Kirshner was instrumental in the success of the Brill Building.
5. Site of the “Brill Building Sound”— Influencing rock, R&B, and soul, the music produced out of the Brill Building was renowned for its catchy melodies, tight harmonies, and complex pop arrangements.
6. Carole King’s Big Break Beginning as a kid at the Brill Building, one of the most successful composers of all time wrote singles like “Will You Love Me Tomorrow for The Shirelles.
7. A Viewpoint on Rock ‘n’ Roll— Offering more polished, professional pop music, the Brill Building era responded in part to the raw sound of early rock ‘n’ roll.
Beginning his career in the Brill Building working with songwriters and honing his renowned “Wall of Sound” approach, legendary producer Phil Spector got his start here.
**Famous Songwriters & Artists** 9. Burt Bacharach & Hal David Working out of the Brill Building, this pair penned timeless classics including “Walk On By” and “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.
10. Neil Diamond Was a brilliant writer—Neil Diamond worked as a brilliant building songwriter, creating songs for other musicians before rising to become a star.
Eleven: Neil Sedaka & Howard Greenfield – Later a smash for Captain & Tennille, this songwriting combination penned singles like Breaking Up Is Hard to Do and Love Will Keep Us Together.
**Cynthia Weil & Barry Mann—12. Writing songs like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ for The Righteous Brothers, they are among the most successful husband-and-wife combos.
Including “Save the Last Dance for Me and Viva Las Vegas, this team created rock and R&B masterpieces. Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman
14. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller** Though they came before the golden heyday of the Brill Building, their compositions affected the Brill sound by composing hits like “Hound Dog and “Stand By Me.
For The Ronettes and other 1960s masterpieces, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry co-wrote Be My Baby.
Lesser-known and rare brilliance-building facts: 16. Carole King and Gerry Goffin were teen parents. Young married couple writing mega hits were raising a baby at home!
17. A Songwriting Boot Camp—Brilliant building songwriters sometimes had to write several songs daily under strict deadlines.
18. Paul Simon Was Briefly There—Paul Simon worked as a songwriter in the Brill Building just before embarking on a solo career and creating Simon & Garfunkel.
19. It Inspired Later “Boy Bands”—The” formula for producing hits for vocal groups impacted later industry methods, including Motown, the 1980s pop scene, and even the 1990s boy bands, came from The Brill Building. The
20. The Brilliant Building Still Standing! – The Brill Building is an NYC landmark and a reminder of its golden moment in songwriting history, even if the musical business has evolved.
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