|
|
|
b. Barry Iberman,
9 February 1939, Brooklyn, New York, USA. One of the leading pop
songwriters of his generation. Although trained as an architect, Mann
began his career in music following a summer singing engagement in the
Catskills resort. He initially composed material for Elvis Presley's
publishers Hill & Range, before briefly collaborating with Howie
Greenfield. In 1961, he enjoyed a Top 10 hit in his own right with "Who
Put The Bomp (In The Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)", but thereafter it was as a
composer that he dominated the Billboard Hot 100. During the same year as
his solo hit, Mann found a new songwriting partner in Cynthia Weil, whom
he soon married. Their first success together was Tony Orlando's "Bless
You" (1961), a simple but effective love song, which endeared them to
their new employer, bubblegum genius Don Kirschner, who housed a wealth of
songwriting talent in the cubicles of his Brill Building offices. With
intense competition from those other husband-and-wife teams Jeff Berry and
Ellie Greenwich, and Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Mann and Weil responded
with a wealth of classic songs which still sound fresh and impressive to
this day. Like all great songwriters, they adapted well to different
styles and themes, and this insured that their compositions were recorded
by a broad range of artists. There was the evocative urban romanticism of
the Crystals' "Uptown" (1962) and the Drifters' "On Broadway" (1963),
novelty teen fodder such as Eydie Gorme's "Blame It On The Bossa Nova'
(1963) and Paul Petersen"s "My Dad" (1963), the desolate neuroticism of
Gene Pitney's "I'm Gonna Be Strong" (1964) and the Righteous Brothers'
"You've Lost That Lovin" Feelin'" (1964), and classic mid-60s protest
songs courtesy of the Animals' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", Jody
Miller's "Home Of The Brave", "Only In America" ( Jay And The Americans )
and "Kicks" ( Paul Revere And The Raiders )By the late 60s, Mann and Weil
left Kirschner and moved to Hollywood. Throughout this period, they
continued to enjoy hit success with Bobby Vinton's "I Love How You Love
Me" (written with Larry Kolber in 1968), Jay And The Americans' "Walking
In The Rain" (1969) and B.J. Thomas' "I Just Can't Help Believing" (1970).
Changes in the pop marketplace subsequently reduced their hit output, but
there were some notable successes such as Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We
Touch" (1977). Mann himself still craved recognition as a performer and
won a recording contract, but his album work, most notably the aptly
titled Survivor failed to match the sales of his and his wife's much
covered golden hits. Survivor was produced by Bruce Johnson and Terry
Melcher, and was regarded as a leading example of the 70s'
singer/songwriter oeuvre. Mann and Weil wrote the original songs for the
Muppet Treasure Island movie in 1996. Soul & Inspiration featured Mann
performing new versions of 11 of the duo's greatest hits, with guest
singers including Carole King, Bryan Adams, Peabo Bryson, Deana Carter,
and Brenda Russell.
Discography
Who Put The Bomp (ABC-Paramount 1963)**, Lay It All Out (1971)**,
Survivor (1975)***, Soul & Inspiration (Atlantic
2000)***.
|
