Courtesy of Bang! The Bert Berns Story
A DVD version of the acclaimed 2017 documentary Bang! The Bert Berns Story is available now exclusively at the film’s official website. Narrated by Steven Van Zandt, the movie takes a look at the short life and prolific career of Bert Berns, who wrote and/or produced hits for music greats including Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, The Isley Brothers, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond and Janis Joplin.
The movie was co-directed by Berns’ son, Brett, who got to interview an impressive list of artists who either worked with or recorded songs by his dad, including Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and Morrison.
Brett tells ABC Radio that while he initially felt intimidated to be chatting with some of these music legends, they quickly made him feel at ease.
“When I interviewed Paul McCartney…he walked in, shook everybody’s hand on the set and basically interviewed himself,” says Brett of McCartney, who with The Beatles had a smash with “Twist and Shout,” which Bert co-wrote.
Brett says one of the highlights of the Bang! DVD is the bonus interviews, which include “McCartney telling the whole story of the recording of ‘Twist and Shout’ [and] Keith Richards riffing on the songs and the toughness and the sensitivity of my father’s music.”
Among the most difficult interviews for Brett to procure was with Morrison, but he says once Van sat down to chat, “He was just so charming and he knew what he wanted to say…it was phenomenal.”
In addition to the Bang! The Bert Berns Story i DVD, a companion soundtrack album is available as a two-LP vinyl set. Brett says it’s “the most masterful collection” of his dad’s songs, adding, “it really is a trophy to my father and to our work on the film.”
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