only takes
a song to
understand"
from the song called "Smile"
In Memory of Bert Sommer
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only takes a song to understand" |
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from the song called "Smile"
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I just know Bert is still smiling and enjoying his place in Rock & Roll Heaven. Those who create love and give their incredible music for the world to remember, also give their meaningful lyrics to eternal time in the everlasting now. For those of us who knew Bert Sommer in his life, we all are the 'keepers of the flame' ...and for those who are here first discovering his talent and music may this new website open your heart's song.
The song playing in the background is the studio recording of 'SMILE' ~ and also sang live at the Woodstock Festival.
Photo by Michelle KellgrenBert and I first met in New York City on the Central Park Hill around the Bethesda Fountain on a Sunday afternoon sometime in 1968 when he was 19 and I was 25. I was in the graphic arts end of the music business and working at the time for Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones doing their album packaging for "Let it Bleed". When we crossed paths Bert was just sitting around on the grass and singing with his guitar to a bunch of NY street hippies. I just stopped & listened for a while. Considering I was privy to talent & music I was caught that day by his tremendous power, presence and the sweetness in his voice. We sat and talked for hours and I realized he was quite the star; although not yet what the pop world called 'famous'. We went back to his apartment on West End Avenue and he played me his tapes. Bert was just recording his first album produced by Artie Kornfeld on Capitol Records called "The Road to Travel".
Bert was also playing the part of 'Woof' in the Broadway cast of the hit show "HAIR" and pictured on the playbill. We hung constantly, friends after that day. His Aquarian ideals, music and song lyrics have now influenced my life for what is becoming 38 years! But this website is not about me... if you are curious about 'coincidences' and the secret meaning of all things, you may go to my website at your leisure and read about the journey in my writings called The Great Illusion inspired by Bert's first single "Hold The Light".
Bert's initial degree of fame came young and years earlier through another friend of his named Michael Brown who was the creativity, brains & music behind The Left Banke* where Bert eventually replaced then lead singer Steve Martin who sang their hit "Walk Away Renee". Bert's first single for them was "And Suddenly". His early Long Island rock roots also connected him to Leslie West's 1st band The Vagrants whom he wrote 5 songs for and then named his new band Mountain!
This opened the doors for his manager Dominic Sicilia who got him his first album gig and his initial test shot in the West Coast version of Hair; interestingly both came in the same week in November 1967.
Gotta smile when you look back at history and realize that Bert's new friend and Capitol Records VP and producer Artie Kornfeld would become his guiding force and the co-creator of the Woodstock Festival and that Bert would perform there on August 15, 1969... the only relative unknown in the festival's entire lineup of Superstars!
*The Left Banke's Michael Brown remembers: "Working with Bert was truly like working with a genius. Bert taught himself everything. He would play piano without thumbs early on, just four fingers on each hand. We wrote many songs together and I also had a great time playing with him live on stage in his early career. Bert was very intelligent and very perceptive. He could see through anything. He zeroed out the machinery of relationships and society. He was an independent thinker. His blue eyes would be ablaze when he talked. A remarkable person. Wish he were still here. Most of all he was a good friend. We all miss him".
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