Much of what is considered to be “The Brill Building Sound” actually happened at 1650 Broadway.

 

The Brill Building was a throwback to the Tin Pan Alley days of the 1930s and 40s, and by the 1960's, the new independent labels preferred the cheaper rent and hip modern atmosphere of the recently renovated 1650 Broadway.

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With songwriters, publishers, arrangers, musicians, record labels, and radio promoters all working in the same building, the turnaround time on a hit record could be just a few weeks. “There was a real sense of community” recalls Mike Stoller.

 

In 1958, Publishing company Aldon Music set up on the 6th floor. Over the next five years, it produced over 200 hits including "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "You've Lost That Loving Feeling", and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". 

 

Aldon paid their top songwriters - like Carol King and her then-husband Gerry Goffin,  $150 per week to write in a cubicle on the sixth floor.

 

“Each cubicle was barely big enough to contain an upright piano with a bench, a chair for the lyricist, and a small table with rough room for a legal pad, a pen, an ashtray, and a coffee cup.“ remembers King.

 

“If you got a hit, you graduated to a cubicle with a window” recalled Neil Sedaka.

In 1968, while the Vietnam War was fuelling the counter-culture movement and providing ample material for protest songs, Tommy James and The Shondells wanted to record a raucous throwback to the party records of the early '60s.

 

“Some of the lines came easy, like “Shoot ‘em down, turn around, come home, honey”, but we still had no title. And it's just driving us nuts,” says James, “We're looking for like a 'Sloopy' or some crazy name that was memorable and silly and kind of stupid sounding.

 

James was finally inspired seeing the Mutual of New York building at night flashing the neon initials “M.O.N.Y. - M.O.N.Y. - M.O.N.Y.” over and over.

 

The recording took place at Allegro Sound Studios at 1650 Broadway.  

 

“We dragged in people off the street, we had secretaries come downstairs. It's really a party that got captured on tape."

 

Allegro Sound Studios was located in the basement of the building, with the subway running alongside it.

“You'd have to wait until the train was past to go for a take if you were doing something that was relatively soft.” recalls engineer Ed Rahkow. “For most of the stuff done there, the train noise just became part of the wonder of Rock & Roll."