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The only thing worse than the Big Apple’s pungent aroma is its high cost of living. Like many college students, Brian struggled to make ends meet, so between his studies at Juilliard and his gig at Trude Hellers, he took on extra roles and bit parts he usually found on the school’s bulletin board. Most of the time, he was just another face in the crowd, but every now and then, he would land a small part, like a drunk taxi driver, a psychotic drug dealer, or even a typical belligerent NYC cop.
For instance, when the movie Fame was being produced, Brian played one of the many extras in the street-dancer scene, and in Raging Bull, he was one of the fight spectators. You get the idea. A quick buck for a bit part…
“I once portrayed a corpse, lying naked on a hospital gurney with only a small towel to cover myself with. After a take, some dufus ran through the scene and tipped the gurney I was on, causing me to hang partly upside down, losing the towel, and regaling the crew with a full-on money shot. It was one of the few times I was asked to go for drinks with the team after work.” – BGW
Playing the daily happy hour gig at Trude Heller’s wine bar was Brian’s domain. It was the ideal place for him to practice his assignments, explore jazz and show tunes, and connect with the regulars who visited the bar. One of those regulars was none other than Phil Ramone, the legendary producer and co-founder of A&R Recording Studios, famous for his incredible work with legends like Billy Joel, Paul Simon, and Barbra Streisand.
What Brian didn’t realize at the time was that one of his teachers had informed Phil about him, and Phil had been scouting for talent right there in the audience. So, when one afternoon after his set, Phil waved Brian over for a chat, it became a moment that would change everything. Phil shared some details about what Brian could expect in the studio environment and then asked the big question: Would Brian be interested in an apprenticeship? Awestruck and flattered, Brian eagerly agreed—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Phil primarily worked from the West 48th Street Studio, which is where Brian got his start. He began by handling simple tasks like fetching coffee, pulling cables, and moving microphones. It didn’t take long for Phil to recognize that Brian had a lot more to offer than just being a cable jockey. Impressed with his potential, Phil reached out to Donald Hahn, the chief engineer at the 7th Avenue Studio, and got Brian positioned at the sound desk. Initially, he focused on producing demos, but it wasn’t long before he was producing full-length albums for notable artists like Peter Tosh, Dayton, and Judy Collins.
While working with Collins, Brian showcased his compositional skills, which thoroughly impressed her, and she told Phil so. So when the studio was hired to create the soundtrack for the 1981 blockbuster Arthur, Phil strategically placed Brian in the sound booth alongside renowned composer Burt Bacharach and producer Michael Omartian so he could observe what would unfold.
Initially, Bacharach had doubts about the young associate producer, but it didn’t take long for Brian to change his mind. The chemistry between Brian and Liza Minnelli at the piano was contagious, and soon enough, the three of them were deeply involved in the creative process. They spent long hours—sometimes even late into the night—crafting the film’s soundtrack. Brian was always moving, racing from the piano to the sound booth to hit record the moment they nailed down a new idea.
When it was time to finalize the soundtrack, Omartian stepped in as the producer, and Brian took on Bacharach’s piano responsibilities, turning a collection of scribbles and notes into complete scores for each instrument. This was a new experience for Brian, as he had never played in a studio with an orchestra before and only had a theoretical understanding of creating score sheets, but he was the fastest scribe around, making him the perfect choice for the job.
The soundtrack recording took just over a week, and Brian pretty much made Studio A1 his second home. After long hours in the studio, he would often find himself at the piano, crafting the score sheets for the next day’s sessions. He’d catch a quick nap in the recording booth whenever he could, then gear up for the next round of recording. If Omartian wasn’t feeling a particular part or if an instrument didn’t quite match his vision, Brian would quickly grab a pencil and re-score it right then and there, ensuring everything flowed smoothly for the next take.
Omartain was a firm believer in keeping things authentic, which meant no overdubbing during recording sessions. Even though Brian was already putting in daily practice for school and had played a few live gigs with other artists, he still wasn’t quite at the level of nailing everything in one take. It was a little reassuring for him when one of the seasoned musicians flubbed a note or two—it showed everyone was human, after all. Fortunately, most of their recording sessions went off without a hitch, and at the end of each session, those more experienced musicians often took a moment to congratulate Brian on his solid work.
It was finally time to dive into the theme song, and Burt Bacharach was eager to include Brian, who had done an impressive job stepping in during the soundtrack recordings. Phil, equally impressed with this young talent, happily passed the reins to Brian while keeping a watchful eye from the sidelines.
The recording of the Arthur theme song happened in two distinct phases. The bigger part of the production was filmed in Studio A1, featuring session musicians and capturing footage for the official music video. Once the cameras stopped rolling, they moved to Studio A2 for post-production, where Christopher Cross and Brian took the lead on the finishing touches.
Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) made a big impact right from the start, quickly climbing to the top of the Billboard charts. It also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 54th Oscars and was again recognized as Best Original Song at the 39th Golden Globe Awards. The best part for Brian was that his work on the project impressed his boss.
In late 1983, Phil asked Brian to step in and oversee the production of Billy Joel’s album, An Innocent Man. This was a big deal because Joel was one of Phil’s pet projects, and earning Phil’s trust to represent him in the studio was a valuable opportunity for Brian. Since Brian was already reducing his school hours, he would rush to the studio right after class to get started on the work.
In his role, Brian was primarily responsible for conveying Phil’s ideas to the production team and providing input on technical details such as compression techniques and reverb use. It was essential to make sure everything met Phil’s high standards. During post-production, Brian also assisted engineers Jim Boyer and Bradshaw Leigh at the sound desk.
An Innocent Man featured three Billboard Top 10 hit singles: Tell Her About It (No. 1), Uptown Girl (No. 3) and An Innocent Man (No. 10). Four other singles were released from the album: The Longest Time (No. 14), Leave a Tender Moment Alone (No. 27), Keeping the Faith (No. 18) and This Night (US B-side of Leave a Tender Moment Alone).
After wrapping up his work on the Arthur soundtrack, Burt Bacharach started bringing Brian into more of his projects. One of the standout collaborations was the catchy jingle for Pan American Airlines, “You Can’t Beat The Experience.” Burt recognized Brian’s talent and took the initiative to recommend him to Phil, insisting that Brian’s skills were truly exceptional and that he deserved more opportunities to showcase his composing talents.
But Phil was looking for someone who could get things done, not necessarily a creative genius. So when Brian finished his studies at Juilliard, he helped him secure a gig as a staff writer at Capitol Records. Although Brian wasn’t thrilled about leaving A&R Recording, where he had become quite a familiar face and was well respected, he knew this opportunity with Capitol was too good to pass up. It was a pivotal moment for his career that he simply couldn’t ignore… Capitol Madness (1983-1985)
“Phil was a trial-by-fire kind of mentor, and once you earned his trust, there was no end to the doors he would open for you.” – BGW.