Here Comes the Night

About This Audiobook

Joel Selvin’s *Here Comes the Night* isn’t just another music biography—it’s a backstage pass into the gritty, combustible world of 1960s New York R&B, where gangsters, hit-makers, and desperate dreamers collided. Bert Berns, the book’s tragic hero, wasn’t just a songwriter; he was a hustler with a golden ear, crafting anthems like ‘Twist and Shout’ and ‘Piece of My Heart’ for artists who’d become legends. Selvin strips away the polish to reveal the raw, brutal business behind the music: payola schemes, mob-backed labels, and artists who were often exploited before they even knew their hit was sold. This isn’t a sanitized origin story; it’s a bloodstained love letter to an era where art and crime were two sides of the same vinyl disc. If you’ve ever wondered how the sausage of rock ‘n’ roll was made—and at what cost—this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Christian Rummel’s narration is the icing on the cake, a slick, cigarette-smoke voice that smolders with the swagger of a man who’s seen too much but still believes in the next big thing. His performance isn’t just competent; it’s a masterclass in how to make the listener feel like they’re eavesdropping on the most important conversations of the 20th century.