Book Review
by Tom Baldino
Can’t Stop Now is the recently released autobiography of multi-faceted music man Burt Conrad. I met Burt several years ago when he came to one of our Reckless Steamy Nights events to see the Dave Keyes Band, only to find out it was the Dave Fields Band, but more about that later. Burt is a New Jersey native, who started life in Morristown and now is living at the Jersey Shore. What has happened in between is an incredible journey that runs the gamut of human experience and emotions. The book is well written, with many observations that readers can identify with, as they can be applied to any of us who have grown up in a middle-class home with traditional values.
In Burts case, growing up as the middle child of three, it was thought he would aspire to become a professional, like his father who was a dental surgeon. However, from the beginning he was drawn to music and it became the defining symbol of his life. His drive and ambition to live a life of sound and music guided his every thought growing up, and even though his parents reluctantly supported his vision, they never validated his success, as he climbed that ladder.
His determination, and willingness to do whatever took, got him into the most prominent recording studio in New York City, the Record Plant, eventually working with the great Phil Ramone. His knack for having what’s known in the business “ears” and his ability to work with musicians on an emotional level, as well as artistically, led him to a Grammy at 21 years old. The details and insight he provides into himself, coupled with the work involved, draw the reader into a world foreign to most of us.
From there he was summoned to the West Coast by famed music producer and audio engineer Bill Schnee, where he worked with many of the most prominent artists of the day. Then it was back to New York to engineer records with Phil Ramone again, while joining his cousin in the family insurance business. It was insurance by day, and the recording studio by night. During the day he applied the same traits that led to his success in the music business, taking the company to new heights, however all did not end well, as that old family issue of not recognizing his success with a part ownership, led to a legal battle over the business.
Meanwhile, Burt also shares his family life which, despite his outward success, ends with a messy divorce, and eventually being ghosted by his two grown children. In the midst of all this he continues to follow the muse which he has been drawn to all his life, forming then disbanding, the Burt Conrad Allstars and gaining a true love for Latin music with the partnership of Angel Fernandez, in addition to a deepening in his faith.
Burt continues to create music out of his home studio and his independent label, Sea Bright Records, and that’s where my good friend Dave Fields comes in. After that meeting at Reckless, they talked about doing something together, and like everything that has happened in his life, without a plan, it grew from there. I’m told we can expect new music from Dave in early 2027. Burt also continues his work with the Axelrod Theater, creating and overseeing a new state of the art sound system, as well as working behind the scenes on productions there, and at their sister venue, Bell Works in Holmdel. A man always on the move, his curiosity and interest in things have insured that he definitely can’t stop now.
I have only scratched the surface here, and you will have to read the book to understand the person who has spent a lifetime helping create many of our musical memories. The book is available through Amazon Books, and I highly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself, or give one as a holiday gift.