With Austin Taylor's "Push Push", Bert Berns' first taste of success was a humble one. Co-produced with Laurie Records owner, Gene Schwartz, it's a big, crisp production with a loud flourish that makes me feel like I'm inside the upset stomach of a tuba - just listen, you'll know what I mean - and Bert's time spent in Havana is evident in the arrangement. "Push Push" would only spend two weeks on the Billboard chart, peaking at #90, and one week on the Cashbox survey where it shared the #100 spot with two other singles, one of which was "Look Out" by Ted Taylor whose real name was Austin Taylor. Among folks who care about such things, there has been much confusion as to whether Ted Taylor, formerly of The Jacks and future soul hit maker, are one and the same. So much so that the cd debut of "Push Push" - on Ace's "Teenage Crush Vol. 5" says they are the same person while, one year later, Ace's "The Bert Berns Story: Twist And Shout Vol. 1", says they are not.
While they try to figure it out, we can just use the song to help push us through the day.
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