Founding member of Rhinoceros releases blues-driven single “Put Back My Heart” alongside family-centred album project
Alan Gerber, the Chicago-born and Val-David, Quebec-based singer-songwriter and founding member of the late-1960s Elektra Records supergroup Rhinoceros, has released his new single “Put Back My Heart,” the opening track from his latest album The Well, now available.
The release marks another milestone in a career that has stretched across more than five decades and positioned Gerber as one of Canada’s enduring blues and roots performers. Co-written with his son Eli Gerber and jointly produced by the pair, the new single combines upbeat rhythm-and-blues energy with reflective songwriting rooted in personal experience.
“Fell for you like a baby grand from a tower,” Gerber sings in the track before delivering the chorus: “Put back, put back my heart, you stole it / Put back, put back my heart, steam rolled it.”
The song blends humour and heartbreak in a style that has become closely associated with Gerber’s live performances throughout Canada and internationally. Industry recognition for his work has included praise from Steven Van Zandt, guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and host of Little Steven’s Underground Garage, who previously selected Gerber’s song “Four Riders” as the “Coolest Song in the World.”
A career-spanning album shaped by loss, collaboration, and family
The Well draws together influences from blues, soul, folk, and rock while reflecting on Gerber’s decades-long musical journey. The project also carries emotional significance as it became the final collaboration between Gerber and songwriter Rolf Kempf, his creative partner of nearly 50 years, who died before the album’s release.
Kempf was widely known beyond the partnership for writing “Hello Hurray,” which later became a major hit for Alice Cooper. His contributions remain deeply embedded throughout the new record.
The album also reunites Gerber with former Rhinoceros bandmate Danny Weis, whose guitar work appears on eight tracks. Additional contributors include Gaston Gagnon of Quebec folk-rock group Garolou, harmonica player James Tyrone Zeller, and several longtime collaborators. The album was mixed at Groove Paradise Studio with mixing engineer Nicolas Maranda and mastered by Harris Newman at Grey Market Mastering.
Family involvement plays a central role in the project. Eli Gerber contributed guitar work and co-production, while Gerber’s daughter Hannah provided lead and background vocals. His wife Robin, a ceramic artist, created the bowl featured on the album cover artwork.
Gerber also incorporated family history into the songwriting process through the track Time Is My Treasure, which was inspired by a poem written by his sister, Barbara Ford.
From Chicago blues roots to the Laurentians
The release of The Well reflects the life Gerber has built over more than 30 years in Quebec’s Laurentians region, where he has remained active in Canada’s roots and blues scene after leaving behind the pressures of the American recording industry.
Before relocating to Canada, Gerber’s musical foundations were shaped in Chicago by a family history tied to Eastern European immigration and by early exposure to blues piano. Those influences would later inform a career that bridged American blues traditions with Canada’s folk and roots circuits.
Over the years, Gerber has shared stages with major artists including Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Van Morrison, Lou Reed, Janis Joplin, John Lee Hooker, and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. He has also performed at leading festivals including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, and France’s Carcassonne Music Festival.
Terry Whalen, Artistic Director of Whalen’s Barn Concert Series in Miramichi, New Brunswick, previously described Gerber as “a seasoned pro and a master-class of how to take years of honing your craft and a million plus miles of live performances to reach this level.”
That reputation for live performance remains central to Gerber’s appeal as he continues touring in support of the new release.
Tour Date
Aug. 5 — Val-David, Que. — 1001 Pots