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great song writers...... on 11:57 - May 28 by rbee
There are so many but I would place Bacharach and David up there with Lennon and McCartney with the Gibb Brothers not far behind.
The Motown crew Holland/Dozier/Holland, Smokey, Ashford and Simpson.
Over at Atlantic Barry Mann & Cynthia Weill, Gerry Goffin and Carole King.
As a teenager in the 70's the pop charts were dominated by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman and to a lesser extent, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway.
As a big 80's soul music fan there was the brilliant James Mtume and Reggie Lucas, Kashif, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and over at Solar Records Dana Meyers, Leon Sylvers, William Shelby.
We have to acknowledge Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba and the prolific Per Gessle of Roxette.
Last and right up there with the best is the lad from Grimsby who wrote all the hits for Heatwave, was taken to the USA by Quincy Jones to write for The Brothers Johnson, Donna Summer, Quincy himself, George Benson and Michael Jackson. The man who gave us Thriller, Off the Wall and Rock With You, Mr Rod Temperton.
"Last and right up there with the best is the lad from Grimsby who wrote all the hits for Heatwave, was taken to the USA by Quincy Jones to write for The Brothers Johnson, Donna Summer, Quincy himself, George Benson and Michael Jackson. The man who gave us Thriller, Off the Wall and Rock With You, Mr Rod Temperton".
This is a great shout and I was actually just about to post about him, but - pedant alert - he was actually born in Cleethorpes
Russ Ballard, Waltham Cross' finest, also deserves a mention. I knew he wrote top tunes like Rainbow's "Since you've been gone" and the Argent song Kiss turned into a massive anthem, "God gave roll and roll to you," but it turns out that he also wrote "So you win again" and "You can do magic".
There are so many others I could mention but I must put in a good word for Primus. The lyrics are clever and tell all sorts of stories, from hilarious to cautionary ones, and the music is so inventive, catchy and memorable, yet unorthodox. The bass often plays the lead line while the guitar creates soundscapes .
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
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great song writers...... on 14:23 - May 28 with 2042 views
great song writers...... on 12:01 - May 28 by derbyhoop
The boy kicked out at the world The world kicked back a lot fcking harder
Libertines - Can't stand me Now
"I saw two shadow men on the Vallance Road Said they'd pay me for your address Oh, I was so bold I said you see these two cold fingers These crooked fingers I show You's a way to mean no"
Up The Bracket
"What a waster, what a fijcking waster You p!ssed it all up the wall Round the corner where they chased her There's tears coming out from everywhere The city's hard The city's fair Get back inside, you've got nothing on No, mind your bleedin' own you two bob cijnt"
What A Waster - Even Paul Weller said he's been trying to get the phrase 2Bob..... into a song for decades !
He's had his moments.
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great song writers...... on 14:27 - May 28 with 2031 views
great song writers...... on 11:54 - May 28 by RangersDave
Best Lyrics....
"i'm invited in for coffee and i give the dog a bone"
Funny you pick that line cos I’m sure I read an interview years ago with Difford and Tilbrook and they said of all their songs it’s the one line they regret writing and wish they’d edited it out 🤷🏼♂️
Still, great songwriters.
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great song writers...... on 14:49 - May 28 with 1985 views
George and Ira Gershwin were interviewed on the speaking wireless in about 1937. The compere said “when you guys write a song, what comes first, the words or the music?” George replied “the contract”
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great song writers...... on 15:08 - May 28 with 1972 views
great song writers...... on 14:12 - May 28 by R_from_afar
"Last and right up there with the best is the lad from Grimsby who wrote all the hits for Heatwave, was taken to the USA by Quincy Jones to write for The Brothers Johnson, Donna Summer, Quincy himself, George Benson and Michael Jackson. The man who gave us Thriller, Off the Wall and Rock With You, Mr Rod Temperton".
This is a great shout and I was actually just about to post about him, but - pedant alert - he was actually born in Cleethorpes
Russ Ballard, Waltham Cross' finest, also deserves a mention. I knew he wrote top tunes like Rainbow's "Since you've been gone" and the Argent song Kiss turned into a massive anthem, "God gave roll and roll to you," but it turns out that he also wrote "So you win again" and "You can do magic".
There are so many others I could mention but I must put in a good word for Primus. The lyrics are clever and tell all sorts of stories, from hilarious to cautionary ones, and the music is so inventive, catchy and memorable, yet unorthodox. The bass often plays the lead line while the guitar creates soundscapes .
Love Primus! Always wished I’d been the crowd at Woodstock 94 to see them.
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great song writers...... on 15:43 - May 28 with 1868 views
Here's a few that haven't been mentioned Rodney Crowell, Willie Nelson, Phil Lynott, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, John Fogerty, Randy Newman, Ryan Adams
I forgot our very own Mick Jones.
[Post edited 28 May 15:45]
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great song writers...... on 16:29 - May 28 with 1783 views
By coincidence,there's an article on Jimmy Webb in today's Times. He says many/most songwriters are unhappy people and somehow this gets turned on its head by producing beautiful music. He cites Rodgers and Hart, possibly the greatest writers of the 20th century but both alcoholic depressives who hated each other's guts.
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great song writers...... on 16:59 - May 28 with 1747 views
For those that haven't heard of him, a couple of quotes from a Guardian feature on him:
"...between 1969 and 1973 Russell was music’s North Star, pioneering a distinctly American sound that changed the career paths of stars, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Elton John. In that timeframe, he created a band that became one of music’s most legendary live acts; made Mad Dogs & Englishmen for Joe Cocker; stole the show from a white hot lineup of artists at the Concert for Bangladesh; became a star in his own right with solo albums that featured songs that became standards, including Song for You and This Masquerade; and inspired the icon Willie Nelson to create his enduring outlaw country persona. Even before he became widely known, Russell had an esteemed career as a first call session pianist, performing with the Wrecking Crew on recordings by everyone from Frank Sinatra to The Beach Boys to the rococo productions of Phil Spector.
"By 1969, Russell had become a musical octopus with tentacles spreading to his own record company (Shelter Records), a duo he formed called the Asylum Choir, and, most importantly, key contributions to albums by Delaney & Bonnie, the only white act signed to Stax. Their rollicking second album, Accept No Substitute, didn’t sell well yet it became, in Janovitz’s words, “a secret handshake. It was the album where all the major musicians said to each other, ‘You have to hear this.’
The buzz on Delaney & Bonnie’s record was so intense, it inspired Eric Clapton, Dave Mason and George Harrison to join the group – which also included Rita Coolidge – for a UK tour. A then unknown Elton John found himself equally besotted. “Elton once said to me, ‘I would not be where I am today without Leon Russell and Delaney & Bonnie, and the music you all made,’” Coolidge said."
"a diseased bunch of mofos if there ever was one, their beauty is so awesome that listening to them at their best is like being in some vast dream cathedral decorated with a thousand gleaming American pop culture icons."
- Lester Bangs on The Beach Boys
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great song writers...... on 15:08 - May 29 with 1200 views
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