Songwriter Profile - International Songwriters Association

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APRIL 2010 ISBN 0332-4990 FOUNDED 1967 ISSUE 303 

Songwriter Bob Fusari & 

Lada Gaga In Court Battle 

Songwriter Bob Fusari's lawyer Robert S. 

Meloni has dismissed a claim made by Lady 

Gaga's lawyer Charles Ortner, that an 

agreement signed by the singer was 

"structured in such a way as to mask its true 

purpose - to provide to the defendants 

unlawful compensation for their services as 

unlicensed employment agents." 

Fusari has stated that his former girlfriend, 

Stefani Germanotta, dropped him when her 

career took off, and claims that they had 

together co-written such songs as "Paparazzi" 

and "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich." 

Fusari also maintains that he had chosen her 

stage name and helped get her a record deal. 

He is suing for $30 million in 

compensation. 

Meanwhile, Mr Ortner is alleging that the 

agreement was designed to allow Fusari act 

“as employment agent without a license and 

charge Lady Gaga an unlawful fee for 

purported services" a claim described by Mr 

Fusari’s lawyer as “ludicrous”. 

Interview 

Interview 

Interview 

Interview 

Nik Kershaw 

SongSeller SongSeller SongSeller SongSeller & & & & Trade Trade Trade Trade News News News News 

ASCAP Expands Nashville Office To 

Cater For More Than Just Country 

ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento has announced a major expansion of the company’s 

Nashville operations which will be elevated to a Regional Office serving all genres of music. 

The expansion reflects Nashville’s growing importance as a global music capital that is a 

magnet for songwriters and publishers in a spectrum of genres. Nashville is today the launching 

pad for many of the most talented writers and performers in all genres of music and according to 

the organisation, the ASCAP office will respond to this growth and change in the marketplace 

by taking on a regional approach to its core mission in Nashville. ASCAP also expects to 

expand the geographic region the office serves, serving other parts of Tennessee, as well as 

Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma, the Carolinas, Florida and Virginia, among 

others, LoFrumento said. 

"From Brad Paisley to Paramore, from the Kings of Leon to Alan Jackson, Nashville is the 

home to many of the most exciting developments in today’s music industry," said LoFrumento. 

"Our office, while continuing to serve the needs of Country and Christian music’s greatest 

writers and publishers, will expand our vision and strategy to also meet the needs of the Pop, 

International, Urban and Folk writers, as well as film, television and symphonic composers, 

who work, live and thrive in this region." 

Effective immediately, the newly established ASCAP Nashville Regional Office will be 

overseen by Nashville-based industry veteran Tim DuBois, who has been appointed Vice- 

President and Managing Executive of the operations, reporting to ASCAP Senior Vice- 

President and head of Domestic Membership Randy Grimmett. 

DuBois stated, “I am excited about this opportunity to lead ASCAP’s Nashville Regional 

office. I believe ASCAP’s recognition of the influx and development of other successful genres 

of music in Nashville speaks volumes about the company’s commitment to our whole 

community”. 

DuBois has had a long career as one of the most successful executives in the recording 

industry having led both Arista Records and Universal South Records. DuBois’ storied career 

has included recognition as a songwriter, manager, record executive and producer. 

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Obituaries 

Obituaries 

Obituaries 

Obituaries 

Cor Aaftink (76), record producer, lyricist 

and co-founder of the production company 

Corduroy who produced BZN. In 

Amsterdam, Netherlands, following a heart 

attack....Tony Clarke (69), guitarist and 

songwriter (Malcolm Roberts' "Our Song"), 

and a session musician for Decca Records 

who produced The Moody Blues, The Equals, 

Providence, Clannad, Pinkerton's Colours, 

Rick Wakeman, Nicky Hopkins and The Four 

Tops. In London, UK, of heart failure....Neil 

Christian (67), singer and songwriter 

("That's Nice" and "Two At A Time"), who 

led Neil Christian And The Crusaders, 

managed Crushed Butler and worked with 

Jimmy Page and Richie Blackmore. In 

London, UK....Willie Mitchell (82), 

songwriter, trumpeter, producer and arranger 

("30-60-90", "Soul Serenade" and "20-75") 

who worked with and produced Al Green, O. 

V. Wright, Otis Clay, Bobby Blue Bland, 

Ann Peebles, Syl Johnson, Jimmy 

McCracklin, Betty Everett, Pops Staples, 5 

Royales, Little Jimmy King, Preston 

Shannon, Ike Turner, John Mayer and Buddy 

Guy and worked for Waylo, The Home Of 

The Blues, and Hi Records. In Memphis, 

Tennessee, USA, of heart failure....Bobby 

Charles, who wrote under the name Robert 

Charles Guidry (72), singer and songwriter 

who penned Fats Domino's "Walking To 

New Orleans" and Bill Haley And The 

Comets' "See You Later Alligator", worked 

with Dr. John, The Band and Clarence 

"Frogman" Henry and whose songs have been 

recorded Kris Kristofferson, Ray Charles, 

Delbert McClinton, Etta James and 

Gatemouth Brown. A Louisiana Music Hall 

of Fame Inductee, he died in Abbeville, 

Louisiana, USA, following a heart 

attack....Chilton Searcy Price (96), 

songwriter, whose hits include "Slow Poke" 

and "You Belong To Me" and whose songs 

have been recorded by Doris Day, Tony 

Bennett, Bob Dylan, Joni James, The 

Duprees, Johnny Mathis, Paul Anka, Tori 

Amos, Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart, Jo 

Stafford, Dean Martin and Ella Fitzgerald. In 

Louisville, Kentucky, USA, of natural 

causes....Alistair Hulett (59), singer, guitarist 

and songwriter ("Everyone I Know" and 

"Almost Unintentional"), who was a member 

of Roaring Jack ("Yuppietown" and "The 

Lass Behind The Beertaps") and who worked 

with Dave Swarbrick ("Don't Sign Up For 

War" and "The Granite Cage"). In Glasgow, 

Scotland, of liver failure....Johnny 

Dankworth (83), saxophonist. clarinettist 

and composer, who led The Dankworth 

Seven, worked with Charlie Parker, Clark 

Terry, Lionel Hampton, Ella Fitzgerald, 

Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Herbie 

Hancock, Dudley Moore and Sidney Bechet, 

and penned music for TVs, "The Avengers" 

and "Tomorrow's World", and was married to 

singer, Cleo Laine. In Woodford, Essex, UK

STACE JAMES 

Anatomy Of A Hit - 

“If We Ever Meet Again” 

PERFORMER Timbaland, featuring 

Katy Perry 

WRITERS J. Beanz, T. Mosely, M. 

Busbee 

Guide to the sections: 

1. The Hooks Takes a closer look at 

"the hooks" that helped make the track a 

hit. 

2. The Lyric Examines the lyric of the 

song and considers the nature and extent 

of its role in making the song a hit. 

3. Song or Track? Looks at the extent 

to which the song’s success depended on 

the production and performance of the 

song, and the extent to which its success 

relied upon "the song" itself. 

The Hooks 

Collaborations are all the rage at the 

moment. A quick glance at any Top 40 

over the past year or so proves the point 

- “featuring” features more than at any 

time since the birth of the pop chart! But 

why?! 

It would be nice to think that all high 

profile collaborations are predominantly 

artistically motivated. No doubt many 

are, but the fact is A-list collaborations 

are potential goldmines for all involved, 

and at a time when even major record 

companies are seriously concerned about 

the financial viability of their businesses, 

the appeal of such collaborations has 

(understandably) become impossible for 

many of them to resist. 

It’s all down to simple maths. Let’s 

say Superstar X has a million fans, 

Superstar Y also has a million fans. So, 

potentially, a record featuring Superstar 

X and Y could result in double the sales 

of a record by either Superstar X or Y 

alone. Of course, in purely financial 

terms, that doesn’t mean that either artist 

of label(s) will make twice as much 

money, BUT . . . it does significantly 

increase the chance of the record being a 

hit and, more importantly (from the 

perspective of the artists and their 

labels), it promotes cross-pollination of 

X and Y’s fanbases. Fans often 

“discover” new artists by them being 

featured in the work of artists they’re 

already fans of. 

Interestingly, it seems that the more 

cynically this “collaboration trick” is 

applied, the less well received it is. X 

Factor winner Alexandra Burke’s debut 

single Bad Boys, for example, was 

criticised by many for – needlessly, in 

their view – featuring a guest appearance 

by American hip-hop/rap/pop artist Flo 

Songwriter Magazine Page 2 

Rida. Clearly, at a record label level, the 

thinking was to give Alexandra a leg-up 

and head start in the U.S. market, but the 

feeling Flo Rida was crow-barred into 

the song purely for this purpose has irked 

many. (It will be interesting to see how 

well the “collab trick” works when that 

particular song gets its official U.S. 

release this Spring.) 

Timbaland, in all fairness, has always 

been a collaborator type, long before it 

became fashionable. While there’s no 

doubt he’s aware of the commercial 

implications, of all the “featuring” tracks 

out there right now, Timbaland’s are 

probably among the more artistically 

motivated. 

On paper, this collaboration with Katy 

Perry should have been one of the most 

interesting cuts from his latest album 

Shock Value II. Perry’s stunning, 

powerful voice mixed with a Timbaland 

production sounds like pop heaven. It’s 

strange, then, that the song is actually a 

very poor showcase for Perry’s voice 

and sounds like the kind of thing any pop 

vocalist could have done. Fortunately, 

this wasted opportunity is redeemed by 

the fact that the song’s a real killer! 

Timbaland’s trademark hooks are all 

over the place. As is the case with many 

of his hits, every section of the song is 

memorable, well-crafted and distinct. 

Even Timbaland’s own less-thanmusical 

voice can’t disguise what a great 

melody he has here. The chorus has an 

almost nursery-rhyme quality about it, its 

simplicity and childlike sing-along 

quality makes it impossible not to love. 

Needless to say, Timbaland’s mastery of 

production ear-candy is evident 

throughout the track – his production 

touches are hooks in themselves. 

The Lyric 

You’d think the idea of songs being set 

“in the club” would be on the wane by 

now, but it seems the public still can’t 

get enough of them! 

So here we are again, “in the club”. At 

least the lyrics here suggest an awareness 

of the tired subject matter. The opening 

line - “What’s somebody like you doin’ 

in a place like this?” - couldn’t be any 

more clichéd if it tried! (It’s hard not to 

believe that Mr. Mosley isn’t secretly 

amused when he hears people singing 

back this stuff!) The remainder of the 

song continues along similarly welltrodden 

lines. But, having said that, it’s 

more than fit for purpose – it is, after all, 

just a fun party song, and sometimes 

when your bustin’ some moves on the 

‘floor, the last thing you want is a 

highbrow lyric that tries to get all 

cerebral on yo ass! 

Song or Track? 

Some music snobs/purists have been 

quick to criticise super-producers like 

Timbaland for taking the melody and 

soul out of music, often seeing the huge 

pop hits they’ve been responsible for as 

fake, throwaway, beat-driven trash. But 

such critics are, for whatever reason, 

blind to the fact that the very hits (yes, 

hits) they’re looking down their noses at 

are as well-crafted pieces of work as 

many songs they’d regard as “real” hits. 

Timbaland is a great producer – even 

now, when his best work is possibly 

behind him – he’s still among the best in 

the world at what he does. But, 

crucially, he’s also a great topline writer 

with as good a sense of melody and 

rhythm as any dedicated topline writer in 

the world. His cutting-edge productions 

have often led people to overlook what 

may be an even greater skill – his ability 

to write hit melodies and rhythms. 

Many of Timbaland’s tracks can stand 

as masterclasses in songwriting, and If 

We Ever Meet Again can easily be 

included in that category. In reality, 

labelling Timbaland a “producer” does 

him an injustice and seriously 

understates his role. He is much, much 

more than that, and is perhaps one of the 

best all-round songwriters of the last 

decade or so . . . 

Which leads to a very important point: 

now, more than ever, songwriting 

(particularly in the commercial pop 

field) is about the whole – the actual 

demo, or the actual master. It could be 

argued that to call yourself a songwriter 

in 2010, you need to “do a Timbaland” 

and be proficient in both track and 

topline writing. Timbaland’s success 

lies in his mastery of both disciplines. 

Students of contemporary pop could do a 

lot worse than study his catalogue when 

looking for the elusive blueprint of a 

smash hit.

seth luthnick 

Some songs make it big. They get 

endless radio and media-of-the-moment 

play. They top the Billboard charts. They 

launch great careers. One song, one 

hook, is often all it takes. And most 

songs - the ratio is probably too big to 

calculate - do not. A lot of it is simply 

"luck." 

And yet, there are specific elements 

that most breakout hit songs have in 

common. What are they, and how can 

you use them to write your own breakout 

hit? 

The Best Way To Write A Song Is 

Not To Write A Song 

You read that correctly. 

It's almost impossible to force a great 

song into the world. I don't care what 

software you are running, it's almost 

impossible to achieve brilliance without 

genuine inspiration. Let's face it, music 

is an emotional language. You can't 

intellectually or mathematically create an 

emotionally powerful piece of music. 

If there is one rule that I work by, it is 

this: the best songs write themselves. 

Both the lyric and melodic hook will 

come instantaneously, will grab you by 

the lapel and scream "write me!". THEN 

is the time to sit down and really get to 

work. Writing a great song is like 

making a sculpture. The stone is already 

there, you just need to bring the beauty 

out of it by careful craftsmanship. 

Captain Hook 

Think about the following phrases: 

"Yesterday", "Uptown Girl", "Maria", 

"Jingle Bells". Unless you just landed on 

the planet Earth, those words 

immediately got a melody going inside 

your head. A hook is where a simple 

phrase of a lyric and a simple turn of a 

melody come together and get stuck in 

your brain. It's called a hook, because it 

catches you like a fish. I just produced 

the musical Man Of La Mancha, and for 

many nights I could not sleep because of 

"The Impossible Dream". Yes, because I 

couldn't turn that song's irresistible hook 

off in my head, dreaming was indeed 

"impossible". 

Hooks can be simple or complicated, 

but they must be clear. Beethoven, in his 

Fifth Symphony, has a four note hook. In 

some songs, the hook is the whole song, 

repeating in a manner almost hypnotic. 

In others, it is something that you wait 

for and happens only two or three times 

in the course of the song. Marry the 

melodic hook to an evocative and clear 

lyric hook, such as "don't kill me again" 

or something like that, and you are on 

your way. 

Oh, I Know What You Mean 

The Elements of Hit 

Songwriting 

TV shows like Seinfeld were 

amazingly successful because so many 

people related to the characters. 

Everybody feels like George at some 

time. Every couple has "their song" that 

they relate to. 

Listeners will connect to your song 

much more if they can relate to what is 

being said. You can write about 

situations that many people find 

themselves in, such as a new relationship 

or a changing phase of one's life. People 

turn to music when they are dealing with 

life's moments, so consider writing music 

to talk to them about those moments. 

Who Done It? 

People love a good mystery. They love 

having something unknown to look 

forward to. And they love it even more 

when you surprise them with more than 

they expected. 

That's a great rule for songwriting. If I 

start out with a lyric such as "I'll let you 

live until Sunday", I have created 

suspense. Who am I going to kill on 

Sunday, and why? Then you can tell a 

great story. This keeps people listening. 

If you then deliver a zinger of a surprise, 

you've written a great song. A song is 

indeed a story. It doesn't have to be 

narrated, but it should make promises 

and reveal new surprises with each verse. 

The Arc Of Triumph 

Have you ever listened to Ravel's 

Bolero? It is a Spanish dance with one 

basic A-B phrase that repeats endlessly. 

And yet, for some reason, it is 

immensely popular and deeply satisfying 

to listen to. Why is that? 

It is because Ravel built an arc. With 

each repetition, the instruments change, 

the orchestral depth changes, and 

eventually the piece builds to a full 

orchestral climax. Ravel masterfully 

draws the listener in through his arc of 

energy. 

You can do the same thing in your 

songs. If you start off at full steam, you 

have nowhere to go. If you start simply, 

and let the song grow, you can enchant 

the listener, bringing him with you on 

your musical journey. Just when you 

reach a climax, you can write a bridge 

that completely changes the energy. 

After the bridge, you come back to the 

refrain, and then the listener has a feeling 

of having come back home again. 

Awesome. 

Consider how your song will have an 

arc of energy to it, and make it dynamic 

and dramatic. Don't hold back! 

What Was That About? 

If there is one thing that really bothers 

me about a lot of songs, it is this: I don't 

know what the heck the song is about! 

If it takes me more than two listens to 

figure out what the song is saying, 

something's wrong. "Abstract" songs that 

only mean something to the writer or 

require accompanying notes are simply 

self-indulgent. If you want that, fine. But 

don't expect it to be a hit (unless you 

follow its publication with a high profile 

murder, which I don't recommend. Think 

of the families!) You are writing to say 

something, so say it! Don't talk around it. 

That does not mean that every song has 

to be simplistic. Songs can and should 

have layers of meaning. 

What I am saying is that by listening to 

the song once, I should clearly grasp the 

surface meaning. Then, each time I 

listen, I gain new insight and see the 

deeper levels. What is greater than a 

song that provides continuous 

discoveries? 

Shoot The Messenger 

Performance is important. Recording 

quality is important. Being able to sing 

on key, with emotion and expression, 

and with clear enunciation are absolutely 

essential. If you can't sing well, get 

someone else who can. You don't need to 

be Barbra Streisand, but you don't want 

somebody listening and saying "that 

person cannot sing to save themselves" 

either. If you believe in the song, give it 

the best possible presentation. 

Same goes for recording. If you know 

what you are doing in a home recording 

studio, by all means do your demo there. 

If not, I urge you to have it 

professionally done. 

This will do two things: 1) you will 

think twice about your material and 

make sure it is ready before putting 

down money to record it, and 2) you will 

get a recording to be proud of. Your goal 

is to write a hit song, so don't torpedo 

your fantastic work with a bad recording. 

Nobody can guarantee that the song 

you write is going to make you the next 

Big Thing. In life, there are things that 

we control and things that we only 

influence. 

We control the song that we write, but 

we only can influence how successful it 

will be. It's best to focus on what we 

control and to write a compelling, 

moving, unforgettable song. Then, we 

will do the best we can to record it to 

excellence, and promote it to success. 

Seth Lutnick is a musical theatre 

composer, performer, and producer. He 

has recorded two CDs of Hebrew 

music, and has written and composed 

the musical "Rewrite the World". 

Check out his Songwriter Power Tools 

at his site, The Music Zone.com. 

Songwriter Magazine Page 3

ARTY SKYE 

For the singer, songwriter or musician 

looking to have an illustrious career in 

the music industry, a record deal often 

seems like the best way to go. While 

there is no absolute guarantee of getting 

a record deal by following any set plan, 

there are things that you can do to 

increase your chances of landing one. 

The following is a checklist for aspiring 

musicians, singers, and songwriters 

looking to land record deals. 

The Music Demo: 

The first step towards landing a record 

deal is often the "music demo" or "demo 

tape". The music demo is a 

representation of who you are and what 

you can do, what makes you special and 

why the record companies need to sign 

you to a record deal and invest millions 

of dollars. The music demo is your 

product. When approaching record 

companies, management companies, 

music producers and talent agencies, 

your music demo will be the first thing 

that they ask for. If it's good enough, 

they will consider working with you in 

some capacity or will at least keep their 

door open for future consideration. If 

your music demo sounds like crap, you 

can bet that their door will close to you 

and remain closed to you. 

Give them what they want: 

So what do record companies look for 

when evaluating a music demo? While 

the details may vary from person to 

person, one thing that they all have in 

common is that the music needs to move 

them emotionally. They have to "feel it". 

But with hundreds of music demos 

coming across their desk, they don't have 

the time to wait until the second chorus 

to see if they like it or not. About 95% or 

more of the music demos received by 

management companies, music 

production companies, music producers 

and record companies, are of such poor 

quality that often the music demo will be 

rejected within the first 10 seconds 

simply on that basis. It's often the job of 

the assistant to weed through the piles of 

music demos and separate the quality 

ones from the poorly produced, poorly 

recorded ones. 

You have to be heard within the right 

context: 

If the sonic quality of your music demo 

or demo tape is acceptable, then the 

person you're trying to impress may now 

be willing to listen to at least a verse and 

chorus. But you must sound legit. 

If you're an R&B singer, but you're 

singing against a music track that's 

country, your singing won't be heard 

against the proper backdrop and most 

likely will be rejected before they reach 


How To Get Yourself A 

Record Deal 

outstanding. That's where the skills of a 

talented music producer first come into 

play. The music producers experience in 

the recording studio can save countless 

costly mistakes and deliver to you a 

product that sounds professional and 

polished, which will increase your 

chances of getting that record deal. 

the chorus. Another example might be a 

female Pop/R&B singer trying to sing 

against a big, loud hard rock band, or a 

country artist trying to sing against a 

dance track. While the singers might be 

good in each case, they will sound 

"wrong" to whomever might be listening. 

The music MUST complement the 

vocals. The subtleties of each style of 

singing must be enhanced by the 

appropriate musical arrangement and 

production. That is often the job of the 

music producer or record producer. 

What about the song? 

The song is as important as ever in 

today's modern music. A song can make 

or break an artist, as is demonstrated 

every day on the radio. How many times 

do you hear a hit song on the radio with 

an average singer? Every day many top 

recording stars may struggle with their 

careers trying in vain to find another hit 

song. As in the case of Michael Jackson's 

last record, they spent about $50 million 

recording and promoting the record. But 

there were no hit songs and sales were 

way off their projected numbers. They 

lost big money on that one. 

So what makes a hit song? No one can 

say with absolute certainty. But here's 

what music mogul Clive Davis had to 

say about Diane Warren, one of the most 

successful songwriters in history: "Diane 

is able to combine tremendous feel for 

melody with lyrics that deal with genuine 

emotions, and she is able to do it time 

after time". With over 50 Top 10 songs 

to her name, I'd say that's a reasonable 

formula! 

Hit songs are rare. Do your best to 

record a quality song that you feel has hit 

potential. Don't record a bad song just 

because you happened to write it. Many 

singers may have exceptional voices but 

their songwriting skills haven't caught up 

yet. If necessary , seek out songs from an 

established published songwriter or 

music producer. 

Self Produced Demos: 

Many music demos are self produced 

these days in home studios. With the 

technology more affordable, it's possible 

for a talented, technically oriented 

musician to make an acceptable music 

demo in their home. But all too often the 

home technology exceeds the skills of 

the operator and the music demo sounds 

flat and home-made, with too much 

reverb on the vocals, no punch in the 

bass and no clarity in the hi end. The 

talent of the musician may not translate 

into talent as a music producer or 

recording engineer, and so the entire 

music demo suffers, even though the 

singer and the song may have been 

The Music Producer: 

The role of the music producer varies, 

based on the style of music. For most 

styles, the music producer makes the 

technical decisions in the recording 

studio, helps choose songs and works to 

get the most out of the artist, showing off 

the strong points and burying the weak 

points. It's the role of the music producer 

or record producer to help create the 

vision for the artist and to make it into a 

reality. 

For live rock bands, a music producers 

role can sometimes be more one of 

guidance and direction. With a good 

recording studio and engineer, bands can 

often achieve decent results on their own 

and may not need a music producer in 

the earlier stages, such as recording the 

music demo. Though for the recording of 

an entire album, it's recommended. 

For Pop, R&B and dance however, the 

music producers role is essential. Often, 

the music producer will help write the 

music, play some or all of the 

instruments and be responsible for every 

aspect of the musical production, from 

the sonic quality of the recording to 

keeping things within budget. This 

allows the singer to focus and 

concentrate on giving their best vocal 

performance and doing what they do 

best-sing! A good music producer should 

make you and your music demo sound 

polished, explosive and exciting. It 

should be appropriate for the style of 

music you're singing and should sound 

close to a finished record. If your music 

demo doesn't sound professional, don't 

send it out yet. You only get one chance 

to make a first impression, so you want it 

to be good. 

Making Your Music Demo: 

The first thing that needs to be 

established before heading off to do your 

music demo, is why you are doing it. 

Bands often need a recording to give to a 

club before being able to play there. 

What's required in that situation is much 

different than what's required for a Pop 

or R&B singer looking to get a record 

deal. 

Many artists first thought is to call a 

recording studio. While this may yield 

results, most recording studios make 

their money from selling time. The 

recording studio provides the space with

all the equipment and an assistant and/or 

engineer to run it all. They charge a set 

fee by the hour and you're free to do 

whatever you like during that time. If 

you're a band, this may be precisely what 

you need. But if you're a singer and don't 

have any music production skills, this 

kind of set-up will be useless to you. 

You first need the music before you can 

record your vocals. Again, this is where 

the services of a experienced music 

producer are desired. 

Making A Master Recording: 

So what exactly is the difference 

between a Master recording and a demo? 

A master is made for commercial 

release. You hear masters on the radio 

and buy them in stores or download them 

from iTunes. A Master is a finished, full 

production. The quality is superior to a 

music "demo". The "demo" (which is 

short for "demonstration") is intended to 

interest the Record label or publisher in 

investing the money to record a music 

master. Traditionally, the music demo 

was something as simple as a vocal and 

piano. But with the advances in 

technology it no longer pays to record a 

simple "music demo". A Master quality 

music production is now affordable for 

those serious about their careers. Record 

labels are used to hearing finished music 

productions and that's what they expect. 

With internet distribution, a music 

master can be sold, placed in radio, 

licensed, etc. Though "music demo" is 

still a buzz word, any music productions 

worth doing should be of Master quality 

and radio ready. 

Choosing a Music Producer: 

Like anything, you need to shop 

around to find the right music producer 

to produce your music demo. Ask a lot 

of questions. Precisely what qualifies 

this individual to call themselves a 

record producer? Ask about their 

experience. Do they have any album 

credits, have they worked with any 

famous recording artists, won any 

awards, worked on hit records, etc.? Are 

they known in the industry and do they 

have a good reputation? Is this a part 

time job for them? Are they involved 

with the style of music you wish to 

pursue? Some other considerations 

would be location. What studio will you 

work at and with what engineer? Meet 

with them and hear their work. Are you 

impressed with the quality of their music 

production? Do you like them and vibe 

with them? Ask how they would treat 

your project. 

How Much is it? 

Finally, ask about cost. A music demo 

can run anywhere from a few hundred 

dollars, to record company budgets of 

tens of thousands of dollars per song. 

Some producers may charge by the hour. 

While occasionally this might be 

appropriate, it has the potential of 

costing you many times more than you 

originally planned. Ask about additional 

costs, such as musicians, studio costs , 

engineering fees, etc. A set fee for the 

music production demo is usually the 

best way to go and the way that most 

record companies work with music 

producers. While you don't want to 

mortgage your house for your music 

demo, you must realise that you get 

what you pay for. The cheapest demo 

around will sound like the cheapest 

demo around. This isn't how you want 

to portray yourself if you're serious 

about pursuing a record deal. You want 

to go with the highest quality music 

demo from the best music producer that 

you can afford. 

Choosing a Studio: 

Unless you're technically proficient in 

the area of recording studio equipment, 

seeing an equipment list won't help you 

much. But you should be interested in 

the clientele that the recording studio 

attracts. 

If they regularly work with signed 

recording artists, record companies and 

publishing companies, chances are they 

have the necessary equipment and 

technical skill to give you a 

professional product. Check out a list 

of their clients. The music producer 

will most likely have a recording studio 

that they're comfortable working in and 

that has the necessary equipment to 

produce your demo. But while home 

studios may have come a long way in 

recent years, they still don't match the 

environment, acoustics, sound, 

equipment and personnel of a 

commercial recording studio. 

Alternatives to a Record Deal 

So much has been said here about 

getting a record deal. But that is no 

longer the only option these days for 

aspiring artists to get their music to the 

people and be heard by the masses. No 

record deal does not mean no career in 

music. The internet has changed 

everything, and many artists who have 

had record deals in the past are now 

looking towards the internet as a 

preferred method of selling their music. 

While an artist may sell 300,000 units, 

(CD's) the amount of money spent on 

their behalf by the record company may 

exceed the amount brought in by sales. 

The artist may only receive a small 

percentage of CD sales and end up 

owing the record company millions of 

dollars, which have to be "recouped" 

before the artist can begin to see any 

real dough. 

In contrast, an artist who sells only 

15,000 of their own CDs on the internet 

and at live shows, can likely clear over 

$100,000 after expenses. Record 

companies are usually very interested 

in them after they hear about that. The 

major expense for the artist however is 

hiring a music producer and funding 

their own recording. But this supports 

the idea of finding an experienced 

music producer and doing a great 

sounding music demo that has the 

quality of a record. It becomes a 

viable product that can be sold. The 

music demo can be released on a per 

song basis on the internet and more 

songs can be added as they're 

recorded. 

A poor sounding music demo is 

likely to damage your reputation, so 

keep it in the closet. Better yet, avoid 

getting stuck with a bad music demo 

in the first place. 

One final note: 

It's important to get a great sounding 

music demo to help open up some 

doors and to eventually get a record 

deal. But be cautious. After searching 

around the internet for music 

producers and recording studios to 

recommend, we came across many 

sites that appeared to be...less than 

honest about their intentions. For 

example, song contests that resulted 

in the winner having to spend money 

to get their song recorded by the 

company having the contest. Home 

studios where the singer was forced to 

sing in a closet. Claims by so called 

producers with no music industry 

credits to back them up. Producers 

with no solid music industry contacts 

offering to shop your music demo. 

And a few more. Just make sure 

they're legit and that you're 

comfortable talking and working with 

them. 

Copyright Arty Skye: All Rights 

Reserved: Printed by Permission 

Skyelab Music Group makes it easy 

and affordable for any singer to 

become a viable recording artist. By 

using established industry 

professionals and cutting edge 

technology, we produce radio ready, 

high quality music demos and masters 

at affordable rates. 

Skyelab also provides professional 

photography services, music 

promotion, worldwide online 

distribution and professional 

guidance to help propel a singer's 

career to the next level. 

Since 1994, Skyelab team members 

have been providing professional 

quality music production, 

songwriting, engineering and/or 

studio services to every major label 

and music publishing company. 

We've topped the Billboard Charts 

numerous times and been involved in 

6 #1 hits! 

We've earned 14 Gold and Platinum 

Records and worked with superstars 

such as Will Smith, Madonna, 

Santana, Alicia Keys and many more. 

If you want our proven industry 

professionals to produce your music 

demo, visit our website: http:// 

w w w . s k y e l a b m u s i c . c o m / 

Music_Production.html 


SONGSELLER® NOTICEbOARD 

Jessica Caylyn, Alma Nieto, 

& Micky Small 

Stephen Leeson 

Thanks to all the ISA songwriters who 

have given me songs in the past. 

I am currently looking for really catchy 

folk/ballad type songs and some upbeat 

songs. 

As I said before, I prefer songs that 

have a good vocal range (I have a deep 

voice but will still be able to hit any 

notes needed). 

If you would like to hear a sample of 

my vocals, go to YouTube and search for 

Stephen Leeson. 

Any songs recorded will be copied to 

the songwriter without question. I will 

also return all unsuitable material 

Stephen Leeson, Calle Alcorce, 161 

Bitacora Aptos, 35510 Puerto Del 

Carmen, Lanzarote, Spain 

stephenleeson@yahoo.ie 

Micky Small 

Singer Micky Small is seeking songs 

for an upcoming record release. 

Seeking edgy, uptempo songs in the 

style of Madonna, Pink, Garbage or 

Annie Lennox. 

Also interested in power alternative 

rock or bluesy ballads in the style of 

Aerosmith, Concrete Blonde, kd Lang, 

Rolling Stones. 

Especially interested in songs that 

utilise a lower vocal range. Words must 

suit female vocalist. 

Interested in non-gender specific 

lyrics. Not interested in lyrics featuring a 

male love interest. 

Will provide a copy of any demo made 

and will return unsuitable material. 

Micky Small. 7890 E Spring Street, 

Unit 18-M, Long Beach, CA 90815, 

USA 

E-mail: mickysmall@yahoo.com 

Jessica Caylyn 

Jessica Caylyn would like up-tempo 

songs that a teenage or young adult 

female could relate to in the genres of 

contemporary country or alternative or 

indie pop/rock music. 


Jessica will be 18 years old in July 

2010. She is an up & coming performer 

and new songwriter. 

You may access more bio and history 

information on her music MySpace at: 

w w w . m y s p a c e . c o m / 

jessicabuntingsmusic 

If the songs are complete with recorded 

tracks, we may be interested in licensing 

the tracks & the song for a local 

recording of Jessica' vocals to be laid 

down on the tracks. 

Otherwise, we may be interested in 

Jessica recording a demo version of a 

country song in Nashville at a pro studio 

when we travel there later this year. 

If the song is more alternative pop/rock 

or indie, we could find a great studio 

more local (SF Bay Area, Northern CA) 

to record songs earlier for a demo. 

After receiving professional feedback 

on any recordings, Jessica may be 

interested in licensing songs for public 

release & sale at performances and 

online. 

We will provide a copy of any demo 

made and will return unsuitable material, 

upon request. 

You can reach us at: 

(925) 813-0010 cell phone 

or 

(925) 753-1469 home phone 

Les Bunting, 508 Spaatz Ct., Antioch, 

CA 94509, USA 

bunting04@comcast.net 

KXKZ 

KXKZ radio plays New Country Music 

and also plays Roots / Americana 

Country. 

Visit our website at 

http://www.z1075fm.com. 

KXKZ is a New Roots Music Report 

reporting radio station. 

To send your new releases to the 

station send to: 

KXKZ Radio, 500 N. Monroe Street, 

Ruston, LA. 71270, USA 

Attn: Matt McKenney - Program 

Director 

Station Phone 318 255 5000 

Website http://www.z1075fm.com 

Rockstar Music 

At Rockstar Music, you can upload 

songs, videos, photos, tour dates, etc. 

and it's completely free. 

Email: info@rock-star.com 

www.rock-star.com 

If interested, why not go to 

www.rock-star.com/rockstar_sign-up 

.Millspring Music 

Based in Los Angeles and established 

in 1993, Millspring Music Publishing 

continues to represent some of the most 

innovative and creative independent pop, 

adult contemporary, roots, jazz, acoustic 

jazz, folk, country, and soundtrack 

writers. 

You may submit material by sending us 

an email requesting to submit. 

Go to 

w w w . m i l l s p r i n g m u s i c . c o m / 

submit.html 

Alma Nieto 

Singer Alma Nieto requires a song in 

the style of Leona Lewis – Bleeding 

Love, Emilia de Poret – Pick Me Up, 

Agnes – Release Me for demo and 

possible record release in Spain and 

Holland. Words must suit female 

vocalist. 

We will provide a copy of any demo 

made and will return unsuitable material. 

Contact: 

Alex Brouwers, Olgaland 27, 2591 JA

Den Haag, The Netherlands 

Tel +31641387865 

Check Alma on YouTube 

w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / 

watch?v=dL0AiYJqe6U 

Alma Nieto is the voice of Spain’s 

biggest radio station, Los 40 Principales. 

She sang a duet with Richard Marx in 

India, where she also sang the opening 

song at the Cricket Games live on 

television watched by 250 million 

people. 

Amy Sweet 

Amy Sweet requires a ballad, in the 

style of the Dreseden Dolls or Emilie 

Autumn. Words must suit a female 

vocalist. 

A copy of the demo will be provided 

and any unsuitable material will be 

returned. 

Please contact me by emailing: 

Ameh1987@googlemail.com 

or by writing to : 

Amy Sweet, 16 Defender Road, 

Southampton SO197GH, UK 

or by calling: 

07762770511 

Victoria Taylor Music 

Go first to 

www.songhousepublishing.com/user 

We listen to every submission. Due to 

the amount of submissions we recieve, 

we do not respond to submissions unless 

we are interested in the material. Make 

sure to include the following: 

1. 4 songs max on CD only. 

2. Included e-mail address, phone 

number and mailing address. 

3. Include names of all songwriters. 

4. Original material only. 

5. Do not seal your package like Fort 

Knox. You do want us to open it, right? 

We prefer receiving material from 

songwriters and artist already affiliated 

with BMI, ASCAP or SEASAC. 

Send your material to: 

Victoria Taylor Music, BMI 

5317 Fruitville Rd. #306, Sarasota, FL 

34232, USA 

Great Songs For Free 

Great Songs For Free is dedicated to 

helping you to discover great music from 

independent artists. 

Unlike the other sites in our network, 

this one is not limited to any particular 

musical genre. 

You'll find rock and pop, country, folk, 

jazz...plus piano and guitar 

instrumentals...even music for children. 

Here, it's not about musical style...it's 

just about quality. If you're interested in 

submitting a song for the site, let us 

know of your interest via the contact 

page at 

http://greatsongsfree.com/contact.html 

MFTV 

A collective networking source for film 

makers and musicians to combine talents 

through the art of placing music to film 

and television. 

The MFTV website contains wellproduced 

independent music for 

immediate placement in TV and film 

productions. 

For submission guidelines, go to 

www.musicforfilmandtelevision.com/ 

submit-music-film-television/ 

Music for Film and Television 

(MFTV) , 6832 Zelzah Ave. Ventura, 

CA 93001, USA 

Tel: 805-667-8568 

info@musicforfilmandtelevision.com 

www.musicforfilmandtelevision.com 

Robert 

Robert is looking for an upbeat jazz/ 

swing/big band, Michael Buble style 

song for demo and possible record 

release. 

Lyrics must suit male vocalist. A copy 

of any demo will be given and all 

unsuitable material will be returned. 

Contact primarily by email in the first 

instance to receive address etc. 

Email: robert.mooney@live.com 

Telephone: 0791 2869360 

Be Heard Radio 

We are a licensed professional internet 

radio station that plays all Indie music 

and the spins count. We report to all 

music monitors - BMI, Soundexchange 

and ASCAP. 

Contact 

Patrick Tarver, Be Heard Radio, 1829 

Stone Brook Ct. Lawrenceville, GA 

30043, USA 

Tel: 469-831-5423 

Email: Patrick Tarver at 

programdir@beheardradio76fm.com 

http://www.beheardradio76fm.com 

Davils Ruin Records 

Devil's Ruin Records has an open 

demo submission policy. That being 

said, there are a few items to be aware of 

before sending your material. Please take 

the time to familiarize yourself with the 

material. We have no immediate plans of 

releasing rap, hip,-hop, or thrash metal 

albums anytime soon. If you feel as 

though we may be interested in your 

material, we welcome your submission 

with open arms. 

Due to the number of submissions we 

receive it is not possible for us to return 

any material or follow-up with every 

submission. 

We WILL contact you if we are 

interested in your material. 

Go first to: 

http://www.devilsruinrecords.com/ 

wordpress/contact/demo-submission 

Pleases send your demo to: 

Devil's Ruin Records, PO Box 453, 

Leo, IN 46765, United States 

PDH Records 

PDH Records is seeking talented 

songwriters. Please supply links, 

MySpace etc., to email address 

pdhrecords@live.co.uk 

Check out our first male solo pop artist 

Peter D Hill at 

http://www.peterdhill.co.uk 

Debut song "Love Me Tonight" 

www.pdhrecords.com 

pdhrecords@live.co.uk 


DEBBIE RIAL 

Think of eighties music and the sound 

of the synthesiser was undoubtedly key. 

Synonymous with this was Nik Kershaw 

who shot to fame with his distinctive 

melodies, having hits with “I Won‘t Let 

The Sun Go Down“ and “Wouldn’t It 

Be Good” which shot him into 

worldwide recognition. Platinum album 

sales followed along with European 

tours, all within the space of a year. An 

appearance at “Live Aid” assured his 

place in UK pop history. Nik is an 

accomplished songwriter and has 

written for or with everyone from Cliff 

Richard, The Hollies, Lulu to Ronan 

Keating and Gary Barlow. 

His song writing talent was 

rewarded with a No. 1 single for 

“The One And Only” sung by 

Chesney Hawkes. 

At what age did you discover 

that music was important to 

you? 

Music was always around when I 

was a kid. Mum trained to sing 

opera and dad played the flute. I 

remember playing their collection 

of 5 records over and over again 

when I was about 8 (the five 

records being “Eine Kleine Nacht 

Musik”- Mozart, “Orpheus In The 

Underworld”- Offenbach, “The 

Battle Of New Orleans” – Lonnie 

Donegan, “Pop Goes The 

Weasel”- Anthony Newley and 

“Come Outside / He Taught Me to 

Yodel”- Wendy Richards) 

Who were your main 

influences and what inspired you to 

first write a song? 

My parents eventually bought a 

“stereogram” and a copy of the “Bridge 

Over Troubled Water” album. My 

pocket money went on T Rex, David 

Bowie and the occasional Slade record (I 

was a skinhead - strange but true). 

I believe my first song was brought on 

by a particularly intense bout of 

pubescent angst, the first line of which 

went “When is my life gonna start? I’m 

getting sick of the introduction”. 

What instruments do you play and 


Songwriter Profile - 

Nik Kershaw secret? And was there a pressure to 

use to write on? 

I’m a guitarist but that wasn’t a very 

cool thing to be in the eighties. Everyone 

else was having all the fun with 

synthesisers so I decided to join in. The 

early songs were written totally in my 

head and just demoed on whatever it 

sounded best on. Nowadays I write 

mainly on guitar. 

Do you set time aside specifically for 

songwriting or do you wait for 

inspiration? Will you start a song and 

see it through to the end or do you 

have lots of snippets that get logged 

away for future use? 

All of the above is true. The best songs 

just seem to turn up but, if I have a 

deadline I have to discipline myself to go 

and grind something out. I have bits and 

pieces of songs flying around in my head 

but I’m very good at cataloguing them. I 

just trust that, if an idea’s time has come, 

it will present itself for duty at that 

moment. 

You had a lot of success in the 

eighties in a short time with three top 

20 hits from your debut album 

“Human Racing”. Firstly, what’s your 

follow it up or did you have a back 

catalogue ready to go? 

There was huge pressure. “Human 

Racing” was released in March 84 and 

“The Riddle” was released in November 

of the same year. I had two weeks to write 

the whole album. I only had one song that 

was left over from the first album and that 

was “Wide boy”. As for what my secret 

is/was, I have no idea. Right place, right 

time . . etc 

1984 was an amazing year for you, 

releasing two platinum selling albums 

in the same year amidst touring 

and all that goes with it. What do 

you remember or is it just a blur? 

Mostly a blur. It’s almost as if it 

happened to someone else. I hardly 

recognise the guy I see in old 

videos. I remember it was like 

being on a train with no driver 

hurtling along the track. I was 

hanging on for dear life. 

The next year brought us “Live 

Aid” at which you appeared. It 

must have been pretty special, 

what are your memories of the 

day? How did it work with so 

many big personalities on one 

stage? 

As far as I can remember, 

everybody behaved themselves. We 

all did our bit and then got the hell 

out of the way. I remember arriving 

at Battersea heliport in the morning 

and worrying that Noel Edmunds 

might actually be flying our 

helicopter. He wasn’t. Other memories 

(in no particular order) are standing in 

line for Charles and Di; sitting in the 

royal box watching Status Quo kick it all 

off; chatting with Sting about “The 

Dream of Blue Turtles” backstage (all the 

acts got 20 minutes in a portacabin before 

and 20 minutes after playing). I always 

used to get pretty nervous back then but 

this was as bad as it got. Someone’s got 

film of me just before going on. I’m 

transparent with fear. There was no 

soundcheck so you didn’t even know if 

your gear was going to be there when you 

walked on or whether any of it would

work. I was one of the lucky ones, some 

of it did; for some bizarre reason, I spent 

a fair amount of the day in the company 

of Adam Ant; watching Queen from the 

royal box; travelling back to the 

conference centre in a minibus with 

David Bowie; getting home, switching 

on the telly and seeing my mate Gary on 

stage in Philadelphia with Duran Duran. 

Both “Human Racing” and “The 

Riddle” were very synth-based and of 

the time and your current sound is 

much more organic. How do you 

decide on the treatment of individual 

songs production-wise? 

Sometimes the song tells you. 

Sometimes you end up experimenting a 

lot. I think fashion has a part to play. 

We’re all at the mercy of that whether we 

like it or not. In the early days I was 

intent on going to as much trouble as 

possible to make everything sound new 

and different. 

Since then I’ve learned not to be 

ashamed of what comes easily. If a one 

take guitar overdub does the trick, that’s 

fine with me. 

You wrote and recorded a duet with 

Elton John, how did that come about? 

He was getting towards the end of the 

recording of his Duets album. He called 

me at home and asked if I had any 

suitable songs (I didn’t). It didn’t dawn 

on me until halfway through the 

conversation that he wanted me to sing it 

with him. I spent a couple of days 

writing two songs and sent him the 

demo. Fortunately he liked one of them 

and a week later we were in Metropolis 

Studios recording it. 

Perhaps more well known is the No. 

1 hit you wrote for Chesney Hawkes 

“The One And Only”, featured 

recently in Celebrity Big Brother 

which seems to have taken on a life of 

its own. What do you think is the 

secret of its success? 

If I knew the secret of success, I’d be 

able to repeat it at will. I can only guess. 

I think it falls into the same category as 

“I Will Survive”, “My Way” and “I Am 

What I Am”. Saying positive things 

about yourself is usually seen as 

arrogance and not considered at all cool. 

But give someone a cheesy self affirming 

song and they can engage with it without 

looking as thought they’re taking 

themselves to seriously. 

Your website mentions that you also 

wrote a song for Archbishop Desmond 

Tutu, I’ve tried everywhere to get a 

copy but its proving to be quite rare, 

and some people even questioned its 

very existence, as if! Is there anyone 

else you’d like to work with either 

writing or performing? 

I think the Tutu sessions were only 

ever available on pianola roll 

(Turkmenistan import) which might 

explain why you haven’t been able to 

track down a copy. As far as writing 

goes, most of the people I admire and 

respect have got their own thing pretty 

much sorted out. They’re not the kind of 

people who need to collaborate. 

Performing is a different story. I’m 

currently planning a tour of the country’s 

Witherspoons with the Archbishop and 

Kofi Annan’s Harmonica Fools. 

Which of your songs are you most 

proud of and why? 

Lyrically, there’s a song on the 15 

Minutes album called “Billy”. With some 

songs you can be sitting there for days 

trying to find something that rhymes with 

banana, with this one the words just came 

flooding out. The right word with the 

right meter and the right meaning just 

turned up when I needed it. I’ve been 

trying to get in the same head space ever 

since. 

How do you think the music scene 

has changed over the last 25 years and 

do you approve of the changes? 

I don’t think it’s for any of us to 

approve or disapprove. People decide 

how they’re going to buy and listen to 

music and we just have to go along with 

it. We adapt or we go and get a proper 

job. That’s the choice. 

What are you up to now, are you still 

performing? 

I started gigging again in 2008, some 

festivals with a band but mostly solo 

acoustic. I’m always working on a new 

album (it usually takes me 3 – 5 years) 

and I’ve been writing bits and pieces of 

media music. I play comedy golf. 

Finally, what advice would you have 

for the new generation of songwriters? 

Write your own songs; don’t try and 

guess what other people want; trust in 

your own instincts and always read the 

instructions when building a shed! 

Copyright Debbie Rial & Songwriter 

Magazine: All Rights Reserved 


DEBBIE RIAL 

The name Mike Read is synonymous 

with pop music, either playing it on 

national radio or quizzing about it on 

TV or in his books. He is one of the 

founder editors of the Guinness Book 

of British Hit Singles, the best-known 

UK chart reference book which topped 

the best-selling book chart. The winner 

of many broadcaster of the year 

awards, he’s also notched up 

significant success over the years as a 

song writer in his own right. In 1992, 

he and fellow composer Simon May 

won the TRIC (The 

Television and Radio 

Industries Club) TV 

Theme of the Year Award 

for their theme from the 

series “Trainer”. Mike has 

been responsible for six 

stage musicals including 

“Great Expectations” and 

“A Christmas Carol” and 

had songs covered by Cliff 

Richard, David Essex, 

Donovan, Don Maclean 

and Justin Hayward to 

mention a few. 

We know you best as a 

prime-time Radio 1 DJ, 

when did you first start 

writing music? 

I first started writing 

when I was very 

young…just picking notes 

out on the piano and writing 

poetry. I got my first songs 

published just after I left 

school. I walked off the 

street into Carlin music and 

played my songs to Dave 

Most. You couldn’t just walk in off the 

street now! 

What or who first inspired you to 

write? 

I always looked for writers names on 

record labels. Obviously the Jagger/ 

Richards songs and the Lennon/ 

McCartney songs were an inspiration. I 

always thought American writers Roy 

Bennett and Sid Tepper were 

tremendous in that they wrote for so 

many artists and neither played an 



Mike Read 

instrument. Buddy Holly was a great 

writer in the short time he had. 

Childhood hymns inspired me as 

well….great melodies like Glad That I 

Live Am I, Non Nobis Domine, Hills Of 

The North Rejoice and For All The 

Saints…wonderfully inspirational. On 

the stage musical front Rodgers and Hart 

and Rodgers and Hammerstein 

combinations always thrilled me as did 

Lionel Bart’s Oliver. 

Do you set time aside for song 

writing, wait for inspiration or write 

to order, what‘s your process? 

I don’t have a format for writing, but I 

never have a block. I feel that the 

reservoir is always full and when I want 

to turn the tap on something good will 

come out. Therefore whether it’s 

inspired or to order the source is the 

same. 

How did you come to be a radio 

presenter and do you miss 

performing? 

I was never really a performer going out 

night after night…although as a kid I’d 

often play in groups, duos or solo around 

Surrey. I still perform occasionally so 

don’t miss it as such. I acted on stage 

from the age of eight….and even toured 

and performed in the musical ‘Cliff.’ I 

was asked to be a radio presenter by a guy 

called Neil ffrench Blake who said he 

wanted me on his station as I was ‘Mildly 

Eccentric, Very English and A Bloody 

Good Opening Bowler!’ 

When you’re as well 

established as a presenter 

as you are, is it difficult to 

be taken seriously as a 

songwriter? 

I don’t think you worry 

about that. All you can do 

is write to the best of your 

ability. No critic can take 

away the thrill of pursuing 

your passion. If you start 

asking to be taken seriously 

in this age of cynicism 

you’re asking for trouble! 

You wrote the lyrics for 

the award winning 

“Trainer” TV theme 

(“More To Life” 

performed by Cliff 

Richard) with Simon 

May, how did this 

collaboration come 

about? 

Simon was writing a lot 

of themes and over lunch 

with friends one day he 

discovered that I’d coowned 

horses. He assumed 

that I might be able to write a better lyric 

than someone who had never owned 

horses! Of course he was spot on! I 

played the demo to Cliff and he liked it. 

He wore something resembling jockey’s 

silks when he sang it on Top Of The 

Pops. 

Is there anyone else you would like to 

work with? 

I’ve co-written with quite a few 

successful writers including Andrew 

Lloyd Webber, Albert Hammond and

Guy Fletcher…and recently two songs 

which have had Cliff Richard and 

Donovan as co-writers. I write a lot of 

songs with talented young singer/ 

songwriter Elliot Frisby. 

In 2000 you made the album “Words 

and Music” where you put your 

melodies to Sir John Betjeman’s 

poems. With an eclectic range of 

artistes from Gene Pitney, Don 

Maclean through to Captain Sensible, 

how did you decide who should sing 

what, did you have people in mind 

when putting the tunes to the poems? 

I wrote the songs as I felt them….I 

wanted a perfect marriage of words and 

music and for them to compliment each 

other absolutely. Then I’d think about 

artists that might be suitable. I’d never 

approach a singer with a song unless I 

thought it was completely right for them. 

Luckily most of them agreed! 

I’ve just been demoing a new album 

The Dead Poets’ Society on which I’ve 

collaborated with many literary greats 

including Byron, Shakespeare, 

Tennyson, Masefield, Kipling, 

Wordsworth, WH Auden and Rupert 

Brooke. 

You’ve written music to accompany 

existing lyrics and poems and written 

lyrics to someone else’s melodies, what 

do you prefer? 

I’m happy writing the whole song or 

just the lyrics, just the melody, working 

alone or with living or dead partners! 

In 2005, your song “Grief Never 

Grows Old” (reached no. 4 in the 

singles chart) was recorded by a who’s 

who of stars including Cliff Richard, 

the Bee Gees and Brian Wilson in aid 

of the 2004 Tsunami Appeal. Although 

not specifically written for this 

project, it suited it perfectly, what was 

your original inspiration for the song 

and were you pleased with the final 

interpretation? 

I was very pleased with all three 

interpretations, The main track, The Sri 

Lankan Choir and The Children’s 

Orchestra of Great Britain. Who knows 

where inspiration comes from. 

I remember I’d been fiddling around 

on the guitar all day…writing odd bits 

and at around 9.00 pm I called it a day 

and decided to watch TV. My mind 

wasn’t really on the programme so I 

went back to the guitar and wrote Grief 

Never Grows Old in twenty minutes. 

Unusually for me I called one or two 

friends and played it down the phone to 

them! 

More recently known for your 

literary publications, are you still song 

writing? 

Oh yes, Elliott Frisby and I have 

written some thirty strong songs 

together. We’ve just finished a cracker 

called ‘Songs,’ for a TV series. I love 

writing and get ideas all the time. 

Do you still follow the charts and 

who do you rate currently songwriterwise? 

I follow good new music rather than 

specifically following the chart. 

Springsteen is still coming up with the 

Major Major To 

To 

Minor 

Minor 

The The The The Rise Rise Rise Rise And And And And Fall Fall Fall Fall 

Of Of Of Of The The The The Songwriter 

Songwriter 



Mike Mike Read Read 

Read 

goods as are The Eagles. Duffy is great 

new writer and Gary Barlow keeps 

proving that he is a consistently good 

writer. 

What are you up to at the moment? 

Working on getting new TV Channel up 

and running and writing formats for new 

TV shows. Doing a daily radio show and 

trying to finish my second novel ‘From 

Matthew To Revelation.’ 

With all your insider knowledge from 

different sides of the music biz, what 

tips can you pass on to apprentice 

songwriters? 

In terms of passion you’re already 

doing what you love so that’s good. On 

the selling of songs it’s a tough one, as 

songwriters have always been the 

lifeblood of the industry, but if you’re on 

the outside of it, aren’t the greatest singer, 

don’t have a group, aren’t a great 

musician you have a problem. 

Independent songwriters have almost 

been written out of the equation. On that 

front the industry needs a good kick up 

the B side! 

Copyright Debbie Rial & Songwriter 

Magazine: All Rights Reserved: 

Printed By Permission 


PATRICIA KNAPTON 


Tim Dawson 

Singer/songwriter and ISA member 

Tim Dawson from Derbyshire, UK, 

started writing songs with his 

songwriting partner Phil Harrison, 

about the age of fifteen, and has since 

played in a number of bands, including 

Spitting Feathers. 

More recently however, they have 

been enjoying increasing success with 

six piece folk/rock band ‘Freehouse’. 

But thanks to a mention in the ISA’s 

“Songwriter Magazine” and a tip in the 

Song Seller section, greater things 

beckoned, and helped open the door of 

opportunity for them 

both, as Tim told Patricia 

Knapton who interviewed 

him exclusively for the 

ISA. 

Tim, can you tell me a 

little about yourself, and 

about the musical 

influences in your life? 

I grew up with older 

brothers and a sister, so I 

was raised on The Beatles 

from a young age! I was 

later introduced to The 

Incredible String Band by 

my older brother who was 

at Derby Art school, and 

they became a very big 

influence on both Phil - 

my co-songwriter, and myself. We saw 

them for the first time in 1969, when I 

was 13, and continued to follow them 

through our teenage years and 

beyond...way beyond. They reformed a 

few years ago. 

Phil was influenced by Bert Jansch and 

the Doobie Brothers, amongst others 

while I particularly liked John Martyn 

and Loudon Wainwright 111. 

We started to play at a folk club in 

Derby called Peasmouldia when we were 

still at school and later went on to form 

rock bands and later folk/rock bands. 

We are both basically self-taught, 

although I had mandolin lessons for a 

couple of years in my early teens, we 

would share new things we had 

discovered on the guitar, and we both 

knew quite a few good musicians who 


shared their techniques with us. 

You mentioned Phil, your 

songwriting partner - when did you 

start writing together? 

I wrote my first song when I was 

fifteen, but looking back on it, it wasn't 

the type of song we write now. It was 

more of a Buddy Holly/“Peggy Sue” 

type – but obviously nowhere as good 

as a Buddy Holly song! 

Phil and I started writing together from 

about the age of fifteen. We've been 

friends for a long time now and have 

remained friends because we've always 

shared the same love of music. We grew 

up together on the same road and have 

played in several bands over the years. 

We started to get into the folk /rock 

scene, which is quite lively in Derby, and 

we had a group called Spitting Feathers 

which was together for about ten years - 

it was a six piece folk rock band which 

was quite fun really. We played support 

for The Oyster Band, which is a well 

known folk/rock band, when they played 

in Derby. 

What inspired you to want to write 

songs? 

As I say, being brought up with older 

brothers and a sister, there was always 

music in our house and I just related to 

music completely. I was in awe of people 

who wrote songs and played them. Even 

from an early age I used to go and see 

bands play. So it seemed the natural thing 

to write songs. My main inspiration was 

The Incredible String Band and also, the 

classic songwriting of The Beatles was 

deep in my subconscious when I was 

growing up as a boy. 

Now when you collaborate on your 

songs, who writes the music and who 

writes the words? 

We both write both! I play the 

mandolin, but Phil is probably a better 

technician than me, 

so he has a better 

understanding of 

chord structure and 

things like that. 

Generally, I'm quite 

happy with my 

lyrics. I think, and 

hope, they have 

improved over the 

years. 

Phil has written 

some very good 

lyrics. We've both 

got our own kind of 

style but we 

occasionally borrow 

bits of ideas from 

each other lyrically, 

and we always share 

the credits with our joint names... 

Dawson & Harrison. 

Do you always agree with the way the 

song is going? 

We do eventually! Sometimes we have 

disagreements, which is quite interesting, 

but we've got a good relationship so we 

can overcome any difficulties. More 

recently, the rhythm section of the band is 

having a bit more input, the bass and 

drummer work more closely together. 

They actually make suggestions with bits 

that help in structuring the songs. That 

has worked very well...they've actually 

been very good. 

How many songs do you think you've 

written between you? 

Phil and I must have written well over

200 songs. 

Being a folk songwriter I guess you 

have to be a good 'story teller' - where 

do you find your ideas? 

Phil tends to write more in a story 

format, but I wouldn't describe myself as 

a folk songwriter. I was influenced by 

what we used to call 'contemporary folk' 

and 'rocked up folk' songs. Some of our 

early songs fitted into that category. I 

write on acoustic guitar, but I'm 

influenced by a lot of styles and they 

might end up more as rock songs. I get 

my ideas from day to day life...snatches 

from overheard conversations in cafes, 

personal life events, work, books and 

dreams, to mention a few. 

How do you personally structure a 

song? 

I've got a little book where I jot down 

notes and phrases and bits of 

lines that come together for a 

verse, and I keep it with me 

so I've always got that to fall 

back on. Other times I just sit 

down and play around with 

chord structures, then try to 

marry them up. 

How many albums have 

you written and recorded? 

We've recorded several 

albums. Our latest one is 

“Freehouse”. Another was 

called “Brief Words” - that's 

when there were three of us, Christine 

Griffin, Phil Harrison and myself. Then 

we enlarged it into this six piece folk/ 

rock band and recorded “Shoot The 

Rapids”. In 1999 we released 

“Descending into Ashbourne” which is a 

CD and a booklet of poems by Peter 

Dawson - my brother, together with 

songs and instrumentals by Phil and 

myself, and is a unique account of our 

individual experiences of growing up in 

our home town of Ashbourne. 

Some songwriters find they write 

their best songs when going through a 

difficult time - have you found that? 

Often it's about a feeling, or capturing 

a feeling. The first song on our CD 

Freehouse is “Peace Of Mind” and it's 

about an elderly lady. I work in Social 

Care Management with older people, 

and this elderly lady was having quite a 

difficult time because she kept hearing 

all kinds of strange things. So that song 

was really all about her finding her peace 

of mind. 

Have you had much success with 

getting your work published? 

We've had some which has led onto 

other things. But I think it's often about 

finding a way in with other connections. 

We entered the Amnesty songwriting 

competition (which we had seen 

advertised in the “Songwriter Magazine” 

- it was the first Amnesty songwriting 

competition) with one of Phil's songs 

“Here We Go Again” from “Brief 

Words”, which was recorded with our 

Spitting Feathers band , and it got a place 

on the Amnesty CD. And as a result of 

that, we got a mention in the “The 

Songwriter” with Spitting Feathers and 

also had a couple of songs published 

through Miracle Music and RP Media. So 

that was a nice off-shoot. 

You have a female vocalist who 

fronts your band, does that mean you 

don't take the lead on vocals? 

I sing lead vocals on one of the songs, 

but we sing 'back up' to Debbie on other 

songs. I might sing a bit more on some of 

the newer material. 

It was as a result of meeting Debbie in 

2001 that our band Freehouse was 

formed. She's an accomplished singer and 

performer, who's style has been 

influenced by the likes of Judy Tzuke, 

and she has a great love of Rock and soul 

music. 

Are folk clubs your main venues? 

No, not folk clubs any more. We put on 

gigs with other bands...we have quite a 

network of people who can hire rooms 

and advertise it so we can 

put on gigs. We also play at 

private parties. 

Financing your own 

albums puts you in the 

'driving seat' as it were, 

With your career, but do 

you find it hard work 

getting your music 

publicised? 

We've had some really 

good reviews from some 

magazines...we had an 

excellent review in a 

Midlands magazine for our CD, which we 

were very pleased about. We also 

appeared on a regional TV programme 

with our former band Spitting Feathers. 

Local press and radio have been very 

helpful over the years. We've had good 

articles written about us, and have been 

played on BBC local radio on numerous 

occasions. 

We've also had a lot of good tips 

through the ISA “Songwriter Magazine” - 


they've been very helpful. I've used their 

email service quite a lot which has been 

very good. 

We also write instrumentals, one of 

which, we hear, is being played across 

Europe. It's quite exciting knowing your 

music is getting airplay in France, 

Belgium, Italy and Switzerland, and is 

bringing in royalties via PRS too, which 

is very nice! 

What are your thoughts on today’s 

music industry? 

I suppose the popularity of 

programmes like Pop Idol indicates 

where today's music industry is at, and 

that its thriving, but it isn't really our 

thing, although I must admit Will Young 

is singing some good songs. There are 

loads of very good singer-songwriters 

and bands about and I'm always 

checking them out! But whilst a lot don't 

get anywhere near the 

charts, they often 

enjoy a lot of airplay. 

What are your 

hopes for the future? 

Well, we want to 

carry on with our band 

Freehouse, and what 

we'd really like is for 

other artists to cover 

some of our songs as 

well. People will be 

able to hear some of our “Freehouse” 

CD on CdBaby very soon. 

To conclude Tim, if you could give 

one piece of advice to a songwriter, 

what would it be ? 

Stick at it! I know it might sound corny 

but stick at it. The only way anything is 

going to happen is if you stick at it. 

Some time after this interview took 

place, I went back to speak with Tim 

about his latest venture.... 

I believe you've formed a new band 

since we last spoke. What have you 

called it ? 

It's called Suffering Fools! 

Do you have the same band members 

that were in your previous band 

Spitting Feathers? 

More or less. Phil Harrison, my cowriter, 

and myself have played together 

since our late teens really and we’ve 

played in various bands over the years. 

Ben Wyke, who was our drummer in 

Spitting Feathers is back with us, and his 


wife, Sue Wyke, is now our singer. Our 

bass player is Richard Stevenson. 

Are you getting more gigs with 

'Suffering Fools' ? 

It's about the same really. We play 

local music venues and get involved in 

the local scene, and in various different 

causes. If there's something we think is a 

worthwhile cause, then we will get on 

board with that as well. 

Are you still classed as a rock/folk 

band ? 

Yes, we are. I'm glad you said it that 

way because it's usually called folk/rock, 

but we are more of a rock/folk band 

really - there are also a few more new 

acoustic songs now. 

You've got a new album at the 

recording stage I believe, what is the 

title? 

The working title is 

“Fools Rush In”. 

We're hoping it will 

be ready by May or 

June of next year. It's 

taking a bit longer 

than we had originally 

planned because 

we're getting a few 

more tracks on it. But 

it will definitely be 

ready by the Summer. 

Are the new songs written by you, or 

are they a collaboration ? 

Phil and myself have written most of 

the songs, but we have found that the 

band do join in and add to the 

arrangements - and may make 

suggestions for different arrangements. 

So the other band members do 

contribute. But the main writers are Phil 

Harrison and myself. 

When you release this album will 

you sell it via the Internet ? 

Yes. We will. We've got our other CD 

'Freehouse' on CdBaby, but we might try 

and sell them on some of the other 

systems on the internet. 

We haven’t quite decided how we're 

going to do that yet. 

Do you have a website for your 

band? 

Yes. It’s on MySpace - 

www.myspace.com/sufferingfoolsdby 

Copyright Patricia Knapton & 

Songwriter Magazine: All Rights 

Reserved: Printed by Permission 

Contact The Stars 

Which Label Releases The Important Stars? 

Which Publishers Have Access? 

These Are The Companies That Really Matter! 

_____________________________________________ 

Christian Falk 

UK LABEL 

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UK PUBLISHER 

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BMG Music 

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UK LABEL 

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UK PUBLISHER 

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EMI Music 

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Cliff Richard 

UK LABEL 

EMI Records 

UK PUBLISHER 

EMI Music 

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MCA-Polygram Music 

Notting Hill Music 

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Memory Lane Music 

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Coldplay 

UK LABEL 

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UK PUBLISHER 

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UK LABEL 

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UK PUBLISHER 

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My Own Chit Music

KERRY FIERO 

When And How To Seek 

Representation For Your Music 

I just watched 10 minutes of an 18 

minute video blog from an artist who is 

seeking a personal manager. He says he 

hasn't gotten ahead like he should since he 

has not had a manager- and this future 

manager needs to make him a priority 

client, yet he doesn't say anything about his 

own success or what he is doing that needs 

management. I turned it off. I had heard it 

all before. 

On a weekly basis I get up to 20 myspace 

friend add-requests from artists who say "I 

need a manager. Listen to my music." I hit 

"deny" almost every time. I meet artists all 

the time who want a manager because they 

want the manager to "take us to the next 

level" or "hook me up with labels" or "get 

me shows." 

Enough is enough. They all are singing 

the same tune. Artists- if you seek a 

manager and don't fully understand artist 

management, not sure what your needs are 

and don't know how to go about properly 

introducing yourself to a prospective 

manager, this article is for you. So that 

artist managers like me won't turn off your 

video blogs, deny you on myspace, and 

duck out of sight in a networking situation. 

Understanding Artist Management 

Incredibly, so many artists who seek 

management actually have no idea what it 

is. They just know that the manager is their 

ticket to greater success. Managers help 

guild the artist's career towards the 

accomplishment of established goals. 

Managers are an integral part in finding 

new ways for an artist to effectively 

compete in the marketplace. The artist 

manager is involved in establishing, 

promoting and sustaining the artist's career 

in conjunction with the efforts of the artist. 

But managers do a varying degree of this 

as their is no industry standard. 

Qualifying 

The first step is qualifying yourself (the 

artist). Qualifying yourself means sizing 

your (music artist) self up. What are your 

accomplishments? Have you finished a 

demo, including mixing and mastering and 

manufacturing it or are you in the initial 

stages of recording? Have you been 

performing live? Have you sold songs on 

iTunes or had radio play? Do you have a 

buzz with press? What is noteworthy about 

you? Do not start bragging you are the 

hottest, best so&so to hit the streets, 

because to us managers that means nothing 

if you have nothing concrete to back it up 

with. You need real, measurable progress 

that we can back-check. There should be 

some momentum to your career before you 

seek management; that is, something to 

manage. This doesn't mean you have to be 

wildly successful yet, but you should be 

able to articulate clearly and directly what 

you have achieved in your career so far and 

also be able to articulate what goals you 

have for your career growth and 

development. 

After you qualify yourself, you also 

need to qualify the manager you seek. Just 

getting "a manager" should not be the goal. 

Managers tend to be connected better in 

certain regions, and also many focus their 

work within a particular genre. Time to 

find out who fellow artists are represented 

by. Do research on these managers. Do 

they have good reputations? If so, ask for a 

meeting with them explaining your success 

and why you seek representation from this 

particular manager. There are many good 

managers out there, but there are just as 

many unqualified, unprofessional 

managers too. I realise so many acts write 

me because they see "manager," but know 

nothing else about me- including the 

genres I work with or the state I work in. 

Knowing who you are pursuing is a critical 

first step. 

Needs 

When you did your self-canalisation, you 

should have identified your strengths and 

your weaknesses. It will be imperative for 

you to be able to articulate what needs you 

have beyond the broken record of the your 

desire to get to "the next level." Managers 

have different strengths (some have great 

experience developing an act, some have 

industry ears and can help you pick a song, 

and some have strengths in touring, ie) and 

so by you identifying what you need, you 

can get closer to finding a manager who is 

the right fit. 

Many hungry artists think their success 

rests in some manager's rolodex and they 

seek this person out for one reason only- to 

get access to the manager's connections in 

the business. 

A good manager will, in fact, have a 

large contact list of qualified 

professionals. But as managers, we guard 

these contacts like precious gems. The 

manager must have a strong belief in the 

artist's future success before he/she would 

be willing to set up meetings and engage 

their colleagues about you. 

A better focus for you to have is to start 

with self-management or have a friend 

assist you in the business parts of your 

career. 

Work on your artistry and your 

popularity (fans online and off-line). 

Seasoned managers keep their eyes and 

ears open to who's next and if you are 

creating a lot of buzz (selling out shows, 

selling CDs independently, thousands of 

hits on YouTube, etc.), that manager will 

find you. Another option is to seek a 

management consultation which will allow 

you to tip-toe into a working relationship 

with the manager. Sometimes managers 

will be willing to consult you on a projectby-project 

basis and that way you have 

some business support why you audition 

for the manager and they audition for you to 

see if it's a right fit. 

Reciprocal 

The best management relationship is built 

on trust and respect. If the manager truly 

believes in the artist's talent and the artist 

completely trusts the guidance of the 

manager, it can be a very rewarding 

relationship. Both parties should work 

equally hard. Remember, managers are paid 

a commission of the artist's income. So, if 

you have no income coming in yet, make an 

offer to pay for the managers time in a 

different way (like hourly or by project), 

until some income is generated. Make that 

be the first benchmark, for you both to 

achieve together, finding income streams 

for the artist and their music. 

So to recap: 

• Identify your strengths & weaknesses 

and qualify yourself. 

• Be able to clearly articulate who you are 

and what success you have had. 

• Learn what artist managers do. 

• Consider self-management while you 

build your fan base. 

• Have something to manage before 

approaching a manager! Identify what your 

needs are. 

• Research managers to approach that 

work in your genre of music and have good 

reputations. 

• Build trust and respect with the 

manager before demanding they open their 

rolodex, and come up with a fair way to pay 

the manager for their services. 

These few things will set you apart from 

the zillion other artists out there aimlessly 

reaching out to "a manager" in cyberspace. 

And hopefully help you start a mutually 

rewarding relationship to further your 

career. 

Kerry Fiero is an Artist Manager, 

Director of the San Francisco Chapter of 

NARIP (National Association of Record 

Industry Professionals) and an adjunct 

professor at San Francisco State 

University teaching Music Artist 

Management and Music Marketing. Her 

company is Strive Management. 


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(whether that be quarterly or half-rearly depending on how you 

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This has been our policy since 1967. 

Please Keep This Page In A Prominent Position In Your Studio; Request A Replacement If Lost • A Copy Of This Information Appears In Every 

Issue Of Songwriter Magazine • This Page Can Also Be Found On Our Website at http://www.songwriter.co.uk/page100.html

Songwriter Profile - International Songwriters Association

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