CO-WRITING, WHY OR WHY NOT?
I have a discussion going on with fellow Ramper, Sir William, on "another thread" here. His comments and opinions echo a very well known train of thought in the songwriting community, "WHY CO-WRITE? Did Van Gogh or Picasso CO-PAINT?" Indirectly, yes. If you study history of any art form, book authorship, poetry, painting, sculpting, etc. usually the artist spent YEARS learning at the foot of masters. In the Greek, Roman, even into the rennesaince, those that would go on to be the masters, studied with other masters. Like any business, there would be apprenticipts, schools, etc.
As we entered the 19th and 20th Centurys, artists, writers, etc. would gather together in friendly enclaves where they would talk about their crafts, make constructive (and negative) critical annlysis, and help mold each other. The "expartiate Americans, Hemmingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, all hung around Paris with painters like Toulise Latrec and Pablo Piccasso. The Algonquin round table, with Dorothy Parker, and James Thurber. Did they 'co-write?" At times they did. reading biographies, they often gave assistance, sometimes even physically adding to the cumlative work. Harper Lee did the research and part of the work of Truman Capote's IN TRUE BLOOD. So yes, they did.
In days past, publishers actually contributed to what would now be considered co-writing. But in those days the money came from publishing,not the writing. So they kept it separate. I have known people who were associated with HANK WILLIAMS SR. and they would talk about his publisher, Fred Rose, and gave him as much credit for some of those songs. Richard Frank, who was a professor in the early days of Nashville, worked with Acuff Rose publishing, Hank's publisher. He said this for Michael Kosser's book, HOW NASHVILLE BECAME MUSIC CITY', the best book I have read on the history of Nashville:
"Hank Williams was a grammar-school dropout, who was an alcoholic before he was old enough to join the Boy Scouts. He was from South Alabama. HHe was frimo a afamily background that was intellectually deficent to his own, which put him pretty much in negative territory. Think, of some of the lyrics of some of those songs. "The silence of a falling star, lights up a purple sky.' have you ever heard a redneck hillbilly from South Alabama use language like that?"
"Rose, on the other hand, had a stellar and varied songwriting background, that included numerous pop hits in the 20's and some classic County and Western songs for Gene Autry and Ray Whitley. He was a very accomplished songwriter, and like most really good songwriters, his product hast certain fingerprints on it. I think there is no questions but that a streak of musical genius in Hank Williams. A very raw streak. He would have ideas, hooks, if you liike and bring them to Fred and they would massage them, which is a polite way of saying Fred would write it up."
I preach the concept of co-writing, because that is what I have always done. I came from bands and those are always joint ventures. Into Nashville which is built around co-writing. The entire town is founded on it. And for 37 years I have dealt with songwriters and more than most are solo songwriters. And it sounds like it. Their songs are usually rambling diatribes of pain. The lyrics go on about how they have been slighted in life, how terrible the world is, how horrible everything is and how they wish they could die. " I wish they could too.
It takes work at this but you have to learn it from somewhere. I DO NOT believe it can be learned alone. Sorry, I just don't. While there have been a few solo writers throughout history, mostly Dylan (of which I am not too big a fan of, I will be honest here), writing with other people give you not only skills, but force you to GET THINGS FINISHED. If you sit in a room dreading being there, and want to get something finished JUST TO GET THE HELL OUT, you learn something. This happened monday of this week. I was writing with two people, and it was just laborious. Even I was stumped. We couldn't find anything to write about. Finally someone through something our that hit me and I was able to get a handle on it. I got a verse and chorus and to all our surprise, it really worked. I still wanted to get out of there, so I did. But the idea intrigued me so much I had it pretty much written by the time I got home. And now I think it is one of the best things I have written in a while. Nessacity is the Mother of Invention.
And now, in this day and age where we HAVE to have other people, it is essential. With so many people trying to do this, you have one chance to make a bad first impression. So you need someone to bounce things off and sometimes more than that, to make your product stand up. I believe that takes teamwork. And then if you write only by yourself, you only have YOU to get that song outside yourself. That is pretty much the Saharah desert now. WHO CARES NOW?
But there are people who want to write and be solo. Sometimes it is not by choice. John Westwood will be glad that today I have a girl from Melbourne, Australia, doing one of my tours today. She has never co-written because it is just not an option where she is from. I hope to hook her up with John when she gets back. And hope to bring her over here.
The key problem for her in Nashville is that she doesn't co-write. First question out of a publishers mouth is "Who have you written with and how much do you co-write a month?" The reason is as I stated above, "How well do you work with others?" Off the playing field. Am I going to be able to send you to work with someone else because alone your songs have no chance in even being heard. Neither do you. Thank you for playing. Here's a copy of our home game...."
So that is the first thing I have to work on with her. I will.
But for those of you who want to live in the solo bubble. That is fine. You have the right to do anything you want, any way you want it. But if you are doing that you also have to accept reality. There is nothing someone like myself can do for you. I can't reccommend you to anybody. And I am NEVER going to put songs someone else wrote over my own with these artists I work with. Ever.
And that is what you are saying. "I want you to put my songs over your own. My emotions over yours. My stories over what you think is important. And deprive you of any chance at livelyhood, financial or personal achievement. "
Say that to someone you just meet and see how that works for you.
Gotta go change someone else's life. LOL!
MAB