Song writing credits

[King Of Kings]

http://www.musesmuse.com/00000593.html

[black francis]

Thanks for that. That is something I've wondered for years. This is very telling.

"If you wrote the LYRICS and the MELODY, you are the sole writer of the songs. Words and Music are the two "non-negotiables" in any copyright. The other two elements of songs -- the HARMONY and RHYTHM -- are matters of arrangement."

I guess I owe ML Gore an apology.

[DivaDiana77]

However, this part is also true:


If your band members added some cool harmonies, rhythms or riffs to the songs in the studio, you may want to include them in the "points" (percentage points) of the song to acknowledge and reward their contribution. Let's face it, sometimes a musical intro or riff will become the identifying mark for a great song. Think about the intro of Annie Lennox's great song, "Walking on Broken Glass." The syncopated piano part sets up the whole idea for the hook/title and is unmistakable when you hear it.

The Bunnymen sound took more than chords and lyrics. Take out Will's solos, Pete's drumming or Les's bass lines and it does indeed sound like a different band or song. This is especially true of a song like A Promise. Initially it's just a D chord played the whole time by Ian, however the chord progressions were altered by the bass and guitar.

[black francis]

Or Will's intro to the Killing Moon. Can you imagine that not being there?

[withahip]

I noticed long ago U2 credits the band with the music and the lyrics to Bono. Like them or not, they probably realized the sum was more than anyone part.

[Mr. Brian]

Or Will's intro to the Killing Moon. Can you imagine that not being there?

Yes, David Lord should get something for his contribution for looping something so integral out of Will's noodling in the studio.

[withahip]

http://www.negativland.com/albini.html

This is quite well known. Good read.

The Problem With Music
by Steve Albini

Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying shit. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed. Nobody can see what's printed on the contract. It's too far away, and besides, the shit stench is making everybody's eyes water. The lackey shouts to everybody that the first one to swim the trench gets to sign the contract. Everybody dives in the trench and they struggle furiously to get to the other end. Two people arrive simultaneously and begin wrestling furiously, clawing each other and dunking each other under the shit. Eventually, one of them capitulates, and there's only one contestant left. He reaches for the pen, but the Lackey says "Actually, I think you need a little more development. Swim again, please. Backstroke". And he does of course.

Every major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "A & R" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire." because historically, the A & R staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly. These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave.

[moses (2)]

However, this part is also true:


If your band members added some cool harmonies, rhythms or riffs to the songs in the studio, you may want to include them in the "points" (percentage points) of the song to acknowledge and reward their contribution. Let's face it, sometimes a musical intro or riff will become the identifying mark for a great song. Think about the intro of Annie Lennox's great song, "Walking on Broken Glass." The syncopated piano part sets up the whole idea for the hook/title and is unmistakable when you hear it.
.

This ladies concept of songwriting is a load of bullshit -- I was in a band and was involved in writing many songs and I still write songs. It pisses me off when some fuckin half wit says that the person who comes up with the melody and the lyrics is the song writer -no they are not -- they are the concept driver -- they come up with the initial idea of a melody and lyrics -- unless they have physically written or dictated the bass line, the drum line and the guitar line then they have not written the song ...

There is no way in my lifetime that I am going to let anybody take full credit for writing a song if they only came in with the core idea --

i

[withahip]

Legally, she exactly correct.

[black francis]

I thought that was a white dude with an afro

[moses (2)]

Legally, she exactly correct.

sometimes the law is an ass

[withahip]

sometimes the law is an ass

Of course. It is made by people.