Shankar's Contributions/Writing Credits

[YoYoMan]

On The Cutter, I assume Shankar played the main hook. Since none of the Bunnymen played that instrument, I assume Shankar wrote that hook, correct? Yet, only the Bunnymen have writing credits on the album. Just wondering if the Bunnymen wrote the hook or not.

[Grumpy_Jimbo]

The hook was actually written by Broudie, as Will was away as his flat was burgled during the sessions...... Broudie had to teach Will how to play it........ The riff was written on a guitar, Shankar just adapted it for violin.....

[Mr. Brian]

That reminds me that per Will Sergeant himself, it was a producer that assembled the bits that became the main riff for Killing Moon. Will was just doing some tuning thing. He doesn't say who specifically and there were several "producers". I suppose it could have been an engineer as some use the terms interchangeably.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/ ... e-bunnymen

[YoYoMan]

That reminds me that per Will Sergeant himself, it was a producer that assembled the bits that became the main riff for Killing Moon. Will was just doing some tuning thing. He doesn't say who specifically and there were several "producers". I suppose it could have been an engineer as some use the terms interchangeably.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/ ... e-bunnymen

Boy, with how much I like the Bunnymen and The Killing Moon, one would think it impossible for them to get too much credit in my opinion, but Mac the Modest does the impossible in that article there. Haha. The chorus is classic - one for the ages, but people do stumble across good lines. The rest of the lyrics - the killing time under a moon? - doesn't quite speak to the meaning of life to me. Haha I do agree with him that there's really not a better song - just prefer hearing/reading it come from someone other than the songwriter.

I will give Mac credit with one thing in regards to humility. Will kinda calls him out in regards to Pete's drumming. The Bunnymen are probably the most generous of the bands I listen to in regards to sharing songwriting credit among the band members. The rhythm section rarely gets any songwriting credit in other bands I listen to. But all the Bunnymen get songwriting credits for every song in those classic albums from what I recall.

[YoYoMan]

duplicate post

[YoYoMan]

The hook was actually written by Broudie, as Will was away as his flat was burgled during the sessions...... Broudie had to teach Will how to play it........ The riff was written on a guitar, Shankar just adapted it for violin.....

Speaking of generosity with songwriting credit, I would totally have claimed credit if I was Broudie. Writing that riff pretty much dwarfs all of my accomplishments thus far in life. Haha

Thanks for that insight! Very impressive that you know that! I thought this one was going to be a super hard one to get answered.

[fat cherry]

Haven't both Mac and Will at some time clained a certain credit fro suggestion sonething that 'sounds like Matthew ans Son'?

[Mr. Brian]

I think most bands do this to a degree where a session musician, engineer or producer just gets the standard pay but doesn't share in any song writing credits. A very good example is George Martin, Geoff Emmerick, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston with the Beatles. Ramones also just listed Ramone band members as songwriters but it's not like they were scoring that stuff. It was Phil Spector and Ed Stasium. Same with the Rolling Stones and Andrew Loog Oldham. Freddie Mercury is listed as the sole writer of Bohemian Rhapsody. He is talented and all but come on...it's not like he wrote the whole bit.

[YoYoMan]

I think most bands do this to a degree where a session musician, engineer or producer just gets the standard pay but doesn't share in any song writing credits. A very good example is George Martin, Geoff Emmerick, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston with the Beatles. Ramones also just listed Ramone band members as songwriters but it's not like they were scoring that stuff. It was Phil Spector and Ed Stasium. Same with the Rolling Stones and Andrew Loog Oldham. Freddie Mercury is listed as the sole writer of Bohemian Rhapsody. He is talented and all but come on...it's not like he wrote the whole bit.

Yeah, it's probably common, but it's bad form in my opinion.

[candelabro]

Haven't both Mac and Will at some time clained a certain credit fro suggestion sonething that 'sounds like Matthew ans Son'?

That's right, Broudie was apparently trying to imitate the intro to Matthew and Son

[Mr. Brian]

For those unfamiliar...like me ;-)

[fat cherry]

Freddie Mercury is listed as the sole writer of Bohemian Rhapsody. He is talented and all but come on...it's not like he wrote the whole bit.

There's a BBC4 program covering all of this, unless its Channel 4, can't remember, anyways its UK so whether you can find it is moot, perhaps - I think its all about the songs that have made the most cash but covers the thorny issue of credits. Brian May is on it and says that Fred always had a clear idea about who the song credits were and since he had the whole concept of BoRap (as I think the young dudes call it) then he claimed the lot - despite Bri creating all the guitar work. The other big contender is Police and Every Breath You Take. Andy Summers is interviewed and says the police have/had an internal agreement about who gets credits despite the fact that Sting is 'sole' writer on most of their stuff. Summers' point is that the guitar on this is a fairly standard chord sequence but his arpeggio is fairly unique and gives the song its, er whatever - however what hois grip is that its the bit that always gets sampled and so Sting always gets the cash (though he repeats several times the thing about the internal arrangement).

U2 are the other lot famous for splitting everything four (or is it 5 to include McGuinness, and God perhaps) ways even though its Bonio/Edge that write almost everything.

[fat cherry]

I read something that Eno had a bit of a spat with U2 a few years ago over writing credits. Can't remember though. All chums now though.

[Mr. Brian]

Lennon and McCartney had that song credit agreement but everyone knows now that after 1965 or so there really was nothing co-written. It was McCartney song or a Lennon song and everyone added their parts later, from Martin to the engineers to the other band members, sometimes at the guidance of the songwriter and sometimes not.

I think it was in the 90s that McCartney to tried to get his songs changed at the very least to "McCartney and Lennon" but Yoko, being in charge of the Lennon estate and legacy, was having none of it and it still stands.

[fat cherry]

I think that was for the Let It Be naked album, where Macca finaly got rid of all the Phil Specter stuff. Never actually heard it though Across the Universe is probably one of my favourite beatles songs. Read about one of the 'collaborations' a bit ago, about Lennon getting pissed off with McCartney not being able to write a piano riff for Lady Madonna, disappearing for a few hours and coming back off his face on the old herion and elbowing Macca off th epiano going, this is how it should go - but with alot of swearing apparently , and hammering out the now familiar lady maddonna bit. THat's probably from Mojo or Q - they have some article on the beatles every two or three months.