Singer-songwriters, or just singers?

bknot1

Hustle Magic!! We Got It.
Everyone needs to read and understand this article..this also apply to producers/beatmakers..you are songwriters also

Singer-songwriters, or just singers?

NEW YORK - Of all the names in music, Chantal Kreviazuk may be the least likely to appear in a headline. Though she

recently released her own album, the songwriter usually stays behind the scenes to pen hits with artists such as

Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne.

But earlier this month, Kreviazuk rocked the pop music world by suggesting that Lavigne was a collaborator in name

only. Although she quickly retracted her comments and others defended Lavigne, the flap illuminated a long-standing

fraud that has become more prevalent than ever: "singer-songwriters" who do much less songwriting than their

publicists would have you believe.

"It's crazy!" exclaimed Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren, who has written for artists such as Whitney

Houston, Celine Dion and Mary J. Blige. "How can someone look in the mirror and know they didn't do something and

their name is on it? For money? For credit? It's a lie."

This being the music industry, money is of course a factor, since the writers of hit songs can earn more than the

singer over the long term. But today's singers also press for writing credit because it gives them more of a

cachet, presenting them as more of a "real artist" in comparison with a star who doesn't write a note.

"It's a practice that's been going on but now it's really prevalent in every situation," says songwriter Adonis

Shropshire, who helped pen the hit "My Boo" for Alicia Keys and Usher, and has worked with Chris Brown, Ciara and

others.

Shropshire says that many artists will only allow songwriters to work on an album in return for song credit, and

"if they do write, they ask for more publishing than they honestly contributed ... it is the way it is."

The practice has been prevalent for decades. Elvis Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, maneuvered to give the

King songwriting credits on early hits like "Love Me Tender" even though he never wrote a word. James Brown was

sued by an associate over song credits. Lauryn Hill settled a lawsuit by a group that claimed she improperly took

sole production and writing credit on her Grammy-winning album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." And Diddy seemed

to acknowledge claims that he wasn't really writing his raps in the "Bad Boys for Life" song with the brushoff

line: "Don't worry if I write rhymes, I write checks!"

The notion that serious artists have to write their own songs seems to have grown over the past two decades. Today,

even the fluffiest of pop acts is credited as having written their own material.

"We as an industry ... don't look at someone who has an incredible voice as an artist, whereas having an incredible

voice is artistry," says Jody Gerson, an executive vice president of EMI Music Publishing. "I think people place

more of a value on an artist if they write their own songs, it gives them credibility."

Indeed, Lavigne's songwriting abilities have been touted since she broke out as a teen with the hit "Complicated."

But how much she contributed to her music has long been scrutinized.

On her first album, Lavigne worked with the writing trio The Matrix, but ditched them on her second album when she

felt they were taking too much credit for the songs. "I am a writer, and I won't accept people trying to take that

away from me, and anyone who does is ignorant and doesn't know what they're talking about," she defiantly told The

Associated Press in 2004.

She connected with Kreviazuk for her sophomore album and the two became close friends. Kreviazuk lauded her

songwriting ability in an interview with The AP, also in 2004 — which made Kreviazuk's comments to Performing

Songwriting Magazine all the more curious.

"I mean, Avril, songwriter? Avril doesn't really sit and write songs by herself or anything. Avril will also cross

the ethical line, and no one says anything," Kreviazuk — who was not included on Lavigne's latest album — told the

magazine before retracting her statement. The Matrix later came out to defend Lavigne's songwriting integrity.

Grammy-winning songwriter Dallas Austin says he's had a manager rave about a song Austin wrote all by himself, and

then tell him, "We wanna know if we can get a piece of the pie on it because (the artist) wants to feel like she

has a part ownership on the song.

"And I'll say, 'In all fairness, no. ... If you want to work with me at least sit here and put something into it,

instead of coming after I've done everything and try and claim percentages on it.'"

Gerson calls the practice unfair but says it's "pretty prevalent in pop and R&B ... I think the way people now

divide publishing splits is who was in the room. 'OK ... I changed the word "the" to "a," and I deserve 10 percent

of the publishing.'"

Sean Garrett, who has created smashes for Beyonce, Kelis, Fergie and others, says he gave up credit when he was

just starting out, which is common for newcomers. "It bothered me but I knew it was just a price that I had to pay

to continue my career and stay focused with the big prize," he says.

Ne-Yo, a true singer-songwriter who co-wrote Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," says early in his career he had to deal

with the same thing. He says some artists feel they are doing a novice a favor by recording their song — especially

if it becomes a hit — so they deserve a piece of the royalties.

"If you're an unknown songwriter and you are lucky enough to get on a superstar's album and you know that the song

is going to be a single," Ne-Yo says, "and it means if it becomes No. 1 everyone is going to know your name because

you wrote it, I think it's worth giving up a piece of publishing ... you are going to make your money back."

Shropshire recalls working with an A-list singer, whom he did not want to name, who wrote two words on a song and

ended up getting a large piece of the publishing rights. But he couldn't complain when the song became a hit.

"It didn't really bother me that much. The song came out and it did wonderfully well," he says. "That's just the

way the industry works."

That shouldn't be the case, says Warren. Although she had credit taken from her early in her career, she quickly

put a stop to it. Later, one major superstar demanded some of Warren's royalties for the privilege of said

superstar recording her song. But Warren refused.

"It's like, 'OK, you want some publishing? OK then, give me a piece of the money you're making touring for the next

five years for the hit I just wrote you."

But now that songwriters like Warren, Garrett and Ne-Yo are established, they rarely find themselves taken

advantage of any more.

"I give other people credit where credit is due, like Beyonce really did vocally arrange ('Irreplaceable')," Ne-Yo

says. "So for someone to come in and take my credit because they are who they are? That doesn't work for me. I

don't care who you are. ... I'm not going to give you something you don't deserve."

from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070723/ap_en_mu/music_who_s_really_writing
 
I can't imagine not writing my own songs...


Yes and No! (In my opinion)

Everyone is not a songwriter, yet they're a hell of a performer. And some people can perform, and can't write diddly. That's like saying "I can't imagine myself not making my own beat".........

But I agree that credit should most definitely be given to whoever contributed regardless of what capacity......That seems to be important in the beginning of most peoples career. But many of the Managers and their publicist is the blame for the typo's and the absence of names that should be included on an album. But I think ultimately it is the ARTIST themselves that could clear the air by publicy stating who was behind the song itself. People will still come to see them perform it, and will continue to buy the album if the song is hot so they still get theirs...............
 
You write the song and the singer has a hit becouse she' big anyways:eek:
But you dont get credit for writing the song? you only get a small amount of money.

The singer who makes out she wrote it gets paid twice if she write the music as well as the words:eek:
So for every copy sold she gets paid twice plus royalties from radio tv film etc.

So imagine how much money your looseing if you dont get credit for writing the song?

You forget the videos the song sheets that people buy the music scores etc, it's big money lost to a guy like me that dont get the credit they deserve:(

I must write a hit song and get credit for it:D

Dont tell me that you dont love me anymore
Went with my friend to even up the score
I went and made one silly mistake
And now your going to make my heart ache

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D No autographs please:D
 
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