Song Ownership

[Sgt Pepper]

I recently joined a band as the (cliché) singer/songwriter/guitar player.
I brought about 10-12 original songs to the table (songs I wrote alone on an acoustic guitar). Songs I know I can call my own!
Recently, however, I have had the interesting experience of writing songs with other members in the band (the lead guitar player & bass player),,, songs based around riffs they were dinking around with at practice.
Basically, they played a guitar/bass riff and I came up with a melody, lyrics and structure for the song.
Now, what really bugs me is that even though I turned they're riffs into playable "songs," my band mates like to refer to the songs as they're own and present them to other people (fans, friends etc...) as having written the songs on they're own.
Now, I'm not an "ego-maniac" but for some reason this really, really, really bugs me.
It wouldn't bug me so much if they referred to the songs as "dual efforts" or "collaborations" but they act like coming up with a catchy melody, a freakin chorus, lyrics and an actual structure for the song has nothing to do with ownership of the song.
Am I wrong for wanting some notoriety here?
Or am I being irrational,,, maybe coming up with a riff that spawns a song does in fact make you the sole owner of the song.
I mean, don't get me wrong, these guys are great musicians but they couldn't write an actual song (by themselves) if they're lives depended on it.
Help me out here guys!
Thanks.

 

[Track Rat]

Get over it my friend. If this particular song takes off, your name is on it as co-writer. If it doesn't big deal. If they can't write, then they'll never pen another one and you will. If you wrote the hook, then it'll sound like your style and anyone who's familiar with your stuff will spot it and know what's going on.

 

[joro]

Well.............

I have been lucky....almost all of my collaborations have been recognized and promoted as joint efforts......besides....
give credit when credit is due is my motto....ya know?

You should copyright the tunes as a collective effort.....
each contributor being recognized for their own material.....
each paying their fair share of the costs for filing as well.....


Then it really doesn't matter what they say.....or to whom.....

in you're case here......legal ownership is all that would be important to me.....

Skrew the Kudos..................show me the money.....ya know?

Later,
Joe

 

[Peter D]

I don't know, this is an issue that has broken up a number of groups. I guess it depends how much faith you have in your bandmates and how badly you want to work with them. For 90% of singer/songwriters being in a band is a temporary, transistional position, while songs can last a long time and generate income for a long time.

I've been in your situation too many times and gotten burned badly. It's one thing to get burned economically, but it's another to be embarrassed by a song you created. That can happen when the majority of the "songwriters" decide to have the song licensed to someone selling toilet tissue or turn your sensitive love ballad into a heavy metal nightmare or vice-versa.

I've worked with musicians who contributed a solo or riff that truly defined the song and deserved sharing writer's credit and ownership, but sometimes people seem to think because they were in the same room when a song was written they should be credited. Use your best judgement and good luck.

 

[Sgt Pepper]

Thank you so much for your replies guys!
You've completely broadened my perspective of song ownership in the sense that even the littlest contribution gives you a legal right to the song.
I guess in a way I’m being selfish for wanting my name all over the songs but at the same time, I write and play music because it gives me pleasure, not for the money (as most of us starving musicians do!).
So in the interim, I will try to be content with the mere self-knowledge that I composed the heart of the song collaborations.
But when it comes to obtaining a copyright for each songs, I'll be sure to get down on paper exactly what my contributions were.
Peace.