| Songwriters e-NEWS - Winter 2009 |
| Wednesday, 23 December 2009 | ||||
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If you would like to write a column, make a comment or reply to the enclosed stories, please feel free to contact us. We welcome your input. Thanks for being with us today. Songwriters Parade is a publication designed for professionals in the music industry as well as those who need to know what happens in the business of music. We have seen it all and lived it all. By being a subscriber to Parade of Stars/Songwriters Parade, you will get tips on getting your music exposed to those who can help you and expose your music to producers who are looking for songs to fit the artists they are preparing to record. Visit our new website at: www.songwritersparade.com. You can also e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . We have a password that changes each month. In the regular issues of Songwriters Parade, you’ll get new listings from independent labels as well as listings of major label artists that are reviewing material for future recordings. The cost is very affordable @ $80.00 for six months or $129.00 for a full year. Details are on the website. All credit cards work. So do checks and money orders. All renewals get a 10% discount. I think you’ll agree this is a small price if you are serious about writing, or if you desire to be in the music industry in the future. A self-addressed stamped envelope gets you a print sample. Thanks in advance. Chuck Chellman, Songwriters Parade 1. Chellman On The Streets Of Nashville - Click Here "Get up, Get into it, Get involved”…(James Brown) Chellman On The Streets Of Nashville
The music industry has lost another friend and radio hero. Clay Daniels died in the Orlando area at 72 from cancer. We have been friends for years. His longest-tenured radio gig was at WHOO Orlando. He loved playing traditional country music. Taylor Swift and/or Keith Urban would never make it to a Clay Daniels broadcast. Clay was also a really good singer who was likened to Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, etc. He always had a good band and served as the lead singer. He opened shows for many, many major artists who would be playing in central Florida. The last time we spoke, I invited Clay to submit the paperwork for induction into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame. He declined my invitation. Perhaps we can get him into the Hall posthumously. He will be missed by a lot of record people here in Nashville……… Over the years, we’ve held a close friendship with ex-WHOO Program Director Mike Burger. Mike is now a television weatherman at KTVT Dallas. Mike comments on Clay Daniels: “Chuck, thanks for letting me know of his passing. He was the man that hired me when I entered radio in March of 1970. I’m not sure if I should thank him for that or not! I worked with him (Clay) for his entire stint at WHOO. He was a huge influence on me and many others that worked for him. I say that because I didn’t work for Clay, we all worked with him. He was also the driving influence in making WHOO the giant it was in country music for so long. One of the saddest moments of my nine years at the station was the day he was fired and I was put in the Program Director’s position. We stayed in touch over the years, even played golf on occasion. I was proud to know him. I hope he could say the same for me.” (Wonderful memories form Mike Burger). You Should Have Been There! (Best Live Events) We would hope that visitors to Nashville visit (or have visited) the world famous Station Inn. This funky dive has been here for years. The neighborhood has changed recently into high rise condos, apartments, upscale restaurants and shops. Sitting amongst this entire ‘big city’ atmosphere, here is our little cinderblock one story building. Inside is a club with perfect acoustics even though sometimes the PA system goes haywire. The business has been basically the home of bluegrass and older country over the years. The other evening, we had the pleasure of hearing hot songwriter Shawn Camp and his excellent band. In addition to being an ace songwriter, Shawn plays fabulous flat top guitar. He can really burn up the solos. Shawn was joined on stage by super bass player Mike Bub, banjo ace Charlie Cushman, fiddler extraordinaire Aubrey Haney and great mandolin player Chris Henry. All these guys are world-class players. Hall of Fame writer Mark D. Sanders was in the audience. Shawn and Mark have written many songs together, many have been recorded. Like the true pro he is, Shawn decided to do the entire first set singing songs he co-wrote with Mark D. Sanders. There was a lot of love in the room. Funny uptempo “Hotwire” was recorded by Porter Wagoner. It was great. “Traveling’ Pilgrim Blues” was classic with Shawn singing the lyric and doing a yodel. “You’re Building a Fire” is one of the best songs I ever heard. Last year Shawn, Billy Joe Burnett and Dennis Morgan had a #1 hit with George Strait’s “River of Love.” Go to see Shawn Camp when you can but by all means get a couple of his albums. This is good especially if you are an aspiring songwriter or one that has had some success. We never tire of great material. If you don’t think Bill Anderson isn’t a living legend, think again. I attended his tribute at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s quarterly bash to honor top songwriters. It was sensational. Not only did we show up, but so did historic songwriters Hank Cochran, Roger Murrah, Dean Dillon, Curley Putnam, Buddy Cannon and others. The interview was conducted by Michael Gray. Michael did a great job with the interview. Naturally, there were several industry folks in attendance. Bill told of his first big break while being a disc jockey on Commerce, GA while he was a studying of journalism at University of Georgia in Athens, where he got his degree. While at WJJC, he wrote the standard “City Lights”, a huge hit for Ray Price. While in Georgia, he struck up a friendship with the late Roger Miller. Both guys agreed that if one got to Nashville, he’d try carving out an opportunity for the other. Roger got here first and was to become the opening act for Ray Price. He urged Bill to come here. They co-wrote “When Two Worlds Collide”. This tune has been cut by many artists and it then started a complete string of hit songs that Bill wrote. During the interview with Gray, Bill asked the difference between a songwriter and a large pizza. Gray asked the difference and Bill replied, “A large pizza can feed a family of four”! If you get the opportunity, go to the Bill Anderson website and check out his credentials. I first met Bill when he signed with Decca many years ago. We began working his records in Pittsburgh. When I transferred with Decca to Cleveland, our staff made Bill Anderson a priority for promotion. I feel the Midwest was first in making Anderson a star. I think he’ll agree. At any rate, he’s won top awards recently for writing George Strait’s “Give It Away” and Brad Paisley’s “Whiskey Lullaby”. Bill Anderson has been writing hits for the past 50 years. He is indeed the modern day Hank Williams, and a great friend. What Should I Do with My Publishing?
This is the age-old question from writers. This week, the Nashville Tennessean wrote a long article about the publishing rights of songs being returned to writers. It caused a stir, but the story was aimed at writers who have really made a mark in the industry with hit songs by known artists. First off, if you are a novice writer, you do need a publisher. Even though publishers are often maligned, good music publishers do far more than just make money off songs and they do not cheat writers. In most cases, the good publisher will help a novice writer build song ideas into commercial offerings. When the song is ready to go to market, the publisher goes to producers and pushes them to record the material. Ok…once that is accomplished, the publisher moves to help the label get airplay. Airplay is where the big money is. Not sales. The publisher gets the song registered with BMI, ASCAP or SESAC. These licensing firms pay the writer directly. They don’t pay writer’s shares to the publisher any longer. That used to be the case years ago. However, the record/CD/Internet mechanical payment does come to the publisher and it is his responsibility to split that check with the writer(s). This is basically the publisher/writer scene. After having said all that, all songwriters who are offered a single-song contract should read it over to see if there is a revision clause in the contract. If there isn’t a revision paragraph, don’t sign it until one is included or an addendum is written by the publisher. If this publisher doesn’t get the song recorded, not in a demo session, after a period of 24 or 36 months, all rights should revert back to the writer. However, and I’ve had this happen to me, if the publisher has something cooking at the end of the time allotted, they should get back to the writer and explain the situation. At that time, the writer will usually go along with the publisher for a short extension. To end this subject, please get your answers from someone who knows the business and is unbiased with an opinion. Fellow novice writers are your WORST source of information. They usually like to talk the game but they don’t really know the game. Just because a writer spends six months in Nashville and strikes out with his material, then catches the bus back home, does not make him an authority. If you need professional advice, get it from a professional. A call to NSAI is usually a good investment. BEST SINGLES OF THE MONTH
ALBUMS OF THE MONTH? ONES YOU SHOULD BUY AND TAKE HOME?
Attention! ****** In the “Looking for Songs” section (that goes out to our subscribers) listed; please think about doing some initial research before submitting material. Regardless of how good a song is, if it doesn’t fit the style of the artist, you’ve wasted your time, their time….. and your money. This is a very competitive business and we’re seeing opportunities disappear because of the amount of songs being received that are way far off base for a particular artist(s). As fellow publishers and writers, let’s not hurt each other’s chances of scoring. Realizing that producers and labels can’t listen to tons of material daily, be sure the material you send is in the right direction and groove. If a record A&R person hears a totally junk submission more than once from the same party, the future means every envelope from you goes straight to the trash. ******* As in our other E-News issues, we have featured some jazz and blues albums. Most of the session players here in Nashville are jazz lovers. They play country sessions and tour with country acts for the money. A lot of them play nightspots and festivals with jazz groups when time allows. It takes a very competent musician to play jazz. These folks are more than competent. We’ll continue to review jazz and blues albums in the future. ******** If your company has albums they are proud of, allow us to review the product. It could help since this publication is distributed worldwide. Please continue to honor the integrity of music. It makes no difference what kind of music you’re involved with. Continue to do what you do best. Continue working toward your strengths. Continue to listen to your heart. Continue to listen to those whom you respect. There are two kinds of music: good and bad. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had a great (or bad) start in the music life. It doesn’t matter if you’ve stumbled time and again – or even fallen flat on your face. What matters most is how you finish. The writer who hangs on in there for the long haul with talent and dreams has a chance. Believe in yourself. Make it happen. Keep the faith in your abilities and those who are around you. We would like to be with you on a regular basis through the biweekly Songwriters Parade. Check us out at www.songwritersparade.com. If you need a website to help you spread the word about your work, we’d suggest you consider www.BeareWare.com. Peter Beare and his staff are the professional's choice and most affordable in America. Chuck Chellman, Publisher Join Songwriters Parade - Subscribe NOW The regular listings of artists needing songs come out every-other-week. The information is available at www.songwritersparade.com on Mondays. We change the password and user name monthly. Twice a month, you’ll be privy to information that is unavailable anywhere else. $129.00(US) is the annual rate. Or, you can try it for six months @ $80.00 (US). We accept all major credit cards, checks and money orders. We contact you with the password the moment we are notified by the Webmaster. In many cases, you get an additional issue of Songwriters Parade free! “America’s Music Source” is proud to say that one of our oldest subscribers is the Country Music Hall of Fame Foundation. Parade of Stars - Songwriters Parade was founded in 1972..
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“American Saturday Night”, Artist: Brad Paisley, Label: Arista, Writers: Brad Paisley, Ashley Gorley & Kelley Lovelace, Producer: Frank Rogers
“Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song)”, Artist: Toby Keith, Label: Show Dog, Writer: Toby Keith, Producer, Toby Keith
“It’s Only” Artist: Danny Gokey, Label 19/RCA, Writers: Tom Douglas, Charles Kelley & Dave Haywood, Producer: Mark Bright.
“Oughta Be More Songs About That”, Artist: Montgomery Gentry, Label: Columbia, Various writers, Producer: Blake Chancey.
“Lab 2009” Artist: University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band, Label: North Texas Jazz, Producer/Director: Steve Wiest, Website: 
“Deep Soul Hits - Live”, Artist: Roy C., Label: Hammond Thompson, Producer: Chase Thompson, Website: 
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