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I couldn’t help being struck by the article in Star Tribune about Stevie Nicks, former star of Fleetwood Mac. She has a new solo album out, “In Your Dreams”, and in a discussion about the tracks revealed that she had worked with Prince and nearly wrote the lyrics for what became Purple Rain.

Who would turn down a co-write with Prince?
In the interview, she recalls driving down Sunset Boulevard and humming along to “Little Red Corvette” by Prince. A thought came to her and she started writing her own lyrics using it as a starting point. When she went to record her track, she rang Prince, offered him half the song and wondered if he’d like to appear on it (he did). But rewind here: how much of what we hear is openly pimped from existing songs? Nicks actually spontaneously offered Prince a large slice of the credits. These are the sort of songwriting partners you want, folks!

But it gets even better. Nicks then suggested that they write something together. So Prince later sent her a 10-minute instrumental, the foundation of “Purple Rain”. “It was so overwhelming, that 10-minute track, that I listened to it and I just got scared,” Nicks told the Star Tribune. “I called him back and said, ‘I can’t do it. I wish I could. It’s too much for me.’ I’m so glad that I didn’t, because he wrote it, and it became ‘Purple Rain.’”

A different lyrical colour for Purple Rain?
It really is intriguing to think how “Purple Rain” could have been different. This was, after all, Prince’s iconic track. Although Nicks is between terribly modest, it is not inconceivable that the track could have been even better – who knows? I’m currently working on an album that is being translated into two other languages, and it’s fascinating to see how the same material can be approached.

What other improbably pairings have shaped music history? Tom Jones singing Prince was a good one. Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse also spring to mind. Any others?

Full article on Star Tribune.

The recent broadcast of the BBC’s “Secrets of the Pop Song” featuring Guy Chambers has brought attention back to Ray Heffernan. At the time, he was a very young musician that met Robbie Williams in Dublin and went on to work on the song that became “Angels”. He eventually sold his share of the song for €7,500, with Williams’ team arguing that the song had changed totally between the original composition and the final version. The song went on to generate some €7 million. Although these cases are rare (and it could be argued he was lucky enough to get upfront cash rather than being ripped off), it only serves as a reminder that you have to learn the basics of songwriting as a business if you hope to receive any reward for your work. I don’t say that to freak people out or make you paranoid, but a little music business knowledge goes a long, long way.

As a second thought, I’d add that your songs can always be improved. It would be better to be in Chambers’ position than Heffernan’s. Being able to recognise the good elements of a song and re-work them to perfection is a skill to aim for.

Check the interview and then drop over to Ray Heffernan’s YouTube channel.

Cover of CB Milton

If you’re into the Internet radio scene and dance music, you might want to check Club97 radio, transmitting from New Jersey. It’s run by Mike Delaney, the former president of the 2 Unlimited fan club in the US, and who has been following the dance, Eurodance, techno and House scene for more years than we’d both care to mention.

He interviewed me recently about what it was like writing lyrics for 2 Unlimited, CB Milton and others. As usual, I talked way too much. So maybe you’ll find something of interest amongst the anecdotes and ramblings. Check here for Club97 Radio. The show goes out Friday March 25 at 8pm CET or 3pm SET.

Something I didn’t think to do is ask people what they would like to know about writing for these groups (just remember, I didn’t write all the hits – far from it!). So feel free to post a question. I’ll link to the interview afterwards.

For Club97 Radio listeners, here are the tracks I mostly talked about: Nothing Like the Rain and It’s a Loving Thing (which has just been re-released in a mix by Phil Wilde).

Pop punk maestros Blink 182 have added their names to the list of bands making a contribution to the crisis in Japan. Mark Hoppus is donating a number of items to an online auction. Goodies available include a T-shirt used in a video for “Dammit”, used backstage passes and the door sign from their MTV VMA award appearance.

Pride of place must go to the handwritten lyrics to their first major hit, “Dammit”. At the time of writing this, the four sheets are valued at $20,300 with six days still to go. Check the auction on eBay.


There are songs out there that have seemingly always been there. What would Christmas be without the sounds of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”?

However, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the songwriter and lyricist Hugh Martin Jr, who penned the song in 1944 died at his home on March 11, 2011 at the page of 96. The song became famous through Judy Garland’s rendition in “Meet me in St Louis” (whose title song he also wrote).

It’s interesting to note that the song received two re-writes. In the first, the line “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it might be your last…” to “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light…” The song had originally been written in the depths of World War 2. When Sinatra subsequently covered the song in 1957, the line “Until then we’ll have to muddle through somehow,” became “Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.” The song has since become a standard covered hundreds of times.

Phil Wilde has been busy over the past few months overseeing remixes of CB Millton’s “It’s a Loving Thing“. The final radio edit is ready, with a glossy video to go along with it.

This is still one of the most popular CB Milton tracks (and one of the most successful lyrics I wrote). CB won’t be promoting it, unfortunately, as he has a separate career now. But you can catch Phil Wilde DJing if you’re lucky. I’ve seen some pretty nice comments about “It’s a Loving Thing” on YouTube over the years. Do you have any particular memories about this track?

Get the full lyrics here.

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Let’s be clear:  I think the answer is no, for a number of reasons. The web is alive with claims about Britney Spears “ripping off” song lyrics for her latest release, “Hold it Against Me”. The writers of “If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me” by the Bellamy Brothers told told The Daily Star: ‘Howard and I have no personal beef with Britney. She’s a talented gal. But professionally we feel completely ripped off”.

The issue, of course, is the title. However, the Bellamy Brothers can’t even claim ownership of the line, as it was first used as a one-liner by the Marx Brothers. The song itself bears no resemblance to the Bellamy tune. So I’d say, pass: Britney is entitled to use the title. If not, how many lawsuits would there be for “Because I Love you” or ” The Power of Love”? In fact, the Marx Brothers estate could have challenged the Bellamy Brothers years ago.

Someone asked me the other day about the “new paradigm” for songwriters and musicians. I mentioned that increasingly, entertainment will be sponsored. This puts the transfer of money before the consumption rather than during or after. Then I caught the new Heineken ad, and was struck by the singer. Turns out, the new ad was shot around the promo clip of the Asteroids Galaxy Tour‘s new single called “Golden Age”. So the ad is a short version of the clip, or vice versa. Given the huge amounts of sponsorship already in music (notably Lady Gaga’s super-productions) I don’t really have a problem with that.

Who are the Asteroid Galaxy Tour?
So who the Smurf are The Asteroids Galaxy Tour? The group was formed in Denmark in 2006. They are no newbies in terms of corporate sponsorship, as Steve Jobs chose their single “Around the Bend” for an ad for the iPad Touch and they now have the Heineken gig (note to self: hook up with their publisher!). They also opened for Amy Winehouse in Denmark and Katy Perry at the legendary Olympia in Paris.

Increasingly, if you want to get broad exposure in major media, some variation of this route will have to be followed. You can get by without it, of course. But there is no escaping the attention these sorts of campaigns bring. If your publisher is on the ball, there are also large amounts of money to be made in performance royalties – but that’s a different article.

It’s encouraging that major brands are willing to work with lesser-known acts rather than throwing insane money at the usual suspects. So good luck to both the group and the brand.

I have to say that I love this idea. An artist in Saginaw, Michigan, has been decorating the town with lines from Simon & Garfunkel’s “America”. “We drove through the city and tried to find areas that symbolized abandonment: the broken railroad track, the empty school,” Eric Schantz told ABCNews. In one poignant note, he sprayed “They have gone to find America” across the doors of an abandoned college.

The lines are surprising, of course, when placed alongside the more mundane graffiti and tags. As they give food for thought, they also make you look more closely at the rest of the surroundings. Paul Simon’s manager asked for photos of the works. I’d be pretty flattered in his case.

The connection with Saginaw is an interesting one. What lyrics do you think would suit your town? I immediately thought of Shane McGowan’s version of “Dirty Old Town” for London (even though it was originally written by Ewan MacColl about the English town of Salford). Any other suggestions?

The Times They are a-Changing

Collectors will surely swoop on the upcoming auction of Bob Dylan’s handwritten lyrics for “The Times They Are a-Changing” that will take place in Sotheby’s on December 10, 2010. The song is iconic, defining the mood of protest and change in the sixties. On top of that, the actual manuscript is suitably battered and worn – which only adds to the appeal.

I hadn’t read the lyrics of what is arguably his best-known song for some time, and must say that they are remarkably straightforward. Simple, even. Interesting that he wrote “by Bob Dylan” at the top of the page with the title at the bottom. Had he not decided the final title when writing the words? Also, he was apparently very careless with lyric sheets, discarding them once he had the words down by heart. So why write his name on them?

Anyway, collectors should be ready to cough up $200-300,000 for the manuscript. Something tells me that this is one auction that will meet its estimate price. Visit Sotheby’s for details and extensive notes.

August Darnell, better known as Kid Creole, has announced a number of appearances in Germany. He will be appearing as part of the Night of the Proms events with other performers. Darnell is a songwriter’s songwriter, capable of turning out floor-fillers and touching ballads. Stylistically, he has always been influenced by the swing period of the 40s. His shows in the eighties featured up to 20 musicians on stage, with Darnell appearing in fancy zoot suits accompanied by the Coconuts. The whole vibe was reminiscent of Cab Calloway, although Darnell proved deft at adapting his tunes to the sound of the moment. During that period, he raked up a string of worldwide hits such as “Annie (I’m not Your Daddy”), “Stool Pigeon”, “I’m a Wonderful Thing” and “No Fish Today” but later faded from the public eye.

He still tours and writes. For details, check Kid Creole, although you’ll find more music on YouTube and DailyMotion.

Click through for the German concert dates:


Germany: 12 cities
Friday 26 November 2010 | Köln | Lanxessarena
Saturday 27 November 2010 | Köln | Lanxessarena
Sunday 28 November 2010 | Oberhausen | Arena
Tuesday 30 November 2010 | Frankfurt | Festhalle
Wednesday 1 December 2010 | Frankfurt | Festhalle
Thursday 02 December 2010 | Erfurt | Messehalle
Friday 03 December 2010 | Berlin | 02 World
Saturday 04 December 2010 | Hamburg | 02 World
Sunday 05 December 2010 | Hamburg | 02 World
Tuesday 07 December 2010 | Mannheim | SAP Arena
Wednesday 08 December 2010 | Stuttgart | Schleyerhalle
Thursday 09 December 2010 | München | Olympiahalle
Friday 10 December 2010 | München | Olympiahalle
Saturday 11 December 2010 | München | Olympiahalle
Sunday 12 December 2010 | München | Olympiahalle
Tuesday 14 December 2010 | Bremen | Bremen Arena
Wednesday 15 December 2010 | Hannover | TUI Arena
Friday 17 December 2010 | Dortmund Westfalenhalle
Saturday 18 December 2010 | Dortmund Westfalenhalle

I just read an article in the Hindustan Times about an Indonesia riot sparked by ringtones. According to the report, hundreds of Wamena tribesmen descended on members of the Yoka tribe on Wednesday morning (November 17, 2010) in the Papua provincial capital Jayapura, after learning that Yokas were sharing a ringtone which insulted them. It’s tempting to raise a smile, were it not for the fact that 23 houses were burned to the ground, and dozens of vehicles damaged.

How could a ringtone cause such fury? The lyrics, of course. Why else are homophobic or racist songs banned? Yep, people do actually take lyrics seriously – sometimes very seriously. Songwriters object when politicians use them. Parents object when songwriters use the wrong words. People write films, books and plays using song titles. Advertisers use them as an endless source of inspiration (often unattributed). Politicians also rail against them and censors do what they know best: censor or “bleep” them. Rebels use them to motivate their followers.

How many offensive songs – such as the one written by a GI in Iraq – were actually intended as a piece of fun more than anything else? As songwriters, where do we put the limit? It would be a miserable place if songwriters could not push the envelope a bit. But it’s something worth bearing in mind.

Are there any particular songs that you find offensive?