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Post subject: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credits?
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 12:15 pm
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Hey everyone. I'm a huge fan of U2, Green Day, Pearl Jam, and Aerosmith.

In U2, Bono is the primary lyricist, and all musical composition is always credited to the entire band.

Likewise, in Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong is the primary lyricist, and all musical composition is always credited to the entire band.

In Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder writes most of the lyrics. However, Pearl Jam's music is often composed by various, individual members of the band.

In Aerosmith, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry often collaborate with outsiders in order to pen the band's songs.

Generally speaking- Do all of the band members contribute to the songwriting process?

Is it necessary to have all of the band members get songwriting credits?


For instance- Do the rest of the members of Aerosmith mind that Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and a bunch of outsiders are writing all of the band's songs?

I mean- If you were the bass player of a rock band, wouldn't you want to come up with all the basslines? If you were the drummer of a rock band, wouldn't you want to come up with all the beats and fills?


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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 12:38 pm
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If everyone in the band is lending their creativity into crafting the songs (writing their own parts etc...), yes, everyone should get credit.

Even though someone may walk in with the bare structure of the tune, for example, the basic chord progression and an idea of the type of feel, it's just that, a basic structure. It's not a song yet. If all band members involved are working out individual parts to fit that structure, they are actively involved in the writing process. In my book, that constitutes equal and full inclusion in the songwriting credits.

Most Musician really suck at having a business oriented viewpoint. That's why they wind up involved in bad deals with record companies, bad management agreements and getting stiffed out of songwriting credits. Have to be realistic as well as business minded.

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:21 pm
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Strat-Slinger pretty much nailed it. If a guy sits down with his acoustic guitar and a cup of coffee on a Saturday afternoon and roughs out the chords, comes up with the lyrics and melody that by itself doesn't mean he wrote the song alone unless that's the way he's going to perform the song; by himself. You can't very well approach your band mates and ask them to come up with an appropriate bass line, drum pattern, keyboard part, etc. etc. and not give them a song writing credit. Nuf sed.

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 2:45 pm
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I'd agree with the above. Unless parts are written for them note-for-note, all musicians involved should get some credit for co-writing the song.

I always thought it was cool that REM's songs were usually credited to "Berry, Buck, Mills & Stipe," in alphabetical order. That's being particularly democratic, especially considering the drummer always got credited first and the primary singer/lyric writer got credited last!


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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 2:57 pm
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Speaking of democratic, I've seen credits listed by band name rather than individual people. I can't think of an example off hand from memory but let's say a band is called The Band Ages (bad memory pun fully intended) and one of the tracks is titled, Losin' Ma Memry. The liner notes would read something like Losin' Ma Memry - written by The Band Ages.

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 3:05 pm
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I agree with all of the above. That's how we've always done it but not necessarily how it's always been done, especially in cases with early bluesmen and early rock and rollers where the person who published the material in the past had absolutely nothing to do with writing the song.

I can name one punk rock band from the 80s (but I won't) where the drummer was a lawyer and published all the early songs saying that he wrote them--he didn't, he just played drums, so it's hard to see how he could claim that. And then took the name of the band, kicked the other original members out, became the bass player and continues to use the name of the band today while threatening to sue the other original members for claiming anything remotely to do with the songs they wrote and the band they started.

That said, yes the absolutely most fair way is to credit the entire band for the songwriting, especially in cases where they all contribute.


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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 3:07 pm
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All the money is in the writing credit. If you published the lyrics you own it. Jim Morrison split the credit with the Ray, Robby, and John so they all got paid evenly.

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 5:26 pm
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Jericho-79 wrote:
For instance- Do the rest of the members of Aerosmith mind that Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and a bunch of outsiders are writing all of the band's songs?

Yes, I understand sometimes it gets so bad, Joey Kramer has to go sit on the bumper of his Lamborghini and sulk. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 5:42 pm
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I think it should be only those involved in the creative process of writing it. There are so many songs being played that were not written by the bands playing them. Not unusual for artist to write song for other artist and the should always get the credit.
Not just financially.

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 6:05 pm
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cvilleira is closest to my opinion. Disagree with the rest of you , guys :mrgreen:
The most common way of doing (recording/performing) modern music , is letting the respective musicians figure out their own parts (arrangement) ,at least if they're in a band together . Then they do not write the song , they're only partly arranging it.

I might want to arrange a Beatles-tune to fit my needs , but that does not give me the right to claim that I co-wrote it with Lennon/McCartney :roll:

If I write a song which another band plays/records , it is still ME that wrote it ! The other band PLAYED it , eventually arranged it

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 7:33 pm
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Quote:
asgeirman
The most common way of doing (recording/performing) modern music , is letting the respective musicians figure out their own parts (arrangement) ,at least if they're in a band together . Then they do not write the song , they're only partly arranging it.


I have to disagree with you on this one. Writing music not only involves putting words down on a sheet of paper, but also notes. So if the rest of the band "arranged" their own parts then they should get very bit as much credit.

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 8:11 pm
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If I (or someone) writes the song (Chords, Melody, and Words) then I would not share a Song writing credit, since the song is already created. The bass player, drummer, and or keyboard player are merely playing a song already created, no matter how great their playing is, it is simply playing albeit however creative it might be. Well that is my take on it anyway.

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 8:53 pm
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T2Stratman wrote:
If I (or someone) writes the song (Chords, Melody, and Words) then I would not share a Song writing credit, since the song is already created. The bass player, drummer, and or keyboard player are merely playing a song already created, no matter how great their playing is, it is simply playing albeit however creative it might be. Well that is my take on it anyway.

T2

This I agree with. Take the who Pete Townsend gets credit for most of their music.


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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 10:11 pm
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I agree that all band members should receive compensation for part of the songwriting process,that is provided they created their own respective parts unless the song's main writer wanted the bass runs,keyboards parts etc. done a specific way.I believe that whoever is responsible for writing the lyrics and the melody should get the biggest share of the royalities as the song is really their intellectual property as they were the original and primary creators of the song.

Brian Jones,according to Andrew Loog Oldham,saved many Stones' songs from certain obscurity by rearranging them,using different instruments and tempos and putting in his own creative hooks to add more pizzazz to what had been a lacklustre song.Sadly he never got any acknowledgement for his endeavours either on the album credits or when the royalties were paid.Richards and Jagger treated him like dirt when if it hadn't been for him they'd be washed out old bar band players by now.

Brain Jones' abysmal treatment has a great deal to do with why I feel that each member should be compensated for his degree of input into each individual song.

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Post subject: Re: Is it vital for all band members have songwriting credit
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 12:16 am
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I think it depends on the band and on the way the individuals feel as well.

Some bands do spread it around some don't.

It works differently.

As for each member coming up with their part--sometimes that is co-writing, and sometimes it's arranging--and I see a lot of albums that have arranging credits that are shared by the band (And maybe with the producer or someone else outside the band.)

Most of the time it's probably arranging, not co-writing, but not always.

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