A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs , or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer , although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. A songwriter who mainly writes the lyrics for a song is referred to as a lyricist . The pressure from the music industry to produce popular hits means that song writing is often an activity for which the tasks are distributed among a number of people. For example, a songwriter who excels at writing lyrics might be paired with a songwriter with the task of creating original melodies. Pop songs may be composed by group members from the band or by staff writers – songwriters directly employed by music publishers . Some songwriters serve as their own music publishers, while others have external publishers.
43-598: Clinton Conger Ballard Jr. (May 24, 1931 – December 23, 2008) was an American songwriter , singer, and pianist. He wrote two Billboard Hot 100 number one hits . The first was " Game of Love " by Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders in 1965. The second was the 1975 hit, " You're No Good " by Linda Ronstadt (first sung by Dee Dee Warwick , covered by The Swinging Blue Jeans , Betty Everett and later recorded by Van Halen ). He wrote two UK number one singles, recorded by Jimmy Jones (" Good Timin ' ", 1960) and The Hollies (" I'm Alive ", 1965). Ballard also pursued
86-403: A recording studio that oversees the production and recording of the final product. However, record producers can be involved in co-writing songs as the composer wearing two hats as the producer and songwriter as they may write and compose the original music such as the beat and then oversee the production that takes control of the recording sessions with the artist and engineer all the way down to
129-552: A Little Bit Too Late " It's Just a Little Bit Too Late " is a song written by Clint Ballard Jr. and Les Ledo, which was originally recorded by Clyde McPhatter in 1963. A British beat group named the Druids would release their version in 1964 before the definitive version by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders was recorded and released as a single in 1965. Their version was the second of three songs by Clint Ballard Jr. that
172-518: A composer and a lyricist ( Andrew Lloyd Webber with Tim Rice , or Elton John with Bernie Taupin ), a performer and a producer ( Madonna with Patrick Leonard or Mariah Carey with Walter Afanasieff ), or between bandmates ( Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones or Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA ). According to Billboard , the songwriting partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney remains
215-568: A hit for Malcolm Vaughan , and Frankie Avalon 's Top Ten hit " Ginger Bread ". Ballard's own recording career was less successful. In addition to recording several singles under his own name without much success, in 1960 he adopted the alias Buddy Clinton to cut a two-sided single featuring the songs "Take Me to Your Ladder (I'll See Your Leader Later)" and "Joanie's Forever", both co-written by then-unknown composer Burt Bacharach with his writing partner Bob Hilliard . Ballard wrote one of his most successful songs in 1963, " You're No Good ", which
258-402: A number of elements for a song, including an introduction, various verses and a chorus. At minimum, a songwriter must prepare a lead sheet for a song, which consists of one or more pieces of sheet music with the melody notes and chord progression indicated on it. The songwriter may expand upon the melody and chord progression by adding an instrumental melody (which may occur before or after
301-519: A position of 50 after spending only seven weeks on the chart. In the US, the single entered the charts on 12 June at a position of number 88, before peaking at 45 on 24 July. It dropped from the charts on the following week with a position of number 59, after spending eight weeks on it. In Cash Box magazine it reached number 52, while also reaching number 44 in Record World . Internationally, it
344-516: A publisher can be the first step for any professional songwriting career, with some writers with a desire for greater independence outgrowing this set-up once they achieve a degree of success. Songwriter Allan Eshuijs described his staff writer contract at Universal Music Publishing as a starter deal. His success under the arrangement eventually allowed him to found his own publishing company so that he could "keep as much [publishing income] as possible and say how it's going to be done." A beatmaker
387-408: A rock producer that may rarely contribute as a co-writer of a song. A top-line writer or top-liner is a songwriter who writes a song over a pre-made beat. In top-lining, the writer is not creating a song from scratch, but rather creating lyrics and melodies over an existing music genre , tonality , harmony , rhythm , and form of a song. In modern commercial writing, it is a common practice for
430-652: A single the following year, it reached number one on Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Record Retailer chart during the spring of 1965. This led to a tour of the United Kingdom on which they most likely picked up the song while performing together with the Hollies , who had had a number one hit with the Clint Ballard Jr. composition " I'm Alive " that year. Nonetheless, they liked
473-604: A solo singing career. With minor success he recorded under his own name, as well as under the pseudonym Buddy Clinton . When Ballard was three years old, he played the piano for KTSM , an El Paso radio station. When he was 11, he attended a musical program for gifted students at the University of North Texas . After serving in the US Army, he moved to New York and became a songwriter and a composer of musicals, including Come Back Little Sheba . His song, "Hey, Little Baby",
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#1732775680067516-488: A song becomes a hit record ; legally, in the US, songs written after 1934 may be copied only by the authors. The legal power to grant these permissions may be bought, sold or transferred. This is governed by international copyright law . Songwriters can be employed in a variety of different ways. They may exclusively write lyrics or compose music alongside another artist, present songs to A&R , publishers, agents and managers for consideration. Song pitching can be done on
559-473: A song created under an employment contract cannot be "recaptured" by the writer after 35 years. In Nashville, young writers are often strongly encouraged to avoid these types of contracts. Staff writers are common across the whole industry, but without the more office-like working arrangements favoured in Nashville. All the major publishers employ writers under contract. Obtaining a staff writer contract with
602-507: A song he gave to Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders to record; it topped the American chart and reached number two in the UK. Being two established songwriters, the pair decided to sit down and write, with the result becoming "It's Just a Little Bit Too Late". It was one of only two songs they wrote together, the other being "How Long Is So Long" in 1965. The suspected first version of the song
645-472: A songwriter's behalf by their publisher or independently using tip sheets like RowFax , the MusicRow publication and SongQuarters . Skills associated with song-writing include entrepreneurism and creativity. Staff writers do not necessarily get printed credit for their contributions to the song. Songwriters who sign an exclusive songwriting agreement with a publisher are called staff writers . Being
688-430: A staff writer effectively means that, during the term of the songwriter's contract with the publisher, all their songs are automatically published by that company and cannot be published elsewhere. In the Nashville country music scene, there is a strong staff writer culture where contracted writers work normal "9-to-5" hours at the publishing office and are paid a regular salary, says staff writer Gary Growden. This salary
731-649: A stroke. He is not to be confused with fellow songwriters Russ Ballard , Glen Ballard or Hank Ballard . Songwriter The old-style apprenticeship approach to learning how to write songs is being supplemented by university degrees , college diplomas and "rock schools". Knowledge of modern music technology (sequencers, synthesizers, computer sound editing), songwriting elements and business skills are significant for modern songwriters. Several music colleges offer songwriting diplomas and degrees with music business modules. Since songwriting and publishing royalties can be substantial sources of income, particularly if
774-444: Is a songwriter who creates and composes music or beats for a song, often laying the groundwork or 'musical bed'. Then a composer who specializes in melody will create the top line for the track. Tools typically used are keyboards, drum machines, softsynths and digital audio workstations . Beat makers or composers are not necessarily record producers by definition or acting role since they generally do not work directly with an artist in
817-422: Is because the process of "working out" a song or arrangement requires a songwriter to play an instrument, typically the guitar or the piano , to hear how the chord progression sounds and to hear how well a given set of chords supports a melody. In addition to selling their songs and musical concepts for other artists to sing, some songwriter-musicians create songs to perform themselves. Songwriters need to create
860-400: Is co-written, written jointly or written in collaboration with other authors. Co-writers may use the "stream of consciousness" approach, referring to having ideas flow rather than being discussed. The first step in co-writing is to establish the division of the contribution between co-writers. In copyright law, there is no distinction of importance between the lyrics of the song or the melody of
903-432: Is in effect the writer's "draw", an advance on future earnings, which is paid monthly and enables them to live within a fixed budget. The publisher owns the copyright of songs written during the term of the agreement for a designated period, after which the songwriter can reclaim the copyright. In an interview with HitQuarters , songwriter Dave Berg extolled the benefits of the set-up: "I was able to concentrate on writing
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#1732775680067946-550: Is responsible in creating the entire music and lyrics of a song. According to Billboard , 44% of the songs that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the 1970s were written by just one songwriter. The percentage declined to 42% in the 1980s, 24% in the 1990s, 6% in the 2000s, and 4% in the 2010s. Lionel Richie and Diane Warren are the only songwriters with at least 8 number-one singles written solely by themselves. Songs written by more than one person
989-606: The British Invasion . The Swinging Blue Jeans recorded "It Isn't There". In 1966, the Zombies recorded his "Gotta Get a Hold of Myself". Ballard wrote " I'm Alive " for The Hollies , which was number one in the UK Singles Chart in 1965. One of Ballard's best-known songs, " The Game of Love ", was recorded by Manchester-based Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders in 1965. The single went hit number one in
1032-483: The K-pop music industry. Sampling is the reuse of a portion (or sample) of a sound recording in another recording. The original songwriter(s) of a song usually receive co-writing credit when their work is sampled on another song, although they did not literally involve in making the latter. For example, Sting is credited as a co-writer alongside Todd Gaither and Faith Evans for " I'll Be Missing You " (1997) due to
1075-491: The pseudonym Russ Damon; it brought him success as a songwriter, with it reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. Clint Ballard Jr. had on the hand enjoyed success as a songwriter since the late 1950s, writing several top-ten hits for various acts, including Frankie Avalon 's " Ginger Bread " in 1958 which reached number nine in the charts that year. He had also enjoyed success with " The Game of Love ",
1118-569: The US and peaked at number two in the UK. Ballard also wrote the subsequent Mindbenders' chart singles " It's Just a Little Bit Too Late " and " She Needs Love ". Ballard later wrote songs for the Ricky Nelson film, Love and Kisses . He also wrote a series of commercial jingles, including a theme for Greyhound Lines . He died in Denton, Texas , in December 2008, two years after suffering
1161-448: The group recorded together with " The Game of Love " and " She Needs Love ". Their rendition of the song reached number 20 in the UK's Record Retailer but failed to emulate the success of their previous single "The Game of Love", only reaching number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 . Clint Ballard Jr. wrote the song together with Les Ledo, an American songwriter who previously had written the chart hit " Cotton Candy " for Al Hirt under
1204-418: The melodies or lyrics. There is a way to prevent such legal battles. A songwriter can commit their "intent to make a song", which prevents any of the parties ripping the song apart. Some artists send out a legal disclaimer making clear that if their melody is not used after doing a topline, it reverts to them, and the track back to the track writer. Songwriters are also often skilled musicians. In part, this
1247-435: The mix stage. They are referred to as Record Producer / Songwriters as they generally receive songwriting and production credits for both roles. This is especially true for R&B, hip-hop producers in urban hip hop production , when composing the original music as the co-writer is integrated into their traditional role as a Record Producer, such as Rodney Jerkins , Dr. Dre , Timbaland or Pharrell Williams , as opposed to
1290-538: The most successful one of all time, resulting over 180 songs and a record 20 number ones for the Beatles on the Billboard Hot 100. Songwriting camp is a gathering of multiple producers and topliners in a pre-selected location for the purpose of writing songs for a specific artist. As one of the most successful artists in releasing many hit songs , Rihanna has been known for holding various writing camps to make her albums. Writing camps are also very popular in
1333-417: The musical track to be produced first without any vocal melody or lyrics. This is partially due to the rise of portable music production equipment and digital audio workstations that are designed for the swift arrangement of electronic music, such as Cubase and Ableton Live . The top-liner usually is also a singer, and will sing over the track as the demo singer. If the song is for a particular artist,
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1376-688: The role of producer is not generally understood by the public, the average listener does not know when an artist also takes on the role of producer. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys is one of the earliest and most widely known examples of a songwriter turned music producer. Within two years of the band's commercial breakthrough, Wilson had taken over from his father Murry, and he was the sole producer of all their recordings between 1963 and 1967. Many singers also write songs for themselves, and as such, they are usually referred to as singer-songwriters. In solitary songwriting or sole writing, only one person
1419-480: The sample of " Every Breath You Take " (1983), a song he solely wrote for the Police . However, "I'll Be Missing You" did not have legal approval for the sample before its release, thus Sting sued and received 100% of the song royalties, with payments reportedly going until 2053. Beyoncé 's album Lemonade (2016) features as many as 72 co-writers due to use of samples in majority of its tracks. It%27s Just
1462-474: The song well enough to record it, which they did at Philips Studio in London with Fontana Records head producer Jack Baverstock. It was eventually released as a single on 4 June 1965 with "Long Time Comin'" as its B-side. "It's Just a Little Bit Too Late" entered the UK singles chart on 23 June 1965 at a position of 47 before peaking at number 20 on 14 July. It soon thereafter exited the chart on 4 August at
1505-469: The song were from a British merseybeat band named the Druids, who featured Gearie Kenworthy of the Knack . Their version was released as their final and second single on 8 May 1964 through Parlophone Records . Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders had by this point become acquainted with Clint Ballard Jr. as a songwriter, having previously recorded his song " The Game of Love " in 1964. When released as
1548-526: The song, therefore each writer is given equal ownership over the song, unless another agreement is arranged. "Phantom" songwriters provide small contributions to songs. The songwriter suggests a line for a verse or a session musician who informally proposes a chord progression for a coda. "Phantom" songwriters are usually not given credit. Songwriting partnership or songwriting duo is a prolific collaboration which consists of two songwriters, usually sharing 50% royalty each. Songwriting partnership can be between
1591-531: The top-liner may sing the demo in that artist's style. Top-liners often work in groups to co-write. Sometimes producers send out tracks to more than one top-line writer so that the producer or singer could choose the best option. Since the track is the same, melodies by different writers can sometimes be very similar. Occasionally, the producer might choose a few lines of melodic or lyrical ideas from one top-liner without properly crediting or paying them. These situations sometimes result in legal battles over ownership of
1634-401: The vocal melody, or alongside the vocal melody) and creating a more complex song structure (e.g., verse, chorus, bridge, instrumental solo section, etc.). With recent technological improvements, a songwriter can now create commercially viable music almost entirely on their laptop. This technological advancement has made the producer/songwriter role a much more popular occurrence. Perhaps because
1677-489: The whole time and have always had enough money to live on." Unlike contracted writers, some staff writers operate as employees for their respective publishers. Under the terms of these work for hire agreements, the compositions created are fully owned by the publisher. Because the recapture provision of the United States Copyright Act of 1976 does not apply to "works made for hire", the rights to
1720-526: Was also commercially successful, though not on the level of "The Game of Love". In Canada's RPM magazine, it reached number nine, while it reached number 55 on the Australian charts. Upon release, it received primarily positive reviews. In Billboard magazine, it is considered a "No. 1 rhythm contender", noting the previous collaboration with Clint Ballard Jr. In Cash Box it is referred to as "a bright, funky-styled ditty" while simultaneously noting
1763-652: Was first recorded by Dee Dee Warwick . A competing version recorded by Betty Everett appeared weeks later and was a bigger hit, reaching the Top Ten of the US Billboard R&;B chart . A year later, the British group The Swinging Blue Jeans also recorded "You're No Good". Linda Ronstadt 's version hit number one on the Billboard chart in 1975. Ballard's songs were often recorded by artists of
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1806-496: Was recorded by the Drifters frontman Clyde McPhatter in the year 1963. McPhatter's version features prominent claves in the backing which also largely consists of a female backing along with a brass quartet. However, it i unclear whether or not his version actually got released as there is no information available. It would tie in with the year Ballard Jr. and Ledo copyrighted the song in 1963. The first released version of
1849-659: Was recorded by band leader Mitch Miller and became the theme of the 1958 World's Fair in Belgium . Earlier in his career in 1957, Ballard 'discovered' the Kalin Twins and became their manager . Ballard wrote the Kalins' Decca debut single, "Jumpin' Jack". The follow-up, " When " made the US Top Ten and number one on the UK Singles Chart . After leaving the Kalins, in 1958, he wrote "Ev'ry Hour, Ev'ry Day of My Life",
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