Blogging Muses

John Fogerty To Publish Memoir

Syndication — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:19:07 +0000

John Fogerty will release his first memoir in 2014. As one of rock's biggest icons, Fogerty will recount both his personal and private journeys throughout his extraordinary life. The memoir will include his time as lead singer, songwriter and guitarist in one of the most successful rock bands, Creedence Clearwater Revival. Fogerty will tell of his struggles with fame, the turbulent relationships with his bandmates and the clash with his record label for creative freedom that lead him to the Supreme Court. After being victimized by his label, Fogerty was forced to give it all up while in the number one band in the world. “I want to tell the story of how I fought—hard—to maintain my artistic integrity in the face of opposing forces,” Fogerty said in a press statement. Fogerty will also share the inspirations of his wife and family who helped bring him back to music. “The kid from El Cerrito wanted to be the best musician in the world—my promise to myself. I accomplished that goal against all odds, only to have it fall apart on top of me. The songs and the music stopped; you didn’t hear from John Fogerty for years. All of this took its toll on me. I couldn’t write a song, sing a song. And it was so hard on me, all of the lawsuits and betrayals. I was personally fading away. My story will share the ups and downs and how it all affected me. The road back was a bumpy one, and I knew that it would take years to come out of it, but I did. Happily, I did, with my dear wife, Julie, by my side.” Fogerty's upcoming album, Wrote a Song for Everyone, is due is 2013 and consists of collaborations with artists like Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Kid Rock and Dawes. Fogerty says, “I have come to a place where I can look back and reflect on those stories and share what really happened. I am the guy who lived it, and you will hear me tell the story for the first time.”

How to Use Rhyme to Enhance Your Lyrics

Anthony Cesari — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:02:19 +0000

Rhyming can be a powerful tool for tying the meaning of your words to your music. One way to do this is to use rhyme as an accelerator. For example, let’s say you have a rhyme scheme that rhymes on every other line. We’ll call this an ABAB rhyme scheme. It might look like this:

Now we’re gonna rhyme (A)
It’ll be so fun (B)
We’ll do it in four lines (A)
Just like that, we’re done (B)

In this ABAB scheme, the ‘A’ rhymes are the lines with the words “rhyme” and “lines” and the ‘B’ rhymes are “fun” and “done“.

Once we’ve established this rhyme scheme in our song, it becomes what’s expected throughout our section. If we change it, it’ll change what the song makes us feel.

For example if we establish our lyric to be an ABAB rhyme scheme and then change it to an ABBB rhyme scheme the next time around, it’ll feel different. Check it out:

Section 1
Now we’re gonna rhyme (A)
It’ll be so fun (B)
We’ll do it in four lines (A)
Just like that, we’re done (B)

Section 2
Now we’re gonna rhyme (A)
It’ll be so fun (B)
These lines are gonna run (B)
Just like that, we’re done (B)

Okay, lame lyrics aside, how did the second section feel compared to the first? Did you notice the acceleration of the last three lines in the second section? One of the functions of rhyme is it can act as an accelerator, when you space your rhymes close together.

In the example above we established our rhymes to happen at every other line, in section 1. Then we went against those expectations in section 2 by increasing the frequency of the rhyme, which made the lines feel accelerated.

Let’s check out a great example of this concept in action. Check out the first verse of the song “Heart of Gold”:

I want to live, I want to give
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold
It’s these expressions I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

This is essentially an ABABB rhyme scheme, in five lines. Technically, in lines one through four, they’re not rhymes, but identities, since it’s the same word being repeated (“give” and “gold”). But that’s beside the point for right now. Let’s treat them as typical rhymes.

With the ABAB rhyme scheme that’s established in the first four lines, there has been a certain rhyme pace that’s become expected. So when the fifth line comes in with another ‘B’ rhyme, it’s a surprise that accelerates that line.

“So what?” you ask. “The fifth line accelerates… big deal.” Here’s why it’s cool. This acceleration happens on the line “And I’m getting old.” The implication of a line like “And I’m getting old” is “I’m getting old, quickly.” Except he doesn’t have to say “quickly” because that was implied with how the line was written. The acceleration due to two lines of rhyme back to back (after establishing a slower rhyme pattern previously) really helps us FEEL the aging process happening fast for him. It’s the meaning of the lyric tied into the rest of the song. And in my opinion, it works very well. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself.

This pattern continues throughout the song, but you’ll get the gist after the first verse. So just listen to the first verse, through about 1:15 into the song. You can hear it here:

With moves like this, rhyme is always the most obvious contributor, because it stands out so clearly when we hear it. It can’t be mistaken. But when you’re using rhyme to highlight one of your ideas, it usually works best when combined with other tools. In the case of our line “and I’m getting old,” a second tool being used is a change of line length.

If you check out the first four lines of the verse, you’ll notice they’re longer than the last line, “and I’m getting old.” This helps drive home the idea about “I’m getting old quickly.” When you establish a longer line length in previous lines, and then shorten it, it’ll feel quicker. It’s a second contributor to the same idea. And it contributes nicely.

About The Author

To learn more, download Anthony’s free report here: http://successforyoursongs.com/freeoffer/

Anthony Ceseri is the owner of http://www.SuccessForYourSongs.com, a website dedicated to the growth and development of songwriters of all skill levels. Anthony’s writings appear as examples in the book “Songwriting Without Boundaries: Lyric Writing Exercises For Finding Your Voice” by Pat Pattison, an acclaimed lyric writing professor at Berklee College of Music.

Three Key Tips For Getting Your Music In A Commercial

Syndication — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:00:49 +0000

Andy Lykens is a music branding and marketing specialist for Imagem Music, the world’s largest independent music publisher. Follow him at andylykens.com/blog. Yes, advertising pays and it pays well. The days of seeing licensing music for use in advertisements as selling out are near an end (for most bands and artists). As long as a song is aligned with a cool brand, the brand will shell out a stupid amount of money, or if a new artist is seeking exposure the placement of music in advertising seen as a smart business move. When I speak at Universities or at panels inevitably artists will ask a question that’s burning in their minds: “How do I get my music in a commercial?” I’d be lying if I told you it’s easy and didn’t take a long time to get something placed. Even major publishers and labels have dedicated people (like me!) pitching music ALL the time. At the end of the day it’s a combination of a lot of different ideas, connections, and decision-makers and it can STILL get shot down by a final party at the end - more about all that in a later article. However at the most fundamental level there are some things you can consider about getting your music in an ad (please note these are also relevant to placing your music in film and TV). Leave Copywriting to the Pros - At times people in other departments at Imagem will throw us ideas like “Hey, you should pitch this song for an electric company commercial because the lyrics are all about being in the dark!” or an artist manager might make some obvious connection of a song with one line about “rolling along” and think it’d be just PERFECT for a car commercial. While that may seem highly relevant consider this: The agency probably already has an idea of the kind of song they want to use (if any) or any type of lyrical theme. These people are paid to be highly creative and the chances of them either changing their original concept or basing one on a blatantly obvious connection to a lyric is really small. Most of the time when choosing a song (unless they’re doing a brand partnership with a certain artist) they already know what they want. Instead, focus on making your lyrics GREAT. Edit them over and over again until you’re not using too many or too few words, get your metaphors just right, and leave the creative interpretation to the pros. Often times staying on theme and on point with your lyrics can really make your music stand out. Have Your Splits Ready - While not always necessary, it’s really important to have your backing tracks bounced out and ready to roll. Sometimes agency will want just the instrumental because there’s a lot of VO (Voice Over) on the spot, and sometimes they may want to have just the chorus come in at a certain timing. The point is, if you don’t have them now it will probably take you too long to track them down once they’re requested. That means if a brief calls for a non-vocal cut, your music simply won’t be considered. And guess what? Non-vocal usage usually pays just as much as a spot with vocals. Do Your Homework - And you thought your days of homework ended when you handed in your last Schenkerian analysis! Just because you’re not in school anymore doesn’t mean you can’t constantly be improving and learning. Since you’re so keen on getting your music in a commercial, why not learn about trends in advertising? Ever notice how lots of commercials for the past few years have sounded a heck of a lot like the Juno Soundtrack? And before that all you heard were songs that sounded like “Clocks”? The Moldy Peaches and U2 seemed to have made a lasting impression on advertising. Currently, that genre has been expanded and if you’ve got something folky and slightly under-produced that has whistling, hand-claps, a ukelele, or some combination thereof you’re seemingly in good shape. All half-kidding aside, people involved in branding are susceptible to trends just like everyone else. Head over to AdWeek.com and check out the AdFreak section. Watch a ton of ads and note what musical elements are common in them. Does your sound match anything you hear? What do certain brands choose as the soundtrack to how the want to be presented to millions of people? Keep in mind I’m not suggesting you immediately run into the studio and record based on what you hear in the latest Old Spice commercial (a solo whistling album probably wouldn’t be on anyone’s top 10 anyway). In my opinion being yourself and finding your own voice will ALWAYS be the MOST important thing. But it does help to take a look at which music brands are choosing to use in their ads. If you have any more tips or any questions feel free to address them in the comments! Like what you read here? Don’t like it? Let me know, I’m here to help!

The Soul of Ben Sollee

Syndication — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:27:22 +0000

A classically-trained cellist, an in-demand Americana accompanist, a soulful singing solo artist, a ballet score composer, and a bike-riding environmentalist – these are accurate ways to describe the multi-talented Ben Sollee. The Kentucky native’s young career has been notable for its artistic diversity and creative productivity. This year alone he has put out a live album (Live at the Grocery on Home), had two ballet scores produced (Dangerous Liaisons and Sansei), biked to his show at the Newport Folk Festival, and now his latest studio album, Half-Made Man is set for release on September 25th. Half-Made Man, which he financed with fan funding, reveals his ever-evolving musical sound, combining elements from folk, pop, soul, and classical styles and making them his own. The album also features contributions from Abigail Washburn, My Morning Jackets’ guitarist Carl Broemel, and Turtle Island Quartet fiddler Jeremy Kittel. Sollee talked recently about his new album, his musical inspirations and his dream of being a dancer. With your new album Half-Made Man, did you go in with a specific strategy on what type of album you wanted to create? And, if so, how did the end result compare with your original intention? Half-Made Man is an album of self-portraits. Some of the performances are more “posed” than others, but for the most part the record was always about capturing a raw, uncurated expression of the various parts of me. To do so, I invited these four amazing musicians to record live in the studio. Over the two weeks we were together we focused on capturing performances that had a certain energy; we called it “the star-chamber.” And, that’s “star” with the celestial interpretation. The recording seemed to be a rather quick one. Were you open to contributions from the guest performers? Can you talk a little about this album’s recording process? In contrast to my previous records, where I spent a tremendous amount of time composing and over-dubbing parts, this record was a collaborative endeavor. Working from skeletal demo recordings we collectively arranged and orchestrated the songs in an organic way. When listening to the final record I can hear each musician’s distinct voice, which satisfies me. It’s a testament to these players’ musicianship that a jazz/hip-hop bassist, Scottish fiddling champion, rock guitar hero and all-in-one drummer can come together and make such a unique sound. Do you see your albums as part of a musical evolution or just distinct projects? I have seen these songs described as being your most personal to date. My songs come from a personal place and as I evolve and grow, so does the music. That being said, each recording is an opportunity to tell a different piece of my story. So, I let each album live in it’s own space. They are distinct but they come from the same well-water. Your music incorporates a wide range of styles (from classical to soul, country and beyond), do you draw upon music from throughout your life that connects with you? Of course. However, I also draw a lot of inspiration from other disciplines in the arts. I LOVE dance! Movement really inspires my music. Visual art always gets me thinking and is certainly as important as ever to incorporate in this digital, always-on age. I also am kind of a design and architecture geek. It is endlessly fascinating to me how we humans relate to the natural world with our fancy machines and our built spaces. You also have been involved in a variety of projects. Recently you did a couple ballet scores. How did you get involved in those? My dream is to be a dancer. For a few reasons, that hasn’t worked out (probably for the best). As an art form, dance communicates ideas and expressions more clearly than any other discipline. Unfortunately, that often results in an audience that struggles to understand depth of craftsmanship in performance. The two ballets that premiered this year were a result of collaborations over the years. The performance with the Louisville Ballet was a work entitled Sansei, choreographed and staged by Mikelle Bruzina. It was a narrative ballet focused on a Japanese-American family, their traditions, and the transition between matriarchs. The music mixed traditional Japanese melodies with the rolling, circular rhythms of old-time fiddling. The second ballet, which also premiered in April, was a contemporary, super-erotic telling of Dangerous Liasonswith the North Carolina Dance Theater and choreographer Sascha Janes. It was an epic 55 minutes of solo cello with electronics, swinging from a floating platform above, around, and (nearly) on the stage. It was a trip! I hope we can perform it again sometime. Do these outside projects wind up influencing your own music? Do you plan to continue exploring different creative and musical avenues? I don’t really think of them as outside projects. My music is about collaboration and inclusion. Doing these ballets and working on film scores helps me grow and develop my musical language, but they are equal parts of my story. You seem to enjoy collaborations. Do you have dream projects that you’d like to do in the future (either with others or on own)? I’d love to do a project with Bill Cosby. I’m a huge fan and I think that man is brilliant. I’d also love to work with Brad Mehldau and Ani DiFranco. For the most part, collaborations reveal themselves to me rather than me making direct connections... so we’ll just see what happens! You frequently tour by bike. You did one up the East Coast this summer. What are the challenges of a bike tour and what are the rewards? Naturally, there are some physical challenges on bike tours, especially since we choose to haul our gear by bike as well. One can only ride so far, so fast. However, that is the reward as well. There’s no one asking you to drive through the night or fly across the country twice in a weekend. You're on a bike! The limitation is its own kind of freedom. I find myself to be happier and healthier on bike tours as well as more engaged with the communities that I’m traveling through. You used pledgemusic.com to help finance your new album. Do you see this as a significant new music business model and a way to connect more with fans? Does it also fit into your DYI approach (like the bike tour)? I see it as a powerful business model that has been amplified by today’s technology. But it’s important to recognize that fan support and funding has always been the backbone of the music industry. So, it is not significant because it is new, but rather because it gives the artists and fans direct access to each other. It’s a young relationship and, just like high school, there can be awkward moments. But, it will mature and grow in to something beautiful. I’m especially grateful to my fans for their support. Holy crap! I mean, they really came through on Half-Made Man. The cello isn’t a typical lead instrument in non-classical music. Have you ever had second thoughts about sticking with the cello over the years as a singer-songwriter? Are there advantages you find with making music with the cello? (obviously biking with a guitar would be easier). And do you still find people head-scratching that you are a cellist and solo (for lack of a better word) Americana performer? What an eloquent way to ask this question…There is no path through the woods of the music industry for a pop-oriented, singing cellist. That being said, much like the bicycle, it allows a considerable amount of freedom and collaborative opportunities; two things I find essential to my musical health. The cello itself, considered as simply a tool, is a wonderful instrument for a songwriter to take up. It’s like a Swiss army knife. It can provide intense rhythm, subdued drones, an incredible melodic range and amazing harmonic textures. If you’re going to grab one instrument to take on the road and not have to deal with a bunch of electronics, the cello is the best one-stop shop.

Six Things To Do When Your Song Is Finished

Cliff Goldmacher — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 22:25:54 +0000

Contributed by: Cliff Goldmacher
(www.EducatedSongwriter.com)

Introduction

Knowing when a song is finished is an entire article in and of itself so I’m going to predicate these comments on the understanding that your song is, indeed, done. While having a finished song is its own victory, there’s more work to do if you’re hoping to keep your records straight, stay organized and possibly generate income with your song. By treating your songwriting like the profit-making business you’re hoping it will become, you’ll be in a position to capitalize on your opportunities as they arise.

1. Finalize Your Lyric Sheet

An accurate lyric sheet is a great place to start once your song is done. Use this lyric sheet to capture all the pertinent information about your new song. At the bottom of the page write out the D.O.C. (date of creation), the name of the writer (or writers in the case of a co-write) and all pertinent publishing information including the PRO (performing rights organization). This way, when it comes time to provide the necessary information to the record label or music supervisor, it’s all in one place. For example, the bottom of my lyric sheets look like this:

©3.1.12 Cliff Goldmacher, Famous In France Music (BMI)

Next, if/when you provide this lyric sheet to a demo vocalist, make sure that every word of the song is written out. Avoid shortcuts like writing “repeat chorus.” By writing out every word exactly in the order it’s sung, you’re making the job of the vocalist that much easier. And, to that end, I’d also recommend indenting your choruses so that they’re easily distinguishable from your verses and bridge. Finally, there’s no need to double space your lyric and it should all fit on one page. This makes it easier for the eventual demo vocalist to read it on the music stand among other reasons. If you’re over one page, you can fudge a little by combining lines or using a smaller font BUT if you really can’t fit your entire lyric on one page, you might seriously consider editing your lyric.

2. Create The Definitive Rough Recording
Now that your song is done, you’re going to need a quick and easy recording that captures its melody, lyric and chord changes. As I’ve mentioned in my workshops, there is no Grammy for best rough recording so a simple guitar or piano and vocal recorded directly into your smartphone or laptop is perfectly acceptable. This recording is useful for a couple of reasons. First, quite simply, it will prevent you from forgetting how your song goes. This may sound far-fetched for those of you who’ve only written a few songs but as you begin to write more often and start to build your catalog, you’d be amazed at how quickly these little buggers can erase themselves from your memory. Secondly, this recording will serve as the reference for the demo vocalist and session musicians should you choose to bring your song to the next level.

3. Schedule A Demo

Speaking of bringing your song to the next level, it’s time to decide if this song is worth a further investment of your time and financial resources. If we’re honest with ourselves as songwriters, we have to admit that not every song we write is demo-worthy. However, if you believe that this particular song is genuinely ready for prime time, then you have to create a professional demo of the song so that you can present it to the music industry at large and be taken seriously. This is not the time to hope that music business professionals will be able to “hear through” your rough recording. Instead, I’d recommend investing the money on a professional studio recording using a trained demo singer and at least one session musician. If you’re prepared to spend the necessary time and effort learning to sing, play and record your own songs at the highest level, then by all means do this yourself. But, given the number of hours in the day, if you have to choose, I’d consider spending your time working on your songwriting and pitching your songs and leave the recording to the folks that do it all day, every day.

4. Catalog Your Mixes

Once you’re the proud owner of a great-sounding, professionally recorded demo of your song, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got easy access to it. This way, when an opportunity presents itself, you’ll know exactly where to go and what to look for. I can’t think of anything more depressing than an artist, label or publisher asking for a copy of your song and you not being able to find it. To that end, I’d ask the demo studio for high resolution wave file mixes of your demo with and without vocals (instrumental versions of your songs are always great to have). Then, I’d learn how to use iTunes to not only convert your .wav files to mp3 for easier emailing but also to embed the necessary metadata (song title, contact info, etc.) directly into the mp3. This can be a bit daunting at first but, remember, if you’re hoping to make money from your songwriting, then you’re running a business and knowing how to prepare your product is all part of it.

5. Create A Backup

Now that you’ve got your songs and all the accompanying information properly labeled and stored, it’s time to set up a reliable backup system. It’s essential to remember that it’s not “if” but “when” your computer hard drive – with all your rough recordings, finished demos and lyric sheets – will fail. Not only do your demos represent a significant financial investment but your songs themselves are priceless. My motto is that if it doesn’t exist in two places, it doesn’t exist. Learn how to back up your computer to a separate drive or, to coin the current phraseology, to the cloud. Under no circumstances should you go without some kind of backup. That’s simply a recipe for a catastrophic event.

6. Pitch Your Song

I know this sounds obvious but once you’ve got a finished demo of your song, you’ve got to show it to people. It’s amazing to me – and I was equally guilty of this early in my career – how few songwriters make the effort to get their songs out there. There are a variety of reasons for this. First and foremost, it’s work. At this point, you could be selling shoes as far as you’re concerned. There is nothing romantic about having a product and figuring out who’s interested in buying it. But, as I mentioned earlier, you’re running a business and so it needs to be done. Secondly, even if you are willing, it can be a bit daunting trying to figure out who’s looking for what you’ve got. There are reputable pitch sheets such as www.SongQuarters.com and www.RowFax.com that, for a fee, provide the necessary information and there are organizations like www.Taxi.com that will do the pitching for you for a fee. Finally, there’s no substitute for getting out there and meeting the decision-makers yourself by traveling to NYC, Nashville and Los Angeles, attending music conferences and going to workshops. The opportunities are out there if you’re willing to look for them.

Conclusion

Writing a song is a remarkable accomplishment. Don’t ever forget that. However, once that’s done, I hope the information I’ve provided will serve as a road map for what comes next.

Good luck!

Cliff Goldmacher is a songwriter, producer, session musician, engineer, author and owner of recording studios in Nashville, TN and Sonoma, CA. Cliff’s site, http://www.EducatedSongwriter.com, is full of resources for the aspiring songwriter including his 14-part video podcast series. Cliff’s company, http://www.NashvilleStudioLive.com, provides songwriters outside of Nashville with virtual access to Nashville’s best session musicians and singers for their songwriting demos.

You can download a FREE sample of Cliff’s eBook “The Songwriter’s Guide To Recording Professional Demos” by going to http://www.EducatedSongwriter.com/ebook.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EducatedSongwriter
Twitter: edusongwriter

News: Mariah Carey, Drake, Lil Wayne, EMI Music Publishing & More Honored at BMI Urban Awards

Syndication — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 06:00:14 +0000

Urban music’s premier songwriters, producers and music publishers came together to celebrate one another tonight during the BMI Urban Awards at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. The annual, star-powered event toasts the creative teams behind the past year’s most-performed R&B, rap, pop and hip-hop songs in BMI’s deep repertoire.

Mariah Carey was named a BMI Icon in recognition of her prolifically successful and influential songwriting career. A jaw-dropping tribute, which included producer Jermaine Dupri; gospel siren Karen Clark Sheard, who performed “Anytime You Need a Friend”; R&B crooner Joe, delivering “We Belong Together”; soul troubadour Eric Benet, who offered “One Sweet Day”; and American Idol alum Fantasia belting out “Hero,” paid homage to Carey.

BMI honors songwriters who have had a “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers” as Icons. Mariah Carey joins a list of past honorees that includes The Jacksons, Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Little Richard, Al Green, The Bee Gees, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton, to name a few.

Drake and Lil Wayne shared the Songwriter of the Year crown by each writing seven songs that rank among the year’s most-performed. The win marks the second consecutive Songwriter of the Year title for Drake, whose top contributions include “Aston Martin Music,” “Headlines,” “Moment 4 Life,” and “What’s My Name?,” as well as “Right Above It,” “I’m On One” and “She Will,” which he co-wrote with Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne’s four additional smashes include “6 Foot 7 Foot,” “How to Love,” “Look at Me Now,” and “Motivation.”

Nicki Minaj’s inescapable “Super Bass” earned Song of the Year honors for its writers Minaj, Ester Dean and Kane Beatz, as well as publishers Artist 101 Publishing Group, Dat Damn Dean Music, Harajuku Barbie Music, Money Mack Music, peermusic III, Ltd. and Songs of Universal, Inc.

Pop Wansel earned the Producer of the Year crystal. The incredible songwriter/producer has helmed boards for hits by Trey Songz and Drake, Nicki Minaj, Busta Rhymes, Fantasia, Ginuwine, Lil Wayne, Kelly Rowland, and Britney Spears, among many others. In addition to Wansel, BMI also recognized Top Producers Warren “Oak” Felder, Jim Jonsin, R. Kelly, Lexus “Lex Luger” Lewis, Polow Da Don, Troy Taylor, Kanye West, and Tyler “T-Minus” Williams.

With 17 songs among the most-performed, EMI Music Publishing clinched the prestigious Publisher of the Year crown.

Mac Miller won the first-ever BMI Social Star Award, presented by Spotify. Voted on by fans via Twitter, the award salutes the BMI urban songwriter who has best demonstrated the power of social media to showcase their songwriting talents.

During the ceremony, BMI also recognized the songwriters of Billboard No. 1 singles on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts over the past year.

BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and Catherine Brewton, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Atlanta, hosted the 2012 BMI Urban Awards.

2012 BMI Urban Music Awards

BMI Icon
MARIAH CAREY

Urban Songwriters of the Year
DRAKE
“Aston Martin Music”
“Headlines”
“I’m On One”
“Moment 4 Life”
“Right Above It”
“She Will”
“What’s My Name?”

LIL WAYNE
“6 Foot 7 Foot”
“How to Love”
“I’m On One”
“Look At Me Now”
“Motivation”
“Right Above It”
“She Will”

Urban Song of the Year
“SUPER BASS”
Ester Dean
Daniel “Kane Beatz” Johnson
Nicki Minaj
Artist 101 Publishing Group
Dat Damn Dean Music
Harajuku Barbie Music
Money Mack Music
peermusic III, Ltd.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Nicki Minaj

Urban Publisher of the Year
EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING
“5 O’Clock”
“All of the Lights”
“Aston Martin Music”
“Can’t Be Friends”
“Far Away”
“Good Feeling”
“Headlines”
“How to Love”
“I’m On One”
“Moment 4 Life”
“Motivation”
“Ni**as In Paris”
“Out Of My Head”
“Right Above It”
“She Will”
“What’s My Name?”
“Work Out”

Urban Producer of the Year
ANDREW “POP” WANSEL

Top Urban Producers
WARREN “OAK” FELDER
JIM JONSIN
R. KELLY
LEXUS “LEX LUGER” LEWIS
POLOW DA DON
TROY TAYLOR
KANYE WEST
TYLER “T-MINUS” WILLIAMS

Social Star Award Presented by Spotify
MAC MILLER

2012 BMI Urban Music Awards
Award-Winning Songs

5 O'CLOCK
Lily Rose Cooper (PRS)
Howard Paul Donald (PRS)
Jason Orange (PRS)
T-Pain
Wiz Khalifa
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Nappypub Music
Universal Music-Z Songs
Universal-Songs of PolyGram International, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Wiz Khalifa Publishing
T-Pain feat. Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen

6 FOOT 7 FOOT
Cory Gunz
Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford
Lil Wayne
BMG Platinum Songs
Cory Gunz Music
Galassi Foreign Floss Publishing, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz

ALL OF THE LIGHTS
Jeff Bhasker
Warren Trotter
Kanye West
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Songs MP
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Way Above Music
Kanye West

ASTON MARTIN MUSIC
Kevin "Colione" Crowe (J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)
Drake (SOCAN)
Erik "Rook" Ortiz (J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)
Rick Ross
4 Blunts Lit At Once Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
First and Gold Publishing
Live Write LLC
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Rick Ross feat. Drake & Chrisette Michele

BEST THING I NEVER HAD
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
Patrick "j.Que" Smith
Christopher Matthew Music
Faze 2 Music
Hitco Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Beyoncé

CAN'T BE FRIENDS
Michael Carlos Jones
Troy Taylor
Trey Songz
Mario Winans
April's Boy Music LLC
Downtown DMP Songs
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Janice Combs Music
Marsky Music
No Quincydence Music Publishing
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Jones
Trey Songz

DOWN ON ME
Mick Schultz
Mick Schultz Publishing
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Jeremih feat. 50 Cent

FAR AWAY
Marsha Ambrosius
Lamont Dozier
Brian Holland
Eddie Holland
EMI-Stone Agate Music
SPZ Music, Inc.
Marsha Ambrosius

FLY
Nicki Minaj
Clemm Rishad Penton
JR Rotem
BELUGA HEIGHTS MUSIC
Harajuku Barbie Music
Irving Music
Jonathan Rotem Music
Money Mack Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Nicki Minaj feat. Rihanna

GIVE ME EVERYTHING
Afrojack (BUMA)
Armando "Pitbull" Perez
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Tenyor Music
Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer

GOOD FEELING
Tim "Avicii" Bergling (STIM)
Breyan Isaac
Etta James
Pearl W. Johnson
Leroy Kirkland
Arash Pournouri
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
EMI-Longitude Music
Naz Sect Media
Flo Rida

HEADLINES
Drake (SOCAN)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Live Write LLC
Drake

HEY BABY (DROP IT TO THE FLOOR)
Armando "Pitbull" Perez
T-Pain
Sandy Vee
Nappypub Music
Pitbull's Legacy
Ultra Empire Music
Universal Music-Z Songs
Pitbull feat. T-Pain

HOW TO LOVE
Marcus "Max Lux" Boyd
Noel "Detail" Fisher
Lil Wayne
LaMar Seymour
LaNelle Seymour
Bryan "Baby" Williams
Drummah Boyz Worldwide LLC
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
If You Need Me Don't Leave Me
Imani Knows Hits
Money Mack Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Lil Wayne

I'M ON ONE
DJ Khaled
Drake (SOCAN)
Lil Wayne
Rick Ross
Tyler "T-Minus" Williams (SOCAN)
4 Blunts Lit At Once Publishing
Brother Bagz Publishing
DJ Khaled Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
First and Gold Publishing
Live Write LLC
Money Mack Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne

LIGHTERS
Eminem
Isaac Jones
Ryan "Royce da 5'9" Montgomery
Phil Thornton
Artegia Music
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Songs of Universal, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars

LOOK AT ME NOW
Afrojack (BUMA)
Chris Brown
Ryan Buendia (DJ Replay)
Busta Rhymes
Lil Wayne
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Ryan Buendia Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Tenyor Music
Tziah Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes

MOMENT 4 LIFE
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Nicki Minaj
Tyler "T-Minus" Williams (SOCAN)
Brother Bagz Publishing
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Money Mack Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake

MOTIVATION
Jim Jonsin
Lil Wayne
Danny Morris
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Hypnotic Beats, Inc.
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Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne

MY LAST
Big Sean
FF to Def Publishing LLC
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Big Sean featuring Chris Brown

NI**AS IN PARIS
Mike Dean
Chauncey "Hit Boy" Hollis
Kanye West
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
U Can't Teach Bein' The Shhh, Inc.
Unichappell Music, Inc.
Kanye West & Jay-Z

OUT OF MY HEAD
Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis
Lupe Fiasco
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
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Te-Bass Music, Inc.
Universal Music-Careers
Lupe Fiasco feat. Trey Songz

RIGHT ABOVE IT
Drake (SOCAN)
Daniel "Kane Beatz" Johnson (BMI-No Pay)
Lil Wayne
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Live Write LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Lil Wayne feat. Drake

ROCKETEER
Jae "j-Splif" Choung
James "Prohgress" Roh
Ray Romulus
Jonathan Yip
Fmonyourdial Publishing
Hunnypot Happenings
Music For Milo
Please Enjoy The Music
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Far East Movement feat. Ryan Tedder

SHE AIN'T YOU
Chris Brown
Ryan Buendia (DJ Replay)
Kevin McCall
Brian Alexander Morgan (ASCAP-Pay)
Bam Jams Music
Culture Beyond Ur Experience Publishing
Kmacnificent
Meloists Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Chris Brown

SHE WILL
Drake (SOCAN)
Lil Wayne
Tyler "T-Minus" Williams (SOCAN)
Brother Bagz Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Live Write LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Young Money Publishing, Inc.
Lil Wayne feat. Drake

THE SHOW GOES ON
Jonathan K. Brown
Lupe Fiasco
Daniel "Kane Beatz" Johnson (BMI-No Pay)
Heavy As Heaven Music
Universal Music-Careers
Lupe Fiasco

SUPER BASS
Ester Dean
Daniel "Kane Beatz" Johnson
Nicki Minaj
Artist 101 Publishing Group
Dat Damn Dean Music
Harajuku Barbie Music
Money Mack Music
peermusic III, Ltd.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake

WHAT'S MY NAME?
Ester Dean
Drake (SOCAN)
Dat Damn Dean Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Live Write LLC
peermusic lll, Ltd.
Rihanna feat. Drake

WORK OUT
Miri Ben-Ari
J Cole
John Legend
Kanye West
BMG Sapphire Songs
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
John Legend Publishing
Mirimode Music
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
J Cole

BMI Urban Billboard No. 1 Singles
July 1, 2011 – July 15, 2012

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay &
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

CLIMAX
Sean "Elijah Blake" Fenton
LOTUS FLOWER BOMB
Jerrin Howard
Usher

MAKE ME PROUD
Drake (SOCAN)
Tyler "T-Minus" Williams (SOCAN)
Drake

MARVIN & CHARDONNAY
Big Sean
Mike Dean
Kanye West
Big Sean

THE MOTTO
Drake (SOCAN)
Lil Wayne
Sir Mix-A-Lot
Tyler "T-Minus" Williams (SOCAN)
Drake feat. Lil Wayne & Tyga

NI**AS IN PARIS
Mike Dean
Chauncey "Hit Boy" Hollis
Kanye West
Jay-Z & Kanye West

SHE WILL

Drake (SOCAN)
Lil Wayne
Tyler "T-Minus" Williams (SOCAN)
Lil Wayne feat. Drake

Hot Rap Songs

CASHIN' OUT
Johnmichael Gibson
Cash Out

DRANK IN MY CUP
Raul Gonzalez (DJ Ryu)
Brandon Tillman (Pyro)
Kirko Bangz

HEADLINES
Drake (SOCAN)
Drake

MAKE ME PROUD
Drake (SOCAN)
Tyler "T-Minus" Williams (SOCAN)
Drake feat. Nicki Minaj

THE MOTTO
Drake (SOCAN)
Lil Wayne
Sir Mix-A-Lot
Tyler "T-Minus" Williams (SOCAN)
Drake feat. Lil Wayne & Tyga

NI**AS IN PARIS
Mike Dean
Chauncey "Hit Boy" Hollis
Kanye West
Jay-Z & Kanye West

Elton John’s American Debut: August 25, 1970

Syndication — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 07:11:41 +0000

On August 25, 1970, Elton John made his U.S. debut in a legendary six-night sold-out run at West Hollywood’s Troubadour. John’s eponymous first album—which was released in the states on July 22—had landed on the Troubadour owner Doug Weston’s desk with a request for the undiscovered pianist to play a date as his club. Weston, [...]

Neil Young and Crazy Horse Ready Pyschedelic Pill

Syndication — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 21:17:15 +0000

Pyschedelic Pill" src="http://c305032.r32.cf1.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/neil_young_-_per_ole_hagen-1.jpg" alt="Neil Young and Crazy Horse Ready Pyschedelic Pill" width="200" height="133" />

Neil Young has announced a new album with his longtime bandmates Crazy Horse titled Psychedelic Pill, due this October. Surprisingly enough, Young and Crazy Horse already collaborated on an album, Americana, which was released just three months ago. However, current information suggests that Psychedelic will be a horse of different color, swiftly departing from the feel of Americana, which focused solely on covers of folk standards.

In this new release, Young seems primed for two things in particular: returning to his roots, and stretching rock music to its limits. Case in point to the former - at the opening show of their new tour held in Albuquerque earlier this month, Young and Crazy Horse debuted six new songs that will likely appear on the new album. One of which, "Twisted Road," pays homage to Young's contemporaries as well as his heroes, citing Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Hank Williams among others. And to the latter -- an update on Young's website revealed that "a double-CD and triple-vinyl will be released because of the lengths of many of the songs."

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Crazy Horse guitarist Frank "Pancho" Sampedro discussed the twenty-minute album track "Walk Like A Giant."

"Neil came into the studio and he had that song; we played it one time and the next thing we know we're doing overdubs. Then he played it for us. The playback just blew our minds. We had no idea we'd done something that big. I imagine it's about Earth being destroyed by this giant, and we're screening the planet for survivors and shit. I have all these images going through my head. It's really crazy."

Young's memoir, Waging Heavy Peace, is due October 2 via Blue Rider Press.

Help Joseph Arthur Lawyer Up

Syndication — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:26:12 +0000

Singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur took to Facebook today to post some distressing news.

NYC towed my van and sold it with amps and equipment and so much art in it. It's a white 2003 dodge ram. Sold yesterday. Please help recover. Anyone with any knowledge or help (lawyers) into how to deal with a city taking and selling your stuff would be greatly appreciated. I just found out about this and cant think straight but so much priceless (to me) was inside. Over 40 large scale paintings rolled in canvas. I'm gutted.

The van wasn't towed and sold the same day. It was towed from a place where it was getting repaired and sold when i was in Mexico under the impression that it was back at the shop.

We hate to think of Arthur, who stopped by the office last year for a great live Session and ended up giving us one of his paintings, getting screwed. If you can help him out, contact him at via his Facebook page. Get a free download of Arthur's latest album, Redemption City, here.

Learning To Fly: A Q&A With Richie Sambora

Syndication — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 18:50:22 +0000

Last summer, Richie Sambora wrapped up a long tour with Bon Jovi. The guys had been on the road for a year and a half, playing as many as twenty-five songs a night, and everyone was tired. It was the perfect time for a summer vacation. Days after the final show, though, Richie got back to work by focusing on a new project, Aftermath Of The Lowdown, a collection of ballads and guitar-heavy rockers that doubles as his third solo album. We caught up with the urban cowboy earlier this month to get the lowdown on Lowdown.

Richie! Congrats on the solo record. It must be nice to do interviews where you don’t have to answer the same questions about “Wanted Dead or Alive” for the millionth time.

Sometimes you gotta do that, but doing this is great, too. I love this record. I really do. Tell us a bit about it.

I’m thrilled with the songs and I’m thrilled with the band and I’m thrilled with the way everything came out. It just gelled. It was organic. It’s one of those special records where you look back at it and go, “We captured the spirit.” It’s hard to do that sometimes. You have to go through the technical process first, which sometimes impedes the spirit when you’re in the studio. You can do a couple wrong things, and it takes the soul right out of the record. With this one, I’m just really happy with the end product.

After recording more than ten albums with Bon Jovi, what’s it like to work with a different band?

My producer, Luke Ebbin, helped me put together a great group of guys. Right off the bat, we went into the studio and we cut “Every Road Leads Home To You.” This record is essentially about my own stuff -- the stuff I’ve been through, the ups and downs over the last ten years or so -- and “Every Road” is one of the songs I wrote about my daughter. I think everyone has a “home,” whether it be their husband or boyfriend or wife or girlfriend or just their house. It’s a place, or person, that they yearn to come home to. So I was in the studio with the guys, they were immediately feeling the groove like I was, and we really became a band -- just a great, fresh-sounding gang of guys -- on that song.

Are there any songs that changed direction once you started playing them with the guys?

“Weathering the Storm,” which I wrote with Bernie Taupin. Actually, I should elaborate on that. This is a songwriting magazine! Being a fan of Elton and Bernie for many many years, it was an honor to write with Bernie. A friend and publisher put us together. We went out to dinner and got along famously, just talking about our lives, our musical roots, our influences. We got together about two weeks later and talked some more, and he said, “Ok, I got it.” About three or four days after that, he sent me a couple of lyrics. I gravitated toward two of them, one of which didn’t make the record. I felt like “Weathering the Storm” was relevant not only to my life, but to so many people who’re going through tumultuous times right now. They’re just getting through adversity and coming out on the other end of it. It’s about that, and it’s a very triumphant song.

The way Bernie does things, he basically hands you a lyric and says “Go.” Ha! I’d never written like that. I always have lyrics and music, because they come to me at the same time. So I had a bit of anxiety about this, but once I picked up the lyric, I started singing melodies to it. I got the melodies down, then I put some chords to it, and when we presented it to the band, we all tried it a few different ways. Different instrumentation, different speeds... but the incarnation that made the record is the best interpretation of the lyric.

So in this case, the lyrics helped push the song in a certain direction.

Yeah. I looked for a sympathetic melodic line. I was just singing different ideas, trying to find something that would really get the lyric across. I’m thrilled with what we did, and Bernie’s thrilled -- and that in itself is amazing. I mean, Bernie’s only written with three other guys in his life, Elton being one of them. We’ve written a couple songs since then, so we have a cool little partnership going on.

When you write songs for Bon Jovi, you’re writing them for someone else’s voice. Jon is the lead singer. But on this album, you’re the lead singer. That’s a big change.

Absolutely. As a songwriter, if you’re working with someone else, you have to take their personality into account. You’ve gotta figure out what you’d like to hear them say, what you’d like to hear them sing. With Jon and I, not only are we in the same band, but there’s a huge commonality between where we grew up, what social class we were in, and how we grew up. We were raised five miles away from each other, about three years apart. So there’s a lot of things we share, but Jon is the megaphone in that band, so I’m writing things for him. In my solo career, I’m the megaphone. I get to explore my own life experiences. Making this record for me was a great opportunity to check in with myself, which is the great thing about songwriting in general. It forces you to make observations. The song “Nowadays” is basically Richie making an observation about what’s happening in the world, which is something I’ve had the blessing to observe with Bon Jovi. Our last tour was eighteen and a half months in fifty-two countries. I’ve been able to look at the entire world, and “Nowadays” was my own view of what’s going on out there.

What about the more personal songs? When you’re writing these songs and singing them, is it scary to get really personal with your lyrics?

Yeah, but that wasn’t a challenge at all. Some artists don’t wanna do that, but the risk for me was to be unauthentic. The music would’ve come out either way, and if I wasn’t singing about my own life, I think the record would be bullshit. It wouldn’t be real. That’s not the kind of record I want to make. On this record, there’s an authenticity and a vulnerability. And there’s a communicative aspect. I’m talking about me, but these songs are going to be relatable to people all over the planet. Because like I said, I’ve had that bird’s eye view of the world over the last thirty years. I’ve seen music be the most evocative, transformative, and communicative language in humanity. I go to places where they shouldn’t even understand our language, and music breaks down those barriers. I’ve been able to communicate to the masses through songwriting, and I’ve been doing that for a long, long time. I think this record will do that, too.

I was listening to the title track from Stranger In This Town the other day. That song still holds up.

Thank you. I love that song.

Are you on good terms with the rest of that album? It’s more than twenty years old. Were there things about the album that you wanted to bring to Aftermath Of The Lowdown, too?

Just the sincerity. That’s a very, very different album, and I approached it on a different level. It came on the heels of Slippery When Wet and New Jersey, but it wasn’t an everyday pop record. There was some blues, some R&B, jazz, and a lot of progressive stuff on there. It threw people for a loop. The only thing I tried to bring from that record to this one was the authenticity of what I was singing about. Stranger In This Town is a very sincere record -- those songs still mean a lot to me -- and when I go on the road to promote this new one, I’ll be singing songs from that one, too.

Who will you have on the road with you? The same band that played on the album?

Yeah, my same guys. I’ve got my guys! We had such a good time making this record that I was able to convince them to come out with me. Except for Rusty , my guitar understudy, who’s not going to be able to make it out. But I did get David Ryan Harris, who’s John Mayer’s guitar player. I have Matt Rollins on keyboards; he’s an amazing guy out of Nashville who’s also played with Dire Straits. Aaron Sterling on drums, who’s John Mayer alumni also, and Curt Schneider on bass, who’s worked with people like Sting. He’s also a producer. So I have my guys. We’re gonna have a blast, man.

Good, because this album sounds like a “band album,” rather than a solo record with a bunch of anonymous players backing you up.

You’re absolutely correct. There was such a ferocity in the musical communication, and that’s why there’s some extended jams on this record. You hear a lot of stuff coming off the floor at the end of “Burn the Candle Down,” at the end of “Learning How To Fly With a Broken Wing,” at the end of “Sugar Daddy,” at the end of “Takin a Chance on the Wind.” I just kept it. It was organic stuff. I don’t hear a lot of guitar players out there soloing anymore, at least not a lot of people actually composing guitar solos. That’s one of the reasons I picked up the guitar in the first place. I wanted to have the self-expression of a guy like Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton. In essence, you’re writing music inside the solo. That’s something I’ve always done, and I’ve been limited before -- even on Bon Jovi records -- so I decided, “Hey, this is a solo album, so I’m the boss. Here we go.”