“Songwriting” (PART ONE)

There is a secret to all creative projects. I believe that in order to get started, an entrepreneur must first become competitive with the marketplace, as it is, at that time. Trying to go any further, misses a primary objective.

In the music business, with which I am most familiar, it is advisable to, first, to compete with the creativity which is played via the media at that time. There is no need to jump ahead of yourself. By becoming a “marketplace” type music entrepreneur, I would try to stretch your talents and those with whom you work, as well. Once you have accomplished this, then the time will come that you or someone with whom you work alongside, will create a “twist” on the norm. By stretching out, your songs and recordings will become more exciting and it is excitement which is the energizing factor in the greatest accomplishments in music … this feeling, I call, “INSPIRATION”.

“Inspiration” is the sensation which separates one song from another. One artist from another and one recording from another. This is the “drive” which pushes one into a ‘direction’ which can determine the future career of a songwriter.

For me, I must have started out with a “God-given” talent. Otherwise, I never would have made it to first base.

Of course, by writing songs with those who were much more talented than I, this improved my musical abilities just as a tennis player who plays tennis with others with greater ability and talent. This will, naturally improve as time goes by. If not, the entire project is not worth the time.

I was a stubborn in my goal. I refused to learn how to read or write music. I wanted to continue to be a novice and learn to create music from my “lack” of education. My experience was my teacher. As I progressed, I discovered my own chord patterns and my own set of “never-before-heard or played” connections from one chord to another. Actually, it was “Stevie Wonder” who was my teacher. I finally did meet him later in life, but I believe, “Sunshine in My Life” was the song which inspired me to “create” these patterns, more than any other.

To illustrate, when I sit at the piano, it is like I am wandering in a forest and walking and re-walking upon the same path until the next path or direction “comes along”. I seem to walk down different paths each time I create a song or a melody. This is my own way of creating. This is a “melody-only” way of creating for myself.

The original method of writing a song was to, first, find or create a title. Not just a title, I discovered, but create a “catchy” or different title. Either an attractive title or a meaningful title. Most great titles come from the spoken word by someone else! Recognizing this, is, I think, ingenius. I try to have a pen and pad close by. Nowadays, I try to send a note to myself via my cell phone.

Once a title is established, the concept of the song is then created from that title. “Lines” of a song are then created giving the song more meaning.

The above is the ‘standard’ way of writing a song and lyric.

I was fortunate enough to write with a lyricist who was not only a genius, but a successful genius. Bob Crewe was a true genius. His successes were absolutely outstanding. He was either the producer, the songwriter, the label owner and promoter or the inspiration for hits which he published. Writing with Bob Crewe was a most inspiring time in my life. Bob wrote with Bob Gaudio. He made superstars out of my acts including “The Four Seasons”, Frankie Valli, Billy & Lillie, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Leslie Gore and so many other artists that there are too many to mention.

Bob’s lyrics were somewhat conventional, but his creative, picturesque word-scenes, plus his triple rhymes set his lyrics apart from the rest of the pack.

The Four Seasons, for instance, would release a song and Holland, Dozier & Holland wrote songs as if they would answer the Crewe and Gaudio songs. These two sets of songwriters were the only real competition along with the Beach Boys against the incredible run of the Beatles. Carole King and her late husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote songs as messages to each other as “answers” to each song. “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by the Shirelles was a song, in which they asked each other of their future love. Goffin was the original lyricist for the couple but Carole became her own lyricist after they separated.

The history of Songwriting (and Songwriters) will be covered in “Songwriting” (PART TWO)