tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:08:41 +0000http://www.songfacts.com/writing/noreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)Blogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-195404859911476657Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:03:00 +00002009-11-09T09:08:41.618-08:00For the book By the Time We Got to Woodstock: The Great Rock 'n' Roll Revolution of 1969, Bruce Pollock spoke with Valerie Simpson, who along with her husband Nicholas Ashford wrote many classic Motown songs and became a successful performing duo. Here's an inside look at the Motown machine in 1969.In Detroit, songwriter/producers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong were perhaps the most in touchhttp://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/11/valerie-simpson-talks-about-motown-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-4055196632365833679Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:23:00 +00002009-09-19T09:56:33.541-07:00Great TV theme songs get stuck in your head, in deep, subconscious recesses accessible only by hypnosis and psychedelics. You can go 20 years without seeing The Beverly Hillbillies, when for no apparent reason, you will find yourself merrily chattering, "Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed..."Have you noticed that most shows these days don't even have theme songs? Producers will tellhttp://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/09/top-10-tv-show-theme-songs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-2515299069860026650Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:53:00 +00002009-11-09T08:58:25.546-08:00For the book By the Time We Got to Woodstock: The Great Rock 'n' Roll Revolution of 1969, Bruce Pollock spoke with Bones Howe, who produced The Association and The 5th Dimension. Here is an excerpt from that interview.Among the many people calling the publisher in 1968 for a lock of Hair’s mystique was the L.A. producer Bones Howe, who’d been working with the 5th Dimension since engineering “Up http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/09/bones-howe-and-songs-of-1969.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-9045972932415960201Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:59:00 +00002009-08-20T13:33:22.127-07:00Style and swagger, looks and hooks. What makes a great lead singer is open to interpretation, but we took our best shot. As selected by the Songfacts community, these are the Top 10 Frontpeople of all time.10. Deborah "Debbie" Harry (July 1, 1945)Debbie Harry and Chris Stein formed the band Blondie in the mid-1970s, and many assumed their photogenic phrontwoman was "Blondie." Before fronting the http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/08/songfactors-choice-best-frontperson.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-2724246149647853348Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:54:00 +00002009-07-17T22:33:29.247-07:00This is the third Songwriters Workshop, where Bruce Pollock shares excerpts from some of his interviews with notable songwriters. Bruce's book By the Time We Got to Woodstock: The Great Rock 'n' Roll Revolution of 1969, was described by The Huffington Post as "An astounding overview and enough information to crash Wikipedia... the best primer on our culture's history and psychology precipitating http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/07/songwriters-workshop-collaborations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-3785008988064870530Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:44:00 +00002009-07-25T08:43:48.888-07:00As selected by the Songfacts community, these are the Top 10 Concept Albums of All Time.10. Songs for the Deaf - Queens of the Stone Age QotSA's third studio album takes you on a drive from Los Angeles to the Mojave Desert, all the while tuning into radio stations from towns on the way, such as Banning, California, and Chino Hills, California, always changing channels until one of the songs http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/06/top-10-concept-albums.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-7618529590583779920Tue, 12 May 2009 19:58:00 +00002009-05-26T18:12:15.811-07:00The following stories are about three different soldiers who fought in three different wars, decades apart. What they have in common is music and war. And it is those things that hold them unique. We wanted to honor all soldiers, both living and dead, who sacrificed life as they had always known it to fight for the preservation of an entire people. These stories are true. The names are changed. ~http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/05/soundtracks-of-soldiers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-7688847792598579359Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:57:00 +00002009-03-19T13:08:20.490-07:00As selected by the Songfacts community, these are the Top 10 Music Videos of All Time. Some brought us eye-popping special effects, others were so unexpected we had to watch it over and over. All were wildly innovative and entertaining. 10. Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai (Jonathan Glazer)According to director Jonathan Glazer, "In the video, the four walls move on a stationary grey floor with no http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/03/top-10-music-videos-of-all-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-255402215740400150Fri, 27 Feb 2009 01:50:00 +00002009-02-26T18:37:09.870-08:00This is the second Songwriters Workshop, where Bruce Pollock shares excerpts from some of his interviews with notable songwriters. You might not think of Michael Bolton and Richard Marx as songwriters, but they excel at the craft, as does Desmond Child, whose hits include "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)."Michael Bolton was a busy songwriter during the period just preceding hishttp://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/02/songwriters-workshop-part-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-7293896372723621495Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:41:00 +00002009-02-26T14:48:59.459-08:00Greetings Forgotten Hits readers. We thought you might enjoy these short soundbites from our 2004 interview with Bobby Whitlock, one of the more colorful characters in Rock history. If you'd like to read the full interview, it's at:http://www.songfacts.com/int/2009/02/bobby-whitlock.htmlWhat really destroyed Derek and the Dominos:Flash contentvar s1 = new SWFObject('http://www.songfacts.com/http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/02/bobby-whitlock-soundbites.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-4223723840501198599Sun, 25 Jan 2009 04:45:00 +00002009-01-25T12:16:18.977-08:00Tough as it is to be a football fan some years (when your favorite team hands over their party favors in a gold-plated piñata), your football lovin' bad self can rejoice in the fact that there's always the Super Bowl halftime show to oogle. And for Super Bowl XLIII (that's 43 for those Roman numerals-challenged folks) there will be much to oogle.There will be the Boss. And that's plenty.The Superhttp://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/01/halftime-show-ideas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-604615949811230942Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:32:00 +00002009-01-14T20:00:57.915-08:00Where are the black women songwriters, and what makes them tick? We asked LaShonda Katrice Barnett, who is a professor of history and Africana studiesat Sarah Lawrence College, and author of I Got Thunder: Black Women Songwriters on Their Craft.Of the 348 members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, exactly 2 are black women (Sylvia Moy and Valerie Simpson). Why are there so few prominent black womenhttp://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/01/black-women-songwriters.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-9175863188382349057Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:13:00 +00002009-01-06T20:22:52.250-08:00George Cole wrote The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis, 1980-1991, after interviewing nearly 100 people who worked with Davis, including band members, session musicians, producers, management and road crew. Why is Miles such a big deal, and what tracks should we listen for? George has the answers.For the uninitiated, please explain why Miles Davis is so important.Miles Davis is to jazz is http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2009/01/last-years-of-miles-davis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-1268095794575433353Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:24:00 +00002008-12-16T21:58:01.117-08:00'Tis the season for the Top 10 original Christmas songs, as selected by the Songfacts community. By selecting original songs, we're excluding traditional favorites like "Silent Night." Merry Christmas to all.var yt2 = new SWFObject('http://songfacts.com/youtubeplayer/youtubeplayerorange.swf','youtubeplayerid1','100%','100%','9',"#000000");yt2.useExpressInstall('http://songfacts.com/youtubeplayer/http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/12/top-10-original-chirstmas-songs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-2173799365671945534Mon, 15 Dec 2008 03:36:00 +00002008-12-27T12:40:26.308-08:00These are the ten songs in the Songfacts database released in 2008 that have been viewed the most over the past year.10. I'm Yours by Jason MrazThis may be a simple, cheerful ditty about "finally giving into love and life's possibilities," but you still wanted to find out more. And your curiosity wasn’t a flash in the pan, where after a few months you lost interest in the song. As the year http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/12/most-viewed-songs-of-2008.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-7423079189297102640Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:11:00 +00002008-12-07T18:13:00.409-08:00Songfactor's Choice is a forum on our Message Boards where the citizens of Songfacts decide the top selections in a particular category. In this episode: Groundbreakers. The 10 albums that led the way in music history.1. Revolver - The Beatles Released in the Summer of 1966, with a disturbing art cover by Klaus Voorman, Revolver showed the rising of a new style. A first step into http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/12/songfactors-choice-groundbreakers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-3439326350083246465Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:36:00 +00002009-03-12T22:12:29.875-07:00With 38 Top-40 hits (and more as a songwriter), there has to be something you like. Come on, this is the guy responsible for the joyful 8th inning in Fenway Park, the best parts of Saving Silverman, that song about E.T... OK, maybe there are still some reasons.David Wild, the author of He Is... I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Neil Diamond, explains what you need to know about Neil http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/11/youre-running-out-of-reasons-to-hate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-8717028768304640119Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:30:00 +00002008-10-16T13:27:57.216-07:00War is one of 9 bands nominated for 5 spots in the 24th class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The other nominees are Jeff Beck (already in with The Yardbirds), Chic, Wanda Jackson, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Metallica, Run-D.M.C., The Stooges and Bobby Womack. Here's why War should get in.War is an under-appreciated California Funk group that is a vital part of American music history. http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/10/why-war-should-be-in-rock-and-roll-hall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-297047251272517051Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:47:00 +00002008-09-30T22:39:34.927-07:00Songfactor's Choice is a forum on our Message Boards where the citizens of Songfacts decide the top selections in a particular category. In this episode: Best Canadian Artists.1. Neil YoungIt's not a surprise to see Neil Young at #1 for this category. He's one of the many great singer/songwriters that have been around since the '60s right up to present time. What first got me into listening to http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/09/best-canadian-artists.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-8035067892043236304Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:00:00 +00002008-07-16T22:58:07.875-07:00Songwriters work in many ways. Most of them are extremely verbal when it comes to describing in detail their creative process. Below is the first in a series of useful paragraphs I've excerpted from longer interviews I've had with some great songwriters over the years.-Bruce PollockRandy Newman is a veteran composer/performer most known for his Oscar winning movie scores and theme songs. He's http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/07/songwriters-workshop-part-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-7941413386341635753Thu, 15 May 2008 05:54:00 +00002008-06-12T19:46:24.756-07:00Songfactor's Choice is a forum on our Message Boards where the citizens of Songfacts decide the top selections in a particular category. In this episode: Best Live Albums. These are those magical performances given by the greatest live bands on their greatest nights.1. How The West Was Won - Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin was the greatest hard rock band on the planet. The term "heavy" was invented to http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/05/top-7-live-albums.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-4697167717759195379Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:53:00 +00002009-03-12T22:24:51.663-07:00Matt Giraud took a beating when he sang Viva La Vida, and Anoop learned the hard way that no one should sing Beat It. The judges keep bashing the song choices, and it's clear the selection can make the difference between going home or staying another round. So what should the contestants sing? Here, songwriters and Karaoke experts offer some advice.Make It Your OwnWhether you make a new http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/04/american-idol-song-selection.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-1531538298222937197Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:11:00 +00002008-04-08T00:02:37.081-07:00Songfactor's Choice is a forum on our Message Boards where the citizens of Songfacts decide the Top 5 in a particular category. In this episode: Distinctive Debuts. It's not always experience that counts. Here are the five debut albums we selected as the greatest of all time.Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)Jimi Hendrix's stylistically innovative work from his debut album and http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/04/distinctive-debuts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-4374984062919864806Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:21:00 +00002008-12-04T16:33:49.287-08:00sfchoiceSongfactor's Choice is a forum on our Message Boards where the citizens of Songfacts decide the Top-5 in a particular category. In this episode: Women Gone Wild. Which women have put their indelible stamp on modern music, either through their voice, their songwriting style, or their musicianship? Here are the results with clips selected that best demonstrate the choices.Janis JoplinThe Great Rockhttp://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/03/women-gone-wild.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2406451633682904056.post-815198600246822304Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:25:00 +00002008-02-18T20:37:44.407-08:00campaign musicmccainhuckabeerush limbaughsean hannityrepublicansThe Boston leader's beef with Mike Huckabee is only the latest conflict between a songwriter and a Republican. John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity have all used theme songs written by people who are their political opposites. Can they do that?When Mike Huckabee used "More Than A Feeling" at his campaign rallies, Boston leader Tom Scholz fought back the only way he could: byhttp://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/02/republicans-vs-songwriters.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Songfacts)21