Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters
255 episodes - English - Latest episode: 19 days ago - ★★★★★ - 207 ratingsSongcraft is a bi-weekly podcast that brings you in-depth conversations with and about the creators of lyrics and music that stand the test of time. You probably know their names, and you definitely know their songs. We bring you their stories.
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Episodes
Ep. 53 - PAM SHEYNE ("Genie in a Bottle")
January 10, 2017 00:59 - 58 minutes - 53.4 MBAfter establishing herself in Europe, New Zealand native Pam Sheyne broke through to international songwriting success when “Genie in a Bottle” hit #1 in more than 20 countries, sold millions of copies around the world, cemented Christina Aguilera’s place as a new pop superstar, and earned Sheyne an Ivor Novello award for International Hit of the Year. Pam went on to pen the single “Mirror Mirror” for the Norwegian pop duo M2M, which landed in the Top 20 on the US Dance chart, as well as “He...
Ep. 52 - Songcraft Sampler (2nd Anniversary Highlights)
December 27, 2016 03:26 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBScott and Paul look back on the first two years of Songcraft, sharing memories and clips of previous episodes, including some of their favorite moments from classic interviews.
Ep. 51 - SONNY CURTIS ("I Fought the Law")
December 13, 2016 01:29 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBSonny Curtis began his music career in Lubbock, Texas, playing lead guitar in Buddy Holly’s pre-Crickets band, The Three Tunes. He landed his first hit as a songwriter when Webb Pierce took his song “Someday” to #12 on the Billboard country chart in 1957. He went on to his own performing career, both as a solo artist and as the longtime guitarist and vocalist for the post-Buddy Holly Crickets, while continuing to write songs that became hits for others. These include The Everly Brothers’ “W...
Ep. 50 - LORETTA LYNN ("Coal Miner's Daughter")
November 29, 2016 01:02 - 44 minutes - 41.1 MBMulti-Grammy award winner Loretta Lynn is an American music legend. The Kentucky native married as a young teenager, moved to Washington State, and had four children by age 20. She poured her energies into life as a homemaker before teaching herself to play guitar and write songs. Her life experiences informed her writing style, which gave voice to the concerns of everyday working class women. She landed a record contract with a regional label and tirelessly promoted her first single, “I’m a...
Ep. 49 - TOM RUSSELL ("Gallo del Cielo")
November 15, 2016 01:22 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBTom Russell is a painter, essayist, and critically lauded singer-songwriter in the Western folk tradition, All Music Guide called him “perhaps the finest American folk-roots artist that most Americans never heard of,” while Rolling Stone’s John Swenson dubbed him “the greatest living folk-country songwriter.” Russell was discovered by Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter in New York in the early 1980s and launched his solo artist career soon after. His songs “Blue Wing” and “Black Pearl” ea...
Ep. 48 - MARLA CANNON-GOODMAN ("Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo")
November 01, 2016 00:52 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBThe daughter of legendary Nashville songwriter and producer Buddy Cannon, Marla Cannon-Goodman first made her mark when Lee Ann Womack took her song “The Fool” to the top of the country charts in 1997. Cannon went on to pen the #1 hits “Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo” by Tracy Byrd and “Cleaning This Gun” by Rodney Atkins, as well as the hit singles “Don’t Make Me” by Blake Shelton and “Rock On” by Tucker Beathard. Other artists who’ve recorded her songs include Sammy Kershaw, Susan Ashton, Cr...
Ep. 47 - GARY WRIGHT ("Dream Weaver")
October 18, 2016 02:18 - 58 minutes - 53.7 MBLaunching his professional career as a child actor on Broadway, Gary Wright eventually moved to Europe to pursue post-graduate studies in Psychology. While there, he co-founded the group Spooky Tooth as keyboardist and primary songwriter. He departed in 1970 to launch a solo career and, during this era, began working as a studio musician, playing on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy,” Harry Nilsson’s “Without You,” and other notable recordings by...
Ep. 46 - MAURICE WILLIAMS of the Zodiacs ("Stay")
October 04, 2016 04:42 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBA multiple BMI award-winning songwriter, Maurice Williams is best known for penning two R&B classics, “Stay,” and “Little Darlin’.” The latter song first appeared on the Excello label in 1957 as recorded by Williams’ own group, The Gladiolas. It was soon covered by The Diamonds, who made it a national #2 hit on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts. Elvis Presley’s “All Shook Up” kept the song from the top spot, though Elvis himself would later record “Little Darlin’” for his 1977 Moody Blu...
Ep. 45 - WANDA JACKSON ("Mean, Mean Man")
September 20, 2016 00:01 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBPioneering female artist and celebrated Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson, landed more than 30 songs on the Billboard charts between 1954 and 1974. These include the self-penned singles "Right or Wrong" and "In the Middle of a Heartache," two Top 10 hits which proved to be Jackson’s most successful records as a solo artist. Beginning her career as a pure country singer, Wanda’s debut single was a duet with Billy Gray called “You Can’t Have My Love.” Released on Decca Records, the song hit ...
Ep. 44 - GORDON KENNEDY ("Change the World")
September 06, 2016 00:24 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBGordon Kennedy is a Nashville-based songwriter, producer, and guitarist best known for co-writing “Change the World,” which Eric Clapton took to the top of the charts and kept in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary rankings for an unprecedented 81 weeks. That success won Kennedy a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and turbocharged his commercial songwriting career. After scoring a #3 Billboard country hit with “You Move Me” in 1998, Garth Brooks went on to release 10 more Kennedy-p...
Ep. 43 - TRENT DABBS ("Girls Chase Boys")
August 23, 2016 00:01 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBMississippi native Trent Dabbs relocated to Nashville in the early 2000s, where he’s carved out a niche on the local indie rock and Americana scene. Over the last twelve years, he’s released ten solo albums, a collaborative EP with edgy country sensation Ashley Monroe, and two retro R&B inspired projects with fellow singer/songwriter Amy Stroup under the name Sugar + The Hi-Lows. Earning significant critical acclaim, All Music predicted that Sugar + The Hi-Lows “just might be the next breako...
Ep. 42 - STEVE CROPPER ("In the Midnight Hour")
August 09, 2016 04:07 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBBetween 1961 and 1970 Steve Cropper was a fixture at Memphis’ legendary Stax Records and studio, where he worked as a producer, guitarist, engineer, artist, A&R man, and songwriter. During that era he penned over a dozen songs that reached the Top 10 on Billboard's R&B and Pop charts, including Otis Redding’s “Mr. Pitiful" and “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay;" Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour,” “Don’t Fight It,” and “634-5789;” Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood;” as well as “See Saw,” whi...
Ep. 41 - BILLY STEINBERG ("Like a Virgin")
July 26, 2016 02:08 - 1 hour - 65.7 MBAfter Linda Ronstadt scored a Top 10 hit with Billy Steinberg’s “How Do I Make You” in 1980, he went on to score a series of chart-topping singles co-written with Tom Kelly, including “Like a Virgin” by Madonna, “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper, “Alone” by Heart, "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston, and “Eternal Flame” by the Bangles. Additional Top 10 hits from the Steinberg/Kelly songbook include “In Your Room” by the Bangles, “I Touch Myself” by Divinyls, “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders,...
Ep. 40 - JAMIE FLOYD ("The Blade")
July 12, 2016 00:41 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBJamie Floyd is a West Palm Beach, Florida native who grew up in a musical family where she had the opportunity to perform as an opening act for Rascal Flatts, James Taylor, and others. By the age of 11 she’d signed her first production and publishing deals, eventually relocating to Nashville where she found success writing for other artists. She’s best known as the co-writer of “the Blade,” which became the title track to Ashley Monroe’s 2015 album and was named one of the top songs of the y...
Ep. 39 - TOM JOHNSTON of the Doobie Brothers ("Listen to the Music")
June 28, 2016 00:12 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MBDoobie Brothers lead singer, guitarist, and founding member Tom Johnston wrote 9 of the first 13 singles issued by the band between 1971 and 1975. These include the hits “Listen to the Music,” “Long Train Runnin’,” “China Grove,” and the classic rock radio staple “Rockin’ Down the Highway.” His voice can be heard on additional Doobies hits, including “Jesus is Just Alright” and “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me).” After being sidelined by health issues, Michael McDonald replaced Johnston in the...
Ep. 38 - BOBBY HART ("Last Train to Clarksville")
June 14, 2016 00:10 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBThe legendary songwriting team of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart found early success with songs such as “Lazy Elsie Molly,” which was a Top 10 R&B hit for Chubby Checker, “Come a Little Bit Closer,” which was a Top 5 pop hit for Jay & The Americans, and the instrumental theme song for the long-running soap opera, Days of Our Lives. The pair are best known, however, for writing and producing more than 20 songs for The Monkees, including “Last Train to Clarksville,” “(Theme From) The Monkees,” “I ...
Ep. 37 - SETH MOSLEY ("Fix My Eyes")
May 31, 2016 04:39 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MBStill in his 20s, Seth Mosley has emerged as one of the most sought-after and influential creators in the Christian music genre. Beginning as the founder, lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Me in Motion, Seth went on to become the go-to producer for major artists such as Newsboys, Michael W. Smith, Audio Adrenaline, and Toby Mac. In 2015 alone he scored a staggering eight #1 hits, including for KING & COUNTRY's "Fix My Eyes," Francesca Battistelli's "He Knows My Name," Mat Ke...
Ep. 36 - JON FOREMAN of Switchfoot ("Dare You to Move")
May 17, 2016 03:38 - 52 minutes - 47.9 MBJon Foreman is the front man and primary songwriter for the spiritually-minded alternative rock band Switchfoot. The group has released nine studio albums, including 2003’s The Beautiful Letdown, which sold more than two and a half million copies, earning it double platinum status. Their last six albums have hit the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, with five of them going to #1 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart. With RIAA certified Gold selling singles “Meant to Live,” “Dare Yo...
Ep. 35 - BILL ANDERSON ("Whiskey Lullaby")
May 02, 2016 23:45 - 1 hour - 63.9 MBIn 1995, Billboard magazine listed the Top 20 countrysongs of the previous 35 years. Bill Anderson wrote four of those20 songs, and has continued writing them ever since, becoming theonly country songwriter to land a Top 40 hit in seven consecutivedecades. After signing with the Decca label in 1959, Andersonreleased 37 records as an artist that reached the Top 10 onBillboard’s Country singles chart - eight of which climbedto the #1 position. Though wildly successful as a performer, Billis al...
Ep. 34 - TOBY GAD ("All of Me")
April 19, 2016 04:29 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBAfter finding early success with international pop acts such as Milli Vanilli, the German-born hitmaker Toby Gad went on to write and produce a string of international #1 singles, including Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy,” Selena Gomez’s “A Year Without Rain,” and Nicole Scherzinger’s “Don’t Hold Your Breath.” He has twice been the recipient of the prestigious ASCAP Song of the Year award, first in 2008 for Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and again in 2015 for John Legend’s “All of Me.” Toby’s c...
Ep. 33 - DONOVAN ("Sunshine Superman")
April 05, 2016 03:20 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBBeginning his career as a key player in the UK folk revival of the early 1960s, Donovan scored early hits with “Catch the Wind” and “Colours.” Embracing jazz, world music, and psychedelic influences, he expanded his sound and found success with the major hits “Sunshine Superman” and “Mellow Yellow” in 1966. Additional hits followed, including the Top 20 US singles “Epistle to Dippy” and “There is a Mountain,” as well as the Top 10 hits “Hurdy Gurdy Man” and “Atlantis.” He has recorded nearly...
Ep. 32 - SHELLY PEIKEN ("What a Girl Wants")
March 21, 2016 23:25 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBShelly Peiken is a multi-platinum songwriter best known for co-writing Christina Aguilera’s #1 hits “What a Girl Wants” and “Come On Over Baby (All I Want is You).” She was nominated for a Best Rock Song Grammy for penning “Bitch” with Meredith Brooks, who took the song to #2 on the Billboard pop chart in 1997. Additionally, she’s penned songs such as “I Wanna Be With You” for Mandy Moore and “Out From Under” by Britney Spears. Celine Dion has recorded four of Shelly’s songs, while Miley Cyr...
Ep. 31 - IRVING BURGIE ("Day-O")
March 08, 2016 01:23 - 55 minutes - 51 MBAfter serving in World War II, Irving Burgie attended Juilliard where he studied classical voice. He eventually fell in love with folk music, and landed a steady gig as a Calypso singer at a Caribbean-themed Chicago nightclub in the early 1950s. Returning to New York, he became known as Lord Burgess on the Greenwich Village folk scene. He contributed eight songs to Harry Belafonte’s Calypso album in 1956, which became the first million selling LP in any genre, and spent an astounding 31 week...
Ep. 30 - BILLY MANN ("Stupid Girls")
February 23, 2016 03:43 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBTwo-time Grammy nominee Billy Mann released a couple of solo albums as an artist via A&M Records in the mid-1990s before finding success as a songwriter in the European market. He eventually returned to the US and began getting his songs recorded by artists such as Celine Dion, Dakota Moon, and Daryl Hall & Joan Oates, who made “Do It For Love” Billy’s first #1 Billboard single as a songwriter in 2002. Other artists who charted with Billy’s songs in this era include Michael Bolton, Art Garfu...
Ep. 29 - RANDY AND MAIA SHARP ("A Home")
February 09, 2016 08:20 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBThough the father/daughter songwriting duo of Randy and Maia Sharp found their greatest collaborative success with the Dixie Chicks' recording of "Home" in 2002, they've enjoyed diverse songwriting careers, working both together and separately. Randy released his first independent album as a singer/songwriter in 1973, eventually finding chart success as a writer for other artists, including Jennifer Warnes, Marty Robbins, and Glen Campbell. Thirteen of his songs have reached Billboard’s Top ...
Ep. 28 - RED SIMPSON ("Close Up the Honky Tonks")
January 26, 2016 07:47 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBBest known for singing a string of successful trucking-themed country songs in the 1960s and 70s, Red Simpson was also a highly influential behind-the-scenes songwriter from Bakersfield, California. Buck Owens recorded more than 30 Simpson originals, including the Top 10 hits “Gonna Have Love,” “Sam’s Place,” and “Kansas City Song.” Additionally, Red penned perennial standards, such as “Close Up the Honky Tonks” and “You Don’t Have Very Far to Go.” As an artist, he released a total of seven ...
Ep. 27 - MIKE STOLLER ("Hound Dog")
January 12, 2016 09:12 - 1 hour - 79.7 MBMike Stoller has written more than 60 songs that have appeared on the Billboard charts, including the #1 hits “Hound Dog,” “Kansas City,” “Yakety Yak,” “Searchin’,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Poison Ivy,” “Stand By Me,” “Young Blood,” “Don’t,” and “Ruby, Baby." After Stoller and songwriting partner Jerry Leiber found early R&B success with recordings by Little Esther, Charles Brown, Ray Charles, and Big Mama Thornton, Elvis Presley turned their song "Hound Dog" into a #1 single on the pop, R&B, and...
Ep. 26 - MARS BONFIRE ("Born To Be Wild")
December 29, 2015 07:00 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBCanadian singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mars Bonfire began his professional music career with the Sparrows, a 1960s rock group that eventually morphed into the band Steppenwolf. Though he’d departed by the time they released their first album, Steppenwolf made Bonfire’s “Born to be Wild” a massive hit in 1968. The song was prominently used in the film Easy Rider the following year, cementing its place as a classic American anthem of free-spirited rebellion. The lyrics introduced the term ...
Ep. 25 - JIM LAUDERDALE ("King of Broken Hearts")
December 15, 2015 18:13 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBKnown as a respected “songwriter’s songwriter,” Jim Lauderdale is a versatile and highly prolific artist who is equally comfortable writing country, bluegrass, soul, or pop. His 1991 debut, Planet of Love, was packed with original songs that went on to be covered by George Strait, The Dixie Chicks, Gary Allan, Lucinda Williams, Mandy Barnett, and others. Since then, Lauderdale has recorded nearly thirty albums, including the Grammy winning releases Lost in the Lonesome Pines and The Bluegras...
Ep. 24 - RANDY GOODRUM ("Foolish Heart")
December 01, 2015 06:35 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBArkansas native spent his formative years playing in a jazz band with future President Bill Clinton, before going on to write a ton of #1 pop and adult contemporary hits, including Michael Johnson’s “Bluer Than Blue,” Steve Perry’s “Foolish Heart,” Toto’s “I’ll Be Over You,” El DeBarge’s “Who’s Holdin’ Donna Now,” and Anne Murray’s “You Needed Me,” which earned Goodrum a Grammy nomination and became the ACM Song of the Year. Additionally, he wrote Chicago’s “If She Would Have Been Faithful...
Ep. 23 - LORI MCKENNA ("Girl Crush")
November 17, 2015 02:14 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBLong before Little Big Town took her song “Girl Crush” to the #1 spot on the Billboard country chart for a record-breaking thirteen consecutive weeks in 2014, Lori McKenna established herself as a highly respected singer/songwriter on the Boston-area folk scene. She recorded four independent albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s before country superstar Faith Hill released her versions of four of Lori’s songs in 2005. The pair appeared together on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and McKenna soon ...
Ep. 22 - TOM DOUGLAS ("The House That Built Me")
November 03, 2015 03:16 - 56 minutes - 52 MBAfter a successful career in commercial real estate, Tom Douglas scored his first charting single as a songwriter when Collin Raye took "Little Rock" to the top of the charts in 1994. "Little Rock" earned Tom a CMA Song of the Year nomination and marked the start of a long string of Top 10 singles that has stretched for more than two decades. His catalog of hits includes "The Gift" for Jim Brickman; "Love's the Only House" and "God's Will" for Martina McBride; "Grown Men Don't Cry," "My Litt...
Ep. 21 - CHIP TAYLOR ("Wild Thing")
October 20, 2015 05:14 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBThough a prolific singer/songwriter in his own right, Chip Taylor’s music has been covered by a wide range of artists, including Fats Domino, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Nina Simone, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, The Pretenders, Jackie DeShannon, Ronnie Spector, Cheap Trick, and many others. He has written 39 songs that have appeared on Billboard’s pop, R&B, country, or adult contemporary charts, with many of them appearing on multiple charts simul...
Ep. 20 - JOHN SEBASTIAN ("Do You Believe in Magic?")
October 06, 2015 05:32 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBGrowing up in Greenwich Village, New York, John Sebastian cut his teeth on American roots music. He formed the Lovin’ Spoonful in the mid-1960s, blending folk, blues, country, rock, and pop to create a string of seven consecutive Top 10 hits, including “Do You Believe in Magic,” “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice,” “Daydream,” “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind,” Summer in the City,” Rain on the Roof,” and “Nashville Cats.” Each of them was written or co-written by Sebastian, and two of his...
Ep. 19 - JOHN MAYALL ("Find a Way to Care")
September 22, 2015 07:44 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBFind a Way to Care is John Mayall’s 64th official album, and the most recent release from the 81-year-old singer, keyboardist, guitarist, harmonica player, and composer who’s been dubbed the “Godfather of British Blues.” The Grammy-nominated Mayall is a renowned band leader, with several veterans of his group, the Bluesbreakers, going on to find success in their own right. A short list of those who passed through his band includes Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, who went on to form Cream; Peter...
Ep. 18B - MAC DAVIS ("In the Ghetto") - 2 of 2
September 08, 2015 06:16 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBPart 2 of 2: Hailing from Lubbock, Texas, Mac Davis began his music career working for Vee Jay Records and Liberty Records in Atlanta. Relocating to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he became a staff songwriter for Nancy Sinatra’s music publishing company. His early songwriting success came when Elvis Presley recorded several of his songs, including “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories,” “Clean Up Your Own Backyard,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and “In the Ghetto.” Soon his songs were being recorded...
Ep. 18A - MAC DAVIS ("In the Ghetto") - 1 of 2
September 07, 2015 18:10 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBPart 1 of 2: Hailing from Lubbock, Texas, Mac Davis began his music career working for Vee Jay Records and Liberty Records in Atlanta. Relocating to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he became a staff songwriter for Nancy Sinatra’s music publishing company. His early songwriting success came when Elvis Presley recorded several of his songs, including “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories,” “Clean Up Your Own Backyard,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and “In the Ghetto.” Soon his songs were being recorded...
Ep. 17 - DESMOND CHILD ("Livin' on a Prayer")
August 25, 2015 03:15 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBOne of the most successful and prolific writers and producers of all time, Desmond Child’s songs have resulted in nearly six dozen Top 40 singles on Billboard’s pop, rock, country, and R&B charts. His band Desmond Child & Rouge attracted the attention of Paul Stanley. He partnered with Child to write “I Was Made For Loving You,” which became a major hit for KISS in 1979. Desmond first collaborated with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora for Bon Jovi’s 1986 album, Slippery When Wet. That partner...
Ep. 16 - BILL WITHERS ("Lean on Me")
August 11, 2015 04:28 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBPop and R&B legend Bill Withers released nine albums between 1971 and 1985 that included such classic songs as “Lean on Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Grandma’s Hands,” “Use Me,” “Lovely Day,” and “Just the Two of Us.” Though he stepped away from the limelight in the mid-1980s, his songs have become classics that have withstood the test of time and been covered by iconic artists including Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Ike & Tina Tur...
Ep. 15 - JAREN JOHNSTON ("Raise 'Em Up")
July 28, 2015 04:40 - 54 minutes - 49.8 MBNashville native Jaren Johnston co-founded the rock band American Bang which released one album for Warner Bros. He went on to form the Cadillac Three, a Southern rock-infused trio that was named one of the “10 New Artists You Need to Know” by Rolling Stone Country in 2014. While finding success with his own self-described “country fuzz” sound, Johnston forged a second career as a behind-the-scenes songwriter for top country artists. Since 2012, he has seen more than a half dozen of his song...
Ep. 14 - FELIX CAVALIERE ("A Beautiful Morning")
July 14, 2015 03:25 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBFelix Cavaliere began his music career playing with Joey Dee and the Starliters (of “Peppermint Twist” fame), before forming the Rascals in early 1965. They signed with Atlantic Records and were redubbed the Young Rascals, scoring their first major hit with the #1 single “Good Lovin’.” Beginning in the summer of 1966, the band released a string of fourteen consecutive Billboard charting singles written or co-written by Cavaliere, including the hits “You Better Run,” “I’ve Been Lonely Too Lon...
Ep. 13 - JACK TEMPCHIN ("Peaceful Easy Feeling")
June 30, 2015 06:30 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBBest known as the writer of classic Eagles hit such as “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone,” Jack Tempchin is a prolific Southern California troubadour. Emerging from the San Diego folk scene, Tempchin became a fixture in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon music community in the late 60s and early 70s where he formed personal and musical alliances with Jackson Brown, J.D. Souther, Glenn Fry, and others. Following his songwriting success with the Eagles, Jack’s band The Funky Kings scored with “Slow ...
Ep. 12 - BOBBY BRADDOCK ("He Stopped Loving Her Today")
June 16, 2015 04:07 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBBobby Braddock has written more than a dozen #1 country hits, including standards such as Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” which is frequently ranked as the greatest country song of all time. George Jones began finding success with Braddock’s songs in the 1970s with hits such as “Nothing Ever Hurt Me (Half As Bad As Losing You)” and “Her Name Is…” Jones and his then-wife, Tammy Wynette, also scored with Bobby’s “We’re Not the Jet Set” and “Gold...
Ep. 11 - AL KASHA ("The Morning After")
June 02, 2015 05:55 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBBobby Peterson's R&B recording of "Irresistible You" became Al Kasha's first charting hit in 1960. It was soon covered by Bobby Darin, and Al went on to land more than twenty additional titles on the Billboard Pop, R&B, Country, and Adult Contemporary rankings. His songs have been recorded by Jackie Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Etta James, Peggy Lee, Roy Orbison, and Donna Summer, just to name a few. He has been nominated for two Tony awar...
Ep. 10 - HOLLY KNIGHT ("Love is a Battlefield")
May 19, 2015 06:02 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBHolly Knight’s songs have earned three Grammy awards and garnered more than a dozen ASCAP performance awards. She is the writer or co-writer of a seemingly endless list of hits, including “Love is a Battlefield” and “Invincible” for Pat Benetar, “Better Be Good to Me” and “Simply the Best” for Tina Turner, “The Warrior” for Scandal, “Obsession” for Animotion, “Rag Doll” with Aerosmith, “Just Between You and Me” with Lou Gramm, and many more. Additionally, her songs have been recorded by arti...
Ep. 9 - BILL GAITHER ("Because He Lives")
May 05, 2015 05:43 - 58 minutes - 53.3 MBGospel music legend Bill Gaither is best known to general audiences for penning “He Touched Me,” which earned Elvis Presley a Grammy for Best Inspirational Performance in 1972. Gaither and his wife Gloria virtually pioneered the “Inspirational” genre by applying traditional theological themes to the struggles and realities of everyday life. The pair was jointly honored with the Christian “Songwriter of the Century” award by the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) in 2000. Ad...
Ep. 8B - SWAMP DOGG ("She's All I Got") - 2 of 2
April 21, 2015 07:29 - 44 minutes - 41 MBPART 2 OF 2: R&B cult favorite Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams is best known as the co-writer, with Gary U.S. Bonds, of the cross-genre classic, “She’s All I Got,” which became a Top 10 R&B single for Freddie North and a #2 country hit for Johnny Paycheck in 1971. Tracy Byrd recorded it in 1996, hitting #4 on Billboard’s Country rankings and introducing the song to a new generation of fans. Williams’ career began in 1954 when, at the age of 12, he made his first record, “HTD Blues.” He found suc...
Ep. 8A - SWAMP DOGG ("She's All I Got") - 1 of 2
April 21, 2015 07:15 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBPART 1 OF 2: R&B cult favorite Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams is best known as the co-writer, with Gary U.S. Bonds, of the cross-genre classic, “She’s All I Got,” which became a Top 10 R&B single for Freddie North and a #2 country hit for Johnny Paycheck in 1971. Tracy Byrd recorded it in 1996, hitting #4 on Billboard’s Country rankings and introducing the song to a new generation of fans. Williams’ career began in 1954 when, at the age of 12, he made his first record, “HTD Blues.” He found suc...
Ep. 7 - JOHN OATES ("I Can't Go For That")
April 07, 2015 00:46 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBRock and Roll Hall of Famer John Oates is one half of the team that both Billboard magazine and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) dubbed the most successful duo in rock history. Oates and longtime collaborator Daryl Hall signed with Atlantic Records in 1972, but didn’t break through with a major hit single until they moved to RCA and scored a Top 5 Pop hit with “Sara Smile” in 1974. Penned by Hall and Oates, it was the beginning of a long string of Top 40 hits. As a songwr...
Ep. 6 - MELISSA MANCHESTER ("Midnight Blue")
March 17, 2015 04:18 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MBGrammy winner Melissa Manchester signed her first publishing deal at the age of 17, before going on to work as a backup singer for Bette Midler. She first came to prominence as an artist with the 1975 single “Midnight Blue,” which climbed to #6 on Billboard’s Pop chart and hit the #1 spot on the Adult Contemporary rankings. Co-written with Carole Bayer Sager, it was the first of nine Manchester-penned compositions to hit the Top 40. Of those, a half dozen reached the Top 10 on the Adult Cont...