Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

In this very special bonus episode, Scott and Paul pay tribute to ten of the songwriters and composers whose lives were claimed by the COVID-19 virus from mid-March to mid-April, 2020, including: Manu Dibango ("Soul Makossa"), Joe Diffie ("New Way to Light Up an Old Flame," "My Give a Damn's Busted"), Alan Merrill ("I Love Rock 'n' Roll"), Ellis Marsalis ("Dear Dolores"), Adam Schlesinger ("That Thing You Do," "Stacy's Mom"), and John Prine ("Angel From Montgomery," "Love is on a Roll"). Plus, they take a moment to remember Bill Withers, a previous Songcraft guest, who died from heart complications on March 30th. American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Scott and Paul catch up with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jessi Alexander, who has a fantastic new album called Decatur County Red. The two-time Best Country Song Grammy nominee has also achieved success as a writer for other artists, including the multi-platinum single "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, CMA and ACM Song of the Year "I Drive Your Truck,' and the Blake Shelton hits "Drink On It," "Mine Would Be You," and "Turnin' Me On." In this refreshingly honest interview, Jessi talks about everything from professional disappointment to how she keeps new ideas flowing.      American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons has two Grammy nominations, sixteen Top 10 singles, over 50 million albums sold, and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Scott and Paul catch up with him to discuss his legendary classic rock catalog, including "La Grange," "Tush," "Cheap Sunglasses," "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs," and many more. American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An in-depth conversation with the two-time Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer who was a co-founder of both The Moody Blues and Paul McCartney & Wings.  American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three-time Grammy winner and ten-time nominee Shawn Colvin joins Scott and Paul to chat about her remarkable three-decade career as a pioneering folk-pop singer-songwriter.  American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Grammy Song of the Year nominee and ASCAP Song of the Year winner joins us to chat about her wide-ranging career and multi-genre songwriting success. About Wendy Waldman From recording artist to musician to backing vocalist to record producer to multi-platinum songwriter for other performers, Wendy Waldman has a diverse music industry resume. Though her father was a film and television composer who wrote the Perry Mason theme and worked on classics such as The Twilight Zone and Star Trek, Wendy was drawn to the blues and folk music at a young age. Her first serious group was Bryndle, featuring Karla Bonoff, Kenny Edwards, and Andrew Gold. Though they split up before their first album was released, all four would be instrumental in Linda Ronstadt’s success and would re-form in later years to record three albums that are now regarded as modern-day classics. Wendy’s solo career began when she signed with Warner Bros. Records and released her first album, which Rolling Stone magazine called the “singer-songwriter debut of the year.” A series of critically-acclaimed releases followed before Wendy relocated from Los Angeles to Nashville, where she found commercial success with Crystal Gayle’s #1 single “Baby, What About You,” The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s chart-toppers “Fishin’ in the Dark” and “Home Again in My Heart,” as well as Top 10 singles for Lorrie Morgan, The Forester Sisters, and Nicolette Larson with Steve Wariner. Always difficult to pigeonhole, Waldman’s achievements on the country charts were rivaled by her success in the pop world, where she scored with Don Johnson’s Top 5 single “Heartbeat” and Vanessa Williams’s “Save the Best for Last.” which reached #1 on the pop, R&B, and adult contemporary charts, earned Wendy a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year, and was named ASCAP Song of the Year.   Wendy’s songs have additionally been covered by Patti Austin, Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Cher, Alison Krauss, Randy Travis, Percy Sledge, Kathy Mattea, Aaron Neville, Rita Coolidge, CeCe Winans, Bette Midler, Johnny Mathis, Judy Collins, Restless Heart, Barbara Mandrell, Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless, and many others.  American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Golden Globe winner joins us to chat about his bands Ima Robot (known for the Suits theme song "Greenback Boogie") and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (which Rolling Stone recognized for releasing one of the Top 10 Best Albums of the Year). Plus, Alex reflects on adding film composer to his resume, and the process of creating his eclectic new solo album, I vs. I.  American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Best Country Song Grammy nominee and BMI Country Songwriter of the Year joins us to talk about his career as a consistent Nashville hitmaker in four consecutive decades. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE  Scott and Paul pay tribute to Songcraft guest David Olney, who recently passed away on stage at a songwriter festival. PART TWO - 5:50 mark The guys discuss how this episode was brought to you by Pearl Snap Studios in a much more literal way than ever before. PART THREE - 8:05 mark Paul and Scott call up Ed Hill to hear about how be began his musical life as an American kid with a Japanese guitar hooked on the British Invasion and playing in a Mexican band; why landing a steady gig at a famous Bakersfield nightclub made him fall in love with country music; the way he landed his first cut, which became a Top 5 hit; how he keeps his antenna up for new song ideas; what he calls the "yellow legal pad days" of songwriting; the artist who cried when the Ed Hill song he recorded hit #1 on the charts; why a record label stopped promoting one of his singles; how he's never met Martina McBride, Faith Hill, and many others who made his songs famous; and the reason he says stubbornness has given him songwriting longevity. ABOUT ED HILL Starting his career as a musician, Ed Hill earned two ACM award nominations for Piano Player of the Year and received a Grammy award as a member of Mickey Gilley’s Urban Cowboy Band. He went on to become one of Nashville’s top tier songwriters, scoring 400 cuts and more than 40 singles. His very first cut, “’Til Love Comes Again” became a Top 5 hit for Reba McEntire, who later hit #1 with his song “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.” Other Top 5 singles from Hill’s catalog include “Runnin’ Behind” and  ACM Vocal Event of the Year “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” for Tracy Lawrence, “Be My Baby Tonight” for John Michael Montgomery, “It Matters to Me” for Faith Hill, “Whatever You Say” for Martina McBride, “Songs About Me” for Trace Adkins, “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls” for George Strait, “Drinking Class” by Lee Brice, and “Most People Are Good,” a single for Luke Bryan that was named Song of the Year by the Music Row Awards in 2018. Additional Ed Hill catalog highlights include the Trisha Yearwood classic “Georgia Rain” and Trace Adkins’ “Just Fishin’,” which earned Ed a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song. Five of Ed’s titles have earned the “Songs I Wish I Had Written” recognition from the Nashville Songwriters Association, International. In 2006, Ed was named BMI Country Songwriter of the Year. He recently released a memoir called It Matters to Me: One of Country Music’s Most Beloved Songwriters.     American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grammy nominee and neo-soul singer songwriter Allen Stone, described by USA Today as "a pitch perfect powerhouse" joins us for a deep dive into his creative process. EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE  Scott and Paul catch up after the holidays and chat about the appeal of Allen Stone (and Christie Brinkley). PART TWO - 6:15 mark Paul and Scott call up Allen Stone to get the details on how a Cake album was his gateway to music outside the church; why the chemicals coursing through his veins led him to write songs of his own; why he says "everything is imitation" in songwriting; the reason he might be an X-Ray technician if he had it all to do again; why he was "super ashamed" of his debut LP; what he does to force himself to write songs; what happened when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis invited him to collaborate; why he tried not to fall in love with his now-wife; and the reason he says most pop music today has been dumbed down. ABOUT ALLEN STONE Washington state native and Seattle-based singer-songwriter Allen Stone is only in his early 30s, but is already an old soul. Heavily influenced by classic R&B of the 1960s and 70s, Stone and his band built a grassroots following with their high-energy live shows up and down the West Coast. Featuring a handful of co-writes with Andy Grammer, Stone’s self-titled and self-released debut album landed in the Top 40 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart without the help of a major distributor. The album was re-released by ATO Records and Stone continued to build a national following with appearances on Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. His follow-up album, Radius, found the soulful songwriter moving over to Capitol Records. He later returned to ATO for a deluxe re-release of Radius, as well as his most recent album, Building Balance. Featuring the lead single, “Brown Eyed Lover,” it’s clear why USA Today has called Allen Stone “a pitch-perfect powerhouse.” Including collaborations with British neo-soul mainstay Jamie Lidell, the album features Stone’s most intimate lyrics to date. “I don’t have time,” he said, “to write about anything that isn’t deeply personal.” With a recent high-profile gig at the opening ceremony of the Special Olympic in Seattle, viral videos with millions of views, and collaborations with other artists such as Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, the self-described “hippie with soul” continues to make waves with his rootsy sound and socially-conscious lyrics.   American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this very special holiday episode of Songcraft, we speak with Chris Butler, who wrote the new-wave holiday classic "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses, as well as three other writers of well-known songs of the season: Randy Brooks, who penned the always-polarizing “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” Chris Eaton, who wrote Amy Grant’s classic “Breath of Heaven,” and Songwriters Hall of Famer Paul Williams, who is best known for “Rainbow Connection,” but who also wrote all the songs for The Muppet Christmas Carol. Enjoy the conversations, then hear our ultimate holiday playlist, featuring 150 titles and 150 artists with no repeated songs, and no repeated performers.  EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul discuss New Year's resolutions and how their friends at Pearl Snap Studios can help with yours; explore the difference between "sad Christmas" versus "happy Christmas;" and get into a conversation about the specific holiday songs they do and don't like.  PART TWO  Scott and Paul chat with four songwriters about their perennial Christmas hits. Our guests on this very special holiday episode are... Chris Butler – “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses (1981) 12:00 mark Chris Butler has led an interesting life. He was a protester at Kent State when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on him and his fellow students in 1970; he earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest recorded pop song in history (the 69-minute “The Devil Glitch”); and he currently lives in Jeffrey Dahmer’s childhood home in Akron, Ohio. As Chris explains, it’s a beautiful house that nobody wanted, so he got a great deal. He is best known, however, for conceptualizing and leading the 1980s new wave group The Waitresses, which found success with “I Know What Boys Like” and their perennial holiday classic, “Christmas Wrapping.” Chris went on to produce Freedy Johnston, Joan Osborne, and others. He continues to record, produce, and release music under the banner of his own Future Fossil Music. But it’s his unlikely holiday hit that remains the songwriting income gift that keeps on giving. Though it’s been recorded by the Spice Girls, Kate Nash, Miranda Cosgrove, Bella Thorne, the Glee cast, and Kylie Minogue with Iggy Pop, the original Waitresses version is still the one you’re most likely to hear each year in the mall. Randy Brooks – “Grandma Got Run Over  by a Reindeer” by Elmo & Patsty (1979) 31:33 mark Whenever Randy Books is asked how to become a hit songwriter, he always answers, “Do You think if I knew, I’d still be a one-hit wonder after 30 years?” That hit was “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” one of the most loved and loathed modern holiday classics that also happens to be a multi-platinum seller that has topped Billboard’s holiday singles chart multiple times. It even earned Randy Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year honors from SESAC, and spawned an animated Christmas special, musical toys, ornaments, greeting cards, apparel, video games, a branded hot chocolate mix, and even a Tesla dashboard app. Though the hit version of “Grandma” was recorded by Elmo & Patsy, the song has been covered by Ray Stevens, Mitch Ryder, The Coasters, and—most recently—by Jimmy Fallon and Dolly Parton. Randy continues to perform with his two bands, and solo at songwriter events all over the country. He is resigned to the fact that, no matter what else he might accomplish in life, he is destined to be remembered for just one thing—kind of like the John Wilkes Boothe of songwriters. Chris Eaton – “Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant (1992) / "Saviour's Day" by Cliff Richard (1990) 44:55 mark UK-based singer, songwriter and musician Chris Eaton first made his mark as a writer when Sir Cliff Richard began recording his material, including the UK holiday hit “Saviour’s Day,” which reached #1 on the pop chart across the pond. In the US, however, Eaton’s Christmas standard is “Breath of Heaven,” which has been recorded by Amy Grant, Donna Summer, Jessica Simpson, Sara Groves, Vince Gill, and Melissa Manchester. Other artists who’ve recorded songs from Chris’s catalog include Janet Jackson, Sheena Easton, Keith Urban, Patti Austin, and Grover Washington, Jr. His greatest success has been in the Contemporary Christian market, where he has earned BMI awards for radio hits such as “Adore” by Jaci Velasquez, “My Heart Goes Out” by Warren Barfield, and the Rachel Lampa singles “Lift Me Up” and “Live For You.” When Amy Grant released “Breath of Heaven” as the single from her multi-platinum-selling Home for Christmas album, it topped the Christian charts and was named CCM Song of the Year by Billboard magazine. Paul Williams – Songs from The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) 1:05:31 mark Singer, actor, author, recovery advocate, and Songwriters Hall of Famer Paul Williams has penned hits such as “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and “I Won’t Last a Day Without You” for The Carpenters; “Out in the Country,” “Family of Man” and “An Old Fashioned Love Song” for Three Dog Night; and “You and Me Against the World” for Helen Reddy. His songs have additionally been recorded by Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, David Bowie, Tony Bennett, Willie Nelson, REM, Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Sarah Vaughn, Curtis Mayfield, Gwen Stefani, Diana Krall, the Dixie Chicks, and others. Williams is perhaps best known for his movie songs and soundtracks. He and co-writer Barbra Streisand won an Oscar, a Grammy, and a Golden Globe for “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star is Born),” and he has earned Academy Award nominations for his musical contributions to Cinderella Liberty, Phantom of the Paradise, Bugsy Malone, and The Muppet Movie, which included his now-standard “Rainbow Connection.” Williams later reunited with Jim Henson, penning the songs for the classic children’s film The Muppet Christmas Carol. American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.