Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul announce the winner of the signed John Jorgenson CD contest. PART TWO - 2:46 mark As the lyrics say, "There'll be sad songs to make you cry." Paul and Scott each run down the top 3 songs that have made them do just that. PART THREE - 12:56 mark The immensely likeable Mary Lambert stops by Songcraft World Headquarters to talk about how Jewel inspired her to start playing coffee houses at the age of 13; the year she went from performing to audiences of 15 people to the Grammy stage; the ways in which a history of trauma and abuse has shaped her artistically; why songwriting is her connection to God; the reason co-writing was very jarring to her; why she cried for six hours before Madonna wiped away her tears; and how a failed co-writing session with a runner-up from "The Voice" led to a very important relationship.  Singer, songwriter, and spoken word artist Mary Lambert is best known for writing and performing the chorus for “Same Love,” a major hit for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The first Top 40 song in history to advocate for marriage equality, “Same Love” was named one of the Top 10 singles of 2012 by influential music critic Robert Christgau. The multiplatinum hit earned Mary a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year as well as an MTV Video Music Award. She went on to sign with Capitol Records as a solo artist, releasing the Billboard Top 20 single “She Keeps Me Warm,” followed by “Secrets,” which reached #1 on the Billboard dance chart and was certified Gold. Her most recent EP, Bold, further solidifies her reputation as an uncompromising singer-songwriter who celebrates vulnerability, honesty, and social awareness. She has been an advocate for mental health issues and was featured in JC Penney’s influential “Here I Am” ad campaign.

EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul chat about genres of music that are virtually represented by a single artist. PART TWO -  8:23 mark Find out how you can win a signed John Jorgenson CD and hear some great bloopers and outtakes from our interview! PART THREE - 10:41 mark John stops by Songcraft World Headquarters to talk about why he asked his school band teacher to assign him to the hardest instrument; how Disneyland became his musical proving ground; the "slightly devious" way he got Chris Hillman to co-found the Desert Rose Band; how his group the Hellecasters navigated the writing process with three guitar-slinging superstars; what he learned from watching Elton John write songs; why he turned down auditions to tour with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen; how he ended up collaborating with Brad Paisley, Rodney Crowell, JD Souther, Peter Frampton, and other greats; and how his Django Reinhardt obsession led to his becoming the American master of  gypsy jazz.  ABOUT JOHN JORGENSON Named “one of the most respected guitarists in the world” by the Los Angeles Times, John Jorgenson is a musician and composer who is not easily pigeonholed. The three-time ACM Guitarist of the Year first rose to prominence as a founder of The Desert Rose Band, which landed eight Top 10 singles on the Billboard country chart between 1987 and 1990. He went on to co-found The Hellecasters, an instrumental guitar trio whose debut release earned Album of the Year honors from Guitar Player magazine. In the 1990s Jorgenson spent six years touring and recording in Elton John’s band and released a collaborative instrumental album with Elton’s longtime guitarist Davey Johnstone. In the following decade Jorgenson firmly established himself as a preeminent interpreter and innovator in a different genre, earning the official designation as the “US Ambassador of Gypsy Jazz.” The John Jorgenson Quintet has released a handful of highly regarded gypsy jazz albums while John has continued to record with artists such as Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Bob Seger, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Chesney, Earl Scruggs, Luciano Pavarotti, Amy Grant, Lionel Richie, and many others. In 2006 Peter Frampton won the Best Instrumental Album Grammy for Fingerprints, which featured a song performed and composed with Jorgenson called "Souvenirs de Nos Pères (Memories of Our Fathers)" In 2009 Jorgenson took home a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance for his work alongside fellow pickers James Burton, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert, and Steve Wariner on Brad Paisley’s “Cluster Pluck.” “If there’s one guitar player I’d like to be,” Paisley has said, “it would be John Jorgenson.” In 2015, John released Divertuoso, a three disc album that features his three current performing bands: The John Jorgenson Electric Band, The John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, and the gypsy jazz of the John Jorgenson Quintet.

PART ONE Scott and Paul talk about Randy Poe, Texas, and their favorite songwriters from the Lone Star State. PART TWO - 20:52 mark Robert Earl Keen comes by Songcraft World Headquarters to chat about the Marty Robbins song that set him on his path as a kid; why he wants his songs to be provocative; the book Lyle Lovett gave him that jump started his career; what Steve Earle said that convinced Robert to move to Nashville; how having only $20 in his pocket led to writing his most classic song; which of his albums made him feel like he’d been accepted into the mainstream; and why he kept delaying making a bluegrass album. ABOUT ROBERT EARL KEEN Regarded as one of the purest singer-songwriters in the Texas tradition, Robert Earl Keen is a true pioneer, and one of the most consistent practitioners of the Americana genre. While studying English at Texas A&M University, Keen linked up with fellow aspiring songwriter Lyle Lovett. The pair analyzed songs and worked on their craft together, writing tunes such as “Front Porch Song” which each included on his respective debut album. After the release of the West Textures album in 1989, Keen hit the road with songwriting giants Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. It was another Texan, Joe Ely, who recorded two of Robert’s songs on his highly lauded 1993 release Love and Danger that brought Keen to the attention of a wider audience. With a canon of classic songs that includes “The Road Goes on Forever,” “Corpus Christi Bay,” “Gringo Honeymoon,” and “Merry Christmas From the Family,” Keen built a diverse following that ranges from rowdy college kids to dyed-in-the-wool folkies. Live performance has been an important foundation of Keen’s artistry, as illustrated on the modern day classic live album No. 2 Live Dinner that was issued in 1996.  With a dozen studio albums and seven live albums under his belt, Keen has continued to explore new musical ground with a string of charting albums that includes 2015’s Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions. Reaching the Top 10 on the country chart and #1 on the bluegrass rankings, Happy Prisoner demonstrates that Keen’s track record as an artist is just as strong as the respect his songs have earned from other performers. Those who’ve covered his material include Nanci Griffith, Eddy Raven, Kelly Willis, The Highwaymen, Jack Ingram, Montgomery Gentry, Shawn Colvin, Gillian Welch, and George Strait. In 2012, Robert Earl Keen was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame.

IN THIS EPISODE: PART ONE Scott and Paul catch up on the latest Songcraft news and chat about some of their favorite songs about Nashville. PART TWO - 16:06 mark  Wanna learn how to be like Mark D. Sanders? You can start with Patreon. The guys tell you where to check it out. PART THREE - 18:13 mark Scott heads over to Mark's house in Nashville to get the inside scoop on how music helped him survive a troubled home life growing up; why he had trouble co-writing with people who had more success than he had; the co-writer who taught him he could have fun and write a song at the same time; his battles with severe depression; the demo singer he credits with boosting his career; the famous song that inspired the chord progression of "I Hope You Dance;" and the ethical reason he decided to walk away from commercial country music culture after decades of success. ABOUT MARK D. SANDERS Southern California native Mark D. Sanders moved to Nashville just before turning 30 and began building a career as a professional songwriter that eventually spawned 25 Top 10 hits, including more than a dozen #1 singles. His list of chart-topping hits includes “Mirror Mirror” by Diamond Rio, “Money in the Bank” by John Anderson, “Daddy’s Money” by Ricochet, “It Matters to Me” by Faith Hill, “No News” by Lonestar, “Heads Carolina, Tails California” by Jo Dee Messina, “Blue Clear Sky” by George Strait, “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” by Trace Adkins, and “That’d Be Alright” by Alan Jackson. Other artists who’ve recorded Mark’s songs include Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Tracey Lawrence, Trisha Yearwood, and Guy Clark.   Sanders was named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriters Association in 1995 and 1996, and ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year in 1997. Lee Ann Womack’s recording of “I Hope You Dance” earned him Song of the Year honors from NSAI, ASCAP, the ACM and the CMA, as well as a Grammy for Best Country Song and a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year across all categories. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009.

EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE Scott and Paul start the festivities off with a very important discussion about which artists carry their wallets on stage. PART TWO - 07:30 mark Scott and Paul call up Dennis, who reveals the major compliment he once got from Barry White; how the first song he ever co-wrote became a hit for Diana Ross; the shocking original lyrics for “Maniac” that were inspired by serial killer John Wayne Gacy; how an earthquake that totaled his house led to an important career change; why he isn’t necessarily proud of the story behind one of his major country hits; what he looks for in a co-writer; and how his early musical leanings were shaped by the two Philadelphias: Pennsylvania and Mississippi. ABOUT DENNIS MATKOSKY Dennis Matkosky is best known for co-writing “Maniac,” which was included on the Flashdance soundtrack and became a #1 pop single that earned Golden Globe, Academy Award, and Grammy nominations. Matkosky took home a Grammy award for Best Album of Original Score for a Motion Picture, and continued to find success for the next decade with Billboard charting singles recorded by pop, R&B, and Adult Contemporary artists such as Boz Skaggs, Smokey Robinson, Al Jarreau, Eddie Money, Chicago, and James Ingram. Dennis eventually relocated to Nashville, where he landed a Top 10 country hit with LeAnn Rimes’ recording of “I Need You” before going on to hit #1 with Keith Urban’s version of “You’ll Think of Me.” Other artists who’ve hit the country charts with his songs include Clay Aiken, Reba McEntire, Lonestar, Martina McBride, and David Nail, who hit the Top 10 with “Red Light.”  The list of additional performers who’ve recorded Dennis’ songs includes Diana Ross, Sergio Mendes, Teddy Pendergrass, Johnny Gill, George Benson, Kool & the Gang, Laura Branigan, Sheena Easton, CeCe Winans, Joe Cocker, Rascal Flatts, and the cast of the hit television show Nashville.

EPISODE DETAILS: PART ONE In celebration of Father's Day Scott and Paul discuss the influence their dads had on their musical development. Plus, you'll hear a recording of Paul's late dad, Dr. Tom Duncan, singing his only known original song! PART TWO - 09:13 mark Woody Bomar's in-depth interview SYNOPSIS Scott sits down in Nashville with his dad to get the story about how one of Roy Orbison's bandmates became Woody's guardian angel; why he got shot at on the way to a gig; how he went from pitching Kris Kristofferson's songs to writing #1 hits of his own; why he signed a young teenager named Taylor Swift to her first publishing deal; the reason he says his first cut might actually be his last; and what inspired him to write an album's worth of songs about Route 66 after an exciting career working with country music's biggest names.  ABOUT WOODY BOMAR Woody Bomar began his music career as a songwriter, landing two #1 hits with Conway Twitty’s “We Did But Now You Don’t” and Jim Glaser’s “You’re Getting to Me Again.” He hit the Top 20 with Loretta Lynn’s “Cheatin’ on a Cheater” and had songs recorded by Lee Greenwood, Lynn Anderson, TG Sheppard, Rhonda Vincent, Hank Williams, Jr., and others. Bomar eventually moved to the other side of the desk at Nashville’s Combine Music, where his duties included promoting the songs of Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Guy Clark, Tony Joe White, and others. Woody soon departed and teamed with business partner Kerry O’Neil to launch Little Big Town Music with former Combine writers John Scott Sherrill and Bob DiPiero. Serving as President and General Manager, Bomar would go on to sign a stable of songwriters that earned fifteen #1 hits, as well as thirty Top 10 singles and more than 500 major cuts by artists such as Faith Hill, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Diamond Rio, Kenny Chesney, Waylon Jennings, Vince Gill, Neil Diamond, Dusty Springfield and Peter Frampton. Little Big Town was ultimately purchased by Sony/ATV, which hired Bomar as Senior Vice President and General Manager. During his eight year tenure with Sony, Woody signed Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, Josh Turner, Marty Stuart and Blake Shelton, and was instrumental in bringing Taylor Swift, Gretchen Wilson, Eric Church and Miranda Lambert to the company’s roster. In addition to the new signings, Woody worked with an existing catalog of songs by Tom Douglas, Dean Dillon, Rodney Crowell, Gretchen Peters, Bobby Braddock, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, and many others. After departing Sony/ATV Woody  launched his second independent publishing company, Green Hills Music Group, where he continues to advocate for great songwriters and secure recordings by artists such as George Strait, Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts, Hunter Hayes, and Hilary Scott of Lady Antebellum. Woody is a two-time recipient of The Nashville Songwriters Association’s President’s Award and is an inductee into the Middle Tennessee State University’s Mass Communications Wall of Fame.

PART ONE Scott and Paul reveal the winner of their latest contest. Find out who's getting an autographed copy of Steve Dorff's memoir! PART TWO - 02:39 mark Is "Stutter Rock" a thing? The guys connect some dots and dig into a surprisingly pervasive trend in music history. PART THREE - 8:05 mark Scott and Paul's origin story - including a particularly disappointing night backstage at a Guess Who reunion show PART FOUR - 12:52 mark Randy stops by Songcraft World Headquarters to talk about his new George Harrison tribute album; how The Guess Who got its name by accident; his Alex Trebek connection; how he bluffed his way into musical success; why his approach to songwriting is all about borrowing and re-purposing; the '60s band he thought was even better than The Beatles; what he spent all his money on instead of drugs; the Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit that ripped off an Antonín Dvořák classical piece only to then be ripped off by The Doobie Brothers; and why one of his biggest hits was an inside joke with his brother that was never intended to be heard by the public. ABOUT RANDY BACHMAN As the co-founder, guitarist, and primary songwriter of two legendary classic rock bands, Randy Bachman has earned over 120 gold and platinum records. After landing a handful of Top 10 singles in Canada, The Guess Who scored a string of Bachman-penned hits, beginning with “These Eyes,” a Top 10 single Randy wrote with bandmate Burton Cummings. They went on to find success with “Laughing,” “Undone,” “No Time,” and “American Woman,” which was the first single by a Canadian band to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The B-side, “No Sugar Tonight,” claimed the #1 spot soon after. Randy walked away from The Guess Who at the height of the band’s success, recording an instrumental album and forming the group that would come to be known as Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Like Paul McCartney before him and Dave Grohl after him, Randy is one of only a small handful of artists to find major success with more than one band. During his stint with BTO he wrote their biggest hits, including “Let it Ride,” “Takin’ Care of Business,” “Hey You,” and “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” which was an international hit that topped the charts in multiple countries. Bachman has reunited in various configurations with his Guess Who and BTO bandmates over the years, in addition to collaborating on various projects with artists ranging from fellow Canadian rock legend Neil Young to his son, Tal Bachman, who is best known for the 1999 hit “She’s So High.” Randy is a best-selling author, a member of the Musicians Hall of Fame, the host of the Vinyl Tap radio show, and a continually prolific songwriter, musician, and recording artist. His most recent album is By George – By Bachman, a tribute to the songs of George Harrison.

PART ONE Scott and Paul announce the five Patreon supporters who are getting signed copies of Billy Edd Wheeler's memoir. Then they fill you in on how you can snag one of two signed Beth Nielsen Chapman CDs for yourself! PART TWO - 02:45 mark The guys talk about cover songs that have become better known than their original versions. PART THREE - 12:34 mark Scott and Paul's in-depth conversation with Beth Nielsen Chapman Beth stops by Songcraft International Headquarters to chat about her new record; how a traumatic childhood field trip set her on a path of creative reflection; why one of her songs took 18 years to complete; the movie that inspired her to start writing songs again after she quit for four years; why a chance encounter with a Beach Boy inspired her to move to Nashville; how she got commissioned to write songs for Willie Nelson; the unusual way Trisha Yearwood discovered one of her songs and made it a hit; and how a song deeply personal song about losing her husband to cancer became an inspiration to Elton John. Singer/songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman is best known for co-writing “This Kiss,” a #1 country hit and Top 10 pop hit for Faith Hill that earned a CMA Song of the Year award. Other chart-topping hits from her catalog include Tanya Tucker’s “Strong Enough to Bend,” Willie Nelson’s “Nothing I Can Do About it Now,” Lorrie Morgan’s “Five Minutes,” Martina McBride’s “Happy Girl,” and Alabama’s “Here We Are,” which she co-wrote with Vince Gill. As an artist, Chapman has released a dozen albums and placed eight singles on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary charts, including “Walk My Way,” “All I Have,” and “I Keep Coming Back to You.” After her husband lost his battle with cancer, Beth worked through her grief by digging into an emotionally rich body of songs that includes “Sand and Water,” a song that was later covered by Elton John on his 1987 world tour. The long lists of artists who’ve recorded Beth’s material includes Neil Diamond, Michael McDonald, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, Roberta Flack, Bette Midler, Keb Mo, Trisha Yearwood, Waylon Jennings, The Indigo Girls, Don Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Jim Brickman who scored a #1 Adult Contemporary hit with her song “Simple Things.” The two-time Grammy nominee has been honored by The Alabama Music Hall Of Fame and was the recipient of The Distinguished Artist Award from the Alabama State Council on the Arts in 2009. She was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2016.

PART ONE Scott and Paul let you in on how you can score your own autographed copy of Steve Dorff's new memoir, I Wrote That One, Too. PART TWO - 02:45 mark Mother's Day is coming up soon! Paul counts down 5 of his favorite songs about moms before Scott lists 5 of his favorite songwriters who are also mothers. PART THREE - 12:11 mark Scott and Paul head over to Steve Dorff's house to get the inside scoop on why he sees color when he hears music; the reason that knowing how to write a great song is only half of songwriting success; how he accidentally wound up playing piano on a classic soul record; what he did to make Dusty Springfield throw a chair at him; how he bluffed his way into film scoring; the time he wrote one of the most iconic TV show theme songs of all time in just 15 minutes; and why he hears Boys II Men in his head when George Strait sings one of his biggest hits. ABOUT STEVE DORFFSteve’s Dorff’s songs have been recorded by hundreds of artists, earning him nominations for six Emmy awards and three Grammys. His first major success came with the soundtrack for the Clint Eastwood film Every Which Way But Loose, which yielded three #1 singles, including the title song. Similarly successful soundtrack albums would follow, such as: Bronco Billy, which earned him #1 hits with “Cowboys and Clowns” for Ronnie Milsap and “Bar Room Buddies,” a duet for Eastwood and Merle Haggard; Any Which Way You Can, which spawned a Top 10 hit of the same title for Glen Campbell; and Pure Country, which earned George Strait two #1 hits, “I Cross My Heart” and “Heartland.” In total, Dorff has written nine #1 country hits from motion pictures, more than any other songwriter in history. In addition to his soundtrack success, Dorff has written #1 hits including “I Just Fall in Love Again” for Anne Murray, “Through the Years” for Kenny Rogers, “Don’t Underestimate My Love For You” for Lee Greenwood, “Hypnotize the Moon” for Clay Walker, and “The Man in Love with You” for George Strait. Other artists who’ve recorded his songs include Barbra Streisand, The Carpenters, Celine Dion, Cher, Dolly Parton, Dusty Springfield, Garth Brooks, George Jones, Gladys Knight, Jackie Wilson, Kenny Loggins, Randy Travis, Ray Charles, Reba McEntire, Roy Rogers, Ringo Starr, Smokey Robinson, Whitney Houston,  and Willie Nelson. In addition to his songwriting, Dorff has scored countless films and TV shows, including Spenser: For Hire, Murphy Brown, The Singing Bee, Just the 10 of Us, Murder She Wrote, Major Dad, Reba, and Growing Pains, for which he composed the hit theme song “As Long as We Got Each Other.” In 2017 he published his memoir, I Wrote That One, Too: A Life in Songwriting from Willie to Whitney, and he’s a 2018 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

PART ONE Scott and Paul pay tribute to a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member who recently passed away. PART TWO - 02:55 mark Like it or not, tax day is upon us! The guys each pick three of their favorite songs about money or taxes. PART THREE - 10:55 mark Scott and Paul's in-depth conversation with Bruce Sudano Bruce comes over to hang out with Scott and Paul at Songcraft world headquarters, where he explains how he hounded Tommy James into giving him a shot; why he says he became a "cocky self-assured arrogant jerk" before he figured out how to be a good songwriter; the reason "Bad Girls" was almost a Cher song; the controversy that erupted when Michael Jackson recorded his song; why Donna Summer went on "The Tonight Show" to help save Bruce's parents' marriage; how his 30 year love story with the disco queen influenced his songwriting; and why he thinks he might be at the end of a creative streak. Bruce Sudano is a Brooklyn-born songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who first hit the scene when Tommy James and the Shondells recorded his “Ball of Fire” in 1969. He spent the better part of the next decade focusing on his own bands, Alive N Kickin’ and Brooklyn Dreams. The latter group collaborated with Donna Summer on “Bad Girls” and other songs, which led to a personal relationship between Bruce and Donna. The pair married in 1980 and remained together for 32 years until her untimely passing in 2012. The team of Sudano and Summer wrote “Starting Over Again,” which became a #1 country hit and Top 40 pop hit for Dolly Parton. In addition to his multiple Donna Summer cuts, Bruce has also had charting singles recorded by Jermaine and Michael Jackson, Robert Palmer, and Reba McEntire. Others who’ve recorded his songs include Tammy Wynette, Steve Wariner, Point of Grace, and Snoop Dogg. Bruce has released a half dozen solo albums, including his critically acclaimed 21st Century World in 2017.