I’m what you might call a lyricist, in that I don’t play music but love singing and writing songs. I have these pent-up lyrics just floating in a vast expanse known as my big head. Country, rap, pop, rock a little bit of everything. Over the last few months I have been looking into people out there like me. Not famous for singing but being behind the hits. I wanted to share some fun info about writers you don’t know and transition into a few folks you may or may not have heard of that write and sing.
As an Okie (Oklahoman) one of my favorite country artists growing up was Garth Brooks. I always enjoyed the words because they truly painted a picture and told a story. I always assumed he wrote all his own lyrics. As it turns out some of his most popular songs and less traditionally country songs were penned by others or jointly with Brooks.
For example: Gary Burr is a name most of you might not know. In fact some of you younger readers might not even know the name Pure Prairie League. Gary Burr was a member of the band from 1982-1985 he wrote songs but nothing of note. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhbN1LCDcAM – PPL - Amie (Great Extended Radio Version)
However, since that time he has written for nearly every major country artist. One collaboration was with Brooks on “One night a day” a slow sad ballad driven by piano. Nothing country about it and one of my favorite Garth songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAjJsJ2TNhw – One night a day
According to his website his résumé reads like this:
32 top forty hits, 24 top tens, 14 number ones. Songwriter of the year by ASCAP and Billboard Magazine and the Nashville Songwriters Associations of America.
Not to shabby for a backup singer from Connecticut.
Continuing down the Garth Brooks road I found another great song he recorded on his “Sevens” album called “A friend to me”. This song is in my wheelhouse for singing and I enjoy the build from piano-only into a higher top end with full band backing. Again this song was co-written with a woman named Victoria Shaw. She released an album in 1984, 1994, 1995 and 1997. No singles ever broke the top 50 with limited radio play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y05I2JNojAsww.youtube.com/watch?v=y05I2JNojAs – Garth Brooks “A Friend to Me”
(just listen and ignore the video) I hope to cover this soon and post it.
Apparently they had worked together before. It was on Brooks third album, “Ropin’ the Wind” she co-wrote his ninth number one hit “The River”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXCBbxpFWCY – Victoria Shaw sings “The River”
“She’s Every Woman” was another number one she co-wrote with Brooks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7xZZEAoRd8
(Again, ignore the video, unless you are a Soap fan, just listen it is better)
This last song would be considered bluegrass by most anyone and never made the radio for Brooks. “Don’t cross the river” is an upbeat O brother Where Art Thou type song that is the second to last track on “Scarecrow,” Brooks’ final studio album released in 2001. Little did I know it is a cover of an America song from 1972 written by Dan Peek. Peek was a founding member of the group and wrote many of their hits including three other top 100 hits. “Lonley People”- “Woman Tonight”-“Today’s the Day” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g5ZEPI50yw – America – “Don’t Cross the River”
For example: Gary Burr is a name most of you might not know. In fact some of you younger readers might not even know the name Pure Prairie League. Gary Burr was a member of the band from 1982-1985 he wrote songs but nothing of note. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhbN1LCDcAM – PPL - Amie (Great Extended Radio Version)
However, since that time he has written for nearly every major country artist. One collaboration was with Brooks on “One night a day” a slow sad ballad driven by piano. Nothing country about it and one of my favorite Garth songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAjJsJ2TNhw – One night a day
According to his website his résumé reads like this:
32 top forty hits, 24 top tens, 14 number ones. Songwriter of the year by ASCAP and Billboard Magazine and the Nashville Songwriters Associations of America.
Not to shabby for a backup singer from Connecticut.
Continuing down the Garth Brooks road I found another great song he recorded on his “Sevens” album called “A friend to me”. This song is in my wheelhouse for singing and I enjoy the build from piano-only into a higher top end with full band backing. Again this song was co-written with a woman named Victoria Shaw. She released an album in 1984, 1994, 1995 and 1997. No singles ever broke the top 50 with limited radio play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y05I2JNojAsww.youtube.com/watch?v=y05I2JNojAs – Garth Brooks “A Friend to Me”
(just listen and ignore the video) I hope to cover this soon and post it.
Apparently they had worked together before. It was on Brooks third album, “Ropin’ the Wind” she co-wrote his ninth number one hit “The River”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXCBbxpFWCY – Victoria Shaw sings “The River”
“She’s Every Woman” was another number one she co-wrote with Brooks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7xZZEAoRd8
(Again, ignore the video, unless you are a Soap fan, just listen it is better)
This last song would be considered bluegrass by most anyone and never made the radio for Brooks. “Don’t cross the river” is an upbeat O brother Where Art Thou type song that is the second to last track on “Scarecrow,” Brooks’ final studio album released in 2001. Little did I know it is a cover of an America song from 1972 written by Dan Peek. Peek was a founding member of the group and wrote many of their hits including three other top 100 hits. “Lonley People”- “Woman Tonight”-“Today’s the Day” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g5ZEPI50yw – America – “Don’t Cross the River”
I don’t have to be famous I just want Garth to sing one of my songs on his comeback album. I don’t in fact have proof of said album but just assume it is only a matter of time. I guess you have to start somewhere and what better place than right here in my small corner of the internet. Maybe he will see this someday and fingers crossed he will be interested. If I can talk my little sis into recording a few songs with me in the next couple weeks they will be posted here.In my advanced age I mostly enjoy the singer/songwriter genre. This can be any type of music but if you write your own words that ups your stock in my book. Some great examples in the last few years have been some huge hits. One of the best lyrical songs is “Colder Weather” by the Zac Brown Band. This was co-written with the lead singer and Wyatt Durrette, the keyboardist. It is a “perfect” song lyrically from start to finish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oouFE51HcqM –Zac Brown Band– “Colder Weather”
Another one of my favorite artists and song writers is Ray LaMontagne. His song “Jolene” was covered by the Zac Brown Band on “Pass the Jar”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VBVqE-UtHw – Ray’s version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZD_H5KfbaM – Zac’s version
His biggest “hit” has been “Trouble” a song used in both TV and movies but never with great commercial success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3pltmw6cmI – Ray LaMontane – “Trouble”
My little sister found this next guy’s CD in a bargain bin in Stillwater, OK and we have been listening to him ever since. Marc Broussard is a singer/songwriter from Louisiana with a voice that is the epitome of blue-eyed soul. We had the chance to see him live at the small stage at the historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. A modest crowd of around 100 gathered around and we were blown away by vocals and true musicianship. He played everything from the guitar to a washboard. How this guy hasn’t blown up is beyond me. His biggest song was “Home” from his 2004 debut album “Carencro” also the name of his hometown.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuWPseegaKw&ob=av2e – Marc Broussard - “Home”
I don’t want to leave out the ladies and I want to start with a woman that continues to make amazing music, Susan Tedeschi. I have to credit my dad for this find. Her album “Just Won’t burn” came out when I was sixteen(1998) and the single “It Hurts So Bad” was a staple of my dad’s music collection. I have this album on my Ipod and have been known to listen to the entire thing while running or mowing or anything that allows me 45 minutes for the blues. Here is the title track from 1998 written by Tedeschi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7zSQNl-Mwc – Susan Tedeschi– “Just Won’t Burn”
She recently won the 2012 Grammy for Best Blues Album for Revelator. (Tedeschi Trucks Band)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZOBUcnNp04&ob=av2e – TTB – “Learn How to Love”
Lastly a woman with commercial success since her first single “Love Song” went pop chart smashing back in 2009, Sara Bareilles. One of the best female voices I have ever heard and a writer on top of that, yes please. She has been a judge on TV’s The Sing Off and has covered Beyonce on the internet, but her true strength is in song writing. Her first album “Careful Confessions” was written entirely by her and with songs like “Gravity” I am surprised it didn’t launch her career even faster.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_U6iSAn_fY – Sara Bareilles – “Gravity”
Her most recent chart worthy song was “King of Anything” a fun song basically saying ‘what do you know about anything, who made you king’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4z0RmLXXJc – Sara Bareilles – “King of Anything”
If you made it this far thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the songs and feel free to Facebook me or comment on here about some of your favorite singer/songwriters.
I didn’t mean to get all Rolling Stone on you today but sometimes facts can be fun. I know I only touched on a few but a couple others worth mentioning include: James Taylor, John Lennon, Jimmy Buffet, John Mayer, Dave Barnes, Carole King, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, Adele and the list goes on and on. My songwriting shall continue and my obsession with songwriters grows daily.
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