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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,448
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Joined: Feb 2001
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This is fascinating and tragic For a Classic Motown Song About Money, Credit Is What He Wants http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/01/a...amp;region=Marginalia&pgtype=articleit also makes me think this: If a studio musician in a recording session comes up with an incredible lick or riff that really makes a song a hit, that wasn't in the demo: Should he be included as a cowriter? Should he have the power to say, that riff is my creation, if you want to use it, I need to be a writer on the song, if not please remove it?
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,044 Likes: 16
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Joined: Aug 2002
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Sad story, but I wonder how many sad stories there are like this where the song writer is shafted. With out the songwriter there would be no music industry,period.
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 7,831
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Hi Ande:
I did not watch the video... but I understand where the guitar riff creator is coming from. If the songwriter agrees, there are two possible solutions: 1. Give the "Riffist" credit on the cover of the song or album. -or- 2. Agree to add him as a co-writer of the song... but adjust his/her share to a significantly lesser amount than the songwriter. After all, the publisher automatically gets half. (Maybe the publisher "has a heart" and would be willing to give up a small portion of his share rather than dropping that burden on the songwriter?)
The third alternative is to remove the riff... and if it really enhanced the song significantly... that would be a shame.
Everett is 100% correct. There would be no songs if there were no songwriters. As a songwriter, I realize there are so many people involved in the "final edition" of the song... the lines are sometimes blurred. Drawing lines in the sand can sometimes be difficult... but the poor songwriter seems to always be stuck with the check at the table of prosperity.
How many times do we hear a song and think of the artist who "took it to the top"... when the poor songwriter is not even mentioned on the label of the CD or record.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
All the best,
Dave
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,114
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Sounds similar to the "Whiter Shade Of Pale" lawsuit in the UK. Matthew Fisher who wrote and played the signature organ riff in the song sued the other writers for future royalties. I don't know if there is a precedent in the US. Story below. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jul/30/lords-ruling-whiter-shade-pale
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