Originally Posted By: JohnJohnJohn


<<< My personal situation is I write songs mostly for my own entertainment. And like someone said on another post, if others enjoy my stuff too, well that is just a lovely bonus.

Because I often work with folks in a songwriting group who are brand new I find I tend to want to help them set realistic expectations and enjoy the process while learning and improving. Several times I have seen a new songwriter with marginal songs and they were just certain they had written huge hits. They then proceeded to annoy folks with their overly protective posturing.

So I guess my point was simply, if you are in this as a business then take all those precautions but if you are mainly in it for fun just relax and enjoy the experience rather than clobbering it with technicalities. >>>



These comments resonated with me being a songwriter both for enjoyment and as a not so smart music businessman.

Spanning the decades I've been writing songs, I had my first copyright in 1959, I am the epitome of a marginal songwriter. Even so, just being marginal in talent, circumstances have provided me brushes with commercial success. Providence and circumstance can happen to anyone. I sold a song to a 3 time Grammy nominated producer 41 years after it was originally recorded and released. I was asked once to submit a song to a major recording act on a major recording label. I didn't believe it and did not submit the song only to find out several years later, it actually was true. The album it would have been included on was a gold record, million seller. I had two songs on hold for another album that never materialized due to the untimely death of the producer.

That being said simply means that as a music business person, I'm not very good. I've literally written hundreds of songs and four have received commercial attention. Each of the hundreds of songs I've written I thought they were the best work I'd ever done at the time I wrote them.

I've actually had one of my original songs stolen. I would like to say plagiarized but he took it verbatim, words and music and claimed it as his own. It was a song that was rejected for the album I made in 1975. I was particularly fond of it and brought in two singers, taught one how to play a signature strum and chord progression, and recorded it as a solo project. Eleven years later in 1986 I ran across one of the fellows and he was playing the song verbatim and claiming it as his original. We were both playing at a private party so I began to play and sing along with him - verbatim. He looked at me puzzled and asked how I knew his song. I quietly explained to him I wrote the song and still had the original reel to reel tape which contained not only the song, but it was running while I taught him the chord progression and strumming pattern. He had forgotten over time where he stole the song from. He also was a hobbyist songwriter with no commercial releases, so there was nothing to sue for.....

All that to say this. Even marginal songs by marginal songwriters can have opportunities arise for commercial success. You are not hurting yourself by taking Herb's advice and in fact, you are presenting yourself in a more professional manner and also providing self encouragement to yourself which builds confidence to believe in yourself.

Charlie

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