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Collaboration or Solo?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 9:59PM | Email Article I remember once reading an interview with Stuart Copeland when he was with The Police, when asked about writing in a band he said 'musically Sting thought my ideas were shit!'
If you've ever written in a band perhaps you've been on the receiving end of that kind of response, or perhaps you've been sitting there thinking 'someone get me a gun, I need to blow my brains out!'
In the mid 1980s I clearly remember a guy I met one day who told me he was a songwriter, we agreed to try and collaborate on song writing. The day arrived when he came over to my place and an hour later we'd set up his mammoth collection of synths - it was an amazing display.
Then we got to share our ideas, two hours into the session there wasn't a single thing this guy played that I liked, in fact it got so embarrassing that in the end he had a tantrum and packed his stuff up and went home. As you can imagine we never become the next Lennon and McCartney and I decided that perhaps I just wasn't one of those people who could write with others.
Over the years I've begun to work with producers, A&R people and Exec Producers and at times they take your songs apart. It takes a special relationship of trust to allow that to happen and I know some of my average stuff became better because I allowed someone else to critique it.
The reality is, I've always been the writer, with a few exceptions and perhaps my music is a lot poorer for it. The problem is I tend to fall in the Sting camp and often I think that someone else's idea for the song is crap. Arrogance perhaps? Or perhaps I'm just a writer who was wired to fly solo?
I'm not sure if there's a right or wrong or a better way to write, perhaps just different ways. We could all list both solo and collaborative classics, so history makes no clear leader. I would love to hear how it works for you? Perhaps you're a veteran, or just starting out song writing. How about we share our experiences and see what comes up?
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Reader Comments (5)
I feel you on this Russ. I am truly a solo writer. Even in the process of collaboration,
I have to do my part alone. Part of it is my own insecurities about my process.
But If I'm being honest a big part of it is ego. I desire creative control of the composition. Also, I don't like previewing something I'm writing until I am satisfied with it because I don't trust most people's opinion over my own. Its been a blessing and a curse. But again, I do feel you!!!
Like you Russ, I'm a huge fan of The Police.
When you analyze all of their songs it's clear who wrote the best songs. And I'm not talking about most successful but purely the best songs in terms of structure, melody, harmony and wit. It's obvious that Sting is a very talented songwriter.
I believe it takes a special and very rare kind of symbiosis for a duo to write good songs. If you'd make a list of all songwriters you'll see that the duos are not many in numbers. There are some that jump out like Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards, Becker/Fagen, Waters/Gilmour, Simon/Garfunkel. But there's not nearly as many duos as there are good solo songwriters. Besides, most of the songwriters in duos have also written many good songs solo if not more than as a duo.
Personally, I've never found someone who complemented my ideas in songwriting. I'm talking songwriting not musically. Next to the rarity of finding that perfect songwriter partner i have another problem. Inspiration mostly strikes at private moments. I wake up with ideas, or literally dream of a melody or harmony. I get inspiration after a particular movie, book or experience that struck me. Inspiration also comes to me when i'm alone and just sitting in my studio with my guitar and let my emotion or mood guide my fingers on the frets. It's a very private, personal thing. At least for me.
Now most of my ideas are not finished right away. They often need a bridge or an intro. But the song is a part of me. It reflects MY feelings and that is exactly what makes it hard for me to present it to another songwriter. I rather leave it lying on a shelve (digitally or mentally) because i know one day i will find the puzzle piece that will complete the song.
Arrogance? I don't think so. True love strikes very rarely in ones live if it strikes at all. And i believe that the great songwriter duos had the sheer luck of a lightning strike.
Just my 2 cents
there is more work to do in a band/team than just songwriting
so join different forces to become stronger
don't be all on the same small spot
I completely understand the pain Russ. For years I have been a writer but also in the industry starting as a scout and then through the ranks from A&R to Manager and recently back to Writer/Producer. Collaboration seems to be the one thing that everyone tells me at the moment, especially in a commercial guise, but I cannot ever see how both parties can truly agree when it boils down to the nitty-gritty.
I think you find that in every joint writing partnership there is something about a track that one person or the other actually hates. I can work quite happily along with any artist if they adhere to a collective 'vision' and the artists that have taken advice when I have pulled the songs apart have definitely had more success with particular tracks than otherwise - or at least I like to think that! Maybe I was wrong...
I find it a lot easier to work with artists when you can truly understand the style and genre to which they are suited, so that you can both collectively feel the passion of the genre. That way you learn to 'let things slide'. Working on HipHop / RnB tracks for example goes against my own preferred stye (being a man of rock leanings), but as long as you can jointly see the goal it gets a lot easier. On the flip-side whenever I tried to write with my brother and we always end up trying to punch each others lights out - so there is no formula to winning.
I say one thing to end this though, raise a glass to all of us creatives that at least try to write/produce/perform etc, as 99% of everyone else seem to just drown sorrows at the boozer, or spend entire lifetimes watching Coronation Street. Im not saying thats a bad thing, as I don't mean to offend, whatever floats your boat! I just know what I'd prefer doing with my spare time, even if it ends up with doors slamming and arguements. You might never write another 'Angels' or 'Imagine', you may possibly write something better.
As you said there is no right or wrong answer and some of it might have to do with personality. Most of the composers of the Baroque period were "solo" often with both success and failure. I think some styles might have to do with making it easier. Some of the great collabs were fraught with trouble, "fighting" is not unusual in the process of collaboration.
I've been in bands, solo and a few small collaborations. My own abilities to write are eclectic and odd but some of my collaborations have resulted in some great ideas that are still evolving.
I have a friend that is a prolific songwriter and we collaborate once a month and I am always amazed that some of the ideas I have that I think are stupid he likes.
One odd thing happened last year where I was asked to do some guitar parts for a song and the artist hated them. I ended being the producer/eng for the guys solo project and ended up working on the song again. So I inserted my tracks and he loved it but has no idea why he loves the guitar...
I have learned to do what the song requires for being better...