| Secrets of the Pop Song; a ballad, hit single, anthem | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 22 2011, 11:44 PM (427 Views) | |
| Mobson | Jul 22 2011, 11:44 PM Post #1 |
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Has anyone been watching a three part programme called Secrets of the Pop Song? Inside the process this series sees Guy Chambers collaborate on three very different types of song, the Ballad, The Breakthough Single and the Anthem with three different people. Episode One: The Ballad. A collaboration between professional song writer, Guy Chambers, famous for working with Robbie Williams, together selling over 40 million albums including the infamous Angels which has sold over 2 million and is very popular at weddings and funerals, and singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright. Guy has to liaise with Rufus with only 2 days together to write a mainstream commercial ballad. They endeavour to come up with an original, whilst examples are given of past successful hits. Saw Rufus at the D or J Chapman opening last week, wearing a 'The Killing' style cardigan, shiny slim style grey trousers and thong sandals with toe loop! Usual freaky stand up hair and unshaven look that suits him; couldn't see his eyes as he was wearing the obligatory shades! Guy has a title 'World War 3' after hearing that South and North Korea were at loggerheads on the radio that morning and gradually through the programme, after Rufus picks the second of three riffs Guy plays for him, you witness them weaving their talent to create an original ballad, after Rufus sang the first line, World War 3 between you and me...they create more lyrics whilst Guy plays the piano. Guy & his neighbour, Don Black, who lives around the corner, discuss the Ballad at a cafe... Don tells Guy of his writing the song 'Ben' for Michael Jackson, about a boy who was terminally ill and had a pet rat! Back at the studio they rock on with the first verse, the bridge, the chorus and Guy's throw away line 'don't bore us, get to the chorus'... Rufus reveals that he is to become a father in four months time, February with Leonard Cohen's daughter, Lorca. "We've been friends for many many years and she wanted to have a kid!" Guy was surprised at this news but said it's the sign of a good songwriter, when they reveal their own personal emotions about private stuff - he said Robbie would do that. Rufus goes off, Guy works on the melodies, adding layers of different instrumentation using a harp and drums etc. When they meet up at Guy's house in L.A. in February, Rufus records power harmonies to the music Guy's been working on, and later they go to a little venue for an impromptu gig where Rufus introduces the new song to a small group of his fans, and then sings whilst Guy plays piano to an enthusiastic audience. He later reveals his new baby daughter Viva was there! Even later a couple of 'radio pluggers' who pick hits for radio, listen to the demo track and unreservedly pronounce it a pick for the Radio 2 playlist. Also mentioned on the programme is an interview with Diane Warren, one of the most successful songwriters in the world with more top ten hits than the Beatles, and is on the Hollywood walk of fame. If someone wants to write about the next programme in the series, called Breakthrough Single, a collaboration between Guy and Mark Ronson, great, otherwise I will when I get around to watching it. I am glad I watched this, it's not a programme I might necessarily bother with, but something told me to download it and I'm glad I did, it's great insight into how a song is written...looking forward to part two now. Episode 1, The Ballad will be deleted on i-player tomorrow evening at 10.44pm unless downloaded, when it expires on 21st August. Edited by Mobson, Jul 23 2011, 10:00 AM.
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8:51 AM Jul 11