Q & A with Ree Guyer Buchanan

Background:

Name: Ree Guyer Buchanan

Website: www.myspace.com/wrensongpub

Q: What has been your role in the music industry?

A: I am a music Publisher. I own my own boutique independent company. I specialize in developing writers and artists. I work on making them Hit songwriters and artists.

Q: How/when did you get your start?

A: I grew up in St. Paul Minnesota and worked with many talented writers there who wrote mainly commercials for top brands. I used to sing on commercials as a kid. I graduated from College and knew I wanted to be in sales. So my Father and I started Wrensong/Reynsong to help these writers. I began by taking trips to Nashville and setting up meetings with Top Publishers. I thought they would want to co-publish my songs. I quickly realized that I would have to find homes for the songs myself. So I began meeting producers, they were the decision makers at the time regarding what songs artists put on their albums. I was fortunate enough to meet Billy Sherrill, he was producing George Jones, Tammy Wynette and others and he was running CBS Records. This opened many doors for me.

Q: Who have you worked with?

A: Jon Vezner, who wrote our song of the year in 1990 "Where've you Been", was my first writer I signed, Blair Daly, Will Rambeaux, Jaime Kyle, Sherrie Austin, Burton Collins, Aaron Benward, Jon Randall, John Wiggins and Ashley Monroe.

Q: Do you have a mentor? If so, who?

A: Yes, Billy Sherrill, Pat Higdon and Karen Conrad

Q: What types of projects do you enjoy working on?

A: I love developing a writer/artist. I love putting together a team for an artist.

Q: What have been your most meaningful successes?

A: It is most meaningful to me when a writer becomes successful and remains humble and loyal. I have enjoyed working with Jon Randall and seeing him become a worldclass writer.

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: I am excited about Ashley Monroe. I signed her when she was 17 and she is 23 and having her first #1 record. The songs I have owned over the last 5 years, I have always known they were great,now the industry knows they are great and she is having great success.

Your Career:

Q: It’s one thing to get one hit song, but what does it take to make a career out of it?

A: Hard work. persistance persistance persistance. I am always thinking about my songs and who I can get them too. The writer and artists I know that are successful work harder. Everyone we deal with has a measure of talent, but a work ethic is key.

Q: How did you “break in” to the music industry?

A: Making cold calls to producers and publishers.

Q: What has been your most difficult challenge as an indie publisher?

A: There is power in numbers. The big corporations have deep catalogs and they can live off of their base. With a small catalog you always have to get new activity.

Thoughts on music today:

Q: How has the music industry changed from the beginning of your career until now?

A: When I came to town in 1995, there were about 8 producers. It was smaller and easier to get answers. Now most artist projects involve huge committees to decide on the music. This waters it all down.

Q: How has a your role changed over time?

A: The music business is all about who you know and your network of contacts. This is the most valuable thing you own. Today when I have a great song, I go directly to the source to get answers on the song. This is because my network is very deep and wide.

Q: How has technology had an effect on your career (home studios, digital distribution, etc.)?

A: Technology has made my job easier. Making a cd for a meeting takes seconds. I do not miss the days of reel to reels to cassettes in real time. It took forever to get ready for meetings. The one thing that I do not like about technology is the I pitch songs now by MP3. Many producers want to get MP3's instead of taking a meeting with you. It takes the salesmanship and fun out of the process for me.

Q: What are your thoughts on 360 deals?

A: I think they are a good idea, but it is hard to get paid by the labels right now, labels are holding 50% reserves on our royalties, what will happen when they control all the money. Little scary to me.

Advice:

Q: What advice can you give the young songwriters and musicians today?

A: Network, Network, network. Everyone you meet in the business is important, even the assistants. One day they will be A&R people or producers.

Q: Is there a formula to a hit song?

A: We are selling emotion period.

Lyric Financial:

Q: How did you find out about Lyric Financial?

A: thru Kurt Denny

Q: How has Lyric Financial played a role in your life?

A: Lyric Financial has stepped in and supported me in a time when banks cannot give a service anymore. As a small publisher Lyric Financial is essential for our business.

Q: What opportunities or needs has it fulfilled?

A: Eli interviewed me when he was first developing his business plan. He has done very thing he set out to do. It is a great time for Lyric to succeed.

Q: Based on the challenges of the music industry today, what advice would you give other royalty earners if they have financial need? (either for living expenses or professional development)

A: I would highly recommend Lyric Financial because they are filling in a gap that is desperately needed in the creative business today. They help you base only on activity, not pie in the sky deals.

Getting Your Songs Back...in plain english

Sometimes there’s elephant in the room that can’t be ignored.

In 1976, Congress created an opportunity for songwriters and artists or their families to get the ownership of their songs back for free! Remember, the life of the copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years…and that’s a long time. The window for that opportunity is now open and the songwriters or their families need to be aware that they have the right to regain the ownership of their catalog or renegotiate a significantly more favorable deal than they currently have. There are two different termination provisions in the Copyright Act of 1976 for getting your songs back depending on whether you signed over the ownership of your songs to a publisher after January 1, 1978 or before 1978.

My good friend and esteemed legal scholar, Robert Clarida at Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C. in New York has provided a basic how to in plain English, which is available at http://bit.ly/GetYourSongsBack

Keep it in the groove,

Eli Ball

Founder

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LYRIC Announcements

Our royalty advance program, FastForwardMyRoyalties, now in its third year has come a long way since it began with BMI in 2007. We have funded nearly $5MM in royalty advances to songwriters, publishers, artists and producers. Yep…that’s right we are now funding artist and producer advances.

LYRIC funds advance

requests on performance, mechanical, artist or producer royalty streams from ASCAP, BMI and most of the major labels/publishers.

For more information on royalty advances, visit www.fastforwardmyroyalties.com or you can contact me directly at eli@lyricfinancial.com. FastForwardMyRoyalties is a simple, safe and fast way to access your royalties.

LYRIC Success Stories

For those who could not attend, BMI’s Trailblazer Gospel Awards Luncheon in Nashville last month…it was incredible. The Grammy’s should take a page from BMI VP of Urban, Catherine Brewton’s playbook as she turned a barren warehouse into an intimate, dramatic venue. To experience Marvin Winans, Donnie McClurken and Yolanda Adams on the same stage was simply life affirming!

And did I forget to mention that my friend and LYRIC client, Derrick Starks won the award for “Most Performed Gospel Song of the Year”. All of us in the LYRIC family are so proud of Derrick’s success…he’s an absolutely phenomenal talent and most importantly, he’s a genuinely great human being! Check out Derrick at myspace.com/derrickstarkstodaysgeneration

- Eli

Lyric Financial had the chance to catch up with Derrick and this is what he's up to...

From his early years at the edge of an organ stool, watching as his Auntie Chaquila played hymns at church, Derrick Starks found himself drawn into the world of music. And through two decades in the music industry, Derrick has worked with some of the greats — and remains passionate about songs that “transcend generations.”

Between writing and recording his own music, and running his Starks Music Group gospel label, Derrick is busier than most — but music doesn’t offer the comfort of weekly paychecks, which is why he’s sought out Lyric Financial.

“Lyric has given me the resources to start and run my label, support a studio, and develop new artists,” Derrick says. “At a time when our economy was having major problems, Lyric helped me continue to pursue my dreams. They offer a variety of financial solutions, with more flexibility than a traditional financial institution… I encourage anyone who relies on royalties to consider talking to Lyric.”

Read Derrick's entire interview here

Upcoming Events

March 9, 2010

California Copyright Conference

"Monetizing Music Publishing - Show Me The Money!"

Commerce in music publishing has never been livelier. Buying, selling and borrowing against copyrights remains a vibrant market. During these challenging economic times, lenders are offering publishers and writers creative ways of generating cash flow . A panel of experts (including Eli Ball of Lyric Financial) will discuss music catalog valuation and deal structures for sales and securitization purposes, how royalty streams can be pledged, what lenders require to finance publishing deals and the due diligence steps publishers can take to enhance copyright value.

To register for this event please visit http://www.theccc.org/meetings.php

Get Your Rights Back: Statutory Termination of Copyright Grants

Get Your Rights Back: Statutory Termination of Copyright Grants

by Bob Clarida (rwc@cll.com)

Imagine you sold some songs back in the 1980s, maybe the 60s or 70s. Your assignment to the publisher said, as per the usual boilerplate, that you were assigning the songs "for the full term of copyright in the work, including all renewals and extensions thereof." The copyright in the songs may not expire for a very long time – 70 years after you’re dead. Does this mean your rights are locked up until that date? No. Under the Copyright Act, there are two different statutory termination provisions, set forth in sections 203 and 304 of the 1976 Copyright Act, under which you or your family could get back your rights in the songs prior to the end of the copyright term.

Section 203 – Recapture 35 years after the contract date

Under § 203, any grant of rights in a copyrighted work "executed by the author on or after January 1, 1978" may be terminated at any time during a five-year window beginning 35 years after the date of execution of the grant. Before termination, you have to serve a written notice on the party who’s being terminated, and that notice has to be served not less than two years, and not more than ten years, before the effective date of the termination. Accordingly, if your old deal was signed on January 1, 1978, your termination window would run from Jan. 1, 2013 to Jan. 1, 2018 and the period for serving the notice would run from 2003 (2013 – 10 = 2003) to 2016 (2018 -2 = 2018). Notices have already been sent to terminate a number of high-profile contracts from the late 1970s, and no doubt more writers will begin sending notices as the word gets around. So dust off those old contracts you thought you were stuck with, and send out the notices during the proper time period; if they’re early or late they won’t count.

Who can do it: Only the songwriter can terminate, if he or she is alive. If the songwriter is deceased, the right may be exercised by the widow or widower, if living, and any children or grandchildren. If more than one of these relatives is living, the rights are divided half to the widow/widower, half to the children and surviving grandchildren, divided among them proportionally. A vote of the majority of the termination interest is required to make an effective termination – if there is a stand-off between the widow/widower (who owns half) and everybody else who owns the remaining half, the termination is not effective. If there are none of the above relatives still living, the right can be exercised by “the author’s executor, administrator, personal representative, or trustee.”

The written notice has to specify what work is being terminated, the particular agreement being terminated, the effective date of termination, and the authority of the person exercising the termination (as author, widow, trustee, etc.)

Significantly, the termination right under § 203 may not be waived by prior agreement, as the statute provides that termination may be effected "notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, including an agreement to make a will or a future grant." So the writer or heirs cannot actually sell or waive their termination right to anybody. Like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness these termination rights are literally “inalienable.” The law does specifically allow authors to negotiate new deals with their original publishers after the termination notice has been served, however. Many publishers try to acquire such rights whenever possible, to avoid losing valuable older titles.

Even before the termination notice is served, recent cases in the courts have also allowed authors to make new contracts with the original grantee to supersede the older, termination-prone ones, but courts scrutinize such agreements very carefully to make sure that the original buyer is not taking unfair advantage and undercutting the basic purpose of termination, which is to give the writer a second bite at the apple and realize the true long-term value of a song that may have been sold too cheaply back in the day.

Section 203 does have its limits, however. It does not apply to works made for hire, since those works are deemed owned by the employer ab initio rather than by means of a grant from the individual creator. Also, it does not divest the publisher of foreign rights in the work, but only pertains to rights under the US Copyright Act. Moreover, only grants executed by the author may be terminated under the section. Further, § 203 does not prohibit the continued exploitation of derivative works prepared by the publisher "under authority of the grant before its termination." Accordingly, a publisher would not be able to continue issuing licenses for new uses after termination, but older recordings or videos could continue to be sold.

Section 304 –Recapture 56 (or 75) years after publication

Section 304 provides for another form of termination, which takes effect at the end of the 56th year of the copyright term. Under § 304, any grant executed before 1978, by the writer or any of his/her statutorily designated heirs, may be terminated in a five-year window between the 56th and 61st year, allowing the author or heirs to recapture the copyright in the work for the remainder of the term. For works still under copyright but beyond their 61st year as of 1998, the § 304 right is available in the five-year period between the 75th and 81st years of the copyright term.

Like § 203, § 304 does not apply to works made for hire and does not allow for the termination of foreign rights. Like § 203, Section 304 also permits the continued exploitation of derivative works made prior to termination, but only when the terminated grant was made by a party other than the author (§ 304(c)(6)(A)). As noted above, under § 203, grants made by persons other than the author are not terminable at all, but all pre-termination derivative works may continue to be exploited.

As with § 203, only widows, children and executors can exercise the termination rights, and they must follow similar procedures as to the timing and content of the notice of termination. These formalities are easily complied with by motivated authors and their estates, however, provided that they are made aware of their termination rights.

In sum, if you sold your rights under a grant that was (a) made prior to 1978, (b) by the author or a widow/child/executor, § 304 makes those rights subject to termination, in the US, as of the 56th year of the copyright term in the work, or beginning in the 75th year, if the work was already past its 61st year in 1998. If you sold your rights under a contract (a) made in 1978 or later, (b) by the author, those rights are vulnerable to termination under § 203 starting in the 35th year after the execution of the grant.

Robert Clarida is a partner at Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C. in New York

Please contact Robert with any questions you may have at rwc@cll.com

© 2010 Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.

Q & A with Derrick Starks

Q: Do you have any nicknames?

A: Big “D”, Minister “D”, “Fingers”, “Snake Eye” and Pookie

Q: What has been your role in the music industry?

A: I feel like my role in the music industry has been to write and sing songs of hope and inspiration.

Q: How did you get your start?

A: My father purchased our family an organ when I was seven years old. Also at my father’s church I would sit on the edge of the organ stool and watch my Auntie Chaquila play week after week. I remember watching TV and would go and play what I had heard. I would play commercials, TV themes, game show music, etc…

Q: Who have you worked with?

A: I have been blessed to work with so many great artists from the Clark Sisters to the Winans Family, John Tesh, Yolanda Adams, Tramaine, Edwin, and Walter Hawkins, Keisha Cole, Bobby Valentino, Howard Hewett, Vickie Winans, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Rance Allen, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and the list goes on..

Q: Do you have a mentor? If so, who?

A: I must say that I really consider the late Thomas A. Whitfield (The “Maestro”) to be the person that served as my personal mentor. I would also like to add that Andre Crouch, Marvin Winans, and my father Pastor C. James Starks have greatly influenced my viewpoints on music as well as my personal and spiritual life.

Q: What types of projects do you enjoy working on?

A: I most enjoy working on projects that result in music that transcends generational time. Children, their parents, and grandparents can receive the music from their own perspectives but still love it and be excited and inspired by it.

Q: What have been your most meaningful successes?

A: I think that my most meaningful successes include receiving a Grammy nomination and being a recipient of the 2010 Trailblazer Award. I also consider my recent participation in the Germany GoGospel Festival to be a huge success. I was able to see that the hope and deliverance offered through gospel music really has no limits and can cross racial as well as continental lines.

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: I am currently working on completing projects for gospel artists on my newly founded record label.

Q: It’s one thing to write one hit song, but what does it take to make a career out of it?

A: I believe to truly make a career out of writing songs and hits you must consistently operate with a spirit of humility and exercise tremendous patience and endurance. It is important to be true to yourself and write from your heart and personal life experiences. Don’t be afraid of failure. Often times, you may write several songs before you compose a “recognized hit”.

Q: What has been your most difficult challenge as a music professional?

A: My most difficult challenge as a music professional has probably been starting my own record label. Operating your own record label requires much more than the writing of music and artistic ability.

Q: Your catalog is quite diverse. How do you find inspiration to create music in an authentic way for all of the artists that you have worked with?

A: First and foremost I try to develop a relationship with the respective artist so that I have a clear understanding of their innermost heart and spirit. Wherever possible I research the artist’s past styles and vocal performances so that my song will appropriately communicate the artist’s perspectives as well as accommodate their vocal styles and gifts.

Q: How has the music industry changed from the beginning of your career until now?

A: The music industry has changed dramatically from the beginning of my career until now. Technology has changed the way producers produce and record music and vocals. Even the distribution of music has gone through a metamorphic process. I remember as a child playing 45’s, but today the digital revolution allows us to listen to music via IPODs!

Q: How has a your role changed over time?

A: I believe that over the past several years (although I still reflect on the teachings and inspirations of my personal mentors) I have now grown to a place where I have embraced the role of being a mentor for others and giving back the same teachings, inspiration, and encouragement that have been given to me and account for much of my personal success.

Q: How has technology had an effect on your career (home studios, digital distribution, etc.)?

A: Technological advances have given me “fingertip access” to the gospel industry. I am now able to reach artists and audiences locally and globally instantaneously. I think that technology has created an awesome and amazing avenue to more easily reach the masses and infuse hope into their lives through music and song.

Q: What are your thoughts on the Performance Rights Act?

A: I feel that every artist and musician from the biggest stars to the working class performers deserve to be paid when their performance, work, or creation is broadcast via any medium.

Q: What advice can you give the young songwriters and musicians today?

A: The most important advice I would offer a young songwriter or musician today is to study the great songwriters and musicians of our past and present and to always write and play from the heart. We must remember that “what comes from the heart, reaches the heart…”

Q: How did you find out about Lyric Financial?

A: I found out about Lyric Financial through my Wife and business partner of 14 years…

Q: How has Lyric Financial played a role in your life? What opportunities or needs has it fulfilled?

A: Lyric Financial has truly been a great help to me. Lyric Financial has provided me the necessary resources to launch my company, Starks Music Group (SMG). Under the umbrella of SMG, I have been able to start my own record label and studio, acquire state-of-the-art recording supplies, develop new artists, and hire additional musicians and a small staff. At a time when our economy was experiencing grueling difficulties, Lyric Financial helped me to start SMG and continue the pursuit of my dream.

Q: Based on the challenges of the music industry today, what advice would you give other royalty earners if they have financial need? (either for living expenses or professional development)

A: I would encourage other royalty earners to seriously consider Lyric Financial as a wonderfully, viable resource to assist them in overcoming any financial challenges relative to developing themselves or their businesses. Lyric Financial offers a variety of financial solutions for artists and provides greater flexibility than traditional financial institutions.

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

A: I would just like to extend my most gracious and heartfelt thanks to Lyric Financial and to everyone that has influenced The “STARK” Truth. American author Melodie Beattie wrote, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, and confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow…” I am incredibly grateful! I pray that I can continue to do great work and offer hope and deliverance through music and song.

Happy Holidays from Lyric Financial

$ound Advice

Throughout my career, I have been blessed to work with many amazing artists and musicians. Some are no longer with us, while some are just hitting their stride… Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Booker T. Jones, Vince Gill, Eddy Shaver, Barry Beckett, James Luther Dickinson and his right righteous sons of the south – the North Mississippi Allstars, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rosanne Cash, Lyle Lovett, Jason and the Scorchers, Herbie Hancock, and the original crunk of Memphis Gangsta Rap (back in the day when a mixtape was a cassette) with my brother Al Kapone, Juicy J and DJ Paul (Three Six Mafia) and Eightball & MJG. One constant has been these artists’ ability to adapt their vision in the ever-changing world of the music business. As CEO of Lyric Financial, I am constantly evaluating the economics of the music industry to help provide financial support and guidance to my clients.

It is a responsibility that I take seriously — from creating products like our FastForwardMyRoyalties advance program, which provides easy access to your royalties, to actively supporting legislation that will make sure that you continue to be paid for the use of your creative work. It’s my job to stay in tune with the rhythm of your needs – keeping you current on issues affecting your career.

Which brings me to a critical piece of legislation making its way through Congress — legislation that will have a significant impact on your economic future: the Performance Rights Act. If passed into law, it will be every artist’s (and label’s) economic safety net in this age of illegal downloads. This bill ensures a fair distribution of terrestrial radio advertising money back to those that create and invest in the music. As we are all too aware, the traditional music business model of a radio hit equaling a platinum album (or, for that matter, even gold) are over. Traditional record sales will never again be the key economic driver of an artist’s career. Therefore, it is absolutely essential for artists and labels to participate in all “revenue” streams related to the use of their music. That means the old broadcasting business model of “use-your-music-for-free” because the for-profit radio station is “promoting your record” needs to be retired. While the broadcasting industry has its own economic issues, your music is the inventory. (They would say their inventory is advertising space, but that dog don’t hunt. If radio had no programming other than commercials, no one would listen.) I don’t know of many business models where inventory costs you nothing, and I’m interested in helping put a piece of that advertising revenue back in your wallet where it belongs. Here’s the kicker: Although the Performance Rights Act has passed through committee in both houses of Congress, it has yet to be brought to a floor vote. The corporate broadcast industry is fighting this bill with every trick and dollar (can you say millions?) in its vast arsenal. The bottom line is that all of us who make our living in the music industry need to step up and be counted, while we still have a job!

Remember, Lyric offers much more than just words to help you manage your career. We put our money where our mouth is! Pick up the phone and give me a call at 615.739.6515 or shoot me an email to eli@lyricfinancial.com, and let me help guide your career toward success.

Happy Holidays,

-Eli Ball

CEO Lyric Financial

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LYRIC Team Announcements

Please welcome Folayan Knight to the LYRIC family. Folayan brings a wealth of music industry experience from her previous gigs at Def Jam and L.A. Reid’s Hitco Music Publishing. She also manages some of the top producer/writers in R&B/hip-hop, people who work with artists like 50 Cent, Britney Spears and Alicia Keys, just to name a few. Not bad, and still hasn’t hit the big 3-0! Forget it guys, she’s already taken — and smart too!

You can reach Folayan at folayan@lyricfinancial.com.

Q&A with Lamont Dozier

Q: Any nicknames?
A: In high school, they called me the Candy Man. And that’s because I used to write and sell… I used to write love letters for my customers, I called them, that needed some help talking to their girlfriends. I would write love letters, books, and if I had to make a telephone call, I would disguise my voice, and that would cost them a dollar.

Q: If you could talk about your role in the music industry, that would be great.
A: Well, basically, I like to think of myself as not only a songwriter, but I like to think I’m helping people when I write songs. I like to say something that has some importance, or something that would help somebody in their lives, if they’re having a love problem, or just a problem with living and keeping the faith... You know, a lot of people get depressed and down, and I like to write inspirational things that will give them a lift, or give them hope. That started with my Southern love idea, so to speak, and the love letters. But yeah, Minister of Song, you might say, because everything that I’ve done has a certain thing about it that people can identify with. Even the songs of the Supremes and the Four Tops have a certain amount of life lessons in them.

Q: Now you’ve also been a producer as well, haven’t you?
A: Yes, I’ve produced all of the songs I’ve written, especially at Motown.

Q: How did you get your start?
A: I got my start by listening to my teachers, listening to other artists. At the age of 11 I started collecting records, I was just listening to records... every cent I could get my hands on, I would buy records and I would listen. In the ’50s, I was a kid, very young, I would buy records, and just listen to how people would phrase, and sing lyrics, and how they performed those songs. That was my teacher, because I never had any formal training, so my formal training came with the records that I bought

Q: What actually got you discovered?
A: Well, I had formed a group from the time I was 13 or 14 years old, and I stayed in a housing project in Detroit. And in the housing projects, a lot of people were talented, singers and what have you, and a friend of mine was a singer. He and I got together in school, and decided that we would create a vocal group. So we became The Romeos, and we recorded for his little label, on Fox Records in Detroit. Shortly thereafter, a song was put out; the first song didn’t do as well, the second song did very well, so much so that Atlantic Records came calling asking about The Romeos and this particular record, because it was a local hit. And we became Atlantic Records artists, and the song went to about 40 on the charts.

I moved from there to another local label, called Anna Records, where I became one of the singers in a group called Voicemasters. The label was owned by Barry Gordy’s sister, so I started singing with them, and a few things happened — not so much in a big way, but at least I was learning while I was doing these things. Shortly thereafter, after being there a couple of years, the label folded, and I found myself at Barry Gordy’s label, Motown, a new label that was just starting, and I found myself as a recording artist and songwriter and producer.

Q: What are the projects that you really love working on?
A: I guess it’s the songwriting. I love the journey and where it takes me. I start off writing very early in the mornings, about 10:00, and whether I have ideas or not, it’s about the love of doing the work that I enjoy, because it’s a busy work, and it’s a work ethic that I’ve always had — that I developed probably at Motown, because there was so much to do. It’s something that I can’t describe, but it’s just really great when you come up with something that you’ve worked for, or toiled for. It’s good, honest work. I love music, and it’s probably my first love, and I treat it as such.

Q: Do you collaborate a lot, or do you like to write by yourself?
A: Well, I have collaborated with the Holland Brothers, with Motown, with Holland Dozier... With these people, together we penned over 50 No. 1 songs, while we were at Motown. I moved to London in ’83 and started working with a lot of British acts — Phil Collins, Simply Red, Boy George, just a lot of people — and I lived there for about three years. Over there, they really love Motown, and they love anybody that was associated with Motown, so they just encouraged what I’ve done with my career, thus far, more than anybody I’ve found in this country, so it was quite flattering.

Q: What are you working on right now?
A: I’m working on my first Broadway show; it’s called “The First Wives Club.” It was out, we just had the first workings of it, in San Diego at the old Globe, to a standing-ovation audience every night. We had to add on a week, it was that successful.

And I currently have a song on the charts, “Living in High Definition” by George Benson, on the Jazz chart.

Q: So it’s one thing to write one hit song — or in your case, a ton of them — but what does it take to make a career out of it?
A: It’s commitment mostly, and passion, and work ethic. I can’t say enough about having a good work ethic, because I put a lot of work into the things I did at Motown and it paid off well for me, but what I’m saying is that if you don’t have that love, you have to put the music first. Like anything that you love, if you’re passionate about it and you have a good work ethic, it’s going to pay off for you. I think the music will help you write it if you help it materialize. If you’re good to the music, the music will be good to you, in other words. If you commit. I write seven days a week. Every morning at 10:00, I’m at the piano, until about 12:00, and then I take a break to watch my soap opera, then after that, I come back. It gives me a release to just get away from it for a while. Then from about 1:00 or 2:00, I’ll work from that time until about 5:00, and that happens every day, rain or shine. With that kind of commitment, I think you’ll be surprised at what you can come up with, with that kind of dedication. Your mind clicks in, your heart comes into it. You become somewhat of a slave to it, but then it’s a good thing at the same time, because you learn so much. I’m a practicing songwriter, meaning that I’ll always be learning new things, no matter how long I write. Change is inevitable, and every day I learn something new to write about, or to feel something about.

Q: You really have written for such a diverse group of people, how do you find inspiration to be authentic when you’re doing that?
A: The subject matter always has to be something that I can identify with. If you feel something about what’s happening in the world — politically, personal, whatever the case may be — if you write songs that people can identify with, you’re 50 percent ahead of the game. If you’re staring at a piece of paper and you don’t know what to write about, just look around, look and listen at what’s happening in the world. There’s so much subject matter that it boggles the mind. There’s always something to write about, or for you to have an opinion about. I never run out of ideas, because there’s so much to write about.

Q: How do you adapt to different styles of music?
A: I just do. If I’m in Nashville, I’ll write country songs, but country songs have changed over the years so it’s almost become a pop thing. It’s just the way they express themselves with it. Songs are basically saying the same thing, it’s in the delivery. If you’re in Nashville, you’re going to get a little twang... but ultimately, the feeling never changes. The feeling is always there, no matter what the genre of music that you’re writing.

Q: Do songwriters in different cities approach the act of songwriting differently?
A: I think so. That’s a great question. Because when I’m in France or in England, I get a different feeling in different countries. I take the nuances and the atmosphere of the place itself. It’s a weird feeling… it’s something about the way people are in various countries that I adapt to. What they feel — how they act and their reasoning — just everything about their culture I seem to pick up on, which is a good thing for me, because I can easily adapt to each country that I’m in. And I’ve noticed over the years that when I do this, when I’m in these places, I start to sound like one of their local songwriters, because I’ve picked up on whatever their culture is.

Q: What are the major changes you have seen in the music industry over your career?
A: It’s just the overwhelming amount of success of hip-hop and rap that sort of gave me a new feeling about what it is I should do. Then when you brought in the sampling and all that came with it, it got pretty ugly there. And right now, I’m having problems, legal problems, with a lot of people sampling my songs without getting any permission — in some cases they just take them. In some cases, I find myself listening to some of my songs that were taken — I’m on the records themselves, and in the background singing I hear myself. It’s just really gotten very nasty. The properties, nobody respects them anymore. That is the difference, the main difference that I dislike about it. But I don’t mind the changes of music and the way music has adapted to this other form of music. It’s just the way it’s being handled, with no respect for the laws of copyrighting. It’s not a pretty picture.

Q: And it seems a little frustrating because it’s so out of your control?
A: That’s right. And now I’ve got to bring in lawyers to fight that. Last year alone I had over 200 samples of people taking a part of my songs — and like I said, some of them had the nerve to even leave my voice on some of the recording, sung over but did whatever they wanted to do on top of them, without getting my permission. ... I don’t know what’s happening, (but) that’s what we’re up against.

Q: What are your feelings on illegal downloading of music? Do you feel like that’s affected how you are making money?
A: Yes, I’ve lost millions of dollars. My lawyers, and people in my life that have compiled all of this stuff, are telling me that we’re at least a couple million dollars in the hole, and that’s being conservative. From downloading and sampling and different stuff that people do. It’s strange.

Q: Since we’re talking about technology, do you feel that home studios have affected the industry?
A: Home studios keep the producers on their toes. A lot of it is good — some of the people that I know, who do home demos, they sound like professional records... some of them are just that good. (But it does put) a lot of people that are not qualified to make good-sounding music into the picture. But a good song is a good song, a good production is a good production, if it’s done well.

Q: What advice can you give the young songwriters of today?
A: I’m a professor of songwriting at USC’s Thornton School of Music, and I tell my students that they’ve got to have a deaf ear to the naysayers, because a lot of people are going to tell you that you should be doing something else. I grew up not listening to people telling me what I should be doing. If I’d listened to those people, I’d still be in Detroit somewhere, out of work in some car factory or something. You just have to listen to your own inner voice and have that work ethic and that passion — and believe me, if you dedicate yourself to music first, what will come is this help from what I call the muses. The muses will come to you and help you, when they see that you’re serious about the work, and that you’re dedicated to making this thing happen.

Q: How did you find out about Lyric Financial?
A: Lyric Financial is a beautiful thing when you’re in times of need, especially for songwriters, needing help and cash flow for those times when you really need a helping hand. I guess it came about through some friends, some lawyer friends, primarily, that introduced me to the people there. They’ve been a blessing in that respect, I couldn’t recommend them more.

Q: I hope I didn’t interrupt your soap opera time, I wasn’t aware.
A: Yeah, it’s on now, but this is more important!

For more information on Lyric Financial, visit www.lyricfinancial.com.

Mechanical Royalty Advances Now Available

I am proud to announce that we are now funding advance requests for writers and publishers who have agreements with the major publishers, UMG, Warner Chappell, EMI and Sony. Over the past year, LYRIC Financial has received over 500 requests from songwriters, artists, producers, and publishers for advances on their performance royalties. Many of you requested that we consider working with your other royalty streams as well. So, last fall we began working on expanding our royalty advance program to include mechanical royalties. While mechanical royalties are not as strong as they once were, they are still a significant source of income to many writers and publishers. We have worked diligently to create the same simple, safe and transparent process as we have for performance royalty advances.

Go to our website today to apply for your mechanical royalty advance www.lyricfinancial.com. Minimum request size is $25,000.