Entertainment For Lively Minds
Written by the drummer
Posted by kb on 7 December 2010 - 10:55am.
This (Driver 8) is one of my favourite REM songs and I gather it was written by Bill Berry, their drummer. He also wrote the excellent, if overplayed and overcovered, Everybody Hurts.
Any other good songs written by the guy at the back who hangs around with musicians?
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R.E.M.
When I saw your thread title I immediately thought of Bill Berry and Everybody Hurts. Can't think of any more of the top of my head.
Roger Taylor has a few
'I'm in love with my car' being the most hilarious. 'Breakthru' or 'Radio GaGa' being the best. I love the way with Queen how you can usually tell pretty easily who wrote what depending on which instrument is the loudest.
Ringo's 'Don't pass me by'?
It doesn't always go down well, uppity sticksmen - I understand that Jonny Borrell was so annoyed that Andy Whatsisname wrote their most famous tune (America) that an arguement over who got the credit ended in Andy leaving the band for a solo career.
D'oh!
Beat me to it.
Roger Meddows Taylor
has written loads of songs for Queen, most prominently "Radio Ga Ga", "A Kind of Magic", "The Invisible Man", "These Are the Days of Our Lives" and memorable album tracks such as "Sheer Heart Attack", "I'm In Love With My Car" and "Heaven For Everyone".
I'm also guessing Don Henley was instrumental (ha!) in writing some of the Eagles' hits before his own solo success.
Steward Copeland wrote a few album tracks for the Police, either on his own or collaborating with Gordon, but they were generally rubbish. :-)
Darkness
I've always loved this Stewart Copeland song, though - possibly the exception proving your rule, however.
Marvin Gaye
co-wrote and played drums on Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street".
And I believe he also played the drums on some of his early self-penned hits like "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and "Hitch Hike".
(coff) Phil Collins (coff)
...and that nice Karen Carpenter...
Dennis Wilson
A bit late to the party, but his Pacific Ocean Blue album is a thing of wonder and beauty throughout.
Oh, and that Dave Grohl's come up with a few toe-tappers too. This is a Call and Times Like These, for instance.
Is Dave Grohl the drummer in Foo Fighters though?
Apparently wrote Scentless Apprentice and Marigold for Nirvana
Grohl
He recorded all the instruments on their debut by himself. So in effect, This Is A Call was written by the Foo Fighters' drummer.
By that criteria
Macca & Todd Rundgren can be counted as drummers, and surely trump all comers?
Woody!
Daniel Woodgate of Madness co-wrote the rather excellent “Return of The Los Palmas 7” and "Michael Caine”… and my two kids love "Octopus's Garden”
Moonie's homage to Jan & Dean
Ciaran McLaughlin
Who? Drummer from That Petrol Emotion.
Love The Petrols
Do you have my music collection or something?
Yes
could you come & collect it as Loaf #1 needs his own room. Again.
Don Henley of the Eagles
can lay claim to a fair swag
Kaiser Chiefs
The Kaiser Chiefs' drummer, Nick Hodgson, writes all the songs.
The OP
says any GOOD songs.
I'm a stickler for the rules Sam.
Harsh!
Not a great band but they've got a couple of decent tunes. Plus they're really nice lads.
Rock The Casbah
Music written by Topper, who apparently plays most of the track himself...
And then
They did the video without him.
A mess
The last days of any band can be messy, but the end of The Clash was messier than most wasn't it?
Here's Joe Strummer's own words about the genius of Topper:
'Meanwhile can I interject something about "Rock the Casbah" here? The true genius of "Rock the Casbah" is Topper Headon. I was in Electric Ladyland (studio) and he said, "Look, I've got this tune, can I put it down?" I said, "OK, Tops, let's put it down . . . ." He ran out in the studio and banged down the drum track to "Rock the Casbah." And then he ran over to the piano and he banged down the piano track to it, and then ran over to the bass and he banged down the bass part. This is, like, I suppose, within 25 minutes, and "Rock the Casbah" is there, boom. Topper Headon did that in 25 minutes.'
Choon!
Absolutely spectacular. This is easily my favourite Clash record - not sure about the song as such, as there isn't much of a melody, and the lyrics are nonsense squared. But man, what a groove, what a bass line (especially at the beginning of the chorus), what a joyous piano part. I love it.
Fascinating about Topper H
I don't even like The Clash but that song is v good.
Albert Bouchard..
Of Blue Öyster Cult, wrote loads of their stuff. A lot of stuff was co-written, but, if so, he was always responsible for the music.
He also sang several tracks
...which wasn't always a good idea. Wasn't he sacked because he was too dominant in the band?
I think it was the old "musical differences" chestnut.
His voice wasn't the greatest but it did work. Most of my favourite BÖC songs are sung by Albert.
More R.E.M.
On their 1991 Unplugged, Perfect Circle is introduced as being written by Bill Berry. The music from Man On The Moon and Leave are also said to have been his.
They do say though that the only song entirely written without the others' imput is (Don't Go Back To) Rockville, which is by Mike Mills.
Ringo, Ringo, Ringo
Forget about Don't Pass Me By.
What about the mighty duo of It Don't Come Easy and Back Off Boogaloo?
Photograph comes in an honourable third place. Which isn't a bad haul, all things considered.
Did he write You're Sixteen, or was that someone else?
It was written by
The Sherman Brothers in the early 60's I think and recorded by Johnny Burnette, but Ringo did the definitive version. He obviously picked up a few tips though from those other songwriters in that band he was once in!
I thought
the Quiet One co-wrote 'It Don't Come Easy'?
Not officially
The credit on Photograph - The Very Best of Ringo credits it solely to Richard Starkey. George was the producer. The same for Back Off Boogaloo but Photograph is a Starkey / Harrison co-write.
However I seem to recall Ringo saying something, back in those post Beatle days, about how he would write a song, play it to his friend George who would then suggest a few more chords.
Evidence of this
in the Let It Be film. Ringo sat at the piano composing Octopus's Garden, in walks George and leans over the piano and plays a couple of chords which end up in the song.
C'mon, give it up...
...for Ringo
Woyaya
Writen by Osibisa's tub thumper, Sol Amarfio
And of course lest we forget, Robert Wyatt and his numorous tunes inc Oh Caroline
Bloody hell I can't get this damned embedding to work!!!
Bill Ward of the Sabs
is highly praised by Ozzy Osbourne for his input to the group's songwriting process.
NB We might have been here before but there does seem to be a correlation between bands that credit all the members and longevity.
Yeah
U2 are a good example of that. Though they don't so much split the credit as share the blame.
Longevity (as a recording unit) - An exception to the rule
Sex Pistols drum hitter Paul Cook receives equal credit on all songs. Also provides the vocal for 'Silly Thing'
Trembling Bells
Drummer - and, I would've said, undisputed band leader - Alex Nielson writes all their songs, and sings on a fair few. (Possibly an odd decision given Lavinia Blackwall's amazing voice, but it does work.)
http://open.spotify.com/artist/1Ueg2NZOEdh8qwEfP8b53h
Neal Peart of Rush,
albeit primarily as lyricist.
Ginger Baker
co-wrote many songs for Cream.
I have a soft spot for this one:
Rob Hirst of Midnight Oil has written
a surprisingly large number of their hits. Even written a novel....