Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters

PART 1Co-hosts Scott B. Bomar and Paul Duncan chat about how they’re continuing to adapt their Songcraft recording sessions for the world of COVID-19 before getting into a discussion about whether they’d take a time machine to Abbey Road Studios in London, Stax Studios in Memphis, Motown in Detroit, or FAME in Muscle ShoalsPART 2 - 12:35 markThe in-depth interview with David Porter: Named one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time,” Porter is best known for his songwriting partnership with Isaac Hayes that helped define the sound of Memphis’s legendary Stax Records. As the first African American staff songwriter at Stax, Porter, along with his partner, wrote and produced songs such as “B-A-B-Y” for Carla Thomas, “Your Good Thing (Is About to End)”—an R&B hit for Mable John that later became a pop and R&B smash for Lou Rawls, and his own recording of “Can’t See You When I Want To.” Hayes and Porter are best known, however, for their work with Sam & Dave, including such classic hits as “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” “You Got Me Hummin’,” “Hold On! I’m Comin’” (which later became a country hit for Waylon Jennings and Jerry Reed), “Soul Man” (which became a hit a second time thanks to the Blues Brothers), “I Thank You” (which was later covered by ZZ Top), and “When Something is Wrong with My Baby” (which was reimagined as a memorable duet between Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, a country hit for Sonny James, and an adult contemporary hit for Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville). The list of artists who’ve covered Porter’s songs includes Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, William Bell, Melissa Ethridge, Bonnie Raitt, Garth Brooks, Etta James, Celine Dion, Wilson Pickett, George Benson, Dusty Springfield, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Staple Singers, Solomon Burke, James Brown, Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Tina Turner, Jackie Wilson, and more. His songs have been used as samples in countless recordings by artists such as Jay-Z, Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan, The Notorious B.I.G., Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, and others. A highly celebrated giant among celebrated songwriters, Porter was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.  American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Famer discusses getting clean and sober with the help of Stevie Ray Vaughan; why he hated his first album; the Flannery O'Connor quote that guides his songwriting life; his collaborations with Eric Church; and the little trick he played on Ringo Starr. American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this mini-episode / announcement, Scott and Paul talk about what's changing at Songcraft...and what's staying the same. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Songcraft chats with Brett James, a two-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year who has earned 25 #1 hits with songs such as “Who I Am” by Jessica Andrews, “Bottoms Up” by Brantley Gilbert, “I Hold On” by Dierks Bentley, and Carrie Underwood's “Jesus Take the Wheel,” which was nominated for ACM and CMA Song of the Year awards and won a Grammy for Best Country Song. In addition to his remarkable career as a behind-the-scenes Nashville songwriter, Brett has a recently-released artist EP called I Am Now. American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Grammy winner and two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee (as a member of both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash) chats about his remarkable career, including producing the debut album for then-girlfriend Joni Mitchell, the song he wrote as a message to George Harrison, his magical connection with Jerry Garcia, the song Jackson Browne forced him to finish, the writing partner with whom he has the best chemistry, and why he's blown away by Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Sarah Jarosz, and Jason Isbell. American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The guys pay tribute to Little Richard before welcoming Minnesota native Caitlyn Smith, who found her way to Nashville as a songwriter before signing with Monument Records and earning a nod as one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “10 New Artists You Need to Know.” Her second album, Supernova, was recently released to critical acclaim. Caitlyn’s list of hit songs that have been recorded by other artists includes “Wasting All These Tears,” a Top 5 single for Cassadee Pope, “You Can’t Make Old Friends” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, and “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” a multi-platinum hit for Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend. Smith, along with co-writers Kate York and Mary Steenburgen, won a Critics’ Choice Award for the song “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)” from the film Wild Rose. Other artists who’ve recorded Caitlyn’s songs include Lori McKenna, Lucy Hale, Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Rascal Flatts, Laura Bell Bundy, Chris Isaak, Lindsay Ell, Lady Antebellum, and Trisha Yearwood.  American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The exceedingly generous and gentlemanly Peter Frampton talks about David Bowie giving him his very first job; Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones getting him into a recording studio for the first time; stumbling into session work thanks to George Harrison; writing two massive hits in the same day; how the loneliness of stratospheric success impacted his songwriting; and the inside stories of classics such as "Baby, I Love Your Way," "Show Me the Way," "Do You Feel Like We Do," "I'm in You," and many more.   American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this very special bonus episode, Scott and Paul pay tribute to ten of the songwriters and composers whose lives were claimed by the COVID-19 virus from mid-March to mid-April, 2020, including: Manu Dibango ("Soul Makossa"), Joe Diffie ("New Way to Light Up an Old Flame," "My Give a Damn's Busted"), Alan Merrill ("I Love Rock 'n' Roll"), Ellis Marsalis ("Dear Dolores"), Adam Schlesinger ("That Thing You Do," "Stacy's Mom"), and John Prine ("Angel From Montgomery," "Love is on a Roll"). Plus, they take a moment to remember Bill Withers, a previous Songcraft guest, who died from heart complications on March 30th. American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Scott and Paul catch up with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jessi Alexander, who has a fantastic new album called Decatur County Red. The two-time Best Country Song Grammy nominee has also achieved success as a writer for other artists, including the multi-platinum single "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, CMA and ACM Song of the Year "I Drive Your Truck,' and the Blake Shelton hits "Drink On It," "Mine Would Be You," and "Turnin' Me On." In this refreshingly honest interview, Jessi talks about everything from professional disappointment to how she keeps new ideas flowing.      American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons has two Grammy nominations, sixteen Top 10 singles, over 50 million albums sold, and a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Scott and Paul catch up with him to discuss his legendary classic rock catalog, including "La Grange," "Tush," "Cheap Sunglasses," "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs," and many more. American Songwriter Podcast Network Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.