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We need songs! This is a statement that is music to a songwriters ears. We love to hear an artist tell us that. But really what the artist should be saying is "we need GREAT songs that fit us". I hear Artists complaining frequently about how hard it is too find great material. But once they find a great song, then the search starts all over again for the next one. It never goes away. And the hard part is that if the artist does find a great song, it may not be a great song for them.
For example, "The Promise" is a great song. The Martins did a great job on it. It sounded like it was written especially for Joyce to sing. But if that song had been sent to the Inspirations or the McKameys it probably would have been rejected. That rejection would not mean that is no longer a great song, but if it is not in the hands of the right artist, then it will get passed over just like the junk does. On the other hand, I doubt that the Martins would have had the same success singing "We Need To Thank God", or "God On Mountain" like the Inspirations and the McKameys did. If you have a song that has been rejected by one or more Artists, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a bad song. Maybe you just haven't gotten to the right singer yet.
There needs to be a perfect marriage between the song and Artist. And many times the songwriter has to be the matchmaker that get the two together. Publishers can help, but Artists tend to relate better to writers than they do publishers. The writer tends to have the same kind of passion that an Artist does. The publisher seldom has an emotional investment in the song like the writer and the singer do.
The publisher's role is very important, and I don't mean to make light of their contribution to the process. But their investment in the song is usually a business one and not a passionate or emotional one.
Singers are looking for something that they can sing from the bottom of their heart. You may have written a great song. But as the writer you need to realize that it may not be a great song for just anybody to sing. It will take the right kind of artist to make your music and lyric come to life. There are a few great songs written that transcend the boundaries of style. Those songs usually become classics because they have been recorded by many artists in many styles over many decades. Publishers are in the business of recognizing great songs and sending them to recording Artists. And most publishers are pretty good at it. But still, an non-writer publisher can't recognize the passion in an artist like the writer does.
I have been to concerts and heard Artists that sing a very different style than I write. But the writer part of me would relate to the passion of the Artist's heart. I have left concerts and began working on songs that I thought would fit that particular artist. As a writer it is my job to create what they need. I am talking about things that go beyond a particular melodic style, and chord progressions. I'm talking about striking that chord that the Artist will hear in their heart and say "I need to sing that song".
If all of your songs sound alike, start listening to a wider variety of singers. Listen to what they do best. Pay attention to the way they sing and the way they convey the message of the song. Then try your best to create a song for them.
Until next time, keep on writing
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Written: 05/01/2006 
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The Songwriter
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