I Write the Songs in the Dark: Music Ghostwriters and Ghostwriting
In today’s rock music world it isn’t unheard of for some of our number one music heroes to use unnamed writers to help pen their songs. Ghostwriters operate behind the scenes to write the next big hit to put your favorite pop star back on leading of the musical heap. It is not well recognized but there’s a lengthy history of ghostwriting inside the music world. Let’s take a look at a number of the music artists using ghostwriters and how ghostwriting has influenced popular music over the years.
Are you aware that Mozart was a ghostwriter? He used to ghostwrite music for the rich patrons of the arts. In 1939 Patrick Standford was a ghostwriter for numerous symphonies and movies.
Within the movie business, music ghostwriting is fairly secretive. It’s regarded as unethical by several individuals however it is extremely widespread. In the really early days of movies, a composer called David Raskin worked as a new music ghostwriter for Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin was attributed as the score creator.
In pop music, music ghostwriting also is a factor. At times a seasoned songwriter is brought in to help with either inexperienced lyricists, or a person that may be encountering writer’s block. Sometimes a freelancer may produce lyrics and music within the style of an artist nevertheless get little or no input from the individual credited on the song sheet.
Occasionally a freelancer is acknowledged as an affiliate or comparable innocuous term. Much more frequently, they just don’t appear anywhere-they are a true ghost. Occasionally legal action takes place whenever a musical ghostwriter tries to claim royalties- generally following song becomes a hit. Sarah McLachlan experienced a challenge having a music performer who claimed that he had a substantial contribution to her debut album, “Touch.”
In hip-hop, ghostwriting is growing every year. Actually, it does lead to some controversy. Purists do not like it, and point to the use of it as a good example of “bad capitalism.” This is because of the belief of rapping as “expressing yourself” and that writing for someone else isn’t pure “self-expression.” Some rappers like Chuck D of Public Enemy, Inc. feel that’s a mistaken view because not everyone can be a skilled lyricist and not everybody is equipped to be a vocalist. He says a rap song might require much more talents than a single individual has.
Nearly All ghostwriters have secrecy clauses, or they may appear in the liner notes, and in some instances they are allowed to discuss their contribution out in the open. You might see a credit within the liner notes for “vocal arrangement,” which might mean it was a ghostwriter. A couple of years ago there were hip-hop ghostwriting services which appeared on the web, and provided artists with rhymes for totally free.
Ghostwriting has a long tradition in popular music, from Mozart to today’s trendiest rappers. As long as the song can be a hit, the person that penned it will have work. And in the current American Idol-centric popular music world where unknowns and superstars alike are looking for the best tunes, ghostwriters will continue to play a major role. The next time you are humming along to your favorite tunes there is an excellent chance your favorite pop superstar didn’t write a single note.
