Dilana - Supernova

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Originally Posted by JR.

I think not being a songwriter is a bigger strike against her than her previous comments. Unless SN plans to use an outside writer, having her front the band would be a disaster even though she has a good voice and stage presense.

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Are the lead singers in bands always the primary songwriters? Doesn't seem like that would have to be the case.
Heck, you've got 4 or 5 musicians in a band. Do they all have to be crack songwriters?

I also thought most contemporary songs are co-written by two to four people.

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Originally Posted by Grisabella

Are the lead singers in bands always the primary songwriters? Doesn't seem like that would have to be the case.
Heck, you've got 4 or 5 musicians in a band. Do they all have to be crack songwriters?

I also thought most contemporary songs are co-written by two to four people.

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Singers usually write the lyrics, or at least write the majority of them. It's just one of those things.

I think it comes off as kind of fake when the singer doesn't write the songs/lyrics.

I remember a friend of mine was listening to that Elton John song "Daniel" -- where the lyrics are something like "My brother Daniel, I miss him so much"....the friend said 'how long ago did his brother die'? Nope, doesn't have one, someone else wrote the song. It sort of takes something away from the song when the singer is just faking the lyrics.

It's true a lot of contemporary songs are written by other people and the "artist" usually faces a lot of criticism for it, the Avril's of the world and the American Idol style people.

JR is correct that in rock music, the singer usually writes the lyrics but there exceptions of course. The biggest one that comes to mind is The Who. I think Pete Townsend wrote almost everything.

Dilana performed Roxanne and interviewed with Ellen. Toby and Magni were in the audience. I wish they were performing. I did not enjoy Roxanne and didn't enjoy it anymore this time!

Dilana had a very good interview on Ellen today. When they showed Magni and Toby in the audience I too hoped they would be singing the backup like they did on the show. Bad choice of song, though, for the Ellen audience. She should have sung Time After Time which more of them could relate to than a song about a prostitute, which had them all sitting somewhat stonefaced and weakly clapping along. Jimmy was terrific on guitar as usual and received wonder props from Ellen. Except for the choice of song, I really enjoyed the segment.

I'm sorry I missed Dilana on Ellen. That would have been great. But I do like the song Roxanne. It's a classic and Dilana puts her own mark on it when she sang it for SN. But I'd probably agree that an Ellen audience wouldn't necessarily "get" Dilana.

I'm sure we'll see a lot more of her!

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Originally Posted by CC2003

I think it comes off as kind of fake when the singer doesn't write the songs/lyrics.

I remember a friend of mine was listening to that Elton John song "Daniel" -- where the lyrics are something like "My brother Daniel, I miss him so much"....the friend said 'how long ago did his brother die'? Nope, doesn't have one, someone else wrote the song. It sort of takes something away from the song when the singer is just faking the lyrics.

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I agree that the better entertainers are also songwriters, but I don't think a singer has to write the lyrics, and I don't think a songwriter has to only write autobiographic material.

In the example given, Daniel, the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin and the music by Elton John. The song is loosely based on a story Bernie read about a Vietnam Veteran who returns from the war blind, and who ends up going to Spain.

From Dilana's MySpace bulletin:

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Hey guyz n dollz!!
Was just wondering...IF there is ONE cover to add on my CD, what would you wanna hear?
I'm gonna make a decision based on your answers by Friday!
Think about it!
Rockin for YOU!!
Dilana

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I think maybe Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here

Oh my...I can finally request that she sing "White Rabbit." In the final webisode it didn't even make the "maybe" pile...but at least I can request it.

ETA: Superbrat I went to her MySpace but didn't see the bulletin or how one makes a request. Where do I look for it?

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Originally Posted by Misty8723

I agree that the better entertainers are also songwriters, but I don't think a singer has to write the lyrics, and I don't think a songwriter has to only write autobiographic material.

In the example given, Daniel, the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin and the music by Elton John. The song is loosely based on a story Bernie read about a Vietnam Veteran who returns from the war blind, and who ends up going to Spain.

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That's true. Elton John has rarely, if ever, written a complete song. He writes music. That's it.

The traditions of the singer/songwriter are very important, very crucial, to music history. But they aren't everything. Beethoven did not write lyrics. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Woody Guthrie mostly wrote poetry and didn't really write complex musical arrangements--he mostly just strummed his guitar. At least SOME cover songs are better than the original, although it certain is the exception and not the rule. Only two of the four Beatles did about 95% of that group's songwriting. Entire categories of music involve performance and not writing... I mean forget classical, how often do you see someone singing their own authored Gospel song?

Plus, did anyone ever say Dilana couldn't write music? Its her lyric writing which has been accused of being trite. Shame on the band for insisting their winner had to be a LYRIC writer, when some people's talents lie on the other end of the spectrum--as Elton John's does.