Paul Zollo - More Songwriters on Songwriting

Copyright 2016 by Paul Zollo

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First Da Capo Press edition 2016

ISBN: 978-0-306-82244-5 (e-book)

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Credits

The bulk of the interviews collected here were originally conducted for various magazine stories and in those stories were often edited down from the original conversation. Those conversations have been restored in full here. The following interviews were originally conducted for Song-Talk magazine, the journal of the National Academy of Songwriters: Gene Clark, John Stewart, John Sebastian, Paul Williams, Bryan Ferry, Daryl Hall, Michael Smith, Difford and Tilbrook, and Peter, Paul and Mary. Interviews originally conducted for Performing Songwriter magazine are Randy Newman, Aimee Mann, Rickie Lee Jones, Joan Armatrading, Brian Wilson, and Bernie Taupin. Interviews originally conducted for American Songwriter magazine are James Taylor, Richard Sherman, Leiber and Stoller, Dave Stewart, Loretta Lynn, Sheldon Harnick, John Prine, Elvis Costello, Rickie Lee Jones, Randy Newman, Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde, Alice Cooper, Jorge Calderon, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, Richard Thompson, Matisyahu, and Stephen Stills. The interviews with Jeff Barry and Joe Henry were conducted live on the web series Songwriters on Songwriting Live at the Songwriting School of Los Angeles. The interview with Sia was conducted for the program of the 2015 Grammy Awards. The interviews with Herbie Hancock, Rob Zombie, Donald Fagen, and Joe Jackson were conducted for this book. The interview with Marjorie Guthrie has never previously been published.

The following photos were taken by Paul Zollo: Aimee Mann, Alice Cooper, Brian Wilson, Darryl Hall, Dave Stewart, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, Jeff Barry, Leiber & Stoller, Joe Henry, John Prine, Jorge Calderon, Kris Kristofferson, Matisyahu, Michael Smith, Patti Smith, Paul Simon, Paul Williams, Randy Newman, Richard Thompson, Richard Sherman, Rickie Lee Jones, Ringo Starr, Rob Zombie, Sia, and Stephen Stills. They are used by permission of Paul Zollo Photography, Los Angeles.

The following photos were taken by the great Henry Diltz: Donald Fagen, Gene Clark, John Sebastian, John Stewart, Joan Armatrading, and Peter, Paul & Mary. They are used by permission of Henry Diltz Photography, Los Angeles.

Photo of Woody and Marjorie Guthrie is used by permission of the Woody Guthrie Archives

Photo of Norman Whitfield is used by permission of the Whitfield archives

Photo of Sheldon Harnick is by Margery Harnick

Photo of Difford & Tilbrook is used by permission of Squeeze Official archives

Photo of Chrissie Hynde is by Dean Chalkley

Photo of Bernie Taupin is by Michelle Warren Photography

Photo of Bryan Ferry is used by permission of Bryan Ferry Archives

Photo of Joe Jackson is by Jacob Blickenstaff

Photo of Elvis Costello is by James OMara

Photo of Kenny Gamble is used by permission of Gamble-Huff Music

Photo of Loretta Lynn is used by permission of Loretta Lynn Archives

Paul Anka photo courtesy of Paul Anka

Photo of Maurice White used by permission of Earth, Wind & Fire Archives

All songwriters are links in a chain.

Pete Seeger

The writing of a song is a triumph of the human spirit.

Van Dyke Parks

Dedicated to my father, Burt Zollo,

to my son, Joshua Zollo,

and to all songwriters everywhere.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Special thanks go to Ben Schafer and Da Capo Press, who not only have kept the first volume of this journey alive, Songwriters on Songwriting, but they also turned it into a textbook for colleges that teach songwriting. Without them, this second volume would never have been conceived or executed, and my gratitude for this privilege is boundless. Thank you for your patience, faith, and support always.

Also great thanks extended forever to my father, Burt Zollo, for teaching me about the beauty of words, of books, and of song. And heartfelt forever thanks to Pete Seeger for your wisdom and ongoing inspiration. To Else Blangsted for your love, good advice, humor, and talking to your boys in heaven for me over these years. To Van Dyke Parks for your introductions to greatness and ongoing brilliance. To my son, Joshua Zollo, for being my beamish boy forever, I love you, and to my wife, Leslie, for your faith in me. Thanks to my mom, Lois Zollo, for being the best mom ever. To my sister Peggy Miller and brother Peter Zollo for your love. To my many dear friends for your love and energy through these long days and for understanding me and caring about that understanding, especially Tomas Ulrich, Michael Hughes, Earl Grey, Jeff Gold and Holly Gold, Sandy Ross and Lee Hirsch, Amy Linton, Paula McMath, Jilly Freeman, Michelle Williams, Tom Bowden, Michael Wisniewski, Susan Downs, Henry Diltz, Neil Rosengarden, Andy Kurtzman and Anne Kurtzman, Lisa Dubell, Smokey Miles, Andy Kenyon, Lisa Johnson, Sarah Kramer, Dan Kirkpatrick, Scott Docherty, Deborah Presley Brando, Katie Presley, Edoardo Tancredi, and Billy Salisbury. To Kathy West for your great transcribing, without which this volume would never be complete. To my agent, Anthony Mattero, for believing in me. To my brother in song Darryl Purpose for writing so many beautiful songs with me and for your generosity. To American Songwriter magazine for employing me for so long and for honoring the art of songwriting every day. To Rob Seals and the Songwriting School of Los Angeles for building a temple to song and for giving me a beautiful place within it, a home for our web series Songwriters on Songwriting Live, with so much love and joy. To Steve Goodman for my first songwriting lesson. To Paul Simon and Bob Dylan for teaching me how to write songs. To Artie Garfunkel for your beautiful harmony, in song and in life. To Rickie Lee Jones for your timeless spirit. To Zippy for everything.

And to the memory of two gentle dear friends and beautiful songwriters, D. Whitney Quinn and P. F. Sloan, for your lives in song. I wish I had more time with both of you.

And to all songwriters everywhere for writing songs. Dont ever stop.

It really is a living spirit being born.