Product Description

An entertaining look at the craft of songwriting, in the words of songwriters themselves: a collection of anecdotes and quotations from well-known songwriters, past and present, on their influences, work habits, and how they came to write particular songs now ingrained in the popular psyche. The book forms an effective oral history, featuring songwriters from Irving Berlin and Noel Coward to Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell; from Stephen Foster and Hank Williams to R.E.M., Nirvana, and the Smashing Pumpkins. It's a book to be enjoyed by songwriters and music fans alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #377088 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 246 pages

About the Author

Tom Russell has recorded nine albums of original material and co-produced records by Katy Moffatt, Barrence Whitfield, and Sylvia Tyson, as well as a tribute to Merle Haggard. His songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Suzy Boggus, Ian Tyson, Dave Alvin, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Nanci Griffith. He received the 1993 ASCAP country award for "Outbound Plane," among the most performed songs of 1992.

Sylvia Tyson was part of the landmark folk and country duo Ian and Sylvia who recorded thirteen albums from the early sixties to the mid-seventies. She then embarked on a successful solo career and has recorded seven solo albums. She has headed up her own record label and publishing company, and has had a parallel career as a host, producer, researcher, and writer for both radio and television. She has been a songwriter since 1962. She is active in several music industry associations, and in 1992 was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Another project is Quartette, a recording and touring project with three other female singer/songwriters. In 1996 Sylvia received the Order of Canada.

Customer Reviews

Great inspiration for writers of all types
Tyson and Russell, both accomplished song writers in their own right, have taken great care to compile stories from a diverse gathering of song writers, both known and unknown. The chapters, each prefaced by one of the editor's own tales, are divided up by subject, but within each chapter the reader is treated to a wide variety of tales about the birth of songs, the struggles of writing, and the thrill having a song "make it." The mix of writers, from rock to folk to classical, means that there is something for everyone. But the great part about reading through the quotations and stories is discovering a writer you didn't previously know about, and learning something new by reading about their writing process. This is a great book for anyone who has ever written a song, a poem, a book, or even just a report for school. Within the struggle to create music and lyrics are the struggles we all face when create anything of meaning in our lives.

Really A Gem!
I found this when I was researching (more like a trip down memory lane) Ian and Sylvia...decided to buy it on a whim and find it's a great read...lots of info here (in short bursts) for anyone interested in a little more than simple music trivia. This would make an excellent gift!

who says what?
I read the book "And Then I wrote: the Songwriter speks because of the simple reason that I had seen Tom Russell life in my home town before and I was interested what this book was about when I saw it in the library. I had it for 6 weeks and read the whole book of quotes over and over again, and in the end I had the feeling that I could read it ten thousand times more. Yesterday I was at a show of his again, and I talked to him for a while and I got the feeling as if I had understood him much better because of this book.