Story about my USA holiday and Dr Luke

[Rebecca]

I thought I'd share with you guys a little story from my holiday. When I was on my holiday in USA a couple of weeks ago, I saw Dr Luke in Palms Springs! It was such a coincidence, we (me and my Mum) arrived in Palm Springs (from Vegas) and went to our hotel The Viceroy on Sunday 19 April. At the hotel there was a private party around the pool organised by someone to do with the Coachella Valley Festival and there's all these girls in bikinis (just like on tv, it was hilarious), lots of guys etc. Anyway, so we go to our rooms, then I wanted to just check out the hotel before it got dark, so we had a wander around and Dr Luke came out of the bar section and was walking behind me!! Then we came to the private party section, of course I couldn't go in, not that I tried (I wasn't in a bikini), Dr Luke went in and he was with a couple of other guys- I'm sure one of them was Benny Blanco. I didn't stop and talk to him. I probably should have but I was too taken by surprise! It was exciting just to see him though.

So we went to LA, I love LA. We went to the ASCAP conference, it's always been something I've wanted to go to, it was really good. We saw Dr Luke speak in a panel with Tor from Stargate, "Tricky" Steward, Antonina Armato and Dan Wilson. Unfortunately Dr Luke didn't really talk that much, the others kind of took over. Anyway, at the Q & A section, a girl asked what she should do, she's a new songwriter and is worried that someone will take her songs and not give her credit for them. Dr Luke said "that's just paying your dues" and that it happened to him when he started out and that he works with a guy who missed out on songwriting credit for about 10 of his songs. The girl asked what happened to that guy? And Dr Luke answered "that was Max Martin and he's doing pretty well now"!

Anyway, so there's about 10 other Max songs that we don't know about? Very interesting

[Poptasticuk]

That's interesting to hear! I would guess that the songs weren't huge successes or else it would have come out by now. Then again, not many people care about Max Martin like we do and if he isn't upset about it (with the success he's had it hardly matters now), he may just not have bothered to get the corrections made. The thing that confuses me about this is that surely the original writer could just sue the people who stole their song? They must have proof of writing it, like the original lyrics or a demo tape. Now that a lot of unknown singer/songwriters have their music available for everyone to hear on MySpace, it makes it easier for other writers to copy them, but also easier for the original writer to prove they wrote the song first. The other writer could easily get caught and their reputation would be ruined by it.

[*Sabine*]

Wow Reb!!! Thanks so much for sharing your story, how exciting!! I really would have freaked out if I had seen Luke too!  Definitely would have grabbed my swimsuit and sneaked inside!! 

The ASCAP conference must have been a really interesting experience. So Max wrote songs with Luke and hasn't been credited?? Hmmm, let's bet what songs they are!
I would say some songs he did at the beginning..
I have always been convinced Max wrote Paris Hilton's Nothing in this world, it's just too similar! Max could have also written About you know for the Sugababes...

[Raul_esp]

its very interesting reb!! 10 songs by max we dont know , I agree with sabine nothing in this world and about you now can be of max.

[Poptasticuk]

Rebecca didn't say that the songs Max was not credited for were ones he worked on with Dr Luke. Of course it would make sense if Max had been involved with About You Now and so on, but if he was I can think of no good reason he would not be credited for his involvement. After all, a song with Max on credits will get much more attention than one without, and when About You Now was released, Dr Luke was still just beginning to get recognition as a writer, so a Max credit would have been a good thing for that song. Therefore, it seems logical to me that the songs Max was not credited for were ones written early in his career, perhaps ones he submitted to artists who then used them and did not give him the credit for them.

[*Sabine*]

Rebecca didn't say that the songs Max was not credited for were ones he worked on with Dr Luke.

Oh yes you're right, thanks for pointing this out.

I also agree with your theory on Max songs early in his career. Maybe some of them he did with Denniz at the very beginning...

[Rebecca]

Yes, Luke meant it that it was 10 songs at the beginning of Max's career, so yeah, maybe with Denniz?

You're right Poptasticuk, they probably weren't hits, we surely would have heard about them by now.

But it was interesting that Luke and the other songwriters agreed, that it's just paying your dues, I thought they would have been really against it. They said to the girl that she just had to just take a chance and trust this person that was interested in her songs.
It sounded like it's a really common thing, that it's a way to get your start. I suppose it doesn't matter if you're a good songwriter you can keep writing more songs.
Luke said that he missed out on credits from about 4 of his songs in the early days.

[Raul_esp]

ahh ok ok I was wrong  then any early max songs not credited..

I'm curious for know these songs 

[Raul_esp]

I was thinking and I think all that she wants of ace of base sounds very max , it is my favourite denniz song.

[Linda]

wow ur so lucky rebecca

do you have an regrets about not approaching dr luke when u seen him walking behind you? i'd probably be a little starstruck myself.

& interesting @ the credit thing.
i'd love to know what songs they are...
i know luke said that it was early on in max's career, but i wonder was "it's my life" by bon jovi one of them.

[Scott Martin :)]

Thats a great story Rebecca!  Ive heard of many songwriters starting out and not getting credit too. unfortunately its par for the course.

Ive already had one guy claim he get one of my songs to Il Divo - but to do so he wants a portion of my songwriting royalties. 

[*Sabine*]

I was thinking and I think all that she wants of ace of base sounds very max , it is my favourite denniz song.

I've always thought it as well but THIS song was a monster hit... Would have been great loss for Max not being credited...but who knows?

Ive already had one guy claim he get one of my songs to Il Divo - but to do so he wants a portion of my songwriting royalties. 

Get in contact with Il Divo's manager yourself, no way you get your royalties stolen!

[Rebecca]

wow ur so lucky rebecca

do you have an regrets about not approaching dr luke when u seen him walking behind you? i'd probably be a little starstruck myself.

& interesting @ the credit thing.
i'd love to know what songs they are...
i know luke said that it was early on in max's career, but i wonder was "it's my life" by bon jovi one of them.

no, no regrets! at the time it was really hot, like 40 degrees and I was all sweaty and disgusting as I hadn't had a shower, so I was feeling a bit self-conscious to go up and say hi or whatever. Also he was with 2 other guys and I would have had to interrupt. I just wasn't quick thinking enough. It was really just exciting to see him up close!

Max got credit for "It's my life". I guess we'll never know.

[Rebecca]

Thats a great story Rebecca!  Ive heard of many songwriters starting out and not getting credit too. unfortunately its par for the course.

Ive already had one guy claim he get one of my songs to Il Divo - but to do so he wants a portion of my songwriting royalties. 

I'm surprised it's so common, but I suppose it's easy to take advantage of a young songwriter.

I can't believe that guy wanting some royalties from you! to get a song on an Il Divo record would be a huge money spinner.

[Poptasticuk]

I can't believe that guy wanting some royalties from you! to get a song on an Il Divo record would be a huge money spinner.

I don't think it is so unrealistic. It is part of show business in general that the talented person often needs somebody with the right contacts to get them noticed by the right people - it is just like an actor having an agent. No matter how good the actor is, he may not get a role if he doesn't have a good agent. I think it is part of the business, and therefore not that surprising that this man wanted Scott to give him royalties if he achieved what he promised to achieve (and surely it would be worthwhile if he did get the song on an Il Divo CD - this guy would make some money from it but Scott would make a lot more!), but I don't think it is necessary. You should submit your songs to Il Divo yourself, and you may have a chance of them being chosen for the album, you may not, but if they are what Il Divo's managers are looking for then they will be chosen regardless of who it is who informs the management of these songs. The only difficulty you have is getting the managers to actually hear your song.