On That Note - I Write (and Sing) the Songs

[MeanDean]

Welcome to another edition of On That Note - a music related thread brought to you weekly by your hosts @CycloneRulzzz, @cyclones500 and me.

This week we're looking for individuals who first established themselves in the music industry as song writers. (That can be individually or as parts of a songwriting team.) The second part of the equation is the person must have then later had success as a performer.

Ideally, we'd like to see the posts first including a song written by the person (and performed by someone else, obviously). Then post a performance of one of their songs as a performer.

Last week's topic was "Unlisted." It can be found here:

https://cyclonefanatic.com/forum/threads/on-that-note-un-listed.259862/


My first two:

John Stewart - Daydream Believer (Monkees) Gold





Ernie Maresca - Runaround Sue (Dion) Shout! Shout! Knock Yourself Out

 

[MeanDean]

Joe South as writer:



as a performer:

 

[cyclones500]

Carole King (part of Goffin/King team)






Several choices from "Tapestry," I'll go with this.

 

[MeanDean]

Sonny Bono as songwriter (With Jack Nitzsche)



As performer

 

[CYdTracked]

man I have a lot of country music examples eventually in this thread as there are a lot of artists in Nashville that make their name as a song writer before they ever break out with a record deal of their own... 2 that come to mind right away are Jamey Johnson who wrote a huge hit for George Strait before he had a huge #1 hit of his own:





Probably my favorite guy in country music is John Rich who was just another guy in Lonestar who wrote some big hits for the group before they kicked him out. He's had some big hits not only with Big & Rich but a lot of other big country artists have recorded songs he wrote too that charted or hit #1.

 

[cyclones500]

Kris Kristofferson


Me and Bobby McGee - Roger Miller (first recorded version) …




For the Good Times - Bill Nash (first recorded version)





Sunday Morning Comin’ Down - Ray Stevens




Sunday Morning Comin’ Down - Johnny Cash




SAMPLES AS ARTIST


Loving Her…




Why Me

Why Me , Kris Kristofferson ,1973

Written and recorded by Kris Kristofferson. Released as a single in April 1973 from the album, "Jesus Was a Capricorn", it reached #1 on Billboard Hot Countr...

www.youtube.com

 

[MeanDean]

Marvin Hamlisch as writer (with Howard Liebling)



as performer

 

[CYdTracked]

Steve Goodman wrote the greatest country song ever:



But is probably most known for this song:

 

[MeanDean]

Jackie DeShannon wrote, recorded and released this but didn't have the hit. This was the hit:



as a performer.

 

[MuskieCy]

Nashville guitar player/songwriter






Written by Jessie J

 

[Cydar]

Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson
As songwriters


As performers

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Performed by: Billy Currington
Written by: Luke Bryan and Rachel Thibodeau


Luke has had a number of hits now as a performer. This was his first #1

 

[Clone83]

Two big 1961 hits written by Willie Nelson

Crazy, by Patsy Cline



The making of Crazy (NPR podcast)


And Hello Walls, by Faron Young, reached #1 country and #12 on the pop charts, 1961


The story behind Hello Walls

 

[Clone83]

Crazy, 1961 recording, 1962 album


Hello Walls, 1961 recording, 1962 album


Whiskey River, 1974, written and recorded by Johnny Bush in 1972. Recording here is the first song performed on the pilot episode of Austin City Limits, per Wikipedia.


Me and Paul, 1976 album, written by Willie Nelson



Good Hearted Woman, 1976 album, written by Waylon and Willie in 1969

 

[Clone83]

Live performances at the Grand Ole Oprey by Patsy Cline, of Crazy in 1961


and by Willie Nelson, Medley of that 1962 album, in 1965 (per YouTube note)

 

[CYdTracked]

Chris Stapleton wrote a bunch of songs before he became a big name. There are so many good ones so just going to post a link to an article that lists 30 of them: https://theboot.com/songs-you-didnt-know-chris-stapleton-wrote/ though this is 1 of the first ones that comes to mind because he also sings background vocals on it:



One of of his first big hits as a recording artist:

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Mac Davis' early success was as a songwriter such as "In the Ghetto" which was recorded by Elvis



Mac Davis got commercial success in the 70's as a singer

 

[madguy30]

Does this have to be a song that was ONLY written that someone else performed? Like it was written but never performed/recorded by the composer?

 

[madguy30]

Shel Silverstein for what I know didn't perform this before Johnny.



Shel performing. He was pretty great.

 

[MeanDean]

David Gates wrote and produced a couple now legendary Northern Soul singles for Dorothy Berry, circa 1964. Additional factoid: Dorothy Berry was the wife of Richard Berry - best known as the writer of "Louie Louie."