Phil Spector appears in...
The BMI Holiday Countdown: John Lennon, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”

John Lennon, “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” The BMI holiday countdown concludes with John Lennon’s delicate, defiant “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” Released in December 1971, as Vietnam’s kaleidoscope of violence refracted the horrors of war around the world, the song delivers a softly sung and deeply moving message of hope, peace and humanity. Over an…
The BMI Holiday Countdown

James Brown, “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” With its tightly intertwined rhythms, percussive horns and traditional jump-blues bridge, “Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” catches the incomparable James Brown during a period of transition—moving from the hard-hitting soul of 1965’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good)” to the…
The BMI Holiday Countdown: Darlene Love, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

Darlene Love, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector In the early 1960s, Brooklyn natives Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich were barely in their early twenties when they started writing songs for American teenagers. The two started hanging around the Brill Building independently of one…
Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil to Receive SongHall’s Johnny Mercer Award

BMI songwriting giants Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil will receive the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award, presented by the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHoF) during the organization’s 42nd annual ceremony on Thursday, June 16 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Through their lives as professional songwriters and the standard-defining caliber of their work, Weil and Mann epitomize BMI’s commitment to depth and…
BMI’s New Holiday Standards Announce That Time of Year

Holiday songs are no longer elevator music for the month of December—nor, as seems to increasingly be the case, for late October and November. The BMI repertoire is stacked with new classics that command attention, channeling lovesick blues, winking irreverence and funk-laced grooves into original odes to the season. In no particular order, here are 15 favorites from the BMI catalog: “Please Come Home for Christmas” Originally recorded by…
The Genius of Billy Sherrill

The word genius is bandied about far too often. Sometimes flippant but often rooted in the depths of fervent, if over-eager, admiration, the label has lost some of its luster. “She’s a genius” just doesn’t sparkle like it used to. But listen: Billy Sherrill is a genius. Listen to Tammy Wynette’s “’Til I Can Make It on My Own.” The song seems to tremble…
BMI Jewels Make Up Majority of Rolling Stone’s Top 500

In its June issue, Rolling Stone magazine offered the latest version of its “500 Greatest Songs of All Time," an update of its countdown originally released in 2004. Nuggets crafted by BMI songwriters overwhelmingly dominate the list: Standards from the BMI catalogue make up more than 60% of the classic roll call. Nine out of the top 10 picks are BMI gems: The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,”…
Pop Songwriting’s ‘Leader of the Pack’ Ellie Greenwich Dies

Ellie Greenwich, the pen behind several of pop music’s most enduring standards, died on Wednesday in New York City. She was 68. A veteran of the legendary Brill Building in Manhattan, Greenwich co-wrote 60s nuggets including “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Baby I Love You,” “Hanky Panky,” “Then He Kissed Me,” “Chapel of Love,” “Be My Baby,” “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” “Do Wah Diddy…
Righteous Brother Sings Most-Performed Song
Legendary Righteous Brothers crooner Bill Medley performed alongside the Pacific Symphony Orchestra November 8 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Shown are (l-r): BMI’s Linda Livingston, Bill Medley, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. BMI songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil who co-wrote “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” with Phil Spector,…
ELO Frontman Jeff Lynne Receives Million-Air Certificates
Songwriter and Electric Light Orchestra frontman Jeff Lynne was awarded Million-Air certificates for “Turn To Stone, “ which has earned over one million airplays, and “Don’t Bring Me Down,” for having over two million airplays. BMI’s Linda Livingston and Phil Graham presented Lynne the certificates at a recent visit to his studio in Los Angeles. BMI recognizes the songwriters, composers and music publishers of its million and…
