VERSED: The ASCAP Podcast / Ep. 26 - Diane Warren
October 1, 2021
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We talk to one of the most celebrated songwriters in music, Diane Warren, about Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1, her fantastic new cross-genre album of original songs recorded with some of the world’s best artists, including Ty Dolla $ign, Maren Morris, John Legend, Luis Fonsi, Jon Batiste, Pentatonix, G-Eazy, Carlos Santana, Rita Ora, Celine Dion, Darius Rucker and many others. She also talks about her Academy Award-nominated work writing for film and what it’s like hearing The Beatles sing your song. PLUS: We get some sound advice from master composer-producer of instrumental hip-hop, RJD2, about making beats - without rhymes.
EP. 26 FEATURED INTERVIEW: DIANE WARREN
One of modern music’s most celebrated songwriters, Diane Warren has penned nine #1 and 32 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is tied for having written the most #1 songs as a sole writer in Billboard history. She has received 12 Academy Award nominations, is a Grammy winner with 15 nominations, Emmy winner and two-time Golden Globe award winner whose songs have been featured in more than 100 motion pictures. Recently, she won a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination for the original song "Io Si (Seen)” from the 2020 film The Life Ahead.
Diane is a crucial component behind countless staples and hits of contemporary music. She is also the sole owner of her publishing company Realsongs, the most successful female-owned and operated business in the music industry. She is the recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Visit Diane Warren online at www.realsongs.com // Follow her on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook
+Watch the video for “Seaside” featuring Diane Warren, Rita Ora, Sofía Reyes and REIK
+Watch the video for “She’s Fire” featuring Diane Warren, G-Eazy and Santana
EP. 26 SOUND ADVICE GUEST: RJD2
Ramble Jon Krohn, better known by his stage name RJD2, is a songwriter, composer, and producer known for his genre-defying tunes and versatile sampling-based approach to music. His first album, Deadringer, was released on Definitive Jux label in 2002 and was widely acclaimed as a landmark in hip-hop instrumental beat making. Since then, he’s released six more albums under his solo moniker, traversing a wide array of genres from hip-hop to funk to indie rock and beyond. He’s also been involved in a number of collaborations and remixes, including for such artists as Massive Attack, Tycho, and Polyphonic Spree. His track “A Beautiful Mine” became widely recognizable as the theme for AMC’s hit show Mad Men.
Follow RJD2 on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook
+Learn how RJD2 builds tracks quickly, in an exclusive excerpt from his Soundfly video course
+ASCAP members get a discount on all-access subscription to Soundfly. Log into Member Access to claim your discount.
John Titta started his life in music as a musician, songwriter and music teacher. He began his publishing career with Screen Gems/EMI Music as Professional Manager, signing such acts as Surface and The Smithereens. He worked with legendary songwriters Carole King and Lou Reed, and had songs covered by Tina Turner, Grover Washington Jr., Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and Dave Edmunds.
He then moved to PolyGram Music Publishing as Vice President of A & R, signing artists Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Pearl Jam, Brian McKnight, k.d. lang, Billy Ray Cyrus and songwriter Jimmy Webb. He was also responsible for individual hit songs including “Save the Best for Last” by Vanessa Williams and “The Folks That Live on the Hill” by Tony Bennett. Titta was credited for his A&R work on the compilation album Two Rooms: A Tribute to Elton John and Bernie Taupin and multiple movie soundtracks, such as Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory, Days of Thunder, Scream, Bruce Almighty, Varsity Blues and more.
From 1993 - 2006, Titta served as Senior Vice President/General Manager of Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. in New York, where he signed such acts as Trey Songz, Fat Joe, Missy Elliott, Kid Rock, Collective Soul, India.Arie, Gavin DeGraw, Cassandra Wilson, Dan Wilson (Semisonic), Uncle Kracker, Shaggy, Simple Plan, Duane Eddy and Bruce Hornsby. He also scored success with individual hits such as the Grammy Award-winning “Smooth” by Santana, “Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake, “Lean Back” by Terror Squad,” “Waiting for Tonight” by Jennifer Lopez, “One of Us” by Joan Osborne, “I Love You Always Forever” by Donna Lewis, “Pon De Replay” by Rihanna and many more, including songs recorded by Celine Dion, Ricky Martin, Patty Loveless and Marc Anthony.
In 2006, Titta struck out on his own to become President and CEO of his independent company, MPCA Music Publishing and Recordings, that featured the catalog of blues legend Robert Johnson and songs by Sammy Cahn and Jack Wolf, among others, with songs recorded by Led Zeppelin, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Aretha Franklin and more. He has performed on albums by Ringo Starr and Gizelle D’Cole and has played with Michael McDonald, The Doobie Brothers, Duane Eddy, Richie Sambora and Omi.
Always an avid supporter of songwriters and their rights, Titta moved to ASCAP in 2013, where he is currently EVP of Membership.
Other accomplishments include his work with Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan on the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, and Producer and A&R work on albums by Dionne Warwick, Todd Rundgren, Melinda Doolittle, Smash Mouth and Donny & Marie Osmond.
EP. 26 INTERVIEWER: ETAN ROSENBLOOM, ASCAP SENIOR DIRECTOR & DEPUTY EDITOR, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Etan Rosenbloom joined ASCAP in 2006. His duties include writing and curating content for the ASCAP website, writing speeches and scripts for award shows, interviewing prominent members and working on ASCAP's corporate communications strategy. Before coming to ASCAP, Etan worked as the Director of Marketing at Cryptogramophone Records. He also spent many years as a freelance music journalist for publications including Decibel, MetalSucks, Billboard, Spin, Prefixmag and DailyOm. Etan currently lives in Los Angeles, where he spends most of his non-existing free time taking his five-year-old daughter on adventures, dreaming about craft beer and haunting all the used record stores within a 20-mile radius.