# American Songwriters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-songwriters/294197 "2005-03-12T15:40:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-songwriters/294197/21 "2005-03-15T13:47:28Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > That’s who I meant by [the Brill Building](http://www.history-of-rock.com/brill_building.htm). Oh, absolutely. I just wanted to spell it out a bit more. One of things that becomes clear as you get more experience and depth-of-knowledge about music is how the professional songwriters (the broadway folks, the one’s who write songs for pop stars and jazz artists) absolutely **smoke** the rock bands of the day (whatever day that might be). Both in terms of cleverness of lyrics, content, clarity of idea and musical talent the pros kick ass. Hell, something most people don’t realize… Bob Donough, the guy who wrote most of the early ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ songs was a talented jazz songwriter long before he got that gig. I picked up a SR songbook several years ago figuring I could add them to the mix and get some easy laughs at parties… THOSE DAMN THINGS ARE A BITCH AND A HALF TO PLAY. Especially on guitar. Yet they sound so clean, natural and easy to the ear. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-songwriters/294197/22 "2005-03-25T03:04:06Z")
Bumping the thread to gloat about the mix CD it inspired me to make: 1. This Year’s Kisses (Billie Holiday) 2. You Do Something to Me (Benny Goodman) 3. Begin the Beguine (Artie Shaw) 4. The Man I Love (Zoot Sims) 5. S’Wonderful (Sarah Vaughan 6. After You, Who (Jody Watley) 7. Oh, Lady Be Good (Nat King Cole and Count Basie) 8. Blue Skies (Duke Ellington) 9. S’Wonderful (Stan Getz) 10. I Got Rhythm (Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli) 11. Anything Goes (Tony Bennett and Count Basie) 12. Embraceable You (Charlie Parker and Miles Davis) 13. Fascinatin’ Rhythm (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 14. The Song Is Ended (Louis Armstrong and the Mills Brothers) 15. Nice Work If You Can Get It (Billie Holiday) 16. Down in the Depths (Lisa Stansfield) 17. From This Moment On (Jimmy Sommerville) 18. I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Stan Getz) 19. Marie (Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra) 20. I Got Rhythm (Ernestine Anderson) 21. Let’s Do It (Billie Holiday) 22. Embraceable You (Joe Williams) 23. So In Love (Caetano Veloso) Yeah, the duped songs are all on purpose. I couldn’t pick between versions. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-songwriters/294197/23 "2005-03-25T03:50:58Z")
Also not one of the top group, but I think John Kander and Fred Ebb are definitely honorable mentions. They wrote for Broadway from the early '60s through the '70s. _Chicago_ (film and stage) and _Cabaret_ (ditto) are their two most well known. They wrote for several movies, including _Funny Lady_ and _New York, New York_ (including the theme song made famous by Frank Sinatra). They also did the TV specials _Liza with a Z_ and _Ol’ Blue Eyes is Back_. They wrote several other Broadway shows, including _Zorba_, _The Happy Time_, and _Steel Pier_. They both won Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. Fred Ebb died late last year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-songwriters/294197.md?page=1)