Jim Liddane, who in 1967 founded the International Songwriters Association which operates this site, was born in Limerick City, Ireland, first attending St Philomena's Preparatory School before moving to Crescent College at the age of seven. During this period, he followed the Irish Academy of Music piano syllabus at St Anthony's School Of Music, while also studying under the organist James Hassett.
Although classically trained, Jim was quickly drawn to popular music and while at Crescent, became a member of a number of "pop" groups including the Gus Molloy Quartet (led by Gus Molloy), the Skiffling Boatmen (led by John and Frank Ahern), and the Bryan McHugh Band.
Having sat the Irish Leaving Certificate in 1962, he went on to University College Cork, emerging with a degree in History. While in college, he continued to perform with various bands at venues throughout Ireland.
Menlo International Records Publicity Card
On his return to Limerick, Jim and Michael Collins (who had also been a member of the Skiffling Boatmen), opened one of Ireland's earliest professional recording studios, Menlo Music. Although initially set up to further their own songwriting efforts, the studio quickly attracted bands and vocalists from all over Ireland, as well as songwriters from the UK and further afield, keen to have demos made at the new studios.
The pair subsequently launched Menlo International Records which went on to release a number of singles including the first recordings by Reform who had been operating as Menlo's in-house band. Reform would later go on to great success, eventually signing with Youngblood Records and CBS Records in London.
Simultaneously, Jim joined with drummer Ger Baggott to form The Broadways, initially a five-piece outfit which with the later arrival of guitarist Bobby O'Driscoll, decided to slim itself down to a trio.
The Broadways had a weekly residency in the Bohemians Club for many years and also played ballrooms and dance halls during the height of the 60s and 70s showband craze.
(Left) The Broadways first gig in 1965, at the Jetland Ballroom. From left to right are Bill Sinden (guitar), Nicky O'Neill (guitar), Robert Collins (vocals), Ger Baggott (drums) and Jim Liddane (keyboards)
(Right) The Broadways in 1966, pictured at the Intercontinental Hotel. From left to right are Jim Liddane (keyboards), Bobby O'Driscoll (guitar) and Ger Baggott (drums), backing jazz saxophonist Louis McMahon
In 1967, following a meeting with a number of overseas songwriters and music publishers attending Ireland's Castlebar Song Contest, Jim decided to launch the International Songwriters Association (ISA) which within weeks of its opening, was attracting its first members from the UK.
Its initial success was such that in 1970, the ISA was invited to move the organisation to London. Jim however turned down the offer, believing that the ISA would do better if it remained in Ireland.
This decision seems to have proved far-sighted, because by its 50th birthday in 2017, the International Songwriters Association could boast members in more than 70 countries.
Simultaneously, Jim also launched "Songwriter Magazine" whose mission he said at the time was "to locate and interview as many of the world's legendary songwriters as possible, and in particular those non-performing writers who had penned some of world's best loved tunes but whose own lives and indeed songwriting careers, remained a total mystery to the general public."
Although Jim conducted a lot of the early interviews himself, he also assembled a coterie of professional award-winning writers including Harvey Rachlin, the American author of such books as "The Songwriter's Handbook" and "The Encyclopedia Of The Music Business"; the UK music publisher and journalist Gerald Mahlowe, also known for his work on "Not The Nine O'Clock News" and "The Kenny Everett Television Show"; Sheridan Morley, whose many books include the best-sellers "A Talent To Amuse", "Other Side Of The Moon" and "Odd Man Out" as well as the acclaimed biography of his own father, actor and film star Robert Morley: and Larry Wayne Clark, the American songwriter, author and music publisher whose songs include such hits as Chris Young’s "Drinkin’ Me Lonely", Lee Greenwood’s "Between A Rock And A Heartache", The Statler Brothers’ "To Make A Long Story Short" and Buddy Jewell’s "Addicted To The Rain".
First Issue Of "Songwriter Magazine" October 1967
Since 1967, "Songwriter Magazine" has published hundreds of interviews with numerous multi-million selling songwriters and composers, many of whom had never been previously approached for an interview, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Marty Wilde, George Michael, P J Proby, Larry Weiss, Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Norman Petty, Kate Bush, Lionel Bart, Bill Martin, Barry Mason, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weill, Carole Bayer Sager, Billy Joel, Don McLean, Dallas Frazier, George Harrison, Hal David, Johnny Marks, Julie Gold, Gene Pitney, Kris Kristofferson, Mike Read, Mike Batt, Neil Diamond, Tom T Hall, Roger Hodgson, Mitch Murray, Graham Lyle, Simon May, Herbert Kretzmer, Jona Lewie, John D Loudermilk, Chris Rea, Mike Chapman, Eric Woolfson, Guy Clark, Ron Miller, Nik Kershaw and Peter Sarstedt.
(Left) Jim Liddane and Anna Sinden waiting to interview The Searchers at a Back To The Sixties Revival concert in the 1990's
(Right) ISA member Peter Sarstedt tells Jim how he wrote his international multi-million seller "Where Do You Go To My Lovely"
Other million-selling songwriters interviewed include Les Reed, Tony Hatch, Dickey Lee, Don Wayne, Don Black, Dan Hill, Steve Harley, Bill Anderson, Larry Henley, Roger Cook, Mel Tillis. Buck Ram, Nik Kershaw, Sonny Curtis, Allan Rich, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Stephen Schwartz, Gary Osborne, Marijohn Wilkin, Guy Chambers, Bobby Braddock, Guy Clark, Chas Hodges, Merle Kilgore, Roger Murrah, Norro Wilson, Janis Ian, Red Lane, Hank Cochran, Gerard Kenny, Sandy Linzer, Susan Gold, Shawn Camp, Ralph Murphy, Andrew Gold, Wayland Holyfield, Bruce Welch, Richard Addrisi, Charlie Strouse, Keith Stegall, Julie Gold, Rufus Yhomas, Chip Taylor, Tommy Boyce, Dan Hill, Allen Reynolds, Dennis Locorriere, Larry Uttal, Tony Macaulay, Chris DeBurgh, Mick Hanley, Irving Caesar, Boudleaux Bryant, Paul Williams, Kris Kristofferson, Jimmy Davis, and many many more.
In addition to the hundreds of songwriters profiled, "Songwriter Magazine" also interviewed many major industry figures such as the impressario Cameron Mackintosh, George Martin of EMI Records, Terry Noon of Noon Music, Fred Foster of Monument Records, John Spalding of Bocu Music, Hal Shaper of Sparta Florida Music, Peter Cornish of ATV Music, Mike Roberts of ATV Music, Jack Clement of Sun Records, Stephen James of Dick James Music, Tony Peters of Acuff Rose Music, Ralph Peer of Peer Music, Eddie Levy of Heath-Levy Music, Roy Tempest of Peer-Southern Music, Tom Vickers of Capitol Records, Mike Fletcher of Shapiro Bernstein Music, Don Kirshner of Aldon Music, Ellis Rich of Supreme Music, Stuart Ongley of Peer Music, Billy Sherrill of Columbia Records, Rick Cardinali of Campbell Connelly Music, David Knight of Southern Music, Mark Rowles of Chappell Music (London), Irwin Schuster of Chappell Music (Nashville), Fraser Mackintosh of Music Deals, John Beecher of Rollercoaster Records, Jonathan Simon of the Really Useful Group, Peter Reichardt of Warner Brothers Music, Peter Dadswell of the Music Publishers Association, Paddy Grafton-Green of the Music Business Lawyers Association, Robert Montgomery of the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society, Howard Balsam of the Harry Fox Agency, and quite literally hundreds more.
In 1972, the International Songwriters Association launched the ISA Recording Studios and also set up its own record label ISA Records whose first release "The Beautiful Lakes Of Killarney" by the Mike Sexton Band was later re-issued on Kerry Records, while the song itself was also covered by several country acts.
The ISA studios, which were made available only to ISA members, boasted a state of the art facility along with the only Mellotron to be imported into Ieland.
In 1975, "Songwriter Magazine" launched "Songwriter Update" (a monthly tip sheet for songwriters) along with "Songwriter Newsflash" which was issued to cover breaking news and "Songwriter Yearbook", (an annual directory of music publishers, record labels and recording stars worldwide). The following year, the International Songwriters Association published Jim's "Twenty Songwriting Questions Answered", which was revised yearly until 2004 when it was re-published in an expanded format under the title "Selling Your Songs".
Outside of music, Jim's interests range from football to writing to radio.
A keen soccer fan, he acted as co-manager (with Eric Lynch), of the CBS team which won two Irish Cup trophies in its first three seasons and which went on to represent Ireland in the 1975 ISF Football World Cup held in Turkey.
As a writer, Jim penned many of the early "Songwriter Magazine" articles. He also contributed to several international music publications including "Songwriter's Review", "Songs & Songwriting" and "Cashbox", and for a period was also editor of "The Limerick People On Sunday" newspaper.
Radio has always been another of Jim's hobbies, and in 1980 he joined the broadcasting staff at Big L Radio Limerick (owned and managed by Mike Richardson), where he hosted a number of shows, before moving in 1986 to Sound Channel 102FM (founded by Joe Taylor and managed by Darren O'Brien), becoming Controller of Progammes there in 1988.
(1) Jim Liddane broadcasting on Sound Channel July 1986
(2)Jim Liddane on Radio Limerick One 95fm in June 1991
In 1989, university lecturer James Wallace invited Jim to join in seeking the first commercial radio licence to be awarded by the Irish government's Independent Radio & Television Commission. Althoúgh Jim had campaigned for seven years against state regulation of broadcasting, he accepted that there was no longer any alternative to the government's proposals, and so with James Wallace formed RLO95 to compete for the franchise.
The initial thirteen applicants were eventually whittled down to six, and after public hearings held in Limerick and Dublin before Justice Seamus Henchy of the Supreme Court, the RLO95 application was successful and the company was awarded a seven year licence.
Michael Walsh (Head of News), Jim Liddane (Controller of
Programmes), Tom Nolan (Head of Sales) and James Wallace
(Chairman of RLO), at the 1989 IRTC hearings held in Limerick
RLO95 went on air for the first time in October with James Wallace as Chairman and CEO, and Jim Liddane combining the roles of Controller of Programmes and Company Secretary.
In addition, Jim also presented a number of shows on the new station, including "Solid Gold Sunday" and "Nashville Country" with the outlet itself being managed by Darren O'Brien, who had previously managed Sound Channel.
Jim Liddane (RLO95), Judge Seamus Henchy (IRTC), James Wallace (RLO95), and Paul Appleby (IRTC), at the awarding of the first commercial radio licence
In November 1995, Jim launched Musical Records Limited, a company which over the next 17 years, produced several thousand master recordings for songwriters wishing to release or license their own material for broadcast or movie projects.
In 1998, ISA started its own website - songwriter.co.uk - which soon estabished itself as one of the top international sites for musicians and songwriters. Nowadays, many broadcasting organisations, publications and websites use songwriter.co.uk as their source of information on the world of songwriting.
In 2017, the International Songwriters Association marked its 50th birthday by re-publishing the fifty of its most famous "Songwriter Magazine" interviews online, and since then, has been adding new interviews on a monthly basis, providing a rich (and much-quoted) research facility for both historians and music fans.
Jim Liddane: Festival di Sanremo 2015
Jim still lives in Limerick with his wife Anna Sinden. His most recent project is "The Kings Of Denmark Street", which will profile the leading music publishing moguls of London's Tin Pan Alley between 1911 and 1992.
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This site is published by the International Songwriters Association, and will introduce you to the world of songwriting. It will explain music business terms and help you understand the business concepts that you should be familiar with, thus enabling you to ask more pertinent questions when you meet with your accountant/CPA or solicitor/lawyer.
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