Sean compositions? - Forever Delayed

starfucker · #1 03-05-2018, 13:08

Back in the day we were used to lyrics and music being divided as lyrics Richey and Nicky, music James and Sean. Nowadays we're slightly more accustomed to Nicky or James coming up with an entire song individually, Ocean Spray, Distant Colours (James), Liverpool Revisited, Marlon JD (Nicky) etc, not to mention their solo albums.

I know Sean is very much involved in the writing of the music but are there any specific examples of which melodies or chord progressions etc he came up with? Just curious, like...

hummingbird · #2 03-05-2018, 13:24

I'm not sure of specifics but welcome to the deadzone is his I think?

starfucker · #3 03-05-2018, 13:50

Wowzers! Never knew that, cheers. One of my absolute favourite Manics songs!

UEF · #4 03-05-2018, 14:10

Welcome to the Deadzone

A verse or two off the new album and for the life of me I can't remember which

You Love Us - verses. So the complex bits basically.

I think the reality is that Sean wrote a lot of stuff that we may never get to know about.

Bonus: Nicky wrote the baseline to Yes

sculptureofabloke · #5 03-05-2018, 14:22

I vaguely remember it being mentioned that a fair chunk of Lifeblood is Sean’s? I wish they’d include more information in the notes of an album. I like they they’ve always split the royalties equally, don’t know the legal side of stuff. I mean these days, their songs are just credited Manic Street Preachers which I presume is for simplicity’s sake? Dunno if it’d get messier if they were more specific.

Prior to the general Manic Street Preachers credit, as far as I remember Nicky only had two music writing credits - Horses Under Starlight and Ocean Spray - an instrumental and a James lyric. Whether Nicky had any musical input into either song, or if he was just credited for equality’s sake, I dunno. Makes me wonder though, whether there are more James or Sean lyrics than we’ve been told about etc. I like that there’s more detail in the liner notes of Resistance Is Futile though, all James’ keyboards and Nicky’s guitar solo on Liverpool Revisited.

UEF · #6 03-05-2018, 14:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

I vaguely remember it being mentioned that a fair chunk of Lifeblood is Sean’s? I wish they’d include more information in the notes of an album. I like they they’ve always split the royalties equally, don’t know the legal side of stuff. I mean these days, their songs are just credited Manic Street Preachers which I presume is for simplicity’s sake? Dunno if it’d get messier if they were more specific.

Exactly because the jealousy and eventual arguing over who wrote what has been the ruination of many a band. Noel Gallagher has a bigger house than Liam for this reason. McCartney and Lennon on their way to a billion pounds in their estate, George only getting into the low hundreds of millions, etc.

The image of James playing a keyboard is a weird one to imagine. I remember reading that Small Black Flowers was written on a keyboard but that could be bollocks.

sculptureofabloke · #7 03-05-2018, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by UEF

Exactly because the jealousy and eventual arguing over who wrote what has been the ruination of many a band. Noel Gallagher has a bigger house than Liam for this reason. McCartney and Lennon on their way to a billion pounds in their estate, George only getting into the low hundreds of millions, etc.

The image of James playing a keyboard is a weird one to imagine. I remember reading that Small Black Flowers was written on a keyboard but that could be bollocks.

Off the top of my head, Pink Floyd must be one of the worst for that eh? Waters/Gilmour, Gilmour/Waters, and seeing how petty shit got with them.. Gallagher’s too, must be shit for the rest of the family seeing how this kinda shit takes its toll. I love that Manics aren’t like that, and after 40 odd years James and Nicky still aren’t bored of taking the puss out of each other. It’s good to get the extra bits of insight into who did what that you get from gigs and interviews, but I want to know it all!

Jimi A · #8 03-05-2018, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

I vaguely remember it being mentioned that a fair chunk of Lifeblood is Sean’s?

Yeah, Lifeblood is meant to be 'his' album. Was really underwhelmed and confused by it at the time of release. Now I love it.

sculptureofabloke · #9 03-05-2018, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimi A

Yeah, Lifeblood is meant to be 'his' album. Was really underwhelmed and confused by it at the time of release. Now I love it.

Same, took us a while to “get” it. They’re just such a misfit band really, gone against the grain so many times. Reckon Lifeblood could’ve been a bigger hit if it were released maybe a few years later. Releasing that while there were a million “The” bands who were sounding so similar and looking like they’d all walked out of a Topman catalogue.. yeah, it wasn’t really gonna fit in was it?

hummingbird · #10 03-05-2018, 15:26

Queen used to give credit for a song to the one that wrote the lyrics. In later years they split it equally. I suppose in the early days it was only James and Sean that wrote the music so splitting it equally was more than fair. Nowadays each of them contributes something to everything so "manic street preachers" is easier. ?

PaulTMA · #11 03-05-2018, 15:37

Is it cynical to suggest we always get the demo versions these days so Nicky can make very plain to all who will hear which songs he wrote the music for?

Glyn · #12 03-05-2018, 16:38

Off top of my head significant involvement in:
No Surface All Feeling
You love us
Second Great Depression
Hold me like a Heaven
Autointoxication (?)

starfucker · #13 03-05-2018, 17:06

I love that the Manics have always had a socialist approach to royalties etc. Proper gang mentality innit. Us against the world sort of thing. I never realised how much Izzy and Slash were actually involved in the writing of GN'R songs until I read Slash's autobiography.

The Oasis analogy above - clearly Noel was clued up and knew from his experience in the industry before joining Oasis that writing / publishing was where the money is. Not to sound cynical: he's given us some of the best songs of our generation and I'm grateful for them.

But, I do wonder if the Manics model of "sharing is caring" socialist ideal has contributed in some part to their longevity and loyalty to each other. Sean and James being blood relatives maybe has something to do with this plus them all, Richey included, being close friends from a young age.

Was just interested about more detail regarding Sean's input to the whole creative process as he doesn't seem to get the recognition he deserves being the "quiet one". Fair play, his choice, I guess.

Flint · #14 03-05-2018, 18:50

Pretty sure I remember reading something about the electronic programming (pseudo-sampling) that's all over Tokyo Skyline being his idea/handiwork.

Nobody · #15 03-05-2018, 19:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by sculptureofabloke

Prior to the general Manic Street Preachers credit, as far as I remember Nicky only had two music writing credits - Horses Under Starlight and Ocean Spray - an instrumental and a James lyric. Whether Nicky had any musical input into either song, or if he was just credited for equality’s sake, I dunno.

If I remember correctly I there was a few Richey songs on EMG that Nicky was credited for on the music.