Ray Stevens Quotes

There's never been a song that I just wrote and tried to send to an artist.

With Joe Walsh, that was kind of random. I'd written 'Hi-Roller Baby' for myself while I was at Island/Def Jam; literally, four years later, it got cut. Songs can be around for a long time.

Honestly, when I got to Hollywood I was trying to sell my songs.

Mostly I've never let record companies become involved with my music, which was a very smart thing that my first manager Dave Robinson did, to keep them out of it.

Even if I don't release it myself, somebody else might hear it and want to record it. When you write a song, it gives it that potential.

The whole industry evolves around a great song.

When I first got my record deal, I was like, 'I just want to sing,' and I never put much thought into what really goes into a record. But as I got older, I developed a passion for writing.

I'm just focusing on 'Let's Stay Together' and slowly building my production company. I'm trying to get into writing as well.

Well, Neighbours wanted to do a song on the show, and they asked me what songs I had. I told them I'd just written this song, called Born to Try, and I had just gone overseas and spoken to some people from Song about it.

The problem that I have is with the music business. For some reason it seems almost impossible to get anything, any music, released which includes improvisation or soloing.

I don't think that old-fashioned idea of record companies exists any more.

You know, I get a lot of people pitching songs to me.

The Shades never recorded anything, Little Daddy and the Bachelors recorded a couple of records, ya.

Someone told me there was a publisher that could find a good home for my songs, but I didn't want to give up my pursuit of a career in the business as an artist.

The music business is one of a few places where everything you've heard about it seems entirely cliche, but it's true.

I still don't understand the music industry that much. Everything I learned was from hanging out with rock musicians in studios. I certainly have respect for those who make music their livelihood.

I would make far more money if every song were my own, but I don't write to fill up the album with my songs.

Then l learned to play guitar and l started writing songs and my mother formed for me a publishing business, so we started publishing and managing artists.

I'm delighted about the track's success in the sports world, but the frustrating thing is, I don't think I got rich on it. The labels and publishers did very cheap deals on our songs.

The people who are making money are the ones who are writing and singing their own songs.

Actually, I have another record I made with them in 1976, but I've had such a bad experience with record companies, because I keep my head so much in music and not in business.

I have these songs that I've been playing for so many years. They're so intimate and close to me. And these are songs that probably a major label would not be interested in - some of them, anyway - interested in putting on a record.

I know that the music industry has changed, but I'd love it if Adele and John Legend would write me songs.

I wanted to stay independent because I figured there was no way I was going to be able to have control to create the type of music I want. I was basically ignoring a lot of labels.

I want to do, like, 50 records.