Pop & Pop-Rock
Commercial/Chart
Ballads
Boy Band/Girl Band
Dance & Club Music
Indie
& Rock
R&B/Urban
Acoustic
Jazz
Soul & 'Old RnB'
New & Old Country
Shows/Musicals
Opera & Classical
Eurovision
Novelty Songs
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Co-Writing in a Variety of Ways |
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Chris Breen is a Lyricist/Songwriter who can co-write with you on your recording and/or writing projects in many different ways:
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Top-Lines |
(Lyrics & Vocal Melody Lines) |
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A Top-Line Writing Service To Your Backing Tracks |
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Please click to read about top-line writing |
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Lyric Writing |
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1. Lyrics First |
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Some artists Chris Breen works with prefer to work on material in a classic "Elton-Bernie format" - namely Chris writes the lyrics first and the music is crafted to the structure, rhythm and vibe in his lyric. The initial lyric could be 'totally free' or inspired by an angle, attitude or style that the composer gives him. You choose!
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2. Lyrics Last |
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At the other extreme, Chris Breen often works on co-writes where he tailors the lyric to a completed arrangement and melody line supplied by a composer. The vocal part might be played on a lead instrument (guitar, saxophone, piano or keyboard) or sung to 'nonsense lyrics' (as long as the tune is clear, what does it matter?). Again, Chris Breen will happily work from a detailed brief (or, alternatively, just a few basic ideas you may have). Chris is just as happy to be given complete freedom with developing the lyric's narrative, drawing his inspiration from the tempo, feel and melody of the music the composer supplies. Sometimes this journey of freedom takes the lyric in a different direction from the obvious route... and that can be good! |
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3. Lyrics to Backing Tracks |
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Writing lyrics to a producer/songwriter's professionally produced backing track
Increasingly (and this mirrors top-line writing), Chris will receive MP3s of a fully produced backing tracks with no vocal part. The tempo, rhythm & structure of the final piece is already in place and Chris Breen is then free to write lyrics that slot into that framework. If it's dance music, it might just have a sequence running throughout (perhaps with builds and filter-sweeps suggesting where the hook-lines should go), or, if it's a more conventional song, it might have a verse, bridge, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, middle eight, chorus, chorus, fade format. Whatever the structure of the backing track, that's fine. (Please email me if you have a co-writing project that could work this way: Email Chris)
Chris Breen has written or co-written this way in genres as diverse as dance, trance, rock, country and opera, so whatever really suits the track and creates the best song is the goal. (Please check out this site for sample co-writes in all these styles!) |
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4. Lyrics & Music Hand-in-Hand |
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Then there's a mix of the above...
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Some lyric writing projects work in a step-by-step manner... it might be a slower journey, but if the final result is great, it doesn't really matter! Sometimes a composer might want some inspiration from a line or two of lyrics (maybe a title and a chorus sketch). Chris Breen has worked with writers and writer/producers this way too. Sometimes that initial idea has led to a chorus melody and arrangement being emailed back as an MP3, maybe with a sketch of a verse added. Chris may then write lyrics to the verse(s), perhaps even suggesting a melody line too... |
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Whole Song Co-Writes |
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- Step-by-step co-writing across the miles by emailing MP3s: Chris co-writing music and lyrics
- Working together on co-writes in the same location (distance permitting!)
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As you can see, co-writing can take on many different forms, but as long as the project is destined for professional recording, promotion and, ideally, commercial release, Chris Breen would like to hear from you. Email Chris |
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"...Whatever really suits the track and creates the very best song is the goal..." |
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Chris Breen is a member of the PRS-MCPS Alliance (UK PRO) and writes for standard royalty-splits |
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