Mail from collaborators

Albert Hammond has collaborated with many fellow songwriters and artists during his career each one of them full of admiration for his methods, technique and results.

Chris de Burgh

What a fantastic songwriter Albert Hammond is. Who can ever forget One Moment In Time, It Never Rains In Southern California, and so on. We were put together some years ago, I think about 1993, by my management and it worked extremely well. We got on very well, we enjoyed each other's company. He likes a lot of the things that I like, certainly in music and in taste, in food, in melody, in wines. I know that for example Chateau Haut'Brion from France is one of his favourites. Especially, I think, he spoke about the 1986 vintage.

The three songs that we cowrote I'm Not Crying Over You, Love's Got A Hold On Me, The Snows Of New York), I did, I think, all the words, maybe 99 percent of the words. But his inspiration was to be in the room with me, because the songs were going to be recorded and sung by me, but he was a real inspiration to guide me and we mutually guided each other to what I think is a very satisfactory conclusion in music. And I'd certainly like to try it again with him. (Copyright © by Chris de Burgh)

Janis Ian

At the time, I hadn't done any co-writing, and my publisher (Stanley Schnier) was excited by the idea of putting me together with more commercial writers. He knew Albert, somehow, and suggested that we get together. So we set a date.

I showed up at my office, somewhat apprehensive, but Albert was wonderful. He realized I hadn't done any co-writing before, and he played me a bit of a melody - just a little bit, but enough to pique my interest. We kicked around titles for a while; I can't remember which of us came up with the idea (it was probably Albert, though, since he was more experienced). Then he took all my anxiety away by suggesting we go have some breakfast.

We went downstairs to a deli - either the Stage or the Carnegie - and ate and talked for about an hour. By the end of it, we'd worked out a rough idea of the song (The Other Side Of The Sun).

It was a true co-write, with both of us contributing lyrics and melody and chords. For instance, that 3rd chord of the chorus is very typically a "me" change, going from the root to the minor 3rd to a major 6th. The lift at the beginning of the chorus, into the fourth, is very Albert.

Unfortunately, that's the only song we've ever written - but I'd give an eyetooth to work with him again! (Copyright © by Janis Ian)

Holly Knight

I met Albert on a songwriting trip to Russia with about thirty other notable (and some not so notable) writers. Right after we came back is when Albert and I wrote those songs.

We basically wrote all the music and lyrics together as I recall, just jamming and hanging Ask Me How I Feel, Be Tender With Me Baby, Hot Kisses On A Hot Night, I Love You, Love Thing, My Heart Is Failing Me, Tall, Dark Handsome Stranger, Where Were You, You Can't Stop Me Loving You). The tunes that Tina cut on Foreign Affair were in fact written for her: she was shopping for material for the album that she was about to record. I have nine tunes cut by her, so it was through my relationship with her that got her to hear the songs. She came over to my house (at the time) in Bel Air and we played them on acoustic guitar, and when we knew she liked them, we demoed them.

I think he's very talented and I would have liked to write with him again, but we went off in separate directions. What I like about his style or approach is that he comes from a singer/songwriter role, so he starts singing ideas right away. What I think he lacks (which is where I think I helped) is he's too old fashioned and musically unadventurous and doesn't have enough of a rock'n'roll edge.

As far as where my inspirations come from: I like music and lyrics that are passionate and real. I love alternative rock, hard rock, classical, jazz, anything that's musically interesting. (Copyright © by Holly Knight)

Graham Lyle

We had talked about getting together on a few occasions over some years, but never managed it until early 1989 when Bob Grace, his publisher of Windswept Pacific, brought Albert down to my house in Kent. He was still jet lagged, having flown from L.A. the night before, and we talked in my kitchen over coffee.

I remember Albert had been late in arriving, and while I was waiting I had started messing around with the line "women of a certain age". By the time he arrived I had more or less a finished verse. I had set up in my studio a keyboard thinking Albert would play that while I played guitar, but he wanted to use guitar to write, so I went downstairs to fetch another. By the time I got back he had the chorus melody and title, it sounded great, then I remembered the verse, and although they were in different keys we cobbled them together, and it worked very well. Within twenty minutes we had 90% of the song.

I Don't Wanna Lose You was recorded by Tina Turner and co-produced by us. The single was a big hit, and the album went to No 1 in many territories. So you could say the song we wrote together, in a way we wrote apart. (Copyright © by Graham Lyle)

Mark E. Nevin

I met Albert in 1989, when I was enjoying success with my band Fairground Attraction. I had always written songs on my own until then, but writing with Albert was a great opportunity, which I jumped at.

I went out to Los Angeles, it was the day after we won two Brit awards - best single and best album of 1988 - and I flew first class, seat number one in a Pan Am Jumbo, drinking champagne and feeling pretty big-time.

The next day a one-handed Iranian cab driver drove me from my hotel in Hollywood to Albert's house. He got totally lost and a journey that should have taken about 20 minutes took an hour and a half. Albert was not happy, he felt that the guy was trying to rip me off (there was $150 on the clock!), he had his manager call the Beverly Hills Cab Co and complain.

Albert and I wrote two songs in the next couple of days, the first was called You can be proud, a song I had already half-written before I got there (and has never been recorded; Reto), and I Keep Telling Myself, which was later recorded by Curtis Stigers and Julio Iglesias. That song started with Albert playing a chord sequence from an ideas tape he had and singing: "I keep telling myself uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh" over it. I added the next lines: "...it was not meant to be, I keep telling myself, but my heart disagrees." As I remember it, the music was largely Albert's and I did most of the lyrics.

The other song we wrote, If Love Had Wings - which was recorded by Irish singer Frances Black - was written later in London, I think at Albert's flat in Holland Park - I can't quite remember. I knew Frances through a mutual friend and when she asked me if I had any songs, I sent her a demo and she recorded it.

And as for the one-handed Iranian cab driver, he got fired. (Copyright © by Mark E. Nevin)

Harold Payne

I was working with a gentleman by the name of Randall Brogna who was booking me for various performances through ICM. He and Albert had a mutual friend whose name was Mick Schneider, I believe. Both Mick and Randall had seen me perform and heard my songs and thought that Albert and I would be a good match. To the best of my recollection here's how the interaction occurred...

Albert had started this song and already had most of the music and some of the lyrics, but had hit a "blocking point" on the song and wanted to collaborate. Mick and Randall brought him to my house to make the introduction. Albert played what he had and I had some ideas for changing the structure of the song a little and then wrote some additional lyrics. I then came to Albert's place and we polished up the ideas and kicked around a few others as well. I was pleased with Albert's recording and the fact that it was released as a single. I was in touch with Albert for a few years and then connected again in 1988 in Russia for the Soviet American Songwriter Summit "Music Speaks Louder Than Words".

I'm not sure if Albert even knows this, but When I'm Gone was released by a dance artist in 1999 named Rockell. It was on the Robins label & was released as a 12", on a CD & on a dance compilation. (Copyright © by Harold Payne)

Paul Williams

We wrote those songs (Loving You, Loving Me, You're My Lady) for Julio Iglesias, but I think Albert recorded them before they got to him. Albert and I also wrote a song called Beyond my wildest dreams (never recorded; Reto). It occurs to me that the fact that the songs were headed for Julio may have contributed to the very schmaltzy lyric content. I think I out-sentimentaled myself (if there's such a word!)... Great talent Mr. Hammond and a delight to work with. (Copyright © by Paul Williams)

Thank you very much, Chris de Burgh, Janis Ian, Holly Knight, Graham Lyle, Mark E. Nevin, Harold Payne and Paul Williams!