I was working with an old friend the other evening. Davie Scott, of Pearlfishers fame, is steeped in music and has spent many hours ruminating on the business of wrting songs. His mantra has never changed: ‘If you want a song you should ask a songwriter.’

I always understood the importance of that axiom as, for many years in the old business of music, it was assumed that all artists should also be song writers. Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and The Beatles started it the fashion because they all happened to be great, but it doesn’t always mean you have to write your own songs. To be honest, I was less than chartitable about this on the first few years of presenting Another Country. I’d look down at the credits and I’d sniffily pass on some great records because they didn’t come from the pen of the singer. More fool me.

The great tradition of A&R in the old days was to match an artist to the right song. In fact it was often the job of the producer to be the person who would select the material. My old music publisher Richard Rowe told me of Sunday evenings sitting around the record player in his Dad’s house sifting through American 45’s that had still not come out in the UK in order for him to find songs for appropriate artists on his Decca label.

Increasingly the song has become assembled by a large cast of writers. It’s often very difficult to imagine what four or five people might have done on a 3 chord country song about trucks and beers lasting three minutes. But..if they were in the room they are on the credits. It has been pleasantly surprising to find newer artist who we’ve played in recent weeks like Tanner Adell, Sierra Hull and Crys Matthews taking feeling confident enough to put out songs written entirely on their own.

Allen Toussaint

On this weeks show we’ll highlight a couple of great solo writers who have written massive songs in country music. Rodney Crowell has written some brilliant songs which have been covered by everyone from Emmylou Harris to Van Morrison. Last Friday Willie Nelson released his latest album, Oh What A Beautiful World, which is made up entirely of songs written by Rodney. We shall also play two great songs by Kenny O’Dell whose most famous song topped the country chart fifty two years ago this week. And finally we will play a classic song which became a country hit more because of the artist than the song itself. Glen Campbell’s version of Allen Toussaint’s Southern Nights came about because Jimmy Webb was playing the original release to Glen one day. Glen loved it so much he whipped the 45 off the turntable and shouted to Jimmy that he had to borrow it as he had a great idea. The next time Jimmy heard the song Glen’s voice was coming out of a car radio and the song had been re imagined and released.

So…on this week’s AC we shall celebrate some great songs, old and new. We’re on Radio Scotland from five past eight and available on BBC Sounds any time after that. Do join me of you can.