CLARE BOWDITCH - APRA

Compiled by Mark Eades and Anthea Sarris
Contributions are welcome and should be emailed to asarris@apra.com.au.
Deadline for the March 2007 issue of Aprap is Friday, 26 January.
IN MEMORY OF
DOROTHYDODD
10 DECEMBER 1926 – 25 JUNE 2006
By John Sturman
DEALS & SIGNINGS
Fintage Music is proud to
announce that it has signed
award winning composer
Burkhard Dallwitz to a
worldwide publishing deal (excl.
Aust/NZ). Fintage has also
signed an exclusive worldwide
sub-publishing agreement with
Crosstown Songs covering
their current and future music
publishing catalogues.
After attending SXSW in Austin
Texas with the specific target of
finding a Sync partner for North
America, Fogsongs managing
director Marshall Cullen has
signed an agreement with
Charles Levan from Blue Buddha
Entertainment, in Los Angeles.
EMI Music Publishing Australia is
proud to announce the signing of
Natalie Bassingthwaighte of the
Rogue Traders to a worldwide
publishing agreement.
Celebrating the signing are: L-R:
Mark Byrne (Peppermintblue, Manager),
Maree Hamblion (A&R Manager, EMI Music
Publishing), John Anderson (MD, EMI Music
Publishing) & Natalie Bassingthwaighte.
ABC Music Publishing will
administer the music publishing
rights for Pacific International
Music – a new music company
about to establish its base in
Nashville, Tennessee. Country
music singer/songwriter Adam
Harvey’s five year association
with ABC Music Publishing has
come to an end however ABC
Music Publishing will continue to
represent his current repertoire
in the medium term. Sydney
producer, performer and
songwriter Rephrase has signed
to ABC Music Publishing and
is back with his second Album,
Little Victories.
Mushroom Music is proud to
announce the signing of musical
comedy trio Tripod for their most
recent record Middleborough
Road.
Native Tongue has entered into
an agreement with The Datsuns
to publish their new album
Smoke & Mirrors. Native Tongue
has also inked a worldwide
publishing agreement with
Jonathan Bree, songwriter from
The Brunettes; plus a deal with
Megan Hickey. Two of Native
Tongue’s most recent signings
hail from Christchurch: Flip
Grater has just completed her
first tour of NZ promoting her
debut solo album; and Matt
Barus, lead singer and writer
with The Dukes. Native Tongue is
also pleased to announce it now
represents the catalogue of Van
Heusen Music Corp.
Universal Music Publishing
Australia is delighted to
announce the re-signing of one
of Australia’s most revered and
successful songwriters, Alex
Lloyd to an exclusive, long-term
publishing agreement. Universal
has also extended its worldwide
administration agreement with
Southern Star Music Publishing,
the music publishing arm of
Southern Star Productions.
Writer Gregg Arthur has signed
a worldwide recording deal
with Emporium Music and the
first release is his new album
Here with Me, published by
Hebbes Music Group (HMG).
HMG has also announced the
signing of new sub-publishing
agreements with Warnes Music
for the songs of Jennifer Warnes;
Upton Park Publishing for the
very successful French group
Matmatah; and Harlan Howard
Songs for the writers Lori
McKenna and Mary Gauthier.
Other new deals include Nanada
Music out of Holland and the
extensive Celestial Harmonies
catalogue.
Shock Music Publishing is
proud to announce the signing
of Celebrity Drug Disasters, the
2006 winners of the New Artist 2
Radio competition. •
Tripod - Scott Edgar, Simon Hall and Steven Gates - pictured with Mushroom Music MD Ian James.
NEWS
ABC Music
Publishing
The Australian Country Music
Achiever Awards saw ABC
Music Publishing awarded
2006 Publishing Company
of the Year for an incredible
5 years in a row! Presented
by the Country Music
Association of Australia
(CMAA), the awards are
an annual event that brings
together the music industry
in a night that celebrates
and acknowledges the
achievements of the many
individuals and companies
involved in making and
promoting Australian country
music.
Singer-songwriter, Bob
Piggott, has won the APRA
& ABC Music Publishing
Songwriter Recognition
Award – presented at the
annual 1233 Newcastle
Music Awards.
Gospel Music
Association
In August, the inaugural
board meeting of the
Gospel Music Association
of Australia and New
Zealand (GMA ANZ) was
held in Sydney, to pursue
the mission of “Growing
Christian Music”. GMA
ANZ was formed to act
as the peak body for the
Christian music sector in
Australia and New Zealand
and its membership is
drawn from the artists,
record labels, wholesalers
and distributors, media,
publishers, promoters,
managers and educators in
the Christian music sector.
The Hoff jumps Dorothy Dodd: her passing
in Ted’s car is mourned by friends and
colleagues alike for we have lost
David Hasselhoff’s version of Ted
someone who worked tirelessly
Mulry’s Australian classic, Jump
in my car, has reached No. 3 on in the social and economic
the UK singles’ charts, giving J. interest of her fellow writers
Albert & Son yet another hit in
often at great personal cost.
the UK. Expect other European
countries to follow suit.
But perhaps the people who miss her most, apart
from family are those of us who were privileged
Local and global to work with her, in the early, formative years of
the Australian music industry when the market was
success for
dominated by overseas music and opportunities for
Native Tongue
local writers and performers were very much limited
by the existence of only one major record company
It has been an exciting quarter
owned and controlled by British interests as well as
for Native Tongue with some
a radio industry obsessed with playing only top 40
great success both locally and
hits dictated by overseas trade magazines such as a
overseas. Don McGlashan won his
Billboard and Cash Box.
second APRA Silver Scroll for the
song Bathe In The River; he also This situation was gradually changed, thanks to the
won best original achievement in efforts of a small band of dedicated people such as
music for his film score for No. 2 Dorothy Dodd who were determined to raise the
at the recent NZ Screen Awards. profile of Australian writers and performers.
Former Muttonbird guitarist
and Native Tongue writer, David In 1965 I joined APRA as CEO. Dorothy was a full
Long, won the equivalent award writer member of the Association at the time and
for television music for his score was later elected as a Writer Director. Full writer
to the SBS series The Insiders membership was very limited at this stage, Dorothy
Guide To Love.
enjoyed such a status because of her phenomenal
success as the author of the English lyrics to
NZ born, UK bred buzz band
Granada. The great majority of APRA writers were
The Veils, have a new album
Associate members only, which meant they had
Nux Vomica on the shelves and
no vote at General Meetings and therefore, no real
are set to tour next year. Kiwi
voice in the affairs of the Company. Dorothy argued
instrumental rock gods Jakob
strongly that this situation was unjust and ultimately
have a new release Solace out
persuaded the Board to provide for all members to
through inertia in Australia.
have full status and therefore an entitlement to vote
Native Tongue have also had at General Meetings.
a number of placements for
Australian and New Zealand acts Dorothy was equally influential in supporting the
in US television series including proposal that the number of Writer Directors on
CSI, Windfall and The Unit. In the APRA Board should be equal to the number of
addition, their new partnership Publisher Directors to be consistent with overseas
with Domino Publishing Co. in practice.
the UK is taking off with a number
of Domino acts set to tour our
shores next year including the
Archie Bronson Outfit. •
Dorothy Dodd’s efforts on behalf of writers were
not, of course, confined to APRA. As a President of
the Fellowship of Australian Composers she worked
assiduously towards the betterment of writers in all
their various fields of activity and played a prominent
role in liaising with both politicians and public
servants in Canberra in an effort to secure economic
aid and political largesse where it counted.
One of her most outstanding achievements was
to persuade the Government to give significant
financial and practical support to an Australian stand
at the annual Caen Music Festivals which did much
to bring international attention to the potential of
Australian music on the world market. The Federal
Government were quick to acknowledge Dorothy
Dodd’s contribution to this remarkable marketing
exercise by an appropriate preferment which she
richly deserved.
Dorothy’s ultimate accolade, however, came
when she was elected non-executive Chairman of
the APRA Board, a position she filled with great
distinction. It was in this capacity that Dorothy joined
management in attending the bi-annual Congress
of the International Confederation of Authors and
Composer’s Societies where organisations similar
to APRA came together from all over the world to
discuss issues affecting the interests of authors and
composers in general and to formulate strategies
accordingly. Dorothy played an active role in the
lively discussions which ensued at these conferences
and it became quickly apparent that her fight for
the rights of Australian writers had evolved to
encompass the rights and interests of authors and
composers the world over.
Dorothy Dodd was a rare, if not unique personality
whose enduring contribution to the cause of creative
expression cannot be over stated. From someone I
knew as a respected colleague in the narrow confines
of the music industry, I came ultimately to regard
her as a friend whose overriding concern to achieve
economic justice for the creative talent of her peers
took precedence over all else in her life. Dorothy’s
passing coincides very much with the passing of an
era in which her efforts and those of others similarly
dedicated, have undoubtedly led to the high regard
and prestige enjoyed today world wide, by writers
and performers from ‘Downunder’.
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