Thanks to Maggie on SGBBS for typing this up
Hard slog puts divine inspiration on song
Louise Crossen
Daniel Jones and Darren Hayes were one of the most successful songwriting teams in Australian music history, cracking the global charts as Savage Garden with numerous pop hits.
Jones says he seeks his inspiration in the studio, often building songs from a simple piano riff or guitar lick.
"I sit and tinker around with a whole bunch of instruments," he says.
"I've got a bunch of ideas ticking over all the time and I record everything. I could use it tomorrow or two years down the track on someone else's album."
Jones says he thrives on the creative spark of collaboration.
"To me it's a bit like a romantic relationship, your writing partner brings out the best in you
With Savage Garden, generally it was me doing the music and Darren writing the lyrics. We'd cross over if one of us was stuck."
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Fast and furious - regarding the writing of I Want You
"The melody was the original inspiration for this song. We had a little studio in my house. We were just sitting there one day and I came up with the riff and the rhythm. It was a 120 tempo that just sat in your pocket. This is almost a rap or a scat with a white pop sensibility and, of course, a really infectious chorus. There were a couple of other songs we liked at the time - U2's Numb, Rhythm Nation by Janet Jackson, and We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel. They all had that rhythmic, fast feel.
"Darren had piles of lyrics. I remember him coming up with the chorus and originally he didn't really think it worked. It was very simple but I thought it was a relief from the heavy, complicated lyrics. The song is all about lust and seduction, the chorus is very direct, very sexy. I think we knew reasonably early that there was something about the song that stood out.
"When you hear your song on the radio for the first time the world kind of stops for three and a half minutes. I remember I was shopping in the city and the girl serving me was humming it. I said to her 'I actually wrote that,' and she looked at me like I was lying, maybe even trying to pick her up.
"I felt like a total idiot. SInce then, I've just let the songs speak for themselves."
Daniel Jones' Top 5
1 Crazy by Seal
2 Boys of Summer by Don Henley
3 Yesterday by The Beatles
4 We Will Rock You by Queen
5 I Was Made For Loving You by Kiss
