Words &music

HE'S HOMER: Beloved the world over as the voice of Homer Simpson, Dan Castellaneta acknowledges his alter ego on his new Oglio Records album, I Am Not Homer. The title, of course, is a spoof of Leonard Nimoy's autobiography I Am Not Spock, though the back cover shows Castellaneta and Simpson from the rear looking very much alike under the backward text "OK, I'm Homer." (The disc tray art, contrarily, has Homer barking, "I am not Dan Castellaneta.")

The material is mostly clever comedy sketches written and performed by Castellaneta and his wife, Deb Lacusta, both veterans of Chicago's sketch comedy scene. But the last track is an actual song by Castellaneta, "So Dumb (Homer's Lament)," in which the ASCAP writer does Homer's voice—along with Krusty the Clown's, Grampa Simpson's, Groundskeeper Willie's, and Barney Gumble's—to a tune clearly owing to the Beach Boys.

Prior to "So Dumb," Castellaneta's songwriting was limited to parodies and funny musical bits for Chicago's Second City troupe, songs for his one-man shows, and the "lost" Beatles songs that appeared on his preceding Oglio album Two Lips. When it was suggested that a Simpsons song be included on his new disc, Fox TV gave permission, and Castellaneta gave it a go.

"One of the [show's] writers told me that if I wanted to write for Homer, he's like a dog trapped inside a man's body," says Castellaneta, who has also written a couple of Simpsons episodes with Lacusta. "That made sense, though I thought of him more as having an incredible case of arrested development—or having my own arrested development being channeled through him."

Being a big Brian Wilson fan, Castellaneta recognized that a "Beach Boys kind of song" would perfectly fit Homer. "So Dumb" even employs a "Good Vibrations" theremin.

"It's sort of an ode to 'Heroes and Villains' from the ill-fated Smile album," Castellaneta explains (the classic song, of course, did become a hit single). He adds, "Ironically, Homer did meet Brian Wilson! I went to a Brian Wilson concert a year or so ago, and a friend of mine was in the band and introduced us. My wife kept telling me to tell him I was Homer, but I didn't, so she leaned over and told him, and his face went from a smile to utter confusion. I thought maybe he didn't understand, so I did Homer's voice—and he became even more confused."

UMPG'S INSIDER TIP: Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), in conjunction with Los Angeles-based distance-learning-program developer InsideSessions, has created an educational program for aspiring songwriters. The program includes an hour-long instructional video, Songwriting and Publishing: A Songwriter's Guide to Making It in the Music Business, which features advice from 30 top songwriters, artists, and music industry executives, including Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Sheryl Crow, Sting, Will Jennings, and Gary Burr.

The video also covers such topics as how to write a hit song, what to look for in a music publishing company, acquiring the necessary copyrights, and the fundamentals of mechanical royalties.

The program is available for $49.95 through the insidesessions.com Web site and provides written feedback from a Universal Music Group A&R rep on a song submission. Submissions received before June 30 will be reviewed by Universal's A&R department, with the top three earning their songwriters $1,000 publishing deals from UMPG.

InsideSessions is a joint venture between Universal Music Group and Penguin Putnam that combines education and entertainment in distance-learning programs for music- and book publishing-industry aspirants.



HALF NOTES: Warner/Chappell Music has acquired a 50% interest in Deston Songs from Edel Music. Deston founders Desmond Child, Winston Simone, and David Simoné retain the rest . . . EMI Music Publishing has inked a worldwide publishing deal with film company Intermedia, facilitating collaboration on film music and soundtracks. Already under way is a partnership between EMI writer Paul Oakenfeld and music supervisor Budd Car, who are developing music for forthcoming Outlaw feature The DJ Project.