Supertramp's Songwriters

Many fans have written in and asked who really wrote and composed Supertramp’s songs. So, our intention is to help the public realize who the actual songwriters were behind the classic “Supertramp” songs so that when people hear Roger’s voice, “one of the most recognizable voices in rock history,” they will recognize it as Roger Hodgson, the songwriter and composer of the songs we love. It is our hope to give Roger the honor and appreciation for his musical creations that have given the world so much. And with that goal in mind, we have prepared the following song list and historical information answering some of the questions that we are often asked.

The songs Roger Hodgson sings that are often referred to as “Supertramp songs” are songs that Roger wrote and composed alone - that is how he creates music. He will often hear the musical composition first, then the lyrics come. Sometimes he will hear the whole song complete inside himself before he puts it down on paper and records it. When he was with Supertramp, he would make a demo of the song and bring it to the band for them to learn their parts. So Supertramp as a band never wrote and composed together, there were only two songwriters for the band. The songs Roger sings lead vocals on are the ones he composed the music and lyrics for, and the songs Rick sings lead vocals on are the ones that he wrote.

Roger Hodgson left the band in 1983 and the Supertramp that most people know has not existed for over 30 years. The music of Supertramp totally changed after Roger left to match Rick’s musical influence, which is more jazz and blues. Rick Davies and his wife have trademarked the name Supertramp, yet the band only consists of one original member – Rick.

Also many fans have asked about the agreement that Rick and Roger made concerning their respective songs when they dissolved their partnership. When Roger Hodgson left Supertramp in 1983, he and Rick agreed that the band would not play Roger’s songs. Their agreement was for Supertramp to become a vehicle for Rick’s music and Roger would go forward with his future secured by his songs and his voice. This was not just a gentleman’s agreement; the publishing company and contract legally recognize which songs each songwriter actually wrote. Roger has contractual approval rights over the use of his songs and Rick for his.

We are posting below the song list from Exhibit A of the contract, which is "a schedule of the titles... showing the actual writer(s) of each composition" giving Roger the approval rights of his songs and Rick the rights for his.

Written by Rick Davies