The Hello there and welcome once again to So Diyjaika on songwriting. This is, here as always with Simon, and joining us on the show today is a six-time Grammy-winning songwriter, producer, a musician. Across a stunning four-decade career, he's penned a string of hits co-masterminded one of the

biggest selling albums of the 90s and shifted some 150 million records we're

truly honored to welcome the wonderful Glen Ballard to the show. 150 million, eh?

I'm pretty sure we have that many unsold copies of our own albums.

We had to build an annex here at Soda Jaker Towers to house them.

I think our sales projections were a bit overambitious.

Well, we were young, impressionable and poorly advised, it happens.

But look at it this way, at least we'll never want for coasters.

True. Anyway, it's a genuine thrill to have Glenn on the podcast.

He's another songwriter who's been on our

wish list since the beginning, a huge talent and a real heavyweight of the music

industry who I'm sure is much wisdom to impart, so I can't wait to speak to him.

Ditto, it's amazing how many great records he appears on in some capacity, isn't it?

Absolutely incredible when you look at the playlist.

He's like the Zellig of pop.

Name a hit album and if Glenn didn't write producer or play on it, he was at the very least in the room while it was happening, just observing.

Or he sent his blessing.

Well before we hear from our guest, we'll give you a very condensed version of his story so far. He was born

Basil Glen Ballard Jr. in Natchez, Mississippi in 1953. He had an early

affinity with music showing particular aptitude for the piano and later the guitar.

By the age of 15 he was already interested in recording processes and equipment

and making demos of songs that he'd written.

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