Friday Nerd-Out
A near-perfect music producer who has been shaping pop music since the 80s, an arresting original based on four notes and more.
This week in music history.
On this very day, back in 1998, Alanis Morissette reached the No.1 spot on the US album chart with her fourth (and not second) album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. The first single from said record was Thank U.
The music video for Thank U was directed by Stéphane Sednaoui (of Ironic fame), and was filmed in Downtown LA, under a closed set, with Alanis meeting strangers in a variety of public locations, completely nude: her hair covers her breasts and her pubic area was blurred out. Certain body parts had to be blurred further before MTV could show it in several Asian countries.
Thank U was co-written and co-produced by Glen Ballard, best known for producing Alanis’ enormously succesful debut album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). However, Glen Ballard did more than contribute to one of the biggest albums in music history.
In 1989, producer Richard Perry introduced Ballard to Wilson Phillips, a nepo-trio consisting of sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, the daughters of Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), and Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips (The Mamas & The Papas). With Ballard, the band wrote and produced a four-song demo tape that included a little song called Hold On.
This demo landed Wilson Phillips a record deal, and Ballard produced their 1990 debut album… which was a total smash, unsurprisingly.
Speaking of Wilson Phillips, does anyone remember Chynna Phillips’ foray into solo music? Perhaps you recall one song, produced by the same guy (Desmond Child) who had also worked with many, many big names including Joan Jett, Aerosmith, Ricky Martin, and who is also behind quite a lot of Bon Jovi - hello Livin’ On A Prayer, Bar Medicine and more. I Live For You was included in Demi Moore’s 1996 erotic sort-of-black comedy film Striptease.
Back to the talented Mr. Ballard. In 2001, 17-year-old Katy Hudson moved to LA to work with Ballard. He eventually introduced Ms Hudson to Tim Devine who signed her to Columbia Records. Ballard also produced the singer’s first album, which was hugely successful… and the true pop nerds among you will have guessed it, Hudson is best known as Katy Perry.
Ballard has had a prolific career - he has worked with Van Halen, Stevie Nicks, No Doubt, Annie Lennox, Goo Goo Dolls, and many more. His artistry has lasted through several decades and more recently has included some successful musicals.
“If I could clone the ideal producer, Glen is what you’d come up with.” - Quincy Jones
In fact, Glen Ballard owes a lot of his success to a true history maker: the unparalleled Quincy Jones. Jones came to know Ballard through a song the latter had co-written, included on George Benson's 1980 album Give Me the Night. This brief moment culminated in Ballard being invited to Jones’ house, along with a group of songwriters, to create some tunes for Michael Jackson's Bad. This is how Ballard penned Man in the Mirror (1987).
Yeah but the original is better.
Uninvited was written and recorded by Alanis Morissette, and released as part of the City of Angels (1998) soundtrack. While personally, I am still traumatised by that film’s ending (iykyk), the song remains equally unforgettable. Driven just by four piano notes and building to an incredible, instrumental climax, it has a haunting atmosphere that took many Alanis’ fans by surprise, including myself.
In 2007, Freemasons recorded a version with vocals by Bailey Tzuke. This cover became a huge hit in Europe, but especially in the UK. In fact it is the band's highest-charting single in the UK to date.
While a fantastic dance take, it loses the dark, atmospheric and ultimately moving flavour of the original. In this case, we have to acknowledge the work of the producer who joined Alanis on Uninvited: Robert Cavallo, one of the biggest producers in music history and who has done his magic on work by Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Black Sabbath, Phil Collins, Paramore, and more.
Gimme, gimme more.
I am thoroughly enjoying Boybands Forever, a documentary by Louis Theroux's production company Mindhouse. Over three episodes, it covers the golden era of boybands, including Take That, East 17, Damage, Westlife, 5ive, and other iconic acts. It has some wonderful nostalgic moments, true of that era, but it also comes with a great deal of darkness. It is a compelling watch, and closely reflects certain questionable practices that seem to have gone nowhere. Just like a lot of what Mindhouse produces, it’s great storytelling in documentary form.
Keep applying that SPF. Stay hydrated, listen to some good music… and while you’re at it, make a fellow music nerd happy by introducing them to Music Nerdery.
Until the next newsletter…