Hella Good: A Masterclass in Pop Production
(Fab Dupont)
Why Some Pop Ages… and Some Doesn’t
A lot of modern pop music does not age well.
You hear tracks 10 years later and you think ‘Yuck, how could they use that snare sound/reverb/vocalfx and keep a straight face’.
But there are tracks in pure Pop music that transcend time.
Hella Good is one of them.
When it came out, I listened to it a trillion times.
It was so fat and so simple but incredibly tricky at the same time.
The Nelly Hooper production and the Spike Stent mix have made this otherwise not-a-nobel-prize-for-literature-winning song a must listen on loop for a while.
Plus it’s great to check speakers and rooms with it, because of its perfect balance of top and bottom.
I have tuned many rooms to this mix.
Structure Overview
Intro + Setup
Structure-wise it’s quite simple.
It starts with a badass, drum-only, 4-bar intro going into a quick statement of the riff for another 4 bars.
Verse 1 + Chorus 1
Then verse 1 which is 16 bars long, loosely broken into 2×8-bar sections straight into an 8-bar Chorus (without a prechorus, fancy that).
Verse 2 + Chorus 2
Verse 2 is a perfect mirror of verse 1 with 16 bars.
Chorus 2 is a double chorus with 16 bars.
Bridge + Re-Intro + Final Chorus
Then there is a "guitar solo" kinda thing for 8 bars and then a re-intro/hang for another 8, right back into 16 bars of chorus.
Deceptive Outro
There is a deceptive 8-bar broken-down outro but then the groove comes back in for 8 bars before the real outro.
Full Summary
So in summary:
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8-bar intro
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16-bar verse
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8-bar chorus
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16-bar verse
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16-bar chorus
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16-bar bridge
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16-bar chorus
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16 bars of noodling (outro)
They could have had a shorter structure after the last chorus, but my guess is that No Doubt had the clout at the time to push this to radio, as is, so they did.
And why not?
Listen here
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rock-steady/id389763724
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/5WDcpQeeTwQHknhFT8XnW6
Production: Simple from Afar, Intricate Up Close
Core Interaction
The production is like lace, it looks simple from a distance but it’s very intricate when you look up close.
Everything is based on the interaction of:
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the straight drum pocket
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the two complementary patterns unveiled in the intro
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electric bass pattern (center)
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synth pattern (stereo)
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Riffs & Chords
The synth riff stays steady throughout the song except for the guitar solo and bridge part.
The 2/16th and 8th note patterns propel the track and provide the slight swing feel.
The electric bass gives the growl and outlines the chords.
Notice that there are basically two chords to this whole song except for the guitar solo.
Also notice that the chorus riff is basically an expanded version of the bass riff in the verse.
What Lifts the Chorus?
Since:
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the bass is basically the same
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the chords are the same
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the drums are basically the same (hat opens a little)
…the lift comes from all the added parts and subtle interventions.
Creating Dynamics: Add or Remove Elements
There are two basic ways to create dynamics in a track:
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let the existing instruments get louder/softer
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add or remove instruments or parts
In this style, individual instruments don’t change intensity much (lots of loops, specific programmed parts).
So they created dynamics by adding/removing elements as the song progresses.
Let’s go back and check it out.
Verse 1: Detail Heaven
Framework
We saw that it starts with just the drums.
Then the basic pattern is laid out.
That’s the framework.
Bass + Guitar + Synth
On the verse the bass answers the voice and is doubled by a stereo rhythm guitar when it does so.
There is no bass when she sings.
Instead:
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upbeat synth part (left, first 4 bars)
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“FunkyTown”-style synth (right, second 8 bars)
Ear Candy Everywhere
Check out:
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the white noise synth with opening filter on downbeats
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breathing noises panning around
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a little scream (“aaaaargh”) used as an effect
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a square-wave synth washed in reverb (center, second 8 bars)
It’s a lot of stuff but it does not feel crowded or extraneous.
It’s extremely well blended together.
Study It
Take a few minutes to loop this first verse and really pay attention to every little detail.
Try and memorize them.
They come back later in various forms.
Pickup into Chorus 1
Three Little Fills
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“get over here, get over here” by Gwen on the right
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a reversed-guitar thing on the left
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a simple snare call
What Makes It Lift
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growly synth bass doubling the bass riff
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distorted guitar doubling too (side)
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multi-tracked vocals
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vocal answers
Also:
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steady 16-note synth on the left (same place as electro hat)
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new left-side upbeat synth
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“pweeeoooo” effect doubling the snare on beat 4 bar 4
Drums Trick
A great deal of the chorus vibe comes from the drummer switching from 8-note hats → quarter-note hats, giving the subdivisions to the fake hat and synth.
Crafty.
Transition Back to Verse 2
Descending sound effects create the smooth transition.
Crafty again.
Verse 2: Same but More
Verse 2 is a carbon copy of verse 1, but with added interest:
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drum fill on bar 2
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spoken vocals on bar 8
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extra noises at bar 12
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“oh oh oh” on bar 16
Chorus 2: More Energy, Same Pocket
Setup
The same reverse guitar riff introduces Chorus 2.
New Ear Candy
Notice:
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different hat pattern (left)
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louder steady sequence synth (left)
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descending synth at bar 8
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Same pocket, more detail.
Also the hat is slightly more open than Chorus 1.
The Guitar Solo & Bridge
The guitar solo always puzzled me.
It always felt small compared to the rest of the track but I never paid attention why.
Here’s why:
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drummer switches to an open hat (slows motion)
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stereo synth stops
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bass pattern becomes plainer
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whole section drags down
It gets singsong-ey.
This is an interesting choice.
Especially since the next section just shows off the production elements and nothing new happens.
Between you and me, I have been in similar situations before.
It’s called:
“someone forgot to write a bridge, let’s just make one up with parts that we have right now, thank you” syndrome.
Last Chorus & Outro
Final Chorus Energy
On the last chorus:
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left hat + synth = unison, steady
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more little noises
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hat wide open like the bridge
Best Way to Study It
Import the track into a DAW and line up the choruses.
Compare how they feel.
The magic is there.
Space & FX
Drums
Notice the typical SSL console compressor and gate sound on kick and snare (probably samples too).
Drums are cut up by console processing, but Spike added a discreet space around them.
Likely electronic space, not room mics.
The programmed hyper-stereo cymbals give it away.
Wet vs Dry
Listen to how they play wet vs dry as the song progresses.
Very tasteful.
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vocals: discreet hall + slight delay
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melodic synths: obvious tails
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middle synth: washed in reverb
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drums: basically dry with consistent room ambience
Creates impressive front-to-back depth.
Contrast is key.
Spectral Balance & Mastering
The spectral quality is perfect and it’s not too squished by mastering.
Most of the bottom fat is from the bass.
Punch from the kick.
Different from typical “pop mix” stereotypes.
Conclusion
I think this is one of the best-sounding pop tracks ever.
It should live in your reference folder alongside ‘Angel’ (also mixed by Spike Stent).
You could listen 30 times and hear different details every time.
That’s the key: multi-faceted detail.
I expect this track took many, many (and many) hours to put together… and many more to mix.
These things don’t just happen.
A great example of how electronic and organic can blend into something fascinating.
There are other amazing songs on Rock Steady.
The Nelly Hooper stuff and the Sly & Robbie stuff sound wonderful.
Highly recommended.
Fab Dupont
