"Girl's Not Grey" by AFI/Davey Havok

ARTIST: Davey Havok of AFI
SONG: "Girl's Not Grey"
WRITERS: Davey Havok, Jade Puget, Hunter Burgan, Adam Carson
ALBUM: Sing The Sorrow on DreamWorks Records
YEAR: 2003
SITE: AFI
BUY:  Sing the Sorrow - AFI

In the summer of 2003, I probably drove my neighbors crazy. AFI's single "Girl's Not Grey" with its mysteriously dark and twisty lyrics blasted from both my stereo and mouth non-stop. I love the whole album, but there's something about the energy of this one song that makes me feel like I can do karate . . . and also fly. Davey Havok, the lovely and captivating front man for the band, kindly gave me some of his time to discuss the music.

BA: Hello, Mr. Havok! I’m so delighted to have you in the series!

DH: Thank you Buick. It’s a pleasure to be a part.

BA: First, I have always loved this song, as well as the rest of the album, Sing the Sorrow. How much of recording “Girl’s Not Grey” do you remember?

DH: Honestly, I remember very little of it. I do recall that the daunting high note in the outro came with fewer takes than I feared.

BA: Tell me about this song coming together in the studio with legendary producers Butch Vig and Jerry Finn. I’m very interested in how they added to the sound and concept of the music.

DH: Jerry and Butch were a pleasure to work with. I miss Jerry very much and think about him often. The specifics of their input on that song are hazy though I do recall spending hours with Jerry trying out pre-amps and microphones until we found the perfect match for my voice. I believe that I sang through a Blue during the recording of that record.

BA: Was this song any one member’s brainchild, or was it written completely by the group, punk rock style? 

DH: GNG ["Girl's Not Grey"] was the last song written for the record, as I recall. Jade had taken a trip to Portland and came back with the music entirely written, including the melodic concept for what was to be the “what follows,” group vocals in the chorus. That’s how the song began.

BA: Your voice goes through a lot in this song. The verses have a lower, more controlled delivery, and then the chorus and bridge escalate, both in your vocal range and the emotional capacity. Was it a breeze to sing, or did you have to do some work to strike that perfect balance?

DH: If I remember correctly, I enjoyed tracking this song. At that point, vocal dynamics within AFI were relatively new. There were a few moments on BSITS [Black Sails in the Sunset] and AOD [The Art of Drowning] but I remember being excited to track a song like GNG. Though I doubt that it was a breeze, I don’t believe that it was terribly difficult to sing.

BA: I really enjoy the way the chorus vocals are divided between being sung as a group, gang vocal style, and just you, in the responses. Was it always written to be performed that way, or was that a choice made in the studio?

DH: The gang trade off in the chorus was written from the beginning. We grew up listening to (and then in our early years playing,) a lot of hardcore. We learned from the greats.

BA: In the last line of the first verse you say:
“This art does drown...”
Was that an intentional reference to your previous album, The Art of Drowning, or just a coincidental use of language?

DH: Purely intentional.

BA: Who were you listening to at that point? What music was saving your life?

DH: When we were tracking STS [Sing the Sorrow] there were a few discs that I’d listen to repeatedly in the studio - the first three Dead Can Dance records, and Low’s Trust, which had just come out. Out of the studio, I recall listening to a lot of Underworld, Dirty Vegas and First, Last and Always. Interpol had also released their first album then. That got a lot of spins.

BA: I’ve been to enough AFI shows to know that this song is a HUGE fan favorite. Does it make it that much more exhilarating to perform, getting all of that energy back from the audience?

DH: Absolutely. Receiving that energy from the audience really made the shows what they were. With the help of that single, we were lucky enough to elicit strong reactions for all of the new tracks at the time.

BA: What’s your favorite song right this minute?

DH: The first thing that popped in my head was Usher’s “Scream.” Gotye’s hit is undeniable though “Somebody That I Used To Know” and I now need some time apart.

BA: Thank you for your time, friend.  I hope to see you again soon.

DH: Thank you!

"Bad Things" by Jace Everett

ARTIST: Jace Everett
SONG: "Bad Things"
WRITER: Jace Everett
ALBUM: Jace Everett on Epic Records
YEAR: 2005
SITE: Jace Everett
BUY: Jace Everett - Jace Everett

If you've given any heed to the vampire craze of the past four years, you've heard "Bad Things" by Jace Everett. It's the sexy, swampy music that plays over the carnal and carnivorous imagery at the beginning of every True Blood episode. Jace, the song's blue-eyed author and composer, was gracious enough to tell me about the song that has inspired dark eye make-up and debauchery everywhere. 

BA: Hey Jace! Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions here.

JE: No worries.

BA: Even though you have a substantial body of great work, I’m afraid I do have to ask you about your now extremely iconic song, “Bad Things.” Forgive me. Do you get sick of talking about it?

JE: What are you gonna do? It’s a fun song attached to a juggernaut of a show. I did write it ten years ago, so it is a bit of “old news,” but I guess it’s better to be a one hit wonder than a no hit blunder . . . .

BA: I did a little research and saw that you released it on your eponymous album Jace Everett about three years before it was picked up as the theme for HBO’s True Blood series. How surprising was it when that happened? How did it happen?

JE: Yea, I had to fight pretty hard to get it on the record. Certainly glad I did! The folks at iTunes loved it and used it as a “Single of the Week” about 3 months after it tanked at country radio. Alan Ball, the creator of True Blood, grabbed a copy and kinda fell in love with it. It’s a silly, campy, sexy tune so it matches the vibe of the show pretty well.

BA: The album version has a third verse where you speak the opening verse’s lyrics, as well as some other music the good people of TV Land don’t hear in the theme song version. Are you happy with the edit that HBO used? Did you have anything to do with the edit?

JE: The folks at Digital Kitchen did the opening montage and did the edit on their own. We tweaked it for them once it was green lit, but they deserve credit for the edit. I think it’s pretty flawless on their end.

BA: Was it wild to see the imagery that accompanies the song in the opening credits for the True Blood?

JE: I loved it. Still do. It’s really become an iconic thing. Again, credit due more to Digital Kitchen and Alan Ball. I’m just happy to be at the party!

BA: I know you have had success come at you from all angles, for your songwriting contributions to other people’s hits, as well as your own artistry. Did the show’s use of your song make a difference in your career?

JE: It did, of course. I was kind of trapped as a “country artist.” Although I love great country music and write it pretty damn well, I’m not a country artist. Certainly not the kind that is out there on country radio. I was doubly lucky; firstly, that I “failed” as a country act and secondly, that I’ve been able to forge ahead and make the music I truly love. Whatever the hell it’s classified as! True Blood is almost singularly responsible for offering me that chance.

BA: I applaud your ability to keep the music so wonderfully gritty on a major label release. That’s not always the case. How much (if at all) did you have to advocate for your vision when this song was unfolding in the studio?

JE: Yea, we cut it once and I hated it. Way too slick and too Nashville/Radio. I insisted we go back a month later and get closer to my demo. The band really dug in and made it talk. Eric “EBO” Borash and Chris Raspante are two of my band guys and the bulk of the killer guitar stuff is their work.

BA: It looks like roughly eight-thousand people played on the record, but I’d love to know about the rest of the band on “Bad Things.” Like, who’s playing that organ? Buy that guy a coffee.

JE: Russ Pahl did the stellar lap steel and Steve Nathan played keys. Shannon Forest on drums and Glen Worf on bass. Just those six guys really.

BA: Your vocal on the song sounds very natural, as if you woke up one morning, walked into the studio, sang it once, and left. True or false?

JE: I think it was a late evening. Second take. The first take is always for warming up, the second take for keeping and the third take for becoming bored. We almost always use the second take! I’m too impatient for a bunch of overdub bullshit. I can either sing it or I can’t. I’ve been known to pull the Sinatra bit, walk up to the mic, shake my head and go home!

BA: Who were your biggest influences when you were writing and recording “Bad Things”?

JE: Well let’s see, John Lee Hooker, Rolling Stones and ZZ Top have all written the same song! Of course, Chris Isaak has “Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing.” But the truth is, I was listening to Steve Earle’s “Poor Boy Blues” off of the I Feel Alright record and playing along. Turned off the record player and made things minor instead of major . . . voila!

BA: What’s your favorite song right this minute?

JE: “Only Black Man in South Dakota” by Andre Williams

BA: Thank you so much for your time, Jace. I’m looking forward to your show at the High Watt on July 19th (hint hint, Nashville folks).

JE: It’s gonna be great. I’m just doing a handful of songs opening up for my main man Chuck Prophet. Thanks Buick.

"The Pleasure Principle" by Monte Moir/performed by Janet Jackson

ARTIST: Janet Jackson

SONG: "The Pleasure Principle"

WRITER: Monte Moir

ALBUM: Control on A&M Records

YEAR: 1986

SITES: Monte Moir, Janet Jackson 

BUY: Control - Janet Jackson

I can't count the number of times I've referenced this song and accompanying music video in my life so far. This has been on my list of impossibly perfect songs since it was first released, and my appreciation for it has only grown over the years. Monte Moir would have been a legend for me if he had only written this one song and then retired. However, there are so many others . . . oh, and he also happens to be the keyboard player for a little band called The Original 7ven, formerly known as The Time. Yes, we're all cooler now.   

BA: Hello Monte! I’m so grateful for your participation here; your work has been so valuable to me, and I’m thrilled to be able ask you some questions about "The Pleasure Principle."

MM: Hello. Thanks for the interest.

BA: I’d like to personally thank you for making me a smarter person by way of this song. It introduces some incredible concepts while still maintaining a relatable message. It smacks of brilliance. I’d love to hear about your initial idea to take an element of Freudian psychology and build a pop song around it.

MM: It’s kind of funny how one arrives at things. I kept coming up with verse ideas. I didn’t have a “concept” or title for the song at first, which is not uncommon for me. As verses started to take shape, I had to step back and figure out what it was I was trying to say. I just stumbled into the title and Freudian concept and realized it fit. Lol. I’ve never concerned myself with the way a song comes about, as long as I get there.

BA: As everybody knows, Janet Jackson had a huge hit with this song. How did the collaboration with her come about?

MM: At the time I was working with my old band mates Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam at Flyte Tyme Productions and they were offered the Janet project, which I thought was pretty cool as she is a “Jackson.” I was asked to come up with a song or two. She had been on TV quite a bit and recorded a couple of albums but hadn’t reached the next level. Everyone from the label on down thought if things worked out right she definitely had it all there to become the great artist she is today.

BA: Was the song something you had written prior to working with Janet, or did you write it with her in mind?

MM: I wrote it with her in mind. I wasn’t sure of where it was going at first, other than I felt it needed to have an aggressive feel to it. I started playing around with a groove and the melody/lyrics came last.
 

BA: "The Pleasure Principle" has truly served as an anthem of female empowerment since its release. My praise for it in this regard is that, while the character is reclaiming some independence from her former partner, she is able to still be vulnerable in the process:
“I’m not here to feed your insecurities, I wanted you to love me”
Was it your intention to give her both qualities?
 

MM: It was intentional. Thanks for noticing. I usually attempt to swipe as broad of a brushstroke as possible in regard to telling a story and expressing as much emotion around it as I can, which can be tricky when you only have a set number of lines to do it. It was about being in a situation that was no longer working and that she no longer wants to be a part of. There was also the metaphor of riding in a limo in the relationship vs. her “meter running,” and taking a cab to leave. That sounds so 80's to me right now. Lol.
 

BA: Is this character based on someone in your own life?
 

MM: In form, it actually is. I should leave it at that. Most of what I do is personal. I mostly write from a place I really relate to. It was interesting and challenging for me in those days because at that time I was writing/producing for a lot of female R&B artists, so I was really attempting to write from that perspective.
 

BA: "The Pleasure Principle" is the only song on Janet’s album Control that wasn’t produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Did you track it at Flyte Tyme, or at a separate location?
 

MM: I did record it at Flyte Tyme. I remember having to record it fairly quickly as there were lot of projects going on and only one studio at the time.
 

BA: Musically, the song is a journey through several sections, and the album version comes in at just under five minutes long. That’s considered long by smash hit standards. Was this structure defined through the process of recording, or was it so from the time you wrote it?
 

MM: At the time I had a four track reel-to-reel at home where I demoed songs I wrote. I used the same structure as the demo.
 

BA: Dude, is that you playing that guitar solo?
 

MM: I wish. No, it’s Jeff Buchier. He’s a killer player up here in Minnesota. We’ve got a lot of great players here. I did play the rhythm guitar.
 

BA: (Minnesota seems to be nothing BUT amazing musicians, and I'm a big fan of most of them.) Anyway, who were some of your influences at that point?
 

MM: I’ve always listened to a lot of different music. If it’s a good song, it’s a good song. I don’t care where it comes from. I’m a huge Neil Young fan. Dylan, Herbie Hancock, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimmy Webb, Beatles, Elton John, The Police, Sade, Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, Tower of Power, and Sly & The Family Stone, to mention a few. I’m not sure how those influences translated to the songs I was writing at that time. I was really just trying to keep up with what was going on in R&B, since most of what I was writing/producing was in that genre, at the time. Janet, Deniece Williams, Gladys Knight, Alexander O’Neal, Junior and Deja were some of the artists I was working with back then, as well as being an original member of The Time.

BA: What’s your favorite song right this minute?

MM: “Someone That I Used To Know” by Gotye

BA: I can’t thank you enough. It’s been wonderful to speak with you about your work. And congratulations on the new Original 7ven release, Condensate. It totally delivers.

MM: Thanks. I appreciate it. And I listened to a couple of your songs and just wanted to say you’ve really got a great voice. Best of luck with everything.