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Home , Alanis Morissette, Glen Ballard, Jagged, Jagged Little Pill, You Oughta Know

MARCH/APRIL 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM BEHIND THE CLASSICS WRITTEN BY: AND RECORDED AT: GLEN BALLARD’S HOME STUDIO, L.A.; WESTLAKE RECORDING STUDIOS, L.A.; SIGNET SOUND STUDIOS, L.A. PRODUCED BY: GLEN BALLARD VOCALS: ALANIS MORISSETTE GUITAR: BASS: DRUMS: MATT LAUG PROGRAMMING: GLEN BALLARD FROM THE : (1995) Sheryl Nields/Courtesy of Records Sheryl Nields/Courtesy of Maverick

“” ALANIS MORISSETTE

IN EARLY 1994, ALANIS MORISSETTE to be brutally honest in her lyrics in a way a quick couple of hours at the now-defunct was adrift. She had released two dance-pop that she couldn’t have in her previous Signet Sound Studios in West Hollywood. in her native Canada, but had grown guise as a pop princess, and one of the “It was very instinctive,” Flea said. “I showed disillusioned with that musical direction. She topics foremost on her mind at the time up, rocked out and split.” had tried writing songs with more than a was a recent acrimonious breakup with a The completed track proved an instant hundred people without fi nding a partner she man 15 years her senior. One afternoon success when released as a single in July clicked with—until her publishing company in Ballard’s studio, she let her feelings of 1995, and before long speculation about suggested she try collaborating with Glen hurt and jealousy fl y in a fl urry of expletive- the real-life target of the singer’s ire was Ballard. Best known for his work with acts studded invective set to a roiling rock beat. rife. Morissette has remained mum on the like and , the “I was in so much pain, the best way for topic, but comedian and actor veteran writer and producer seemed an odd me to release it at that moment was to be is convinced the song was written about fi t for a 19-year-old artist looking to break angry,” she said. By the end of the day, “You their relationship. “I listened to the song out of the pop mold. Morissette nonetheless Oughta Know” was complete. over and over again, and I said, ‘I have convened with Ballard at his home studio Rather than attempt to recreate really hurt this person,’” he said. Concerned, in —and creative sparks fl ew the spirit of their demos, Morissette and Coulier got in touch with Morissette and immediately. “When we got together,” she Ballard elected to keep the recordings the two spent a day together talking over recalled later, “we were so connected, and overdub additional instrumentation as their issues before departing as friends. intellectually, cerebrally and musically, that needed—including Matt Laug’s live drums for “You Oughta Know” became the fi rst of six it was very much an unsaid thing.” “You Oughta Know,” laid down at Westlake hit singles from Morissette’s album Jagged The two recorded demos as they Recording Studios. Ballard handed the track Little Pill, which eventually sold more than wrote, laying down a song a day in 12- to over for remixing to engineer Jimmy Boyle, 33 million copies worldwide. She believes 16-hour shifts over several weeks in the who asked Dave Navarro and Flea of the Red the song connected with listeners because summer of 1994. Morissette sang into an Hot Chili Peppers to lay down new guitar of its naked honesty. “It may have been AKG C 12 mic dating from the mid-1950s, and bass tracks, respectively. “We just had refreshing to those who felt horrifi ed by while Ballard played all the instruments and the vocal to work from,” Navarro said. “It was their breakups,” she said. “They heard it recorded the proceedings on his 16-bit just a good time, and we jammed until we and went, ‘Wow, she’s not embarrassed, Alesis Digital Audio Tape (ADAT) multitrack found something we were both happy with.” so maybe I shouldn’t be.’” machine. Ballard encouraged Morissette The two completed their contributions within –Chris Neal

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