Can somebody explain the meaning of overproduce?

Name songs that are overproduced for a example.

For me, it's when the production style and studio tricks overtake the actual song. Some will disagree with this one, but here's a prime example:


Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight

Too much going on with the vocal track, the layers of percussion, canned horns. Less about the song than it is the production.

not letting the music breathe

Krytonite said:

"Overproduce" is when a recording artist used up too many tracks and/or too many effects in the studio during the creation of a song.

Examples:

Most of the songs from THIS album.

Krytonite said:

I guess it's subjective but for me it's

Old school: Heavy layering or multi-tracking recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole... in an to addition elements such as chorused vocals Chorus effect and/or backing strings.

Phil Spector - http://www.youtube.com/wa...ecAr2NWsvg


New school): "Hamfisted" lyrics and heavy-handed, inane sound effect, electric/digital drums, beat machine laden ... oh, yeah, and it also lacks a strong central melody to hold attention. Generally.

Jim Jam & Terry Lewis - http://www.youtube.com/wa...cJdYIM7qVQ
All the music they did with Janet Jackson but maybe in this instance they had to choice cuz her voice can't carry an album on it's own.

Most of New Jack Swing. (IMHO)

Producer who "imposes" his or her own distinctive "sound" or techniques on a band or artist.

RipHer2Shreds said:

...and this is my favorite Whitney album. I love the sound on it and to me, it does not sound "over produced at all. In fact I think, most of her albums up til this point sound a bit bland to me.

TonyVanDam said:

Who is he?

shorttrini said:

I'm not talking about the album. I'm talking about the song, and to me all I hear is "Babyface produced this in case you couldn't tell." And I hear A LOT of Babyface in it.

the whole 3121 album, but specifically Fury

RipHer2Shreds said:

To me, when Face was working with LA, some of the music does sound kind of over-produced. When he got by himself, he started simplifying the productions. I think "Giving You The Benefit" is a bit over-produced. There are a few too many overdubs on that to me. Ironically, it was released around the same time as "I'm Your Baby Tonight".
[Edited 4/10/09 10:57am]

RipHer2Shreds said:

Well, that does not mean that the track was over produced, it just means that it just had that "Babyface" sound. This is not a bad thing, every producer has a sound, he was just one of them. With this song, you knew that it was done by Face, but it did not sound so much like anything he had done up to that point, IMO.

shorttrini said:

All of the stuff Face and La did started to sound alike after 1988. They even began reusing songs.

Case and point:
Sheena Easton's "No Deposit, No Return" http://www.youtube.com/wa...s9nKAUGSk8 is the same song as Karyn White's "Family Man" http://www.rhapsody.com/k...hite--2008 (I couldn't find a youtube link for it, but you can listen to it on rhapsody). They also sound very similar to Stuck by the Mac Band http://www.youtube.com/wa...V8l9f9pjUk ...all Face and LA productions.

Same thing for Sheena Easton's "Follow My Rainbow" http://www.youtube.com/wa...Ft4_h0lW_8 , it sounds a lot like "Superwoman" and "Why Do I Believe" sound a lot alike http://www.rhapsody.com/pebbles .
[Edited 4/10/09 11:21am]

daPrettyman said:

I see your point, but that does not mean that it was "Overproduced", it means that they had run out of ideas, which is due to something totally different. It is due to them not listening to the stuff that they had previously put out. Had he done that, he would still be making great songs to this day.

shorttrini said:

No, that doesn't mean it's overproduced but I did previously explain why I thought that was the case (Too much going on with the vocal track, the layers of percussion, canned horns. Less about the song than it is the production).

daPrettyman - agree with you on Giving You the Benefit as well.

shorttrini said:

I see ur point. I think some of their stuff was overproduced, though. They tended to add a lot of sound effects and vocal effects on a lot of their work after 1988. Especially on the songs like "I'm Your Baby Tonight" in the beginning and at the end of the song. When Whitney performed the song live, it sounded "refreshing" (to quote Paula Abdul from AI) to not have to hear all of the extra studio effects.

TD3 said:

I love Paul McCartney, but he's dead wrong. Phil Spector took that cheesy-as-hell song and gave it exactly the production it deserved -- and the song is much better for it. The strings make the song! The "naked" version is bland and uninteresting by comparison.

Y'all know how much I love "Giving You the Benefit," so I'm not even jumping in that part of the discussion.

AlexdeParis said:

Of all of the Babyface/Pebbles collaborations, that is my least favorite. I like the song, but all of the effects and "give-give-giving you" throughout the song work my nerves. "Backyard" was my jam on that album!

daPrettyman said:

It's my favorite after "Girlfriend." Now if you want overproduced, check the Straight Outta the Hood Remix of "Backyard":



I love both versions.

AlexdeParis said:

U are so right. I forgot about that remix. I have it on a gay compilation.

[Edited 4/10/09 14:27pm]

Interesting that this song is about someone stealing her man, and she stole TLC's royalties.
[Edited 4/10/09 14:30pm]

Overproduced is when you hear repetitive sounds and effects all over the song to the point it ruins the song, that’s why the bridge of a song is so important ……

Example: Michael Jackson’s HeartBreaker

seeingvoices12 said:

Excellent example.

AlexdeParis said:

Sappy? "The Long Winding Road" wasn't sappy, it was sentimental. You beta recognized, OK>

Seriously: I've never been a big fan of "The Wall of Sound". Yes, in some instances it was effective for some of Mr. Spector's music and artist he produced but a little bit of that went a looooonnnng way with me... one trick pony. Case and point "The Long Winding Road" Mr.McCarthy production of his song: I don't take issue with lush arrangement's so long as they add rather than subtract from the singer/band/music.... I thought Mr.Spector's production did just that. Beautiful written lyrics/music and one could debate how Mr. McCarthy recorded it, sounded a tad "dirty" but the embellishments of Spector's production, nah.

Producers do come into a studio with their sound but the best take into account the artist talents strengths and if any weakness's. The late Jerry Wexler may have had a sound but you couldn't readily pick it out from the many artist he produced.
[Edited 4/10/09 15:50pm]

TD3 said:

With Spector's production, it's my favorite song on the album. Without it, it's just another song.

Almost all of Paul McCartneys 80's albums, and some in the 90's up until "Flaming Pie" when he stripped away the damn echo on his voice. Duran Duran's "Liberty" is over-produced big time. I understand the complaint about the strings on "the long and winding road" especially when you hear the song without it, but thats not really overproducing by meaning, if that song had strings and echoes and handclaps and chants then it would be overproduced.

RipHer2Shreds said:

lol bad example.

I am not a Whitney fan , but this song and album is an example of good, but glossy production.

Britney's Toxic is chock full of of over the top sounds, but works perfectly for what it is.The studio tricks make the song, same can be said about most rap and hip hop

Production is like a chef, you put the flavors together in the mix for whatever sound you want to create, whether electronic pop, or acoustic rock or opera.

A great producer will put all the flavors together to create something appealing in that format.

An example of bad production and over prodution is seen on "The Rainbow Children" by Prince, Where silly elements like a narrative, that is mixed way too high, and he is unable to discern how annoying it is, same goes with the silly lyrics, a good producer knows what to edit, what needs to be cut and what needs to stay, what needs to be mixed up or down.
Its all a matter of taste, but a great producer is supposed to have great taste, like the chef of a fancy restaurant.
[Edited 4/10/09 18:44pm]

When it sounds like they are trying too hard to make a "hit".

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

Just my opinion. I wouldn't call it "balony."

RipHer2Shreds said:[quote]

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

I know, im sorry i was on my way to edit that out when i saw you already caught it,
i still cut it. I know it wasnt cool, sometimes i type without thinking as you can clearly see.
[Edited 4/10/09 18:43pm]

Krytonite said:

Overproducing. What happens when you can't really rap or sing and your producers know it but the label thinks they can still make some money off your "image". So the producers will throw in all the music and effects they can 2 keep the people dancin and distracted so they can't tell the difference.

diamondpearl1 said:

Yeah, thats true but i think Lastdecember is dead on when he/she mentions talented artists like Paul McCartneys and his 80's albums.
I think it has to do with artists feeling lost and aping trends they think are hip or current when they dont understand them.
The name Prince comes to mind with his 90's albums.

Somebody mentioned trying too hard to have a hit.
[Edited 4/10/09 19:12pm]