The world's first and most successful specialist vocal producer tells SOS how he coaxes magical performances from star singers like Rihanna, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Mary J Blige and Beyoncé.
"I was always drawn to the excitement of working in a studio, and to being the guy behind the scenes. When I realised that I had people skills, and was able to encourage artists to be a better singer, I got into vocal production, which is all about making sure that I am catching passion, emotion and greatness. I'm after a magical performance. It's like catching lightning in a bottle. And it became exciting to know that I helped create vocal performances that would last forever, and that would be known even beyond the producers of the record, because people are always going to remember a great vocal performance."
Just as Bob Clearmountain single-handedly invented the role of the specialist mix engineer in the '80s, so Kuk Harrell created the role of the vocal producer in the first decade of this century. Today, mix engineers are such an essential part of the record-making process that it's hard to imagine a world without them. The job that Harrell invented has likewise transformed the record-making process. As a result of his efforts, Harrell has become an industry legend, with five Grammy Awards to his name, and a list of A-list artist credits that includes Rihanna, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Mary J Blige, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Rita Ora, Beyoncé, Carly Rae Jepsen, Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Cher, Usher, Ariana Grande, Pentatonix, Cardi B, Camila Cabello, Lorde, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and many more.
We Are Family
The roots of Harrell's calling can be found in his background. Born in 1964, he grew up in Chicago with a mother and two sisters who were both singers, and an uncle who was a jingle producer. "I always noticed how beautiful the vocal harmonies were," recalls Harrell, "particularly in the commercials or songs my uncle had written. When I was old enough to see him and other producers working in the studio, I always liked how they were communicating with the singer, to get the best out of him or her. The way you deal with a singer is different to dealing with a musician, because singers tend to be more self-conscious, and hence a little nervous, and I saw how to encourage them and get them to let their guard down and make vocal sessions fun."
Family connections have always been important in Harrell's career, but other early experiences have also been significant, beginning with learning to sing and play drums and guitar as a teenager, and including his first disappointment in the studio. "When I was 16 years old my cousin and I wanted to record some of our demos in a real studio and mix them properly. So we went to Royal Recorders up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, just north of Chicago, and hired an engineer. We walked into this big studio which had all this outboard gear and two-inch tape, and we thought that because all this gear was there, we had to use it all. We never really got our songs done the way we wanted, because we spent more time experimenting with all the outboard gear. That taught me that just because something is in the room, you don't have to use it. Even when things are complex, you have to keep simplicity in mind. Simplicity is the best. Some of the simplest records with just a few instruments have been the biggest hits."
Family connections once again shaped Harrell's career when he moved to Atlanta in 2004, where two other cousins, Tricky and Mark Stewart, had established RedZone Entertainment. Finally, after several decades in the business, Harrell managed to distil everything he had learnt into the new metier of vocal producer. "That direction really clicked for me in 2007," he says, "when I co-wrote the song 'Umbrella' for Rihanna, together with The-Dream and my cousin Tricky Stewart, and vocal produced the song.
"It turned into a huge hit, and people really noticed not only the record itself, but also the vocal sound. Soon afterwards artists started saying, 'Why don't my vocals sound like that?' and I would be asked to come in and re-cut vocals that had already been recorded. In the same year I also vocal produced most of Mary J Blige's album Growing Pains, including the single 'Just Fine', which had a big impact, and I started to realise: 'Wait a moment, I bring something different to these records.' I tried to figure out what it was, and it's a sense of emotion. Records are so computerised and technical, I want my vocal productions to sound really authentic and have a lot of emotion, yet also have that current sound."
Keep It Magical
Today, Harrell's website bears the motto "Taking Artists To A Level Vocally That They Have Never Been Before" — which, of course, begs the question: how, exactly? Although he's currently located in Florida, Harrell spoke to SOS when he was in LA receiving treatment for prostate cancer — he has become publicly very vocal in raising awareness around the illness. In answering the 'how' question about vocal production, Harrell walks through his process step by step, incorporating the psychological and musical sides as much as the engineering side, and always coming back to two essentials: magic and simplicity.
"When the artist walks into the room and we start a conversation, I can pretty much tell what their personality is, and how they're going to respond during the session. Putting my people skills into play means that I know how to communicate clearly and effectively with them. More than anything it is about listening to them, because they are letting you know, when they talk and in their body language, what is going on for them and what their personality is. Once you get that, it's easy to work with them. When you realise someone is up for having fun, you make jokes and get them to feel relaxed and comfortable. The door is open and they feel they can trust you, and then it's like, 'Are you ready? OK, let's do it.' And you jump into the song. At that point you have created a bond, an easy, warm relationship, that will help create a superstar performance.
"Once again, it's all about people skills, and it's something that's missing in the arts nowadays, because we're in the social media age, with everybody looking at their phones in order to communicate. Especially the younger generation have lost the art of face-to-face communication. Many people do their own thing, and keep their heads down and don't connect. But there's no way you can connect with an artist instantaneously if you don't cultivate the people skills in yourself. I talk with young people all the time about being able to walk into a room and connect with people and make eye contact. The ability to be straightforward, look someone in the eye and communicate with them is the foundation of the road towards creating a superstar vocal performance."
Both Sides Of The Glass
Harrell engineers his own vocal sessions, and while he's happy to adapt to the working preferences of each artist, his own preference is to work in a studio, with the artist in the vocal booth, and Harrell behind the controls on the other side of the glass. The recording setup on both sides of the glass is one of several factors that dictate where he will conduct his vocal sessions
"A key factor in becoming a top-level vocal producer is understanding what it feels like to be on the other side of the studio window, to be able to communicate effectively with the singer. Because I am a vocalist as well, I know everything that may be going through their mind. If they're spending a lot of time on one section, I know it's going to mess with their minds, and they may sink into quicksand, and get frustrated and blow up their voice. So it's better to take a break. At a moment like that I may go, 'Hey, you know what, it's no big deal, we can come back to this section, let's keep on moving.' It's important to always keep the ball moving.
"Picking a place to record depends on many factors. For example, when I do my research on the artist, I find whether they travel with a large entourage or not. Superstars usually have several people with them, like security, so how much space we need is something that I consider when choosing a studio. However, the main factor for me is picking a place where I know the vibe is good. I want to have a good environment, without many other people around the building, and so on. I see myself as the gatekeeper for the session.
"The emotion and the vibe in the studio are important, as is the emotion that I have, because that's going to be present in the room. If my demeanour is intense, with the assistant and others, it's going to build intensity in the room, and as soon as the artist walks in, they're going to feel that. That is not what I want, because we're not going to get the best result. We are fortunate to be able to make a living from music, and so it is all about having fun for me. The environment has to be fun the entire time, because we are there to get a good performance from the artist. For them to feel challenged or intense or beat up is counter-productive."
Kuk Harrell: "The ability to be straightforward, look someone in the eye and communicate with them is the foundation of the road towards creating a superstar vocal performance.
End To End
There are several other reasons why Harrell likes to work in a studio with the artist on the other side of the studio window. "Sometimes I have the artist next to me in the room, and we will work with headphones on. But I don't like working like that, because I prefer to hear things on the monitors, so I get the true sound. The other advantage is that the artist can see me through the glass, and they can see how I respond to their singing. I'm not just sitting there just pressing buttons, I am just as much into the performance as they are. They can see me moving and reacting, and they feed off that. It helps to encourage and inspire them.
"When recording the vocals, I like to start at the beginning of the song, and keep plugging away until we get to the end of the record. That gives a natural feel. Every song has a natural ebb and a flow, with places where it opens up and peaks and dies down again, and if you do one section and then go back to do another section, it will sound pieced together. But if you start from the beginning of the song and go along with the emotional ride the way it's supposed to be, then the right emotions will be there at the right moments. If everything is going great, you should be able to cut the lead vocals in an hour and a half. If it takes a lot longer than that, it means that there are many other elements to record, like backing vocals and so on.
"For the most part I am comping the vocals as we go along. I'm recording in Playlists [in Pro Tools], but I'm listening closely the entire time for what the comp is going to be. That is part of my expertise. I know when the take has the right feeling. I know what the right performance is for each line. I know what I am listening for, when the performance has magic. While they are singing, it's not so much about taking physical notes, it's more about making mental notes, and being in tune with what I know is right. Once I know that I have the magic, and five or 10 options to swap different inflections, if needed, I move on. I don't want to bore the artist by asking them to do one part 50 times. That keeps the momentum going. The artist feels excited, and by the time we are done, they say: 'Man, I have never done a session where we got so much great information, and it did not take forever to do.'"
Keeping The Show On The Road
This all sounds very straightforward, but surely there occasionally are rocks on the road. What does he do when a session does not produce the result he's after? "Nothing crazy," insists Harrell. "If a singer in the booth has a rhythmic part to sing, or something that's kind of aggressive, and they're standing with their hands in their pockets, I will ask them to take their hands out of their pockets and say: 'To get a great performance you need to use your whole body!' If you stand stiff, your vocal will sound stagnant. You need to feel every note, every breath.
"I don't have artists jumping or running around, I just watch their body language in the booth, and encourage them to use their entire body. I let them know that this is their moment to shine. If it's a new artist, they need to convey superstardom right now, on this record, otherwise they may never be successful. It's not like years ago when you could put out three albums before you got people's attention. This is the age of social media, your first record is going around the world right away, and if people don't like it, you're dead in the water.
"Of course, it happens that an artist has an off-day. That is where my expertise comes in and my people skills come into play. I have done many records where you don't have any choice but to cut it the day the session is booked, and as the vocal producer I am the encourager: 'I hear what you are saying, but you're going to be fine. Let's try it. Let's just jump in for a few minutes, and see what we can cut.' They see that I am there for them, and they begin to forget whatever is bothering them, and begin to relax.
"Outside stuff should not stop them from doing what they're in the studio to do. We're there to create magic, so let's get on with it. It's the same thing with a star sportsman who has a game to play: even though he or she may not be feeling good, he still has to perform. Very occasionally things really are not happening, and this usually is for one or two reasons. The first is that the artist doesn't know the song as well as they need to. I always encourage the artist to make sure they know the song well enough before coming into the studio. And sometimes an artist really has a bad day, and it's not working. If I feel that we are doing more harm than creating something great, I'll speak with the artist first, and then I'll check with the A&R and label to see if there's time to shift it to another day."
Lane Management
There's a fashion to vocal sounds, which changes with time. Some of that is down to individual singers, but a lot also comes from the way (vocal) producers and mixers stylise the vocals. "I don't teach singers technical skills," elaborates Harrell, "like breath control or using the diaphragm. Instead I teach singers the production aspect of vocals. Justin Bieber is one example. He has a great natural ability to sing, but he turned into the vocalist he is now because he was able to incorporate the stylisations I taught him from when I first worked with him, when he was 14. As a vocal producer I might suggest to sing a line with more breathe, or more edge, depending on what that line calls for. It's a give and take of our talents to come together and create something magical."
These days vocals are stylised to be exceptionally bright, and perfectly in tune. How does Harrell react to the style changes over time? "What keeps a producer relevant is his ability to stay current, to be able to recognise what's going on, and adapt to that. I have to know what's going on, and how to do it. I am able to do EDM, pop, R&B, jazz, country, I can do whatever, and use the required techniques in each genre. I look at the different genres as lanes, and each lane involves a craft. If there's a lane I don't want to do, I don't do it. But you have to evolve. It's not just with music, it's with everything. You have to evolve with the times.
"My biggest thing is balance of life. After a session I go home to my family. I am really happy that success didn't happen for me until later in life, because I know the value of balance in life. I spent my teens and early adult years living in studios and grinding. Then, when I wrote one of the biggest songs of the decade, 'Umbrella', we were not grinding to make that happen. It just happened. That served as a great model for me, the idea that things can happen without you needing to give up your life for it. Instead it's all about the mindset, and the heart set, and being able to connect with people. If you let that be at the forefront, everything else will come together."
Don't Call It A McJob!
Engineering & Editing
"I engineer my own sessions because, for me, having an engineer is an unnecessary extra step," says Kuk Harrell. "If I have to tell someone what to do, it slows things down. When I am at the controls, I can control the pace of a session immediately, and adjust that to where the artist is at. My preferred signal chain to record vocals with is the Sony C800 going into a Neve 1081 mic pre and then the Tube-Tech Cl-1B [compressor]. The C800 is great because vocals are very bright and in-your-face today, and it has a very high-level output, which I like. It has that bright pop tone, which you can dull down somewhat, but it just is really transparent. If the C800 is a little too bright for a particular vocalist, I'll use the Telefunken ELA M251, which also has a high-level output. I use the Cl-1B to add colour. From there I go straight into Pro Tools, if possible at a higher resolution, because it is where we are right now. I can hear the difference.
"In the box I also keep it really simple. I hate seeing sessions with hundreds of plug-ins. But if the record is a success, who can judge that? But I know that for me, one of the keys is simplicity. So I always do the same thing. I have Antares Auto-Tune if the artist likes it, and then the Waves Renaissance six-band EQ, rolling off some low end, adding a bit of mid-range, dropping some high mids, and adding some high end, to give it more sparkle, and the Renaissance Compressor. Then I'll add a Renaissance Reverb medium hall reverb, and Digirack Mod Delay a quarter note/half note ping-pong delay. That is for monitoring, to give it space in the headphones, and for me to make it sound like a record. The artist is hearing exactly what I'm hearing in the room, so they feel like they are in the record.
"After the vocal session I go in and edit. I start with timing. It's all based on feel, and being knowledgeable about the genre you're dealing with. Some things need to be right on the beat, whereas with R&B it needs to be kind of behind the beat. After that I tune. The final version may have Melodyne, if it needs it. For me, Melodyne sounds more natural than Auto-Tune. It's not as jerky and you can dial in the bends and stretch things and make things pitch-perfect, if that is what the record calls for. I've done many records with Auto-Tune, but the way I do it, it does not have that Auto–Tune sound. I like the vocals to have a natural vibe. But some records are all about the Auto-Tune vibe, so then you do make it show.
"My work after the vocal session can happen in a day, or a couple of days. It depends on how fast the record needs to be turned around. I do all the stuff like vocal reverbs and delays while cutting the vocal, and after timing and tuning I do a rough mix, and that then goes to the mixer. The mix engineer will take all the info I send, including the plug-ins, and will build on that. I do a final mix now and again — it depends on the artist. When I send the session to the mix engineer, the vocal sound is what it is supposed to be, and also because of my reputation, they don't change it, but just enhance it. They add their magic and expertise."