"Hey You!" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by No Doubt | ||||
from the album Tragic Kingdom | ||||
Released | February 23, 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1995 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:34 | |||
Label | Interscope | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Matthew Wilder | |||
No Doubt singles chronology | ||||
|
"Hey You!" is a song recorded by American rock band No Doubt. It was released as the seventh and final single from their third studio album Tragic Kingdom (1995). The single was released as a CD single in the Netherlands on February 23, 1998. It is the final single to feature content from original keyboardist Eric Stefani, who left the group in 1995 due to creative issues.
Musically, it incorporates several genres, including ska punk and psychedelic rock, with its lyrics portraying "a cynical view of marriage". The track received mixed to positive reviews from music critics, with one describing it as a filler and others calling it a highlight on Tragic Kingdom. Since the song was only released in the Netherlands, it only charted there, peaking at number fifty-one on the Single Top 100. A music video using footage from a live performance was directed by Sophie Muller and released alongside the CD single.
Studio sessions for "Hey You!" took place during the production process of its parent album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). [1] Unlike their previous two studio albums, Tragic Kingdom's production was handled by outsider Matthew Wilder, to which member Eric Stefani disliked. [2] Although seven of the album's fourteen tracks were written by Eric, he left the band shortly before its release, leaving the rest of the band to finish the songs. [3]
The CD single was released exclusively in the Netherlands and included two tracks: the album version of "Hey You!", plus a live version that was recorded on June 1, 1997, at The Pond in Anaheim, California. [4] The artwork of the release is the same used for the fifth single from Tragic Kingdom, "Happy Now?". [5]
"Hey You!" was written by Gwen Stefani and Kanal, with its production being handled by Matthew Wilder. [6] The single is produced in D major, with Stefani's vocals ranging from A3–C5, layered with the use of a piano and guitars. [7] It is a psychedelic rock and alternative rock track, with a genre similar to No Doubt's signature ska punk style. [8] Its lyrics detail a "cynical" female protagonist hoping to get married. [9] Kenneth Partridge, who wrote for both Billboard and The A.V. Club , stated that it has "a neo-psychedelic '60s vibe that wouldn't have sounded out of place on a Bangles record". He went on to discuss the lyrics as "a jaded Gwen gives some tough love to a girl dreaming of a white wedding" in the lines "You're just like my Ken and Barbie doll / Your name will never change". [8] Mike Boehm, writing for the Los Angeles Times , stated that the "canny arrangement of Stefani's multitracked voice provide a poppy lift" while Dumont, Kanal, and Young "keep slickness at bay". [10]
An accompanying music video for "Hey You!" was never created, but a video using footage from Live in the Tragic Kingdom (1997) was released alongside the CD single. [11] In the entirety of the video and performance, Stefani "dances and bounces and sings". [12]
"Hey You!" received mixed to positive reviews upon its release. A critic from The Diamondback enjoyed the single, calling it "dreamy", stating that "songs such as these showcase the band's versatility and Stefani's sensuality as a performer". [13] Mike Boehm of the Los Angeles Times cited the song as an "example of the band's improved craft" and claimed that it "help[s] carry the album's thematic current" of "enthusiastic music". [10] Kenneth Partridge of Billboard panned the track, calling it "a candidate for most skippable" on the album. [8] Since "Hey You!" was only released in the Netherlands, it was only eligible to chart there. On March 21, 1998, the single debuted at number eighty on the Single Top 100 chart, before peaking at number fifty-one. [14] For the week ending May 2, 1998, the song dropped off from its previous position of sixty-five, lasting a total of six weeks on the chart.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Hey You!" | 3:34 |
2. | "Hey You!" (Live) | 3:26 |
Credits and personnel adapted from the Tragic Kingdom liner notes. [6]
|
|
Chart (1998) | Peak position |
---|---|
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [15] | 4 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [14] | 51 |
Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | February 23, 1998 | CD | Interscope | [16] |
No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboardist Eric Stefani, Gwen's brother, was also a former member when the band started to release albums in 1992. Since the mid-1990s, trombonist Gabrial McNair and trumpeter Stephen Bradley have performed with the band as session and touring musicians.
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No Doubt is the debut studio album by American rock band No Doubt, released on March 17, 1992, by Interscope Records. It was originally recorded as an independent release, but was re-recorded after the band signed with Interscope. It was produced by Dito Godwin and recorded in Los Angeles.
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