‘Walking After You’: The Foo Fighters song produced by Jerry Harrison
Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters have been around for so long that many moments have been gradually buried by the passage of time. This is a natural byproduct of being active for 30 years, with 11 albums to their name and numerous world-famous highlights.
In light of our era’s propensity for fast fame and flash-in-the-pan successes, it is a testament to Grohl and Foo Fighters that they have managed to keep on their path and stay true to their original ethos. With Grohl’s knack for songwriting, meaty riffs and a whole load of big choruses, their formula yields stellar results, as demonstrated by their constant success, which hasn’t waned over the years.
As Foo Fighters continue to evolve and adapt to changing times, moments that were once pivotal in their career have now become mere footnotes in their extensive history. Whether it’s the classic single ‘Breakout’, with its tie-in video for the Jim Carrey film Me, Myself & Irene or heavier tracks like ‘All My Life’, these examples are just a few of the many that highlight their journey.
One standout example is the version of ‘Walking After You’ that appeared on The X-Files: The Album and the soundtrack for The X-Files movie. It’s fitting that a band named Foo Fighters would contribute music to a hit science-fiction show, but this moment is particularly significant because it marked one of the earliest instances where the group employed a strategy that has been crucial to their ongoing success: collaborating with other renowned musicians to elevate their sound.
Although there are two versions of the deeply melancholic number ‘Walking After You’, with one featuring on the band’s 1997 masterpiece, The Colour and the Shape, the one that plays during the end credit sequence of The X-Files movie is a particular highlight. It was produced by former Modern Lovers member and Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison.
The album version was written in December 1996 at WGNS Studios in Washington, DC, during a break between sessions for The Colour and the Shape. Grohl performed the vocals in a single take and played all the instruments except Nate Mendel’s bass. Geoff Turner engineered the recording, while Gil Norton produced the album itself.
However, the whole band performed the full-bodied soundtrack/single version, including new additions Hawkins and guitarist Franz Stahl. It also features Shudder To Think frontman Craig Wedren, a wholly overlooked singer who provided backing vocals. It was recorded in early 1998 at Hollywood’s Ocean Way Studios and produced by the great Jerry Harrison.
The recording process was particularly tough for Grohl. Allegedly, it took around eight takes to get it right, with the frontman trying to pour all of his built-up emotions into the song. He eventually succeeded, and he reportedly cried when singing the final take. If you listen carefully, you can hear his voice cracking. This certainly heightens the song’s sentimental nature, making it fitting to be included at the end of the movie.
Harrison not only produced the song, successfully making it more poignant than the album version and giving the band a minor hit, but he also contributed the delicate piano part during the bridge. Drawing on the studio expertise he had developed over the years with Talking Heads, Harrison used his skills to enhance the Foo Fighters’ sound in a meaningful way.
