“Too Good” is a song I wrote for my NYC band, Girlfriend. We road-tested this song in the clubs and I've never tired of playing it. I was trying to create a sleek pop song, not too heavy but with some real lyrical muscle under the hood. I wanted clean lines, bold colors, and no extra weight.
Photo of me in Portsmouth VA in the late 1970s admiring a fine car.
Putting together a song is like designing a race car. It takes a team. I had the emotional concept for the song and wrote it on my acoustic de-tuned guitar. Somehow, as a band, we never got “Too Good” into the studio to record her; she lived only in ephemeral moments on stage, trying to connect with someone in the audience.
Do you feel the way I do?
Going unnoticed by someone you are interested in romantically is a terrible feeling. Maybe the other person is attracted to you as well but through a series of false starts you just can't seem to connect. This is the essence of the song. You're ready to race but you just can't qualify.
Take me to the Bridge
I've always felt stupid. I struggled as a kid in school and I'm sure by today's standards I would have been diagnosed with learning “disabilities” as they have names for now. It was the 1970s & '80s so they just called me slow. This classification of being “slow” carried through almost every aspect of my life. Through the arts, I've been able to work some of this stuff out and in the bridge, I just say it: “Because I'm slow. Yeah, I'm slow. All the teachers back in school they told me so…”
Cover art created by my friend Josh Wilhelm - JWcreates.com
Assemble the A Team!
I got connected with WaveLength Studios in Chattanooga TN and have been fortunate to work with producers, Atreyon (Billy “Trey” Mullins) and WayneOnABeat. They took the frame of “Too Good” and elevated her to race car rock star status. She's fast, furious, and catchy! Just how a Pop song should be! I hope you enjoy the track!
Roll credits:
Music & Lyrics by Phil Hyland (BMI © 2023).
Produced by Atreyon & WayneOnABeat at WaveLength Studios Chattanooga TN USA. Album art & design by JWcreates.com
Lead vocals & acoustic guitar, Phil Hyland
Backup vocals, Robin Hyland
Bass & Beat by WayneOnABeat
Keys, synth, and programming by Atreyon
Electric guitar, Josh Gilbert
Recorded and mixed at Wavelength, March 2023.