“Endless, Nameless” was born from a frustrating recording session of “Lithium” where Cobain struggled to get his guitar parts correct. Hidden track “Endless, Nameless” was accidentally left off initial pressings of the album. After the producer brought up the Lennon connection, Cobain “pretty much double-tracked all the vocals after that.”Ħ. “He was reluctant to do so because he thought it sounded too fake,” Vig recalled in a recent tribute to Martin following his passing earlier this year. Vig’s decision double-track the vocals was inspired by late Beatles producer George Martin, and John Lennon’s use of the technique was what convinced Cobain to feel comfortable with it. Vig convinced Cobain to double-track his vocals because “John Lennon did it.”ĭespite its rougher edges, Nevermind boasts a sculpted, accessible feel: Cobain’s double-tracked vocals, for example, added heft to the songs and fullness to his lurching howls. Grohl would be the band’s fifth and final drummer.ĥ. His contribution to “Polly” remains on the album, though it was uncredited on the original release. When Nirvana began the original Smart Studios sessions with Vig, Chad Channing – the drummer featured on most of Nirvana’s 1989 debut, Bleach – was still in the band. Dave Grohl is not the only drummer on Nevermind. He even mocked up a fake advertisement with the slogan “Because you want to not because everyone else is” and fa ake but prophetic biography of the band that “cited” them as “Two times on the cover of Bowling Stoned, hailed as the most original, thought-provoking and important band of our decade by Thyme and Newsweak.”Ĥ. Playing into that idea, he originally called the band’s sophomore effort Sheep, which was based off an inside joke about how the masses would flock to their album. While he retained his punk ethos after the band hit it big, Cobain was well aware of Nirvana’s potential to become one of the biggest acts in the world. The respect and admiration was mutual, and the legendary art-rock couple had been the impetus for the band not only to sign with their management company Gold Mountain but also to align with the major label DGC. Cross’ Kurt Cobain biography Heavier Than Heaven, he notes that Kurt Cobain saw Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth as “just short of royalty.” Having been a huge fan of Sonic Youth, Cobain was honored to find Nirvana claiming the opening slot on their 1991 summer tour. Sonic Youth encouraged DGC to sign Nirvana. In Wisconsin with Vig, Nirvana recorded several early versions of songs like “Lithium” and “Polly” that would eventually make the album, which would later be finished in Los Angeles at Sound City after the band inked its major-label deal.Ģ. At the time, and due to Nirvana’s increasing success after touring with Sonic Youth, Sub Pop was shopping around the idea of gaining a distribution deal with a major label. After being connected with Vig by Sub Pop co-founder Bruce Pavitt, the band recorded six songs with the producer for what was meant to be a second album on their independent label. The band began work on their follow-up to debut album Bleach more than a year before its official release. Nirvana began recording the songs in 1990 with Butch Vig for a planned second Sub Pop release. Here are 10 things you might not know about Nirvana’s explosive masterpiece.ġ. With more than 24 million copies sold worldwide, Nevermind continues to be a generation- and border-spanning favorite. The band’s rapid rise combined with Cobain’s wariness of fame led to much lore and mythology surrounding the iconic album, which was recorded over the course of a year with producer Butch Vig in both Wisconsin and Los Angeles. Moreover, this hook-filled yet blisteringly intense burst of punk alienation introduced Kurt Cobain as the reluctant voice of a generation, a mantle that may have paved the way for his tragic end three years later. Not only did the LP serve as the band’s own breakthrough it also helped to usher in grunge and alternative rock as the dominant sounds on radio and MTV. Nirvana‘s Nevermind remains one of the most exhilarating and pivotal albums of all time.