Spoonman

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""Spoonman""

Single by Soundgarden
from the album 'Superunknown'
Released	February 15, 1994
Format	CD Vinyl record (12")
Recorded	1994
Genre	Grunge
Length	4:06
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	Chris Cornell
Producer(s)	Michael Beinhorn, Soundgarden
Soundgarden singles chronology
"Rusty Cage" 1992	"Spoonman" 1994	"Black Hole Sun" 1994

For the Triple M radio announcer, see The Spoonman.

For the electronica duo, see Spoonman (Band).

For the Underworld song, see Spoonman (Underworld song).

"Spoonman" is a song by Seattle grunge band Soundgarden. It appears on their 1994 album Superunknown and was released as the album's first single in February the same year. It would later appear on their greatest hits album A-Sides. "Spoonman" is often credited as one of the songs that launched Soundgarden's career into the mainstream.

It was originally written for the soundtrack to the film Singles in 1992. At this time, Soundgarden, along with fellow grunge band Pearl Jam, was working on the soundtrack for the film. Pearl Jam's bassist, Jeff Ament, had been put in charge of creating the name for a fictional band that would appear in the film. Before finally choosing Citizen Dick for its name, Ament had compiled a list of potential names which included the name "Spoonman". The name was inspired by Artis the Spoonman, a street performer from Santa Cruz, California and later Seattle, who played music with a set of spoons.

Soundgarden vocalist and songwriter Chris Cornell eventually used the names on the list to create songs for the film. "Spoonman" was among these, and an acoustic version was created from it. This early version of the song can be heard in the background during a scene of the film. Rather than just leave the song on the film's soundtrack, Soundgarden began working on an electric version of "Spoonman". The band would play it while on their 1993 tour with Neil Young. With hype building around their upcoming album Superunknown, Soundgarden released the single a month before the album's release. Shortly after this, the song became widely popular, reaching high positions on rock charts. It would later win the 1995 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

The song's inspiration, Artis the Spoonman, played a prominent role in the song itself. The final version of the song featured Artis the Spoonman playing his spoons as part of the song's instrumental. The music video for the song also featured Artis prominently, making him the focus of the video instead of the band. The song's call-and-response style is reminiscent of "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin.

While most rock music is composed in 4/4 (common time) or 3/4 time, Spoonman is fairly unique in that it is a mix of 4/4 and 7/4 time. Two other notable compositions that employ 7/4 time are Pink Floyd's "Money" and the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love".

[edit] Track Listing

EUROPEAN CD AND 12"

  1. Spoonman
  2. Fresh Tendrils
  3. Cold Bitch
  4. Exit Stonehenge

UK CASSETTE AND PICTURE 7"

  1. Spoonman
  2. Fresh Tendrils

US PROMO CD

  1. Spoonman (Edit)
  2. Spoonman (LP Version)

GERMAN CD

  1. Spoonman (Edit)
  2. Cold Bitch
  3. Exit Stonehenge

UK 12" DJ PROMO

  1. Spoonman

CANADIAN AND AUSTRALIAN CD

  1. Spoonman
  2. Cold Bitch

[edit] Chart positions

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1995	Spoonman	Official Irish Singles Charts	No. 23
1994	Spoonman	Mainstream Rock Tracks	No. 3
1994	Spoonman	Modern Rock Tracks	No. 9

[edit] External links

All Music Guide review

Discography
Soundgarden
Chris Cornell \| Kim Thayil \| Matt Cameron \| Ben Shepherd
Scott Sundquist \| Hiro Yamamoto \| Jason Everman
Albums and extended plays: Screaming Life \| Fopp \| Ultramega OK \| Flower \| Louder than Love \| Screaming Life/Fopp \| Badmotorfinger \| Superunknown \| Songs from the Superunknown \| Down on the Upside \| A-Sides
Singles: "Hunted Down" \| "Flower" \| "Loud Love" \| "Hands All Over" \| "Room a Thousand Years Wide" \| "Jesus Christ Pose" \| "Outshined" \| "Rusty Cage" \| "Spoonman" \| "Black Hole Sun" \| "Fell on Black Days" \| "My Wave" \| "The Day I Tried to Live" \| "Superunknown" \| "Pretty Noose" \| "Burden in My Hand" \| "Blow Up the Outside World" \| "Ty Cobb" \| "Bleed Together"
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