Fecal Matter
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| Fecal Matter | |
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 The cover of a Fecal Matter demo tape.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Aberdeen, Washington, USA |
| Genre(s) | Punk rock Grunge Noise rock |
| Years active | 1985–1986 |
| Associated acts | Nirvana Melvins |
| Members | |
| Kurt Cobain Dale Crover Buzz Osborne Greg Hokanson Mike Dillard |
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Fecal Matter was a short-lived band from Aberdeen, Washington that formed in late 1985. It was the first band conceived by Kurt Cobain, who would become famous as the frontman of the seminal grunge band Nirvana. Other significant members included Dale Crover and Buzz Osborne of the Melvins, which would also become highly influential. The band's only known demo tape, entitled Illiteracy Will Prevail, has become a much sought-after rarity among Nirvana fans, as it features the first songs written and recorded by Cobain.
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[edit] History
The band was formed in early 1985, and consisted of Cobain on guitar and vocals, Dale Crover on bass, and Greg Hokanson on drums. After Hokanson left the band, Cobain and Crover went to Cobain's aunt's house in Seattle, Washington with a large book of lyrics and recorded Illiteracy Will Prevail, a 16-song demo (5 of which are unknown) of Cobain's songs, on a 4-track in December of 1985. Crover played bass and drums on the demo, while Cobain played guitar and sang. Fecal Matter disbanded in 1986 with Buzz Osborne on bass and Mike Dillard on drums. According to Michael Azerrad's Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, this occurred because Cobain thought Osborne did not take the band seriously enough, as Osborne refused to buy a bass guitar amplifier.[1]
After Fecal Matter disbanded, Cobain began passing the demo tape around to friends and peers in hopes of starting a new band. Cobain was particularly proud of the tape. To him, the tape showed that he did have talent. Cobain had wanted to start a band with friend Krist Novoselic for some time. Cobain gave him a copy of the tape, hoping to finally persuade Novoselic to form a band with him. After hearing the tape (and particularly liking Spank Thru) Novoselic agreed to form a band with Cobain in mid-1986. That band would later be known as Nirvana.
[edit] Timeline
- 1984: Dale Crover joins the Melvins, Kurt Cobain unsuccessfully auditions.
- 1985: Kurt Cobain (vocals/guitar), Dale Crover (bass) and Greg Hokanson (drums) begin rehearsing as "Fecal Matter".
- 1985-12: Fecal Matter support the Melvins at a concert in Pacific Beach, Washington.
- 1985-12: Cobain (vocals/guitar) and Crover (bass/drums) record Illiteracy Will Prevail in Seattle, Washington.
- 1986-01: Buzz Osborne joins as bassist and Mike Dillard joins as drummer.
- 1986-02: Fecal Matter dissolves, the Melvins record their debut EP.
- 1986-05: Cobain, Crover and Osborne perform as "Brown Towel" in Olympia, Washington.
- 1987-02: Aaron Burckhard joins Cobain and Krist Novoselic to form what would eventually be called Nirvana.
- 1988-01: Crover joins Cobain and Novoselic for Nirvana's first studio session, which includes two Fecal Matter songs.
- 1993-10: Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana by Michael Azerrad, publicly reveals the existence of Illiteracy Will Prevail.
- 1994-04: Cobain's death brings about the end of the now-famous Nirvana.
- 1997: A faked Fecal Matter demo receives widespread distribution in Nirvana bootleg trading circles.
- 2002: Heavier Than Heaven by Charles R. Cross reveals further information about Fecal Matter and Illiteracy Will Prevail.
- 2005-11: Fecal Matter's "Spank Thru" is officially released on the Nirvana rarities album Sliver: The Best of the Box.
- 2006-03: Incomplete poor-quality clips from Illiteracy Will Prevail are leaked on the internet. A week later, three full songs are leaked.
- 2007-11: A further five full Fecal Matter songs are leaked on the internet.
[edit] Members
- Kurt Cobain – guitars, vocals, lyrics (1985-1986)
- Dale Crover – bass guitar, drums (1985-1986)
- Greg Hokanson – drums (1985-1986)
- Buzz Osborne – bass guitar (1986)
- Mike Dillard – drums (1986)
[edit] Singles - Illiteracy Will Prevail
- Bambi Slaughter
- Vaseline
- Class of '86
- Downer (Later included in Nirvana's studio album Incesticide)
- Sound of Dentage
- Made Not Born
- Laminated
- Spank Thru
- Blathers Log
- Instramental
- Buffy's Pregnant
[edit] See also
- Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana (Michael Azerrad, 1993)
- Heavier Than Heaven (Charles R. Cross, 2002)
- Sliver: The Best of the Box
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes
- ^ Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-47199-8.
