Sappy
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| “Sappy” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Song by Nirvana | ||
| Album | 'No Alternative' | |
| Released | October 26, 1993 | |
| Recorded | February 1993 at Pachyderm Studios, Cannon Falls, Minnesota | |
| Genre | Grunge | |
| Length | 3:24 | |
| Label | Arista Records | |
| Producer | Steve Albini | |
"Sappy" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the final, uncredited track on the 1993 AIDS-benefit compilation album No Alternative then referred to as "Verse, Chorus, Verse".
[edit] History
Originally recorded under the working title "Sad", "Sappy" dates back to at least 1987, and was recorded several times in the studio, ostensibly[citation needed] because its author, Kurt Cobain, was never completely satisfied with any version of it. It was recorded in many different keys and the lyrics changed over the years. The final version was recorded by Steve Albini at Pachyderm Studios in 1993 during the In Utero sessions and released as the final, unlisted track on No Alternative compilation. The song was apparently renamed "Verse Chorus Verse" around this time, but since this title is shared by an earlier Nirvana song (previously known by the bootlegger's name of "In His Hands"), it is usually called "Sappy" in order to avoid confusion. The Albini version was re-released in 2004 on the Nirvana box set, With the Lights Out. The band also played it live many times (mostly in 1989, 1990, 1993, and 1994).
Although the song was released as a hidden track on a compilation, word of Nirvana's appearance on the disc spread, and soon many people bought the album simply for the hidden track, eventually becoming a frequently requested song at concerts during their 1994 tour of Europe and being played live for the first time in nearly four years. This is evident from a recording of a February 1994 concert in Milan, Italy in which the audience kept requesting the song - bassist Krist Novoselic, after performing it, shouted to the crowd, "Did you hear it on a bootleg? Because it wasn't listed on the album."
[edit] Other versions
Apart from the final version of Sappy, recorded in 1993, which appears on With the Lights Out there are several other earlier versions..
- A home demo recorded by Cobain in 1988 under the working title of "Sad" is available in trading circles.
- Many live versions can be found on the Outcesticide bootlegs, which were released in 1995.
- A live version of "Sappy," recorded on February 16, 1990, appears on the DVD of With the Lights Out.
- An early studio version, slower, heavier, and, overall more akin to the sound of Bleach, recorded by Jack Endino in January 1990 in Seattle, Washington, appears on the 2005 compilation album, Sliver: The Best of the Box.
- Also in 1990 another version of the song was recorded for the planned second Sub Pop album Sheep, at Butch Vig's Madison Wisconsin studio. Other songs from the session include "In Bloom," "Lithium," "Polly," "Immodium" (later retitled "Breed"), "Dive," "Pay to Play," (later retitled "Stay Away") and the Velvet Underground cover "Here She Comes Now."
- Yet another version of Sappy was recorded in 1991 during the Nevermind album sessions.
[edit] Trivia
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- It was revealed in the 'With the lights out' booklet that this was one of Kurt's favorite songs that he had written, and was never happy with how it came out, but he never let the song 'die'.
- It was Cobain's decision for "Sappy" to remain uncredited on No Alternative, for fear of distracting from the other bands on the compilation.
- During live performances of the song, it was common for Kurt to dramatically drop to the floor during the solo, playing while lying down and while rising to his feet.
- The common reference to a "laundry room" has been thought to symbolize the laundry room in The Wall (book), a story written by existential philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.
[1]Link To A video tribute On You Tube that used footage from the 1994 VMA video tribute to Kurt Cobain that was later edited by an unknown individual.
