Nirvana

The core of Nirvana was Kurt Cobain, lead guitarist and vocalist, and Krist Novoselic, bass player. After going through many many different name changes and member changes, Kurt and Krist met Chad Channing, who became their drummer for their debut album. Some of the other notable people that were in the band, or its earliest incarnations, were Buzz Osbourne and Dale Crover of the Melvins and Danny Peters of Mudhoney, among others.

Nirvana recorded their Bleach album for about $600, a dark, crunching album containing simple, guitar driven like Negative Creep and School as well as more sophisticated songs like About a Girl, and a modified version of Shocking Blue's Love Buzz. It was released in June of '89 by Sub Pop records. After recording, Nirvana went on tour after the addition of guitarist Jason Everman. Jason was added because Kurt wasn't sure he could handle singing and playing guitar at the same time. Jason also helped contribute quite a bit of the money to record the debut LP.

After touring and and looking for another label, Nirvana was bought out of their two year contract by DGC, David Geffen's record label. They recorded their Nevermind album in May of '91 at Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. It was released on September 13, 1991 and went platinum in about three weeks, mostly due to the song Smells Like Teen Spirit, which has been labeled as the anthem of generation X.

After a massive tour in support of Nevermind, Nirvana came back to the states. A collection of B-sides and rarities, called Incesticide was released, and sold well despite very little fanfare. After touring constantly, Nirvana once again returned to the studios in March of 1993 to record their long-awaited new album, In Utero.

Originally, DGC was not pleased with the album at all. Their first comment upon hearing the recording was, "Nice demos. When can we expect to hear the finished album?" They thought that it had no commercial value at all, and would let Nirvana's fans down after the slick, radio friendly Nevermind album. A few of the songs were later remixed or rerecorded, but the majority of the album stayed the same. One of the reasons why it may not have sounded quite as great as Nevermind is that In Utero was recorded in two weeks. Most of the vocals were done in one day, with the help of a lot of cough syrup, and a lot of the songs were recorded in one take. It was also plagued with problems regarding Krist's bass playing, which was frequently inaudible.

But, after working out their difficulties with their company, In Utero was released on September 14, 1993 in the United Kingdom. Due to an unforseen delay, it was released in the United States on September 21, 1993. The foreign version also contained a secret track, Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip. It was labeled as a "Deflated American Dollar Purchase Incentive Track," and is now available on bootlegs and import CDs only.

Nirvana returned to the road, playing in the states and overseas. On January 8, 1994 Nirvana played their final American show in Seattle, Washington. They then toured Europe, playing their last show on March 1 in Munich, Germany.

After returning to the United States, Kurt Cobain dissapeared after jumping the wall at the Exodus rehabilitation clinic, where he was undergoing rehab for a heroin addiction. Several days later, on April 8, his body was found by an electrician at his house in Seattle, Washington. Kurt had been dead for several days, the victim of a self inflicted gunshot wound. He left a suicide note near his body, explaning why he had killed himself. Fans still didn't accept his death, and many haven't still.

05/16/65 Krist Novoselic is born
01/31/67 Chad Channing is born
02/20/67 Kurt Cobain is born
01/14/69 David Eric Grohl is born
02/20/81 Kurt gets his first guitar
01/23/88 Nirvana records a demo with Dale Crover
10/30/88 Kurt smashes his first guitar
11/??/88 Love Buzz/Big Cheese single released
06/??/89 Bleach is released
10/20/89 Nirvana plays first European show, Newcastle, England
12/30/89 Krist and Shelli get married in Tacoma
04/17/91 Nirvana first plays Smells Like Teen Spirit
04/30/91 Nirvana formally signs with Geffen Records
05/??/91 Started recording Nevermind
08/??/91 The video for Smells Like Teen Spirit is made
09/13/91 The release party for Nevermind
09/20/91 Tour for Nevermind begins in Toronto
09/24/91 Nevermind is released, debuted at #144 on Billboard
01/11/92 Nirvana plays Saturday Night Live, Nevermind hits #1
01/??/92 Hormoaning released in Australia and Japan
01/24/92 Nirvana begins a world tour
02/??/92 Come As You Are video is made
02/24/92 Kurt Cobain marries Courtney Love in Waikiki, Hawaii
08/18/92 Francis Bean Cobain is born
09/??/92 Nirvana plays Lithium at MTV music awards, wins 2 awards
11/??/92 In Bloom Video hits MTV
12/15/92 Incesticide released
03/??/93 In Utero recorded
05/??/93 Sliver video hits MTV
09/??/93 Nirvana wins Best Alternative Video award at MTV Video awards
09/14/93 In Utero released in UK
09/19/93 Heart Shaped Box video premieres
09/21/93 After a week delay, In Utero released in US
10/10/93 Nirvana begins tour supporting In Utero
11/18/93 Nirvana records Unplugged session for MTV
12/12/93 All Apologies video hits MTV
12/16/93 MTV Unplugged airs on MTV
03/01/94 The final Nirvana show is played in Munich
03/04/94 Kurt Cobain is hospitalized comatose
03/05/94 Kurt awakens from coma, asks for milkshake
03/08/94 Kurt leaves hospital under his own power
04/08/94 The body of Kurt Cobain is found. Kurt committed suicide 3 days before.
04/10/94 Memorial Service held in Seattle, Courtney reads from suicide note.
09/??/94 Nirvana wins Best Alternative Video for Heart/Shaped Box
11/01/94 Unplugged in New York is released
11/15/94 Live! Tonite! Sold Out! is released
12/??/94 Courtney Love's PI reports that he believes Kurt was murdered
30/09/96 "Muddy banks of Wishkah" is released

(From the "Pennyroyal Tea Nirvana page")

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