Blew (EP)
Encyclopedia
"Blew" is the title of a song and EP
released by the American grunge
band Nirvana
.
. The song was recorded in December of 1988 and initially appeared as the first track on Nirvana's 1989 debut album Bleach
.
. The Extended play
was originally scheduled to be released to coincide with the beginning of Nirvana's European leg of the Bleach tour, but it was released several months late. In addition to the song "Blew", the release also includes "Love Buzz
". This mix of "Love Buzz" is the Bleach version, as opposed to the 7" Sub Pop Singles version. To round off the rest of the maxi-single, two previously-unreleased songs, "Been a Son" and "Stain" were included that stemmed from a 1989 studio session.
Blew was intended to be released to promote an upcoming European tour, but this plan was scrapped, and the maxi-single ended up being released exclusively in the UK shortly after its completion.
As Blew was released only in the UK it was thus difficult to obtain elsewhere. Only 3,000 copies of the maxi-single were pressed on 12" vinyl
and CD. Both vinyl and CD counterfeit copies exist, of which the vinyl copies vary in color (the official 12" vinyl was only pressed on black vinyl).
Production
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
released by the American grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
band Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
.
Song
"Blew" was written in 1988 by Nirvana frontman Kurt CobainKurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
. The song was recorded in December of 1988 and initially appeared as the first track on Nirvana's 1989 debut album Bleach
Bleach (album)
Bleach is the debut album by the American rock band Nirvana, released in June 1989 through the independent record label Sub Pop. The main recording sessions took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989...
.
Release
Blew was released in December 1989 on Tupelo Records on 12" vinyl and Compact DiscCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
. The Extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
was originally scheduled to be released to coincide with the beginning of Nirvana's European leg of the Bleach tour, but it was released several months late. In addition to the song "Blew", the release also includes "Love Buzz
Love Buzz
-Shocking Blue:"Love Buzz" is a song written by Robbie van Leeuwen of Dutch rock band Shocking Blue.-Nirvana:The American grunge band Nirvana recorded a cover version of the song for its 1988 debut single, released on Sub Pop in the US. It was the first single in the Sub Pop Singles club. A...
". This mix of "Love Buzz" is the Bleach version, as opposed to the 7" Sub Pop Singles version. To round off the rest of the maxi-single, two previously-unreleased songs, "Been a Son" and "Stain" were included that stemmed from a 1989 studio session.
Blew was intended to be released to promote an upcoming European tour, but this plan was scrapped, and the maxi-single ended up being released exclusively in the UK shortly after its completion.
As Blew was released only in the UK it was thus difficult to obtain elsewhere. Only 3,000 copies of the maxi-single were pressed on 12" vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and CD. Both vinyl and CD counterfeit copies exist, of which the vinyl copies vary in color (the official 12" vinyl was only pressed on black vinyl).
Track listing
- "Blew" and "Love Buzz" were previously released on BleachBleach (album)Bleach is the debut album by the American rock band Nirvana, released in June 1989 through the independent record label Sub Pop. The main recording sessions took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989...
. - "Been a Son" was later released on the "best-of" compilation Nirvana and a different version appears on IncesticideIncesticide-Personnel:All sessions:*Kurt Cobain – vocals, guitar*Krist Novoselic – bass guitarSeattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios Nirvana's first studio demo tape...
. - "Stain" was later released on Incesticide.
Charts
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1990 | UK Indie Chart UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
1 |
Other versions
- A live version peformed at the Paradiso ClubParadiso (Amsterdam)Paradiso is an iconic rock music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.-History:It is housed in a converted former church building that dates from the nineteenth century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group known as the "Vrije...
in Amsterdam, Holland in 1991 was released on the live album From the Muddy Banks of the WishkahFrom the Muddy Banks of the WishkahFrom the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah is a live album by the American grunge band, Nirvana. It was released on October 1, 1996 and features live performances recorded from 1989 to 1994...
in 1996. - Video footage the aforementioned 1991 performance in Amsterdam later appeared on the Nirvana DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
re-release of Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!! is a video album released by the grunge band Nirvana on laserdisc and VHS on November 15, 1994. The DVD version was released November 7, 2006. Kurt Cobain compiled much of the video himself, but did not complete it prior to his death...
in 2006. - A live performance of the song, from the 1992 Reading Festival, was released on the Live at ReadingLive at Reading-Album charts:-DVD charts:- Personnel :*Kurt Cobain - vocals, guitar*Krist Novoselic - bass, backing vocals on "The Money Will Roll Right In", intro voice on "Territorial Pissings".*Dave Grohl - drums, backing vocals*Antony Hodgkinson - dancerProduction...
CD and DVD release in 2009. - Another live performance, recorded February 9, 1990 at The Pine Street Theatre in Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, appears, with the rest of the concert, as the last track on the 20th anniversary deluxe reissue of Nirvana's 19891989 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
debut album BleachBleach (album)Bleach is the debut album by the American rock band Nirvana, released in June 1989 through the independent record label Sub Pop. The main recording sessions took place at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington between December 1988 and January 1989...
in 2009. - Another live performance is featured on the video Live at the Paramount, released in 2011.
Personnel
Nirvana- Chad ChanningChad ChanningChad Channing is an American musician who is best known for being the drummer of the band Nirvana from 1988 until 1990, during which time they recorded and released their debut album Bleach...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Krist NovoselicKrist NovoselicKrist Anthony Novoselic II is a Croatian-American rock musician, best known for being the bassist and co-founder of the grunge band Nirvana. After Nirvana ended, Novoselic formed Sweet 75 and then Eyes Adrift, releasing one album with each band...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Production
- Jack EndinoJack EndinoJack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
– productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for "Blew" and "Love Buzz" - Steve FiskSteve FiskSteve Fisk is a Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician.Fisk joined the instrumental rock band Pell Mell in 1982. With vocalist Shawn Smith, he formed Pigeonhed, which released its first album in 1993....
– production for "Stain" and "Been a Son"
Covers
- Japanese musician MiyaviMiyavi, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese visual kei musician. His work as guitarist for Dué le Quartz and his successful solo career have established him as an accomplished musician in the Japanese music scene.- Early life :...
has covered the song. - American Pop-punk band The Ergs! covered the song on their Blue EP.
- Northern Irish Alternative rock band AshAsh (band)Ash are an alternative rock band that formed in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland in 1992. The band has sold 8 million albums worldwide.-Band beginning, Trailer and 1977 :...
covered the song, releasing it on their Numbskull EP in 1999. - Istanbul rock band Direc-tDirec-tDirec-t is an Alternative rock band from Turkey. Its line-up includes Alex Tintaru, Bilge Kösebalaban and Özgür Peştimalci.- Band history :A car accident resulted in the naming of the band Direc-t in 1997. The band's name Direc-t means "post", named after the post that they crashed into...
's singer Bilge KosebalabanBilge KösebalabanBilge Kösebalaban is the vocalist and guitar player for Turkish Rock band Direc-t.He was born on the 8 February 1980 in Adana. He started his music career in the early days of his youth when he bought his first guitar during high school...
has covered the song.