Marigold (song)
Encyclopedia
"Marigold" is a song written and composed by American
rock musician Dave Grohl
, that was first released on Pocketwatch
, an album Grohl issued under the pseudonym Late! in 1992.
The song is perhaps best known for the version that was recorded and released in 1993 by Nirvana
, as a b-side to the "Heart-Shaped Box
" single. A live version was later featured on the Foo Fighters
' release Skin and Bones
in 2006, garnering "Marigold" the notable distinction of being the only song released by both Nirvana and Foo Fighters, two of Grohl's most distinguished bands.
during a session at Upland Studios in Arlington, Virginia with producer Barrett Jones on December 23, 1990, taking place just several months after Grohl joined Nirvana
. The session was executed in a similar way to how the Foo Fighters debut album
would later be conceived, with all vocal and instrumental parts done solely by Grohl. With Late! as the moniker, the session was combined with four songs recorded in the summer of 1991, to create the album Pocketwatch
, released on Simple Machines in 1992 as part of the labels Tool Cassette Series. The song is listed in the liner notes
under its original title, "Color Pictures of a Marigold" and is one of just two songs on the album to feature only vocals and guitar.
with bandmates Kurt Cobain
and Krist Novoselic
, to record what would eventually become In Utero, the third and final studio album from Nirvana, produced by Steve Albini
. Towards the end of the session, Grohl decided to re-record "Marigold," this time with a more detailed arrangement including bass and drums. Like the Late! version, lead and backing vocals and guitar were done by Grohl, who also recorded the drum parts. Although Novoselic contributed bass, it has been said that Cobain was absent during the production of "Marigold", despite exhaustive rumors insisting his involvement singing backing vocal and playing either drums or guitar. The song didn't make it to the final album, however it would see limited release in August 1993 as a b-side, along with "Milk It", to "Heart-Shaped Box
", the first single
from In Utero (interestingly, Grohl is credited for playing drums and singing lead vocal on "Marigold", but not guitar or backing vocal). The song would later appear on the third disc of the posthumous box set, With the Lights Out
in 2004. The Nirvana version of "Marigold" is significantly notable in that during the band's seven year tenure, it is the only song released by Nirvana to not include any contribution from frontman Kurt Cobain.
set at the Berkeley Community Theatre
on July 14, 2006 and would be played throughout the rest of the tour. A performance the following month at Pantages Theatre
in Hollywood, California featuring the song with an eight piece band, was released as the live album
Skin and Bones
on November 7, 2006. This version by the Foo Fighters, recorded over twelve years after the previous Nirvana version, marks further recognition for the song, released by not only the two bands Dave Grohl is best known for being a member of, but also two of the most seminal alternative
rock
acts of all time, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. "Marigold" would be the third song taken from Pocketwatch to be re-recorded and released by the Foo Fighters, along with "Winnebago" and "Friend of a Friend
".
was only issued as a cassette
, despite later interest from Simple Machines to release the album on CD
. The "Heart-Shaped Box
" single was released on many formats including 12-inch
and 7-inch vinyl, CD and cassette. With the Lights Out
was a box set that included three CDs and one DVD
. Skin and Bones
was a live album issued on both CD and DVD.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock musician Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
, that was first released on Pocketwatch
Pocketwatch (album)
Pocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992 on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines, as part of their Tool Cassette Series.-Background:...
, an album Grohl issued under the pseudonym Late! in 1992.
The song is perhaps best known for the version that was recorded and released in 1993 by 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...
, as a b-side to the "Heart-Shaped Box
Heart-Shaped Box
"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the first single from the group's third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. It was one of two songs from the album mixed by Scott Litt in order to augment...
" single. A live version was later featured on the Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
' release Skin and Bones
Skin and Bones
-Live in Los Angeles :-Live in Hyde Park :Note: The whole setlist is not included on the DVD. The song "The One" is excluded, as Taylor Hawkins made a mistake on the drums...
in 2006, garnering "Marigold" the notable distinction of being the only song released by both Nirvana and Foo Fighters, two of Grohl's most distinguished bands.
Pocketwatch
"Marigold" was originally recorded by Dave GrohlDave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
during a session at Upland Studios in Arlington, Virginia with producer Barrett Jones on December 23, 1990, taking place just several months after Grohl joined 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...
. The session was executed in a similar way to how the Foo Fighters debut album
Foo Fighters (album)
Foo Fighters is the debut album by the Foo Fighters. At the time, the only official member of the Foo Fighters was Dave Grohl, who wrote and recorded the entire album himself at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, Washington in 1994, prior to organizing the band...
would later be conceived, with all vocal and instrumental parts done solely by Grohl. With Late! as the moniker, the session was combined with four songs recorded in the summer of 1991, to create the album Pocketwatch
Pocketwatch (album)
Pocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992 on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines, as part of their Tool Cassette Series.-Background:...
, released on Simple Machines in 1992 as part of the labels Tool Cassette Series. The song is listed in the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
under its original title, "Color Pictures of a Marigold" and is one of just two songs on the album to feature only vocals and guitar.
Nirvana
In February 1993, Grohl entered Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, MinnesotaCannon Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,795 people, 1,550 households, and 996 families residing in the city. The population density was 946.4 people per square mile . There were 1,611 housing units at an average density of 401.8 per square mile...
with bandmates Kurt Cobain
Kurt 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...
and Krist Novoselic
Krist Novoselic
Krist 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...
, to record what would eventually become In Utero, the third and final studio album from Nirvana, produced by Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
. Towards the end of the session, Grohl decided to re-record "Marigold," this time with a more detailed arrangement including bass and drums. Like the Late! version, lead and backing vocals and guitar were done by Grohl, who also recorded the drum parts. Although Novoselic contributed bass, it has been said that Cobain was absent during the production of "Marigold", despite exhaustive rumors insisting his involvement singing backing vocal and playing either drums or guitar. The song didn't make it to the final album, however it would see limited release in August 1993 as a b-side, along with "Milk It", to "Heart-Shaped Box
Heart-Shaped Box
"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the first single from the group's third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. It was one of two songs from the album mixed by Scott Litt in order to augment...
", the first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from In Utero (interestingly, Grohl is credited for playing drums and singing lead vocal on "Marigold", but not guitar or backing vocal). The song would later appear on the third disc of the posthumous box set, With the Lights Out
With the Lights Out
With the Lights Out is a box set, containing three CDs and one DVD, of previously rare or unreleased material, including b-sides, demos, rough rehearsal recordings and live recordings, from the American rock band Nirvana. It was released in November 2004...
in 2004. The Nirvana version of "Marigold" is significantly notable in that during the band's seven year tenure, it is the only song released by Nirvana to not include any contribution from frontman Kurt Cobain.
Foo Fighters
"Marigold" was performed live for the first time by Grohl during the Foo FightersFoo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
set at the Berkeley Community Theatre
Berkeley Community Theatre
The Berkeley Community Theatre is a theatre, located in Berkeley, California on the campus of Berkeley High School. The Art Deco-style theater has 3,491 seats, including a balcony section...
on July 14, 2006 and would be played throughout the rest of the tour. A performance the following month at Pantages Theatre
Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)
The Pantages Theatre, formerly known as RKO Pantages Theatre, is located at Hollywood and Vine , Hollywood, California, USA. Designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca, it was the last theater built by the vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages...
in Hollywood, California featuring the song with an eight piece band, was released as the live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Skin and Bones
Skin and Bones
-Live in Los Angeles :-Live in Hyde Park :Note: The whole setlist is not included on the DVD. The song "The One" is excluded, as Taylor Hawkins made a mistake on the drums...
on November 7, 2006. This version by the Foo Fighters, recorded over twelve years after the previous Nirvana version, marks further recognition for the song, released by not only the two bands Dave Grohl is best known for being a member of, but also two of the most seminal alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
acts of all time, Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. "Marigold" would be the third song taken from Pocketwatch to be re-recorded and released by the Foo Fighters, along with "Winnebago" and "Friend of a Friend
Friend of a Friend (song)
"Friend of a Friend" is an acoustic song by Foo Fighters, featured on their 2005 album In Your Honor. The song is performed solely by Foo Fighters' guitarist/lead vocalist Dave Grohl....
".
Releases and personnel
The following is a list of the only official releases to feature the song "Marigold" and the personnel that contributed to them. The song is also notable for being released on an array of different formats. PocketwatchPocketwatch (album)
Pocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992 on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines, as part of their Tool Cassette Series.-Background:...
was only issued as a cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
, despite later interest from Simple Machines to release the album on CD
Compact 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 "Heart-Shaped Box
Heart-Shaped Box
"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the first single from the group's third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. It was one of two songs from the album mixed by Scott Litt in order to augment...
" single was released on many formats including 12-inch
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
and 7-inch vinyl, CD and cassette. With the Lights Out
With the Lights Out
With the Lights Out is a box set, containing three CDs and one DVD, of previously rare or unreleased material, including b-sides, demos, rough rehearsal recordings and live recordings, from the American rock band Nirvana. It was released in November 2004...
was a box set that included three CDs and one DVD
DVD
A 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....
. Skin and Bones
Skin and Bones
-Live in Los Angeles :-Live in Hyde Park :Note: The whole setlist is not included on the DVD. The song "The One" is excluded, as Taylor Hawkins made a mistake on the drums...
was a live album issued on both CD and DVD.
| Artist | Release | Personnel |
|---|---|---|
| Late! | Pocketwatch Pocketwatch (album) Pocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992 on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines, as part of their Tool Cassette Series.-Background:...
|
Dave Grohl David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures... – vocals, guitar Guitar The 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... |
| Nirvana | "Heart-Shaped Box Heart-Shaped Box "Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. The song was released as the first single from the group's third and final studio album, In Utero, in 1993. It was one of two songs from the album mixed by Scott Litt in order to augment... " single Single (music) In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear... DGC DGC can refer to:*Discontinuous Gas Exchange Cycles*Geffen Records*DGC Records*Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chronometrie*DARPA Grand Challenge*Digital gold currency*Di Gi Charat*Distributed Garbage Collection*Durban Girls' College... , Geffen Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:... 12-inch single The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality... , CD Compact 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 ,... , CS |
Drum kit A 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 .... Krist Novoselic Krist 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 Bass guitar The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... |
| With the Lights Out With the Lights Out With the Lights Out is a box set, containing three CDs and one DVD, of previously rare or unreleased material, including b-sides, demos, rough rehearsal recordings and live recordings, from the American rock band Nirvana. It was released in November 2004... Universal Records Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:... DVD A 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.... box set |
||
| Foo Fighters | Skin and Bones Skin and Bones -Live in Los Angeles :-Live in Hyde Park :Note: The whole setlist is not included on the DVD. The song "The One" is excluded, as Taylor Hawkins made a mistake on the drums... RCA RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor... , Roswell |
Chris Shiflett Christopher Aubrey "Chris" Shiflett is best known as the lead guitarist for the rock band Foo Fighters as well as the punk rock cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. He is the younger brother of musician Scott Shiflett.-Career:Shiflett joined Foo Fighters after the release of their third... – guitar Nate Mendel Nathan Gregor "Nate" Mendel is an American bassist for the bands Foo Fighters, The Jealous Sound, Sunny Day Real Estate, and The Fire Theft.-Biography:... – bass Taylor Hawkins Oliver Taylor Hawkins is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters.... – drums Pat Smear Pat Smear is a rock musician who has been a guitarist in several well-known bands including The Germs and Nirvana. He is currently a guitarist for the Foo Fighters... – guitar Petra Haden Petra Haden is an American violinist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age,... – violin Violin The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... , backing vocals Drew Hester Drew Hester is a drummer / percussionist / record producer who plays drums with Joe Walsh , Jewel drums, Foo Fighters percussion, Chicago drums and percussion, Lisa Marie Presley drums, Common Sense drums, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders drums and percussion and many others.In... – glockenspiel Glockenspiel A glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone... Rami Jaffee Rami Jaffee, born March 11, 1969, in Los Angeles, is best known as the keyboardist of The Wallflowers and work for several bands and artists, including Foo Fighters, Pete Yorn, Soul Asylum, Pearl Jam, Stone Sour, Joseph Arthur and Coheed and Cambria.... – piano Piano The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... , mellotron Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music... |