Sappy
Encyclopedia
"Sappy" is a song by the American
rock
band Nirvana
. It was first released as a hidden track
on the 1993 AIDS
-benefit compilation album No Alternative
. At the time the song was credited by the title "Verse Chorus Verse", which happens to be the title of a different Nirvana song. The song, credited by its actual title of "Sappy", also appears on the Nirvana rarities box set With the Lights Out
, released in 2004.
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 the 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, it is usually called "Sappy" in order to avoid confusion.
Although "Sappy" was released as an extra hidden track on No Alternative, 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 the band's 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."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
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...
. It was first released as a hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
on the 1993 AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-benefit compilation album No Alternative
No Alternative
-Home video track listing:# Matthew Sweet "Superdeformed"#*directed by Kevin Kerslake# Neneh Cherry "Athens, Georgia 1993"#*directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe# Urge Overkill "Take a Walk"#*directed by Matt Mahurin...
. At the time the song was credited by the title "Verse Chorus Verse", which happens to be the title of a different Nirvana song. The song, credited by its actual title of "Sappy", also appears on the Nirvana rarities 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...
, released in 2004.
History
Originally recorded under the working title "Sad", "Sappy" dates back to at least 1987, and was recorded several times in the studio. The song's writer 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...
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
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...
at Pachyderm Studios in 1993 during the In Utero sessions and released as the final, unlisted track on the 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, it is usually called "Sappy" in order to avoid confusion.
Although "Sappy" was released as an extra hidden track on No Alternative, 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 the band's 1994 tour of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
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
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in which the audience kept requesting the song; bassist 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...
, after performing it, shouted to the crowd, "Did you hear it on a bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
? Because it wasn't listed on the album."
Other versions
Apart from the final version of "Sappy" recorded in 1993, found on No Alternative and CD 3 of With the Lights Out several other versions have been officially released:- A live version of "Sappy", recorded on February 16, 1990, appears on the 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....
of the With the Lights Out box set. - A demo version, recorded by 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...
in January 1990 in Seattle, Washington, appears on the 2005 compilation album, Sliver: The Best of the Box. This version was a selling point for the album as it is different to the final 1993 version that is actually included on the box set. - A live version from 1990 was included as a bonus track on the "Deluxe" edition of the 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...
album, released in 2009. - A demo version was recorded at Butch VigButch VigButch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
's Madison Wisconsin Smart StudiosSmart StudiosSmart Studios was a recording studio located at 1254 E Washington Ave in Madison, Wisconsin. It was set up in 1983 by Butch Vig and Steve Marker to produce local bands....
in 1990. This version was included on the "Deluxe" edition of the NevermindNevermindNevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
album, released in 2011.