Sappy
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"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.[1] At the time the song was credited by the title "Verse Chorus Verse", which happens to be the title of an earlier, different Nirvana song that had been scrapped. The same 1993 recording, under the song's original title of "Sappy", also appears on the Nirvana rarities box set With the Lights Out, 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 Cobain was said to never be 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, scrapped Nirvana song,[2] 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. The final live performance of the song was at a February 1994 concert in Milan, Italy.[3] At the concert the audience kept requesting the song; bassist Krist Novoselic, after performing it, said to the crowd, "Did you hear it on a bootleg? Because it wasn't listed on the album."
Studio versions
| Date recorded | Studio | Producer/recorder | Releases |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 - 1988 | Cobain residence, Olympia, Washington | Kurt Cobain | Montage of Heck: The Home Recordings (2015) |
| January, 1990 | Reciprocal Recording | Jack Endino | Sliver: The Best of the Box (2005)[A] |
| April, 1990 | Smart Studios | Butch Vig | Nevermind (deluxe) (2011) |
| May, 1991 | Sound City Studios | Butch Vig | Unreleased[B] |
| February, 1993 | Pachyderm Studio | Steve Albini | No Alternative (1993) With the Lights Out (2004) In Utero (deluxe) (2013) |
Live versions
- A live version of "Sappy", recorded on February 16, 1990, appears on the DVD of the With the Lights Out box set, released in 2004.
- A live version from 1990 was included as a bonus track on the 20th Anniversary "Deluxe" edition of the Bleach album, released in 2009.
Notes
- A ^ The January 1990 version of "Sappy" recorded at Reciprocal Recording and released on the Sliver: The Best of the Box compilation album in 2005 is one of three previously unreleased songs on that album that were not taken from the With the Lights Out box set which was released in 2004. The 1993 version of "Sappy" recorded at Pachyderm Studios is in fact included on the box set.
- B ^ Although the version of "Sappy" that was recorded in May 1991 at Sound City Studios remains officially unreleased, it was leaked onto the internet in August 2015.[4]
References
- ↑ All Music Guide - No Alternative allmusic.com. Retrieved 6 November, 2013.
- ↑ The Rough Guide to Nirvana books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 6 November, 2013.
- ↑ Nirvana's In Utero books.google.com. Retrieved 6 November, 2013.
- ↑ Previously unheard version of Nirvana's 'Sappy' emerges online nme.com. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
