Nirvana

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From user Smiths in Kurt Cobain imitated Morrissey on Top of the Pops - Morrissey-solo (Sep. 24, 2001):

In a new biography about Nirvana's much missed front man Kurt Cobain written by Charles Cross, titled "Heavier than Heaven", in Chapter 16, on page 208 there is a Morrissey mention.
In describing a November 28th appearance on The Top of the Pops where Nirvana performed "Smells Like Teen Spirit", though only the vocals were live, a funny thing happened. Instead of trying to perform a near lip-synced rendition of the song, which was quickly becoming very popular, Kurt sang the song in the most slowed down seemingly Gothic sounding voice possible. If you have seen the "Nirvana Live Tonight Sold Out" video this show appears on that tape. Its the one where the fans are clapping to the beat, while Kurt in silly Sunglasses plays the guitar with no hands and sings as though he is heavily sedated. Guess who Kurt was imitating as he mocked the Top of the Pops?
From the book...

"Kurt hatched a plan with Novoselic and Grohl to make a mockery of their performance. As the backing track played, Kurt sang the vocals in a slowed-down, almost Vegas-like lounge version; he was attempting, he later claimed, to sound like Morrissey."

Mentioned In

EXCLUSIVE: Morrissey - Music-News.com (May 27, 2019)

Discogs Information

Profile

Rock band from Aberdeen, Washington, USA, formed in 1987. Emerging from the Seattle grunge scene of the late 1980s/early 1990s, Nirvana was a power trio of musicians who brought a new aesthetic to the rock scene of the time. They had already released their debut LP "Bleach" with Sub Pop, but their 1991 major-label debut for DGC/Geffen Records, "Nevermind" broke the band and grunge into the mainstream of America. Singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain's death by suicide in April 1994 brought the band to an end.

The band's names in a chronological order: Skid Row (6) (start (1987) - June 27, 1987) Pen Cap Chew (2) (June 27, 1987 - August 9, 1987) Bliss (108) (August 9, 1987 - January 1988) Ted Ed Fred (January 1988 - March 19, 1988) Nirvana (March 19, 1988 - end)

There were two other short-used band names before Nirvana: Throat Oyster and Windowpane (no official proofs for it though)

Final line-up: Kurt Cobain – lead guitar, lead vocals (1987–1994; died 1994) Krist Novoselic – bass (1987–1994), accordion (1993–1994) Dave Grohl – drums, backing vocals (1990–1994)

Former members: Aaron Burckhard – drums (1987, 1988) Dale Crover – drums (1988, 1990), backing vocals (1988) Dave Foster (14) – drums (1988) Chad Channing – drums (1988–1990) Dan Peters – drums (1990) Jason Everman – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1989)

Touring musicians: Pat Smear – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1993–1994) John Duncan – guitar (1993) Lori Goldston – cello (1993–1994) Melora Creager – cello (1994)

Session musicians: Mark Pickerel – drums (1989) Kirk Canning – cello (1991) Kera Schaley – cello (1993)

Live guest musicians: Tony Poukkula – guitar (1987) Ryan Aigner – guitar (1987) (also was the band's first manager) Antony Hodgkinson (aka Dancing Tony) – dancing (1990, 1991, 1992)

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Wikipedia Information

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture. In the late 1980s, Nirvana established itself as part of the Seattle grunge scene, releasing its first album, Bleach, for the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989. They developed a sound that relied on dynamic contrasts, often between quiet verses and loud, heavy choruses. After signing to major label DGC Records in 1991, Nirvana found unexpected mainstream success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit", the first single from their landmark second album Nevermind (1991). A cultural phenomenon of the 1990s, Nevermind was certified Diamond by the RIAA and is credited for ending the dominance of hair metal.Characterized by their punk aesthetic, Nirvana's fusion of pop melodies with noise, combined with their themes of abjection and social alienation, brought them global popularity. Following extensive tours and the 1992 compilation album Incesticide and EP Hormoaning, the band released their highly anticipated third studio album, In Utero (1993). The album topped both the US and UK album charts, and was acclaimed by critics. Nirvana disbanded following Cobain's suicide in April 1994. Further releases have been overseen by Novoselic, Grohl, and Cobain's widow, Courtney Love. The live album MTV Unplugged in New York (1994) won Best Alternative Music Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Nirvana is one of the bestselling bands of all time, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. During their three years as a mainstream act, Nirvana received an American Music Award, Brit Award and Grammy Award, as well as seven MTV Video Music Awards and two NME Awards. They achieved five number-one hits on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and four number-one albums on the Billboard 200. In 2004, Rolling Stone named Nirvana among the 100 greatest artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility in 2014.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(band)

Related Forum Threads

Remembering when Kurt Cobain sang ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ in the style of Morrissey, 1991 - Morrissey-solo (Feb 12, 2018)