"Marigold" (originally titled "Color Pictures of a Marigold") is a song written and composed by American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
musician
Dave Grohl
David Eric Grohl (; born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and only consistent member. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of th ...
, that was first released on ''
Pocketwatch'', an album Grohl issued under the pseudonym Late! in 1992.
A version was recorded and released in 1993 by
Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
as a
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
to the "
Heart-Shaped Box
"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the third track on the band's third and final studio album, '' In Utero'', released by DGC Records in September 199 ...
" single. A live version was later featured on the
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
' release ''
Skin and Bones'' in 2006, garnering "Marigold" the distinction of being the only song released by both Nirvana ''and'' Foo Fighters, Grohl's two most distinguished bands.
History
Pocketwatch
"Marigold" was originally recorded by
Dave Grohl
David Eric Grohl (; born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and only consistent member. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of th ...
during a session at Upland Studios in
Arlington, Virginia
Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...
with producer Barrett Jones on February 16, 1991, taking place a number of months after Grohl joined
Nirvana
Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
. 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
Simple Machines was an American independent record label in Arlington, Virginia. The label was founded by Derek Denckla and Jenny Toomey and Brad Sigal while both were living in the Positive Force House in north Arlington, but Sigal and even ...
in 1992 as part of the label's Tool Cassette Series. The song is listed in the
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards.
Origin
Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
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, Minnesota
Cannon Falls is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,083 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Located along U.S. Route 52 in Minnesota, U.S. Route 52, southeast of the Min ...
with bandmates
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...
and
Krist Novoselic
Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician, politician and activist. Novoselic co-founded and played bass on every album for the rock music, rock band Nirvana (band), Nirvana.
Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the ban ...
, to record what would eventually become ''
In Utero'', the third and final studio album from Nirvana, produced by
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini (; July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (band), ...
. 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, Cobain did not play on the released version. There were, however, versions of the song that Cobain did play on - these remain unreleased. The song did not make the final album, but would see limited release in August 1993 as a
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...
, along with "Milk It", to "
Heart-Shaped Box
"Heart-Shaped Box" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It appears as the third track on the band's third and final studio album, '' In Utero'', released by DGC Records in September 199 ...
", the first
single from ''In Utero'' (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
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award, an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication, publishing of creative work after the author's death
* Posthumous (album), ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1 ...
rarities
box set
A boxed set or (its US name) box set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box, hence 'boxed', and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists ...
''
With the Lights Out
'' With the Lights Out'' is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana, released on November 23, 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. T ...
'' in 2004 and on 20th anniversary editions of the ''In Utero'' album in 2013. The song received some airplay on US alternative and
active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge o ...
radio in 1996,
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*] after it appeared on the
import
An importer is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. Import is part of the International Trade which involves buying and receivin ...
release of Nirvana's European ''
Singles'' box set as the B-side to the "Heart-Shaped Box" single.
KROQ Music Director Lisa Worden, introduced “Marigold” to the radio waves after discovering the B-side on the single in the import box set. The song was then picked up by alternative radio stations in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. Despite the spontaneous success of the song, Geffen Records and Grohl refused to capitalize on it and made it known that copies of the song would not be sent out to radio stations to promote airplay.
Foo Fighters
"Marigold" was performed live for the first time by Grohl during the
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
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
Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...
, featuring the song with an eight piece band, was released on the
live album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th centur ...
''
Skin and Bones'' on November 7, 2006. This version, recorded over twelve years after the previous Nirvana version, garnered further recognition of the song. "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
In sociology, a friend of a friend is a human contact that exists because of a mutual friend. Person C is a friend of a friend of person A when there is a person B that is a friend of both A and C. Thus the human relation "friend of a friend" is ...
".
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.
References
#
Simple Machines: Tool Cassette Series#
LiveNirvana.com - Sessions History# FooFightersLive.com - 2006 Tour History
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/q-a-dave-grohl-on-kurts-last-days-and-the-making-of-in-utero-20130924
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marigold (Song)
1992 songs
Foo Fighters songs
Nirvana (band) songs
Songs written by Dave Grohl