From album
In Utero
Nirvana · 2013 · Track 9
Details
TonalidadAm
Compás4/4
Tempo112 BPM
Duración3:37
CompositorKurt Cobain
ÁlbumIn Utero
Año2013
ISRCUSGF19960709
Credits
Music Kurt Cobain
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The story behind
The story behind Pennyroyal Tea is fascinating, and it has to do with urgency and spontaneity. It is said that Kurt Cobain wrote this song in a matter of seconds, while experimenting with a four-track recording setup in an apartment in Olympia, Washington, back in 1990. He then spent a little more time shaping the lyrics. The first time it was heard live was in April 1991, at the OK Hotel in Seattle, the same place where Smells Like Teen Spirit debuted. These early takes, some without vocals, were recorded by Jack Endino in October 1992.
The final version we know of Pennyroyal Tea was recorded in February 1993 at Pachyderm Studios, in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, under the production of Steve Albini. Albini recalled that this song, along with Heart-Shaped Box, were among the few that required multiple takes to achieve the desired sound. Even the kick drum was modified to achieve a lighter, "jazzy" tone, different from the rest of the In Utero album. Despite this, Cobain was not entirely satisfied, feeling that its potential as a successful single had not been captured. Therefore, it was decided to do a remix with Scott Litt, who had already worked on Heart-Shaped Box and All Apologies. This remixed version appeared on the censored editions of In Utero in March 1994 and, after being canceled as an original single in April 1994 due to Cobain's death, was finally released in a limited edition in April 2014, even topping the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart.
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