Scentless Apprentice
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Scentless Apprentice" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Song by Nirvana | ||
| from the album In Utero | ||
| Released | September 21, 1993 | |
| Recorded | February 1993 at Pachyderm Studios, Cannon Falls, Minnesota | |
| Genre | Grunge rock | |
| Length | 3:47 | |
| Label | Geffen | |
| Writer(s) | Cobain/Grohl/Novoselic | |
| Producer(s) | Steve Albini | |
| In Utero track listing | ||
| Serve the Servants (1) |
"Scentless Apprentice" (2) |
Heart-Shaped Box (3) |
"Scentless Apprentice" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the second song on their 1993 album, In Utero.
Contents |
[edit] History
"Scentless Apprentice" most likely dates back to late 1992, and is rare among Nirvana songs in that all three members - singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain, drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic - contributed to writing it.
According to the 1993 Nirvana biography Come as You Are by Michael Azerrad, the song's main guitar riff was written by Grohl. Cobain was initially unimpressed with the riff, and admitted in Come as You Are that he only worked on it so that Grohl would not be offended. "It was such a cliché grunge Tad riff that I was reluctant to even jam on it," he said.
However, all three members continued to work on the song, and its dynamics eventually fell into place. "It was just a totally satisfying thing to finally contribute equally to a song," Cobain said in a 1993 Chicago Sun-Times interview, "instead of me coming up with the basics of the song."
"Scentless Apprentice" was debuted live on January 16, 1993, in São Paulo, Brazil. The song's first studio version was recorded by Craig Montgomery in January 1993 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was recorded for In Utero in February 1993 by Steve Albini in Cannon Falls, Minnesota.
In the Chicago Sun-Times interview, Cobain described "Scentless Apprentice" as "a really good example of the direction we're going in." The band briefly flirted with the idea of releasing the song as In Utero's second single, after "Heart-Shaped Box," but this never happened; they released a Double A-side single for "All Apologies" and "Rape Me" instead.
[edit] Meaning
"Scentless Apprentice" is based on the German novel Perfume, by Patrick Süskind. Published in 1985, the novel tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a boy born without body odour but with a heightened sense of smell. Grenouille grows up to be a perfume apprentice, and uses perfume to mask his lack of odour. He also becomes a murderer, stealing the smells of his female victims in his quest to create a human odour for himself.
In a 1993 MuchMusic interview, Cobain claimed that his copy of Perfume almost never left his pocket. Cobain said he related to Grenouille's alienation.
Cobain also related to Grenouille's fascination with odour. "I’m really interested in smells," he revealed in a 1993 Spin interview. "I think I’d like to own a perfumerie someday."
[edit] Other versions
A live version, performed on December 13, 1993 in Seattle, Washington, appears on the band's 1996 live compilation album, From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah. A demo version, over nine-and-a-half minutes long, appears on the band's posthumous box set, With the Lights Out. At the beginning of the track, Dave Grohl is heard saying "I wrote this song the other day and it goes.." and the riff is played by Grohl. Cobain forms the lyrics on the spot, and adds the separate chorus guitar riff.
[edit] Cover versions
Bastard pop artist Girl Talk often sings a cover version of the song during his live performances. It is the only song in his performances featuring his own vocals.
Flipper, a favorite of Kurt Cobain, recorded "Scentless Apprentice" for the 2000 Nirvana tribute album Smells Like Bleach: A Punk Tribute to Nirvana. When Krist Novoselic joined the band for several shows in December 2006, the song was added to their setlist.
[edit] See also
List of songs based on a film or book
[edit] Accolades
- Ranked #11 in NME's "Top 20 Nirvana Songs" (2004)
- Ranked #9 in Q's "10 Songs Based on Novels" (2004)
[edit] References
- Azerrad, Michael. Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, Doubleday, New York: 1993, ISBN 0-86369-746-1
- A piece of Kurt Cobain by Jim DeRogatis, March 10, 2002
- Smashing their Heads on the Punk Rock by Darcey Steinke, Spin, October 1993.
