a brief history of unreleased nirvana songs (video essay)

chapters:
00:00 - Kurt's earliest material
02:29 - Unverified leaks
06:48 - Skid Row
09:14 - Kurt's unreleased hit
10:59 - Calamity Jane
12:40 - VPRO radio
15:04 - Reddit leak
16:28 - The rarest Nirvana song
18:10 - The final Nirvana song
all credit to the Nirvana estate for the audio and visuals used in this video

[@PrettyboyAshtun]

found the perfect video to watch with my meal

[@lolnty7408]

same

[@BrettHue-pz4fb]

Best nirvana songs I've ever heard yet

[@CrispyChikenSammich]

Same here

[@fraserrisk1836]

Kraft macaroni cheese 😎🖤

[@StereotoneGlasgow]

THATS WHAT IM SAYIN

[@O0othiago0o0o0o]

Finally a video that don't talk about how Nevermind changed music. That's what Nirvana fans want.

[@camilosaavedralopez3757]

Fr

[@reubenisaac702]

Man, did you hear the news? Nevermind changed music, bro!

[@O0othiago0o0o0o]

@@reubenisaac702 yeah but there are thousands of video about it

[@benjamink7105]

@@reubenisaac702 Wait, are you talking about Nevermind, the groundbreaking grunge album that sold a trillion copies and blew up the sun so that no other music would ever be created? I can't wait to hear more.

[@reubenisaac702]

@@benjamink7105 Man, it did more than blow up the sun! It gave birth to the universe which then gave birth to a transgender multi-verse. How stunning! How brave!

[@cbt34gruger]

finally someone talks about "talk to me" and "weirdo" they're my favorite songs by nirvana

[@krisfrederick5001]

"Weirdo" is incredible. It really shows Kurt's ability to create something amazing and haunting with almost nothing. Moist Vagina, it's literally 2 notes and one of my favorites

[@ItsALLCAP]

Oh the Guilt and Opinion❤ Wish someone would have suggested them at MTV Unplugged

[@krisfrederick5001]

@@ItsALLCAP Opinion wouldn't have fit in Unplugged. Supposedly he wrote that for Iggy Pop but he didn't want it

[@krisfrederick5001]

As a kid in the 90's, the only way you could hope to hear "New Nirvana songs" after Kurt was gone was to luckily find an insanely overpriced bootleg such as the Outcesides in a Flea Market. Or also if you could find a rare single and hear the b-sides. With the internet and KZbin you can hear literally everything. Their unreleased songs are better than most bands best efforts. I'm STILL hearing songs that are "new" to me after 30 years and it's a beautiful thing...I hope this well never goes dry.

[@DavidEzra-pn5dq]

Yeah, it was scarce... you’d have to get the European CD singles’ boxed set, a Beavis & Butthead CD, a hidden track on a “No Alternative” CD, and yeah, the “Outcesticide” bootlegs...

[@HumbertoRodriguez-rh9gk]

There's a deep enough well. The nature of the band/Kurt, and their process has left behind a ridiculous amount of stuff no one has heard still. Will it all ever become available, is the question.

[@losethOS88]

Seriously

[@iamsirenhead5993]

"all because of you" and "excuse" both 100% sound like kurt to me, "all because of you" sounds a lot like the early bleach videos and such, the deepness in his voice is heard throughout that tour as well and is probably because of the mic's used on gear back then. as for "excuse" that sounds like kurt to me, and i hear his stella 100% you cannot fake the sound of kurts stella.

[@patrickosullivan7783]

There is no way Excuse was recorded on tape, which is the only way someone could record something by themselves at the time. Listen to Kurt’s actual tape recordings like the Sappy home demo and And I Love Her. They do not sound like that, Excuse sounds like it was recorded on a really bad phone.

[@iamsirenhead5993]

@@patrickosullivan7783 i agree that it doesnt sound like tape, and it sounds a little bit crushed at times. maybe its just a bad second-hand recording? maybe someone recorded it on their phone badly while playing the original tape. who knows. but i for sure think thats Kurt's real voice and stella.

[@iamsirenhead5993]

it sounds a little like the frances famer demo, and that weird accent he's doing also sounds like some stuff kurt did, after you pointed out that it doesnt sound like tape im a little more suspicious about it but it sounds like kurt as much as anything else he did. to me at least.

[@MrVuJaDe]

​@@iamsirenhead5993'Excuse' is a known fake since the early 00's, the person who recorded it has admitted it back then and even came with prove he recorded.

[@iamsirenhead5993]

@@MrVuJaDe Give me your source

[@vincentmusic09]

I have a feeling this video is gonna be massive in a few days

[@paisleepunk]

it's easily the channel's most viewed video ever as of right now, so that's something

[@usejustonce2386]

Wish Talk to Me got a studio treatment. Great song

[@gallocobain]

Same

[@claudiogallucci563]

Yup me to

[@gonknass]

Apparently it did in 1994 with pat and Kurt and was recorded but it for some reason hasn't been released yet if you search up talk to me 1994 studio(something similar to that) there is a short clip of the intro but then it cuts out

[@tiredcitizenz1925]

proven to be ai ​@@gonknass

[@randomcharacter6501]

There's a studio recreation by To Boddah here on youtube. Sounds pretty good to me.

[@rarestnirvana]

I had E-Coli in the script and was going to put it in the video, but I deleted it from the script and didn't realize. It might not count as a full song since there aren't any lyrics, just screaming, but since I included Lullaby I was planning on showcasing E-Coli as well. So just know that there is an additional unreleased Nirvana song you can listen to that I didn't cover in this video. Thanks for watching, and let me know if I got any details wrong or am missing anything else!

[@k0naisedging]

i really like this video, hard to believe theres only like 200 views

[@RadicalSharkRS]

Boutta change

[@k0naisedging]

@@RadicalSharkRSand boy did it

[@jakelegreat]

they played “horrified” live once i think. also drunk covered the kiss song “do you love me”

[@copheart]

I believe that "Weirdo" is Nirvana. That scream is undeniable, and sounds exactly like the scream he does in the versions of "Help Me, I'm Hungry" ("Vendetagainst") that are out there. People can fake a Cobain mumble singing style, but his scream is almost impossible to pull off.

[@camilosaavedralopez3757]

I started getting into music and playing guitar, discovered the seasons in the sun version of nirvana, now I’m making a cover of that in a sort of post punkish way

[@Black-Thorne]

This video is fantastic! I knew about some of these, but I really learned about some other tracks too!

[@billepperson2662]

A few corrections: • They played several shows under the name skid row, but the recordings of weirdo & Ms Buterworth are from a taped 1987 rehearsal, most likely at Krist's family home • Talk to me is only rumored to have been 1 of the songs played at a home recording session Kurt, Pat & Eric Earlanderson (of Hole) took part in sometime in late 93 or early 94, (the ONLY confirmed song from this session by Earlanderson is actually a cover of the clash's "Should I stay or should I go?") but nothing from that tape or the supposed post-intervention 94 recording of Kurt & Pat playing has surfaced... & I'm not sure what several second clip of an acoustic "talk to me" you're referring to as I didn't hear it in the video, but if it's the one I think you're referring to, it's unfortunately a proven fake • Not sure what your source on VCV being played @ the Lang Sessions is, but there's no reference to it on any of the studio logs & is not listed in live Nirvana's definitive notes on the session • There was already a well known circulating (here on yt as well) composite of the studio version of "Jam after dinner" with the live vocals from their 12/29/93 performance synched over it... Which vocal performance did you use? Edit: forgot one when originally writing this... • The allegation of Mari Earl destroying the original "Organized Confusion" demo is only an unsubstantiated rumor, & even if this does prove to be true, Nick Broomfield videotaped Mari playing the tape in full for "Kurt & Courtney", but hasn't released it, fearing possible litigation as he states in the film • The "t" in Krist's name is silent. His given name at birth was the standard American "Chris", & only changed it to the Slovakian spelling after meeting some distant relatives of his on tour in 94' • "Fecal" in Fecal Matter is pronounced "fee • khul" Other than that: excellent video! I too am actually launching a Nirvana yt channel very soon, in partnership with a website, perhaps we could work together in some way?

[@rarestnirvana]

thanks for the info! i'm interested in collabing, how can i contact you? i used the San Diego Bowl 1993 vocals for my Ivy League composite. there is a popular composite already in existence, but I found it rather artifact-y and thought I could improve the quality with my own version. (other quality composites may exist as well, i just figured I'd do it myself for the fun of it)

[@FilthagonyMusic]

insane video :) ive heard all of these songs already but im so glad there's now a video spreading awareness of these skgs!

[@WizBlew]

I live for videos like this

[@barretv7583]

This was great, learned some and was reminded of some

[@Xander-gu4eu]

Awesome job. Two videos in and I am a big fan of this channel already.

[@joshuasweeney1159]

This was awesome, I love hearing about kurts early music and unreleased stuff very interesting. subscribed 👍

[@almightymachine9930]

I remember getting ahold of Kurt and Courtney on VHS... circa 1999. I was DEEP down the rabbit hole back then.

[@vaultman2971]

This is an amazing video, i don't know why it doesn't have more recognition. I consider myself a pretty hardcore nirvana fan and i hadn't heard most of these songs! Thank you so much for making this

[@graymarch666]

I mean the video just got uploaded 6 days ago

[@RyanBranscum-pw4eu]

Anything kurt im here for it Thanks for the video bro🤘😎🫡😈

[@aqualalalala]

This is the best video i’ve ever watched please make more videos like this

[@rarestnirvana]

planning on it!

[@aqualalalala]

@@rarestnirvana thank you for putting in effort and making these videos i love them and your channel this was legit the best video i’ve watched for a while

[@Kinkzyy]

As someone who collects nirvana audios obsessively, you pretty much covered everything I have! I know you said you wouldn’t cover already released tracks but there is a 12 second version of Opinion that Kurt recorded at his house :)

[@rarestnirvana]

for sure, love that recording, the full thing actually just leaked on RareNirvana's channel. I didn't include Opinion because the radio performance was featured on With the Lights Out

[@Kinkzyy]

@@rarestnirvana OMG No way!! I can't believe I missed the full version. thankyou!

[@PrecisionPointTennis]

I heard this trio from Seattle called Sun Puddle and it sounds exactly like a replica of Nirvana

[@tracydyson3144]

They are very inspired by them 100%. They sound like the Bleach version of Nirvana.

[@PrecisionPointTennis]

@@tracydyson3144 you’re so right

[@oddtick]

Idk they sound so much like them it's almost annoying

[@PrecisionPointTennis]

@@oddtick I like to imagine it’s like an unreleased song by nirvana and I don’t know that it isn’t. It really sounds identical to something Kurt would have done

[@domidesu]

I have to say, if the unknown song from 11/07/1993 was going to be one of his songs if he's still alive, it'll be a hit. One of my favorite takes from this video.

[@carpa763]

nice video man 👏👏

[@Bohemianvampiree]

IV League still rings out in my head since the first time I heard it, great work paring the vocals with the studio session, subbed🙌🏽

[@AvoidingHumanSociety]

Unknown 3, the version being played here is the one I remastered on my old channel Nirvana Resource. I cannot get back into that damn account. I may make a new one as I have so much rare stuff and stuff I have remastered that I haven’t seen on KZbin or has horrible quality.

[@rarestnirvana]

oh man please do

[@caveguy22]

This was a great video, and one I was hoping would be made some day! Good job! I'll add what little knowledge I have: Steve Albini, when asked in a reddit AMA, could not remember ever hearing Lullaby during the Pachyderm sessions. Besides Nov 12 & Dec 29th 1993, Ivy League was also teased veeeeery briefly on the 13th Of Nov! :) There is also a soundboard recording of the Dec 29th show that features everything in highquality, compared to the film footage. Loved the video ❤️

[@MattC125]

This is gonna be a big video

[@georgwalt7978]

„Weirdo“ reminds me of „help me, im hungry“

[@user-se8sc1xv9y]

I swear ive heard a studio version of talk to me, either that or a really well recoded live version.

[@kingcreates1379]

DID SHE REALLY BURN THOSE TAPES

[@igorartsiukh3064]

great job!

[@emperorming2913]

Agree with you about 'Weirdo'. Total mesmerising mindfuck.

[@SBsoton]

Great video👍🏻

[@The_Man_Who_Sold_the_World.]

19:21 damn..

[@GothCthulhu]

A good pick of songs.

[@ricardorios403]

proud to say i knew all of these

[@debbierowe291]

YEAH....

[@terriblecertainity]

I believe that " Weirdo" is a kind of very early version of " Curmudgeon". Both feature a kinda simmiliar riff with focus on string bending. Werido is just played slower

[@catmobile20]

Finally someone talks about “New Wave”

[@Michiganvideoswithmyfriends.]

It might also be called wait

[@krisfrederick5001]

Kurt spoke for himself

[@Michiganvideoswithmyfriends.]

@@krisfrederick5001 how you know

[@suburbanindie]

You have to scoop the music audio when you're speaking. They're fighting each other and makes it sound garbled and I can't hear either as a result

[@rarestnirvana]

thanks for the feedback i'll definitely do that!

[@MrMookRecords]

Feck-All Matters sounds like a name for the Father Ted Nirvana tribute band

[@its_davidserret]

14:59 Rivers Coumo!!

[@dave-jk6en]

From what I’ve heard, Kurt wrote ‘talk to me’ for Iggy Pop, not sure if that was true though

[@nancybsyb]

Some well known facts just about the beginning of the band... Kurt tried for like 2 years to get Krist to be in a band with him and Krist wouldn't do it. Kurt did what he could to get mentors ( Buzz-Melvins) and make his way into the "scene".. for years.. Solo I think some of what you've got here could very well be some of his early attempts, hard to pin down since he played with anyone, anywhere and at anytime. 🤘

[@twt2718]

8:22 anyone else think this sounds like the bass intro to Hairspray Queen?

[@FossyPickles]

im kinda glad that talk to me never got anywhere, it was honestly even more of a pop song than teen spirit and it just, didn’t feel right

[@aisle_of_view]

Interesting stuff. Nobody Knows I'm New Wave might have made it on a future album (albeit with different lyrics, lol)

[@dannewstead4412]

The original “Bambi slaughter “ was on that demo he did with his aunt

[@bob-5c]

come on death is the creepiest one to me, so depressing

[@metaphoria3]

4:30 is that not Dale Cover?

[@mildpigeon]

Links to the all the songs would be amazing 😍

[@user-bb6tq4by8t]

I just want an explanation for the in utero super deluxe lol

[@gonknass]

What about come on death? (the live version not the completely opposite home recording)

[@rarestnirvana]

I think that's an alternate version of Vendetagainst/Help Me I'm Hungry just with different lyrics. It could be considered its own song, I'm definitely gonna cover it in a future video. (also why is the home recording called that i've never understood?)

[@niklasbissig4431]

Come on death?

[@rarestnirvana]

i think that's considered an alternative version of Vendetagainst/Help Me I'm Hungry which were released on WTLO so I didn't include them. there's a case to be made though, it's a distinct version of the song. i'll cover it in a future video for sure

[@Jrdn777]

I wish we had a better recording of that version. It’s so good

[@myrasherrill777]

I literally love videos about Nirvana and unreleased music🫶🏻🫶🏻 keep it up

[@-mythos1408]

Wait, they jammed/recorded Verse Chorus Verse at Robert Lang Studios? I've never actually known that.. 18:53

[@billepperson2662]

If they did , it wasn't recorded. Not sure what his source for this is. There's nothing in the session logs referencing it, & has never been alluded to by anyone involved anecdotally....

[@rarestnirvana]

that's according to livenirvana. right before You Know You're Right, they jammed an interpolation of Verse Chorus Verse. Supposedly not the whole song, Kurt just started playing the riff www.livenirvana.com/sessions/studio/january-1994.php#gsc.tab=0

[@-mythos1408]

@@rarestnirvana BRUHH HOW DID I MISS THIS?! I've legit looked through that exact page like 5 times.. thank you dude.

[@-mythos1408]

Wait, it says its officially released though. Anybody know where the jam's at?

[@billepperson2662]

@@-mythos1408 It's on the DVD menu of "with the lights out"

[@AvoidingHumanSociety]

I have enough demos and unreleased stuff to know “all because of you” is 100% Kurt. Sounds like tons of his “boombox demos”.

[@Emptidiot]

20:05 Rarestnirvana, exquisite job!

[@SK80RDI342]

Excuse is a Rudy and blitz demo Chad Ginsberg from ckys old band cool shit

[@sintonizandoecos]

15:07 game gear, gameboy or tv remote?

[@Wickedblackjuggalo19]

Hmm interesting vid the song lullaby reminds me a bit of early Marilyn Manson & the spooky kids and give me Portrait of an American Family vibes

[@danielktdoranie]

Kurt wanted Iggy Pop to record “Talk to Me” but Iggy said something to effect of “i write my own songs”

[@Dutch_van_der_linde939]

I think the speaking part of all because of you was definitely a drunk Krist. If you compare it voice to other times he sings it sounds similar.

[@lukedevandonge2003]

Do you think kurt would've liked the release of his demos? Not asking out of malice, it's just that he strikes me as a person that wouldn't like that.

[@lt.reubenrozeyt5716]

Fəkal Mater

[@MagnaMater2]

Oh, I thought 'Talk To Me' got recorded. I was so certain, this was a 'real' song. O.o

[@youngsociety666]

Song in the intro??

[@justifiend]

what is background music 2:39-4:45?

[@rarestnirvana]

you can find it as Black and White Blues jam

[@1leisure1]

I assume Krist knows the truth....

[@oliviernotte4790]

Opinion, old age ?

[@rarestnirvana]

both featured on With The Lights Out

[@bplumb82]

Couple facts wrong here.. but good video

[@brianhartline1197]

Sucks that they tampered with you know you're right by ai the damn chorus from pain to hey . Wonder what Kurt thinks about that? Probably betrayed

[@rarestnirvana]

what? ai music technology didn't even exist in 2004? they didn't change anything from the master recordings from 1994 when they released it, at most they remastered it

[@brianhartline1197]

@@rarestnirvana somehow they changed the chorus from pain to hey.

[@rarestnirvana]

@@brianhartline1197 what are you basing that off of? they didn't change anything. the only other recording that exists is the live version, so what are you getting that from?

[@user-gu4zq2vw7k]

whats the song at the intro?

[@biggreasylithuanianman8413]

Don’t want it all

[@rarestnirvana]

Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip. I looped a part of the verse

[@BUGBUTTHEADJR]

All because of you sounds almost identical to 20th century boy by trex which I think is somewhat similar to school off bleach

[@MrCaliforniaD]

Excuse doesn't sound anything like Kurt. Kurt was way better at controlling his pitch when signing. The guy in the recording can't control his voice.

[@prpwnage9296]

That excuse isn’t him I don’t think. That band song is.

[@adamg.4246]

Do Re Mi?

[@rarestnirvana]

on Montage of Heck

[@adamg.4246]

@@rarestnirvana well yeah but there’s one or two other versions that haven’t leaked yet. Maybe that’d fit into another video?

[@areamusicale]

1:56 I actually own the whole recording session of this tape! it was published in a double CD bootleg called "i hate myself and I want to d1e". I own that CD since 1994 or 1995. It sounds awful. A lot of white noise and a lot of clickings.

[@areamusicale]

2:47 no, that's not Kurt. it doesn't have the signature "untuned tone" of Kurt's old strings guitars (+ if I don't have it, I doubt anyone else does ... look, the 90s were the best time to get Nirvana's demos going around. The craze stopped in 1998, when people started to listen at New metal and Grunge finally died once for all). lol AND DEFENITELY 6:02 THAT'S NOT KURT

[@areamusicale]

PS: did you removed my first comment? why?

[@rarestnirvana]

@@areamusicale i haven't deleted any comments

[@areamusicale]

@@rarestnirvana oh, ok, sorry! I posted a comment .. it went throw, then I commented under that comment but the comment appeared unposted/deleted (I asked because I mentioned your name there offering a drop link .. I thought maybe you thought I am an hacker or smtg .. nevermind).

[@fireblossom146]

@@areamusicale would u be able to leak/publish the tape in some way?

[@dimitripf]

what is the song that plays in the background at 9:15???

[@rarestnirvana]

verse chorus verse home demo

[@metaphoria3]

Jaaaaack?

[@maddisonjunctionband8080]

4:02 man I just don’t hear it, that’s not Kurt

[@rarestnirvana]

i hear people say this, as I'm someone who thinks it does sound like a 1986 Kurt, what about it is off to you?

[@maddisonjunctionband8080]

@@rarestnirvana it’s just too deep like he said but even the lyrics just don’t sound like him, compared to fecal matter(1985) it sounds more like an impression of 1989 Kurt. Idk but that’s just what I think, I appreciate you asking

[@rarestnirvana]

@@maddisonjunctionband8080 if it were an impression i wouldn't be too surprised, it's low quality and hard to make out a distinct timbre so i see where you're coming from

[@bymyself_2]

that picture in the thumbnail isn’t kurt

[@rarestnirvana]

lol which one

[@bymyself_2]

@@rarestnirvana the one at the bottom in the middle

[@rarestnirvana]

@@bymyself_2 i'm fairly certain it is, it looks just like him. do you have a source for it not being him? here's a better look at the photo: i.pinimg.com/736x/8a/58/0b/8a580badb4d1dc67c9925a84f37c68f3.jpg

[@bymyself_2]

@@rarestnirvana its a cosplayer not him

[@wastewoodrockers5526]

@@bymyself_2It’s Kurt, not a cosplayer

[@Michiganvideoswithmyfriends.]

I’ve heard people call it Wait instead of new wave and it kinda sounds like he saying wait

[@johannesbuchholz3293]

"Excuse" sounds like someone doing a Kurt Cobain impression. Might just be the poor quality, but I think it's a fake.

[@DouglasBull-rk6tv]

So weird he is right handed but plays left handed.I don't think people understand just how strange and difficult that it.Its like being able to write and draw with both hands

[@darrenkaskie2648]

All Because of You doe sound like Kurt a lot but the song is terrible. I'm not convinced they were capable of having a real bad song.

[@opiumBIGGESTFAN2]

fakal matter

[@roeberdt-bT.1021]

... "Teddy bears still have bad advice." And du' is "talk to me" really a whatever this is?,... And really, niether side is sacred and nobody locked you in. (All her friends lie to her face. It's ok though because Jesus saves.) ...and by the way, it's called "keep the faith."

[@samsonmcgloughlin]

Lol rych corporhate small world

[@missyamorosi]

You mispronounced Fecal Matter...

[@MatthewGill-nv4tb]

Most overrated band

[@balizonechannel]

Meh they're good enough

[@AidenAlien]

You are so cool and different!

[@MatthewGill-nv4tb]

@AidenAidan I know. I'm not overweight and I have a job

[@AidenAlien]

@@MatthewGill-nv4tb if those are your accomplishments in life you have some work to do

[@yourmumlikesthisd]

Then why are you here

[@Goldilush]

"unverified" followed by footage of the band rehearsing at Krist's house. lol