Reciprocal Studios - Seattle, WA
1988-06-11 · United States · Studio · more gigs in Seattle
Circulating discs (27)
A Season in Hell Bootleg CD
(Banzai - BZBX 054)
- 15. Montage Of Heck Short Version (mislabeled: What's The Meaning?) 1:12
- 16. Spank Thru 3:21
Complete Cover Versions Bootleg CD
- 11. Love Buzz 3:13
Early Nirvana Bootleg CD
- 18. Love Buzz
Grunge is dead Bootleg CD
(Seattle Sounds - SSCD001)
- 1. Love Buzz 3:44
- 2. Spank Thru 3:20
Hollywood rock festival 93 Bootleg CD
(ACUM - JW 1001 -1)
- 6. Blandest 3:50
- 7. Spank Thru 3:11
- 10. Mexican Seafood 1:56
I can't Live Bootleg CD
- 12. Spank Thru 3:19
- 13. Blandest 3:53
Into the Black Disc 1 & 2 Bootleg CD
- 7. Blandest 4:05
Life's Like Pit-bulls on crack Bootleg CD
(- - -)
- 1. Blandest 3:51
- 2. Spank Thru 3:11
Loose Ends Bootleg CD
- 10. Mr Moustache 3:40
- 11. Blew 2:47
- 12. Sifting Jam 5:23
Loose Ends 2006 Upgrade Bootleg CD
- 10. Mr Moustache 3:42
- 11. Blew 3:00
- 12. Sifting Jam 5:30
Loose Ends 2007 Upgrade Bootleg CD
- 10. Mr Moustache 3:42
- 11. Blew 3:00
- 12. Sifting Jam 5:30
Outcesticide 3 The Final Solution Bootleg CD
(Blue Moon Records - BMCD39)
- 7. Blandest 3:52
Outcesticide 4 Rape of the Vaults Bootleg CD
(Blue Moon Records - BMCD46)
- 2. Spank Thru 3:21
Outcesticide in memory of Kurt Cobain Bootleg CD
(Blue Moon Records - BM CD14)
- 8. Blandest 3:39
Outcesticide Vol. 5 Bootleg CD
(Kobra Records - KRCD 005)
- 7. Floyd the barber 3:55
Bleach Album
- 5. Love Buzz 3:35
- 12. Big Cheese 3:41
Bleach: Deluxe Edition Album
- 5. Love Buzz
- 12. Big Cheese
Sliver The Best of The Box Album
(dgc - dgc)
- 7. Blandest 3:56
With the lights out Album
(DGC - LC07266)
- 16. Blandest 3:56
Kurdt's Tape Side A Tape SBD
- 11. Mr Moustache 3:53
- 12. Sifting Jam 5:42
Reciprocal Studio Tape SBD
- 2. Montage Of Heck Short Version 0:40
Smart Studios #1 Tape SBD #2
- 10. Love Buzz 3:34
Blew CD Single
(Tupelo Rocording - TUPCD 8)
- 2. Love Buzz 3:36
Bleach 12" Album
(Tupelo - TUP LP6)
- 5. Big Cheese
Verse Chorus Verse Bootleg LP SBD
(Giffen Inc - verse chorus A)
- 1. Love Buzz
- 3. Spank Thru
Love Buzz 7" Single SBD
(SUB-POP)
- 1. Love Buzz
- 1. Big Cheese
Bleach Cassette SBD
(Geffen - GEC24433)
- 5. Big Cheese
Notes & circulating recordings
06/11/88, 06/30/88, 07/26/88 & 09/27/88
-- FROM Jackendino.com---
During summer '88, after Chad joined, we worked on the Love Buzz single, recording "Love Buzz", "Big Cheese", "Spank Thru" again and a song called "Blandest". "Blandest" didn't come out very well and they opted to re-record it at a later time because the song was just not ready yet. They instructed me to record over this version which we did. I never even kept a cassette of it myself so the bootleg copies of it that exist must have come from band members' rough mix cassettes, perhaps stolen ones. When they were planning Incesticide Krist called me up and wanted to know if I remembered "Blandest" and if there was a tape of it anywhere; I told him no, you guys told me to erase it! Imagine how spooked I was when I later heard it on a bootleg...tenth-generation cassette tape hiss, horrible fried 3-AM rough mix and all...
The "Love Buzz" single version had an intro, originally twenty seconds long, that was an audio collage of little snippets put together by Kurt at home through skillful use of the pause button on his cassette deck. We spliced it on to the beginning of the tape but the Sub Pop folks made us shorten it. A long version (of just the intro) has been bootlegged (Christ! What hasn't??) as "Montage of Heck" and "Buzz Cut" (also called "The Landlord" I think), and if it was ever longer than the twenty seconds they brought to the studio, I don't remember ever hearing about it at the time. The album version of "Love Buzz" is a different mix, without the intro. Another difference is that in the middle of the single mix, there's a "noise break" which has extra noises from the same collage cassette (another thing he did, not part of the intro) added in. Since all 8 tracks were full on the master tape, we had to plug the studio cassette deck into the board like a virtual 9th track, and each time I ran through the mix, Kurt had to press "play" on the cassette deck at the right instant so that the stuff would be blended into the mix I was doing. When we later went to re-mix Love Buzz for the album (the single mix ain't that great) Kurt forgot to bring that cassette, so those noises are absent. (Take that, trivia fans...) Actually, it hardly makes any audible difference.
(Record collectors: The "Love Buzz" single is all black and white except for the hand numbering which is fine-point red marker pen. The sleeve is semi-gloss paper, folding, not pocket-type. The inside of the sleeve is blank. Buyer beware.)
-------------------From livenirvana.com: -------------
Reciprocal Recording Studios, Seattle, WA, US
Band members: Kurt Cobain (guitar, vocals), Krist Novoselic (bass), & Chad Channing (drums)
Producer: Jack Endino
Recorded:
[O] Love Buzz
[O] Big Cheese
[O] Spank Thru
[U] Blandest
Sources: 'Love Buzz' appears on Bleach (on its single vinyl release it contains a 10-second sound collage intro not available on Bleach). 'Big Cheese' features on Bleach and 'Spank Thru' on the compilation Sub Pop 200. 'Blandest' is only available on numerous bootleg releases. The best quality version of this track, however, is found on a recently surfaced band compilation tape (Master Reel>DAT>CDR - NB. the generation of this tape is disputed, it may really be Master Reel>ANA(?)>DAT>CDR).
Notes: The band, by this time called NIRVANA, returned to Reciprocal Studios to record their first single for Sub Pop. Endino was again chosen as producer, and did not spell Cobain's name incorrectly this time. (20)
Four sessions took place: (a) 11 June [5 hours - this was the main session], (b) 30 June [5 hours], (c) 16 July [3 hours - all mixed on this day], (d) 27 Sept [2 hours - to mix Spank Thru for the Sub Pop 200 compilation]. (1)
Whilst the January Reciprocal Session was very straightforward and easy for the band, this session turned out to be much more problematical; indeed, only one song, 'Love Buzz', was recorded on June 11th during the whole five hours. (20)
Four complete songs were recorded in total: 'Love Buzz', 'Big Cheese', 'Blandest' and 'Spank Thru', which featured Endino himself on backing vocals. (8)
Jonathan Poneman of Sub Pop was unimpressed with the vocals on the first mix of Love Buzz and asked for them to be re-recorded, although Endino says he is hard-pressed to discern any difference. (4) Endino confirmed to Gaar that the third and fourth sessions were probably for re-recording the vocals for 'Love Buzz' and mixing. (1)
Cobain felt that 'Love Buzz' sounded too lightweight. He blamed Channing, who was not as hard-hitting a drummer as Crover. Cobain told Azerrad: "We just couldn't get a good sound out of it. It sounded really clean and just didn't have any low end. I think it's the wimpiest recording we've ever done." (4)
The 7" release of Love Buzz is a different mix to CD version on Bleach (which Sub Pop did deliberately to enhance collectibility), as well as having a 10-second sound-collage intro from various children's records (from a home-made tape by Kurt that was originally 45 seconds long, then cut to 20 by Endino and then to 10 for single at Bruce Pavitt's request) and another sound-collage dubbed into the instrumental break. (8) The full tape, which was made at home by Kurt, is about 45 minutes long*, the result of his skilful use of the pause button. (11) There is no sound collage intro or in the middle of the song for remixed album version of 'Love Buzz' because Cobain forgot the home-made collage tape. (8)
* This tape is known as the Montage of Heck and is circulating in collectors' circles. A complete description of the tape can be found on LiveNIRVANA.com. (11) Indeed, part of the reason for the delay in recording 'Love Buzz' was the problem with adding the sound collage to the mix. (20) Owing to the lack of modern equipment at Reciprocal, the band had to press the "play" button on the cassette player at the appropriate point during mixing to add the collage. (20)
'Blandest' was deleted because the track did not turn out very well and the band opted to re-record it later (which they never did), because money for additional tapes was very tight at this point. (8) Gaar notes that: "Endino didn't even keep a copy for himself", and so "It's basically lost." (1) However, the song found its way onto bootlegs from the band's rough mix tapes.
-- FROM Jackendino.com---
During summer '88, after Chad joined, we worked on the Love Buzz single, recording "Love Buzz", "Big Cheese", "Spank Thru" again and a song called "Blandest". "Blandest" didn't come out very well and they opted to re-record it at a later time because the song was just not ready yet. They instructed me to record over this version which we did. I never even kept a cassette of it myself so the bootleg copies of it that exist must have come from band members' rough mix cassettes, perhaps stolen ones. When they were planning Incesticide Krist called me up and wanted to know if I remembered "Blandest" and if there was a tape of it anywhere; I told him no, you guys told me to erase it! Imagine how spooked I was when I later heard it on a bootleg...tenth-generation cassette tape hiss, horrible fried 3-AM rough mix and all...
The "Love Buzz" single version had an intro, originally twenty seconds long, that was an audio collage of little snippets put together by Kurt at home through skillful use of the pause button on his cassette deck. We spliced it on to the beginning of the tape but the Sub Pop folks made us shorten it. A long version (of just the intro) has been bootlegged (Christ! What hasn't??) as "Montage of Heck" and "Buzz Cut" (also called "The Landlord" I think), and if it was ever longer than the twenty seconds they brought to the studio, I don't remember ever hearing about it at the time. The album version of "Love Buzz" is a different mix, without the intro. Another difference is that in the middle of the single mix, there's a "noise break" which has extra noises from the same collage cassette (another thing he did, not part of the intro) added in. Since all 8 tracks were full on the master tape, we had to plug the studio cassette deck into the board like a virtual 9th track, and each time I ran through the mix, Kurt had to press "play" on the cassette deck at the right instant so that the stuff would be blended into the mix I was doing. When we later went to re-mix Love Buzz for the album (the single mix ain't that great) Kurt forgot to bring that cassette, so those noises are absent. (Take that, trivia fans...) Actually, it hardly makes any audible difference.
(Record collectors: The "Love Buzz" single is all black and white except for the hand numbering which is fine-point red marker pen. The sleeve is semi-gloss paper, folding, not pocket-type. The inside of the sleeve is blank. Buyer beware.)
-------------------From livenirvana.com: -------------
Reciprocal Recording Studios, Seattle, WA, US
Band members: Kurt Cobain (guitar, vocals), Krist Novoselic (bass), & Chad Channing (drums)
Producer: Jack Endino
Recorded:
[O] Love Buzz
[O] Big Cheese
[O] Spank Thru
[U] Blandest
Sources: 'Love Buzz' appears on Bleach (on its single vinyl release it contains a 10-second sound collage intro not available on Bleach). 'Big Cheese' features on Bleach and 'Spank Thru' on the compilation Sub Pop 200. 'Blandest' is only available on numerous bootleg releases. The best quality version of this track, however, is found on a recently surfaced band compilation tape (Master Reel>DAT>CDR - NB. the generation of this tape is disputed, it may really be Master Reel>ANA(?)>DAT>CDR).
Notes: The band, by this time called NIRVANA, returned to Reciprocal Studios to record their first single for Sub Pop. Endino was again chosen as producer, and did not spell Cobain's name incorrectly this time. (20)
Four sessions took place: (a) 11 June [5 hours - this was the main session], (b) 30 June [5 hours], (c) 16 July [3 hours - all mixed on this day], (d) 27 Sept [2 hours - to mix Spank Thru for the Sub Pop 200 compilation]. (1)
Whilst the January Reciprocal Session was very straightforward and easy for the band, this session turned out to be much more problematical; indeed, only one song, 'Love Buzz', was recorded on June 11th during the whole five hours. (20)
Four complete songs were recorded in total: 'Love Buzz', 'Big Cheese', 'Blandest' and 'Spank Thru', which featured Endino himself on backing vocals. (8)
Jonathan Poneman of Sub Pop was unimpressed with the vocals on the first mix of Love Buzz and asked for them to be re-recorded, although Endino says he is hard-pressed to discern any difference. (4) Endino confirmed to Gaar that the third and fourth sessions were probably for re-recording the vocals for 'Love Buzz' and mixing. (1)
Cobain felt that 'Love Buzz' sounded too lightweight. He blamed Channing, who was not as hard-hitting a drummer as Crover. Cobain told Azerrad: "We just couldn't get a good sound out of it. It sounded really clean and just didn't have any low end. I think it's the wimpiest recording we've ever done." (4)
The 7" release of Love Buzz is a different mix to CD version on Bleach (which Sub Pop did deliberately to enhance collectibility), as well as having a 10-second sound-collage intro from various children's records (from a home-made tape by Kurt that was originally 45 seconds long, then cut to 20 by Endino and then to 10 for single at Bruce Pavitt's request) and another sound-collage dubbed into the instrumental break. (8) The full tape, which was made at home by Kurt, is about 45 minutes long*, the result of his skilful use of the pause button. (11) There is no sound collage intro or in the middle of the song for remixed album version of 'Love Buzz' because Cobain forgot the home-made collage tape. (8)
* This tape is known as the Montage of Heck and is circulating in collectors' circles. A complete description of the tape can be found on LiveNIRVANA.com. (11) Indeed, part of the reason for the delay in recording 'Love Buzz' was the problem with adding the sound collage to the mix. (20) Owing to the lack of modern equipment at Reciprocal, the band had to press the "play" button on the cassette player at the appropriate point during mixing to add the collage. (20)
'Blandest' was deleted because the track did not turn out very well and the band opted to re-record it later (which they never did), because money for additional tapes was very tight at this point. (8) Gaar notes that: "Endino didn't even keep a copy for himself", and so "It's basically lost." (1) However, the song found its way onto bootlegs from the band's rough mix tapes.