Love Buzz by Nirvana

Album: Bleach (1989)

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This was Nirvana's first single. Ironically, it is a cover of a song by the Dutch band Shocking Blue ("Venus"), whose version released in 1967 didn't make the charts. The song was a staple at many of Nirvana's early shows. Today, the single is extremely rare. >>
Suggestion credit:
Matt - Millbrae, CA
In our interview with Sub Pop co-owner Bruce Pavitt, he recalled seeing Nirvana perform this song at the Central Tavern in Seattle, which was their first performance in the city. Said Pavitt: "In listening to their whole set, that song was the only one that really jumped out, and it was a cover. But, the hypnotic feel of that was kind of an indicator of some of their direction in songwriting. And it's just an incredible recording. They totally nailed it."
Kurt Cobain wasn't entirely happy with how the song turned out. The Nirvana frontman told NME: "I wish we could have recorded it a lot heavier. It was one of our first recordings. We weren't sure just what we wanted to do so it turned out kind of wimpy compared to our most recent recordings."
According to Q magazine, Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic discovered the Shocking Blue track on a bargain-bin album and was enamored by Klassje van der Wal bass skills. When the Dutch band heard Nirvana's cover, van der Wal was flattered by the attention but guitarist Robbie Van Leeuwen, who also wrote the song, wasn't a fan, calling the grunge take inferior.
This originally had a 45-second intro made up of sounds Cobain compiled from children's records, but Pavitt requested it be edited down to 10 seconds - and it was only included on the original single release. "They were just constantly having control right away," Cobain explained in biographer Michael Azerrad's Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. "Doing exactly what a major label would do and claiming to be such an independent label."
The original 7-inch single is a rare find because Sub Pop only pressed 1,000 copies and sold them in advance as high-priced limited editions for their Singles Club subscribers. Although Nirvana was unhappy with the strategy (Novoselic: "We put a single out and nobody could buy it"), it sold out quickly and generated interest in the band. "It was a very effective promotion for the group," Pavitt told Azerrad. "I do not regret that at all."
This was also included on Nirvana's 1989 Blew EP.
This was featured in the 1995 movie Mad Love, starring Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell.
Shocking Blue's version was used in the 2001 movie Things Behind the Sun, starring Rosanna Arquette, and the 2015 movie Entourage, starring Kevin Connolly and Adrian Grenier.
The Philadelphia rock band Circa Survive covered this for the 2016 Nirvana tribute album, Doused In Mud, Soaked In Bleach. The band's frontman, Anthony Green, told Alternative Press why they chose the song for the multi-artist album: "It's simple but hits so hard. I remember listening to it and feeling like 'I could do this' because of how accessible it felt."

Comments: 15

Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganThe reason the cover sounds so "wimpy", as Kurt put it, might be because on the recording the guitars are tuned up a half-step, to F. This was the underground grunge era, for this album, they didn't really keep track of what tuning they were using on every song, they just kind of tuned to whatever as long as the guitar was in tune with the bass and the instruments were in tune with themselves. (See "Blew" Songfacts)
JoshLol Sub Pop is printing 500 more copies of the single for Valentines Day
Paul from Dunedin, New ZealandI have just watched the video on Tongiht Live Sold out, and in my opinion, the Security Guard is trying to push Kurt back into the audience as you can tell he thinks he is just a member of the audience trying to get on the stage.
The crowd keep pushing forward and the Security Guard keeps trying to get kurt back into the crowd.
Kurt, not understanding why the Security Guard is pushing him, hits him in the head. Then the fight starts on stage.
at the end you can see Chris explaining to Kurt what he saw and what happened.
Johnny from Pittsburgh, Paok everyone is miss understanding this whole rare thing. before the times of just releasing an album bands used to release singles before the album would come out or just a single to appease a fanbase or to see how well they would do with that instead spending all kinds of money in the studio for something that won't sell. nirvana released the love buzz single and there is only 500 copies in the world if i remember correctly. the original pressing of bleach is also rare as it too has only 500 copies pressed on white vinyl.
Sheeberson from Wrightsville Beach, Nchaaaaaaa...
i always thought they said "CANT UNFAIL my love buzz"... wow, i feel like an idiot now...
Sheeberson from Wrightsville Beach, Ncthe best Nirvana bassline, in my opinion
Kenny from Pittsburgh, PaThe SINGLE is rare. It is obviously very easy to find on the albums.
Mike from Regina, CanadaAnd if it is rare, I'm now taking offers.
Mike from Regina, Canadaagree with Vestyjr. Its not rare at all, on Bleach, with the lights out. There is so many mistakes on this website, it kills it.
Derek from Muskegon, MiThis is a great song but Kurt was not happy about how the recording came out for this song. He thought that the drums played by Chad Channing were to weak and he thought of it as a weak recording of the song
Joe from Lockport, IlOk, this is what happened at that concert on Live Tonight Sold Out. Kurt was having guitar problems, so out of frustration, he smashed his guitar into the PA soundboard. (That part isn't in the video) So they got another PA soundboard and then continued playing. During Love Buzz, Kurt dives into the crowd, and it just so happens that the owner of the soundboard Kurt smashed was the security guard that patrolled the area in front of Kurt. So out of anger, the guard starts violently pulling him back to the stage, so Kurt decides to smack him in the head with his guitar. Kurt finally gets thrown back on stage, where the guard starts beating the crap out of Kurt. The fight was broken up quickly by other guards and the band members. You can see that the guard that got hit by Kurt is bleeding pretty badly from the side of his head. The guard is sent to a room in the back and the show continues.
Nick from Kingston, Australiait was a security guard who pulled him back and the guard hit him cause kurt smacked him in the head with his Guitar and after the show the guard was waiting for him
Ed from Chodania, FlOn th eLive tonight sold out video, kurt is playing this, when all of a sudden he jumps into the crowd. there is a struggle where people on stage try to pull him back on, and the crowd tries to pull him away. kurt is successfully pulled back on stage, but someone from the crowd gets onstage and punches him in the head from behind. then there is a standoff, and eventually they resolve it... pretty crazy stuff, i reccomend that video highly.
Matt from Millbrae, Cathe original single is very rare...of course the song has been passed around a lot, but the origianl sub pop produced single is almost impossible to find unless you bought it when it was released as part of the Sub Pop singles club when it came out in 1988.
Vestyjr from Copenhagen, Denmarkits not extremely rare at all. it was on their first album bleach. along with "with the lights out" and several other official and un-official albums. its a great song with a pumping bass riff and real slapping drum pattern. great to jam over.

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