Molly's Lips

Album: The Way of The Vaselines: A Complete History (1992)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is about the Scottish actress Molly Weir, who played Hazel The McWitch in late '70s/early '80s BBC children's show Rentaghost. Vaseline founder member Eugene Kelly recalled to NME September 25, 2010: "Molly used to have this programme before the news on Scottish TV (Teatime Tales) where she'd tell all these stories from her childhood. She always struck us as a great character, so we just wanted to sing a song about kissing her."
  • The Vaselines recorded "Molly's Lips" for their second EP, Dying For It, released in March 1988. It was later included on their career retrospective collection The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History.
  • Kurt Cobain listed the Dying for It EP at #4 on his hand-scrawled list of his Top 50 all-time favorite albums.
  • Nirvana recorded "Molly's Lips" live on February 9, 1990, at the Pine Street Theatre in Portland, Oregon. In 1991, the Sub Pop label released a vinyl-only split-single with "Candy" by The Fluid and Nirvana's Pine Street Theatre live cover of "Molly's Lips."

    The single made up part of the band's buyout deal from Sub Pop Records. Cobain tried to block the song's release, feeling that Nirvana's version wasn't strong enough, but to no avail. Sub Pop later included it on the 1992 Nirvana rarities compilation, Incesticide.
  • The Vaselines broke up in 1989 when Eugene Kelly and the band's co-vocalist Frances McKee split up as a couple. But Nirvana's covers of their songs brought them new exposure, and they briefly reformed in October 1990 to open for the grunge legends when they played in Edinburgh. The publicity prompted Sub Pop to put together the 19-track compilation The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History, at Cobain's suggestion.

    The Vaselines reformed in 2008 and signed a recording contract with Sub Pop.

Comments: 3

  • Alasdair from Newdigate, Englandanother good cover version, apart from the Nirvana one, is by English band the Paddingtons
  • Jon from Oakridge, OrLiked Nirvanas cover.
  • D from 1, AlThis song was named for the BBC television actress Molly Weir.
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