FYI: Pearl Jam
Welcome to the first edition of FYI Friday, which means I’ll be sharing some knowledge about everything related to the 90’s alternative scene that you may or may not already know, but it should be an educational experience for us all.
Let’s kick off with a band that I mentioned earlier this week (and one of my favorites), PEARL JAM!
- Before they were known as Pearl Jam the band called themselves Mookie Blaylock. Mookie Blaylock was an All-Star Basketball player for the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. Pearl Jam’s title for their debut album Tenwas Blaylock’s jersey number.
- Original Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer, Jack Irons, was offered the role as Pearl Jam’s first drummer. He denied, but he did turn the demo tape over to a guy named Eddie Vedder. Irons, would eventually become Pearl Jam’s drummer from 1994 to 1998.
- Current drummer, and former Soundgarden drummer, Matt Cameron played the drums on the “Alive” demo.
- Pearl Jam is third band that includes bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard. Their first band was Green River (with future Mudhoney singer Mark Arm) and their second was Mother Love Bone.
- Mike McCready and Eddie Vedder made their recording debut with Ament and Gossard on Temple of the Dog’s self-titled album, a tribute album for fallen Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood. The project also featured Soundgarden members Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron.
- Eddie Vedder wrote “Better Man” years before it appeared on Vitalogy, Vedder wrote and demoed it with his pre Pearl Jam band, Bad Radio.
- Speaking of “Better Man”, the song was originally intended to be on Pearl Jam’s second album Vs., but they passed on using it. The song was also never officially released as single, but is one of their biggest hits.
- The original title for Vs. was Five Against One, some early pressings of the album had this as the title.
- In 1995 Eddie Vedder was part of an “all-star touring band” for former The Minutemen bassist Mike Watt. The band also featured former Nirvana (and future Foo Fighters) members Dave Grohl and Pat Smear.
- Guitarist Mike McCready played the music on the song ”Fever Dog” by fictional band Stillwater in Cameron Crowe’s film Almost Famous. Cameron Crowe was also the writer/director from the 1992 movie Singleswhich featured Vedder, Gossard and Ament as Matt Dillion’s fronted band Citizen Dick. Pearl Jam also contributed “State of Love and Trust” and “Breathe” to the soundtrack.
- In 1995 Pearl Jam was the backing band for Neil Young on his album Mirror Ball. The songs “Long Road” and “I Got Id” were recorded during this session with Neil Young, and released as a companion EP entitled Merkin Ball. The band, minus Eddie, would even tour Europe with Neil. Pearl Jam have played the Mirror Ball songs “Act of Love” and “Throw Your Hatred Down” during concerts.
Well that’s it for now, but don’t be sad, there will be Pearl Jam and all sorts of 90’s goodness still to come.
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FYI: Pearl Jam Revisited
May 2, 2008 at 9:24 am
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