Origins - from Small Town to Big World

Fecal Matter (? - 12/1986)  Kurt Cobain - Vocals/Guitar Dale Crover - Drums Greg Hokanson - Bass Sellouts/Skid Row (4/1987 - 6/1988)  Kurt Cobain - Vocals/Guitar Aaron Burckhard - Drums Chris Novoselic - Bass Ted Ed Fred  Kurt Cobain - Vocals/Guitar Dale Crover - Drums Chris Novoselic - Bass Nirvana (6/1988 - 4/1994)  Kurt Cobain - Vocals/Guitar Chad Channing - Drums (6/1988 - 5/1990) Chris Novoselic - Bass Jason Everman - Guitar (12/1988 - 7/1989) Dave Grohl - Drums (9/1990 - 4/1994)

Fecal Matter were a short lived band, they supported the Melvins (a local band which Kurt at one time had auditioned for) and also played a few live gigs. They recorded a demo tape, one of the tracks being an instrumental which later became Downer on the Bleach album.    After Fecal Matter split, Kurt and Chris, old high school acquaintances became friends and formed a variety of bands, Brown Cow, Stiff Woodies, Bliss, Throat Oyster, Pen Cap Chew, Skid Row, Sellouts which all had different members although the common element was Kurt and Chris. Floyd the Barber, Aero Zeppelin and Beeswax were among the songs they wrote and played. After playing local gigs they eventually made a 10 track demo tape at a cost of  $152.44 now with Dale Crover on drums calling themselves Ted Ed Fred. This demo tape was to pass to Sub Pop's Bruce Pavitt who agreed to release a single for the band.    Now known as Nirvana and with a new drummer, Chad Channing from the band Tick-Dolly-Row (which included now-Soundgarden Ben Shepherd) they recorded the Love Buzz / Big Cheese single of which 1000 hand numbered copies were made.    Following the success of their debut single they convinced Sub Pop to let them do an album. As Sub Pop had no money, the financing came from the latest recruit to Nirvana, Jason Everman. December 1988 was spent in Reciprocal Recording Studio recording the Bleach LP for a sum of $606.17.    Bleach was released in June 1989, and was immediately followed by a 26 show tour during which Jason Everman quit the band. The album proved to be a success.    In May 1990, Chad was dropped from the band, and Mudhoney's Dan Peters was lent to them so they could record their last Sub Pop single, Sliver. They eventually recruited ex-scream member, Dave Grohl as their new drummer, the final Nirvana lineup was complete. At the same time, Sub Pop was having financial trouble so Nirvana were looking for a new record label, they eventually found DGC, the Geffen label and in January 1991 were paid $287,000 in advance to produce their next album which was to take them to world fame, Nevermind was released by Geffen in September 1991 along with the single, Smells Like Teen Spirit.