Love Buzz
| "Love Buzz" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Published | 1969 |
| Songwriter(s) | Robbie van Leeuwen |
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2009) |
| "Love Buzz" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Big Cheese" |
"Love Buzz" is a song written by Robbie van Leeuwen of Dutch rock band Shocking Blue, first released as part of the group's 1969 album At Home.[1] Their version was sampled for the song "Phoenix" by The Prodigy on their 2004 album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.
The American grunge band Nirvana recorded a cover version of the song for its 1988 debut single, released on Sub Pop. It was the first single in the Sub Pop Single of the Month club, a marketing gimmick which helped Sub Pop stay temporarily financially solvent.[citation needed] A different mix of the song would also appear on Nirvana's debut album, Bleach, along with the single's b-side, "Big Cheese". The Bleach version is missing a 10-second sound collage introduction put together by Kurt Cobain. "Love Buzz" was later released on the Blew EP.
In a 1989 review for British music magazine Melody Maker, Everett True wrote, "Nirvana are beauty incarnate. A relentless two-chord garage beat which lays down some serious foundations for a sheer monster of a guitar to howl over. The volume control ain't been built yet which can do justice to this three-piece!" True also made "Love Buzz" joint-US Single of the Week.[2]
Live versions
An intense, violent performance of the song can be seen on the 1994 home video Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!. Cobain smashed the PA system at the club with his guitar, frustrated that it had consistently malfunctioned. (Viewers can see a pallet covering the PA, which was added in case Cobain decided to take a second shot.) Soon after Kurt decided to jump into the crowd. A bouncer tried to push him back onstage; Cobain responded by hitting the bouncer in the head with his guitar, drawing blood, after which the much larger man hurled Cobain to the floor and the performance came to a halt with band members, fans and crew separating the two.
In a performance in Amsterdam, Dave Grohl sings "Macho macho man! I wanna be a macho man!" after Cobain has an altercation with a cameraman. This is also seen on Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!, but this part is muted out possibly because of copyright reasons.[citation needed]
A rehearsal of Love Buzz from 1988 can be found on the DVD with the 2004 rarities box set With the Lights Out.
References
Specific references:
- ^ a b Song Search Results for "Love Buzz" from Allmusic
- ^ True, Everett (2007). Nirvana: The Biography. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81554-6. p. 111.
General references:
- Cross, Charles. Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain. Hyperion. ISBN 0-7868-8402-9.
- allmusic.com
- ew.com
- popmatters.com
- ew.com
- ew.com
