A GUEST SERIES

19 – Pennyroyal Tea – Nirvana (1994, Geffen Records)

Not Released as a single in April 1994 (Release cancelled)
Re-released as a Limited Edition 7” in April 2014 (Reached Number 121)

‘Pennyroyal Tea’ was as most of you will know supposed to be the third single to be released from Nirvana’s final studio album ‘In Utero’. It was all set to go when Kurt Cobain tragically took his own life and therefore it was rapidly cancelled. The B Side for those of you that are interested was a cheery little ditty called ‘I Hate Myself and I Want To Die’

Ten years later it was finally released as a limited edition single a part of a Record Store Day, which means that it qualifies for this rundown. I would imagine that Cobain would be delighted with reaching Number 19 in this chart.

I was sitting on the sofa in OPGs lounge when I heard the news about Cobain’s death. OPG was devastated and for something like the next four hours we sat and listened to Nirvana records. It was a bleak few hours, I think I may have drunk some cider as well.

We had tickets to see the band on May 7th 1994 in London. We were heading up there with a couple of people from the branch of Our Price where she worked. One of these people was a lanky bloke called Stuart, who only ever wore a black and red stripey long sleeved t-shirt, tight black jeans and Doc Martens. Like Dennis The Menace, only more annoying. I called him Mr Goatee because he fondled goats had a goatee beard.

Mr Goatee liked his American Rock and played it constantly, you knew when he was working in the Chatham Branch of Our Price because all you could hear when he walked past the shop was tracks like this

Today – Smashing Pumpkins (1993, Hut Records, Number 44)

And very occasionally this – but only I feel if OPG was in control of the office stereo.

Let It Slide – Mudhoney (1991, Sub Pop Records, Number 60)

Regular readers of T(n) VV will remember that when I broke up with OPG in the summer of 1994, (outside the Purple Turtle in Reading half way through a Scarfo gig).

Skinny – Scarfo (1995, Fierce Panda Records, 7” Only Did Not Chart)

We broke up largely because she had fallen for the charms of Mr Goatee. I remember chucking a tape of his out of the window of my car somewhere on the M25 outside of Leatherhead, after OPG and I split and laughing like a maniac as cars crushed it unto dust under their wheels. Then I cried nonstop for the rest of journey.

SWC