Dave Grohl

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Lore & Background

Grohl originally recorded "Marigold" during a session at Upland Studios in Arlington, Virginia with producer Barrett Jones on February 16, 1991, a number of months after he joined Nirvana. The session was executed in a similar way to how the Foo Fighters' debut album would later be conceived, with all vocal and instrumental parts done solely by Grohl. With Late! as the moniker, the session was combined with four songs recorded in the summer of 1991 to create the album Pocketwatch, released on Simple Machines in 1992 as part of the label's Tool Cassette Series. The song is listed in the liner notes under its original title, "Color Pictures of a Marigold", and is one of just two songs on the album to feature only vocals and guitar.

In Their Own Story

In February 1993, Grohl entered Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota with bandmates Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic to record what would become In Utero. Towards the end of the session, Grohl decided to re-record "Marigold", this time with a more detailed arrangement including bass and drums. Like the Late! version, lead and backing vocals and guitar were done by Grohl, who also recorded the drum parts. Although Novoselic contributed bass, Cobain did not play on the released version. There were, however, versions of the song that Cobain did play on – these remain unreleased. The song did not make the final album, but saw limited release in August 1993 as a B-side, along with "Milk It", to "Heart-Shaped Box", the first single from In Utero. Grohl is credited for playing drums and singing lead vocal on "Marigold", but not guitar or backing vocal.

Reader's Guide

"Marigold" was performed live for the first time by Grohl during the Foo Fighters set at the Berkeley Community Theatre on July 14, 2006, and would be played throughout the rest of the tour. A performance the following month at Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California, featuring the song with an eight-piece band, was released on the live album Skin and Bones on November 7, 2006. This version, recorded over twelve years after the previous Nirvana version, garnered further recognition of the song. "Marigold" would be the third song taken from Pocketwatch to be re-recorded and released by the Foo Fighters, along with "Winnebago" and "Friend of a Friend".

Did You Know?

• "Marigold" was originally titled "Color Pictures of a Marigold" on the Pocketwatch album.
• The song is one of just two songs on Pocketwatch to feature only vocals and guitar.
• Kurt Cobain played on versions of the song that remain unreleased.
• KROQ Music Director Lisa Worden introduced "Marigold" to radio after discovering it on an import box set.
• Geffen Records and Grohl refused to send copies of the song to radio stations to promote airplay, despite its spontaneous success.

Career Origins and Cathartic Beginnings

The song received some airplay on US alternative and active rock radio in 1996, after it appeared on the import release of Nirvana's European Singles box set as the B-side to the "Heart-Shaped Box" single. KROQ Music Director Lisa Worden introduced "Marigold" to the radio waves after discovering the B-side on the single in the import box set. The song was then picked up by alternative radio stations in New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. Despite the spontaneous success of the song, Geffen Records and Grohl refused to capitalize on it and made it known that copies of the song would not be sent out to radio stations to promote airplay.

The Intense Recording Process

The song would later appear on the third disc of the posthumous rarities box set With the Lights Out in 2004 and on 20th anniversary editions of the In Utero album in 2013.

Strategic Anonymity and Unexpected Success

Grohl originally titled the song "Color Pictures of a Marigold" on the Pocketwatch release. The song is one of just two songs on that album to feature only vocals and guitar.

Critical Acclaim and Genre Impact

"Marigold" holds the distinction of being the only song released by both Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Grohl's two most distinguished bands.