This section contains almost all of the worst NIRVANA fakes. Songs that are either own compositions or covers,
which are a lesser musical standard than the songs in the mislabels section. Here you will find the worst NIRVANA
fakes, as some of them are people messing about with recording equipment and then purposely or not, mislabelling it as
a NIRVANA recording.
This section was rewritten after the release of the 'With the Lights Out' boxed set because some fakes came close to sounding like demo recordings from it. All entries have been listened to again and rewritten accordingly. New headers have been added to all
entries to help provide more information on each fake. The 'Quality of Recording', 'Resemblance to NIRVANA' and
'Resemblance to Kurt' headers are scored with the following scale: Very poor, Poor, Medium, Good, Excellent. The
final header at on each entry is the 'LN Verdict', is scored as: 'Unproven fake', for fakes that have not been claimed
by the faker; 'Proven fake', for fakes claimed by fakers; and 'Definite fake', for recordings that are really
obviously fakes, even if they haven't been claimed.
Please feel free read the
FAQ first before reading this guide, and if anyone has more
information on any of these entries than what is already here, please feel free to send an
email.
TRACK LENGTH(S): 02.11
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 96KB/sec
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Email
DATE OF CIRCULATION: April 2006
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Good
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: Although the instrument playing in this track is well below par for NIRVANA standards, the vocals do sound very much like Kurt. It could be possible that this is an early recording of Kurt, hence the poor musicianship. The only information that came with track is that it's supposedly recorded in 1990, with Kurt using a Fender Jaguar guitar. If this recording is genuine it is more likely that it is from before the Fecal Matter demos because of the standard of playing.
Unless further information can be obtained, this recording can be considered a possible fake because the information provided with this track is false.
LN VERDICT: Unproven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 00.49
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 128KB/sec
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Napster
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Autumn 2000
DEVICES USED: Fostex 4 -Track recorder
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Medium
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: This track was originally concluded to be a fake because the singing and guitar sounded nothing like Kurt's. However, some of the demos on the 'With the Lights Out' boxed set are rough boombox recordings, similar to this. Bearing this in mind, another listen of this fake shows that it comes quite close to sounding like a rough NIRVANA demo. However, even though it is difficult to accurately compare (due to it's poor recording), the musical quality still doesn't quite match the ability of Kurt's, and (as originally stated) the scratchy, scruffy (for lack of a better word) aspects of Kurt's voice are lacking.
UPDATE - The person responsible for this fake owned up to it on 30 July 2005. A fostex 4 track recorder and an epiphone acoustic guitar were used for this song, which was recorded either in April or May 1997 under the band name of 'Peruna'.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 03.13
CIRCULATING QUALITY: Unknown
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Tape trading
DATE OF CIRCULATION: 1995 - 1996
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: n/a
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: This recording was circulated on the 'Shoot the Shit Vol.3' compilation cassette. The creator of this fake Dave Ewing has since owned up to this recording.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 02.30
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 127KB/sec
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: KaZaA
DATE OF CIRCULATION: At least June 2003
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Very poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Medium
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: As with the 'Change' fake, the quality of this recording does not help in deciding whether this is a fake or not. The vocal is very quiet, which does make a comparison difficult, hence the medium ratings. Since the release of 'With the Lights Out', it has been confirmed that this song is not (given it's official name) Do Re Mi. However, without a better quality version of this recording it is difficult to prove it is a definite fake.
LN VERDICT: Unproven fake
Determined Demo
TRACK LENGTH(S): 02.25/02.23, 03.02/03.01 & 03.34/03.33
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Prodigy
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 15KB/sec & 256KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: 1996
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Very poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Good
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Medium
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: Three songs surfaced on this supposed "NIRVANA demo tape". There was talk that this was the side project 'Nighty Nite' that Cobain and Love did with Patty Schemel (Hole's drummer). This was just a rumour, and the Nighty Nite demos are still uncirculated at this time. Although the actual band sound good (it does have a NIRVANA-esque style of guitars and very Kurt sounding solos), the vocals do not quite sound like Kurt. On closer inspection one can tell that the singer is trying his best to immitate Kurt, and not sing naturally. It is also worth pointing out that the drumming is not similar to anyone who has ever been associated with NIRVANA, or Hole. The name of the band would be very helpful to confirm that these songs are not NIRVANA related. Confusingly, the song 'Determined' has been circulating as a 16KB/sec 40 second long clip, anywhere_but_here.ra.
UPDATE - In February 2008 Patty Schemel listening to these recordings and confirmed that they were not from the 'Nighty Nite' demo.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 01.34 & 01.32
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 56KB/sec & 128KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Autumn 2000
DEVICES USED: Unknown (possibly a PC recording)
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: n/a
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: A guitar only instrumental - definitely one of the poorer fakes. The musician ship is below average; the song doesn't really sound like anything that NIRVANA would produce. As Frank Morris amusingly put it "It actually sounds like it was recorded by somebody who just discovered the power-chord".. Frank also felt that the most incriminating aspect of this recording is the recording itself: it was almost certainly recorded on a cheap computer microphone. It should also be added that the lack of vocals is suspicious: very few authentic recordings are instrumental and instrumental tracks are obviously much easier to fake.
LN VERDICT: Unproven fake
Faux Fecal Matter Demos
CIRCULATED FILE NAME(S): VariousTRACK LENGTH(S): Speeds of recordings vary, so track lengths differ
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Trading circles
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 56KB/sec & 128KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Since 1997
DEVICES USED: Radio Shack 2 channel (4-track mixer) - only 2 channels used
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: Without a doubt this is the most infamous fake in the history of NIRVANA bootleg trading. It fooled even the most hardcore NIRVANA fans and continues to haunt the trading scene.
The fake demo was traded to Rob Holmes by William Clarke. At the time Rob Holmes was head of the almost equally infamous 'Fecal Matter Quest', a band of collectors who set themselves the task of tracking down this most sort after item. Holmes genuinely believed that what he got from William Clarke was the real deal and there was much rejoicing in the NIRVANA community that this item had been found at last. Accordingly the recording spread like wildfire amongst collectors. Some people at the time, however, had their doubts as to its authenticity: either believing it was in fact a genuine earlier demo (the Organised Confusion demo - because the fake demo lacked any drums) or a complete fake. Fierce debates quickly ensued. It was finally proven to be a fake in 1998 when the hoaxer, William Clarke owned up to his crime. This was only doubly confirmed in 2000 when a trader tracked down the real Fecal Matter demo. Note: the real demo has not subsequently been circulated.
As Frank Morris observed the first clue that this item was a fake, (even before William Clarke came forward and a copy of the real demo was found) is that the recording is completely different from almost all credible information gathered about the real Fecal Matter demo. For example, the book 'Come As You Are' (by Michael Azerrad) states that Dale Crover did in fact play drums on the real Fecal Matter demo, whereas the fake recording does not have any. This led some people to erroneously believe the fake demo was in fact a genuine copy of an earlier demo by Cobain called Organised Confusion. Another reason for proving this item was a fake was that is was not recorded on a 4-Track, which was the source on which the original Fecal Matter demo was known to have been recorded (and again confirmed in 2000). The final blow came when William Clarke came forward in 1998 and admitted these recordings to be fakes. To prove it he posted two sets of clips. The above 'Buffy's Pregnant' (with vocals), and a version of the same 'song' with the vocals removed. By coming forward the hoaxer could also lay to rest the erroneous belief that the fake Fecal Matter was really a genuine copy of the earlier Cobain demo (the Organised Confusion demo). It must also be noted that at the beginning of some of the songs the hoaxer (William Clarke) states "This is not Kurt Cobain".
UPDATE - In early 2005, William Clarke kindly provided all known information on his Nirvana related recordings (covers/fakes):-
1996 Fake Fecal Matter Demo [#1]
Three different recordings under the title of 'Laminated Effect' have been circulating with this Fake Fecal Matter Demo [#1]:-
1997 Fake Fecal Matter Demo [#2]
This demo has circulated less frequently than #1. 'Spank Thru', 'Bambi Slaughter' and 'Downer' are NIRVANA covers. Vendettagainst is an own composition, and should not be confused with the actual NIRVANA song 'Help Me I'm Hungry (Vendetagainst)'. 'Suicide Samurai', 'Sound of Dentage' and 'Laminated Effect' are own compositions, and should not be confused with any NIRVANA song titles, or songs with the same song titles from the Fake Fecal Matter Demo [#1].
For more information on how these recordings were created, please click here.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 00.37 & 02.14
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: AIM
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 128KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: July 2006
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Good
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Good
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: A 37 second long clip circulated first followed by the longer version. Although the vocal does sound quite similar to Kurt's, certain places in the track do give it away.
LN VERDICT: Unproven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 05.30
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Live Nirvana Forum
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 320KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: 10 May 2006
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Good
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Good
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: This track was posted on the Live Nirvana forum claiming it to be a genuine NIRVANA/Kurt recording. However, the poster Andreas Mühe, soon owned up to recording.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 01.17
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 128KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Very poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Very poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Very poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: Some circulating versions state that this is a NIRVANA cover, although no NIRVANA songs exists with that title. Other circulating files state that is NIRVANA playing live with Bikini Kill Bratmobile and 7 Year Bitch.
In reality, this is an appalling fake regardless if it is NIRVANA or not. It starts off with a solo guitar and a high-pitched non-Kurt like vocal. This is loudly interrupted by an extremely distorted vocal that seems to be someone just fooling about. This is mixed in with the original guitar and vocal. The high-pitched vocals on the guitar part part of the recording sound nothing like Kurt, and the distorted 'vocal' part is dreadful. The fact that this track is supposed to be a 'live' recording, (which it isn't) also confirms that this track is fake. There are no known live performances of the three mentioned riot grrl bands playing together.
LN VERDICT: Definite fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 02.35
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: YouTube
CIRCULATING QUALITY: Unknown
DATE OF CIRCULATION: 16 May 2006
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: Labelled as '... the most rare Nirvana song to date. Recorded between Nevermind and In Utero'. This track was recently added to YouTube with an accompanying video. The video certainly isn't by NIRVANA, nor is either of the two songs in the clip. Neither the vocals nor the music bear much resemblance to Kurt and NIRVANA.
LN VERDICT: Definite fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 02.25
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
CIRCULATING QUALITY: Vbr
DATE OF CIRCULATION: At least July 2006
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Good
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Good
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: Circulating around the same time as Ivy League and Jams, this recording is clearly not the Cobain Fecal Matter. It was confirmed to be by Andreas Mühe's band Fecal Matter, and was available as a download on his site.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 00.49 & 02.07
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: A German message board, questioning if it was NIRVANA, and the Hole message board.
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 16KB/sec & 56KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: At least August 2003
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Medium
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: Although this song currently remains unclaimed, it is very likely a fake. The vocal style attempts Kurt's singing and screaming, although it doesn't quite manage it. The initial ska sounding guitar part does not fit in with anything NIRVANA has been known to record or play. It is also worth pointing out that the longer clip in circulation is the shorter clip, but in better quality, and looped. Most circulating versions have been modified with an echo effect, although the best quality version available sounds like an ordinary home demo, with no effects added. This fake should not be confused with "Midnight Macaroni", a mislabel that is actually Beck's " Motherfuker"
UPDATE - In July 2006 it was confirmed that this recording was a fake because of information identifing the hoaxer as Andreas Mühe. This information also noted that the circulating version is missing the chorus found in the original recording.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 01.04
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 128KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Summer-Autumn 2000
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Good
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Very poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Very poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: This is supposed to be a "rare high-school recording" of Cobain covering a Simon and Garfunkel classic. It features one person playing guitar and singing. The singer sounds absolutely nothing like Cobain and the guitar-playing is not even vaguely his style.
LN VERDICT: Definite fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 03.35
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 256KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
DEVICES USED: Boombox?
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Medium
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: An acoustic recording featuring tune up and chord progressions similar to Kurt's. This recording has found to be by an Australian band called 'Cannabis Sativa'.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 03.42
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Tape trading
CIRCULATING QUALITY: Unknown
DATE OF CIRCULATION: 1995 - 1996
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Good
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Very poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Very poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: This recording was circulated on the 'Shoot the Shit Vol.3' compilation cassette. The creator of this fake has been found to be a band called 'Numb'. Please note this track is not a cover of the NIRVANA song tourette's (which working title was 'New Poopie'), but is an original composition.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 01.54
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Possibly an internet chatroom
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 21KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Started circulating heavily in 1997
DEVICES USED: Believed to have been recorded on a computer microphone
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: Kurt's Aunt Mari claimed to have seen the lyrics sheet for a song called
"Seaside Suicide" while he was recording the Fecal Matter session. It is believed that this clip started
circulating heavily when somebody in a chatroom claimed to have it. Although most people were skeptical from the
start, there were still a large number of people trading this item off as real.
This recording is most definitely a fake as the distant vocal sounds nothing close to Kurt's, and because this song
was recorded using a computer microphone, a way of recording Kurt was never known to have used.
TRACK LENGTH(S): 01.24
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 96KB/sec
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Very poor
DEVICES USED: Unknown
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Very poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Very poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: Like the 'Justify' entry this recording is just someone messing about, and bears little resemblance to NIRVANA. The vocals are very high-pitched and un-Kurt like. The recording features a drum machine, which is something that NIRVANA were never known to have used on their recordings.
LN VERDICT: Definite fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 01.37
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 128KB/sec
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
DATE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Good
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording unclaimed
INFORMATION: A short acoustic track featuring little resemblance either to NIRVANA or Kurt Cobain.
LN VERDICT: Definite fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 00.29 & 02.26
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 176KB/sec
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Email
DATE OF CIRCULATION: October 2005
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Medium
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: This recording was emailed from someone claiming they worked for Geffen Records, under the pretence that this track was one of two from the March 1994 session. However, the faker owned up to the recording, thus halting any further speculation.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 03.26
CIRCULATING QUALITY: 256KB/sec
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Unknown
DATE OF CIRCULATION: As early as October 2005
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Poor
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: Created by the same person as the two Vendettagainst fakes, this re-recorded version also contains vocals.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake
TRACK LENGTH(S): 02.19 & 04.19
CIRCULATING QUALITY: Unknown
ORIGINAL PLACE OF CIRCULATION: Tape trading
DATE OF CIRCULATION: 1995 - 1996
DEVICES USED: Unknown
QUALITY OF RECORDING: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO NIRVANA: Medium
RESEMBLANCE TO KURT'S VOICE: Poor
AUTHENTICITY: Recording claimed
INFORMATION: These recordings were circulated on the 'Shoot the Shit Vol.3' compilation cassette. The creator of these fakes Dave Ewing has since owned up to this recording.
LN VERDICT: Proven fake