Friday April 8, 2022 “Only Happy When It Rains” Garbage
You may think today’s rain song seems a bit depressing...and you would be absolutely correct.
Let’s get to this right away, the band's name was inspired by a friend, who frequently told them their music sounded "like garbage." Perhaps not the best start for a name but also not a very good friend. Just for the record the band sounds really good.
Garbage was formed in Madison, Wisconsin by Butch Vig, Steve Marker and Duke Erikson who had played together in a variety of local bands. After those groups disbanded Vig and Marker took on production jobs with Butch Vig famously producing Nirvana's 1991 album Nevermind. When they reformed they felt they needed a female voice to front the band and when Marker saw a video from Scottish band Angelfish fronted by Shirley Manson he thought that she might be the one.
When Marker shared the video of the optimistic Angelfish song titled “Suffocate Me” the other band members agreed that they should meet her. Unfortunately their first meeting in London was on the same night that Butch Vig received word that Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana had died…remember Vig had produced Nirvana’s debut album Nevermind…and they put off any decisions for a while
In my narrow minded vision I think of Garbage as a ‘new’ band until I force myself to recognize that they have been recording since 1997…25 years…and even lead singer Shirley Manson is fifty years old.
Garbage has sold more than seventeen million records worldwide, they broke out with the top ten single “Stupid Girl” from their eponymous album Garbage. They have been nominated for Grammys, have won several MtV Video Awards and have even recorded a James Bond movie theme song for The World Is Not Enough.
Stay safe and well…and unlike Garbage I am not so happy when it rains but we only have one more day of it…at least on Song of the Day.