How much money did Nirvana have to track “Smells Like Teen Spirit”?
Nirvana entered Sound City with just $606 of Sub Pop advance money and a rented Boss DS-1 pedal. Producer Butch Vig insisted Dave Grohl track drums first, so the band played the riff at half-speed to keep cymbal bleed minimal. Kurt Cobain double-tracked vocals reluctantly—convinced it was “cheating”—and only relented after Vig played him John Lennon stems to prove the Beatles did it too. Krist Novoselic’s bass strings broke twice; replacements were purchased at a pawn shop next to the studio. When the final mix blasted through the control-room NS-10s, a janitor sweeping floors shouted, “That’s gonna be a hit,” then asked for change for the vending machine.
