Cigarettes and Valentines

Last updated
Cigarettes and Valentines
Studio album (unreleased)by
ReleasedCancelled; intended for 2003
RecordedJuly–October 2002
StudioStudio 880 in Oakland, California
Genre Punk rock [1] [2]
Label Reprise
Producer Rob Cavallo
Green Day chronology
Shenanigans
(2002)
Cigarettes and Valentines
(2003)
American Idiot
(2004)

Cigarettes and Valentines is an unreleased studio album by American rock band Green Day. The album would have been the follow-up to Warning (2000). [3] In 2003, the album was nearly finished when the master tapes were mysteriously stolen from the band's studio. [4] Instead of re-recording the album, the band decided to start from scratch, leading to the creation of American Idiot (2004). To date, only the title track has been released in full form, although American Idiot track "Homecoming" contains elements of the album. [5] In an interview the band did on the New York radio station Q104.3 on March 28, 2010, Green Day confirmed "Too Much Too Soon" was a song recorded during the Cigarettes and Valentines sessions.

Contents

History

Lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong said the album's material was "good stuff". [6] Musically, the material on Cigarettes and Valentines was hard, "quick-tempoed punk" songs in the vein of Green Day's Kerplunk (1991), and Insomniac (1995). [1] This sound would have contrasted the group's previous two studio albums, Nimrod (1997), and Warning (2000), which displayed more rock and folk punk genres respectively. Bassist Mike Dirnt described the band's decision of returning to the sound found on their older albums, stating, "We've had a nice break from making hard and fast music and it's made us want to do it again." [1] However, despite the album being nearly complete, in 2003 the album's master tapes were stolen from the studio. However, Green Day would later call the theft a "blessing in disguise", [7] believing the album was not "maximum Green Day". [6] Dirnt admitted that backups of the tapes were made but claims that "it just wasn't the same as the originals". Ultimately the band decided against re-recording the album and instead started from scratch, which eventually led to the creation of their 2004 album American Idiot. Some songs were later re-recorded or reworked into new songs, but despite the band eventually recovering the stolen tapes,[ citation needed ] the original versions of the songs have never been officially released.

The Network's album Money Money 2020 , released on September 30, 2003, through Billie Joe Armstrong's Adeline Records, was speculated by some fans as being a re-recording of the album, or to contain aspects of it. Armstrong has denied any connection between the two projects in various interviews. [1]

"Cigarettes and Valentines"

"Cigarettes and Valentines"
Single by Green Day
from the album Awesome as Fuck
ReleasedFebruary 21, 2011 (2011-02-21) [8]
RecordedAugust 30, 2010 [8]
Venue Cricket Wireless Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona [8]
Genre Punk rock [2]
Length2:45 [8]
Label Reprise
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Green Day
Green Day singles chronology
"When It's Time"
(2010)
"Cigarettes and Valentines"
(2011)
"Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely"
(2011)
Music video
"Cigarettes and Valentines (Live)" on YouTube

The title song, "Cigarettes and Valentines", was first played live in Greenwood Village, Colorado, on August 28, 2010, during the band's concert at the Comfort Dental Amphitheatre while on their 21st Century Breakdown World Tour. [9] This show was being filmed to eventually contribute to a forthcoming live album, leading to speculation that some of the songs from the Cigarettes and Valentines sessions would eventually be released. [9] [10]

A live recording of "Cigarettes and Valentines" saw an official release on the Awesome as Fuck live album. On February 14, 2011, the official lyric video for the song was released on Green Day's official YouTube channel. Four days later, the official video for the song was released there as well. A live promo single was released on February 21, 2011, containing 2:43 of the performance in Phoenix, Arizona on August 30, 2010, (the shots of the crowd are from the concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Day</span> American rock band

Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, with drummer Tré Cool joining in 1990. In 1994, their major-label debut Dookie, released through Reprise Records, became a breakout success and eventually shipped over 10 million copies in the U.S. Alongside fellow California punk bands Bad Religion, the Offspring, Rancid, NOFX, Pennywise and Social Distortion, Green Day is credited with popularizing mainstream interest in punk rock in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billie Joe Armstrong</span> American rock musician (born 1972)

Billie Joe Armstrong is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for the punk rock band Pinhead Gunpowder, and provides lead vocals for Green Day's side projects Foxboro Hot Tubs, the Network, the Longshot and the Coverups. Armstrong has been considered by critics as one of the greatest punk rock guitarists of all time.

<i>1,000 Hours</i> 1989 EP by Green Day

1,000 Hours is the debut EP by American rock band Green Day, released in April 1989 through Lookout Records. Through a shared interest in music, school friends Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt formed the band Sweet Children. With the addition of drummer John Kiffmeyer, the played at the local punk club 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley, California, where they started attracting a following. After playing a show with the Lookouts, one of their members, Larry Livermore, signed Sweet Children to his label Lookout Records. They co-produced their debut EP, 1,000 Hours, with Andy Ernst at the Art of Ears Studio in San Francisco, California, in early 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Dirnt</span> American rock musician (born 1972)

Michael Ryan Pritchard, better known by his stage name Mike Dirnt, is an American rock musician who is the co-founder, bassist, backing vocalist, and occasional lead vocalist of Green Day. He has also played in several other bands, including the Frustrators. His stage name Dirnt was originally a nickname that his friends from grade school gave him, as he constantly played "air bass/guitar" and made a "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt" noise while pretending to pluck the strings.

<i>Nimrod</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Green Day

Nimrod is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on October 14, 1997, by Reprise Records. The band began work on the album in the wake of the cancellation of a European tour after the release of their previous album, Insomniac. Recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, the album was written with the intent of creating a set of standalone songs as opposed to a cohesive album. Retrospectively, Nimrod is noted for its musical diversity and experimentation, containing elements of folk, hardcore, surf rock, and ska. Lyrical themes discussed include maturity, personal reflection, and fatherhood.

<i>Slappy</i> 1990 EP by Green Day

Slappy is the second EP by American rock band Green Day. It was released in 1990 through Lookout! Records. Upon its release, several different colors of vinyl were available in limited quantities. Billie Joe Armstrong cited the extended play as the one on which Green Day began to find its sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Network</span> American new wave band

The Network is an American six-piece new wave band. A secret side project of rock band Green Day, they released their debut album Money Money 2020 on Adeline Records on September 30, 2003. After a 15-year hiatus, the band became active again in 2020, releasing a follow-up album titled Money Money 2020 Part II: We Told Ya So! in December 2020.

<i>1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours</i> 1991 compilation album by Green Day

1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is a compilation album comprising early recordings by American rock band Green Day, released October 1, 1991, on Lookout Records. Often erroneously referred to as the band's debut album, the compilation combines the band's actual debut 39/Smooth and its first two EPs Slappy and 1,000 Hours, as suggested by the amalgamation of the titles of the debut album and two EPs for the resulting compilation album. The album includes one cover, "Knowledge", which was originally by influential California punk band Operation Ivy, whose singer, Jesse Michaels, contributed the artwork for the album. The cover art features the same image from 39/Smooth.

<i>American Idiot</i> 2004 studio album by Green Day

American Idiot is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on September 21, 2004, by Reprise Records. As with their previous four albums, it was produced by Rob Cavallo in collaboration with the group. Recording sessions for American Idiot took place at Studio 880 in Oakland and Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, both in California, between 2003 and 2004. A concept album, dubbed a "punk rock opera" by the band members, American Idiot follows the story of Jesus of Suburbia, a lower-middle-class American adolescent anti-hero. The album expresses the disillusionment and dissent of a generation that came of age in a period shaped by tumultuous events such as 9/11 and the Iraq War. In order to accomplish this, the band used unconventional techniques for themselves, including transitions between connected songs and some long, chaptered, creative compositions presenting the album themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Idiot (song)</span> 2004 single by Green Day

"American Idiot" is a protest song by the American rock band Green Day. The first single released from the album American Idiot, the song received positive reviews by critics and was nominated for four 2005 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Song, and Best Music Video. It is considered one of the band's signature songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiday (Green Day song)</span> 2005 single by Green Day

"Holiday" is an anti-war protest song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from the group's seventh studio album American Idiot, and is also the third track. The song is in the key of F minor. Though the song is a prelude to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Holiday" was released as a single later on, on March 14, 2005.

<i>21st Century Breakdown</i> 2009 studio album by Green Day

21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by the American rock band Green Day, released on May 15, 2009, through Reprise Records. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006 and forty-five songs were written by vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong by October 2007, but the band members did not enter studio work until January 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Know Your Enemy (Green Day song)</span> 2009 single by Green Day

"Know Your Enemy" is a protest song by American rock band Green Day. It is the third track on their eighth album, 21st Century Breakdown, and it was released as the lead single through Reprise Records on April 16, 2009, and the group's first single since "Jesus of Suburbia", released 4 years earlier. Billboard described the song as being lyrically "just as politically charged as last time ", having a "Modern Rock radio-ready chorus", whilst the song's producer Butch Vig "brings enough punk sheen for mass appeal." It was the first, and one of only three songs, to top the Rock Songs, Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock Tracks Billboard charts at the same time. "Know Your Enemy" has been certified Gold by the RIAA and has sold 798,000 copies as of August 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">21st Century Breakdown World Tour</span> 2009–10 concert tour by Green Day

21st Century Breakdown World Tour was a headlining concert tour by American rock band Green Day in support of the group's eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, which was released in May 2009.

Chris Dugan is an American audio engineer, cinematographer, record producer, musician, and singer, best known as the drummer of the Effection and as an audio engineer for Green Day. In 2018, along with Green Day members Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt, guitarist Jason White, and tour manager Bill Schneider, he formed the Coverups, for which he plays drums.

<i>Awesome as Fuck</i> 2011 live album by Green Day

Awesome as Fuck is a live album by American rock band Green Day, released on March 22, 2011, by Reprise Records. The album is composed of tracks recorded during Green Day's 2009–10 21st Century Breakdown World Tour in support of their eighth studio album 21st Century Breakdown (2009). It includes a DVD of a concert recorded at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It is also available in Blu-ray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tré Cool</span> American drummer (born 1972)

Frank Edwin Wright III, better known by his stage name Tré Cool, is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Green Day. He replaced the band's former drummer, John Kiffmeyer, in 1990. Cool has also played in the Lookouts, Samiam, Dead Mermaids, Bubu and the Brood and the Green Day side projects the Network and the Foxboro Hot Tubs.

<i>¡Dos!</i> 2012 studio album by Green Day

¡Dos! is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Green Day. The album was released on November 9, 2012, in Australia, November 12 in the United Kingdom and on November 13 in the United States through Reprise Records. It is the second installment in the ¡Uno!¡Dos!¡Tré! trilogy. Following its predecessor's power pop style, ¡Dos! was billed as Green Day's take on garage rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Love</span> 2012 single by Green Day

"Oh Love" is a song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the lead single from their ninth studio album, ¡Uno!, through Reprise Records on July 16, 2012, and is the album's closing track. It is also the first single overall from the ¡Uno!, ¡Dos! & ¡Tré! trilogy. An EP of the song was released on August 14, 2012, the same day Kill the DJ was released as a single. It was recorded at Jingletown Studios from February 14 to June 26, 2012; however, it was also played at a secret show held by the band in 2011.

<i>Woodstock 1994</i> (Green Day album) 2019 live album by Green Day

Woodstock 1994 is a live album by the American rock band Green Day. The album was released specially through Record Store Day on April 13, 2019, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock and the 25th anniversary of the now-famous set the band played at Woodstock '94. This was the first live Green Day album to feature the entire setlist. On August 17, 2023, Green Day announced that the album would make a reappearance on vinyl and first time on CD as part of Dookie 30.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Spitz, Marc (2006). Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day . New York: Hyperion. pp.  152–156. ISBN   1-4013-0274-2.
  2. 1 2 "Green Day: Awesome as Fuck". Sputnikmusic. April 16, 2011. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
  3. "Lost Music: Green Day's Stolen Album, Kurt's Demos and Other Mythical Masterpieces". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
  4. Hlavaty, Craig (June 14, 2007). "Lost Albums: CDs that deserve another listen". Houston Press . Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  5. NME (23 January 2024). "Green Day on the "bummer" of their pre-American Idiot album Cigarettes & Valentines being stolen". NME . Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Wanna Hear The Lost VU Record?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  7. "Top 10 Albums You've Never Heard". Yes But No But Yes. Archived from the original on 2008-08-22. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Cigarettes and Valentines (track listing). Green Day. Reprise Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. 1 2 Paul, Aubin (August 30, 2010). "Videos: Green Day: "Cigarettes and Valentines"". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
  10. Reilly, Dan (August 31, 2010). "Green Day Recording Live Album, Perform New Song". Spinner . AOL Music. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2010.