Friend of a Friend (Foo Fighters song)

Last updated
"Friend of a Friend"
Song by Foo Fighters
from the album In Your Honor
Released1992, 1998, 2005, 2006
Recorded1990/1997/2005/2006
Genre Acoustic rock
Length3:13
Label Simple Machines (1992)
Melody Maker (1998)
RCA (2005 and 2006)
Songwriter(s) Dave Grohl
Producer(s) Barrett Jones, Geoff Turner (1990), Simon Askew (1997), Nick Raskulinecz, Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Taylor Hawkins, Chris Shiflett (2005), Gil Norton (2006)

"Friend of a Friend" is an acoustic song by Foo Fighters, featured on their 2005 album In Your Honor . The song is performed solely by Foo Fighters' guitarist/lead vocalist Dave Grohl.

Contents

An earlier version of this song was recorded in 1990, after Grohl had joined the band Nirvana.

Song history

"Friend of a Friend" was the first acoustic song Dave Grohl had ever written. [1]

The song was written by Grohl in 1990 (and recorded in secret the same year), and it was about his first impressions of new Nirvana bandmates Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic. [2] He first wrote it in Kurt's Olympia apartment when Grohl stumbled upon an acoustic guitar owned by Cobain (referring to the lyrics "It was his friend's guitar"). The recorded song was released in 1992 in a collection of songs (entitled Pocketwatch ) under the pseudonym 'Late!'

On April 30, 1997, the song was recorded for a BBC Evening Session. In 2005, Grohl revisited the song, recording it again for the acoustic disc of the Foo Fighters' In Your Honor . The song was also included on the band's live album Skin and Bones .

Reception

Uncut praises the song, calling it an "uncharacteristically spiked critique of slackerdom that bears an eerie Cobain influence". [3]

Accolades

YearPublicationCountryAccoladeRank
2019 The Guardian United KingdomDave Grohl's Landmark Songs [4] N/A

Recording and release history

Studio versions

Date recordedStudioProducerReleasesPersonnel
1990 WGNS Studios or Upland Studios, USBarrett Jones, Geoff Turner Pocketwatch (1992)
April 30, 1997 BBC Radio 1, UKUnknownAired on BBC Evening Session in 1997. Later released on Melody Maker & BBC Radio 1 present Steve Lamacq's Bootleg Session cassette free with the March 7th 1998 issue of Melody Maker.
  • Dave Grohl: vocals, guitars, drums and bass
January–March 2005Studio 606 West, Northridge, Los Angeles Nick Raskulinecz In Your Honor (2005)
  • Dave Grohl: vocals, guitar

Live versions

Date recordedVenueReleasesPersonnel
August 29–31, 2006 Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles Skin and Bones (2006)
  • Dave Grohl: vocals, guitar

Notes

  1. "In Your Honor : Dave Grohl's Guide To Every Song". Foo Archive. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  2. "Everyone Has Their Dark Side" - Dave Grohl interview with Q Magazine, 2005
  3. "Foo Fighters - In Your Honour - Review". Uncut.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
  4. Barlow, Eve (August 16, 2019). "Dave Grohl: 'I never imagined myself to be Freddie Mercury'". The Guardian . Retrieved August 22, 2019.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Grohl</span> American rock musician (born 1969)

David Eric Grohl is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, for which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of the grunge band Nirvana from 1990 to 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirvana (band)</span> American rock band (1987–1994)

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning only three years, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krist Novoselic</span> American rock musician (born 1965)

Krist Anthony Novoselic is an American musician and activist. Novoselic co-founded and played bass for the rock band Nirvana.

<i>Foo Fighters</i> (album) 1995 debut album by Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters is the debut studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on July 4, 1995, through Roswell and Capitol Records. Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl wrote the entire album. He recorded it himself in six days with the assistance of producer Barrett Jones at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, Washington, in 1994. Grohl said that he recorded the album just for fun, describing it as a cathartic experience to recover from the suicide of Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain. The album is considered to have started the post-grunge genre.

<i>The Colour and the Shape</i> 1997 studio album by Foo Fighters

The Colour and the Shape is the second studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on May 20, 1997, by Roswell and Capitol Records. It was the first album by the Foo Fighters to be recorded as a full band, as the previous self-titled album was both written and recorded entirely by frontman Dave Grohl. The Colour and the Shape is widely considered a defining album of the post-grunge genre, with its three singles becoming staples of rock-oriented radio in the United States. It was among the highest-selling rock albums of 1997 and 1998, and was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Smear</span> American guitarist (born 1959)

Georg Albert Ruthenberg, better known by his stage name Pat Smear, is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead guitarist and co-founder of Los Angeles–based punk band The Germs and for being a rhythm guitarist for grunge band Nirvana, and Foo Fighters. After Nirvana disbanded following the suicide of frontman Kurt Cobain, drummer Dave Grohl went on to form Foo Fighters, with Smear joining on guitar. Smear left Foo Fighters in 1997 before rejoining as a touring guitarist in 2005 and being promoted back to a full-time member in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Know You're Right</span> 2002 single by Nirvana

"You Know You're Right" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana, written by lead vocalist and guitarist, Kurt Cobain. It is the first song on the greatest hits album Nirvana, released by DGC Records in October 2002. It is also the final song the band recorded before Cobain's suicide in April 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foo Fighters</span> American rock band

Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the lineup now consists of Grohl, Nate Mendel (bass), Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear (guitars), Rami Jaffee (keyboards), and Josh Freese (drums). Drummers William Goldsmith and Taylor Hawkins, along with guitarist Franz Stahl, are former members of the band.

<i>With the Lights Out</i> 2004 compilation box set by Nirvana

With the Lights Out is a box set by the American rock band Nirvana, released on November 23, 2004. It contains three CDs and one DVD of previously rare or unreleased material, including B-sides, demos, and rehearsal and live recordings. The title comes from the lyrics of Nirvana's 1991 single "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

<i>Pocketwatch</i> (album) 1992 demo album by Late!

Pocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992, on the now-defunct indie label Simple Machines as part of their Tool Cassette Series.

<i>In Your Honor</i> 2005 studio album by Foo Fighters

In Your Honor is the fifth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on June 14, 2005, through Roswell and RCA Records. It is a double album, with the first disc containing heavy rock songs and the second containing mellower acoustic songs. Frontman Dave Grohl decided to do a diverse blend of songs, as he felt that after ten years of existence, the band had to break new ground with their music. The album was recorded at a newly built studio in Northridge, Los Angeles, and features guests such as John Paul Jones, Norah Jones, and Josh Homme. Its lyrics deal with both resonating and introspective themes, with a major influence from Grohl's involvement on the campaign trail with John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election. It was the first album to feature keyboardist Rami Jaffee, although he would not join the band as full-time member until 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Is a Call</span> 1995 single by Foo Fighters

"This Is a Call" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, released as the lead single from the band's 1995 self-titled debut album. Released in June 1995, it is one of many songs Dave Grohl wrote and performed on the album when Foo Fighters was a one-man band.

<i>The Winding Sheet</i> 1990 studio album by Mark Lanegan

The Winding Sheet is the debut studio album by alternative rock artist Mark Lanegan. It was released on May 1, 1990, on Sub Pop. The album was Lanegan's first solo work, and is notable in its departure from the characteristic sound of Screaming Trees, the band he fronted from 1985 until 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marigold (Dave Grohl song)</span> 1992 song written by Dave Grohl

"Marigold" is a song written and composed by American rock musician Dave Grohl, that was first released on Pocketwatch, an album Grohl issued under the pseudonym Late! in 1992.

<i>Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace</i> 2007 studio album by Foo Fighters

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace is the sixth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on September 25, 2007, through Roswell and RCA Records. The album is noted for a blend of regular rock and acoustic tracks with shifting dynamics, which emerged from the variety of styles employed on the demos the band produced. It also marks the second time the band worked with producer Gil Norton, whom frontman Dave Grohl brought to fully explore the potential of his compositions and have a record that sounded different from their previous work. Grohl tried to focus on songs with messages that resonated with his audience, writing reflective lyrics that drew inspiration from the birth of his daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Grohl discography</span>

Dave Grohl is an American singer, songwriter, and musician whose discography consists of 16 studio albums, six live albums, eight compilation albums, six EPs, and four soundtracks, and also includes his other collaborations and work as a studio musician with 26 additional artists. A large portion of his releases have come as the drummer of Nirvana (1990–1994) and as the frontman of Foo Fighters (1995–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alone + Easy Target</span> 1996 promotional single by Foo Fighters

"Alone + Easy Target" is a US radio only single released by Foo Fighters from their self-titled debut album. It was released only as a promotional single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Way Back/Cold Day in the Sun</span> 2006 single by Foo Fighters

"No Way Back" / "Cold Day in the Sun" is the fourth single released from Foo Fighters' fifth album, In Your Honor. It is a double A-side single, including "No Way Back" and "Cold Day in the Sun", which is from the second disc of the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walk (Foo Fighters song)</span> 2011 single by Foo Fighters

"Walk" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters, released as the third single from their seventh studio album Wasting Light. It was written by Dave Grohl and co-produced by Butch Vig.

<i>Verse Chorus Verse</i> (Nirvana album) Unreleased live album by Nirvana

Verse Chorus Verse is an unreleased live album by the American rock band Nirvana, scheduled for release on November 1, 1994. It was to be a double album comprising a CD of live performances on one CD and Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance on the other. It was canceled as Nirvana members Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl found it overwhelming to compile material so soon after the death of Kurt Cobain earlier that year.