Sap (EP)

Last updated

Sap
Alice in Chains Sap.jpg
EP by
Alice in Chains
ReleasedFebruary 4, 1992 (1992-02-04) [1]
RecordedNovember 1991 [2]
Studio London Bridge (Seattle)
Genre
Length20:49
Label Columbia
Producer Alice in Chains and Rick Parashar
Alice in Chains chronology
Facelift
(1990)		Sap
(1992)		 Dirt
(1992)
Singles from Sap
  1. "Got Me Wrong"
    Released: November 1994

Sap is the second studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on February 4, 1992, through Columbia Records. [1] [3] Sap is mostly acoustic and marks the first time that guitarist Jerry Cantrell sings lead vocals in an Alice in Chains release, with the song "Brother". [4] The EP was produced by Alice in Chains and Rick Parashar and features guest vocals by Ann Wilson of the band Heart, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Mark Arm of Mudhoney. The track "Got Me Wrong" became a hit two years later after being featured on the soundtrack to the 1994 film Clerks . On January 14, 1994, Sap was certified gold by the RIAA for the sale of more than 500,000 copies. [5]

Contents

Background and recording

Following the tour for Facelift, Alice in Chains entered the studio to record a song for the Cameron Crowe movie Singles , but decided to turn the engagement to their advantage. As the guitarist Jerry Cantrell recalled: "So in the session that was meant for recording that one song ['Would?'], we ended up demoing about 10 songs, which included all the stuff that ended up on the [1992] Sap EP, 'Rooster' and a couple of others from Dirt .” [6]

While in the studio, drummer Sean Kinney had a dream about "making an EP called Sap." [2] The band decided "not to mess with fate," [2] and Sap was recorded and mixed in 1991 with producer Rick Parashar at London Bridge Studio. [7]

The EP was recorded in four or five days in November 1991. [8] [2]

Music and lyrics

Lead vocalist Layne Staley encouraged guitarist Jerry Cantrell to sing lead vocals on the EP. [7] [4] Cantrell sings lead vocals on "Brother" and splits lead vocals with Staley on "Got Me Wrong". [8]

The EP features guest vocals by Ann Wilson from the band Heart, who joined vocalist Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell for the choruses of "Brother" and "Am I Inside". It also features Mark Arm of Mudhoney and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, who appeared together on the song "Right Turn", credited to "Alice Mudgarden" in the liner notes. [9] The song was featured in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down . [10] It was guitarist Jerry Cantrell who invited Wilson, Cornell and Arm to sing on Sap. [7]

Regarding the lyrical content, Cantrell said he wrote "Brother" about his relationship with his younger brother. [11] The song specifically refers to the period after Cantrell's parents divorced, when his younger brother went off to live with his father while he stayed with his mother, and Cantrell said that the song "was a way of trying to build a bridge." [11] Commenting on "Got Me Wrong", Cantrell said he wrote the song about a relationship where one person thinks he or she can change the other person, and added that the song speaks of "the different ways that men and women see each other." [11]

A version of the song "Rooster" was recorded during the sessions for Sap and was to be included on the EP, but the band then decided to use the song on their second full-length album instead. [6] This version is featured on the band's 1999 box set Music Bank .

The hidden track, "Love Song", described by Cantrell as "the most bizarre song we've ever recorded", was Kinney's idea. All four members switched instruments for the recording, with Kinney on lead vocals and piano, Starr on guitar, Cantrell on bass, and Staley on drums. [8]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]

On February 4, 1992, Alice in Chains released their second EP, Sap. The band did not want any ads or promotion for the EP, they just put it in the stores to see if people would buy it. [7] Cantrell said that Alice in Chains released Sap "without any fuss or fanfare so as the real Alice fans could find it." [11] The EP was released while Nirvana's Nevermind was at the top of the Billboard 200 charts, resulting in a rising popularity of Seattle-based bands, and the term grunge music. [14] Sap was soon certified gold. [5]

The album was re-released on March 21, 1995, when "Got Me Wrong" became a hit after its inclusion on the soundtrack to the 1994 film, Clerks. The re-released version included lyrics and slightly different artwork. The aforementioned song, as well as "Brother," were performed live during Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged concert.

In addition to the CD, the album was also released in a limited edition double vinyl along with Jar of Flies (Jar of Flies was on sides 1 and 2, Sap was on side 3, and an etching of the Alice in Chains logo was on side 4). In the UK, Sap and Jar of Flies were issued as a double CD, as Sap had not previously had a UK release. In the UK, "Brother" and "Right Turn" were initially released on the "Would" single and "Got Me Wrong" and "Am I Inside" were released on the "Them Bones" single. Hidden track "Love Song" never appeared on a UK single release and was previously unreleased when Sap was released with Jar of Flies.

Track listing

All tracks written by Jerry Cantrell, except "Am I Inside", containing lyrics by Layne Staley and music by Cantrell. [15]

No.TitleLength
1."Brother"4:27
2."Got Me Wrong"4:12
3."Right Turn" (performed by Alice Mudgarden)3:17
4."Am I Inside"5:09
5."Love Song" (hidden track)3:44
Total length:20:49

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1994)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [17]
with Jar of Flies 		2
Danish Singles (IFPI) [18] 6
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [19]
with Jar of Flies		8
UK Albums (OCC) [20]
with Jar of Flies		4
Chart (2020)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [21] 134
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [22] 20

Singles

YearSinglePeak
position
US Main [23] [24] US Mod [25] [24]
1994"Got Me Wrong"722

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [26] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got Me Wrong</span> 1994 single by Alice in Chains

"Got Me Wrong" is a largely acoustic song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, originally featured on the band's 1992 EP, Sap. It was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who also shared vocals with Layne Staley. A slightly different version of the song also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1994 comedy film Clerks, and is played when the character Randal first appears in the movie. "Got Me Wrong" was released as a single in 1994 after being featured on Clerks. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999) and Music Bank (1999). An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged concert in 1996 was released on a live album and DVD.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice in Chains discography</span>

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"Don't Follow" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains. It is the third single from the band's 1994 EP Jar of Flies. The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who sings lead vocals in the first part of the song, followed by Layne Staley in the second part. The single spent seven weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 25.

"Nutshell" is a song by Alice in Chains that originally appeared on the band's 1994 extended play Jar of Flies. The band played it on MTV Unplugged in 1996, and this rendition of the song was included on the compilation album Music Bank (1999), as well as The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). Since 2011, guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell dedicates "Nutshell" to Alice in Chains' late original members Layne Staley and Mike Starr during the band's concerts.

"Brother" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains and the opening track on their 1992 acoustic EP Sap. The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his younger brother, David. Cantrell sings lead vocals in the song, while Heart lead vocalist Ann Wilson sings backing vocals. An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD. The song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999) and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

"Rainier Fog" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It is the fourth single and the title track to the band's sixth studio album, Rainier Fog (2018). Written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, the song is a tribute to the Seattle music scene and the band's former members, Layne Staley and Mike Starr, and the title was inspired by Mount Rainier, a volcano that overlooks Seattle. The single peaked at No. 20 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. Excerpts from the lyrics are featured upside down on the album cover. The full lyrics to "Rainier Fog" are inscribed on the bottom plate of Jerry Cantrell's signature Dunlop Cry Baby Wah pedal, released in April 2019.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 "Alice In Chains Timeline". SonyMusic.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 1999. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  3. ↑ Morris, Chris (October 24, 1992). "Alice In Chains Album Races Into Top 10 Despite Bum Leg". Billboard. pp. 17, 22.
  4. 1 2 "Jerry Cantrell Recalls How Alice in Chains Developed Their Twin-Vocal Sound". Diffuser.fm. April 25, 2017. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
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  6. 1 2 Yates, Henry (November 15, 2006). "The Story Behind The Song: Rooster by Alice In Chains". Classic Rock Magazine. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Gilbert, Jeff (January 1993). "Rain Man: Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell Cleans Up His Act and Hits Pay Dirt". Guitar World. Vol. 14, no. 1. pp. 30–32.
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  9. ↑ "Right Turn" (Media notes). Alice in Chains. Columbia Records. 1992. Buttnugget publishing/Jack Lord Music 67059.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ "Alice in Chains. Soundtrack. 'Right Turn'". Internet Movie Database . Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Liner notes, Music Bank box set. 1999.
  12. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Sap review". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  13. ↑ Brackett, Nathan. "Alice in Chains". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 13, cited March 17, 2010
  14. ↑ Gill, Chris (September 1999). Dirt. Guitar World .
  15. ↑ Sap at Discogs (list of releases). Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  16. ↑ "ACE Repertory - Love Song" (PDF). ASCAP.com . Archived from the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Alice in Chains – Jar of Flies %2B SAP". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 50. December 11, 1993. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Alice in Chains – Jar of Flies %2B SAP". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Alice in Chains | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Alice in Chains | Chart History. Mainstream Rock". Billboard . Eldridge Industries. March 4, 1995. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  24. 1 2 "Sap – Alice in Chains | Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 20, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Alice in Chains | Chart History. Alternative Songs". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. January 14, 1995. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  26. ↑ "American single certifications – Alice in Chains – Sap". Recording Industry Association of America.
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