Ongoing History Daily: Was Kurt Cobain a failed record producer?

It’s well known that The Melvins were one of Kurt Cobain’s all-time favourite bands when he was growing up. He even worked as a roadie for them for a time. Kurt then left, eventually formed Nirvana, and the rest is history. But here’s a part of the story that’s seldom told.

In 1992, The Melvins were sucked up in the major label stampede to sign as many Pacific Northwest bands as they could. Kurt made sure that they got signed. Once the deal was done, it was suggested that Kurt serve as The Melvins’ mentor and producer for the next record. He was up for it, but things quickly spiraled. It was suggested that he write songs for the album. Feeling that he’d been drawn in too deep, Kurt quit the project.

Or did he?

Melvins leader Buzz Osborne says that he fired Kurt because he didn’t need anyone to write songs for his band. The actual story of what happened between Kurt and The Melvins seems to have two different endings.