In the world of music, few bands have had the impact and staying power of Pearl Jam. The iconic rockers from Seattle burst onto the scene in the early 90s with their debut album Ten and remained relevant ever since. Casual fans of Pearl Jam are familiar with the band’s well-known hits, but there are also many interesting facts about the band that only the most devoted fans know. In this article, we’ll explore 10 interesting Pearl Jam facts that only true fans are likely to know!
1. Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament are the Core Behind the Band
Before Pearl Jam, the guitarist (Gossard) and bassist (Ament) of the band played together in the band Green River. After Green River disbanded, Gossard and Ament formed a new band called Mother Love Bone with singer Andrew Wood. The eccentric Wood, however, tragically passed away shortly before the release of Mother Love Bone’s debut album Apple. Despite their grief, Gossard channeled his pain into writing new music. The music eventually evolved into a demo tape which Gossard released in an attempt to find new band members. The tape ultimately found its way to Eddie Vedder, whose powerful vocals impressed Gossard and Ament. The story is the foundation behind Pearl Jam.
2. The Band’s First Name was Mookie Blaylock
Pearl Jam was originally named after professional basketball player Mookie Blaylock. The band even played a few shows as “Mookie Blaylock” in the early 90s. But when the band signed with Epic Records, the label advised the Seattle rockers to change their name for legal reasons. To honor Mookie Blaylock, Pearl Jam decided to title their iconic debut album Ten, after Blaylock’s jersey number.
3. The Band Refused to Make Music Videos
In the 1990s, Pearl Jam consistently refused to make music videos, feeling that they would distract from the music and the message. The refusal started when Epic Records urged the band to release “Black” as a single, which the band declined because of the song’s fragility. They did release a few early videos, however, including the iconic “Jeremy” video.
4. Porch Unleashes ‘Crazy Eddie’
Although Pearl Jam’s “Porch” isn’t the most well-known song on “Ten”, it surely is the most spectacular live song. Because “Porch” is known for unleashing ‘Crazy Eddie’, a nickname Vedder reportedly got from the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. During live performances of the song in the 90s, ‘Crazy Eddie’ would climb onto lighting rigs, speaker stacks, and jump into crowds. The most memorable moment is arguably Vedder’s epic stage dive from a camera pole during Pinkpop 1992.
5. Fastest Selling Album Ever
Pearl Jam’s second album Vs. (1993) was the fastest-selling album in history at the time of its release, selling over 950,000 copies in its first week. The record was broken five years later, when Garth Brooks released his first live album Double Live. It is interesting to note that the band refused to promote Vs. and didn’t make any music video’s for the album’s singles.
6. Pearl Jam’s Fued with Ticketmaster Led to Coachella
In the 1990s, Pearl Jam famously boycotted Ticketmaster due to their high service fees and monopoly on ticket distribution. This led to a long legal battle and limited the band’s ability to tour in certain cities. As a result, the band resorted to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Pearl Jam’s performance would prove the Polo Club’s ability to host large events, and led to the creation of the famous Coachella festival.
7. Pearl Jam Employed 5 Drummers
Dave Krusen was the band’s original drummer and played drums on Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten. He left the band shortly after due to personal issues and was replaced by Matt Chamberlain. Chamberlain played drums for Pearl Jam for just three weeks and was replaced by Dave Abbruzzese. Abbruzzese played on Pearl Jam’s second and third albums, but was fired in 1994 as a result of personal conflicts. Jack Irons, the former Chili Peppers drummer, replaced him and played on the band’s fourth and fifth albums. Irons left Pearl Jam in 1998 because of the band’s tasking touring schedule. He was replaced by Matt Cameron, who had split with Soundgarden in 1997. Matt Cameron drums for the band to this day.
8. Vedder Wrote “Better Man” as a Teenager
Vedder even recorded the song with his first band Bad Radio, but Pearl Jam’s version is the one we all know today. Although Vedder wrote the song as a teenager, Pearl Jam only released the song on their third album Vitalogy. The band refused to record the song for earlier albums because of its mainstream appeal.
9. The Rockers are Devoted Activists
The band members are known for their activism and political engagement, and have often used their music as a platform to raise awareness about social and environmental issues. The band also has its own non-profit foundation Vitalogy, named after the band’s third studio album.
10. The Band has Their Own Fan Club
Known as the ‘Ten Club’ (named after their debut album). The fan club offers early access to concert tickets and exclusive merchandise, among more.
Did you know all of these facts about Pearl Jam? Or did some of them come as a surprise to you? Do you know other fascinating facts about the band that are note-worthy? Let me know in the comments down below!
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