Green River (band)

American rock band

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Green River

Green River in the 1980s.

Background information
Origin| Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres|

* Grunge[1]
* punk rock[2]
* heavy metal[2]
* garage rock[3]

Years active|

* 1984–1988
* 1993
* 2008–2009

Labels| Homestead, Sub Pop
Spinoffs| Pearl Jam
Past members| Jeff Ament
Mark Arm
Stone Gossard
Steve Turner
Alex Vincent
Bruce Fairweather

Green River was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984. Considered one of the first grunge bands, Green River is best known for being the precursor to multiple key early 1990s rock bands, most notably Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, and Love Battery.[4] Green River reunited for several live shows in 2008 and 2009.

## History

[edit]

Green River in 1986 Mark Arm of Green River at their reunion concert in 2008 in Seattle.

In its first practice sessions in early 1984, Green River's members were vocalist Mark Arm, guitarist Steve Turner, drummer Alex Vincent (also known as Alex Shumway) and bassist Jeff Ament. Prior to joining Green River, they had played for a variety of rock, punk, and hardcore groups, often with overlapping lineups. Arm and Turner had played together in Mr. Epp and the Calculations and the Limp Richerds.[5] Determined to start a new band together, they first recruited Vincent, whom Turner had briefly played with in Spluii Numa, as drummer, and then set about convincing Ament to join.[5] He and Turner worked at the same Seattle coffeeshop, and Arm had befriended him after a DJ set by Ament at Metropolis, a local club.[6] Ament had a low opinion of Mr. Epp, but agreed to join the new band due to Turner's persistence and Ament's frustration with Deranged Diction, his band at the time.[5] The first Green River rehearsal was at the Turner home on Mercer Island.[5] Stone Gossard, a high school friend of Turner and Vincent, joined as a second guitarist shortly thereafter.[6]

The idea for the name "Green River" came to both Arm and Turner independently.[6] Arm has cited several possible inspirations — a local community college, the 1969 Creedence Clearwater song — but the most resonant association was with the Green River Killer, an infamous Washington state serial killer who was prominent in headlines at the time.[6] To Alice Wheeler, a band photographer, the name reflected undercurrents of depression and danger that would come to characterize grunge;[6] Turner later came to see it as "a dumb joke."[5]

On June 23, 1984, Green River recorded their first demos at Reciprocal Recording. They were released on vinyl in 2016. By late 1984, the band was playing shows in and around Seattle. The band began production in December 1984 on its first record, Come on Down.[7] By the time the band finished the record in mid-1985, Turner had left the group, citing his distaste with the rest of the band's heavy metal leanings.[1] He was replaced by former Deranged Diction guitarist Bruce Fairweather.

In late 1985, the band embarked on its first nationwide tour to promote Come on Down. Release of the record was delayed, however, thus negating the purpose of the tour. From all accounts the experience was less than positive, though it helped cement alliances with other emerging American indie rock bands. Among them was Sonic Youth, who later quoted the song "Come on Down" on its own composition "Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)". After the tour, Come on Down was finally released by the New York-based Homestead Records. The record was released to little fanfare, and did not sell well. However it is often considered the first record to be released by a "grunge" band, as it predated both the Melvins debut EP and the Deep Six compilation album.

In 1986, the band continued to play in and around the Pacific Northwest to steadily larger crowds (especially in the band's hometown of Seattle). Early in the year, the now legendary Deep Six compilation album was released on the local C/Z Records label. Alongside two Green River songs, the compilation features the music of fellow Washington bands Malfunkshun, Melvins, Skin Yard, Soundgarden, and The U-Men. Kathleen C. Fennessy of AllMusic stated that the compilation "documents a formative period in Northwest rock history".[8]

"This Town"

Sample of the 1986 Green River track "This Town" off Dry as a Bone. Characteristic of the band are heavy distortion and Arm's frenetic vocals.

* * *

Problems playing this file? See media help.

In June 1986, the band began production on its second EP, Dry as a Bone, with local producer Jack Endino. Green River chose to record Dry as a Bone for Bruce Pavitt's new label, Sub Pop. However, Pavitt couldn't afford to release it until the following year, and, as had happened with Come on Down, the record was delayed. In the meantime the band issued the one-off "Together We'll Never" single on the local Tasque Force Records label. Dry as a Bone was finally released through Sub Pop in July 1987, a full year after it was recorded. It was the new label's first non-compilation release. Dry as a Bone was promoted by Sub Pop as "ultra-loose GRUNGE that destroyed the morals of a generation".[9] Steve Huey of AllMusic called it Green River's "strongest individual release...perfecting their sleazy, raucous fusion of '70s hard rock and post-hardcore punk".[10]

Almost immediately following the release of Dry as a Bone, the group re-entered the studio to begin production on its first full-length album, Rehab Doll. Band in-fighting, though, took center stage over the music. A stylistic division developed between Ament and Gossard on one side, and Arm on the other.[9] Ament and Gossard wanted to pursue a major-label deal, while Arm wanted to remain independent, viewing the duo as being too careerist.[1] The in-fighting came to a head following an October 1987 show in Los Angeles, California. Apparently, without informing the group, Ament had filled the show's guest list with major label representatives, instead of the band's friends; nonetheless only two of the representatives appeared.[1] On October 31, 1987, Ament, Gossard and Fairweather stated their desire to quit the band. Although the band members agreed to complete production of Rehab Doll during the next three months, Green River had by late October 1987 ceased as a band. Rehab Doll was released in June 1988. Ned Raggett of AllMusic called it "a record that sounded caught somewhere between grunge mania and metal/corp rock folly".[11]

### Reunions

[edit]

Green River reunites for a show at Sub Pop's 20th anniversary.

A Green River reunion occurred on November 30, 1993 during a Pearl Jam concert in Las Vegas, Nevada. Participating in the reunion were Arm, Turner, Gossard, Ament and Chuck Treece, who filled in on drums for Vincent, who at that time was living in Japan. The band performed the songs "Swallow My Pride" and "Ain't Nothing to Do" before leaving the stage. Green River reunited for four shows in 2008, featuring all six of its members from the 1980s. The first show was a warm-up show on July 10, 2008 at the Sunset Tavern in Seattle. The band next played on July 13, 2008 at Marymoor Park near Seattle to honor Sub Pop's 20th anniversary.[12]

## Band members

[edit]

* Mark Arm – vocals (1984–1988, 1993, 2008–2009)
* Steve Turner – guitar, backing vocals (1984–1985, 1993, 2008–2009)
* Alex Vincent – drums, percussion (1984–1988, 2008–2009)
* Jeff Ament – bass, backing vocals (1984–1988, 1993, 2008–2009)
* Stone Gossard – guitar, backing vocals (1984–1988, 1993, 2008–2009)
* Bruce Fairweather – guitar, backing vocals (1985–1988, 2008–2009)

### Timeline

[edit]

## Discography

[edit]

### Studio albums

[edit]

Year  | Album details

|

1988  | Rehab Doll

* Released: May 1, 1988
* Label: Sub Pop (SP-15)
* Format: LP, Cassette

### Live albums

[edit]

Year  | Album details

|

2019  | Live at the Tropicana

* Released: April 14, 2019
* Label: Jackpot records
* Format: LP

### Demo albums

[edit]

Year  | Album details

|

2016  | 1984 Demos

* Released: April 16, 2016
* Label: Jackpot records
* Format: LP

### Compilations

[edit]

Year  | Album details

|

1990  | Dry as a Bone/Rehab Doll

* Released: September 13, 1990
* Label: Sub Pop (SP-11b)
* Format: CD, cassette (CS)

### Extended plays

[edit]

Year  | Album details

|

1985  | Come On Down

* Released: November 1985
* Label: Homestead (031)
* Format: CD, LP, cassette (CS)

1987  | Dry As a Bone

* Released: July 1987
* Label: Sub Pop (SP-11)
* Format: CD, LP

### Singles

[edit]

Year  | Single  | Album

|
|

1986  | "Together We'll Never"/"Ain't Nothing to Do"

* Released: September 10, 1986
* Label: Tasque Force (ICP-01)
* Format: 7"

| Non-album single

### Other appearances

[edit]

Year  | Song  | Title  | Label

|
|
|

1986  |

"10,000 Things"
"Your Own Best Friend"

| Deep Six | C/Z
1988  |

"Searchin' (Good Things Come)"

| Motor City Madness | Glitterhouse

"Hangin' Tree"

| Sub Pop 200 | Sub Pop
1989  |

"Bazaar"
"Away in a Manger"

| Another Pyrrhic Victory: The Only Compilation of Dead Seattle God Bands | C/Z
1990  |

"Ain't Nothing to Do"

| Endangered Species | Glitterhouse
1996  |

"Swallow My Pride" (1987 demo)

| Hype!: The Motion Picture Soundtrack | Sub Pop

## See also

[edit]

* List of alternative rock artists

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Huey, Steve. "Green River | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 13, 2005.
2. ^ a b "MudHoney biography". Retrieved February 22, 2018.
3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Mother Love Bone | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
4. ^ "Green River Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
5. ^ a b c d e Cameron, Keith (March 21, 2014). Mudhoney: The Sound and the Fury from Seattle. Voyageur Press. pp. 22, 33–35\. ISBN 978-0-7603-4661-7.
6. ^ a b c d e Yarm, Mark (March 13, 2012). Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge. Crown. pp. 49–51\. ISBN 978-0-307-46444-6.
7. ^ Torreano, Bradley. "allmusic ((( Come on Down > Review )))". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
8. ^ Fennessy, Kathleen C. "Deep Six". AllMusic.
9. ^ a b Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life. Little, Brown and Company, 2001. ISBN 0-316-78753-1
10. ^ Huey, Steve. "Dry as a Bone". AllMusic.
11. ^ Ned Raggett. "Rehab Doll". AllMusic.
12. ^ "Cult rock band Green River to reunite for show". Reuters. October 2, 2007.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Grow, Kory (February 1, 2019). "Green River and the Birth of Seattle Grunge: The Oral History". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 1, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Sub Pop's Green River page
* Green River at AllMusic

* v
* t
* e

Green River

* Jeff Ament
* Mark Arm
* Bruce Fairweather
* Stone Gossard
* Steve Turner
* Alex Vincent

Studio albums|

* Rehab Doll

Extended plays|

* Come On Down
* Dry As a Bone

Compilations|

* Dry as a Bone/Rehab Doll

Singles|

* "Swallow My Pride"

Related|

| Articles|

* Grunge

|

Bands|

* Limp Richerds
* Mudhoney
* Spluii Numa
* Brad
* Love Battery
* Mother Love Bone
* Pearl Jam
* Temple of the Dog
* Three Fish

Labels|

* Homestead
* Sub Pop

* v
* t
* e

Mother Love Bone

* Jeff Ament
* Bruce Fairweather
* Greg Gilmore
* Stone Gossard
* Andrew Wood

Studio albums|

* Apple

Extended plays|

* Shine

Compilations|

* Mother Love Bone

Video albums|

* The Love Bone Earth Affair

Songs|

* "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns"

Related artists|

* 10 Minute Warning
* Brad
* Green River
* Love Battery
* Malfunkshun
* Pearl Jam
* Skin Yard
* Temple of the Dog
* Three Fish

* v
* t
* e

Pearl Jam

Jeff Ament
Stone Gossard
Mike McCready
Eddie Vedder

Touring/session members
Boom Gaspar
Josh Klinghoffer

Former members
Jack Irons
Dave Krusen
Matt Chamberlain
Matt Cameron
Dave Abbruzzese

Studio albums|

* Ten
* Vs.
* Vitalogy
* No Code
* Yield
* Binaural
* Riot Act
* Pearl Jam
* Backspacer
* Lightning Bolt
* Gigaton
* Dark Matter

Live albums|

* Live on Two Legs
* Official Bootlegs
* Live at Benaroya Hall
* Live in NYC 12/31/92
* Live at Easy Street
* Live at the Gorge 05/06
* Live at Lollapalooza 2007
* Live on Ten Legs
* Pearl Jam Twenty
* 9.11.2011 Toronto, Canada
* Let's Play Two
* MTV Unplugged
* Give Way

Compilations|

* Lost Dogs
* Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003)
* Pearl Jam Twenty

Extended plays|

* Merkin Ball
* The Last of Us

Videos|

* Single Video Theory
* Touring Band 2000
* Live at the Showbox
* Live at the Garden
* Vote for Change? 2004
* Immagine in Cornice
* Pearl Jam Twenty
* Let's Play Two

Singles|

* "Alive"
* "Even Flow"
* "Jeremy"
* "Oceans"
* "Go"
* "Daughter"
* "Animal"
* "Dissident"
* "Spin the Black Circle"
* "Not for You"
* "Immortality"
* "Who You Are"
* "Hail, Hail"
* "Off He Goes"
* "Given to Fly"
* "Wishlist"
* "Last Kiss"
* "Nothing as It Seems"
* "Light Years"
* "I Am Mine"
* "Save You"
* "Love Boat Captain"
* "Man of the Hour"
* "World Wide Suicide"
* "Life Wasted"
* "Gone"
* "The Fixer"
* "Just Breathe"
* "Amongst the Waves"
* "Crown of Thorns"
* "Mind Your Manners"
* "Sirens"
* "Can't Deny Me"
* "Dance of the Clairvoyants"
* "Superblood Wolfmoon"
* "Quick Escape"
* "Retrograde"
* "Wreckage"

Other songs|

* "Once"
* "Black"
* "State of Love and Trust"
* "Breath"
* "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town"
* "Glorified G"
* "Rearviewmirror"
* "Yellow Ledbetter"
* "Tremor Christ"
* "Better Man"
* "Nothingman"
* "Corduroy"
* "Red Mosquito"
* "In Hiding"
* "Do the Evolution"
* "Grievance"
* "Thumbing My Way"
* "½ Full"
* "Brother"

Tours|

* Mookie Blaylock 1991 United States Tour
* 1991 United States Tour
* Ten Tour
* Lollapalooza 1992
* 1993 European and North American Tour
* Vs. Tour
* Vitalogy Tour
* No Code Tour
* Yield Tour
* Binaural Tour
* Riot Act Tour
* Vote for Change
* 2005 North American and Latin American Tour
* 2006 World Tour
* 2007 European Tour
* 2008 United States Tour
* Backspacer Tour
* Pearl Jam Twenty Tour
* 2012 Tour
* Lightning Bolt Tour
* 2015 Latin America Tour
* 2016 North America Tour
* 2018 Tour
* Gigaton Tour
* Dark Matter World Tour

Related articles|

| Articles|

* Discography
* Band members
* Awards and nominations
* Monkeywrench Records

|

Bands|

* Green River
* Soundgarden
* Bad Radio
* Mother Love Bone
* Temple of the Dog
* Brad
* Hater
* Wellwater Conspiracy
* Hovercraft
* Mad Season
* Red Hot Chili Peppers
* Three Fish
* The Rockfords
* RNDM
* 3rd Secret

Albums|

* Mirror Ball
* Bayleaf
* Into the Wild
* Tone
* Ukulele Songs
* Water on the Road
* Moonlander
* Earthling

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Brad

* Shawn Smith
* Stone Gossard
* Regan Hagar
* Keith Lowe
* Happy Chichester

* Jeremy Toback
* Mike Berg

Studio albums|

* Shame
* Interiors
* Welcome to Discovery Park
* Best Friends?
* United We Stand

Compilations|

* Brad vs Satchel

Related bands|

* Malfunkshun
* Green River
* Mother Love Bone
* Temple of the Dog
* Pearl Jam
* Satchel
* Pigeonhed

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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