Sea of Sorrow

1991 single by Alice in Chains

"Sea of Sorrow"

U.S. CD promotional single

Promotional single by Alice in Chains
from the album  Facelift
Released| 1991
Recorded| December 1989 - April 1990 at London Bridge Studio, Seattle & Capitol Recording Studio, Hollywood
Genre|

* Heavy metal[1]

Length| 5:49 (album)
3:37 (radio edit)
Label| Columbia
Songwriter(s)| Jerry Cantrell
Producer(s)| Dave Jerden
Music video
"Sea of Sorrow" on YouTube

"Sea of Sorrow" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their debut full-length album Facelift (1990). The song was included on the compilation album The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). A demo version of the song was included on the box set Music Bank (1999).

## Release and reception[edit]

"Sea of Sorrow" peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[2] "Sea of Sorrow" was a moderate success and is still occasionally played on alternative rock radio stations.

Ned Raggett of AllMusic said that the song "showed that even as a fairly young group Alice in Chains wanted to fool around with expectations at least a bit" and that "just about every member gets a little moment of flair on the track."[3]

## Music video[edit]

Two music videos for the single were created. In both videos, about two minutes are cut from the song. The second part of guitarist Jerry Cantrell's solo is eliminated, as is the second verse.

### Original video[edit]

The first version was directed by Paul Rachman, who had previously directed the "Man in the Box" music video for the band. The first (and ultimately discarded) version is in color and features the band playing in multicolored spotlights. Vocalist Layne Staley also has most of his dreadlocks cut off, but some intact, giving him an odd hairstyle. The video is available on the home video release Live Facelift.

### Official video[edit]

The second version, directed by Martyn Atkins, was the one the band eventually decided to release and is shot mostly in black and white. Segments from the color video are used in the later black and white one, often glowing momentarily into color from monochrome. There was some editing involved to make the final video appear seamless, as Staley has the half-dreadlock hairstyle in the color video, but shorter and more even cut in the second. The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos.

## Live performances[edit]

A performance of "Sea of Sorrow" is included on the home video release Live Facelift.

## Track listing[edit]

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Sea of Sorrow" (edit)| 4:34
2.| "Sea of Sorrow"| 5:49

## Personnel[edit]

* Layne Staley – lead vocals
* Jerry Cantrell – guitar, backing vocals
* Mike Starr – bass
* Sean Kinney – drums, piano, backing vocals

## Chart positions[edit]

Chart (1991)  | Peak
position

|

US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[4] | 27

## References[edit]

1. ^ Sea of Sorrow - Alice in Chains AllMusic "...though after that the band slips into another one of its grand, dramatic monster metal moves."
2. ^ "Artist Chart History – Alice in Chains". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
3. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Sea of Sorrow". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
4. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2021.

## External links[edit]

* Review of "Sea of Sorrow" at Allmusic
* "Sea of Sorrow" official music video on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Alice in Chains

* Jerry Cantrell
* Sean Kinney
* Mike Inez
* William DuVall

* Layne Staley
* Mike Starr

Studio albums|

* Facelift
* Dirt
* Alice in Chains
* Black Gives Way to Blue
* The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
* Rainier Fog

Extended plays|

* We Die Young
* Sap
* Jar of Flies

Live albums|

* Unplugged
* Live
* Live Facelift

Compilations|

* Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
* Music Bank
* Greatest Hits
* The Essential Alice in Chains

Video albums|

* Live Facelift
* The Nona Tapes
* Music Bank: The Videos

Singles|

* "We Die Young"
* "Man in the Box"
* "Bleed the Freak"
* "Sea of Sorrow"
* "Got Me Wrong"
* "Would?"
* "Them Bones"
* "Angry Chair"
* "Rooster"
* "What the Hell Have I"
* "Down in a Hole"
* "No Excuses"
* "I Stay Away"
* "Don't Follow"
* "Grind"
* "Heaven Beside You"
* "Again"
* "Get Born Again"
* "Fear the Voices"
* "Over Now"
* "A Looking in View"
* "Check My Brain"
* "Your Decision"
* "Lesson Learned"
* "Hollow"
* "Stone"
* "Voices"
* "Tears"
* "The One You Know"
* "So Far Under"
* "Never Fade"
* "Rainier Fog"

Other songs|

* "Sunshine"
* "Brother"
* "Hate to Feel"
* "Nutshell"
* "Died"
* "Black Gives Way to Blue"
* "Phantom Limb"

Film|

* Black Antenna
* AIC 23

Related|

* Discography
* List of songs
* List of awards and nominations
* Susan Silver
* Blackdiamondskye
* Sleze
* Alice N' Chains
* Spys4Darwin

* Category

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