| "Spin the Black Circle" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byPearl Jam | ||||
| from the albumVitalogy | ||||
| B-side | "Tremor Christ" | |||
| Released | November 7, 1994 (1994-11-07) | |||
| Studio | Bad Animals (Seattle, Washington) | |||
| Genre | Hardcore punk[1][2] | |||
| Length | 2:48 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Composers | ||||
| Lyricist | Eddie Vedder | |||
| Producers | Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam | |||
| Pearl Jam singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Spin the Black Circle" is a song by Americanrock bandPearl Jam, released on November 7, 1994, as the first single from the band's third studio album,Vitalogy (1994). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features lyrics written by vocalistEddie Vedder and music primarily written by guitaristStone Gossard. The song peaked at number 11 on theBillboardModern Rock Tracks chart and at number 18 on theBillboard Hot 100. It additionally charted at number 10 in theUK Singles Chart, giving them their only top-10 hit in that country. The song was later included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest-hits album,rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).
GuitaristStone Gossard originally wrote the guitar riff for "Spin the Black Circle" much slower, but vocalistEddie Vedder asked him to speed it up.[3] Vedder on the song:
I remember wanting everything to be faster...Stone gave me a tape with this riff [hums it at slow speed]. I had a speed control on my machine. I speeded it up, came back and said, "Can we do it this way?"[3]
GuitaristMike McCready on the song:
That's me trying to doJohnny Thunders leads. I actually overdubbed those leads, but when I do it live, that riff is so hectic and frantic, I have to be warmed up or it sounds really shitty.[4]
BassistJeff Ament has admitted that he was unhappy at the time with thepunk rock direction that the song took. He said that "when we wrote 'Spin the Black Circle'...I was like, 'Ugh!'. I can play the entireDead Kennedys back catalog! I didn't really want to make music like that at that time."[5]
"Spin the Black Circle" begins with one guitar playing fast power chords, and then the second guitar kicks in and Vedder begins singing aggressively through the rest of the song.
According to Vedder, "Spin the Black Circle" is about his and the band's love forvinyl records. At the band's July 1, 2003, show inBristow, Virginia at theNissan Pavilion, Vedder proclaimed "This song is about old records, old records, anyone remember old records?"[6] The lyrics play on the similarities between drug addiction and addiction to records and music, as many of the lyrics may be interpreted either way. It is unclear to what extent this is intended to be a serious comparison of different types of addiction and to what extent it is just intended to make the lyrics interesting.Jon Pareles ofThe New York Times referred to "Spin the Black Circle" as "one of the few songs from Seattle in which a needle has nothing to do with heroin."[7]
"Spin the Black Circle" was released on November 7, 1994, with theB-side "Tremor Christ".[8][9][10][11] The single peaked at number 18 on theBillboardHot 100, number 16 on theBillboardAlbum Rock Tracks chart, and number 11 on theBillboardModern Rock Tracks chart.[12][13][14] "Spin the Black Circle" was the band's first single to enter theBillboard Hot 100.[12] Because of the Hot 100's tracking methods, this high position reflects the single's sales preceding the album's delayed release on compact disc.
Outside the United States, "Spin the Black Circle" reached the top 10 in Australia,[15] Denmark,[16] Finland,[17] Ireland,[18] New Zealand,[19] Norway,[20] and the United Kingdom.[21] It also reached the top 20 in Sweden,[22] the top 30 in the Netherlands,[23][24] and charted at number 92 in Germany.[25] The song remains the band's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom and their only top-10 hit there.[21] It is also their highest-charting single in New Zealand, along with "Go" (1993).[19]
Al Weisel ofRolling Stone called the song a "revvedup thrash tribute to vinyl."[26] David Browne ofEntertainment Weekly said that it sounds "a little flabby, like dinosaur rockers trying to prove they're intoGreen Day."[27] At the1996 Grammy Awards, "Spin the Black Circle" received the award forBest Hard Rock Performance;[28] it was the firstGrammy Award Pearl Jam had ever won. During the band's acceptance speech, Vedder famously said, "I don't know what this means. I don't think it means anything. [...] Thanks, I guess."[29]
"Spin the Black Circle" was first performed live at the band's March 6, 1994, concert inDenver,Colorado at theParamount Theatre.[30] Live performances of "Spin the Black Circle" can be found on variousofficial bootlegs and theLive at the Gorge 05/06 box set. A performance of the song is also included on the DVDLive at the Garden.
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[15] | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[31] | 22 |
| Denmark (IFPI)[16] | 10 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[32] | 16 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] | 9 |
| Germany (GfK)[25] | 92 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[18] | 6 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[23] | 22 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] | 21 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] | 2 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[20] | 5 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[33] | 11 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[22] | 16 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[21] | 10 |
| UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[34] | 8 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[12] with "Tremor Christ" | 18 |
| USAlternative Airplay (Billboard)[14] | 11 |
| USMainstream Rock (Billboard)[13] | 16 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | November 7, 1994 |
| Epic | [35] |
| United States | November 8, 1994 |
| [citation needed] | |
| United Kingdom | November 14, 1994 | [36] |
Vedder took one of Stone's slower guitar riffs and sped it up exponentially, creating a hardcore punk, allout assault. Here, the crowd-ready anthems and aching ballads rub shoulders with pummeling hardcore punk ("Spin the Black Circle"), quirky Beatles marches ("Tremor Christ"), and lengthy experimental sound collages ("Stupid Mop").
