Rotting Piñata
Encyclopedia
Rotting Piñata is the debut album by American
rock band Sponge
, released in 1994 on Work Records. Hit singles from this album, such as "Molly
" and "Plowed," helped launch the band's career and pushed the album to Gold. The name of the album came from a conversation the band had regarding shock
punk
singer GG Allin
. Allin claimed he would commit suicide
while on tour and wanted his corpse to be shown at the remainder of the shows on the schedule. Furthermore, he wanted the fans to be able to throw objects at his deceased body. The band joked that if he did, the corpse would be like a "rotting piñata
."
A special edition included a bonus CD featuring Sponge live at Rock am Ring
Nürburgring
on June 2, 1995.
All songs written by Sponge except where noted.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band Sponge
Sponge (band)
Sponge is a post-grunge band from Detroit, Michigan formed in 1991 by Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, Tim Cross and Joey Mazzola. Sponge was signed to Sony Records in 1994 but have since switched to other labels....
, released in 1994 on Work Records. Hit singles from this album, such as "Molly
Molly (Sixteen Candles)
"Molly " is a song by American rock band Sponge, released in 1995 as the second single from their debut album Rotting Piñata. It also serves as the name of the band's greatest hits album, which was released in 2000...
" and "Plowed," helped launch the band's career and pushed the album to Gold. The name of the album came from a conversation the band had regarding shock
Shock rock
Shock rock is an umbrella term for artists who combine rock music with elements of theatrical shock value in live performances.-History:Screamin' Jay Hawkins was arguably the first shock rocker...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
singer GG Allin
GG Allin
Kevin Michael "GG" Allin was an American punk rock singer-songwriter, who performed and recorded with many groups during his career. GG Allin is perhaps best remembered for his notorious live performances, which often featured transgressive acts, including coprophagia, self-mutilation, and...
. Allin claimed he would commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
while on tour and wanted his corpse to be shown at the remainder of the shows on the schedule. Furthermore, he wanted the fans to be able to throw objects at his deceased body. The band joked that if he did, the corpse would be like a "rotting piñata
Piñata
A piñata is a papier-mâché or other type of container that is decorated, filled with toys and or candy and then broken as part of a ceremony or celebration. Piñatas are most commonly associated with Mexico, but its origins are considered to be in China...
."
Track listing
All songs written by Sponge (Dombrowski and Mazzola) and produced by Sponge and Tim Patalan.A special edition included a bonus CD featuring Sponge live at Rock am Ring
Rock am Ring
The Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals are two simultaneous rock music festivals held annually in Germany....
Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
on June 2, 1995.
All songs written by Sponge except where noted.
Band members
- Vinnie Dombrowski - vocals
- Mike Cross - guitar
- Tim Cross - bass
- Joe Mazzola - guitar
- Jimmy Paluzzi - drums/backing vocals
Additional personnel
- Andy Patalan - production assistant
- Tim PalmerTim PalmerTim Palmer is a British music producer, audio engineer and songwriter of rock and alternative music.-1980-1990:Palmer worked as an assistant engineer at Utopia Studios in London, England in the early 1980s...
- mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Mark O'Donoughue & Brandon Harris - mixing assistants
- Tim Patalan - mixing on "Rotting Piñata", "Neenah Menasha", "Miles" and "Molly"
- Stuart Griffen - Talent agentTalent agentA talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
- Pablo Mathiason - A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
- Howie WeinbergHowie WeinbergHowie Weinberg is a music mastering engineer who has worked with numerous bands.- Career :He has worked at Masterdisk, New York City, since 1977...
- masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - David Coleman - art direction
- Michael Halsband - photography
Album
| Year | Title | US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heatseekers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Rotting Piñata | 58 | 4 |
Singles
| Year | Title | US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Plowed | - | 5 | 9 |
| Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain) | 55 | 3 | 11 | |
| Rainin' | - | 34 | 18 | |
| 1996 | Neenah Menasha | - | - | - |
Trivia
- NeenahNeenah, WisconsinNeenah is a city on Lake Winnebago in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities of Northeast Wisconsin...
and MenashaMenasha, WisconsinMenasha is a city in Calumet and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 16,331 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly in the Town of Menasha in Winnebago County; only a small portion is in the Town of Harrison in Calumet County. Doty Island is located...
are two cities in WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... - The vocals for "Molly" were re-recorded for the single release, retitled "Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)" The song was inspired by a story a bandmember had heard about a 16-year old girl who'd fallen in love with her teacher and attempted suicide after he rejected her advances.
- Track number five, "Miles", includes the last two lines of Robert FrostRobert FrostRobert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningStopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a poem written in 1922 by Robert Frost, and published in 1923 in his New Hampshire volume. Imagery and personification are prominent in the work...
" ("And Miles to go before I sleep... And Miles to go before I sleep...")