Apple is the only full-length studio album by the rock band Mother Love Bone. It was released on July 19, 1990, through Stardog/Mercury Records. The album was produced by Bruce Calder, Terry Date, Mark Dearnley and Mother Love Bone. The album released three singles Stardog Champion, This is Shangrila and Stargazer. The album peaked at number 34 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart in 1992.
Mother Love Bone was established in 1987 by ex Green River members Jeff Ament, Bruce Fairweather and Stone Gossard, ex Malfunkshun frontman Andrew Wood and ex Ten Minute Warning and drummer Greg Gilmore. Initially, the band was formed in 1987 by Wood, Gossard, Ament and Malfunkshun drummer Regan Hagar. By early 1988 the band had added Fairweather, replaced Hagar with drummer Greg Gilmore and changed its name to Mother Love Bone.
This new lineup quickly set about recording and playing area shows and by late 1988 had become one of Seattle’s more promising bands. Wood‘s exuberant on stage personality, outlandish clothes and dreamy lyrics helped bring attention to the band.
In the 1996 Grunge documentary Hype!, Seattle engineer Jack Endino called Wood “the only stand-up comedian frontman in Seattle”, a reference to Wood‘s playful style of interacting with Mother Love Bone fans. In November 1988, the band signed to PolyGram subsidiary Polydor Stardog and recorded their debut EP. As part of their contract, PolyGram created the Stardog Records imprint exclusively for the band.
In March 1989, the group issued its debut EP Shine, becoming one of the first of the new crop of Seattle bands to have a release on a major label. The record sold well and rapidly increased the profile of the band. John Book of AllMusic said the “record contributed to the buzz about the Seattle music scene.”
In late 1989, the group returned to the studio (this time in Sausalito, California) to record its debut album, Apple. Despite some initial difficulties, the record was on time for its projected March 1990 release.
Only days before Apple was slated to be released, frontman Andrew Wood, who had a long history with drug problems, overdosed on heroin. Unresponsive and without signs of brain activity, he was in the hospital on life support for two days to allow friends and family to say goodbye.
Wood‘s death effectively brought the group to an end. The album would see release later that year on July 19, 1990.In the months following Wood‘s death, Gossard and Ament were approached by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell (who had been Wood‘s roommate), and asked if they would be interested in recording a single containing two songs he had written in tribute to Wood.
The project turned into an entire album and the group took the name Temple of the Dog, a reference to a line in the Mother Love Bone song Man of Golden Words. Cornell recruited singer Eddie Vedder for the project, which afterward Vedder then joined Mike McCready, Gossard, and Ament to form Pearl Jam, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed rock bands of the 1990s.
Tracklist:
- This Is Shangrila
- Stardog Champion
- Holy Roller
- Bone China
- Come Bite the Apple
- Stargazer
- Heartshine
- Captain Hi-Top
- Man of Golden Words
- Capricorn Sister
- Gentle Groove
- Mr. Danny Boy
- Crown of Thorns
Reissue bonus track - Lady Godiva Blues
Mother Love Bone
Andrew Wood: lead vocals, piano
Bruce Fairweather: lead guitar
Stone Gossard: rhythm guitar
Jeff Ament: bass
Greg Gilmore: drums
Production
Scott Blockland: assistant engineering
Bruce Calder: production on “Stargazer”
Terry Date, Mother Love Bone: production
Mark Dearnley: production on “Crown of Thorns”
Kaylin Frank: production coordination
Dennis Herring, Davitt Sigerson: pre-production
Klotz: design
Bob Ludwig: mastering
Lance Mercer: photo
Tim Palmer: mixing
Denny Swofford: assistance
Andrew Wood (January 8, 1966 – March 19, 1990).
