25-years-ago today, @Nirvana's Nevermind album was released. Check out my pictures in today's @nypost pic.twitter.com/0XjLp8Yyty
— John Chapple (@johnchapple) September 24, 2016
Last year, Billboard Magazine listed the 50 Greatest Album Covers of All Time. Number seven on that list was Nirvana’s Nevermind. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the album’s release. For Saturday’s anniversary, as he did for the 15th anniversary, the baby in the photograph, Spencer Elden, recreated the famous photo for the same photographer, John Chapelle, and the same $200 his parents received in 1991. The cover of a naked baby underwater chasing a dollar bill on a fish hook (superimposed onto the photo later) is considered one of the most recognized covers ever. Of course the album sold 30 million copies and has such hits as Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come as You Are but the cover generates as much interest as the music. The two biggest differences in the photos are the grown man and despite wanting a full recreation, Elden had to keep his trunks on.
The naked swimming baby from the cover of the groundbreaking Nirvana album Nevermind reenacted the image for the record’s 25th anniversary — this time wearing clothes.
Spencer Elden, 25, wanted to go au naturel when he made splash to honor the legendary grunge band, he told The Post.
“I said to the photographer, ‘Let’s do it naked.’ But he thought that would be weird, so I wore my swim shorts,” said Elden, an artist from L.A.
“The anniversary means something to me. It’s strange that I did this for five minutes when I was four months old and it became this really iconic image,” he said.
“It’s cool but weird to be part of something so important that I don’t even remember,” said Elden, who prefers the punk band The Clash over Nirvana.
In 1990, I developed a pretty serious Jazz addiction. It started in a class and for the better part of two years I listened almost exclusively to Jazz. In short, I missed the boat on grunge. Although I recognize it’s a great photograph, its impact is lost on me. (I also don’t understand how Herb Alpert’s Whipped Cream & Other Delights didn’t make Billboard’s list)
Elden, as well, is a little surprised by the world’s reverence to the album cover. He grapples with the fact that most of the people around him at any given time have seen his, “little four-month-old penis.” The hardest thing for Elden to reconcile is how much money was made from Nevermind and how he never saw any of it. He tried to reach out to the surviving band members Dave Grohl (all hail!) and Krist Novoselic but they never responded. At one point, he looked into pursuing legal action against Geffen Records because he felt he should be compensated considering how iconic the album has become. I understand his frustration, he’s a struggling artist living with his mother at age 25. At the same time, he boasts a giant “Nevermind” tattoo across his chest because of an album that made other people a fortune. However, he really isn’t due a thing – his parents were paid for a photo they agreed to and that ended their involvement. Elden kind of gets this too, saying, “I think it’s also me being carried away with it and thinking about it too much.” I feel for him. He is indelibly linked with this masterpiece and yet, holds no power from it. I imagine that would be both a blessing and a curse.
Photo Credit: Twitter, WENN Photos and Getty Images
I worked for years as an artists model. Once you are paid and sign the release, that’s it baby. The artist who made this cover and the band Nirvana are the ones who did the actual work to make this is so iconic.
Nirvanababy grew up to be a real hottie!
I don’t think the band owes him anything. He was 4 months old, he didn’t choose to be in the cover. His parents agreed to the amount. That’s it. He is just trying to milk it.
Side note : I am still greaving for The Amazing Kurt Cobain 💔
Me too. Kurt was amazing, as songwriter, as a musician, but i also love how he admired women.
This is my take as well, Reinedidon. On another note, I don’t like that his parents did that to him.
I can see where he’s coming from and this is why I’d never let my kids do something like this. His parents made a deal using his image and he’s a part of this cult record but not by his choice and frankly gets no real benefit from it.
I really feel for kids whose parents make these decisions for them.
But this album could have also gone nowhere and made no money. It’s a cr@p shoot when you do something like this. Just saying.
Yeah I agree the problem is that he didn’t have the ability to consent because he was just a baby.
.” I feel for him. He is indelibly linked with this masterpiece and yet, holds no power from it. I imagine that would be both a blessing and a curse.”
No power? I was gonna say wouldn’t the notoriety have gotten him laid a few times? But then again, rushing out and telling your friends that you slept with the baby from the Nevermind album might sound a bit off.
I thought the same, lol!
He isn’t owed anything and he has his 15 minutes of fame every 10-15 years for anniversaries
God I feel so old…
Noone would ever know it was him if he never said anything…..
Sorry but he had nothing to do with the success of the album. If it hadn’t been him, it had been some other baby. It’s not like he wasn’t compensated or his picture was used without permission.
Of course it would have been cool and considerate of the band to remember him somehow, but they definitely don’t owe him anything and I can see why asking for money would leave him without response.
Don’t be bitter, move on, let go and find your own thing. Thx bye.
The way he feels uncomfortable about his baby penis being out there for all to see is why I can’t stand when parents share naked photos, butt photos, and the worst offense: toilet photos on Facebook and insta.
Hello! That is your precious child and you are making a choice to put their naked body on the internet, or their most private and vulnerable moment on the internet.
It’s a case in point, really, that parents shouldn’t be doing this kind of thing. Can you imagine selling the dignity of your child for a few Facebook “likes”? The child won’t grow up and feel good about it.
I’m completely with you about sharing naked photos of your kids on Facebook, but I don’t think he was uncomfortable with the cover. He said to the photographer that he wanted to do the re-shoot naked it was the photographer who said it would be creepy. Personally, I think it’s creepy that he is doing a re-shoot every 10 or 15 years.
“He grapples with the fact that most of the people around him at any given time have seen his, “little four-month-old penis.”
That’s the part I was referring to. I guess “grapples with” is up for interpretation.
To me there’s a difference between choosing to share your adult penis with the world, and having someone who is supposed to protect you (parents) choose to share your baby penis or any private part with the world for their own benefit.
That’s true. Personally, I don’t even like to share photos of my fully clothed kid on social media. Something about not being able to have total control over who sees them makes me uncomfortable.
Seriously? Facebook allows naked photos of children?? I’m not on Facebook, their invasion of privacy is too off putting for me. But I have to say I’m shocked that they allow that. I think that’s just wrong. And shame on the parents who post such stuff. I have no problem with adults posting what they want, naked or otherwise. But doesn’t it seem creepy to have naked photos of children up for random people to see? Don’t parents that do this have any idea about pedophiles??
Having been a twenty-something in the thick of the Seattle grunge scene pre and post-Nevermind, I feel really old.
I kind of feel bad for bands these days here-Seattle still has amazing local music, but for better or worse, Nevermind is still going to be the high water mark for music success in this city for years to come.
Personally, I still mourn the fact that Mother Love Bone never had a chance to release another album.
I totally agree with you about Mother Love Bone, on the other hand we got Pearl Jam and Temple of the Dog!
I love Mother Love Bone!
I don’t see why this would be a blessing and a curse. He should be grateful he has a great pickup line and move on. He has no special talent that would have precluded the use of any other random baby. He didn’t bring anything but baby to the cover, something any other baby could have supplied. The cover is iconic because of the eye and skill of the photographer. It’s like saying that Mona Lisa, ( I know that wasn’t the merchant’s wife name, but for sake of recognition) should have been paid for Leonardo Da Vinc’s work. This guy is annoying.
I drove through Alberdeen the other day for the first time and made it a point to drive past Kurt’s childhood home. The town is so depressing and creepy, I don’t know how anyone can stand to live there.
Nirvana baby is hot! It would be interesting to see what Nirvana would sound like today.
And I agree about Herb Alpert’s Whipped Cream & Other Delights, I loved that album cover as a kid. It was so risqué! LOL And I also loved the music, I still listen to it.
25 years ago, I was at the Marquee, blown away by Nirvana live, and madly in lust with David Grohl. The Nirvana baby is older than I was at that point. I need a drink.
Wow, I didn’t realize John Krasinski started out so early on his path to fame…..
Why would anyone owe that dude anything?
If the music wasnt good ppl would not have bought it.
He’s thirsty
Shame on his parents for exploiting their naked baby for money. And shame on the parents who overshare details and photos of their children’s lives for Facebook likes, or blog hits, or Instagram followers, or money, or whatever. The internet lives forever and children grow up and realize what their parents have done.
He’s thirsty but it’s also kind of screwed up that his parents would let their naked baby be on an album cover. Cosign on the hatred of naked baby photos being shared, even just amongst friends on facebook. No kid has ever said ‘thanks for sharing my baby genitals with the world, mum and dad’.
I still remember the day Kurt died and finding out about it. I was a little kid who probably shouldn’t have been exposed to Nirvana, but their music had a massive impact on me and still does to this day.
Nevermind will always be their most famous album but it will never be their greatest.
CD covers are a really bizarre thing. I remember reading how the guy that is featured on the cover of Matchbox 20’s “Yourself or someone like you” sued the band / record label saying he lived under a lot of stress and mental anguish once he realized his face was made the cover of an album that sold 15 million copies.