"Spin the Black Circle" | ||||
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Single by Pearl Jam | ||||
from the album Vitalogy | ||||
B-side | "Tremor Christ" | |||
Released | November 8, 1994 | |||
Studio | Bad Animals, Seattle, Washington | |||
Genre | Hardcore punk[1][2] | |||
Length | 2:48 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard | |||
Producer(s) | Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam | |||
Pearl Jam singles chronology | ||||
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"Spin the Black Circle" is a song by American rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 8, 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 vocalist Eddie Vedder and music primarily written by guitarist Stone Gossard. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. It additionally charted at number 10 in the UK 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).
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").