Nevermind: Nirvana's Big Baby
Dear Gen Xer,
Spencer Elden is the Nirvana baby. He’s the one chasing a dollar on the cover of Nevermind.
The cover was designed by Robert Fisher. He was Geffen’s art director when Nirvana was signed.
Fisher eventually met with the band to brainstorm ideas. Kurt Cobain had a concept.
“Kurt wanted a baby being born underwater. Back then before the Internet you would have to go down to the local bookstore and go through child birthing books and try to find photos. So that’s what I did. But it was just like … there’s no way we can make an album cover out of this. I couldn’t find any really good pictures and they were all way too graphic to use.” – Robert Fisher
Fisher began to explore alternatives. He liked Cobain’s idea of babies underwater. But the image lacked punch. It needed something more.
“Kurt came up with the idea of adding a fishhook to make it more menacing. We spent the afternoon sitting around thinking of all the funny things we could put on the fishhook.” – Robert Fisher
They thought of adding a big raw steak. Maybe a CD to symbolize music. How about a dog? A tasty burrito? On it went for hours.
“I don’t remember who said dollar bill but everyone was like ‘That’s pretty good,’ and that’s what it ended up being. The thing with the whole process … Kurt didn’t come with like a grand plan or a message he wanted to get across. It all kind of came together organically you know, it was like one step led to another step that led to another.” – Robert Fisher
Fisher started looking for a photographer to bring Nirvana’s vision to life. He found a man named Kirk Weddle who claimed to be a specialist in ‘submerged humans’.
Weddle was struggling to make ends meet. Naturally, he accepted the job when Fisher got in touch.
Weddle shared a studio in Pasadena with a group of other artists. One of those artists was Rick Elden. Weddle offered Elden $200 to photograph his son.
“Babies have a gag reflex. If you blow in their face, they hold their breath. I blew in Spencer's face and put him in the water.” – Rick Elden
Weddle shot 18 frames a second. He used up a roll of film, then broke for lunch with Elden. The shoot that spawned the most iconic cover in Gen X music lasted about 15 seconds.
Spencer Elden was four months old when he was photographed at the bottom of the pool at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Centre in Pasadena.
Being one of the world’s most famous infants has always been part of his life.
"…I feel pretty normal about it because growing up, I've always known I was the Nirvana baby. It never really struck me like, 'Oh, ****, that's me on the cover'." – Spencer Elden
Elden enjoyed his unique status. He never refused an interview. Nor did he miss an opportunity to recreate Nevermind’s cover.
Here he is at 10 years old for the album’s tenth anniversary.
Here he is at 17.
And again at 20.
Elden remained positive throughout the years whenever he spoke of Nirvana.
“Definitely, I like Nirvana a lot and there are no songs that I don't like - they all have a special place for people.” – Spencer Elden
He liked them so much, he got Nevermind tattooed across his chest.
Elden embraced his perceived celebrity.
"Quite a few people in the world have seen my penis. It's kind of cool… I feel like I'm the world's biggest porn star.” – Spencer Elden
Elden was so cool with the world seeing his penis, he told the New York Post that he’d wanted to pose nude when he re-enacted the cover for Nevermind’s 25th anniversary.
“I said to the photographer, ‘Let’s do it naked.’ But he thought that would be weird, so I wore my swim shorts.” – Spencer Elden
That same year, Elden sang a different tune in an interview with GQ Australia:
“It’s fucked up. I’m pissed off about it, to be honest. I’ve been going through it my whole life. But recently I’ve been thinking, ‘What if I wasn’t OK with my freaking penis being shown to everybody?’”
It was a surprising turn. What could have possibly caused it?
In the past you’ve said it was cool. When did that change?
“Just a few months ago, when I was reaching out to Nirvana to see if they wanted to be part of my art show. I was getting referred to their managers and their lawyers. Why am I still on their cover if I’m not that big of a deal?”
Why’d you reach out to them?
“I was trying to do an art show with the photographer who took the picture. I was asking if they wanted to put a piece of art in the fucking thing.”
Elden was upset because he couldn’t get through to Nirvana. Because Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, whom he’s never met nor spoken to, ignored his request to participate in his show.
Elden went on to lament:
“Everyone thinks you’re making money [from being on the cover]. You’ll hook up with a hot chick, and then they figure out you’re not making any money from it and they’ll dump you.”
Five years passed.
Nirvana re-released Nevermind for its 30th anniversary.
Spencer Elden – still upset by his lack of royalties and getting dumped by hot chicks - decided to do something special to celebrate.
Elden filed a federal lawsuit on August 24, 2021 against Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, the estate of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, and cover photographer Kirk Weddle, as well as 10 other companies and individuals.
According to the lawsuit:
“Defendants knowingly produced, possessed, and advertised commercial child pornography depicting Spencer, and they knowingly received value in exchange for doing so.”
Elden claimed to have suffered ‘permanent harm’ due to his appearance on the cover, including emotional distress and a ‘lifelong loss of income-earning capacity’. He sought $150,000 from each of the 15 people and companies named in his complaint.
Maggie Mabie, one of Elden’s enablers lawyers, explained to the New York Times:
“They were trying to create controversy because controversy sells. The point was not just to create a menacing image but to cross the line and they did so in a way that exposed Spencer so that they could profit off of it.”
“Mr. Elden never consented to the use of this image or the display of these images. Even though he recreated the images later on in life, he was clothed and he was an adult and these were very different circumstances.”
Mabie went on to note that Kurt Cobain, upon hearing there was pushback for Nevermind’s cover, had suggested covering baby Elden’s genitals with a sticker that read:
“If you’re offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile.”
Judge Fernando M. Olguin dismissed Elden’s case. Twice.
The first was when Elden’s lawyers failed to respond in time to a motion for dismissal. Judge Olguin gave Elden’s team the chance to file a second complaint in order to address “the alleged defects” in Nirvana’s motion to dismiss.
Nirvana’s lawyers argued that Elden’s lawsuit failed to meet the statute of limitations concerning child pornography. They were also quick to add:
“Elden’s claim that the photograph on the ‘Nevermind’ album cover is ‘child pornography’ is, on its face, not serious. A brief examination of the photograph, or Elden’s own conduct (not to mention the photograph’s presence in the homes of millions of Americans who, on Elden’s theory, are guilty of felony possession of child pornography), makes that clear. [Instead] the photograph evokes themes of greed, innocence and the motif of the cherub in Western art.”
Nirvana’s lawyers pointed out that Elden had used his unique celebrity to pick up women and profit financially by re-enacting the cover for a fee, making public appearances that parodied the cover, and autographing copies of Nevermind and selling them on eBay.
“Elden has spent three decades profiting from his celebrity as the self-anointed ‘Nirvana Baby.’”
Judge Olguin dismissed Elden’s lawsuit a second time after his lawyers submitted their amended complaint. He wrote in his eight-page ruling that Elden had known about the cover for over 10 years and had waited too long to file.
Nevermind will turn 34 on September 24th.
It was on that day in 1991 when music changed forever; when Seattle went supersonic and Gen X exploded.
Whatever you happen to think of Nirvana, their influence on our generation is undeniable.
Nevermind will always be a landmark album. And Spencer Elden will always be the Nirvana baby.
Hopefully, one day, he’ll grow the fuck up.
Great article! As a graphic designer, I absolutely love appreciating the album covers that bring the music to life. Nirvana's Nevermind is a masterpiece of melodic yet heavy rock.
Another excellent summary of a fascinating piece of Gen X history, Sonny. I agree with Amy, what a douche (or, as we used to say, a douche canoe 😁).
I remember when I first saw the “Smells Like” video and it knocked my socks off…and then we scoffed and went back to Metallica.
Thanks so much, as always! I look forward to your articles!