Description
Pearl Jam Who You Are
Label: Epic 663539 2, Epic EPC 663539 2
Format: CD, Maxi-Single, Digipak
Country: Europe
Released: 30 Jun 1996
Genre: Rock
Style: Grunge, Classic Rock
Tracklist:
1 Who You Are 3:54
Written By Vedder/Gossard/Irons
Written-By Vedder*, Irons*, Gossard*
2 Habit 3:39
Written-By Vedder*
Distributed By Sony Music
Phonographic Copyright (p) Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Copyright (c) Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Producer Brendan O’Brien, Pearl Jam
Takem from the forthcoming Epic Release: No Code.
© 1996 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Distribution Sony Music
Made in Austria
It is a CD edition of a 7″ release; the two tracks are even listed as ‘A’ and ‘B’, instead of ‘1’ and ‘2’.
Cat# on spine: 663539 2
Cat# on back cover: EPC 663539 2
Barcode: 5 099766 353920
Other: 01-663539-14
Other: CB 608
Matrix / Runout: S0166353914-0101 13 A6
Other (SID Mastering Code): IFPI L553
Other (SID Mould Code): IFPI 944B
Rights Society: BIEM
Label Code: LC 0199
“Who You Are” is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by drummer Jack Irons and guitarist Stone Gossard, “Who You Are” was released on July 30, 1996 as the first single from the bands fourth studio album, No Code (1996). The song topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was included on Pearl Jams 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 19912003). On Pearl Jams greatest hits album, “Who You Are” has a slight lyric change. Instead of “circumstance, clapping hands,”its “avalanche, falling fast.”
Origin and recording:
“Who You Are” features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by drummer Jack Irons and guitarist Stone Gossard. The polyrhythmic drum pattern for the song was inspired by a Max Roach drum solo that Irons heard at a drum shop when he was eight years old.[2] Irons said, “To turn my drum music into a song is pretty challenging, but the guys have been really supportive of me doing it, and we’ve worked some things into a few songs.”[3] Vedder played an electric sitar on the song, giving it an Eastern-influenced sound. Regarding the song, Vedder said, “We realized that we had an opportunity to experiment.”
Vedder has admitted that the choice of “Who You Are” as the first single for No Code was a “conscious decision” intended to keep the size of the bands audience down. “Who You Are” was the most successful song from No Code on the American rock charts. The song peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, number five on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Thailand. In Canada, the song reached the top ten on the Canadian Singles Chart, and later it charted on the Alternative Top 30 chart where it reached number one and became Pearl Jams first single to top that chart. “Who You Are” also reached number 17 on the Canadian Year End Alternative Top 50. “Who You Are” reached the UK Top 20 and peaked at number five on the Australian Singles Chart. “Who You Are” charted at number 47 in the Netherlands, reached the top 30 in Sweden, and was a top ten success in Finland and Norway. It was a moderate top 20 success in Ireland and New Zealand.
David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that the song has an “Indo-Bo Diddley glow” and called it a “buoyant electric variation on Vedders recent collaborations with Pakistani vocal god Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.” Christopher John Farley of Time also identified an influence of Vedders collaboration with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, stating, “The spiritualized, bass-heavy “Who You Are” is a solid number, but it clearly owes a lot to Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, with whom Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder worked on the sound track to the film Dead Man Walking.”Vedder denied that his collaboration with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had any influence on the song.
“Who You Are” (Stone Gossard, Jack Irons, Eddie Vedder) 3:51
“Habit” (Vedder) 3:36
Chart (1996) Peak position
Australian Singles Chart 5
Canadian RPM Singles Chart 4
Canadian RPM Alternative 30 1
Dutch Singles Chart 47
Finnish Singles Chart 2
Irish Singles Chart 19
New Zealand Singles Chart 17
Norwegian Singles Chart 7
Polish Singles Chart 6
Swedish Singles Chart 26
UK Singles Chart 18
US Billboard Hot 100 31
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard) 1
US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard) 5
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