The same blog hosting the cleaned up Murmur sessions and the Stephen Hague "Catapult" has just posted the ridiculously rare Cassette Set demo tape from spring 1981, with unique tracks never released since.
These tracks were the base tracks (before Hibbert got involved) for the Hib-Tone 7", and the tape was the source for "Radio Dub" which has been on some bootlegs over the years.
Just gave it a quick listen, and WOW!
R.E.M. Cassette Set (April 1981 Drive-In Studio sessions) over at The Power of Independent Trucking
6
1981 demo "Cassette Set" just popped up...
Started by drew, Oct 02 2011 07:00 PM
60 replies to this topic
#2
gravity113
-
- Members
- 142 posts
mercurylines.com
Posted 02 October 2011 - 09:20 PM
i love the internets.
#3
pooboo
-
- Members
- 133 posts
This film is on.
- LocationSydney, Australia
#4
fanfan
-
- Members
- 6,687 posts
Registered User
Posted 03 October 2011 - 07:45 AM
Thanks a lot. That's very kind to share this with everybody.
--------
"Ja das Wichtigste ist dass das Feuer nicht aufhört zu brennen,
denn sonst wird es ganz bitterlich kalt.
Ja, die Flammen im Herzen sind durch nichts zu ersetzen."
(Jan Delay)
"Ja das Wichtigste ist dass das Feuer nicht aufhört zu brennen,
denn sonst wird es ganz bitterlich kalt.
Ja, die Flammen im Herzen sind durch nichts zu ersetzen."
(Jan Delay)
#5
cjr67
-
- Members
- 570 posts
Registered User
#6
ThunderRoad
-
- Members
- 50 posts
Rookie User
Posted 03 October 2011 - 11:12 AM
They used to be amazingly brilliant.
Thanks a lot!
Thanks a lot!
#7
bluemookie
-
- Members
- 446 posts
Registered User
Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:10 PM
Chris gave me his raw transfer of the tape, I worked my magic on it, and here we are. There are few times when I'm so confident as to say you'll not find something better out there quality-wise, but this is one of them. I expected something that I would need to do a lot of cleanup work on, but barring a bit of EQ, this set came to me in absolutely stunning, beautiful condition.
Not to sound like a dick or anything, but my copy sounds 100x better. A friend of the band recorded his straight from the reel to reel recorder. My copy has zero artifacts. Just saying. I'm glad it's floating around freely now. Same goes with the Murmur demos/outtakes and Stephen Hague version of Catapult. My copy came from a better source, I think, but mine was "altered" so if I ever made it public, the "friend of the band" would know exactly where it came from, which is why I never released my copy to the trading group. Is it too much to hope that the Bombay recordings will see the light? I emailed the author of the Murmur pocket book, J. Niimi, and he claims that he has not only heard the Bombay session recordings, but has a copy. There was nothing I could offer him to secure a copy for myself though.
Not to sound like a dick or anything, but my copy sounds 100x better. A friend of the band recorded his straight from the reel to reel recorder. My copy has zero artifacts. Just saying. I'm glad it's floating around freely now. Same goes with the Murmur demos/outtakes and Stephen Hague version of Catapult. My copy came from a better source, I think, but mine was "altered" so if I ever made it public, the "friend of the band" would know exactly where it came from, which is why I never released my copy to the trading group. Is it too much to hope that the Bombay recordings will see the light? I emailed the author of the Murmur pocket book, J. Niimi, and he claims that he has not only heard the Bombay session recordings, but has a copy. There was nothing I could offer him to secure a copy for myself though.
#8
thomas08
-
- Members
- 907 posts
president of ignoreland
Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:24 PM
HOLY SHIT! hurry up and download!! 
just out of interest, what are the bombay recordings?
EDIT: just found a great article on the sessions here: http://www.onlineath...beginning.shtml
just out of interest, what are the bombay recordings?
EDIT: just found a great article on the sessions here: http://www.onlineath...beginning.shtml
#9
luc
-
- Members
- 544 posts
Registered User
#10
Sweden
-
- Members
- 3,878 posts
your truth = our lies
Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:38 PM
bluemookie, on 03 October 2011 - 12:10 PM, said:
Not to sound like a dick or anything, but my copy sounds 100x better. A friend of the band recorded his straight from the reel to reel recorder. My copy has zero artifacts. Just saying.
If your copy of the Cassette Set is so much better then the obvious thing for you to do is of course to offer it for download, why not through the above site? It would make everyone happy, and seeing that it's out there much to a much wider audience now anyway (it has also circulated in trading circles before) I assume your source would not mind.
In any case, it's great to see these things appearing and being made available to a wider audience now. And good to see Drew on the boards of course!
/David
******************************
"Conventional wisdom would dictate that when the singer is trying to hit the high note and not quite getting there, the last thing you should do is tickle him! No tickling the lead singer when he is reaching for a note that he can no longer hit, OK?" JMS, post-audience visit during The One I Love in Bergen, 2008
******************************
"Conventional wisdom would dictate that when the singer is trying to hit the high note and not quite getting there, the last thing you should do is tickle him! No tickling the lead singer when he is reaching for a note that he can no longer hit, OK?" JMS, post-audience visit during The One I Love in Bergen, 2008
******************************
#11 Guest_pelagius42_*
Guest_pelagius42_*
-
- Guests
Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:48 PM
So, are these things popping up now because the band broke up? Just curious...
#12
bluemookie
-
- Members
- 446 posts
Registered User
Posted 03 October 2011 - 12:56 PM
Sweden, on 03 October 2011 - 12:38 PM, said:
Well, you might run a slight risk after this and your comments on the Stephen Hague Catapult, but...I'll overlook that.
If your copy of the Cassette Set is so much better then the obvious thing for you to do is of course to offer it for download, why not through the above site? It would make everyone happy, and seeing that it's out there much to a much wider audience now anyway (it has also circulated in trading circles before) I assume your source would not mind.
In any case, it's great to see these things appearing and being made available to a wider audience now. And good to see Drew on the boards of course!
/David
If your copy of the Cassette Set is so much better then the obvious thing for you to do is of course to offer it for download, why not through the above site? It would make everyone happy, and seeing that it's out there much to a much wider audience now anyway (it has also circulated in trading circles before) I assume your source would not mind.
In any case, it's great to see these things appearing and being made available to a wider audience now. And good to see Drew on the boards of course!
/David
Thank you for looking the other way! Yes, since this has been released, I have no problem uploading my Radio Free Europe cassette tape recording. Hopefully I can get some of my street cred back!
#13
Analog Loyalist
-
- Members
-
- 2 posts
Newbie
Posted 03 October 2011 - 02:20 PM
@bluemookie: I am nothing if not grateful for upgrades, and neither would be Chris H who kindly gave the blog the tape to post.
My ultimate goal is to have the best quality stuff out there. That's one of the reasons I'm so hesitant to post lossy things.
If you could email me analogloyalist at gmail dot com, I am sure we can find some way to make this work. There's been a massive upswell of interest in my blog due to the recent posts, and being featured on the popular slicingupeyeballs blog certainly drove even more visitors to the Cassette Set post. I'm pretty confident my readers, and REM fans in general, would appreciate any upgrade you could provide.
On another topic, there is another massive post in the works featuring an even less known set of REM material, a bit more contemporary than 1981. Keep your RSS readers pointed…
- Analog Loyalist
My ultimate goal is to have the best quality stuff out there. That's one of the reasons I'm so hesitant to post lossy things.
If you could email me analogloyalist at gmail dot com, I am sure we can find some way to make this work. There's been a massive upswell of interest in my blog due to the recent posts, and being featured on the popular slicingupeyeballs blog certainly drove even more visitors to the Cassette Set post. I'm pretty confident my readers, and REM fans in general, would appreciate any upgrade you could provide.
On another topic, there is another massive post in the works featuring an even less known set of REM material, a bit more contemporary than 1981. Keep your RSS readers pointed…
- Analog Loyalist
#14
pooboo
-
- Members
- 133 posts
This film is on.
- LocationSydney, Australia
Posted 03 October 2011 - 02:30 PM
Analog Loyalist, on 03 October 2011 - 02:20 PM, said:
On another topic, there is another massive post in the works featuring an even less known set of REM material, a bit more contemporary than 1981. Keep your RSS readers pointed…
- Analog Loyalist
- Analog Loyalist
Woo Hoo.
Lets make our own box set.
#15
bluemookie
-
- Members
- 446 posts
Registered User
Posted 03 October 2011 - 02:34 PM
Okay, here's a copy of what I have. Let me know if you think this sounds better than the one posted at the blog.
http://www.mediafire...qe7z2ubpfa84ry4
http://www.mediafire...qe7z2ubpfa84ry4
#16
Analog Loyalist
-
- Members
-
- 2 posts
Newbie
Posted 03 October 2011 - 02:45 PM
Ok, I just sampled those. For the most part the tape provided for the blog is better. The tracks aren't phasey and more defined than yours.
Which disappoints me because I'm all ears for upgrades!
Which disappoints me because I'm all ears for upgrades!
#17
bluemookie
-
- Members
- 446 posts
Registered User
Posted 03 October 2011 - 02:56 PM
Yeah, after listening again, I guess my aren't 100x better. Sorry. At least it's a secondary source to the blog, yeah?
#18
chrisha
-
- Members
- 93 posts
Kiwi Power
Posted 03 October 2011 - 02:57 PM
Hi There,
I gave the Analog the Cassette Set for the blog, and in total agreement that if we can get the best source, we will go with that, so everybody has the best available source going, and to have it from the reel to reel is amazing!
Me as a fan will always want that, and great to have unheard stuff out there.
The copy sounds like it has NR added, is this on the original? hope not.............
As Analog said, there is more stuff to come, withan unheard new song in there somewhere, just a pity it's probably the worst R.E.M. song ever written!!
Chris
I gave the Analog the Cassette Set for the blog, and in total agreement that if we can get the best source, we will go with that, so everybody has the best available source going, and to have it from the reel to reel is amazing!
Me as a fan will always want that, and great to have unheard stuff out there.
The copy sounds like it has NR added, is this on the original? hope not.............
As Analog said, there is more stuff to come, withan unheard new song in there somewhere, just a pity it's probably the worst R.E.M. song ever written!!
Chris
#19
bluemookie
-
- Members
- 446 posts
Registered User
Posted 03 October 2011 - 05:15 PM
I never tinkered with my copy. I never adjusted the EQ or tried to remaster it. I just recorded direct from a cassette player. I don't have a cassette deck anymore. I probably got that tape around 1992 or so. Maybe '93. I digitized it around '99. Again, sorry to lead in with the whole "my copy is 100x better". I feel like a heel. Looking forward to any other rare studio stuff, like the reckoning demos (not the Elliot Mazer demos so much) and the post Out Of Time demos. I know that Automatic stuff is out there.
#20
Driver Nate
-
- Members
- 17,796 posts
Miles Standish Proud
- LocationRaleigh, North Carolina
Posted 03 October 2011 - 05:23 PM
Someone recently posted in another thread that they had a copy of "The Devil Rode Backwards On A Horse Called Maybe". I tried finding it but locating that particular post turned out be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I've read various things about that song over the years but what seems to stick out most in my memory is that no one has ever actually heard it and that it may not even exist.
"We were listening to the UNC radio (station) there and they were playing an R.E.M. song. I like R.E.M. fine, but at the end of it, the DJ says, 'Ya that was R.E.M., the sound of the new South'. I looked at my roommate and we said, Gawd, if that's the sound of the new South, I preferred it when it was on the skids. That's how we got the name."
- Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids
- Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids
0 user(s) are reading this topic
members, guests, anonymous users
