From this day in 1982 at the Pier in the Cameron Village Subway located beneath Cameron Village Shopping Center in Raleigh, NC. At this time they were not even a blip on my radar but here they are playing one of many early shows practically in my backyard. They first came to my attention the following spring when I heard “Laughing” from Murmur on WQDR, an album rock station out of Raleigh. The rest as they say is history…
14th October
2003 - ‘Bad Day’* 7" & CD Single is released in the US.
Still a great song in these times.
Also, R.E.M. performed on ‘Later… with Jools Holland’ BBC, London
Other acts performing: Jamelia, Buddy Guy, British Sea Power, Willis
set:
Jools Holland: Introduction
R.E.M.: Bad Day
Jamelia: Superstar
Jools Holland: Interview with Yoko Ono
Buddy Guy: Look What All You Got
British Sea Power: Remember Me
R.E.M.: Losing My Religion
Willis: Paper And Stone
Buddy Guy: Crawlin’ Kingsnake
Jools Holland: Interview with R.E.M.
British Sea Power: Carrion
R.E.M.: Nightswimming (Stipe, Mills & Stringfellow)
Jools Holland: Interview with Buddy Guy
Jamelia: Taxi
Buddy Guy: Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues
R.E.M.: What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?
Notes: Television performance on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ on BBC2. The band performed ‘Bad Day’, ‘Losing My Religion’, ‘Nightswimming’ & ‘What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?’ as well as Jools Holland interviewing Michael, Peter & Mike - discussing what advice to give to younger bands, what items that each member takes on tour, what they would be doing in 15 years, & what inspired the song ‘Nightswimming’. This was broadcast on BBC2 on 17 October 2003.
And this was really special, and still is.
18th October
Neil Young (2nd set): From Hank To Hendrix / Distant Camera / Horseshoe Man / After The Goldrush / Expecting To Fly / Powderfinger / Ambulance Blues
R.E.M.: Losing My Religion / New Test Leper / Country Feedback / Daysleeper / At My Most Beautiful / Electrolite / Everybody Hurts / Man On The Moon
Notes: 12th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert. R.E.M. (without Michael Stipe) also played with Neil Young on his song ‘Ambulance Blues’ during his 2nd set, and Neil joined them on guitar for ‘Country Feedback’.
25th October
1985 - R.E.M. performed on the ‘The Tube’, Channel 4, Studio 5, Tyne Tee Television, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England
Other acts performing: Tom Waits
Tom Waits: 16 Shells From A Thirty-Ought Six / Cemetery Polka
R.E.M.: Driver 8 / Can’t Get There From Here
(R.E.M. Timeline)
4 November
2008 - SUE Festival 2008, Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile
Support: The Gangas, The Jesus And Mary Chain
Set: Living Well Is The Best Revenge / I Took Your Name / What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? / Drive / Driver 8 / Man-Sized Wreath / Ignoreland / Fall On Me / Hollow Man / Imitation Of Life / Horse To Water / Everybody Hurts / She Just Wants To Be / The One I Love / Nightswimming / Sweetness Follows / Bad Day / Orange Crush / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Encore: Supernatural Superserious / Losing My Religion / I Believe / Radio Free Europe / Cuyahoga / Man On The Moon
Notes: Before ‘I Believe’, Bertis Downs comes onstage with a laptop to announce that Barack Obama looks very likely to be the next US President. Michael puts on a Barack Obama shirt & 4 audience members wearing Obama t-shirts are invited onstage to dance to the song. After the song, Michael checks his phone to make sure of the result.
(R.E.M. Timeline)
11 November
1998 - ‘Night Express’, Italia 1, Propaganda, Milan, Italy - (R.E.M. Timeline)
Set: Losing My Religion / Lotus / New Test Leper / Daysleeper / Sad Professor / Parakeet / The Apologist / So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) / Walk Unafraid / Man On The Moon
break: Magic Carpet Ride (snippet) / Interview & Audience Q&A with Camila Raznovich / Interview with Paola Maugeri
encore: At My Most Beautiful / Country Feedback / Perfect Circle / I’m Not Over You (Stipe solo) / Fall On Me / Radio Free Europe / Ghost Rider
Notes: Television performance on ‘Night Express’ on Italia 1. After a 10 song main set, Peter, Mike & Michael on steps in front of the stage sing a snippet of ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ before being interviewed by Camila Raznovich along with a Q&A with audience members. Another interview with Paola Maugeri is conducted, before an encore is performed with Peter Buck playing drums on ‘Ghost Rider’. Parts of the show were broadcast on Italia 1 TV & Radio 105 on 13 November 1998. Show review- micky
“New Test Leper”
I don’t exactly know the specific day, around this time of year we would get R.E.M. fan club singles. This one is from 2002
R.E.M. played in Argentina for the first time twenty-five years ago.
I was there and it was fantastic.
February 19
1991 ‘Losing My Religion’ Cassingle & 7" Single is released in the US. - (R.E.M. Timeline)
February 28
2025 - R.E.M. reunited at the 40Watt Club in Athens GA, & to join Michael Shannon, David Narducy & friends, ‘Pretty Persuasion’ Yeah! 
.
March 12
1991 - R.E.M release their 7th studio alum ‘Out Of Time’ in the US.
Live in-studio performance & interview recorded for Television & broadcast on Dutch radio -
Studio 1, Bullet Sound Studio’s, Nederhorst den Berg, The Netherlands.
Set: World Leader Pretend / Half A World Away / You Are The Everything / Fretless / Radio Song / Losing My Religion / Belong / Love Is All Around. (R.E.M. Timeline)
I purchased the limited edition version from one of our local record stores on the day of release. I don’t dislike Out of Time but it’s not one I revisit all that often. I listened to it recently for the first time in years. It holds up, at least to my ears. Still, it’ll probably be awhile before I listen to it again.
I purchased Out Of Time at a record store in the city, I remember the guy at the counter telling me, “This is a great record!” I had only heard two tracks, Losing My Religion & Shiny Happy People. Played the whole album when I got home, so wonderfully suprising, new & fresh. I love Out of Time, one of my favourite records.
I mostly recorded concerts and interviews off the radio. When WRDU announced they were going to be debuting “Losing My Religion” I sat in front of my stereo ready to roll tape so I could listen to it whenever I wanted. I was soon bombarded with it from MTV and VH1 as well. I don’t hate or dislike it but I’ve heard it enough to last me several lifetimes.
Prior to the album’s official release, I called in to RDU’s all request show, the Short Order Lunch to request “Belong.” The host wondered how I already knew the song which was from hearing it (along with “Low”) when the Green World Tour came to Greensboro in 1989. Both songs are also on Tourfilm.
I wouldn’t put Out of Time in the least favorite category but it is among the R.E.M. albums I don’t revisit that often because of over familiarity from when it was new. The one I listen to most from this era is New Adventures in Hi Fi. It is also my favorite album from that era. Unlike Out of Time and Automatic for the People, it was not nearly as high profile on radio, MTV, or VH1.
I didn’t have access to MTV in the 90’s. I first heard songs from Out Of Time on non commercial radio. Losing My Religion would be one of the most played R.E.M. songs I hear, even now. I guess it’s one of those timeless classics.
I hear it sometimes as well because I’m sure it’s their signature song. Given the opportunity, I’ll skip it but only because I’m so burned out on it. I still enjoy this version though. Maybe because at that time it was also still new to them.
I was in the supermarket a few weeks ago and Losing My Religion came on. Genuinely, everywhere I looked there was someone mouthing the words or singing along. Staff and customers alike. It was like the end of the Man on the Moon video! It put a smile on my face, that my favourite band still resonates after all this time. Then tonight, the same thing happened!
It was the song that made me fall in love with the band. The first R.E.M. song I ever heard, at the age of 12, was Shiny Happy People, and I liked it. But Losing My Religion was like nothing I’d ever heard. It moved me in a way that I don’t think I’d ever felt from music before.
Then came Near Wild Heaven, and Radio Song, and the re-releases of The One I Love and End of the World, and by the end of 1991, Out of Time was top of my Christmas list!
It’s still one of my favourites. I always think that a person’s love of music is strongly tied to time and place. That album takes me back to happy, carefree, childhood days, and discovering an exciting new musical world that, until then, had existed outside the confines of the UK Top 40 that I was used to.
(When I talk about time and place, it’s not necessarily happy days. Up soundtracked an unhappy period of my life and that’s my favourite album.)
I think it really stands up. It all flows really well, despite being quite a disparate album. The band are at the peak of their powers. (A peak that spanned several albums it has to be said…)
Yeah, it’s fair to say I love the album, and always will. Loads of iconic live performances from that era, too. Unplugged, Mountain Stage, Bingo Hand Job.
I was admittedly pretty oblivious to it but in R.E.M.’s early days they were going about making a name for themselves in my home state of North Carolina by frequently gigging here (their first show outside their native Georgia was in Carrboro). Also forming deep connections by happening upon their first manager who then worked at Schoolkids Records. There was also producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon helming recording sessions in Kernersville and Charlotte.
I first heard them in 1983 on WQDR, a progressive FM station out of Raleigh. From my understanding, the connection was made via Don Dixon who played in a local band named Arrogance that received a fair amount of airplay on the station. It probably also didn’t hurt that their keyboard player Marty Stout was a member of the sales staff there.
It was the deep album cut “Laughing” that planted the seed for me. The sound of synths and drum machines largely dominated the airwaves back then prompting R.E.M.’s more organic, rootsy sound to stand out. That initial intrigue would soon grow, not unlike that of the kudzu vine, into a full blown love of them, resulting in R.E.M. becoming my favorite band of all time.
(Image courtesy of R.E.M.’s Bluesky account)
April 12 1983 - R.E.M. released their debut studio alburm Murmur, Produced by Mitch Easter & Don Dixon. Recorded at Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte, North Carolina.
One of my fav songs from Murmur. “Perfect Circlë”
The first song I remember hearing from Murmur was “Laughing” on WQDR, an album rock station out of Raleigh, NC. In the wake of the dawn of MTV when the airwaves were mostly rife with the sound of synths and drum machines, R.E.M.’s more earthy, organic sound stood out. I have no doubt the more subversive nature of their sound is part of why they were sort of a slow build for me. The more I heard, the more they grew on me, eventually resulting in my purchase of Murmur. Little did I know as a 20 year old at the time the lifelong impact this band from Athens, GA was going to have on me.
