R.E.M. On This Day

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Chronic Town was released on this day in 1982. I first heard R.E.M. in 1983 thanks to a local album rock station, WQDR out of Raleigh, NC. The first song I remember hearing was “Laughing.” Not long afterwards, R.E.M. were guests on their call-in show, East Coast Live hosted by Allan Handelman that used to air on Sunday nights. That’s where I heard Chronic Town for the first time. I recorded the interview but accidentally taped over it. I’ve been in touch with Allan over the years. He remembers the interview but unfortunately, it was one of the rare occasions when he wasn’t running tape. So, it appears it’s been lost to the ages. I don’t remember much about it but one thing that stands out is how Allan noted they all arrived for the interview with bare, muddy feet.
Of the 12 times I saw R.E.M. between 1986 and 2008 I’m pretty sure the only time I ever heard them play anything from Chronic Town was “1,000,000” at Walnut Creek in Raleigh in 2008. Not unusual as they were digging a bit deeper than usual that night (they opened with “Harborcoat”) and brought out Mitch Easter and Don Dixon to perform with them on “Sitting Still.” In retrospect I’ve often wondered if they already knew at that point that it would be their last tour. “Gardening at Night” has long been not just my favorite song from Chronic Town but also my overall favorite R.E.M. song. I love it in all its many forms: live, studio, electric, acoustic, fast, and slow but my all time favorite version is the “different vocal mix” from Eponymous. The runner up is the live version from the I.R.S. Vintage Years version of Murmur.

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Great read Jonathan. I wasn’t familiar with R.E.M. until much later when Out Of Time arrived. Of the songs I’ve heard from Chronic Town singly and on collections, "Carnival Of Sorts (Box Cars) would by my favorite. Looking forward to hearing the EP played in full.

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Thank you. Chronic Town is quite the remarkable piece of work and is often cited as people’s favorite EP of all time. Even though I believe much more could have been done in regards to the 40th anniversary edition such as bonus cuts and live material, it has been nice to see it receive this level of recognition, all of which is well deserved and long overdue. On the Allan Handleman tip, I was in touch with him yesterday. It seems that while he doesn’t have a copy of the show where he aired the interview he did with R.E.M., he apparently does have a copy of the interview itself. He conducted it backstage at the Scope in Norfolk, VA on August 15th, 1983 when they were opening for the Police. He’s presently in the process of digitizing all of his old shows so he said it could be some time before he gets to it but he assures me that he will make me a copy. When that happens, I’ll do my best to put it on something like Soundcloud where it can be shared by all. Also, he told me that at least a couple of the band members did arrive for the interview in barefeet so my memory from 39 years ago isn’t completely shit. There’s no R.E.M. content here but this is Allan briefly discussing his career and his plans for the future, which includes digitizing all of his archives.

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On this day in 1999 I saw R.E.M. (as well as Wilco) on my birthday for the first (and only) time when they performed at Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, NC. There were some other firsts on this day as well: it was my first time seeing them without Bill Berry, it was my first tickets from the fan club (R.E.M.'s website was relatively new to the internet at the time), and it was my first time meeting fellow members of the locally (Raleigh-based) Guitartown community en masse. The Guitartown email list brought us together via our love of alt.country (local and otherwise) but we soon found we had much more in common than that. At this show, as R.E.M. tended to do, they reserved some of their most special treats for when they performed in the Triangle (Raleigh - Durham - Chapel Hill) area. On this evening, it just so happened to be the rarely performed “Camera.” Recorded here by Chris Hartstonge from the R.E.M. Timeline.

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Happy birthday!

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Happy belated Birthday Jonathan! :notes:

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On this day August 31st
In 1987, R.E.M. released Document, their fifth studio album. It was the first album of the band to be produced by Scott Litt.
35 years later this record still stands. I don’t know if it will ever be killed.

“Fireplace”

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This is one of those music purchases that I can remember like it was yesterday. I bought this on the day of release at Tracks/Record Bar in Jacksonville Mall in Jacksonville, NC. As I entered the store, “Welcome to the Occupation” was playing. The girl that sold me the album was wearing a cast on her arm. Don’t ask me my shoe size as I would have to check…

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1st September
I couldn’t find the exact dates when this was filmed, I just know it was September 2007. Thought it would be a nice start to the month, spring, fall… depending on where you live.

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Per the R.E.M. Timeline it was September 21st.

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Thanks. :+1: Several weeks ago I was searching for Accelerate videos and came across the Take Away Show, I noted it down, I must remember that! September 2007. Didn’t think about looking on the Timeline, do you know how many times I’ve gone through the Timeline trying to keep this thread going? :laughing: Fatigue.

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The Take Away show is one of my favorite things they did in the post-Bill years next to Live at the Olympia.

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September 6 -
Mirrored from -

https://youtu.be/xwtdhWltSIg

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I was there! Still remember that day fondly

On this day - 9 September
From the R.E.M. Timeline -

Event: ‘New Adventures in Hi-Fi’ is released in Europe and Australasia

9 September 1996 - Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA
6:30-9:30pm: Well fed by Weaver D’s, As well as playback of the new album & screening of Road Movie, included a live auction of rare memorabilia & other goodies by Gwen O’Looney & Michael Stipe and raffle & door prizes.
10:00-11:00pm: As well as playback of the new album, and screening of Road Movie, raffle, door prizes & T-shirts for sale.
Notes: ‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’ Pre-Release Listening Party. Proceeds benefited Community Connection of Northeast Georgia.

“Short promotional version of the 1996 documentary of the band R.E.M. recording their album New Adventures in HiFi. Directed by Lance Bangs and Dominic DeJoseph TRT” - Great record. :two_hearts:
https://youtu.be/CK54ea7pXyo

“New Test Leper” - One of my fav R.E.M. songs.
https://youtu.be/_c_Yg8azAi0

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On this day 16 September
From the R.E.M. Timeline -
2003 - Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul St. Paul, Minnesota
Support: Ed Harcourt
Soundcheck: Electrolite (w/ Jesse Greene) / World Leader Pretend / Daysleeper
Set: Begin The Begin / Finest Worksong / Pilgrimage / Drive / Animal / So Fast, So Numb / Fall On Me / Bad Day / The One I Love / The Great Beyond / (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville / Daysleeper / Electrolite / Losing My Religion / Find The River / She Just Wants To Be / Walk Unafraid / Man On The Moon
Encore: Everybody Hurts / Nightswimming / Final Straw / Imitation Of Life / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Notes: Jesse Greene plays violin on ‘Electrolite’.

“Pilgrimage”
https://youtu.be/W-El_e9HPtU

21 September
On this day in 2011, R.E.M. announced worldwide that they are disbanding:
“To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.”

Still listening. Thank you R.E.M! :musical_note: :notes: :two_hearts:

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I remember it well. It was not totally unexpected news but was still sad. I had not given it much thought up to that point but on that day it dawned on that R.E.M. was a band I’d been listening to since I was 20 years old in 1983. For the next 28 years, they were pretty much the soundtrack of my life. That said, their music in the 80’s probably had the deepest impact. That would explain why I continue to be so strongly drawn to the I.R.S. years all these many years later.

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I remember it very well too. I was working in a refugee settlement in northern Ethiopia (one of my favourite places, by the way, and terribly sad what is happening there right now) for refugees from Eritrea, when I read the news. Internet was so poor, I had to wait until December when I got back home to catch up with the news and reactions.

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Out of Time was my first R.E.M. record, been a fan since 1991.