Songs From Previous Albums - Warner Years

R.E.M. (1980-2011)
1

Was thinking about songs on albums that were demoed or played live prior to the completion of a previous album. In other words, the song existed in some form and could have made it on a previous album, but not counting something that was only worked between releases (e.g. Belong on the Green tour).

R.E.M. Timeline is a goldmine.

Green
All new?

Out of Time
All new?

Automatic for the People
Drive (Out of Time sessions)
Try Not to Breathe (Out of Time sessions)
Nightswimming (Out of Time sessions)

Monster
All new?

New Adventures in Hi Fi
E-Bow The Letter (Monster sessions)
Bittersweet Me (Monster sessions)
Low Desert (Monster sessions)

Up
Daysleeper (NAIHF sessions)

Man on the Moon
Miracle (Up sessions)

Reveal
The Lifting (Up sessions)

In Time
Bad Day (Lifes Rich Pageant sessions)
Animal (Up sessions)

Around the Sun
Final Straw (Monster sessions)

Accelerate
Living Well’s The Best Revenge (Around the Sun sessions)
Until the Day Is Done (Monster sessions)
I’m Gonna DJ (Around the Sun sessions)

Collapse Into Now
All new?

Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage
A Month of Saturdays (Accelerate sessions)
We All Go Back to Where We Belong (Collapse Into Now sessions)

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2

“Orange Crush” was played on the Work tour in 1987. I believe there is footage of it on Marty Huntoon’s YouTube channel.

“Low” and “Belong” were performed during the Green World tour in 1989. Both appear in Tourfilm. There’s also a full length video of “Belong” that was filmed in Greensboro, NC which is the same footage (or at least most of it) from Tourfilm.

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3

Yes, but I don’t see any record of Orange Crush existing during the Document sessions, or Low/Belong existing during the Green sessions. Seems like those came into existence during the respective post-album tours.

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4

It seems to me that E-Bow, Bittersweet Me and Low Desert were written during the Monster tour, not during the recording sessions of Monster.

5

According to REM timeline, the three songs were demoed in February/March 1994 at Studio A, Crossover Soundstage, Atlanta, GA.

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6

Looks like E-Bow was demoed in August 1993 as well!

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7

The Great Beyond was debuted and played throughout the Up tour prior to release.

8

Losing My Religion, or at least the music for it, was written during the burst of mandolin songs for Green, but held back for the next album.

9

It was recorded in May prior to the Up tour getting underway the following month.

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10

I’ve never figured out who started the mandolin songs - Berry or Buck? Seems like Berry’s mandolin songs made Green, while Buck’s showed up for Out of Time.

11

Buck: Losing My Religion

Berry: The Wrong Child, Hairshirt

Unclear: You Are the Everything (probably Buck?), Half a World Away

12

Wasn’t So. Central Rain debuted on Letterman when they were promoting Murmur?

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13

Per the R.E.M. Timeline, it was the third live performance of "So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry). The first live performance was just a few days before.

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