On this day 15 years ago, R.E.M.’s fifteenth and final studio album, Collapse into Now, was released. In 2021, Mike stated his belief that the album, produced by Jacknife Lee, is in the canon of their finest works.
On this day 40 years ago, Mike and Bill (amongst others) debuted as The Corn Cob Webs at the Uptown Lounge in Athens. One of the songs they worked up was The Clique’s ‘Superman’, which R.E.M. subsequently recorded for Lifes Rich Pageant.
On this day in 1984, Peter and Mike appeared on WUOG to debut Reckoning tracks ‘Letter Never Sent’ and ‘Second Guessing’. They also each chose a Pick of the Week to be played. Peter opts for George Jones and Ray Charles’ ‘We Didn’t See a Thing’, while Mike went with the Gap Band’s ‘Party Train’.
On this day in 1992, R.E.M. appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
On this day 35 years ago, on NDR in Hamburg, Germany, the band gave live debuts to ‘Half a World Away’, ‘Fretless’ and ‘Radio Song’. ‘Losing My Religion’ was performed live for the first time with all band members present.
On this day in 2000, Scott McCaughey answered some questions for ‘We Talk’ at www.murmurs.com.
In 2023, Warner Bros. executive Jeff Gold told me on Twitter: “We actually got the motor voter bill passed because R.E.M. let us put a petition postcard on the back of their long box. A proud day for me, RTV and R.E.M. Clinton thanked us!”
On this day in 1994, R.E.M. received Rock the Vote’s first annual Patrick Lippert Award in recognition of their support. 1/2
We aren’t R.E.M. HQ, FYI. They just copy a lot of our posts.
"I spent most of my time figuring out what Ceefax was on the TV - there were only three or four channels." Bill expanded on the television content: “There were only about two channels, and one always had snooker on while the other was showing a sheep-herding contest.”
On this day in 1985, the band began recording Fables of the Reconstruction at Livingston Studios in Wood Green, London. “It was a very bleak period in our lives. We’d been touring forever, we were in London where we knew nobody, had no money to do anything." - Mike in 1999
On this day in 1992, R.E.M. won three of the seven Grammys they were nominated for: Best Pop Performance by a Group with ‘Losing My Religion’, Best Alternative Album with Out of Time and Best Video with ‘Losing My Religion’.
On this day in 1985, although they were physically and mentally exhausted from being on the road almost constantly, R.E.M. flew to London, without informing I.R.S., to begin recording their third album in as many years.
On this day in 1981, R.E.M. played the 688 Club in Atlanta. This is the earliest known video footage of the band playing live (with sound), from the archives of Wuxtry’s Dan Wall. The full footage was made available in November 2012.
Happy 70th to the legend that is Peter Holsapple (@halfpear.bsky.social).
On this day 30 years ago, Michael performed at the Tibet House Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. ‘Low Desert’ was given a live debut.
“We thought, ‘How many mandolins do you hear on the radio right now?’” said Mike. “Not very many. So, you know, we’ll just put it out and we won’t tour, and we’ll probably fade into obscurity, and no-one will ever hear of us again.”
On this day 35 years ago, ‘Losing My Religion’ was released as the first single off Out of Time with ‘Rotary Eleven’ as the B-side.
“We thought, ‘How many mandolins do you hear on the radio right now?’” explains Mike Mills. “Not very many. So, you know, we’ll just put it out and we won’t tour, and we’ll probably fade into obscurity, and no-one will ever hear of us again.”
The fab Jim Hawkins and Electro-Acoustic Systems. (Knew this old card would come in handy one day.)
On this day in 1997, Stipe performed at the annual Tibet House Benefit, held at Carnegie Hall in New York City. ‘E-Bow the Letter’ was performed live for the first known time, with Patti Smith joining in on vocals.
On this day in 1985, R.E.M. went into Electro-Acoustic Systems, on Broad Street in Athens, with their new producer, Joe Boyd, and Jim Hawkins. The demos recorded were released on the 25th anniversary reissue of Fables in 2010. ‘Throw Those Trolls Away’ was later renamed ‘I Believe’.
On this day in 1983, the band was in the closing stages of recording Murmur at Reflection in Charlotte, North Carolina. Seven tracks were recorded to two-track: ‘There She Goes Again’, ‘That Beat’, ‘Pretty Persuasion’, ‘All the Right Friends’, ‘Tighten Up’, ‘Moon River’ and ‘White Tornado’.
On this day in 2008, the band's guitar technician, Mark ‘Microwave’ Mytrowitz, died, aged 52.
On this day in 1995, R.E.M. kicked off the European leg of the Monster World Tour in San Sebastian, Spain. ‘Departure’, for which the lyrics were written on the inbound flight, was performed live for the first time.
Negative.
