R.E.M. Unearths A Treasure Trove of Early Hits and Rarities for I.R.S. Records Era-spanning CD, Collectors' Edition 2-CD and DVD Anthology Releases
R.E.M. to Be Inducted Into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in September
And I Feel Fine ... The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 CD Packs 21
Classic Singles and Band Favorites, Including 'It's The End Of The World As
We Know It (And I Feel Fine),' 'The One I Love' and 'Radio Free Europe;'
2-CD Collectors' Edition Adds 21-Track Rarities Disc, Including Previously
Unreleased Songs, Live Recordings, Alternate Takes and Mixes
When The Light Is Mine ... The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 Video
Collection DVD Features More Than Two Hours of Content, Including Several
Previously Unreleased TV Performances, Interviews and Outtakes and All 11
of the Band's I.R.S. Era Music Videos
CD, 2-CD and DVD in Stores: September 12, 2006
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- R.E.M. and EMI Music Catalog
Marketing are collaborating for the release of the first complete CD and
DVD anthologies of the legendary band's 1980s I.R.S. Records output.
Developed and compiled by R.E.M. to best represent the band's entire I.R.S.
tenure, R.E.M.'s And I Feel Fine ... The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987
will be released on September 12 in two packages, a 21-track single-disc
and digital collection of hits and band favorites, and a 2-CD Collectors'
Edition with a second 21-track disc of rarities, including alternate takes,
previously unreleased mixes, and live recordings of familiar R.E.M.
classics, among them 10 never before released tracks. When The Light Is
Mine ... The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 Video Collection DVD, also
to be released on September 12, presents more than two hours of content in
18 clips plus bonus material, including the band's 11 I.R.S. era music
videos and several previously unreleased TV and film performances,
interviews and outtakes.
And I Feel Fine... The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 presents
R.E.M.'s I.R.S. canon in a new single CD and digital collection, with
newly-penned liner notes by rock scribe Anthony DeCurtis. Its 21 tracks
start, fittingly, with "Begin The Begin," followed by the band's other hits
and favorites. "Radio Free Europe," R.E.M.'s debut single, rings the alarm
as it first did in 1981, signaling a new awakening in popular music. That
year's "Chronic Town" EP and the band's 1983 I.R.S. album debut, Murmur,
lit alternative rock's torch, and Bill Berry (drums, vocals), Peter Buck
(guitar), Mike Mills (bass, vocals) and Michael Stipe (vocals) were poised
to be its bearers.
R.E.M.'s early storytelling was both epic and familiar, with themes of
loss and alienation, as expressed in "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" and
1987's Top 10 single "The One I Love," meeting with the optimism and
yearning of "Sitting Still" and "I Believe" in a marriage of ideals that
was at once comforting and an awakening for all who discovered this new,
transformative music emitting from the sleepy/sharp college town of Athens,
Georgia. R.E.M. and other Athens bands forged a scene, which spawned a
movement and ultimately led to a cultural sea change in music, launching
R.E.M. and others onto the world's stage to varying degrees of success and
sustain. 1987's "It's The End Of the World As We Know It (And I Feel
Fine)," the new CD's closing track, was a tongue-twisting pop culture rally
cry, beckoning to the tuned-out masses, listless casualties of 1980s
economics, politics, and general 'Me Generation' malaise. By the end of the
R.E.M.'s run with I.R.S. Records, the band's success had paved the way for
a new generation of alt-rock and grunge acts, as Athens' finest continued
to lead the charge.
The 2-CD Collectors' Edition of And I Feel Fine ... The Best Of The
I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 adds a second disc with previously unreleased and
rare tracks from the I.R.S. and R.E.M. vaults. The second disc's gems
include various concert recordings, an acoustic performance from the 1987
documentary film "Athens, GA -- Inside Out," and alternate studio takes and
mixes. Each of R.E.M.'s four original members has selected a personal
favorite for the rarities disc, and the package includes descriptive
track-by-track annotations in the band members' own words.
When The Light Is Mine ... The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 Video
Collection DVD draws back the curtain to reveal R.E.M.'s most vital early
career film work, including the band's 11 I.R.S. music videos, among them
"Wolves, Lower," which makes its release debut with this collection.
Notable for propelling the medium forward as a creative extension of
R.E.M.'s musical vision, several of the band's videos were directed by
filmmaker James Herbert, often in collaboration with Michael Stipe. The DVD
also unveils previously unreleased television appearances, including
performances on the U.K. programs "The Tube" and "The Old Grey Whistle
Test," performances and interviews from I.R.S.' own 1983-'84 MTV show, "The
Cutting Edge," an acoustic performance from Athens, GA -- Inside/Out, James
Herbert's 20-minute film "Left of Reckoning," and never-before-released
interview clips. The DVD's visual bounty clocks in at more than two hours,
with approximately half of its content released for the first time in any
format on this DVD.
On Saturday, September 16, R.E.M. will be among 2006's inductees into
the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The 28th Annual Georgia Music Hall of Fame
Awards will be presented during a gala event at Atlanta's World Congress
Center. The Friends of Georgia Music Festival, Inc., a non-profit
organization that honors the achievements of Georgia musicians,
songwriters, composers, conductors, producers, publishers and agents, has
hosted the ceremony since 1979. For event information, visit the Georgia
Music Hall of Fame's official Website:
http://www.gamusichall.com.Popular music's modern-day evolution can be traced in step with
R.E.M.'s ascent and reign as one of music's most creative and influential
bands. As R.E.M. continues to challenge the cultural status quo, popular
music's evolution follows. Explore the history that leads back to Athens.
These are the documents.
R.E.M. official Website:
http://www.remhq.com