Recorded 11/06/81 at Friday's, Greensboro NC. Played live around 81-82, probably never recorded in a studio. Sounds like elements of Old Man Kensey and Burning Hell in it...
Great song... very nice mix too. Funny... I can hear about 4 other REM songs in there that hadn't even been written yet. Burning Hell, Auctioneer, um.. other songs from Fables that elude me. Nice drums too.
I think I've said it before but it's worth repeating: REMchout is the Man! (or Woman as the case may be) REMchout: you have brought so much new stuff to us..you deserve a metal or at least a chocolate-chip cookie. REMchout=legend!
A first for me too. What I like is that the almost completely unintelligible lyrics make the vocals seem like an instrument, and w/o lyrics it's pure emotion.
I've never heard, or even heard of, this song before. Thanks for making it available. You are definitely right about them recycling aspects of this song. That may be why they never recorded it. It seems like kind of a missing link between the earliest stuff you can only find on bootlegs and Chronic Town. Very interesting!
@jehouse 6 November 1981 - Friday's, Greensboro, NC Just A Touch / Burning Down / Ha (We Get Paid For It) / Shaking Through / (Don't Go Back To) Rockville / There She Goes Again / Permanent Vacation / Pretty Persuasion / That Beat / Mystery To Me / Carnival Of Sorts / Rave On / Ages Of You / I Can't Control Myself / Laughing / Romance / Chained To The Wall / Sitting Still / Wolves, Lower / Gardening At Night / 9-9 / Windout / Radio Free Europe / Stumble / Carnival Of Sorts
i pulled it off of the live tape i had of it (like with When I Was Young). This is actually from the same Friday's show that I have some audio posted from: 11/06/81.
REMchout Thank you! I honestly don't remember hearing this but maybe one or two times...I remember because of the yodel thing. But I think they threw it out pretty early on. Or else I just took a beer break during it cause it was too slow to dance to. ;-)
What a find! What would become the bridge from Kensey and the middle break from Moral Kiosk come together for a gem I'd never even heard of, let alone heard! Thanks for posting!
@jehouse This seems to be a very transitional era, mixing some of the earlier 60's pop/garagey numbers and playing the newer songs that would end up on the early albums. This song is an anamoly, quite like Skank; kind of experimental and loose.
I used to collect tons of R.E.M. boots years ago but sadly have sold most of them. I mean the vinyl boots. Anyway, I'm regretting it. Does anybody recall a really obscure R.E.M. tune that was on some early bootlegs entitled (I think) "Taking Out The Cs."???? That was the chorus of the song more or less, with some section of lyrics wherein Stipe would intone "scissor, paper, stone...." etc. At least I think it was theirs and not a cover song. I've never heard it and didn't see them live till 1985 so I have never heard or seen the song apart from this one bootleg of yore which had like a beige countryish cover and some kudzu or some weird "farm field" on the cover art. A very weird spooky song, more recitation than singing for Stipe on that one. If anybody has this song, please do post!
Oops, I see OMK is already mentioned in the description. Anyway, what became the middle break in Moral Kiosk is also present here, so it would seem that it is from no later than '83, as I doubt they would have revisited it AFTER MK was written.
I doubt this is from 1981. Michael's vocals sound much more low and "serious" than he ever did In the early days I haven't ever heard this song, and I saw them a million times between fall of 1980 and about 1982. Pretty sure this song would be more recent, like mid-80s.
certainly a dubious title, but it DOES sound like stipe is saying "weeee-eeeee get paid" during some parts of the chorus. and there's definitely a "ha!" in there.
This channel is gold.
Gold for us r.e.m. fans. Which should be everyone who has a pair of ears
Great song... very nice mix too.
Funny... I can hear about 4 other REM songs in there that hadn't even been written yet.
Burning Hell, Auctioneer, um.. other songs from Fables that elude me.
Nice drums too.
I collected rem bootlegs a few years ago but totally forgot about this song, the only REM song performed live that I hadn't heard - long live youtube!
I think I've said it before but it's worth repeating: REMchout is the Man! (or Woman as the case may be)
REMchout: you have brought so much new stuff to us..you deserve a metal or at least a chocolate-chip cookie.
REMchout=legend!
The intro/verse riff we hear in this song later became the bridge for Old Man Kensey!
I hear Crazy
A first for me too. What I like is that the almost completely unintelligible lyrics make the vocals seem like an instrument, and w/o lyrics it's pure emotion.
I have heard Michael thought of the vocals the way he painted.
'Fables' is my fave album of all time.
WOW!!! This one hit me in the pit of my stomach and I was 14 again, just finding REM in the mid 80's.
Thanks Man!!!
this song it's very impresionant.The sound of REM of 80's it's magic.
Listen!! Sounds a little like crazy ... Love it❤
Best of times.
It's on a lot of the early show recordings. I think to this day it's still a dubious title for this song that stuck.
I've never heard, or even heard of, this song before. Thanks for making it available. You are definitely right about them recycling aspects of this song. That may be why they never recorded it.
It seems like kind of a missing link between the earliest stuff you can only find on bootlegs and Chronic Town. Very interesting!
The riff from Oddfellows Local 151 from Document is in there too.
Bridging the gap from late '70s New Wave to '80s Alternative....
Used to go see them at Friday's, thanks for posting.
@jehouse
6 November 1981 - Friday's, Greensboro, NC
Just A Touch / Burning Down / Ha (We Get Paid For It) / Shaking Through / (Don't Go Back To) Rockville / There She Goes Again / Permanent Vacation / Pretty Persuasion / That Beat / Mystery To Me / Carnival Of Sorts / Rave On / Ages Of You / I Can't Control Myself / Laughing / Romance / Chained To The Wall / Sitting Still / Wolves, Lower / Gardening At Night / 9-9 / Windout / Radio Free Europe / Stumble / Carnival Of Sorts
REMchout Stumble is my favorite song. Do you have that recorded?
Thanks so much for posting all this old music - it's really interesting to see and hear the energy in it, and then how it evolved.
i pulled it off of the live tape i had of it (like with When I Was Young). This is actually from the same Friday's show that I have some audio posted from: 11/06/81.
REMchout Thank you! I honestly don't remember hearing this but maybe one or two times...I remember because of the yodel thing. But I think they threw it out pretty early on. Or else I just took a beer break during it cause it was too slow to dance to. ;-)
Hey Peter, they're here again,, 12 years into the future, have heard the title " Us and Them " used for this song , on a sound cloud live recording.
What a find! What would become the bridge from Kensey and the middle break from Moral Kiosk come together for a gem I'd never even heard of, let alone heard! Thanks for posting!
@jehouse
This seems to be a very transitional era, mixing some of the earlier 60's pop/garagey numbers and playing the newer songs that would end up on the early albums. This song is an anamoly, quite like Skank; kind of experimental and loose.
Yeah, that's the show this is from. I may put up more from that show.
Wow, I really like this.
Reminds me a lot of What If We Give It Away
I used to collect tons of R.E.M. boots years ago but sadly have sold most of them.
I mean the vinyl boots. Anyway, I'm regretting it. Does anybody recall a really obscure
R.E.M. tune that was on some early bootlegs entitled (I think) "Taking Out The Cs."????
That was the chorus of the song more or less, with some section of lyrics wherein
Stipe would intone "scissor, paper, stone...." etc. At least I think it was theirs and
not a cover song. I've never heard it and didn't see them live till 1985 so I have
never heard or seen the song apart from this one bootleg of yore which had like
a beige countryish cover and some kudzu or some weird "farm field" on the cover art.
A very weird spooky song, more recitation than singing for Stipe on that one. If
anybody has this song, please do post!
There is a website attempting to catalogue all the R.E.M. Bootlegs, maybe you could find it on there? www.svs.com/rem/bootdiscog.html
Scott Briggs I think it's called marble table/skank. You can find versions of it on here.
THE MARBLE TABLE IS MADE OF GLASS THE END OF THE TABLE IS A PHOTOGRAPH , TAKING OF THE SEAS
That's it! Good one!
This kills!
Auctioneer (another engine) anyone?? Especially the intro. The chorus is more like What if we give it away.
Oops, I see OMK is already mentioned in the description. Anyway, what became the middle break in Moral Kiosk is also present here, so it would seem that it is from no later than '83, as I doubt they would have revisited it AFTER MK was written.
b sections = Burning Hell
I doubt this is from 1981. Michael's vocals sound much more low and "serious" than he ever did In the early days I haven't ever heard this song, and I saw them a million times between fall of 1980 and about 1982. Pretty sure this song would be more recent, like mid-80s.
before the cigarettes ruined his voice, Stipe could speak gibberish and it would sound meaningful.
when did he smoke?
Thanks...I'm a boy, I'm a boy but my mom won't admit it. I have some chips here but no cookies.
Check out the 81 Tyrones concert audio I have up!
The chorus sounds like the bridge of Moral Kiosk
certainly a dubious title, but it DOES sound like stipe is saying "weeee-eeeee get paid" during some parts of the chorus. and there's definitely a "ha!" in there.
Automatic for the people was a great album. Was it the same REM from the early 80's, no, but still a good album.
compare this to Crazy, the song they covered by Pylon.
Gotcha, was thinking the same thing.
dig it