‘REM at the BBC’ box set detailed

R.E.M. grew up with the BBC, and this historic relationship is lovingly celebrated across an incredible collection that beautifully illustrates the career trajectory of one of modern music’s greatest bands. R.E.M. at the BCC will be available a super-deluxe edition 8 CD/1 DVD box set, as well as 2 CD, 2 LP and digital formats on October 19th via Craft Recordings. The sets comprise a treasure trove of rare and unreleased live and studio recordings culled from the BBC and band archives.

In-studio performances featured in the box set include a John Peel Session (1998), Drivetime and Mark and Lard appearances (2003) and a glorious Radio 1 Live Lounge performance (2008). Live broadcasts include a rough-and-tumble show from Nottingham’s Rock City (1984), the stunning 1995 Milton Keynes Monster Tour (their first after a six-year break), a blistering 1999 Glastonbury headline set and an invitation-only 2004 show at London’s St James’s Church.

The DVD kicks off with a 60 minute intimate retrospective of the band’s legendary performances at the BBC in the Accelerating Backwards film – previously broadcast only in the UK and available commercially for the first time here. Accelerating Backwards also includes revealing interviews with Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, further testifying to R.E.M.’s long, special relationship with the BBC. The DVD also offers a complete 1998 Later….With Jools Holland episode uniquely dedicated to the band, plus TV appearances on Top of the Pops and more.

The package liner notes add yet more behind-the-scenes insight to this definitive retrospective collection. Assorted BBC personalities reminiscence about what it was like to work with R.E.M both on stage and off. Respected BBC DJ/Presenter Jo Whiley recalls, “Their Glastonbury performance in 1999 was a dazzling moment: the band storming through an all-killer, no-filler setlist. As a headline performance, it was a triumph and, for me, it’s up there as one of the Glastonbury greats.” Of a 2001 Top of the Pops performance, BBC Producer Mark Hagen muses, “”Michael once told me that he hears in colors and it was one of those nights when you felt that you could reach out and touch the music as it flowed through the air, a glorious rolling cloud of green. Just like a kudzu vine in a dream.” Acclaimed rock journalist Tom Doyle also provides an overview of the entire thirty-year period.

In addition to the comprehensive box set, The Best of R.E.M. at the BBC is also available via 2 CD and 2 LP formats. The Best Of collection offers a selection of in-studio performance and live broadcast highlights. R.E.M. at the BBC will also be available to stream or download, with the digital album offering mirroring discs one to eight from the box set.

The first instant grat. single-a memorable version of “Losing My Religion” recorded in 1991 for BBC 1’s Into The Night session-is available when you pre-order the box set or Best Of album. New instant grat. singles will be released each week leading up to street date.

8 CD/1 DVD | 2 CD | 2 LP

CD 1: Sessions

  1. World Leader Pretend 4:36 [Into The Night, BBC Radio 1, 13 March 1991]
  2. Fretless 5:16 [Into The Night, BBC Radio 1, 13 March 1991]
  3. Half A World Away 3:33 [Into The Night, BBC Radio 1, 13 March 1991]
  4. Radio Song 4:05 [Into The Night, BBC Radio 1, 13 March 1991]
  5. Losing My Religion 4:42 [Into The Night, BBC Radio 1, 13 March 1991]
  6. Love Is All Around 3:09 [Into The Night, BBC Radio 1, 13 March 1991]
  7. Walk Unafraid 4:04 [John Peel Studio Session, 25 October 1998]
  8. Daysleeper 3:18 [John Peel Studio Session, 25 October 1998]
  9. Lotus 4:13 [John Peel Studio Session, 25 October 1998]
  10. At My Most Beautiful 3:16 [John Peel Studio Session, 25 October 1998]
  11. Bad Day 4:03 [Mark and Lard, BBC Radio 1, 15 October 2003]
  12. Orange Crush 3:55 [Mark and Lard, BBC Radio 1, 15 October 2003]
  13. Man On The Moon 4:59 [Drivetime, BBC Radio 2, 15 October 2003]
  14. Imitation Of Life 3:41 [Drivetime, BBC Radio 2, 15 October 2003]
  15. Supernatural Superserious 3:23 [Radio 1 Live Lounge, 26 March 2008]
  16. Munich 3:18 [Radio 1 Live Lounge, 26 March 2008]

CD 2: Sessions

  1. Introduction :26 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  2. Losing My Religion 4:44 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  3. New Test Leper 5:53 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  4. Lotus 4:48 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  5. Parakeet 4:23 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  6. Electrolite 4:23 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  7. Perfect Circle 4:39 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  8. The Apologist 4:40 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  9. Daysleeper 4:44 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  10. Country Feedback 7:23 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  11. At My Most Beautiful 4:14 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  12. Walk Unafraid 4:52 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]
  13. Man On The Moon 6:11 [BBC Radio 1 Session, 25 October 1998]

CD 3: Live Broadcasts

  1. Second Guessing 2:57 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  2. Hyena 2:57 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  3. Talk About The Passion 3:04 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  4. West Of The Fields 3:07 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  5. (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville 4:29 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  6. Auctioneer (Another Engine) 3:01 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  7. So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry) 4:51 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  8. Old Man Kensey 4:24 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  9. Gardening At Night 3:26 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  10. 9-9/Hey Diddle Diddle/Feeling Gravitys Pull 5:39 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  11. Windout 1:49 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  12. Driver 8 3:25 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  13. Pretty Persuasion 3:33 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  14. Radio Free Europe 3:49 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  15. Wendell Gee 3:21 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]
  16. Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars) 4:47 [Rock City, Nottingham, 21 November 1984]

CD 4: Live Broadcasts

  1. What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? 3:58 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  2. Crush With Eyeliner 4:42 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  3. Drive 3:51 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  4. Turn You Inside Out 4:17 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  5. Try Not To Breathe 3:50 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  6. I Took Your Name 4:15 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  7. Undertow 5:16 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  8. Bang And Blame 4:58 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  9. I Don’t Sleep I Dream 4:14 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  10. Strange Currencies 4:31 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  11. Revolution 3:20 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  12. Tongue 4:38 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]

CD 5: Live Broadcasts

  1. Man On The Moon 5:46 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  2. Country Feedback 6:49 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  3. Half A World Away 4:04 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  4. Losing My Religion 4:54 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  5. Pop Song 89 3:27 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  6. Finest Worksong 3:48 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  7. Get Up 2:54 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  8. Star 69 4:00 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  9. Let Me In 3:59 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  10. Everybody Hurts 7:24 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  11. Fall On Me 3:11 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  12. Departure 3:52 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]
  13. Its the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 5:15 [Milton Keynes, 30 July 1995]

CD 6: Live Broadcasts

  1. Lotus 4:36 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  2. What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? 4:09 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  3. So Fast, So Numb 4:47 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  4. The Apologist 4:36 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  5. Fall On Me 3:26 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  6. Daysleeper 3:29 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  7. The Wake-Up Bomb 5:01 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  8. The One I Love 3:27 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  9. Sweetness Follows 5:50 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  10. At My Most Beautiful 3:37 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]

CD 7: Live Broadcasts

  1. Losing My Religion 5:24 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  2. Everybody Hurts 6:47 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  3. Walk Unafraid 4:17 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  4. Star 69 3:04 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  5. Finest Worksong 4:22 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  6. Man On The Moon 5:43 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  7. Why Not Smile 2:10 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  8. Crush With Eyeliner 4:40 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  9. Tongue 5:19 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  10. Cuyahoga 4:37 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]
  11. Its the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 6:58 [Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival, 25 June 1999]

CD 8: Live Broadcasts

  1. Intro :47 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  2. So Fast, So Numb 5:13 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  3. Boy In The Well 5:20 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  4. I Wanted To Be Wrong 5:19 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  5. E-Bow The Letter (with Thom Yorke) 5:09 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  6. Around The Sun 5:02 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  7. Aftermath 3:58 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  8. Losing My Religion 4:47 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  9. Walk Unafraid 5:10 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  10. Leaving New York 4:48 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  11. Imitation Of Life 4:35 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]
  12. Man On The Moon 5:34 [St. James’ Church, London Radio 2, 15 September 2004]

DVD: Television Broadcasts

Accelerating Backwards

Moon River
Pretty Persuasion
Pop Song 89
Orange Crush
Losing My Religion
Half A World Away
Crush With Eyeliner
Man On The Moon
Daysleeper
Imitation Of Life
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
All The Way To Reno (You’re Gonna Be A Star)
Leaving New York

Later… with Jools Holland Presents R.E.M.

Intro
Losing My Religion
Lotus
New Test Leper
Daysleeper
Electrolite
At My Most Beautiful
The Apologist
Country Feedback
Parakeet
So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
Walk Unafraid
Man On The Moon
The Passenger

Bonus Videos

I’ve Been High
Nightswimming
Bad Day

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com