Mountain Stage (R.E.M.)

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R.E.M. made their debut on Mountain Stage on April 28, 1991, in the midst of their promotion for their mainstream-breakthrough album, Out of Time, which was released the previous month.

The show was taped before a live audience at the home of Mountain Stage, then named the Cultural Center Auditorium in Charleston, West Virginia.

R.E.M. appeared alongside Robyn Hitchcock, Billy Bragg (whom R.E.M. joined for a few songs and vice-versa) and Clive Gregson and Christine Collister. They were augmented by their unofficial fifth member, Peter Holsapple.

In the US, the performance of "Belong" was included as a B-side on one of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" 12" singles as well as one of the two CD releases. "Losing My Religion" was on another 12" single and also on the other CD release.

In the UK, "World Leader Pretend", "Belong" and "Low" were included as B-sides on the 12" and CD versions of R.E.M.'s "Nightswimming" single. "Losing My Religion" was released on the 7".

The first two sets were broadcast nationally; the third was broadcast on local radio only.

Prior to the re-take of "Radio Song", the governor of Charleston, William Gaston Caperton III, declared April 28 as "R.E.M. Day" in recognition of the band's support of public radio on both a local and national level.

Contents

[edit] Set 1

  1. "World Leader Pretend"
  2. "Radio Song"
  3. "Fall on Me"
  4. "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"

[edit] Set 2

  1. "Half a World Away"
  2. "Belong"
  3. "Love Is All Around" (Reg Presley)
  4. "Losing My Religion"
  5. "Dallas" (Butch Hancock) (ensemble)

[edit] Set 3

  1. "Radio Song" (re-take)
  2. "Disturbance at the Heron House"
  3. "Low"
  4. "Swan Swan H"
  5. "My Youngest Son Came Home Today" (Michael Stipe and Billy Bragg)
  6. "Hello in There" (Michael Stipe and Billy Bragg)
  7. "Pop Song 89"
  8. "Get Up"

[edit] Personnel

R.E.M.

Auxiliary musician

[edit] Quotes

"I think this has gone on record as my favorite song in the R.E.M. repertoire." - Michael Stipe, during the introduction to "Fall on Me".

"Live radio - gotta love it." - Mike Mills, in response to Stipe's validation of Billy Bragg's political statements during the latter's set.

"We're gonna do a song over again because we screwed it up the first time. Apparently, we're still live on the radio in West Virginia only. So I guess by now you can sing along if you're out there listening." - Stipe, during the introduction to the re-take of "Radio Song".

"Well, we're still on the radio in West Virginia!" - Stipe, after the "Radio Song" re-take.

"This is a song about a revolution. This is a song that was probably inspired by Mr. Bragg years and years and years ago. To me, as a songwriter, it's a song about a revolution that took place around a monument. And the monument is nothing like the DuPont factory on the outskirts of town, but it is a monument all the same, and here's the song." - Stipe, during the introduction to "Disturbance at the Heron House".

"We're going off the radio in West Virginia now, so everybody say g'bye. Bye! Have a nice dinner. Okay, now we can curse. Bush! Speaking of which, I guess the next song that we do is a war song, but it's a war that was a long time ago - it's the Civil War... and I think I heard someone request it? That's right. We are definitely off the radio? We'll do the Mahalia Jackson version. That last song ("Low") and this song are the songs that I never actually memorize the words to, so it's really an act of faith that got me through that one. I think I only made one mistake. [Referring to his music stand] This is not a prop; it's actually being used, as you can see." - Stipe, during the introduction to "Swan Swan H".

"I resent the fact that I have to stand up for this one." - Stipe, during the introduction to "Pop Song '89".

"This song... first I have to say, and this is the only thing I'm gonna say tonight, really. I really like this kind of rolling-revue thing: I get to sing three songs, go backstage, take a pee, check out the seafood tray that Robyn Hitchcock so kindly brought along, read some propaganda pamphlets that Billy left behind, toast the beautiful landscape around us - including the DuPont factory. Y'know, I drove in last night... the DuPont factory is beautiful at nighttime - that is irony, which Billy was talking about. I don't have to smell it or live on the side of it. But we have our own soya-bean factory which stinks up our nighttime. This song is a call to action. And in that, within that, I can ask you to sing all the parts that are on the record that we can't sing because there is only... however many of us are up here. So you can join in on this one if you feel so inclined. This may well be the last thing we do tonight. Thank you very much for coming - you were very patient and very cool." - Stipe, during the introduction to the closing "Get Up".

[edit] References