So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)

"So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Reckoning
B-side "King Of The Road"
Released May 15, 1984
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1984
Genre Alternative rock, jangle pop
Length 3:11
Label I.R.S.
Writer(s) Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe[1]
Producer Mitch Easter and Don Dixon
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Talk About the Passion"
(1983)		 "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)"
(1984)		 "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville"
(1984)

"So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M.. It was released in May 1984 as the first single from the group's second studio album Reckoning (1984). "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" became the second R.E.M. single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 85.

R.E.M. performed it on the television show Late Night with David Letterman in 1983 before it even had a title in what was the band's first national television appearance.

Contents

Music video

The video, directed by Howard Libov and first aired in June 1984, featured the members of the band playing their instruments behind white screens in an otherwise empty room, with Michael Stipe singing in the foreground. Stipe refused to lip sync to the song. Guitarist Peter Buck said, "We played a recording of the track, and the rest of us faked it, but Michael insisted on singing a new vocal to make it more real for him."[2]

The song is also featured in the Left of Reckoning video shot by James Herbert.

Cover versions

A version of the song was released by Grant-Lee Phillips on his 2006 covers album, Nineteeneighties.

The song also was covered by Hem on the 2006 album "No Word from Tom."

Track listings

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated.

7" Single

  1. "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" – 3:16
  2. "Walter's Theme" / "King of the Road" (Roger Miller) – 4:44

12" single

  1. "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" – 3:16
  2. "Voice of Harold" – 4:25
  3. "Pale Blue Eyes" (Lou Reed) – 2:54

Album

  1. "so. Central Rain" – 3:11{sic}

Notes: "Walter's Theme" is not listed on the cover.

Album title listing contains initial lower case 's', following a pattern of the album's listings where random capital letters are smaller case and random lower case letters are capitalized. The front cover art lists it as 'So CENTRAL RAiN', with '7 chineSe bros.' on the back track listings differing from the cover art as well.

Chart positions

Chart (1984) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 85

References

  1. ^ http://remhq.com/albums.php
  2. ^ Black, Johnny. "The Greatest Songs Ever! So. Central Rain". Blender. June/July 2002. Retrieved on May 11, 2008.

External links

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"Radio Free Europe" • "Talk About the Passion" • "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" • "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" • "Cant Get There from Here" • "Driver 8" • "Wendell Gee" • "Fall on Me" • "Superman" • "The One I Love" • "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" • "Finest Worksong" • "Orange Crush" • "Stand" • "Pop Song 89" • "Get Up" • "Losing My Religion" • "Shiny Happy People" • "Near Wild Heaven" • "Radio Song" • "Drive" • "Man on the Moon" • "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" • "Everybody Hurts" • "Nightswimming" • "Find the River" • "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" • "Bang and Blame" • "Strange Currencies" • "Crush with Eyeliner" • "Tongue" • "E-Bow the Letter" • "Bittersweet Me" • "Electrolite" • "How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us" • "Daysleeper" • "Lotus" • "At My Most Beautiful" • "Suspicion" • "The Great Beyond" • "Imitation of Life" • "All the Way to Reno (You're Gonna Be a Star)" • "I'll Take the Rain" • "Bad Day" • "Animal" • "Leaving New York" • "Aftermath" • "Electron Blue" • "Wanderlust" • "#9 Dream" • "Supernatural Superserious" • "Hollow Man" • "Man-Sized Wreath" • "Until the Day Is Done" • "Mine Smell Like Honey" • "Überlin" • "Oh My Heart" • "We All Go Back to Where We Belong"
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