Didn’t realize it was divisive. I like it

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R.E.M.
EMPTY PRAYERS:
EARLY DEMOS 1980-1983
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remastered by joostone
artwork by ridleybradout
March 2024


FAN-MADE PROJECT - NOT FOR SALE

*Share freely but do not distribute as mp3*


TRACKLIST:

DISC 1:

N. JACKSON ST REHEARSAL STUDIO, ATHENS, GA, JULY 1980

1-01 - Dangerous Times
1-02 - All the Right Friends
1-03 - Different Girl
1-04 - Narrator
1-05 - Just A Touch
1-06 - Baby I
1-07 - Mystery to Me
1-08 - Permanent Vacation

DRIVE-IN STUDIO, WINSTON-SALEM, NC, APRIL 1981

1-09 - Sitting Still (polka version, partial)
1-10 - Sitting Still
1-11 - Radio Free Europe
1-12 - White Tornado
1-13 - White Tornado (take 2, abandoned)
1-14 - Radio Free Europe (dub mix)

RCA STUDIOS, NEW YORK, NY, FEBRUARY 1982

1-15 - Catapult
1-16 - Wolves, Lower
1-17 - Laughing
1-18 - Romance
1-19 - Shaking Through
1-20 - Carnival of Sorts
1-21 - Stumble

DISC 2:

RHYTHMIC RIVER STUDIOS, SAN FRANCISCO, CA, NOVEMBER 1983

2-01 - That Beat
2-02 - Walter’s Theme
2-03 - Cushy Tush
2-04 - Burning Down
2-05 - All the Right Friends
2-06 - Windout
2-07 - Femme Fatale (Velvet Underground cover)
2-08 - Burning Hell
2-09 - The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds cover)
2-10 - Skank
2-11 - So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
2-12 - Letter Never Sent
2-13 - Little America
2-14 - Camera
2-15 - Second Guessing (take 1)
2-16 - Second Guessing (take 2)
2-17 - Harborcoat
2-18 - 7 Chinese Bros.
2-19 - Just a Touch
2-20 - Pretty Persuasion
2-21 - Pale Blue Eyes (Velvet Underground cover)
2-22 - Time After Time (Annelise)


SESSION NOTES:

N. JACKSON ST REHEARSAL STUDIO, ATHENS, GA, JULY 1980

This recording of a rehearsal session was previously thought to be from the Wuxtry Records 6 June 1980 rehearsal, but is now known to be from a July 1980 session at N. Jackson St Rehersal Studio. Probably recorded on a 4-track tape machine.

DRIVE-IN STUDIO, WINSTON-SALEM, NC, APRIL 1981

First recording session with Mitch Easter. These tracks were recorded for R.E.M.’s ‘Cassette Set’ audio tape, to be sent out to clubs, magazines, and record companies. Cassette Set features ‘Sitting Still’, ‘Radio Free Europe’ and ‘White Tornado’. Also included are short clips of the fast version of ‘Sitting Still’, and the first take of ‘White Tornado’, which is halted half way through due to some wrong notes by Peter Buck. About 400 copies of the set were produced, of which 100 were produced with the ‘Radio Free Europe (Radio Dub)’ included here.

RCA STUDIOS, NEW YORK, NY, FEBRUARY 1982

R.E.M.’s demo tape for RCA Records and third overall produced by Kurt Munkacsi. Several of the tracks listed had been recorded prior for the Chronic Town EP, but the rest didn’t see release until their debut LP, and in one case, a film soundtrack 5 years later. While the Chronic Town tracks don’t sound too dissimilar from the EP, the others have many differences from their final versions such as alternate lyrics and arrangements.

RHYTHMIC RIVER STUDIOS, SAN FRANCISCO, CA, NOVEMBER 1983

Ahead of three shows in three nights in California, R.E.M. popped into a San Francisco studio with Elliot Mazer (known for his work with Neil Young and The Band, amongst others) behind the desk, hoping to get some demos for their second album down onto a 2-track. Live in the studio, this recording contains essentially all the new material they had, playing around with B-sides and covers before moving into nine out of the ten songs hat would form Reckoning (only ‘(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville’ doesn’t feature). ‘That Beat’ is likely from a different session.

Enjoy!! All these tracks are remastered, especially the rehearsal tape demos sound better than ever before. I had those cleaned up

it's hard to know where to start with them. A greatest hits doesn't feel quite appropriate, but where to begin?

They have the deepest catalog of any band, I think