R. E. M. - 1987-11-05 UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL (sbd - Buren Fowler master) - NEW

The Pavilion

The University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL

Nov. 5, 1987

    

soundboard recording (quality: EX, a pristine recording)

   

  

SAMPLE: Auctioneer (Another Engine) live UIC '87

    

ROB SEZ:  For a good while, there was a rule of thumb in R. E. M. fan circles that went something like this: if you're looking for live soundboard recordings from 1986 and 1987, don't bother. Other than the live bonus disc released for the 25th anniversary of Document (and a rather odd benefit concert in January 1986), said the rule, there just aren't any soundboard recordings from 1986 or '87. Then, earlier this year—like musical manna—T. Patton Biddle (Pat the Wiz) shared with me a good handful of soundboard recordings, a couple of which are pretty much perfect. Recently, I shared a soundboard recording from the 1986 Pageantry Tour launch on Sept. 5th in Pelham, AL. 

Can you tell I LOVE this photo?
Michael onstage, Charleston, WV on 14 Oct. 1987
photo credit: grumpnet

This week, I'm sharing a pristine soundboard recording from the 1987 Work Tour. For my money, the performance and sound quality are second only to the Document anniversary bonus disc. Full credit to Pat and Buren Fowler, the band's guitar tech and supplemental guitarist for live performances in '86 and '87. Buren gave the FOH sound guy a 90-minute tape and asked him to record as much of the show as would fit on it. Pat then digitized the tape, and this is the fabulous result—even though it lacks 6 songs played that night. Later, Buren shared this and other tapes with Pat, who held onto them after Buren's death in 2014. 

Just one request: play this one LOUD! 

FLAC

   

MP3@320

    

More soundboards from the 1987 tour are coming. 

Stay tuned...

R. E. M. - 1981-04-02 Augusta, GA (audience rec. - Pat the Wiz)

New York, New York (venue)

Augusta, GA

April 2, 1981

  

audience recording (quality: VG- from Pat the Wiz)

    

   

SETLIST (via REMTimeline)

     

set 1: Rave On (pre-recorded) / Burning Down / A Girl Like You / Get On Their Way / There She Goes Again / Pretty Persuasion / Body Count / Different Girl / Action / Narrator / Hey Hey Nadine

set 2: Radio Free Europe / Sitting Still / Dangerous Times / All the Right Friends (cuts out) / Little Girl (cuts in) / (Don't Go Back to) Rockville / Windout / Gardening at Night / Wait / Schéhérazade / Lisa Says / Mystery to Me / Gloria

set 3: C'mon Everybody (pre-recorded) / White Tornado / Just a Touch / I Can't Control Myself / 9-9 / Night Time / Pills / Nervous Breakdown / Baby I / Permanent Vacation (cuts out)

SAMPLE: White Tornado -> Just a Touch (live Augusta, GA 1981)

ROB SEZ: Here's an early days rarity for fanatics of the band, and the sound quality is fairly good, especially considering its origins. This comes from a "boom box" recording, according to T. Patton Biddle (Pat the Wiz). When he shared it with me, he explained the band hired him to be their sound tech for this show in Augusta, GA. Apparently there was no other recording equipment available, so a boom box positioned in front of the stage was the only viable option. 

Thanks to Pat, we can now enjoy one of the band's earliest known live recordings, and we have all 32 of the songs played that night. Although I could've chopped out some stretches of audience chatter, I left them in since this recording is so rare and I thought the archivists among you would want to hear everything as I received it. There's a fun little audio bonus to listen for at the very end. (The files Pat shared with me were lossy, so no FLAC this time.) 

MP3@320

   

LINEAGE: T. Patton Biddle master tape from boom box recording --> ? --> lossy digital file share --> Audacity for normalization & DC offset, track splitting, speed & pitch adjustment, fades --> MP3 files  *no eq or compression*

Still more to come...

   

R. E. M. - 1986-09-05 Pelham, AL (sbd - Buren Fowler source) NEW

Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

Pelham, AL

Sept. 5, 1986

 

soundboard recording (quality: EX, check the sample)

   

NEW to circulation

   

AUDIO SAMPLE: Driver 8

ROB SEZ:  The tape source for this recording came from Buren Fowler (R.I.P.), the band’s guitar tech and second guitarist for live performances in 1986 & 1987. (Michael introduces Buren briefly after Driver 8.) Fowler gave the FOH sound guy a C-90 and asked him to record as much of the show as would fit. Apparently, he held onto the tape as a keepsake of his time with R. E. M.  If this is not a a digital transfer from the master recording, it sounds darn close. Later, Buren gave it and other live tapes to his friend, T. Patton Biddle (“Pat the Wiz”) for safe keeping. 

Pat, the ace sound tech who recorded many of the band’s shows in and around Athens, GA in the 1980s, digitized the tape and kindly shared it with me. My debt of gratitude lies with these two behind-the-scenes heroes who played their part in the phenomenon that was R. E. M. As for the performance, you can feel the pent-up energy of the band, which hadn't played together for many months after completing Lifes Rich Pageant. After a week of tour rehearsals in Knoxville, TN, the guys clearly were ready to roll. The lucky fans in attendance witnessed the live debut of 9 songs, including 6 from the new album. This recording does not represent the entire performance: it's missing 6 songs played that night, including the first 4. You can hear 5 of the missing songs, in fairly good audience quality, in this recording.

  

FLAC

 

MP3@320

Stay tuned; more to come.