1 – An interesting fact about the Green album cover which we all know is Orange in colour… but if you stare at the cover intensely for a few seconds then close your eyes it reflects a negative image which is green
2- The fathers of two members of REM share the unusual christian name “Huckle”
3- R.E.M. had a bunch of self-written songs (mounting up to a whole album!) they played live in their first year and then simply discarded them before they recorded their first EP, Chronic Town.
4- R.E.M have had 11 Top Ten hits in the UK with ‘The Great Beyond’ their highest placed single at No 3.
They have had Eight No1 Albums in the UK also.
5- Myles copeland is brother of the police drummer
6- They were named “Best Band in America” by Rolling Stone magazine in 1987.
7- They Ranked #50 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll
8- The name R.E.M. was chosen randomly by Michael from a dictionary
9- In 1996 R.E.M signed with Warner Brothers for the largest recording contract advance in history. $80 million was guaranteed for a five-album contract.
10- Michael Stipe is actually two toddlers on each other’s shoulders wearing a long coat ( the ‘mustard’ in the mid 80’s was actually mashed banana or avocado, depending on which toddler was on top). Bill Berry was actually a bag of cats until the cats escaped.
11- Their first TV appearance was on David Letterman’s old NBC show
12- When R.E.M first started playing gigs they performed covers of ‘Needles and Pins’, The Sex Pistols ‘ God Save The Queen’ and California Su
13- Chronic Town’ was voted Album Of The Year by Rolling Stone magazine in 1983
14- The first time Bill Berry and Mike Mills met they hated each other. At a subsequent jam session (pre Buck and Stipe) Berry said had he not just finished setting up his drum kit he’d have walked out the room when he saw Mike Mills turn up.
15- Music video “Losing My Religion” was ranked #19 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Videos.
16- Michael Stype encouraged LA band Dream 6 to change their name to Concrete Blonde. Both Peter Buck & John Keane played on their 1989 album, Bloodletting
17- Pete worked in a little record store at Emory called Doodah’s. One day a grease fire in the burger joint next door caused the whole block to burn down. Pete moved to Athens and the rest is history. If not for a grease fire there would never have been REM.
18- 1983 debut album “Murmur” was ranked #92 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Albums
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