R.E.M. unveil blistering recording of the classic ‘Orange Crush’ from BBC session

Revisit the 'Green' classic

R.E.M. have shared a blistering version of their classic track ‘Orange Crush’ from their upcoming album ‘At The BBC’ album. Hear it on NME first below.

Taken from the band’s legendary 1988 sixth album ‘Green’, the newly released version of the track was recorded live Mark and Lard on BBC Radio 1 and first broadcast on October 15. 2003.

Due for release on October 19, the new box set ‘R.E.M. At The BBC‘ spans over 30 years and will include 8 CDs, a DVD and will include a John Peel Session (1998), Drivetime and Mark and Lard appearances (2003) together with a live performance in Radio 1’s Live Lounge (2008).

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The DVD includes a 60-minuted retrospective of the band’s performances at the BBC via the Accelerating Backwards film, which has not been available commercially previously. A complete episode of their performance on Later…With Jools Holland form 1998 also features, as does the band’s appearance on Top of the Pops.

Pre-order the box set here.

Speaking to NME last year, bassist Mike Mills downplayed the chances of R.E.M. returning.

“We stopped as a band for a lot of reasons, and one of the best reasons was that we were able to do it on our own terms when it was our decision and for no reason other than we thought it was time to stop,” Mills told NME. “When you’re that comfortable with a decision and when you know you’ve made the right decision, you don’t sit there and second-guess yourself. There’s no point in hypothesising ‘what might we be doing now? How might we sound?’ I don’t even wanna know, I don’t care. The music business as a world is nothing like it was when we stopped playing.

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“That REM ended at that moment and I’m perfectly happy with that, so it’s other people’s time to carry on now.”

R.E.M live in New York, 2008

While the band are currently satisfied with their own separate active musical projects, is there anything that would make them reform?

“No, there is really nothing on this Earth that would make us want to get back together,” replied Mills. “There’s such a luxury in being able to quit on your own terms, when it’s your decision, for all the right reasons. I’m sure there are things that we could do that would make a difference and be a positive thing in the world, but at the same time, somebody’s gotta mean it when they stop. We want to be the band that actually means it.

“I wish The Beatles had reunited! I like it when bands get back together as a rule, but for us I think that it would only diminish everything that we worked for. I see no reason to take that chance.”

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