R.E.M.

R.E.M. signed with I.R.S. Records on May 31, 1982. The deal called for five albums from the group starting with the EP Chronic Town. According to I.R.S.'s press release the EP was to be released on August 24, 1982. Village Voice Critics Poll voted it the #2 EP of 1982.

I.R.S. Records press release on signing R.E.M.

Murmur was released in April 1983. The album went on to become Rolling Stone Critics' Poll Album of the Year; Record Magazine Critics' Poll Debut Album of 1983, Village Voice Annual Pazz and Jop Poll No. 2 Album of the Year, and R.E.M. was Rolling Stone Critics' Poll Best New Artist of 1983.

Chronic Town and Murmur were supported with tours of the U.S. and Canada.

R.E.M. and Let's Active promotional tour poster

 

Reckoning was released in April 1984.

Dead Letter Office was released in March 1987. It was a compilation album with 14 tracks that had only been issued on singles on imports and B-sides. The CD included the five songs from Chronic Town which was the first time these songs were issued on CD.

Peter Buck was voted #94 of Rolling Stone's Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

 

Murmur Press Release
Reckoning 1984 Press Release
R.E.M. 1984 Press Release
Dead Letter Office 1987 press release
Murmur 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition press release
Reckoning 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition press release

Sources
  1. R.E.M. Biography. I.R.S. Records, August 1982.
  2. R.E.M. Murmur Press Release. I.R.S. Records, April 1983.
  3. R.E.M. Reckoning Press Release. I.R.S. Records, April 1984.
Recording Years / Label
1982-1984 -  I.R.S. Records
Name Member Years Instruments
Bill Berry 1982, 1987 drums
Michael Stipe 1982, 1987 vocals
Mike Mills 1982, 1987 bass
Peter Buck 1982, 1987 guitar
Steve Berlin 1987 horn
Name Birth Death
Bill Berry 1958-07-31
Michael Stipe 1960-01-04
Mike Mills 1958-12-17
Peter Buck 1956-12-06
Steve Berlin 1955-09-14
Name See associated acts
Bill Berry Duke Ellington OrchestraBill Berry
Steve Berlin Los Lobos

There are thousands of artists on the ON A&M RECORDS website. Click on a photograph to take you to a new artist!