Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Sweden wrote:Here's a fun 1985 clip where he breaks the output jack of his Guild Pilot when jumping high on the last note of Can't Get There From here, and has to switch to the/a Rick (with black pickguard from what it looks like). Peter and Michael duly cover the dead space during the switch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... Eg#t=2443s

David, you're still our No.1 R.E.M. gear source, imo! That Rick bass looks like it's definitely something else than MEM used before - this one has only three knobs???

Does anyone know from what year the 340 MG is?

David,

I've been listening to R.E.M. since "Lifes Rich Pageant" came out in 1986, so I find the depth and breadth of your gear knowledge (amassed over the last 20 years or so) more than mildly astonishing. By the way, you're absolutely right about the shift in Bill Berry's drum style circa LRP. It's always a pleasure to listen to the spirited discussion between you and Werner on these matters. Keep the insights coming!

Robert

Folkie wrote:It's always a pleasure to listen to the spirited discussion between you and Werner on these matters. Keep the insights coming!

Robert

Discussion? Hah hah! David knows waaaaayyyy more than me when R.E.M. gear is the topic!

Still that bass Mike is using as replacement... I enver really looked at it, always assumed it to be his original Rickie bass, but that one should've been sold already by that gig... and the visuals show us 3 knobs??? WtF, Kenneth?

Folkie wrote:David,
I've been listening to R.E.M. since "Lifes Rich Pageant" came out in 1986, so I find the depth and breadth of your gear knowledge (amassed over the last 20 years or so) more than mildly astonishing. By the way, you're absolutely right about the shift in Bill Berry's drum style circa LRP. It's always a pleasure to listen to the spirited discussion between you and Werner on these matters. Keep the insights coming!
Robert

Here's another funny Bill Berry drum fact then, related to another song from that Raleigh show.

I've always found the timbale-sounding intro and fills in Laughing really cool, and was always puzzled that Bill who otherwise had a rather "conservative" drumset setup (very standard 5-piece kit, just the china being a little unusual) would get a timbale and add it to his set. You can see an extra drum to the right (his left) side of the snare. Also Laughing is pretty much one of the very few songs (if not the oly one) where it was used live. I asked Bill about this back in November of last year when I met him on one of my pilgrimages to Athens, GA and he explained that it actually wasn't a proper timbale but just an extra tom that he tuned really high. In is words: "hell, I had no chance of affording a proper timbale back then..."

Here's that timbale put to use in the intro to Laughing. Clear Bill Berry backing vocals in the chorus, too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPE-l-tfN0I#t=5m24s

Sweden wrote:Here's another funny Bill Berry drum fact then, related to another song from that Raleigh show.

Thanks for sharing that anecdote, David!

paologregorio wrote:I saw REM in about August of `84 at the Hollywood Palladium; Michael Stipe had a broken leg and had to sing from a bar stool. I think my friends and I left after seven songs.

Forgot to comment on this, but always cool to hear from people who attended such early shows. The show you refer to actually took place on June 22, and the R.E.M. timeline mentions that Stipe hurt his leg in a surfing accident(!) in Del Mar. Here's a picture from the June 17 show showing him performing on crutches! Credit to Dave Thake who posted it on Facebook.

Pretty sure I've posted these before

My first rock concert was REM in Minneapolis, around 1984. Reckoning tour. It was really great. The tour-bus destination sign on the front of the band's bus stated "Nobody You Know". At the time, how true it was! I'll never forget that.

rkbsound wrote:My first rock concert was REM in Minneapolis, around 1984. Reckoning tour. It was really great. The tour-bus destination sign on the front of the band's bus stated "Nobody You Know". At the time, how true it was! I'll never forget that.

I saw a show in Boulder on that tour also. The bus said 'Where are we'. The db's opened for them. Mills played a black 4001 and Buck played a Telecaster Custom. I think it was fall '84 because Stipe said something about Reagan and the upcoming election. Good show.

I seem to remember, from an old story in "Musician" magazine shortly after "Reckoning" came out, that Mills had two matching Jet-glo 4001's with Bartolini pickups in them.

marc61 wrote:
According to my records(I may have the year wrong, it was either 1981 or 2), I met them (all except Bill Berry) for the first time 12 days later at the 40 Watt club in Athens. On Oct 19th, I saw Mitch with Let's Active in Chapel Hill.

This is bothering the heck out of me. My group played at the 40 Watt Club on Oct 23rd. It had to be 82 as it couldn't have been 81 and definitely not 83. I know Michael, Mike and Pete were there. I even remember meeting Mike Mills earlier that day, and a specific conversation regarding Ric basses and their bridges we had that evening . According to REM show history, Peter Holsapple supporting them on two dates in Athens the previous two evenings. I would have liked to have seen him there. Oh well...saw him about a month ago in Hoboken. The good news is he and the dBs are doin' just fine

Looking back now I'm actually honored they came out. Seems like they were pretty busy at the time. http://members.iinet.net.au/~darryl74/1982.html