Murmur is the debut album by the American
alternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s...
band
R.E.M.R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry . R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. R.E.M...
, released in 1983 on
I.R.S. RecordsI.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
.
Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its sound, defined by singer
Michael StipeJohn Michael Stipe is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism...
's cryptic lyrics, guitarist
Peter BuckPeter Lawrence Buck is the guitarist and co-founder, along with Bill Berry, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe, of the alternative rock band R.E.M....
's jangly guitar style, and bassist's
Mike MillsMichael Edward Mills is the bass player of the band R.E.M. Though known primarily as a bassist, piano player and background singer, his musical repertoire includes many other keyboard, guitar, string, wind and percussion instruments...
' melodic basslines.
R.E.M. started recording its debut album in December 1982. I.R.S. paired R.E.M. with producer
Stephen HagueStephen Hague is an American music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop movement. Starting his career as a session keyboardist and a member of the band Jules and the Polar Bears, he started his production career by producing 2...
, who had a higher profile than the band's previous producer
Mitch EasterMitch Easter is a songwriter, musician, and producer. As a producer, he is probably best known for his work with R.E.M. from 1981 through 1984, though he has also worked with many other acts including The Hang Ups, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, Marshall Crenshaw, and Velvet Crush.As a...
.
Murmur is the debut album by the American
alternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s...
band
R.E.M.R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry . R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. R.E.M...
, released in 1983 on
I.R.S. RecordsI.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
.
Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its sound, defined by singer
Michael StipeJohn Michael Stipe is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism...
's cryptic lyrics, guitarist
Peter BuckPeter Lawrence Buck is the guitarist and co-founder, along with Bill Berry, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe, of the alternative rock band R.E.M....
's jangly guitar style, and bassist's
Mike MillsMichael Edward Mills is the bass player of the band R.E.M. Though known primarily as a bassist, piano player and background singer, his musical repertoire includes many other keyboard, guitar, string, wind and percussion instruments...
' melodic basslines.
Recording
R.E.M. started recording its debut album in December 1982. I.R.S. paired R.E.M. with producer
Stephen HagueStephen Hague is an American music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop movement. Starting his career as a session keyboardist and a member of the band Jules and the Polar Bears, he started his production career by producing 2...
, who had a higher profile than the band's previous producer
Mitch EasterMitch Easter is a songwriter, musician, and producer. As a producer, he is probably best known for his work with R.E.M. from 1981 through 1984, though he has also worked with many other acts including The Hang Ups, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, Marshall Crenshaw, and Velvet Crush.As a...
. Hague's emphasis on technical perfection did not suit the band; the producer made the group perform multiple takes of the song "Catapult", which demoralized drummer
Bill BerryWilliam "Bill" Thomas Berry is an American former musician and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer in alternative rock band R.E.M. for 17 years, before retiring from the group and becoming a farmer...
. Also, Hague took the completed track to Synchro Sound studios in Boston and added keyboard parts to the track without the band's permission and to their dismay. Unsatisfied, the band members asked the label to let them record with Easter. I.R.S. agreed to a "tryout" session, allowing the band to travel to
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
and record the song "Pilgrimage" with Easter and producing partner Don Dixon. After hearing the track, I.R.S. permitted the group to record the album with Dixon and Easter.
R.E.M. entered Reflection Studios in
Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. Charlotte's population was estimated to be 687,456 in 2008, making it the 18th largest city in the United States. Residents of Charlotte are referred to as "Charlotteans"...
in January 1983 to begin recording sessions with Easter and Dixon. Much of the band's material for the album had been tested on preceding tours. Because of its bad experience with Hague, the band recorded the album via a process of negation, refusing to incorporate rock music clichés such as
guitar soloGuitar solos are a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, rock, metal and jazz styles such as swing and jazz...
s or then-popular synthesizers, in order to give its music a timeless feel. Berry in particular was resistant to "odd" musical suggestions. Berry insisted that his drums be recorded in a drummer's booth, a practice that was antiquated at the time. Dixon and Easter took a hands-off approach to much of the recording process. The pair would only fix up a vocal track or ask singer
Michael StipeJohn Michael Stipe is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism...
to re-record a vocal if it was very substandard.
Music
Murmurs sound characterized the quieter, introverted side of the first wave of alternative rock in the United States. The sound was new at the time, though not stepping beyond the constructs of traditional rock music. The
guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
s have a bright ring like chimes that brought on comparisons to
The ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock and roll band. Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964, The Byrds underwent several personnel changes, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973....
, and the
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
has the bright punchy sound of the Rickenbacker favored by
Mike MillsMichael Edward Mills is the bass player of the band R.E.M. Though known primarily as a bassist, piano player and background singer, his musical repertoire includes many other keyboard, guitar, string, wind and percussion instruments...
. Mills carries much of the melodic element of the music on the bass, contributing to the moody sound of early R.E.M. albums. Also contributing to this sound is the distant singing of
Michael StipeJohn Michael Stipe is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism...
whose obscure lyrics, sung indistinctly, lend to the mystery and depth of the music.
In a rare instance of R.E.M. co-writing, Stipe asked friend Neil Bogan to contribute lyrics to "West of the Fields."
Packaging
The trestle featured on the back cover of the original vinyl LP release, originally part of the Georgia Railroad line into downtown Athens, has become something of a local landmark. Plans to demolish the trestle, now commonly referred to as the "Murmur
Trestle," met with public outcry. On October 2, 2000, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission voted to save the trestle.
Copies of the initial tape edition—catalogue number CS 70604—list "There She Goes Again"There She Goes Again" is a song by The Velvet Underground. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. The syncopated guitar riff is taken from the 1962 Marvin Gaye song, "Hitch Hike", but is most likely influenced by The Rolling Stones' cover version, from their...
" as the final track, but it is not present. This mistake was fixed with subsequent pressings.
Reception
Murmur
was released in April 1983. The record reached number 36 on the Billboard
album chart. A re-recorded version of "Radio Free Europe"Radio Free Europe" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. "Radio Free Europe" was released as R.E.M.'s debut single on the short-lived independent record label Hib-Tone in 1981...
" was the album's lead single and reached number 78 on the Billboard
singles chart that year. Despite the acclaim awarded the album, by the end of 1983 Murmur
had only sold about 200,000 copies, which I.R.S.'s Jay Boberg felt was below expectations. Murmur
was eventually certified gold (500,000 units shipped) by the Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a group which represents the recording industry distributors in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors, which the RIAA say "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate sound recordings...
in 1991.
The album drew substantial critical acclaim. Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
gave the album four out of five stars. Reviewer Steve Pond felt the album fulfilled the promise the band showed on Chronic Town
. He wrote, "Murmur
is the record on which [R.E.M.] trade that potential for results: an intelligent, enigmatic, deeply involving album, it reveals a depth and cohesiveness to R.E.M. that the EP could only suggest." He concluded, "R.E.M. is clearly the
important Athens band." It was Rolling Stones Best Album of 1983, beating
Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...
's
ThrillerThriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. The album was released on November 30, 1982 by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall. Thriller explores similar genres to those of Off the Wall,...
,
The PoliceThe Police were an English rock trio, from London, England, formed originally in 1977. The trio consisted of Gordon Sumner, CBE , widely known by his stage name of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
's
SynchronicitySynchronicity is the fifth and final studio album by The Police, released in 1983. The band's most popular release, Synchronicity includes the number one single, "Every Breath You Take."-History:...
and
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
's
WarWar is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2, released on . The album has come to be regarded as U2's first overtly political album, in part because of songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "New Year's Day", as well as the title, which stems from the band's perception of the world at the time;...
. Buck noted in 2002 that I.R.S. was "mind-boggled" by the album's positive reviews, especially in the British press, since R.E.M. had not yet toured that country.
In 1989, it was rated number eight on
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. In 2003, the album was ranked number 197 on
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
magazine's list of
the 500 greatest albums of all timeThe 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003.Related news articles: The list was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics and industry figures, each of whom submitted a weighted list of 50 albums...
. Also in 2003, the TV network
VH1VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City...
named
Murmur the 92nd greatest album of all time.
Pitchfork MediaPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on independent music, especially indie rock...
named
Murmur the fifth best album of the 1980s.
Track listing
All songs written by
Bill BerryWilliam "Bill" Thomas Berry is an American former musician and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer in alternative rock band R.E.M. for 17 years, before retiring from the group and becoming a farmer...
,
Peter BuckPeter Lawrence Buck is the guitarist and co-founder, along with Bill Berry, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe, of the alternative rock band R.E.M....
,
Mike MillsMichael Edward Mills is the bass player of the band R.E.M. Though known primarily as a bassist, piano player and background singer, his musical repertoire includes many other keyboard, guitar, string, wind and percussion instruments...
, and
Michael StipeJohn Michael Stipe is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism...
, except where noted
Side one
- "Radio Free Europe
"Radio Free Europe" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. "Radio Free Europe" was released as R.E.M.'s debut single on the short-lived independent record label Hib-Tone in 1981...
" – 4:06
- "Pilgrimage" – 4:30
- "Laughing" – 3:57
- "Talk About the Passion
"Talk About the Passion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single released from its debut album Murmur in 1983 and a live performance at Larry's Hideaway, Toronto, Canada, from July 9, 1983 was released on the 2008 Deluxe Edition reissue of that album....
" – 3:23
- "Moral Kiosk" – 3:31
- "Perfect Circle
"Perfect Circle" is an R.E.M. song and is the 6th track from their 1983 debut album Murmur. R.E.M. fans hold this song in high regard and is widely considered a fan favorite. It is one of the few R.E.M...
" – 3:29
Side two
- "Catapult" – 3:55
- "Sitting Still" – 3:17
- "9-9" – 3:03
- "Shaking Through" – 4:30
- "We Walk" – 3:02
- "West of the Fields" (Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe, and Neil Bogan) – 3:17
1992
The IRS Vintage Years edition bonus tracks
- "There She Goes Again
"There She Goes Again" is a song by The Velvet Underground. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. The syncopated guitar riff is taken from the 1962 Marvin Gaye song, "Hitch Hike", but is most likely influenced by The Rolling Stones' cover version, from their...
" (Lou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground as well as a successful solo artist whose career has spanned several decades. The Velvet Underground gained little mainstream attention during their career,...
) – 2:48
- "9-9" (Live in Boston
Boston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
, MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of...
, United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, July 13, 1984) – 3:04
- "Gardening at Night
"Gardening at Night" is a song by R.E.M. It was recorded in 1982 for the band's EP Chronic Town.The song is said to have been written on a mattress in the front yard of the Oconee Street church in Athens, Georgia...
" (Live in Boston) – 3:47
- "Catapult" (Live in Seattle
Seattle is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington State on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about south of the Canada – United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes...
, Washington, United States, June 27, 1984) – 4:03
Live at Larry's Hide-Away
- "Laughing" – 3:51
- "Pilgrimage" – 4:08
- "There She Goes Again
"There She Goes Again" is a song by The Velvet Underground. It first appeared on their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. The syncopated guitar riff is taken from the 1962 Marvin Gaye song, "Hitch Hike", but is most likely influenced by The Rolling Stones' cover version, from their...
" (Reed) – 2:43
- "Seven Chinese Brothers" – 4:15
- "Talk About the Passion" – 3:02
- "Sitting Still" – 4:11
- "Harborcoat" – 3:45
- "Catapult" – 3:51
- "Gardening at Night" – 3:33
- "9-9" – 3:16
- "Just a Touch" – 2:27
- "West of the Fields" (Berry, Buck, Mills, Stipe, and Bogan) – 3:06
- "Radio Free Europe" – 4:57
- "We Walk" – 2:55
- "1,000,000" – 3:05
- "Carnival of Sorts (Box Cars)" – 3:58
A vintage radio promo for the album is hidden in the
pregapThe pregap on a Red Book audio CD is the portion of the audio track that precedes "index 01" for a given track in the table of contents . The pregap is typically two seconds long and usually, but not always, contains silence...
of the bonus disc.
Personnel
R.E.M.
- Bill Berry
William "Bill" Thomas Berry is an American former musician and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the drummer in alternative rock band R.E.M. for 17 years, before retiring from the group and becoming a farmer...
– percussionA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration...
, drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
, bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
, pianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, backing vocalsA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck is the guitarist and co-founder, along with Bill Berry, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe, of the alternative rock band R.E.M....
– guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
- Mike Mills
Michael Edward Mills is the bass player of the band R.E.M. Though known primarily as a bassist, piano player and background singer, his musical repertoire includes many other keyboard, guitar, string, wind and percussion instruments...
– bass guitar, drums, piano, backing vocals
- Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer who is the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe has become well-known for the "mumbling" style of his early career and for his complex, surreal lyrics, as well as his social and political activism...
– vocalsSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist...
Production and additional musicians
- Greg Calabi – mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
at Sterling Sound, New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
- Don Dixon – co-producer
In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
, bass guitar on "Perfect Circle"
- Mitch Easter
Mitch Easter is a songwriter, musician, and producer. As a producer, he is probably best known for his work with R.E.M. from 1981 through 1984, though he has also worked with many other acts including The Hang Ups, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, Marshall Crenshaw, and Velvet Crush.As a...
– co-producer
- Carl Grasso – art design
- Ann Kinney – art design
- Sandra Lee Phipps – photography and art design
Chart performance
Album
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1983 |
The Billboard 200 |
36 |
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Chart |
Position |
| 1983 |
"Radio Free Europe" |
Billboard Mainstream Rock |
25 |
| 1983 |
"Radio Free Europe" |
Billboard Pop Singles |
78 |
Sales certifications
| Organization |
Level |
Date |
| RIAA – U.S. |
Gold |
October 10, 1991 |
Release history
Murmur was bundled together with
Chronic TownChronic Town is the debut EP by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1982 on I.R.S. Records. Chronic Town is the first illustration of R.E.M.'s signature musical style: jangling guitars, chords played in arpeggio, murmured vocals, and obscure lyrics.-Background and recording:After...
and
ReckoningReckoning is the second album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1984 by I.R.S. Records. Produced by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, the album was recorded at Reflection Sound Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina over 16 days in December 1983 and January 1984...
in the United Kingdom as
The Originals in 1993.
On November 25, 2008, I.R.S. Records,
A&MA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
, and Universal Music released a 25th anniversary edition two-disc reissue of
Murmur. Disc one features the standard 12-track album, digitally remastered, and disc two contains a previously unreleased live concert the band played at Larry's Hideaway, Toronto, Canada, on July 9, 1983. In addition to
Murmur songs, the set includes tunes from the
Chronic TownChronic Town is the debut EP by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1982 on I.R.S. Records. Chronic Town is the first illustration of R.E.M.'s signature musical style: jangling guitars, chords played in arpeggio, murmured vocals, and obscure lyrics.-Background and recording:After...
EP, a
Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet Underground was an American art rock band formed in New York City, New York. First active from 1965 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists...
cover, and early versions of songs from
ReckoningReckoning is the second album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1984 by I.R.S. Records. Produced by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, the album was recorded at Reflection Sound Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina over 16 days in December 1983 and January 1984...
and
Lifes Rich PageantLifes Rich Pageant is the fourth album by the American band R.E.M. and was released in 1986. Intended as an upbeat reaction to the sobering and historical Fables of the Reconstruction, R.E.M. chose Don Gehman to produce the album at his Belmont Mall Studios in Belmont, Indiana.-Details:The source...
. The release also includes a fold-out poster insert, featuring exclusive essays by producers Don Dixon and
Mitch EasterMitch Easter is a songwriter, musician, and producer. As a producer, he is probably best known for his work with R.E.M. from 1981 through 1984, though he has also worked with many other acts including The Hang Ups, Pavement, Suzanne Vega, Game Theory, Marshall Crenshaw, and Velvet Crush.As a...
, as well as former I.R.S. executives Jay Boberg, Sig Sigworth, and art designer Carl Grasso.
Murmur
| Region |
Date |
Label |
Format |
Catalog |
| United States |
|
I.R.S. I.R.S. Records was a record label, started in the United States in 1979 by Miles Copeland III along with Jay Boberg and Carl Grasso. Miles was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, and later, Sting, as well as other bands. I.R.S. was the sister label of Copeland's Illegal Records .I.R.S...
|
vinyl LPA gramophone record, commonly known as phonograph record, vinyl record, or simply record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove usually starting near the periphery and ending near the centre of the disc...
|
SP 70604 |
| 44797-0014-1 |
Compact DiscA Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store sound recordings exclusively, but later it also allowed the preservation of other types of data. Audio CDs have been commercially available since October 1982...
|
44797-0014-2 |
| cassette tape |
44797-0014-4 |
| CS 70604 |
| United Kingdom |
| I.R.S. |
LP |
70014 |
| United States |
| I.R.S./A&MA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
|
Compact Disc |
70014 |
| The Netherlands |
| Illegal Illegal Records is part of the Faulty Products group. They distributed the first single of The Police.Discography of ReleasesDiscography:BUK 3 Timbuk 3 Airwave Jungle 1986ES 1098 Wall Of Voodoo Far Side Of Crazy 1985...
|
LP |
25433 |
| South Africa |
| I.R.S./CBSCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
|
LP |
ASF-2886 |
| Worldwide |
| A&M |
Compact Disc |
70014 |
| Worldwide |
| A&M |
Compact Disc |
129 |
| The Netherlands |
| EMIThe EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm- EMI Music Publishing- based in New York City...
|
Compact Disc |
7 13158 2† |
| The Netherlands |
| I.R.S. |
LP |
4653781 |
| United States |
|
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab is a company that produces reissues of albums. All releases are made from the first-generation master recordings and mastered at half-speed, which MFSL claims allows for an improved sound quality. In the past, MFSL has produced cassette tape, LP, CD and VHS releases of a...
|
LP |
231‡ |
| Compact Disc |
642‡ |
| Europe |
| EMI |
Compact Disc |
13158† |
| Europe |
| I.R.S. |
Compact Disc |
7131582† |
| Asia |
| Toshibais a Japanese multinational conglomerate manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company's main business is in infrastructure, consumer products, electronic devices and components.Toshiba-made Semiconductors are among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders...
/EMI |
Compact Disc |
53571 |
| United States |
| I.R.S./Universal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. It is the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
|
Compact Disc |
001225102• |
†I.R.S. Vintage Years edition, with bonus tracks
‡Remastered edition on 180-gram vinyl and gold Compact Disc
•Remastered Deluxe Edition, with
Live at Larry's Hide-Away bonus disc
The Originals
| Region |
Date |
Label |
Format |
Catalog |
| United Kingdom |
| I.R.S./EMIThe EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm- EMI Music Publishing- based in New York City...
|
CD box set |
7243 8 35088 2 2 |
External links
- R.E.M.HQ on Murmur (I.R.S. Vintage Years edition) (Deluxe Edition) (I.R.S. Vintage Years edition) (Deluxe Edition)