R.E.M. famously didn’t tour behind 1991’s breakthrough Out of Time, but the band did play a handful of largely professional shows that year, among the best-known of them being a pair of concerts in London under the nom-de-rock of Bingo Hand Job.
The second night of that March 14-15, 1991, stand at the Borderline — aided by fifth member Peter Holsapple plus Billy Bragg and Robyn Hitchcock — was heavily bootlegged at the time. And now, nearly 30 years later, R.E.M. finally is releasing it, in the form of a 2LP set to be issued for Record Store Day in April.
The album — Live at the Borderline 1991, limited to 3,000 copies in the U.S. — is getting what the band bills as “its first (and only) official release ever” on Record Store Day, which this year falls on April 13.
The 17-song set was recorded March 15, 1991, and is a largely acoustic collection featuring songs off Out of Time and earlier fare. For the concert, the band appeared under pseudonyms, with Michael Stipe as “Stinky,” Peter Buck as “Raoul,” Mike Mills as “Ophelia” and Bill Berry as “The Doc,” plus friends Spanish Charlie (Holsapple), Conrad (Bragg) and Violet (Hitchcock).
For a full list of this year’s Record Store Day releases, as well as to find participating stores in your area, visit the event’s U.S. and U.K. websites: recordstoreday.com and recordstoreday.co.uk. Many of the RSD releases are available only at participating independent music retailers on the day of the event, though some go into wider release — and many end up on eBay or other online sites.
Below, check out the tracklist.
Bingo Hand Job, Live at the Borderline 1991
Side A
1. “World Leader Pretend”
2. “Half A World Away”
3. “Fretless”
4. “The One I Love”
Side B
1. “Jackson”/”Dallas”
2. “Disturbance At The Heron House”
3. “Belong”
4. “Low”
Side C
1. “Love Is All Around”
2. “You Are The Everything”
3. “Swan Swan”
4. “Radio Song”
Side D
1. “Perfect Circle”
2. “Endgame”
3. “Fall On Me”
4. “Get Up”
5. “Moon River”
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No “Tom’s Diner”
No sale
What. A. JOKE!
If this doesn’t see an expanded release on CD with ALL of the tracks present, I reverse my earlier wish for a reunion and they can put the fan club singles where the monkey puts the nuts.
With precedent on our side, I predict it will quickly be bootlegged again — this time, sourced from these well-mastered albums — and we can find it somewhere on CD as the universe intended.
Unbelievable!
Doesn’t really matter. All copies will be out of stock within 10 minutes of opening time. But hey, you’ll be able to find it on Ebay for $175 by that afternoon.
I have the full show on CD, but not great quality. Too bad this is the release.
I love rem pre out of time. Now they’re just trying to make $$$$.
Would like this on CD…
I was so happy to score this at my local record store, but when I got home and opened it, record 2 was not R.E.M., it was Greta Van Fleet. I’m sick!
I had the same thing happen to me. Did you get it corrected? I am having a hard time getting anyone to respond!
@Jody, is there a digital download code included?
Losing My Religion is also included….track 3 on side D.