R.E.M. REM NBC The Source ORIG PROMO FM BROADCAST 2LP

$

1,100

Here it is, folks – one of the rarest REM collectibles ever, the officially released and band-sanctioned, promotional-only radio show known as “NBC The Source Broadcast.” And along with the band’s BBC transcription LP, it is described by the Goldmine Magazine promo records guide as “one of the most collectible radio shows ever.”

This is an original copy and not a repressing or reproduction. I personally purchased it from a radio station music director in 1985.

I won’t bore you with hype about how rare this is other than to say that at the time I obtained it it was already a rare item -- members of the band had not even been able to get copies for themselves. I’ve never seen it come up for auction myself. Please bid seriously and understand that the reserve is priced appropriately – also, in order to keep the auction fair, please do not request that I disclose the reserve price.

Both the sleeve and cue sheet are in very good condition (the cue sheet originally was folded in half but I’ve kept it flat inside the sleeve, which has been stored in plastic).

The vinyl is in excellent condition save for a pair of very superficial scratches on side 4 and one on side 1 – I personally played it once in order to tape it onto cassette years ago, and I will play it once before selling it to make an extra copy for myself. I presume from the condition that it was probably only played once or twice at whatever radio station originally aired it.

The whole thing has been stored carefully over the years – vertically, between other albums, not exposed to extreme temperatures, and in a non-smoking house.

If you’ve ever heard a tape of the 90-minute show you know how good it sounds – professionally recorded live by NBC Radio Young Adult Network at Seattle’s Music Hall on June 27, 1984, it was subsequently pressed onto a double-LP set and distributed to a select handful of American radio stations for broadcast on the weekend of July 20-22, 1984 as part of the syndicated show “The Source.”

It comes in a generic white die-cut sleeve (on one side a radio station person wrote “R.E.M. 2LPs July 20 The Source”) and has a one-sided cue sheet insert. The labels on each of the 4 sides have the official Source logo plus “R.E.M. Concert Broadcast Date: July 210, 21, 22, 1984” and the records themselves are housed in thin poly liners.

Apologies for the fuzziness in photo of the label close-up – best shot I could get, but rest assured the text on the label is much sharper.

The stock number on the labels is NBC 84-28.

The hand-etched matrix number reads NBC-84-28-A (and then –B, -C, -D, of course)

Also appearing in the runoff grooves is the machine stamped word ALSHIRE

TRACKLISTING (excluding announcer cues, commercial cues, etc) AS LISTED ON CUE SHEET:

Side 1: Moral Kiosk, Driver 8, Catapult, Hyena, Camera, Pilgrimage

Side 2: Talk About The Passion, Seven Chinese Brothers, So. Central Rain, Pretty Persuasion, Gardening At Night, 9-9, Wind-Out

Side 3: Untitled, Radio Free Europe, Little America

Side 4: Burning Down, Pale Blue Eyes, 1,000,000, So You Wanna Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, Carnival, Skank

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