R.E.M. - Driver 8 (Rare Acoustic Performance)

[Frumples8]

One of the few bands that really stand out to me in the 80's. No one sounded like them. Love the rawness of the vid...its like they invited you over for a beer to check out their new song.

[fmogiba]

I have this on VHS from a UHF NJ channel U68 and Uncle Floyd

[bludstream1]

Absolutely more relevant today and let's face it, better than anything else out there.

[JohnLawrenceCobraKai]

@bludstream1 You damn right, you God damn right George.

[OneTwoThreeAlone]

Now it makes me cry... R.E.M. ♥

[ppitstop38]

Wow.



[DaProtege]

I'm a hip hop artist and I'd love to know who the four dipshits that disliked this video are? REM is classic college rock. My mom made me listen to this stuff as a kid and I'm a better lyricist for it.

[Ducksoup67]

Mike - you're in a rock band, dude.

Maybe that's why your girl went back to Rockville?

[spazola789]

Such a great band.

[GAdawgsfan93]

I thought FOTR was released in '85?

[yohei72]

@GAdawgsfan93 I think probably Driver 8 was in their repertoire for quite a while before they officially recorded and released it. That was true of quite a few of their songs, I think, especially in the early days when they were touring and performing like maniacs.

[DerAlmighty]

@yohei72 You had to be a maniac to try to get into the music industry in the 80s. OR really different at the time. R.E.M. was both.

[MarioCarnello]

Brilliant.

[playswithknives]

damn hippies! get a haircut!

[ecj2006]

Thanks so much for the music REM! You made my teenager years less freaky and lonely.

[rodneyfaith]

so sad to hear REM is calling it quits...they are more relevant today than most anything you would find on the radio. 

[MolokoMilkBar23]

i swear my sister copied michael stipe's look that year, lol

[fred6059]

I HATE Pete with short hair! It looks awful! Funny how he has to stand to play part of the song!

[kromerm]

Is that MIchael Stipe or Eddie Vedder ?

[messinadavid]

This is a great song! The album version don't got nuthin' on this version, that's for sure. I remember walking across the Ohio State campus, wearin' my walkman and listening to the cassette that had this song on it--Oh, about a million years ago--around 85' or 86'.

[fred6059]

Yes you can count on one hand the number of times Peter has actually smiled. He tries to give off such a serious vibe all the time. Lighten up Pete!

[ricflairfan5]

omg peter buck actually smiles at 1:00

[tailendcharlie]

love this tune

[zemog311]

I'd love to pull Michael's wig off!!!

[ricflairfan5]

@zemog311 um its not a wig....he used to have hair like that

[ricflairfan5]

@zemog311 um its not a wig....he used to have hair like that

[zemog311]

@ricflairfan5

Michael Stipe NEVER had hair. Hes been bald since birth!

[ricflairfan5]

@zemog311 are u 100% sure. if that is so he has had a lot of realistic looking wigs through1980-1991. I read that he shaved his head because in the 1990-1991 his hair was falling out and it looked terrible. so,i dont think the wig stories checks out.

[loosilu]

@ricflairfan5 I am fairly certain @zemog was joking. It is not a wig, it was his real hair. For a dude to start with that beautiful hair and have to see it fall out, I don't blame him for shaving it all off.

[CraZedAnaRCHiSt89]

This would be the definition of 'Epic"

[soulous1]

The sisters saw these guys long before us mortal humans saw them. They are the gods of us poor pitifull humans. Rock on!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[2003thezoe]

awesome...not been the same since b. berry left

[peterdolson]

@2003thezoe They haven't been the same since they released GREEN!

[thn819]

that was just amazing.

[tailendcharlie]

love this song

[mantra3000]

@muskypucker Well, gay or straight, he just oozes sexuality.

[mantra3000]

Wow, Michael must have fucked A LOT back then.

[bucktoofus]

before moby took over lead vocals?

[metallicatt316]

Michael was such a pretty boy back then!

[trollathlete]

Ya know, they might amount to something....I had this on a Beta tape a zillion years ago...

[houseof4doorsmc]

Oh Yea, see post under , well hell I have an entire tribute on Facebook. Great song! See , whonose..lol. Michael Callahan

[dinster70]

wish mike mills' gorgeous harmonies could be heard on this version, but this is still pretty frickin great

[littlemissmuppetnp]

i forgot about how good song this was... classic!!

[Doommakers]

Micheal used to have hair :)

[dinster70]

@Doommakers he used to have beautiful beautiful hair

[giglokinproductions]

MTV's IRS The Cutting Edge 1985

[lizohal]

I remember seeing this as a 10-second clip on Behind the Music back in 99 or whenever it came out...I was 13 and taped the show, being a huge fan at the time, and kept rewinding and playing that 10 second clip. This acoustic rendition was absolutely mesmerizing to me, and I remember being DESPERATE to find a copy of the whole thing - Thanks Youtube and 21st century technology!

[kayak0055]

@lizohal WOW What a story!!! What ten second part?

[lizohal]

@kayak0055 kicking in at 2:40. Lifelong fan!

[453609]

Please someone tell me...what happened to music? Pure bliss.

[thegools]

This predates the record. Where did this come from? I remember that show. It is too bad it is not around anymore, nor that REM is as good anymore.

[thegools]

This predates the record. Where did this come from?

[arizonabay15]

Beautiful. They look so excited to be on TV.

[granzo55]

This video shows that we are all finite and that time marches on like an unstopable group of soldiers. Now pass the joint, will you Cliff?

[ar4216]

Stipe looked so good with that curly long hair.

[romancitoG]

getting old is not a bad thing. it just makes ya stop and take a look where ya been, and what ya once were and looked like.

[Flanker24]

Are you kidding me? Where did you find this? THANK YOU!!!!

[deathkampdrone]

this was recorded on june 14th, exactly one month before i was born. i guess it's somewhat sad that someone as good as REM was at this point hasn't come along since, but then again, this is pure genious. timeless songwriting!

[ar4216]

@deathkampdrone

Damn, way to make me feel OLD. For me, Fables was as good as it gets with REM. Just an incredible album. Murmurs is also great. Stuff started getting hit or miss after Fables.

[deathkampdrone]

@ar4216 i assure you: that was NOT the intention ;)

[paatrc]

demasiado...

[Teetee33]

REM and U2 created the soundtrack to my formative years. How euphoric I used to feel hearing them on the radio or seeing one of their not often-played (at least back in those days) vids on TV! The 1980s were the best! And to think they were overshadowed by Reagan and his agenda! Heady times...

[johnny10301968]

Was,nt this released in july 1985?

[deathkampdrone]

@johnny10301968: apparently, it was broadcast on july 29th '84...

[eli4pr1219]

Has a better vibe than the studio version...it should have been recorded with a lttle bit better sound set up...Michael's voice fades in and out a bit.

[amanita5]

michael, so gorgeous with his long locks... ! and what a great song - a real Athens, GA feeling!! ;-)

[briteness]

When we were young...

[poughkeepsiejohn1]

They'll be re-releasing "Fables Of The Reconstruction" soon, along with a second-disc of demos. I heard the demo version of "Driver 8" and it's amazing how focused the band was on getting their sound right. Check it out.

[emmbee]

@poughkeepsiejohn1 the re-release is out and worth every penny. damn, this is good stuff. holds up amazingly well after a quarter-century.

[Richycito]

I hope that youtube et al have the common sense to keep videos like this available so the music can be appreciated in its true state.

I was born after this video was recorded, and I love REM, but its videos like these that allow me to appreciate the truth behind the sound at a greater level...thanks maccafixx for seeing it our way!

[SydnRain]

God, they look like babies! LOve this!

[Osric13th]

Isnt it about time for these guys to get off their asses and do some new stuff?

[gravelandgrain100]

Bittersweet memories. I don't know if I should be happy I was around when this type of music got it's wings, or sad that that time has passed and kids these days never really get to experience this greatness. Young people are happy with fields of mediocrity, instead of ecstatic for the really important musical experiences out there.

Great song, love R.E.M.!

[stbr68]

@gravelandgrain100

Hey, I'm 17! Not all of us like Britney Spears ya'know.

[Boomkap08]

@stbr68 R.E.M. is a band they make Music for young and old. Best Band ever. Great Band, Great Songs and great Musician. R.E.M. is a legend. :-))

[DSBENTLEY43]

For you Terrie!!!!!!!!!

[CaptainPillowMusic]

Never saw this.

Great version.

Thanx for posting.

[tkinz9292]

this is pretty cool

[godofwatt]

this is a real eerie video

[jemteek7]

beautiful song,played live by a brilliant band....nuff said

[rageage]

oh!

There is a hair!

[billythekid899]

like a good whisky takes a few years to taste better !

love this band

[fishbart1]

Great Stipe...saw them at Red Rocks last year...they have not missed a beat.

[rodney1776]

Micheal looks like a rock God with the long locks then. Don't know what happened, but he's looked like a recent release from a nazi concentration camp for the last 20 years. LOL. Great cut. Awesome!

[GalfRendun]

Mike Mills looks about 4. Actually he was 9.

[davidmichaelbruce]

i saw this episode of The Cutting Edge when it aired. Turned me on to this little unknown band. I miss Peter Zarimba.

[fsck100]

The bells are ringing through the town again

The children look up, all they see is sky blue bells ringing

[acealgazzali]

classic....Bless you

[Bigaphid]

Who is whistling. Stop it!

[Kidplunk]

"i saw a treehouse on the outskirts of the farm." brilliant !

[rjfoster2]

anyone notice the country style vocal delivery michaels using here, not saying it was ever supposed to be country

[doubletrouble467]

I LOVE R.E.M.

[StretchPhotography]

Notice Bertis in the background at 3:07

[publicastration]

they are who really got me back into rock acoustic.

[TiagoREM]

SHOW TIME.... awesome...

the walls are built up stone by stone...

[kraftwerk456]

bill looks sad or bored or high.

[unclealbert72]

They all were just really, really tired.

They toured so much at this point that they were hardly sleeping.

Hence half the explaination of the writing of "Driver 8"

[avirettmackenzie]

Oh, man....I took photos of this from MTV...they were up all over my dorm room....wow....what a wonderful song!!!

[SockBoy65]

They all just smoked - someting exotic. :)

My favourite REM song too.

[t4314rd]

i liked michael better with hair!!!

[dsrc18]

Who are these young boys?Some one give them a contrct...............

[doubletrouble467]

their names are mike,bill,peter and michael.

[NovaStraCe]

if you try to listen carefully, the chord progression from the verse its the same that the one from "Imitation of life" .....this version is the best version ever! XD

[machacar]

This is so perfect - R.E.M.

Good work Bill Berry !!

[jatroup12]

Great version!

[lordtrax8]

so different than the others...

[doug506]

Takes me WAYYYYYY back.

Even have IRS records shirt on eBay!

[TheTetrarch]

This is so perfect that I'm lost for words...

[SKOJCV]

fuckin' classic.

[peacefrogx]

simply the best, simply awesome

[chi8cago]

this is the only DVD rem fans should have. "When the light is mine." Get it now......

[crooner25]

Bill Berry

[Mugsycache14567]

Who's playin' the tambourine??!!!

[jatojo]

I have the DVD, too. Surprising how good the sound is.

[jme347]

even though i never heard of REM

i would have to agree w/ the early years!!

[rogerthehat]

what is your fave rem era mine would be irs

just beacuse i love all the early songs

like this

[midtownmissybrown]

mike's lips.

oh, my.

[friendschampionship]

Ihave this DVd, absolutely perfect

[TiagoREM]

What?!! How did you get that DVd??? Can you tell me, PLEASE? I'll be thankfull...

[friendschampionship]

It's the "when the light is mine - the best of IRS years" :) I bought it here in Brazil for about R$25,00 (ou currency)... that would be about U$11. Hugs!

[TiagoREM]

Olá! Obrigado pela informação. Abraço.

[Bappus]

Superb to see, good posting. But here's one: what happened to Mike Mills in the 90s? One evening he went to bed the "bowl haircutted" nerdy muso you see here (and for years to come), the next morning awoke with long highlights and bobby-dazzler sequinned jackets! Hans Christian Anderson eat your heart out!!

[daneel4ever]

Oh My God!!! Simply the best band ever!

[mthivier]

Fan-fucking-tastic.

[remfan2000]

Delicious

[DocTeeBee]

Wow, this is really good!! Michael Stipe looks about 18 years old. Hard to believe R.E.M. have been around all this time, but this is just great.

[emmtampa]

one of the top 5 songs of my life...my life aint worth shit but this song changed it...

[flintrock1010]

wow...great video of one of my favorite bands...and songs!

Cheers

[egiappaige]

Man that is great!

I loved I.R.S. records "Cutting Edge" with Peter Zaremba too...

[JohnnyELL]

What a rare look in on music genius.

This video was shot July '84.

REM didn't release "Fables of the Reconstruction" album(Driver 8 track) until Sept '85...

Shot like a practice session, it's a glimpse into their beginnings before they were hugely popular. Now how cool is that??!!

[toterola451]

Thank you so much for posting this!

It's from so far back Michael still has a Southern accent!

[WarEagleAU92]

Awesome. Takes me for a ride on the way, way, waaaay back machine! Thanks for posting!

[XPoetLacy]

Yes... and that lovely head of naturally curly hair, which he has since lost... poor dear! No matter; love Michael Stipe madly, anyway!

[kalitube7]

excellent! love this song!

[buttholesurfer666]

this sounds very similar to Imitation of Life in the verse

[GoldenAssassin]

No it doesn't you stupid faggot.

[portstewartsam]

he's right, the chord changes are identical, as noted by peter buck...

[buttholesurfer666]

gee, I made a friend!

and I checked on portstewart's comment and he's totally right, Buck confirms this in the Greatest Hits booklet.

You stupid faggot.