All the Right Friends
Encyclopedia
"All the Right Friends" is one of the earliest songs written by R.E.M.
, in fact written by Peter Buck
and Michael Stipe
before they had met their future bandmates, according to the liner notes to the band's In Time compilation album. Like all R.E.M. songs, its composition is credited to all members.
The song was recorded for Murmur
in 1983, but was left off the album. In January 1993, the Dutch pressing of Dead Letter Office
, a B-side album compilation, included that recording, along with an acoustic version of "Gardening at Night
".
In 2001, director Cameron Crowe
released the movie Vanilla Sky
, starring Tom Cruise
. R.E.M. were approached with the idea of them contributing a rock song to the soundtrack. According to Peter Buck, they were approached "about eight days before they needed it", and they had loads of material left from Reveal, but they wanted a rock song, and their manager Bertis Downs had liked "All the Right Friends", so they recorded it. Slightly different from the other version (with most of the original lyrics missing), the song was, in Peter Buck's vision, recorded as if they were recording it for the Chronic Town
EP, as Buck noted on the sleeve notes to the band's 2003 In Time compilation album.
The song was recorded on October 23, 2001, in Seattle's Bad Animals Studio
's "Studio X" while R.E.M. were in town for a performance at the Groundwork Benefit the previous day and, that evening, at the Crocodile Café. On an R.E.M. special of The South Bank Show
, which aired in May 2002 on the UK's ITV
, Buck is seen recording a guitar overdub for the song, then, upon completion, the camera follows him into the control to evaluate the recording.
In addition to the Vanilla Sky soundtrack
album, the re-recording is included on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. Records
2003 compilation, In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003
. The original 1983 version of the song recorded for Murmur can be found on EMI
's 2006 compilation, And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987
.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, in fact written by Peter Buck
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck , is an American rock guitarist who is best known for playing in and co-founding alternative rock band R.E.M....
and Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
before they had met their future bandmates, according to the liner notes to the band's In Time compilation album. Like all R.E.M. songs, its composition is credited to all members.
The song was recorded for Murmur
Murmur (album)
Murmur is the debut album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1983 on I.R.S. Records. Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its sound, defined by singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bassist Mike Mills' melodic...
in 1983, but was left off the album. In January 1993, the Dutch pressing of Dead Letter Office
Dead Letter Office (album)
Dead Letter Office is a rarities and B-sides collection by R.E.M., released in 1987. The album is essentially a collection of many additional recordings R.E.M. made pre-Murmur to Lifes Rich Pageant that were outtakes or released as flip sides to their singles internationally...
, a B-side album compilation, included that recording, along with an acoustic version of "Gardening at Night
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...
".
In 2001, director Cameron Crowe
Cameron Crowe
Cameron Bruce Crowe is an American screenwriter and film director. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, for which he still frequently writes....
released the movie Vanilla Sky
Vanilla Sky
Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American psychological thriller film directed, co-produced and co-written by Cameron Crowe. The film is an English-language remake of the 1997 Spanish movie Abre los ojos , the screenplay for which was written by Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil...
, starring Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
. R.E.M. were approached with the idea of them contributing a rock song to the soundtrack. According to Peter Buck, they were approached "about eight days before they needed it", and they had loads of material left from Reveal, but they wanted a rock song, and their manager Bertis Downs had liked "All the Right Friends", so they recorded it. Slightly different from the other version (with most of the original lyrics missing), the song was, in Peter Buck's vision, recorded as if they were recording it for the Chronic Town
Chronic Town
Chronic 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, as Buck noted on the sleeve notes to the band's 2003 In Time compilation album.
Bad Animals Studio
Bad Animals Studio is a music and media recording studio on 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle. It was originally founded as Steve Lawson Productions by founders Steve and Debbie Lawson in 1979. In 1991, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson joined forces with Lawson to create Studio X. In 1992, the studio...
's "Studio X" while R.E.M. were in town for a performance at the Groundwork Benefit the previous day and, that evening, at the Crocodile Café. On an R.E.M. special of The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show
The South Bank Show was a television arts magazine show, originally made by London Weekend Television , presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast on ITV and seen in over 60 countries worldwide — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States...
, which aired in May 2002 on the UK's ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, Buck is seen recording a guitar overdub for the song, then, upon completion, the camera follows him into the control to evaluate the recording.
In addition to the Vanilla Sky soundtrack
Music from Vanilla Sky
The soundtrack for Vanilla Sky was nominated for an Academy Award. The film's soundtrack has been subject to critical acclaim from its reviewers, being called "a music masterpiece" by The New York Times. The eclectic taste of the soundtrack has been said to be one of the reasons the movie has...
album, the re-recording is included on R.E.M.'s Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
2003 compilation, In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003
In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003
In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988–2003 is the second official compilation album released by R.E.M. Issued in 2003, it includes tracks from their Warner Bros. Records era, from 1988's Green to 2001's Reveal, as well as two new recordings and two songs from movie soundtracks...
. The original 1983 version of the song recorded for Murmur can be found on EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's 2006 compilation, And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987
And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987
And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982–1987 is a compilation album by R.E.M. that features songs from the band's years at I.R.S. Records. All tracks have been remastered, and the set was released 12 September 2006...
.