R.E.M. - CATAPULT Stephen Hague 1982 Demo (FULL SONG)

One of REM's rarest and least heard recordings finally surfaces...FULL VERSION!
In December 1982, at the request of their label, IRS Records, REM recorded a demo with Stephen Hague - with the intention of testing how they work together for the possibility of him producing their debut album, which would become Murmur - of Catapult. Hague, known for his work with electronic based bands like New Order and The Pet Shop boys, was clearly a stylistic mismatch. REM laid down the song and Stephen Hague later added his own embellishments (synths, reverb, echo) to the production, presumably to make REM sound more 'with the times'. REM were reportedly horrified with the results and never wanted anyone to hear the recording.
Also notable because the session shook Bill Berry's drumming confidence with not being able to play well to a click track (metronome), being forced to record numerous takes to get it perfectly in time.

[@InParticularNobody]

Thank the gods of rickenbacker for Mitch Easter.

[@WillyBraggTV]

Mitch Easter is one of my friends on Facebook, and I met him once in person. I corresponded with Faye Hunter online too on a regular basis before she died. And of course, I remembered quite well seeing Sara Romweber at Snatches In Pink shows & even hanging out with her listening to stories of the past regarding Let's Active....

[@InParticularNobody]

Cool. I should have mentioned Don Dixon too. It'd be interesting to know what each of them brought to REM's sound.

[@owenradford-lloyd8743]

Not gonna lie. I love this. I also think it was entirely the right decision to ditch it.

[@meesalikeu]

totally 1000% agree

[@barbanteeletrico]

my sentiments exactly

[@curly_wyn]

Yep. That is literally the exact correct opinion to have!

[@WillyBraggTV]

I have to 100% agree with you here. Although my love for 1980's new wave synth can be lightly heard in this song if you pay close enough attention to this demo, it was a professionally wise decision to not use it. Nothing against Stephen Hague, but Mitch Easter was by far their best producer. By the 1990's, the direction of REM went down hill for me. I will always be nostalgic for that correct blend of post punk & neo-psychedelia which was trendy in underground music in the 1980's.

[@roylaporte6541]

Mike Mills interviewed by Rick Beato said when they heard it, they were thinking… "Are you high?" They hated it. The label said "He makes hits!’ So they agreed to do one song with each producer. Meanwhile the song Mitch Easter produced is on Murmur.

[@mantra3000]

This is an alternative universe on its own.

[@synthmalicious7541]

After hearing this I can appreciate the work they put into making it sound “timeless” and not using synths etc.

[@curly_wyn]

Yeah. They were right and correct to worry about their records sounding timeless when they first started, and I think more bands should do that as well.

[@versioncity1]

In my head I can see a very pensive looking Peter Buck listening to that synth in the studio, trying to get what the producer is doing, but never getting there.

[@kyusswm]

can't get there from here!

[@brendendesimone9278]

He probably was thinking of getting it out of there

[@idanbjacobs]

You can really hear Mike Mills on this one. An underrated bassist and singer!

[@knucklesfan8]

If they went with this, they'd become dated SO fast. As someone who grew up listening to old REM decades after it came out, what I loved about them was that their music sounded like it could've come from either the 60's or the 90's. They didn't sound like any decade. Just pure, timeless rock. This sounds SO 80's that it just seems goofy now.

[@derfunkhaus]

Yes. It reminds me a little of Wire Train.

[@danopo]

I love this version, but it does sound like early-mid eighties.

[@meesalikeu]

even worse the lyrics are too clear here 😂

[@bingus1651]

Yeah especially that little synth bit in the pre-chorus. i do really enjoy it though

[@WillyBraggTV]

@@derfunkhaus , early Wire Train is a good comparison...

[@wldw10]

I LOVE this even with the synth - one of my favorite songs.

[@filltheband]

Thanks for posting this. Holy Grail etc. Having said that, those synths! Aaaagh. Talk about "they airbrushed my face".

[@scoopdeloops]

Love the original version obviously but glad this version exists...open your minds...a piece of history.

[@williama1997]

Wow... that keyboard really sticks out like a flaming cowpie

[@scottbriggs691]

C'mon fellas, aren't you guys into New Order, Joy Division, Yaz, and Blancmange? "Yes...but....you're fired." But I was gonna order y'all matching parachute pants and those 80s shirts with the snap flap shoulders!! You'll go down a blinder on MTV!!" "You're still fired."

[@whatdidoursurveysay]

"That's... why you're being fired, actually."

[@REMchout]

This only recently leaked. It never showed up on a bootleg, but we were waiting for it to!

[@jonathanbennett4899]

This is a great example of why it's so important for artists to push back when it's just not working. It's an interesting artifact, but Murmur has so much more energy. By the time I get to the third verse I'm ready to move on.

[@markukeley2924]

I only knew REM from rock magazines until I bought "Murmur" and put the needle down on Side Two. That "Catapult" was a thunderclap! This version was quirky, but not life changing. :) Cheers!

[@DeadLetter]

I'm a big REM fan and a big fan of the early stuff which is when I first started listening to them. Im going to take a different view here. While I dont necessarily love this version compared to the studio or live versions, I see what Hague was doing here. He was trying to make it sound like a hit. Like all the other alternative bands that ended up with hits in the early 80s. And it does sound like one of those. This may have been their huge hit/breakout song if they had gone with it. As it was, this song was never a hit or on the radar except to dedicated fans. I am glad it went the way it did. But I totally see the vision here. Fer sher. Like, totally!!

[@marcmarc1967]

The guitar effects makes it sound like The Cure.

[@meesalikeu]

this version would not have been a hit either, but hey he tried.

[@Fatherjohn76]

As someone whose favourite bands are REM and Pet Shop Boys respectively, I've got a guilty crush on this song. Sure, it wasn't the right path for them, I get that. But as a glimpse into an alternative reality I totally love it. It's REM as lush post punk dream pop

[@DelayedJet]

I don't prefer it, but it's a sweet little alternative for sure.

[@ericdavidson6138]

Yeah, I wish they would have done a few more with him just to have them now...

[@asashusain]

I kinda love this take.

[@urbangorilla33]

I think the album version of the call and the response works better, where Mills only echoes Stipe's "catapult" on every second time. Here it's every time.

[@REMchout]

aside from some of the cheesy synth flourishes, I think this is a great version!

[@In_Set]

This version is good, but the synth parts are absurd. They were out of place then, and now they just sound comical in 2024. They made the right move making Murmur with Mitch and Don Dixon; it sounds as timeless today as the day it was released.

[@willmcconnell7233]

Wow pretty much sounds like The Cure.

[@tpv525]

Oh this is atrocious. The echo makes my head hurt. I love that their reaction was "we're still figuring out our sound, but it's definitely not THAT."

[@marguskiis7711]

Wow, Hague was even able to make REM pure commercial pop.

[@deweypug]

Wow!! Gives me chills!! They for sure have not found their 'sound' quite yet, but so good!!

[@JohnMcKLV]

They absolutely had their live sound down cold - there's a bunch of old bootlegs up on youtube now and they sound so much more raw, and so much *better*.

[@mnhynes]

Waited a long time to hear this! Thanks for uploading it.

[@rbraxley]

Always interested to hear outtakes, etc., but glad this isn't the direction they moved. Lacks that early R.E.M. energy and sonic blast. Interesting, nonetheless.

[@willybragg1534]

Love the light hint of synthesizers in this song that gives them that rather cliche new wave style of the time not necessarily associated with REM.

[@RockandrollNegro]

"Light hint?" More like a synth sledgehammer to the skull. The best 80s synth is the one you don't consciously hear, buried in the mix, aurally ambient. Otherwise, it makes the song sound incredibly dated, like 80s ZZ Top.

[@eboethrasher]

@@RockandrollNegro He was right, it's barely a hint, until the middle part when there is a bit more. It is literally two notes added after a a vocal line. People act as if it is the ruin of all things good. The production style and the arrangement changes are what make it way different, honestly. The synth is barely even a thing.

[@sisterrogermoonshine]

Murmur was my comfort blanket while I was backpacking through Europe 30 years ago. Thank you REM! 🇨🇦

[@brendendesimone9278]

The producer was trying to make them sound like Scandal or Berlin. I'm glad that by the time they were ready to put keyboards in their music, it was more organic

[@milnerwords]

Honestly, without the synths, this would have made for a great B-side

[@ClueSign]

I love Berry but he did always rush the tempos when they played live, so it's clear why he'd hate a click track.

[@themusicmom]

Even on the album he rushes. I don't mind it, but he did nonetheless on the "Did we miss anything?" part.

[@frankmarsh1159]

Berry always played in the pocket. His style was kind of a cross between punk (tempo) and soul music (feel). It's hard to play in the pocket with a click track.

[@frankmarsh1159]

@@themusicmom All the great drummers slowed down and speeded up. That what gives music dynamics. There are tempo detection programs you can load songs into and see where they speed up and slow down. John Bohnam, Keith Moon, Charlie Watts, etc. they all were varying tempo ever so slightly. At at the beginning or end of verses or bridges or choruses, solos etc... Pushing and pulling. Machines can't do it.

[@TheUglyPrimadonna]

Fun stuff! Thanks for sharing!!

[@davidroberts7727]

I've looked for this before! So glad it appeared!

[@tattoofthesun]

This reminds me of some kinda Psychedelic Furs! Awesome to hear this! they were really trying things out for the best sound

[@EA-nj4zd]

I LIKE IT, ITS A DIFFERENT SOUND ANY RARE DEMOS HOW CAN YOU NOT DIG THEM , MY FIRST SHOW NOV 1983 BOSTON MASS PARADISE LOUNGE....CHOUT THANKS FOR POSTING ALL THE REM PORN , WE LOVE IT KEEP EM COMING

[@rollittakeit]

after following this band since 1983 it's amazing to finally hear this. thank goodness the band knew this is not where they wanted to go and were smart enough to go with Easter/Dixon.

[@GenteelBrett]

this is really good. the sound is lush. word.

[@hippohelper]

Apart from the synth flourishes I love the sound of this. Buck needn't be worried - his guitar if anything sounds more pronounced

[@gillart99]

I adore the guitar riff that plays twice starting at 0:15. On the album, it doesn’t appear until after the second verse and it’s covered by Michael’s vocals for the most part. I love the placement here (throughout the first part of the song) and the sound of it here (more effects?) better than the sound of it on the record. 💚💙

[@GuitarVampire93]

DAYUM MAN THIS IS AWESOME!!! THANKS MAN!!! :D

[@goggles2]

alternative Alternative.

[@reynoldsprice9646]

possible this drove them more decisively in direction of their more "organic" 60s retro sound

[@blackstrapelectrikco.8565]

Pretty cool that REM, after hearing this track and feeling the allure of quick money and fame, still gave it a thumbs down. Must say, the watery synth blurb in the verses is actually pretty awesome-in the chorus, though, barf.

[@vitolaas]

Nao vou mentir, eu adorei essa versão

[@CollapseN2murmur]

This is awesome. Thanks for posting!!!

[@v-town1980]

REMchout, you've done it again...delivered the R.E.M. goods!! Thanks!

[@tommo5558]

And he was right about Berry's drums - they sped up and slowed down in the album version.

[@Bends95]

glad you finally have the full version,this version is actually quite good with the touches of synth,echo and reverb,but of the version on record is better.

[@unsilent_bob420]

Really the only thing that detracts is the synth stuff - the arrangement is very strong and you can hear the vocalists better. But then they weren't into that "commercial" sound so you can see why the band passed. Still, this would sound fine as a single by any other band (esp if they had a keyboardist). Stephen Hague is a great producer who helped bring us masterpieces of the 80s with New Order, OMD, Pet Shop Boys, etc....he just wasn't a good fit for R.E,M.

[@eboethrasher]

TBF the synth isn't even that big. It is barely there, the biggest changes ARE the arrangement.

[@murtog1]

This is the superior version

[@bertadelic]

Motto: always stick to your own plan.

[@HakimALIGHT]

It's not so bad after all !!! Thanks for sharing !

[@spankyx8606]

that first stab of shrill reedy synth makes me wince, but other wise not bad. I would have liked this if I heard it on WLIR in 1983. I way prefer Murmur as it is, but like the kinda throb this has, and Stipes voice has a bit of a shimmer I like here also. That bit of gallop in the drums is nice, more accented here. Woops, there is more synth I don't like. Someone must have been doing a little blow during the mix. "Hey, this will sound great at 430AM!" Must listen more. Did Hague do any other songs?

[@lindabakmaz81]

Flock Of Seagulls time. No wonder Buck locked up the tapes in a vault somewhere.

[@REMchout]

@yougotitjerky I was as excited as you to finally hear this!!!!

[@jstall20]

I kinda like this better than the final version, minus the weird synths.

[@ThatDirtyEcho]

me too

[@Karl0sis]

I'm a huge fan of the IRS years, and hearing this in context, I love it. Read historically, it'll open your mind.

[@ivanantunovic8335]

I don't see what's all the fuzz about the synths - there's barely a tiny melody line that complements the chorus. And added as such, the synths definitely gave this song an extra flavour resulting in a nice early melodic experiment of theirs... I would have liked REM either way - love their official work and how they defined their own sound, but this was just as promising.

[@richardwallace6313]

Hague no doubt had gotten used to working with Stephen Morris (Joy Division, New Order) on drums, and Morris is/was about as perfect a human metronome as there has ever been. Fortunately, REM rejected this altogether.

[@philb2135]

Hague didn't work with New Order until 5 years after this though.

[@haysfordays]

Wow. This is fascinating. I was looking for the Eliot Mazer demos and found this instead. They could have just as easily gone this route and been like The Church or similar.

[@robcrowe11]

The vocals are higher in the mix.

[@df5295]

Right after this they ran very quickly to Mitch Easter! 😆

[@WillyBraggTV]

Even under Mitch Easter, you can still hear some synthesizer in some of their songs. It's more subdue compared to this demo to the point that you barely hear it (but it's still there). Even in this version, it's really not that prominent. There were other bands noted for having a similar sound that had it more prominently such as The Rain Parade, The Three O'Clock, Wire Train, The Red Rockers, The Bongos, Translator, Deep Six, and even The dB's.

[@snapsnappist4529]

Wow. I'd read about this many years ago, but never realised that it had surfaced. I thought that R.E.M. would have destroyed all evidence, given how much they hated it. My opinion? It's actually not as bad as I imagined. The chorus effect that was added to Peter's guitar makes it sound weirdly like early Cure. It's not exactly caked in synths like it was rumoured, but they're still incongruous-sounding and they're unnecessary embellishments that add nothing to the song. The Murmur version - like the rest of that record - sounds weirdly timeless, but the production on this version carbon-dates it to the early-1980s. I think the band were so horrified with it because Hague took something that they made and messed with it to such a degree that they didn't think it even sounded like them. Kind of like if you went to the barber, told him what you wanted, but he then gave you a stupid haircut that didn't suit you for no other reason than because he thought it was fashionable. Ironically, they band became born-again synthesiser enthusiasts 15 years later, but the two records that made the greatest use of them (Reveal and Around the Sun) are by far their two weakest.

[@drummerman63]

Some very interesting ideas, but glad they took a more organic approach for the released version.

[@dewaynehairston6286]

Oh my goodness I'm so glad they didn't go with Hague...thank you Mitch Easter, thank you, so much...🙄😮😌😉

[@lerpwlambyth]

Very nice. At first listen I actually thought it was as good as the Murmur version - it definitely isn't, but it's much, much better than the band think. I suppose it's very hard to murder such a great song, even with an attempt at commercialised production (I don't think it sounds THAT commercial to be honest). And, they definitely did the right thing persevering with their artistic ideals - Murmur is probably my favourite album of all time. Thanks for the uploads by the way, REMchout.

[@panterxbeats]

I love this version, asides from the keyboard, but I'm sure it'll grow on me

[@Barry101er]

I knew Steve at the time but have never heard this. Pretty interesting.

[@Shakads]

Horrifying, I can see why they hated it o_O But thanks for the find, as always you rock REMchout!

[@the_tone7167]

Interesting. Mike Mills sings the answering vocal. I think Bill Berry sings it on Murmur if I'm not mistaken.

[@lestigfrancais]

It's alternate universe R.E.M.

[@driver8M3]

very cool mix. I'd love to see your entire collection. how many bootleg CDs/cassettes/albums do you have?

[@bhandari201]

The lyrics on this version seem a lot clearer than the Murmur version. On that one it sounds like he's saying "Catford"!

[@oldschoolm8]

This is one of my favourite tunes from a pretty flawless album. I actually quite like this version but it's a bit too polished in that kind of processed 80's way..........It hasn't aged well.

[@petecampbell6117]

Mitch Easter was SO the right producer for this band in the early days!

[@frankalbin8547]

👍

[@robinryon5960]

Who ELSE found their way here from Lurie's Great Book BEGIN THE BEGIN?? :) Awesome read folks! #nosynthlovinband

[@REMchout]

He was made to play with a metronome...to keep the beat even, like a machine (many excellent drummers have a hard time doing this, as it's pretty human to fluctuate tempos and hits here and there...), and was told to hit his drums really hard. When you are used to your style, it's probably a bit frustrating to immediately alter your technique while being under the gun of being in a recording studio.

[@Z01D1111]

Interesting... The first time I heard Radio Free Europe I thought it reminded me of The Fixx in a strange sort of way. THis sounds like Stephen Hague was trying to push them in that direction.

[@vr6swp]

First time I heard this, I thought Hauge was trying to make a hit single that sounded like "99 Red Balloons". Also, circa mid 80's this track surfaced on an ATL college radio show #wrek #personalitycrisis and, for whatever reason, Pete got really upset with the host of that show

[@arthurbludgeon]

Once again, where is this taken from??? Name of bootleg perhaps??? Ooops, said a bad word...thanks!

[@VinchVolt]

Hot take: I actually like this more post-punk-y version better than the one on Murmur; the only problem I have are the cheesy synth hits (which could've easily been replaced with high-register bass guitar hits, or just left out altogether).

[@steraybay65]

I'm glad this didn't wind up on the album. REM would have faded into obscurity.

[@errbt]

LOL, "Hague airbrushed our sound." Thank the universe that Auto-Tune didn't exist yet, or it could have been worse!

[@WickedWings07]

You better be careful Chout, I read somewhere that Peter would kick the persons arse who let this recording see the light of day, lol.

[@Castaa]

Stephen Hague almost ruined REM. This is like from an parallel universe.

[@REMchout]

@WickedWings07 HEHE...The diehards have been dying to hear this...Mr. Buck, please don't kick my ass!!!

[@jwire1977]

really like it but I like cheesy 80s pop/rock!

[@sexobscura]

*march COULD be DARKER*

[@alexriesenbeck]

too weird & unreal. thanks

[@thomasaquinas6628]

Producer mismatch. REM were never going to be Pet Shop Boys at least in 1981. In Hague's i like the drum sound very much. I don't like the vocal sound (way too much reverb), and the background keyboards melt this song into a monotonic mess, to the point that chord changes become jarring after the hypnotising G-Em-D progression. And Berry DID need a metronome - his beat is fast in the "did we miss anything" part of the album version. I haven't heard any versions of this song prior to this one, but i think it possible Buck got the little "d-e-f#" riff from this version - it's in the keyboard on this version.

[@hiddenfire65]

Smart of them to move away from this. He's making them sound just like New Order ... muting down kinetic energy into numbness.

[@fred6059]

What's wrong with Bill's drumming?

[@AndrewNewZealand]

Don't mind a touch of keyboard, but the chorus here doesn't sound as good as on the album, I liked stringy, accoustic guitar sound higher in the mix.

[@tommo5558]

the vocals do not sound good at all because of the over-double-tracking. The production specifically doesn't match Stipe's vocal sound and style. Everything else but the keyboards sounds pretty good.

[@sydglover4842]

it's kind of like if Robert smith was the guitar player for REM. I kind of like it to be honest. Although it doesn't suit REM in the slightest

[@leonardotube]

Buck's guitar sounds better on this version. And I would pay real money for a Murmur produced by someone like Conny Plank, Martin Rushent, Daniel Miller or even Hague himself, it could sound like a folk and velvety version of Eyeless in Gaza.

[@Fetherko]

I like the song. I don't like the lugubrious fatalism. Been forty years, none of this ever made a difference.

[@joshfeatherstone8546]

This version sounds like the Church.