REM's Michael Stipe Regrets Missing Kurt Cobain's MTV Unplugged Performance

REM's Michael Stipe expresses his regrets not attending Kurt Cobain's MTV Unplugged Performance, as well as his tribute song Let Me In.
Hear more from The Spectrum on our app! Click here for your trial subscription: siriusxm.com/yt/freetrial
Subscribe to SiriusXM on KZbin: / siriusxm
Connect with SiriusXM Online
Facebook: / siriusxm
Twitter: / siriusxm
Instagram: / siriusxm
You can hear entire episodes of SiriusXM programming on SiriusXM On Demand. For more information and a free trial go to: siriusxm.us/ytTrial
#SiriusXM #Sirius #SXM

[@aamarkhan7448]

The way Stipe closes his eyes when he mentions Let Me In.......

[@AvatarOfBhaal]

RIP Cobain. REM and Nirvana have been the rocks upon which I lean during many difficult times.

[@max23945]

See my Nirvana covers and subscribe yhanks

[@TT-lu5gt]

​@@max23945 Stop trying so hard to promote your mediocre Nirvana covers and have some respect.

[@max23945]

@@TT-lu5gt well first im not mediocre. .second : i have the right to promove my covers. .i did not desrespect you ..you desrespect me ..

[@60345]

@@max23945 You're right, you are a total amateur

[@TheFartbreakKid]

@@max23945 I checked. Definitely mediocre.

[@plasteredbastard]

mike stipe is an undeniably articulate, thoughtful and humane individual. the world could use more like him.

[@njdrummer7120]

Kurt Cobain was a huge fan of Michael Stipe and REM...he really dug their music..its well documented

[@lancelogan2084]

You can see how much Michael cared for Kurt he looks up straight away at the interviewer when Kurts been mentioned at 2:27

[@kahaunds]

I think Michael Stipe has one of the greatest voices ever.

[@lindseeziegler90]

agree....

[@tomarmstrong887]

Absolutely

[@davemustaki134]

He really does his everybody hurts spot at Glastonbury festival has an Art Garfunkel feel to it Freddy Mercury art and stipe are high up the greatest singing voices on my list!

[@Ivantheterrible81280]

There’s a soothing quality to it. Like meeting up with an old friend after years apart.

[@tiediegymnasts920]

Nobody else sounds like him

[@krisfrederick5001]

Damn Fricke way to bury it into Michael's heart there.

[@bbbbhhhh66]

Yes thank u! Michael is Kurt’s daughter’s godfather for crying out loud! I’m certain that there was a nobody like me watching them play acoustically but they, the nobodies, wouldn’t be tootin their horns. Definitely not to Stipe!! C’mon man, have a pissing contest elsewhere dude, not here and not to this man. PS: I wasn’t there for this incredible show. I’m less than the nobodies that were there 😉😅😀 Seeing it on video is incredible. So sad I’m not as fortunate as this dude that got to see them in person in an elevated seat 🙄🥱🤮

[@84kjk]

If Kurt didn’t die as he got older I believe he would have went into a more acoustic singer songwriter type direction and absolutely would have written a bunch of amazing material. Every song on the unplugged album is a hit. Pretty much every single song he wrote on his real albums were all hits as well.

[@max23945]

Yes. Man See my nirvana covers and subscribe

[@bmla88]

Or maybe he wouldnt

[@jakeshaw6827]

perhaps would have done some visual art as well

[@digitalrivers]

Too bad he was murdered.

[@river2352]

Most of the songs performed on unplugged were covers, though I don’t doubt he would of gone deeper into acoustic and wrote some bangers

[@NiKOliDANBURSKi]

I swear that rolling stone guy (the interviewer) is only ever talking about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana when I see him on KZbin 😄

[@Prince-ut4yn]

I swear to god everytime I seen him my whole childhood to now it was always Nirvana and Kurt Cobain related documentary or topics he's always included lol

[@jakespencer431]

Itsacly right ^^^ what a guy tho must be a another massive fan❤️

[@dguyiop8]

You're an interesting guy. That actually reminds me of something Kurt used to say.

[@kevinburke6055]

No one knows his name I call him Rolling Stones guy too.

[@creekalmighty]

i can't even see him, he's got nirvana all over his face

[@clasencoach]

When asked the question ‘If you could have a coffee with any one person, who would it be?’, Michael Stipe is definitely high on the list. He seems so human, intelligent, down-to-earth, sympathetic and humble.

[@kevincosgrove948]

Over the years, REM has even more separated from other groups even more singularly as i realize how unique their songs and sound were. Without question, a very important group in our history.

[@gregfalc]

Interviewer: Nirvana's MTV Unplugged Michael Stipe: says he missed the show, with visible regret and pain Interviewer: talks about himself and how great it was to be there

[@BenAck912]

That's basically the ultimate middle finger for the less fortunate Nirvana fans who didn't get to experience that performance, including Michael.

[@danielrodrigues2041]

Yeah he's seems like a jerk.

[@jamesjudd6577]

He mentioned himself several times...kinda odd

[@Romany1111]

Well, he can brag, being the 6th Beatle and all.

[@kurtcarson8911]

two years after your comment......your comment read my mind

[@toddmichaelsen788]

Great conversation. I think all the time what kind of music Kurt would have ventured into. The Unplugged show was a beautiful glimpse of what was possible for his voice. And everyone a part of that live recording did an incredible job being in the moment.

[@billslutzky256]

I miss Michael Stipe, hands down one of the best writers in rock n roll

[@wondermuffin9129]

He wouldn't be there without his bandmates.

[@CHlEFFIN]

Bill Slutzky hmmm, a bit exaggerated but sure lad. :-)

[@sturdeehouse]

what does hands down mean?

[@billslutzky256]

I think it means, one of the best

[@StratsRUs]

​@@wondermuffin9129Yet his voice is just phenomenal

[@kovy274hart]

That’s some interview. Only a small part and yet so meaningful. I love and appreciate the honesty from both on Kurt and the Seattle movement.

[@mikek8718]

Michael Stipe is a rock star! When he speaks, everyone stops and listens.

[@Wakeupdream]

He is an awesome artist.

[@conorsmith8551]

He could read the phone book and I'd be interested

[@frajoladellagato]

I saw him walking his dog in NYC once and before I even recognized who he was I sensed a really powerful presence coming from him.

[@3aw77]

Great interview, well done guys

[@younghemingway8285]

“My old friend, the minor chord” - he’s my friend too! 😂

[@debonaire_nerd]

Great interview with Moby and James Hetfield, hosted by David "Ramone" Fricke.

[@DPRsccr24]

To have been at that show... that's a badge you wear for life

[@BenAck912]

I'm with Michael about missing their performance on MTV Unplugged, but I regret it for a completely different reason: I didn't exist at the time of it.

[@jjwest1272]

Wow! The energy in the room is unbelievable.

[@reneharmsen5403]

Is it?

[@ljp1942]

Brought Monster back in1995 still have it to this very day.

[@JoeyMetcalf80]

If you look at songs Kurt did like old age and do re mi you get a snippet of where he was going, that's the greatest travesty because it would've been amazing

[@hangman5194]

And burn the rain

[@rexx9496]

But then there was You know you're right which was also a different direction and very much a hard rock sound.

[@guillocrease]

Where he was going? He wrote it in 1990 for hole!

[@cgh7337]

And the demo "Opinions" which is so simple yet so brilliant.

[@festersuncle6298]

I came home after drinking a bit and Nirvana Unplugged was on.....I was 23ish and didn't care for Nirvana before that point. It changed my view 100%.

[@MrAcespaders]

Let me in is the best song on Monster IMHO. Had no idea it was about Kurt. Even more moving now.

[@jekw23]

Love REM, I struggle to put them into a single genre of music. I don’t think “rock” really does it, elements of pop but I can’t really describe them well. I can’t even describe what murmur is. They’re unique in that way. Interesting to see what people think.

[@garymacleod6072]

@richardhead-sw2qc Couldnt agree more, my two favourites also.

[@mag5020]

Let me in is such a beautiful song ❤️

[@706wi11]

I grew up in Athens a good 10-15 years after REM, but there was still a tremendous, diverse scene. And yeah, bands from Atlanta, Nashville and the Carolinas would come through too, but just the local bands alone from the mid 90s to the mid 00s, I wouldn't have traded growing up there for anywhere else. Since I moved away I miss it every day, going to the 40 watt once or twice a week, seeing a band like Elf Power open on the same bill as someone like Jucifer, oof... what a mix, what a town!

[@davemustaki134]

I miss r.e.m they were huge in the 90's when i was growing up always liked them

[@jjsingh04]

David Fricke (the interviewer): "It wouldn't be fair to REM if I talk about Nirvana the most. And it wouldn't be fair to Nirvana if I talk about REM the most. I think I'll talk about David Fricke the most."

[@drinkingpoolwater]

i swear david is like a nirvana historian. he only ever talks about nirvana.

[@nutmilk]

He’s high on his own supply and it’s intensely aggravating

[@Bunke09]

I bumped into Michael in the stair well of a YMCA after seeing a Fugazi show there. I swore to my friends I spotted Mills and Buck before the show and saw them standing on he elevated track above the gym during. Even when I bumped into him in the crowded stairwell as we were all pushing out I was crazy cus no one was noticing. I wouldn't have been at that show if it wasn't for R.E.M.'s contribution to my musical experience.

[@Marboroliteman]

The interviewer broke the worlds record of using the word "I" the most times in under seven minutes. Congratulations.

[@chrisheroldt5871]

david fricke. rock n roll blowhard

[@muratisik6956]

It’s really, really annoying! How can I make this about me?

[@user-vv7og1gt7t]

Great interview about any musicians Interesting to know about their lives :)

[@DavidOakesMusic]

1994 was an incredible year for albums and the 90s were the last GREAT decade for music.

[@goalie511]

Huge opportunity missed to talk more about what Kurt shared with Michael in his last months.

[@fdrstan]

True artists, pioneers, legends.

[@r.h.1400]

i was in the middle of the jungles in Central America when I heard the bad news. Ill never forget that day

[@sexobscura]

I was in the World Trade Centre

[@eduardomota2429]

I was in my house.

[@jasonpeng33]

I was at Costco

[@CHlEFFIN]

Rob H. Que Dios te bendiga.🇸🇻

[@lydarojas8361]

Kurt Cobain and Michael Stipe are Best Friends.

[@OlafProt]

Thing is, 'grunge' wasn't a genuine revolution. It was just a thing from one city, that the record companies cottoned on to, gave a name to, and blew out of all proportion, destroying it.

[@SelectCircle]

I dunno. In Jen Trynin's memoirs - she says the Seattle sound instantly struck her generation as universal. Everyone everywhere was vaguely dealing with that kind of feeling - but the Seattle bands showed everyone how to put it all together. Suddenly everyone knew how and what to write. It was a genuine grass-roots revolution - a generation finding its voice nationwide - thanks to a few groundbreakers in Seattle.

[@nicesantos7555]

Parabéns, Michael Feliz Aniversário.

[@hessykat7551]

Im from Athens... glad to see this video.

[@cactaceous]

I was just there this past week and saw Peter Buck in a restaurant.

[@acercade439]

Ellos son inolvidables un grupo genial

[@simonevaga701]

Please play again boys, play for us!

[@owenscarth-jones3628]

There’s great music, then there’s Nirvana’s mtv unplugged performance

[@pakyu7279]

@Another stimulating comment No, Nirvana unplugged is the no 1 and Alice In Chains in no 2

[@BillyN31]

joneseyosj _ and Alice In Chains

[@propjoe1060]

@Another stimulating comment Another vote for Alice In Chains Unplugged. Nirvana's was great but AIC's was mindblowingly good.

[@damienhughes1996]

I agree Alice in chain's unplugged was the best of the unplugged series, Layne Staley's voice is unmatched you got so many bands who came after Layne went on his hiatus who literally owe their whole careers to him and Alice in chains, look at God Smack and Sully there a damn glamorized cover band they took their name from a A.I.C song for Pete's sake. Rotten Apple is so underrated its so amazingly deep. I love Nirvana but A.I.C with Layne Staley or Madseason are my fav bands those songs speak to me.I can relate to Layne on alot of levels granted I never touched heroin but ive seen the damage the needle can do first hand my 5 year old son lost his mom last Xmas, honestly if it wasnt for my current girlfriend I'd probably still be in a dark place and the most beautiful part is we dated 15 years ago and we drifted apart i reached out to see how she was and everything just fell into place it's crazy how life is its beautiful and painful but noone knows what tomorrow will bring.

[@CHlEFFIN]

‘Edgy’ millennial spotted. Go on little child. Keep telling us about the plethora of great music you have listened to and declare Nirvana as the greatest of them all... amusing, to say the least.

[@dathorndike4908]

In some of the books written on Nirvana it was mentioned that when they found Kurt's body in the greenhouse Automatic For The People was playing on the stereo. That was eerie. He was listening to that cd when he died.

[@conorsmith8551]

Everybody hurts 😢

[@scooterruns9355]

that's not true

[@billrose2202]

Interesting... never thought I"d hear of a connection between REM and the whole "grunge" Seattle movement. I lived in Seattle during that time but was into reggae shows. Thanks for saying the scenes were completely different because they were...

[@yiannisclerides9782]

michael is good and healthy. i was worried when i saw him a few months earlier - no need for another full record but i hope they do a reunion or farewell tour

[@podcastparlor4128]

25 years ago today

[@JohnJohnson-ok4gf]

My youth summarized right here. REM, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, with The Offspring and Green Day to follow. 1987-1995. Ah, to be young again!

[@cgh7337]

Green Day sucks. Offspring are OK.

[@Inutero489]

Interesting interview, well done.

[@johnnyappleseed856]

That is how I view the first Godsmack acoustic set at Vegas!

[@stuartcaird7459]

For a great interview search Michael Stipe and Andrew Denton. A 4 part interview on Australian show Enough Rope. Brilliant

[@pb12661]

Corrected title: "REM Denies Any Nirvana Influence on Their Music."

[@jamesmacoisdealbhaigh9904]

Actually it's the other way around.. Kurt openly said he liked REM's music and he was a little influenced by them..

[@maddymud]

Shane Peterson - yeah, but I don’t think Michael quite agrees with him

[@lieutenantdan2217]

I'm not sure where I read this but I believe I remember reading that the last album kurt had listened to was an REM record

[@sexobscura]

so many big bands cashed in on that eras zeitgeist of 'grunge' popularity - not least of all Sonic Youth [regrettably]

[@charlesbolton8471]

Terry LeBoeuf I believe it was Automatic for the People playing in the room at the time of his death.

[@Kizzy_in_the_sea]

Having music and lyrics just fall out of you in response, that is some Lennon and McCartney stuff right there. They are exceptional musicians, add Buck and Berry to it as well. No wonder they were the biggest band in the world for a while. Love these guys.

[@Augie78]

If you listen to Do Re Mi on the box set you can clearly hear the REM-ish direction Kurt was leaning toward. I have a feeling he would have made it a duet with Stipe because his voice would have worked great in that key.

[@wickfields]

Absolutely.

[@DenEz_TV]

Exactly

[@conorsmith8551]

Never thought about that til you said it, it does have a very rem vibe

[@maryhughes6372]

That would have been amazing if they had done a duet together.

[@misschris7534]

Wow mike is always with mike... Strange... helped me for sure!!

[@AnodyneHipsterInfluencer]

This guy thinks that interview he did with Cobain in '93 has given him this total understanding of the man no one else has.

[@bearbonezmusic]

It's like some sort of weird obsession. He dresses like its 1993 to remind you of his connection to Nirvana because he thinks it somehow makes him important. Sad.

[@jcnimmer]

@@bearbonezmusic I may be wrong about this put I think that guy was an editor at The Rolling Stone Magazine at the time of Kurt's death.

[@bearbonezmusic]

@@jcnimmer You're right he was, I just think he's super full of himself.

[@jcnimmer]

@@bearbonezmusic I am sure your right man. Its kinda of a strange job I suppose.

[@jaysonmcewen4056]

Do you even know who the fuck the interviewer is?

[@rufust.firefly6810]

I miss R.E.M. . Period.

[@refrigeratornoise3046]

Peter Buck owns a few of Kurt’s electric guitars..

[@scottudell7202]

Just think, Kurt Cobain and Michael Stipe were slated to record an album together... Michael even went so far as to send Kurt plane tickets, but Kurt sadly didn't go... File that under "What Might Have Been".

[@rexx9496]

I know! Maybe in some alternate universe they are currently touring together.

[@gkarjala]

R.E.M. came out way before Seattle. Their sound only changed so much, and I argue that they and them alone sowed the seeds of "Alternative" that broke Hair Metals back. GnR was a response to those even.

[@ixxgxx]

gkarjala you forgot about The Replacements and Hüsker Du!

[@gkarjala]

@@ixxgxx You are corrext. But, R.E.M. became mainstream first, thus opening for the Alternitive/Grunge movement.Aside that hairmetal mostly sucked. my humble opinion

[@chocomanger6873]

No. Not alone at all. There was a shitload of good music happening in the UK and other English language countries (including the USA) in the 80s. A lot of it wasn't mainstream in North America, but was there bubbling under the surface. We just didn't have a name for it until it started becoming more available to everyone. Then by the early 90s we were calling it "alternative". REM was just one piece of the puzzle.

[@gkarjala]

@@chocomanger6873 Point taken. Thx.

[@ixxgxx]

Choco Manger before the word alternative, it was called College Radio. I remember REM on College Radio back in 83. Same as Replacements, Bad Brains, DK. Etc.

[@hgtsts]

תודה לכם על המקום הבטוח שנתתם לי בתור נערה.

[@Spspspspspspsps]

💙

[@jeff7764]

I’m not a huge REM fan, but their song “supernatural super serious” is incredible

[@ICELANDSTACKEN314]

Kurt said that he wanted to do other genres of music like the beatles other than alternative

[@ICELANDSTACKEN314]

@B Dub that's my favorite track on the unplugged album 😁

[@TheBent139]

The problem is that he was destined to die. He could not shed his demons especially his mainlining of heroin.. It's a death sentence. Remarkable he made it as long as he did. He OD'ed multiple times before picking up the shotgun. People often talk about what direction he would have taken, but he was on the road to nowhere when he died.

[@kevinburke6055]

This guy The Rolling Stones magazine guy was on the air on MTV with Kurt Loder when we learned Cobain died in 94.

[@michaelgilchrist2831]

Brilliant.

[@chrispiper2629]

Yeah Kurt and Michael were good friends

[@davelister1]

What a street, with links to REM, Nirvana and Pearl Jam !

[@paulcusentino4917]

Just throwing it in Stipes’ face that he was there.

[@dathorndike4908]

I just could never picture what Kurt would look like at 50 years old. Can you imagine him losing his hair as he aged or what if he got fat? His "look" has become so iconic that it is so strange to think of him looking any diffferent. It's much like James Dean. or Jeff Buckley, or River _Phoenix

[@Paddyj1988]

Why does Peter Buck not to these interviews ?

[@creekalmighty]

it would be too beautiful

[@JTD472]

I regret missing it too

[@selvamthiagarajan8152]

Michael Stipe is a gentle soul, not losing this religion.

[@cicadasmasher8082]

I had a chance to see Nirvana at the National Guard armory in Philly. Show conflicted with something else I wanted to do so I told my buddies who wete going that I'll catch them next time they tour. There was no next time.

[@frankieboy8414]

Stipe's speaking voice kind of sounds like John Cusack's.

[@jorgemello780]

Man, I'm not an interviewer, but I'm pretty sure that almost disappearing (asking specific questions) in order to make the person who is being interviewed shines is kind of interview 101. The guy should have explored more the reason why Michael wasn't on that show.

[@TroyGrey]

I was thinking the same thing. What a missed opportunity. I also thought it was kind of harsh of him to then go into detail about how he in fact was there, saw Kurt perform and made it all about himself.

[@ComptGeorges]

I remember hearing about Kurt's death while my brother was in a trench in Bosnia. Man, they somehow tried to make it sound important.

[@tamasostrolucky7109]

Funny how I hated Nirvana and the whole genre back in the day. I was a frustrated kid and the 80's thrash was the answer for that and I blamed grunge for, well, whatever I blamed it for (honestly, I can't remember at this moment). As I grew up (now 37) I have learned to appreciate it and perceive it from a whole different perspective. The grunge movement has been so vital to the musical market. Not just as a genre but also the philosophy behind it. I regret not paying more positive attention to it back then, but I guess I had to grow older to be able to understand it and appreciate it.

[@saltpeter7429]

You are not alone friend. It wasnt Nirvana for me, it was the Dead. But case in point, having a closed mind to different kinds of music from different genre's or scenes. I was an idiot head banger kid that didnt have time for anything that wasnt coming from a place of amplification and aggression. Oh well. I still love heavy metal but I find great music from all sorts of different places. Dont be so hard on yourself, lol.

[@TheHuckster100]

For those wondering, that's Rolling Stone Magazine writer David Fricke conducting this interview and, yup, he's talking too much.

[@TheRubberStudiosASMR]

Can barely tell there’s an old man under that hair. I though it was some dude in his 20s

[@frankdiscussion2069]

yeah he's a pretentious Rolling Stone magazine glad hander.

[@conorsmith8551]

He's a tendency to talk too much about his own experiences and forgetting he's the interviewer here hahaha

[@shadcovert1160]

1:25 What he meant to say was: "Kurt bought a house".

[@rancidmarmot1994]

I think Mile Mills is becoming Yoda.

[@BookClubDisaster]

Actually released in September, 1994.

[@Bmphotog]

Yo REM, get out there again - who wouldn't love to hear new REM music?

[@andreasbianconeri879]

Stipe Kurt best friends

[@summerf2306]

Peter Buck is what makes REM's sound.

[@cactaceous]

I just saw him over Thanksgiving weekend at a restaurant in Athens, GA.

[@mot00rzysta]

All of you hating on the interviewer don't seem to be willing to admit he is so right with his first question. R.E.M. suddenly got rough and rocky with Monster while the rock/grunge wave was still alive. And look how they swiftly moved to some Kraftwerk'esque sound on Up. When the Seatlle / hard rock wave was almost a thing to pass towards the end of 90s. Just look how U2's music shifted during 90s, how their "rock music" was more electronic [Zooropa] or less electronic later, closer to 00s - depending on the charts, perhaps. Bands make music to make money. R.E.M. are no exception, and they could sometimes be placed among those bands that are able or trying to get closer to some waves, fashions etc. - ? Anyone remember NIN Starfuckers video ? Have a nice day.

[@mysticalgerald]

i thought Thurston Moore was asking questions here. lol

[@362chop]

Whatever Kurt needed I doubt answers could of been provided.

[@BigAdventureBikes]

Joker walking by the door outside at 20ish seconds?

[@ixxgxx]

All the people gather Fly to carry each his burden, we are young despite the years We are concerned, we are hope despite the times All of a sudden, these days, happy throngs, take this joy Wherever, wherever I wish to eat each one of you, and you, me, you If I can, and I can We have many things in common, name three (three, three, three) I had a hat and it sunk, reached down Yanked it up, slapped it on my head All the people gather Fly to carry each his burden, we are young despite the years We are concerned, we are hope despite the times All of a sudden, these days, happy throngs, take this joy Wherever, wherever you go!,,,,,, LIFE'S RICH PAGEANT MOTHER FUCKERS!

[@phnigra111]

We all get old, i get it.. but damn Mike Mills looks super old here. I guess i always picture him with that boyish face thru the years.

[@Goatchild90]

I do too and I was a 3 year old baby at the time

[@christinesoto3266]

Why wouldn't you have gone? @ Michael Stipe

[@pts5217]

Why do Peter and Bill never do interviews?

[@plamenvelyov4605]

"It came as it was." I know he didn't do it on purpose, but that struck a chord... Minor, probably.

[@tomcarl8021]

Stipe looks like he's 80.

[@ashleyphotog]

I wish I could put Micheal Stipe and Stephen Fry in a room and just listen to what happens. I'd also love to see Rick Beato interview Mike Mills

[@SelectCircle]

I'd like to hear Stipe and Noel Gallagher jam.

[@mvd3517]

I first thought it was Ian Paice on the right.