The rock band R.E.M. is placing out a particular rerelease of its first single, “Radio Free Europe,” to profit — watch for it — the precise Radio Free Europe.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is among the many U.S. government-funded media providers that ship information in abroad markets. President Donald Trump’s administration, claiming they’re wasteful and promote a liberal standpoint, is attempting to choke off their funding.
A federal decide this week ordered the Republican administration to revive $12 million to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that was appropriated by Congress. Legal professionals for the service, which has been working for 75 years, mentioned it will be compelled to close down in June with out the cash.
Within the first line of its tune “Radio Free Europe,” R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe sings: “Resolve your self if radio’s gonna keep.”
“Whether it’s music or a free press — censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere,” Stipe mentioned on Friday. “On World Press Freedom Day, I’m sending a shout-out to the brave journalists at Radio Free Europe.”
RFE/RL’s president, Stephen Capus, mentioned R.E.M.’s music has all the time represented a celebration of freedom to him. He mentioned inspiring and upholding freedom to audiences that may not all the time expertise it’s the aim of his group’s journalists.
Launched on a tiny unbiased label, the “Radio Free Europe” single was the primary the world had heard from the Athens, Georgia-based band, whose profession ultimately took it to the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame. The band referred to as it quits in 2011.
The tune was later inducted into the Library of Congress’ Nationwide Recording Registry for setting the sample for unbiased rock releases on the time.
The five-song EP will embrace the unique recording of the tune and a remix made this 12 months by the band’s collaborator Jacknife Lee. It is going to additionally comprise three different songs made on the similar time: the only’s B-side, “Sitting Still”; the instrumental “Wh. Tornado”; and a beforehand unreleased “Radio Free Dub” remix.
The producer of the unique recording session, Mitch Easter, is supervising this 12 months’s rerelease. It is accessible for streaming on Friday, and a particular vinyl urgent may be purchased at unbiased report shops and R.E.M.’s mail order retailer. Proceeds from all vinyl gross sales go to RFE/RL.
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David Bauder writes concerning the intersection of media and leisure for the AP. Observe him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
