R.E.M. have dug into their vault and are offering fans the chance to download their lost song Fascinating via Bandcamp for $2 to aid victims of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas. All proceeds will benefit Mercy Corps hurricane relief and recovery effort in the Bahamas. Im glad the song is now available, R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills tells Rolling Stone. But Im heartsick its for this particular situation.
Fascinating was originally recorded for Reveal in 2001 and nearly made the record before being cut at the last second. It wasnt that the song didnt work, says Mills. It has a really cool melodic figure and I think we arranged it with oboe and flute, which you usually dont hear together. Its an odd song about alienation and I really liked it, but it just didnt fit on the record.
They re-recorded the song in Nassau for 2004s Around The Sun, though once again couldnt find a place for it on the album. But their minds went back to it recently when they wanted to release something to help with the horrible devastation that Dorian caused on the island. Ive personally spent a lot of time right where that hurricane sat for two days, says Mills. I know a lot of people who have no home, literally no home, and no place of employment. Everything there is gone, wiped out. Its heartbreaking for me. I wish we had more that we could do for this, but at least this is a start.
The song is one of many unreleased tracks in the groups vault. There are also many complete concerts that may see the light of day. If the quality is good enough and there is some element to it that makes the concert special, then Im open to releasing it, says Mills. You dont want to throw things out willy-nilly just because you have a bootleg. But if the recording enhances the songs and presents them in an unusual way, Im absolutely open to more releases.