The rock band R.E.M. is putting out a special rerelease of its first single, “Radio Free Europe,” to benefit — wait for it — the actual Radio Free Europe.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is among the U.S. government-funded media services that deliver news in overseas markets. President Donald Trump’s administration, claiming they are wasteful and promote a liberal point of view, is trying to choke off their funding.
A federal judge this week ordered the Republican administration to restore $12 million to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that was appropriated by Congress. Lawyers for the service, which has been operating for 75 years, said it would be forced to shut down in June without the money.
In the first line of its song “Radio Free Europe,” R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe sings: “Decide for yourself if radio’s going to stay.”
“Whether it’s music or a free press — censorship anywhere is a threat to the truth everywhere,” Stipe said on Friday. “On World Press Freedom Day, I’m sending a shout-out to the brave journalists at Radio Free Europe.”
Stephen Capus, RFE/RL president, said R.E.M.’s music has always represented a celebration of freedom to him. He said inspiring and upholding freedom to audiences that might not always experience it is the goal of his organization’s journalists.
Released on a tiny independent label, the “Radio Free Europe” single was the first the world had heard from the Athens, Georgia-based band, whose career eventually took it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band called it quits in 2011.
The song was later inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for setting the pattern for independent rock releases at the time.
The five-song EP will include the original recording of the song and a remix made this year by the band’s collaborator Jacknife Lee. It will also contain three other songs made at the same time: the single’s B-side, “Sitting Still”; the instrumental “Wh. Tornado”; and a previously unreleased “Radio Free Dub” remix.
The producer of the original recording session, Mitch Easter, is supervising this year’s rerelease. It’s available for streaming on Friday, and a special vinyl pressing can be bought at independent record stores and R.E.M.’s mail order store. Proceeds from all vinyl sales go to RFE/RL.
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
