R.E.M., live performance of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”

I can’t figure out what 1995 show this recording is from—it was briefly a staple of their live performance. But it doesn’t really matter, this is the killer take that, had they heard it, they should’ve put out on the promo 45.

The Chris Isaak song, according to Wikipedia, only became a hit after a David Lynch-obsessed DJ in Atlanta got into it through Lynch’s Wild At Heart. The Roy Orbison mode, which Lynch dipped into regularly, you would think would be a bit foreign for chronic mumbler Michael Stipe but he shows himself to be at least equally capable as Isaak in crooning the shit out of it.

Comments

1. ↩ chris / 15 January 2012

   it’s milan, 25 february, 1995. live video here:

   www.youtube.com/watc…

2. ↩ Zach / 15 January 2012

   Yeah seems to be the same take. Sadly the sound is much worse there and about two minutes are truncated. Also look @ that still of R.E.M.