LOS ANGELES (Billboard) -
R.E.M. has re-recorded one of its earliest tunes for the Reprise soundtrack to the upcoming Cameron Crowe film "Vanilla Sky." Never before released, "All the Right Friends" is an original
R.E.M. composition dating from before the group's first recording session in July 1980. The song was scrapped from the band's repertoire prior to the release of its initial EP, 1982's "Chronic Town" (I.R.S.).
But while in Seattle last month for the Groundwork 2001hunger benefit concert, the group nipped into Studio X - where, when it was called Bad Animals,
R.E.M. recorded sessions for its 1996 album "New Adventures In Hi-Fi" (Warner Bros.) - to record a new version of the track for inclusion on the soundtrack.
The set's title track is a new song written and recorded by
Paul McCartney specifically for "Vanilla Sky." The song takes the place of the previously announced inclusion of his track "From a Lover to a Friend," which appears on his forthcoming Capitol album, "Driving Rain."
"All the Right Friends" and "Vanilla Sky" join a host of other rock, pop, and electronic songs on the soundtrack, which has been pegged for a Dec. 11 release. The set also includes previously released songs by Radiohead, Sigur Ros,
Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, Red House Painters, Jeff Buckley, and others. The film is set to open Dec. 14 in U.S. theaters.
Crowe's films have had a history of successful soundtrack albums. The accompanying disc to his 2000 film "Almost Famous" hit No. 43 on The Billboard 200 in October of last year, while the Seattle-heavy 1992 soundtrack to his movie "
Singles" peaked at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 during its 69 weeks on the chart.
R.E.M. has posted an MP3 sample of "All the Right Friends" on its
official Web site.
Here is the tentative track list for the soundtrack to "Vanilla Sky":Radiohead, "Everything in its Right Place"
Paul McCartney, "Vanilla Sky"
Peter Gabriel, "
Solsbury Hill"
Nancy Wilson, "
I Fall Apart"
Leftfield, "Afrika Shox"
Sigur Ros, "Svefn-G-Englar"
Josh Rouse, "Directions"
Bob Dylan, "Fourth Time Around"
R.E.M., "Sweetness Follows"
The Monkees, "Porpoise Song"
Chemical Brothers, "
Where Do I Begin"
Todd Rundgren, "Can We Still Be Friends"
Looper, "Mondo 77"
Red House Painters, "Have You Forgotten"
Nancy Wilson, "Elevator Beat"
R.E.M., "All the Right Friends"
Jeff Buckley, "Last Goodbye"
