This is a gospel record called “The Joy Of Knowing Jesus” by The Revelaires. Normally, old gospel records sell for anywhere from 25¢ to $5, max. However, this particular record usually sells for $450-$1,100.
Why? Because one day in late 1983 or early 1984, at the now-demolished Reflection Sound studios here in lovely Charlotte, North Carolina, frustrated music producer Don Dixon happened to hand this record to R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. The rest of the band was working on a song, but Stipe didn’t have lyrics yet. In fact, he had a raging case of writer’s block. Dixon asked him to just sing the liner notes off the back of the LP over a recording of the new song, in hopes that it would get his creative juices going.
The song eventually became “7 Chinese Bros.”, the lead track from R.E.M.’s second LP, Reckoning. Dixon kept the version with Stipe singing the liner notes; it’s called “Voice of Harold” and it’s available on R.E.M.’s 1987 B-sides collection, Dead Letter Office:
One of my favorite R.E.M. stories of all time. This record is actually still on my discogs want list. Maybe I’ll get lucky one of these days and find a copy at a non-mind blowing price!
Great post, thanks Jim!
Actually, 7 Chinese brothers was already written and rem was performing it. They were working on recording it and Michael was having trouble getting it like they wanted it. Michael was thumbing through the albums recorded at reflections and he pulled it out and started singing it. This was the same day the dinosaurs, left and right joined rem …. the germ for this came a few days earlier. Peter buck broke a string during a show and Michael read the last sentence on odd pages and the first sentence on even pages out of a book he had with him. Mike mills accompanied with a groovy base line….