| So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry) | |
| Cover: | R.E.M. - So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry).jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | R.E.M. |
| Album: | Reckoning |
| B-Side: | "Walter's Theme; "King of the Road"; "Voice of Harold"; "Pale Blue Eyes" |
| Released: | May 15, 1984 |
| Recorded: | 1983 |
| Length: | 3:11 |
| Label: | I.R.S. |
| Prev Title: | Talk About the Passion |
| Prev Year: | 1983 |
| Next Title: | (Don't Go Back To) Rockville |
| Next Year: | 1984 |
"So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released in May 1984 as the first single from the group's second studio album, Reckoning.
R.E.M. performed a rough version of the song on the NBC television show Late Night with David Letterman on October 6, 1983—before the song had a title—in what was the band's first U.S. network television appearance.[1]
The video, directed by Howard Libov, was filmed at the Reflection Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the recording of Reckoning, and first aired in June 1984. It featured the members of the band playing their instruments behind white screens (gobos) in an otherwise empty room, with Michael Stipe singing in the foreground. Stipe refused to lip sync to the song.[2] Guitarist Peter Buck said, "We played a recording of the track, and the rest of us faked it, but Michael insisted on singing a new vocal to make it more real for him."[3]
The song is also featured in the Left of Reckoning video shot by James Herbert.
All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated.
7" Single
12" single
Notes:
"So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" became the second R.E.M. single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 85.
. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 . Joel Whitburn . 2013 . Record Research . 701.