Near Wild Heaven

"Near Wild Heaven" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released in August 1991 as the third single from their seventh studio album, Out of Time (1991). The song was also the first single released by the band to have had its lyrics both co-written and sung by bassist Mike Mills. According to a quote from Peter Buck in R.E.M. Inside Out: The Stories Behind Every Song by Craig Rosen, the lyrics are a collaboration between Mills and lead singer Michael Stipe. It peaked at No. 27 on the UK Singles Chart but the single was not released in the United States. Mike Mills had written the lyrics to the single "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville", and he had sung the cover song "Superman", but he had not sung his own work on a released-as-a-single recording.

"Near Wild Heaven"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Out of Time
B-side"Pop Song '89" (live acoustic version)
ReleasedAugust 5, 1991 (1991-08-05)[1]
Genre
Length3:18
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Shiny Happy People"
(1991)		 "Near Wild Heaven"
(1991)		 "Radio Song"
(1991)

Critical reception

Barbara Ellen from NME wrote, "This whilst still gorgeous does not match 'Losing My Religion's maverick vision, or the ecstatic giggle of 'Shiny Happy People'."[3] Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel felt that "Near Wild Heaven" "already overdoes the contrast between dark-edged lyrics and a light-hearted melody by folding Mike Mills' lead vocal into a sugary arrangement. Adding strings to the recipe is like putting frosting on cherry pie."[4]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Near Wild Heaven" features the band playing the song in a crowded café.

Track listing

All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe unless otherwise indicated.

  • 7" / cassette
  1. "Near Wild Heaven"
  2. "Pop Song '89" (live)1
  • 12"
  1. "Near Wild Heaven"
  2. "Pop Song '89" (live)1
  3. "Half a World Away" (live)2
  • CD
  1. "Near Wild Heaven" – 3:18
  2. "Tom's Diner" (Suzanne Vega) (live)1 – 2:04
  3. "Low" (live)1 – 4:59
  4. "Endgame" (live)1 – 3:28

Notes

1 Recorded at The Borderline Club, London, England; March 15, 1991. Further songs from this performance were later released on an album.
2 Recorded on Rockline, Los Angeles, California; April 1, 1991.

Personnel

Charts
Chart performance for "Near Wild Heaven"
Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 65
Germany (Official German Charts)[6] 46
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[8] 11
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] 51
UK Singles (OCC)[10] 27

References
  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. August 3, 1991. p. 19.
  2. Mason, Stewart. "Near Wild Heaven - R.E.M. | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  3. Ellen, Barbara (August 17, 1991). "Singles". NME. p. 22. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  4. Gettelman, Parry (March 22, 1991). "R.E.M.". Orlando Sentinel.
  5. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 232.
  6. "R.E.M. – Near Wild Heaven" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  7. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Near Wild Heaven". Irish Singles Chart.
  8. "Tipparade-lijst van week 37, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  9. "R.E.M. – Near Wild Heaven" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  10. "R.E.M.: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
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