R.E.M. Was An American Rock Band From Athens Georgia Formed In 1980 By Drummer Bill Berry Guitarist Peter Buck Bassist/backing Vocalist Mike Mills And Lead Vocalist Michael Stipe. One Of The First Alternative Rock Bands R.E.M. Was Noted For Buck's Ringing Arpeggiated Guitar Style Stipe's Distinctive Vocal Quality And Obscure Lyrics Mills's Melodic Basslines And Backing Vocals And Berry's Tight Economical Style Of Drumming. R.E.M. Released Its First Single—"Radio Free Europe"—in 1981 On The Independent Record Label Hib-Tone. Read More On Last.Fm
"Leaving New York" Is A Song By The American Alternative Rock Band R.E.M.. It Was The First Single From The Band's 2004 Album Around The Sun. Although It Was Not As Heavily Promoted As Earlier Singles It Reached As High As #5 On The UK Singles Chart. However The Song Failed To Chart On The Billboard Hot 100 Becoming The Only Lead Single From An R.E.M. Studio Album Not To Chart On The U.S. Hot 100 Besides "Cant Get There From Here" From Fables Of The Reconstruction In 1985. In Early Live Performances Of The Song September 2004 The Band Would Play Michael Stipe's "It's Pulling Me Apart. Change." Album Backing Vocal During The Chorus And Bridge Of Live Performances. As Early As February 2005 However As Evidenced On The R.E.M. Live Disc The Band Worked Up An Alternative Whereby The Backing Vocals Would Be Shared Amongst Mike Mills Scott McCaughey And Ken Stringfellow In Order To Make The Song Flow More Smoothly.