Tongue (song)

"Tongue" is a song by R.E.M., released as the fifth and final single from their ninth studio album, Monster (1994), on July 17, 1995. It was only released in the US, UK, and Ireland. In the song, lead singer Michael Stipe performs in falsetto; he has stated on several occasions that the narrator of the song is female. Stipe has also said the track is "all about cunnilingus."[4]

For other songs, see Tongue (disambiguation).
"Tongue"
Single by R.E.M.
from the album Monster
ReleasedJuly 17, 1995 (1995-07-17)
GenreSoul[1][2][3]
Length4:08
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
R.E.M. singles chronology
"Strange Currencies"
(1995)		 "Tongue"
(1995)		 "E-Bow the Letter"
(1996)

The single's video, directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and shot during the soundcheck prior to the band's June 20, 1995 performance at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York,[5] shows a group of teenagers in a living room watching the band perform on TV. The version of the song that plays is slightly higher in tone than that of the album version. It was included as a bonus video on the DVD release of In View - The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003.

Live performances

The three live songs that make up the CD single's B-side were performed on Saturday Night Live in 1994. "Tongue" was performed frequently throughout the tours in support of Monster and Up but would only make three more live appearances ever again in 2003.

On March 1, 1995, drummer Bill Berry had to leave the stage during a performance of this song complaining of a serious headache, which turned out to be caused by a brain aneurysm; it is the likely reason for his leaving the band in October 1997. On subsequent dates Berry admitted that it gave him an eerie feeling every time the band performed "Tongue".

Track listings

All songs were written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe.

US 7-inch, CD, and cassette single[6][7][8]

  1. "Tongue" (album version) – 4:13
  2. "Tongue" (live) – 4:34

UK CD single[9]

  1. "Tongue" – 4:08
  2. "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" (live) – 4:04
  3. "Bang and Blame" (live) – 4:52
  4. "I Don't Sleep, I Dream" (live) – 3:48

UK cassette and limited-edition 7-inch single[10][11]

  1. "Tongue" (album version) – 4:08
  2. "Tongue" (instrumental) – 4:10
  • The cassette single has a reverse insert where the B-sides from all other singles could be dubbed onto a cassette and the insert flipped to show artwork and track listing for a live album.

Charts
Chart (1995) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[12] 54
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 12
Scotland (OCC)[14] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 13

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom July 17, 1995
  • CD
  • cassette
 Warner Bros. [16]
United States October 10, 1995 Contemporary hit radio [17]

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Monster - R.E.M. | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  2. Hilburn, Robert (September 25, 1994). "FALL ALBUM ROUNDUP : R.E.M. Builds the Perfect Beast". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  3. Peacock, Tim (September 27, 2020). "Monster: How R.E.M. Unleashed Their Inner Rock'n'Roll Beast". uDiscover Music. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  4. Black, Johnny (2004). Reveal: The Story of R.E.M.. London: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-776-5.
  5. "R.E.M. Timeline - 1995 Concert Chronology". Archived from the original on May 21, 2011.
  6. Tongue (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. 7-17737.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. Tongue (US CD single disc notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. 2-17737.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Tongue (US cassette single cassette notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. 4-17737.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. Tongue (UK CD single liner notes). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. W0308CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. Tongue (UK cassette single sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. W0308C.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. Tongue (UK limited 7-inch single sleeve). R.E.M. Warner Bros. Records. 1995. W0308X.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 32. August 12, 1995. p. 15. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  13. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Tongue". Irish Singles Chart.
  14. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  15. "R.E.M.: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  16. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. July 15, 1995. p. 31. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  17. "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1115. October 6, 1995. p. 27. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.