Green

R.E.M. decided to go with Warner Bros. instead of IRS for a five album deal and a $10 million advance. When asked why the band chose WB, Michael simply replied "Bugs Bunny". R.E.M., and Scott Litt were back in Tennessee, and worked hard on their WB debut. They found new instruments- Mandolins and accordions. The title Green can reflect concerns on global conciousness and eco-awareness. Peter: "It's just a title. We could have called it 'Fred'". Green outsold Document and went straight to the charts on its release, at #15, but still a disappointment to WB who expected more. Maybe the sale was affected by the release of Eponymous, a "Greatest hits" album, with IRS a few days before the release of Green. R.E.M. earned another Rolling Stone cover with the title "America's hippest band". An alternate working title for the album was "Think tank decoy". Maybe to try and impress WB, R.E.M. launched the Green World Tour, their biggest tour at that time. The album was released on election day, when George Bush succeeded Ronald Reagen as president.