ATLANTA — Earlier this month, former R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe reiterated to alternative rock station 99X’s Steve Barnes that the band has no plans to reunite for any reason.
But that doesn’t stop the Athens-based band from licensing its music for other uses. It has partnered with the hit Hulu/FX drama “The Bear” for its second season, creating a special music video for its 1994 song “Strange Currencies.”
The video combines footage from R.E.M.’s “Road Movie” documenting the band’s 1995 tour and exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes footage from “The Bear,” which returned June 22 on Hulu.
The love song was played during the second season “The Bear” trailer released May 15.
Different versions of the song will be featured throughout the season, which follows Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) as his crew struggles to convert the The Beef sandwich shop into a fine dining establishment. A 1994 original version, the 2019 remix and a demo version of the song are interspersed during the season.
“Strange Currencies” was a big hit in the U.K. in 1994 and less so stateside, where it did hit the top 10 on Billboard’s mainstream rock chart at the time.
This isn’t the first time R.E.M. has been used by the show. During season one, R.E.M.’s 2011 song “Oh My Heart” closed out the third episode while 1991′s “Half a World Away” is included in the season 2 finale.
The show’s creator Christopher Storer and executive producer Josh Senior are both unabashed R.E.M. fans.
Stipe has mutual admiration for the their show. “‘The Bear’ is hands down my favorite show of last year,” he said in a press release. “I cannot wait to dive into episodes for Season 2. Having incorporated R.E.M. songs into their universe makes it even sweeter.”
“The Bear” has quickly become Hulu’s biggest FX series ever.
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