A mint 1981 second pressing of REM’s debut record, the single ‘Radio Free Europe/Sitting Still’ on Hib-Tone Records; along with a note from a Columbia Records executive asking for the opinion of other executives, with an eye toward signing the band.  Reportedly somewhere between 600 and 1000 copies of the first pressing were made, and the second pressing came soon after.

The disc looks unplayed, and the picture sleeve is in Near Mint condition, with just a bit of light wrinkling at the very top, and a slight record impression on the back cover near the lower right corner.  By far the cleanest example we’ve seen.

Included is a note on a CBS Records notepad, from then Columbia Records head of promotion John Fagot, reading ‘Coxie, Local band from Athens/Atlanta-Record is a Byrds sound-alike + a Nuevo Wavo sound, but I’ve heard a tape with better stuff.  Pass this around. John Fagot.’  Across the top, in a possibly different hand, is the notation ‘Bennett, here’s one for you’, indicating this was passed on to then Columbia promotion executive Bill Bennett.

The second pressing is distinguishable from the first pressing only because it includes  the Hib-Tone address on the labels.

This single features the original version of “Radio Free Europe”, later re-recorded by the band after signing to IRS Records (this version was later featured on the Eponymous compilation.)