R.E.M. has teamed up with “The Bear” on a full-length music video for “Strange Currencies (Remix).”
The four-minute video combines footage from “Road Movie,” which documents the alternative rock band’s 1995 tour, with exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes footage of the FX series’ second season, which premiered June 22 on Hulu.
Released as the third single on the album “Monster” in 1995, “Strange Currencies” follows a lovelorn protagonist who yearns to win over a mysterious crush. The song was a Top 10 hit in the UK, a Top 20 hit in Canada, and peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.
The remix, which was featured prominently in the official Season 2 trailer on May 15, first appeared on 2019’s “Monster (25th Anniversary Edition),” where the band’s longtime producer Scott Litt revisited the best-selling 1994 album, offering a fresh perspective on each track.
Multiple iterations of “Strange Currencies” will appear throughout the season, including the original 1994 mix, the 2019 remix, as well as a never-before-heard demo of the song, which will be exclusive to the show.
Additionally, a “Strange Currencies” digital single featuring a live version captured in 1995 and on 1996’s “Road Movie,” along with the remastered album version and the 2019 remix, debuted on digital platforms this past Friday.
The collaboration with R.E.M. is not the show’s first foray into the band’s prolific discography. During its first season, “Oh My Heart” (off 2011’s Collapse Into Now) closed out Episode 3. Meanwhile, the Season 2 finale will feature “Half a World Away” (off 1991’s Out of Time).
“‘The Bear’ is hands down my favorite show of last year – I cannot wait to dive into episodes for Season 2,” R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe said in a statement. “Having incorporated R.E.M. songs into their universe makes it even sweeter.”
“I’m so glad ‘The Bear’ exists,” bassist Mike Mills added. “It has become one of my favorite TV shows, and I can’t wait to watch more of it.”
“The Bear” follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), and Richard “Richie” Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they turn their grimy sandwich joint into a next-level restaurant.
The series, which is produced by FX Productions is created by Christopher Storer (“Ramy,” “Eighth Grade”), who acts as executive producer alongside Joanna Calo (“BoJack Horseman,” “Undone”), Hiro Murai (“Atlanta,” “Station Eleven”) of Super Frog, Josh Senior and Matty Matheson, with Tyson Bidner (“Ramy”) serving as producer.
Check out the full the music video in the video above.
