Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged '1983'

R.E.M. Reissues A Classic, New Singles From The Decemberists, The Heligoats, More

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:56:00 EST

This year marks the 25th anniversary of R.E.M.'s debut full-length album, Murmur. The band is marking the occasion with a remastered version of the record, which includes a bonus live concert of R.E.M. performing in 1983. The Decemberists are also back with a collection of new singles. Always The Bridesmaid features seven new songs the band is releasing in three installments, on vinyl and as digital downloads but not as CDs.

Steve Lillywhite On Big Country's 'The Crossing'

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:24:00 EST

In 1983, Big Country wrote anthemic rock songs, but featured an unlikely lead instrument — the bagpipes. The unexpected sound of "In a Big Country" became a Top 20 single, but their debut album, The Crossing, offered so much more beyond its novelty.

Philly Hearts Harden Waiting For The Next Champ

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:16:00 EDT

There's a lot at stake for Philadelphia in this World Series. The city hasn't won a major sports championship since 1983. And the city has the hardened fans to prove it, says Frank Deford. Just look how they treated Sarah Palin.

Beirut Attack Recalled As New Chapter In Terrorism

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Retired Marine Col. Timothy Geraghty was in Beirut at the time of the 1983 suicide bombing that killed 220 Marines and 21 other U.S. service members. He believes that attack started a series of truck bombings, which became a favorite tactic of terrorists.

Former Charlotte Mayor On Making History, American Politics

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Harvey Gantt made history in 1983 as the first African-American to be elected as mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. In this week's Wisdom Watch, Gantt, who is also a renowned architect, discusses his political and professional journey and shares thoughts on Sen. Barack Obama's quest to change history.

Rx Meds, Alcohol/Drugs Make Deadly Combination

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:24:00 EDT

A study reveals that domestic fatalities caused by combining prescription medication with alcohol and/or street drugs increased by 3,196 percent between 1983 to 2004. David Phillips, one of the researchers, explains the findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Scientists Mark 25 Years of HIV Research

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:00:00 EDT

In May 1983, the first scientific papers were published describing the possible connection between a retrovirus and the development of AIDS. The virus went on to become known as HIV. Experts discuss whether, 25 years later, scientists any closer to a cure for AIDS or to a vaccine to prevent HIV transmission.

Stolen Boomerang Returned

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 06:00:00 EST

Twenty five years later, a boomerang has come back. Those flying blades are used by Australia's aborigines to hunt animals. They're supposed to return to a skilled thrower. And back in 1983, one disappeared from a museum in Australia's northern state of Queensland.

Looking Back at Japanese Internment Camps

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:27:00 EST

When the U.S. ordered all people of Japanese ancestry to internment camps during World War II, Fred Korematsu was jailed for refusing to comply. He lost his case at the Supreme Court in 1944, but in 1983 the conviction was overturned. His daughter, who's involved in the Supreme Court Guantanamo case, discusses the history of detainees.

An Overlooked Big Screen 'Hero'

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:57:00 EST

Our cultural concierge, Jesse Kornbluth, urges revisiting the 1983 comedy, Local Hero. The soundtrack of this overlooked film Â� about Scottish villagers who thwart an American oil company's efforts to buy their land -- is just as entertaining as the premise.

'Christmas Story' Director Bob Clark Dies

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:09:00 EDT

A head-on collision killed Hollywood director Bob Clark and his son Ariel in Los Angeles Wednesday. The director was best known for the 1983 cult classic A Christmas Story and countless other films.

Stepping Inside 'A Christmas Story' House in Ohio

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:06:00 EST

The 1983 film A Christmas Story has emerged as a holiday movie classic. Set in the 1940s, the movie weaves timeless humor into the story of Ralphie Parker, a kid in small-town Indiana whose main goal in life is to acquire a BB gun. This year, fans of the movie can visit the house Ralphie's family lived in.

Rep. Studds, a Congressional Pioneer, Dead at 69

Sat, 14 Oct 2006 17:21:00 EDT

Former Rep. Gerry Studds, the first openly gay man elected to Congress, dies at 69. He retired in 1997. Studds was censured by the House in 1983 after admitting an affair with a 17-year-old former page, but won re-election.

Looking to Cash In on a Punk Rock Youth

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 07:40:00 EDT

In 1983, high school freshman Jennifer Sharpe was the bass player of a fiercely vegetarian peace punk band called Atrocity. Now she's shopping around the band's old demo tapes, hoping to join similar long-forgotten groups now enjoying a posthumous renaissance.

Examining an Experiment in Privatized Social Security

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST

In 1983, three Texas counties shifted their government pensions out of Social Security and into privately managed accounts. NPR's Wade Goodwyn examines why they did it, how it worked and what ideas it gave the president.

Songwriter Ridgway Offers Potent, Eerie 'Snakebite'

Sun, 19 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EDT

His former band Wall of Voodoo broke up in 1983, but Stan Ridgway is still spinning stories of intriguing, eccentric characters in song. He talks to NPR's Liane Hansen about his new CD.