backing vocals Peter Buck – guitar Nathan December – guitar Scott McCaughey – Farfisa organ Mike Mills – fuzz bass, backing vocals, keyboards Michael Stipe – vocals "Zither" Recorded in the dressing room of The Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 12, 13, or 14, 1995 Bill Berry – bass guitar Peter Buck – guitar Nathan December – tambourine Scott McCaughey – autoharp Mike Mills – organ Michael Stipe – count in "So Fast, So Numb" Recorded at a soundcheck at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida, on November 15, 1995 Bill Berry – drums, percussion Peter Buck – guitar Scott McCaughey – piano Mike Mills – bass guitar, backing vocals, organ Michael Stipe – vocals "Low Desert" Recorded at a soundcheck at the Omni Theater in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 18, 19, or 21, 1995 Bill Berry – drums, percussion Peter Buck – guitar Nathan December – slide guitar Scott McCaughey – piano Mike Mills – bass guitar, organ Michael Stipe – vocals "Electrolite" Recorded at a soundcheck at the Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 4, 1995 Bill Berry – drums, percussion Peter Buck – bass guitar, banjo Andy Carlson – violin Nathan December – guiro Mike Mills – piano Michael Stipe – vocals Technical crew William Field – assistant engineering, Athens Sam Hofstedt – assistant engineering, Seattle Victor Janacua – assistant engineering, Los Angeles Adam Kasper – recording engineering, Seattle John Keane – recording and mixing Scott Litt – co-producing and mixing engineering Bob Ludwig/Gateway Mastering – mastering Pat McCarthy – recording engineering, Los Angeles Mark "Microwave" Mytrowitz – technical assistance Joe O'Herlihy – tour recording engineering Jo Ravitch – tour recording engineering Eric Stolz – digital editing Jeff Wooding – tour recording engineering Sale chart performance While New Adventures in Hi-Fi began the band's sales decline in the United States, it topped the charts in over a dozen countries and reached #1 on the Top European Albums for five consecutive weeks. The album peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and spent 22 weeks on chart. According to Nielsen SoundScan, it has sold 994,000 units in the U.S. as of March 2007. The first single, "E-Bow the Letter", received only modest radio airplay in the U.S. and peaked at #49 on its charts. In the UK, however, the single became the band's biggest hit at that point, reaching #4. Weekly charts Year-end charts