I-From the beginning to the first album(1976-1980)
II-From the first album to the end of the 80's
III-The 90's
At the beginning,U2 was both the name of a spy plane shot in 1960(Bono’s
year of birth) and the name of an american submarine.But everybody knows
that name as the name of the most famous Irish rock band.In this paper
will be told the story of these four Irishmen through the years,from the
beginning to the first album in 1980,then to the end of the eighties,and
at last, how they turn to the nineties and involve themselves in humanitarian
organizations.
I-From the beginning to the first album(1976-1980)
The story of U2 began at Mount Temple School (a catholic and protestant school) in north-east of Dublin in the autumn of 1976.Larry Mullen put an ad on the school notice board,asking if anyone wanted to join a band. Those who answered, some of them being more enthusiastic than the others,included Paul Hewson,Dave Evans and his brother Dick,and Adam Clayton.These five agreed to start up a band,and to call it Feedback.Larry was a competent drummer and Adam had a bass guitar,but the other roles were not yet defined.Paul Hewson did not consider himself as a singer,but he was a natural actor and his vocals were better than his guitar playing,so he became the « front man » for the band.Paul adopted the name of Bono Vox.Dave Evans was called The Edge,a reference to the shape of his chin mostly.
Feedback had their first public performance at a talent contest organised at Mount Temple School. Although they didn’t win the contest,they were the most popular band with their school friends,and the experience gave them the confidence to continue.Shortly afterwards, the band changed their name to Hype for their second gig at St Fintan’s Hall.The band had added some more songs to their repertoire, with some Rolling Stones numbers,but they were all cover versions,so they were not very different from any other pub band.But at least the roles were becoming more and more precise.That line-up did not include Dick Evans,who left in early 1978(according to some reports there was a farewell concert).
Bono wanted to write his own songs.Their first
original song,"Street Mission",did not make much impression but at least
it was a start.Adam was now spending most of his time trying to organise
gigs for Hype,and as a result, he was asked to leave Mount Temple School.Adam
would endlessly try to meet anyone in the music business whom he though
might be able to help.One of the people Adam talked to was Steve Averill
who also worked for an advertising agency. Out of this conversation came
the conclusion that the band could, and should, find a better name.A few
days later, Steve had an idea which he suggested to Adam-U2.Adam liked
the name U2,but the rest of the band were first doubtful.According
to the legend,the band played the first half of their next gig as Hype,and
the second half as U2,then asked the audience which name they preferred.Adam
had enterred the band as Hype in a talent contest organised by The Evening
Press and Harp Lager,and he quickly changed their name into U2 on the entry
form.
A contest took place in Limerick in march 1978.In addition to a £500 prize,the winners could get an opportunity to spend a day in a recording studio to make a demo for CBS Ireland.U2 won the contest,and a few weeks later had the promised session at the Keystone Studios in Dublin.The demo was adequate but not particularly impressive.Although CBS Ireland offered them a recording deal which was typical for new bands, the band felt uncertain and needed advice.They spoke to Bill Graham of Hot Press, Ireland’s only major music paper at that time.It was clear that they needed a manager who could handle the business side.Bill Graham knew Paul McGuinness,who had managed an Irish folk band,and suggested that they should meet.Paul was not enthusiastic at first,having prejudicies against U2(indeed he thought U2 were only a punk band),but when he attended a gig at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin, he not only liked what he heard, but he also saw the band’s potential for the future. So he quickly reached an agreement with the band that ensured that U2 now had a proper manager.
Paul McGuinness arranged another demo session,again at Keystone Studios.The recording session went well, and both Paul and the band were happy with the results,but Paul found it hard to persuade the London record companies that U2’s demo was different from the dozens that they received every week.U2 continued to play gigs in Ireland,including the now legendary Dandelion Market afternoon concerts in a disuded car park in Dublin. Although the band got good reviews, especially in Hot Press, a record deal was still expected . An agreement was reached whereby U2 would record for CBS Ireland, but would be free to look for a deal elsewhere for sales in the rest of the world. So another session with CBS produced their first record, a three track single called U2-3. A thousand copies of the single were pressed, and they quickly sold out. The band had achieved their first success, though only in Ireland.
Despite the continuing efforts of Paul McGuinness, the UK record industry still showed no interest in the emerging band. So Paul arranged a series of gigs in London.The band had struggled to finance the tour and The Edge had to struggle with an injured hand, but the gigs were well received by the fans and the critics.More important, they had at last attracted the interest of some record company, notably from GEM and Island. But no firm offers were yet forthcoming. In January 1980, U2 won five categories in the Hot Press reader’s poll. But without a record deal, they could not afford more overseas tours. So Paul McGuinness arranged an Irish tour that ended in the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin, and a new single, "Another day", was planned to be released by CBS Ireland. Meanwhile,Island Records were debating whether or not U2 were worth backing. One of the first to be convinced was Bill Stewart, and he and other Island executive members attended gigs in Belfast and Dublin to take a better look at the band.They all came away with what they saw, so Bill Stewart agreed a deal for four albums, with finance up-front to cover recording and touring costs.
II-From the first album to the end of the 80's
U2’s first recording for Island was the single "11 o’clock tick-tock ".The single was released in May 1980, and attracted rave reviews but disappointing sales. So Island asked Steve Lillywhite to produce U2’s next single, "A day without me",thinking that he should also produce their debut album if things worked out. The single made little impact outside Ireland, but U2 and Steve Lillywhite began a rapport which was to last through three albums and beyond. A tour of Britain and Europe followed to promote the single and to prime the market for the new album. Steve Lillywhite came to Dublin to record the album at Windmill Lane Studio,Dublin.The boy featured on the album cover is Peter Rowen,the younger brother of two of Bono’s friends. Although the UK sales of U2’s singles were disappointing,the tour was quite successful, and when the album came out the public at last took some notice !The opening track,"I will follow" would force anyone to sit up and take notice !The critical reaction to BOY was particularly enthusiastic,considering it as one of the best debut albums of all time.
U2 followed up the album with more concerts in the UK, but Paul McGuinness already had plans for the American market. He persuaded promoter Frank Barsalona to arrange a short introductory tour at the end of 1980.The success of this persuaded Warner Brothers to release the album in the U.S.,so a longer tour was arranged for the spring to promote it.1981 started with another tour of the U.K.,ending with a sold-out concert at the Lyceum Ballroom in London in February. U2 had acquired a reputation as a stunning live act.This was not just thanks to their music,but to Bono’s dramatic stage presence. In March 1981, BOY was released in the U.S. , and U2 began their first major American tour. The audience appreciated them as readily as those in Europe.
The second album, OCTOBER ,began like the first with a leading track, "Gloria", which was released as a single.This and other tracks on the album reflected the strong Christian beliefs held by Bono,Edge and Larry. The band’s influences were fairly diverse- from rock legends like Elvis Presley, David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix, to the leaders of the post-punk revolution :Iggy Pop,Tom Verlaine and Joy Division.
In january 1982 U2 toured back home in Ireland,before returning to the U.S.. In the spring of 1982 U2 released the single "A celebration", and spent part of the summer performing live in the U.K. and Europe. In August, Bono got married,but in many parts of the world,1982 was not a year for celebration. This atmosphere of conflict and uncertainty was reflected in U2’s third album,and his title, WAR . Fortunately Steve Lillywhite and the band managed to channel this atmosphere of confusion into an album which was musically outstanding as well as carrying a message.Not all the messages were interpreted correctly,however.The lyrics call for an end to conflict rather than for taking sides.
However you choose to read them,tracks like "New year’s day" and "Sunday bloody sunday" are stunning rock anthems. In a gentler mode, the band’s religious beliefs were illustrated by an adaptation of Psalm 40 for one track. Again the album was well received,topping the U.K. chart, but the singles taken from it were less successful. The U.S. tour went particulary well,and was filmed at Red Rocks outside Denver, Colorado.The venue and the weather were as dramatic as the music,and the result was U2’s first release on video. Both the video and a live album were called UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY, although only two tracks on the album actually came from the Red rocks concert.
As 1984 arrived U2 were looking to go forward, rather than simply rework what they had done before. For their next album, they wanted a new producer, and got together with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois,a canadian sound engineer. While rehearsals for the album were getting under way, Paul McGuinness was successfully negotiating a more lucrative deal with Island Records. The title of the new album,THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE, was inspired by an exhibition which commemorated the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.The first hint of their new material came when "Pride" was released as a single and rose to number 3 in the U.K. charts. This was U2’s best single yet, both a massive rock anthem and a moving tribute to Martin Luther King. The album itself came out in October, and duly topped the U.K. chart. Unfortunately, the new album didn’t really suit for a live performance, so U2 returned to Dublin to sort out the problems.The major musical event of 1985 was the Live Aid Concert in July.At Wembley, U2 gave a wonderful performance to a world-wide audience.The set included a longer version of "Bad" while Bono danced with a girl from the audience. In the first months of 1986, U2 went back to work on their next album.The preparing process took longer than planned, and the album finally came out in March 1987. Again Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois were producing,.While working on the album, U2 also joined the Conspiracy Of Hope tour, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of Amnesty International.
When THE JOSHUA TREE finally came out, it proved it had been worth waiting for it.What is probably their greatest album, was released alongside a stunning single,"With or without you",which ensured that U2 dominated both the singles and the album charts,every track holding the attention. Now at the top of both U.K. and U.S. charts, U2 also made the cover of Time Magazine. During the tour which followed, U2 were accompanied by a film crew led by Phil Joanou ,who filmed many of the shows and the events around them. U2 wanted to give their live audiences more than just music.Their concerts were dramatic and spectacular even before the high-tech extravagances of the 1990s.The band often had a powerful social or political message, but could also show a mischievous sense of humour. November 1987 saw examples of both.U2 answered with outrage when the Enniskillen bombing brought a particularly bloody sunday to Northern Ireland.They were funnier but not less serious when they disguised themselves as a spoof support band,"The Dalton Brothers",with Adam in drag as a Dalton sister.
U2 also wrote and recorded some new songs which were included on the film and the accompanying double album, both called RATTLE AND HUM. The new songs included a dull single,"Desire",and a song with BB King ,"When love comes to town",but the best of the singles was "Angel of Harlem". Jimmy Iovine again took the main production credits. Phil Joanou’s film took a while to be really impressive,but captured some excellent live performances, notably "Bad" and "Sunday bloody sunday". U2 collected two Grammy Awards in 1989.The Lovetown tour followed,in Australia,New Zealand and Japan.At the end of the year, U2 played a few dates in Europe.The show in Dublin on December 31st celebrated the start of a new decade and was broadcast throughout Europe.
In 1990, U2 took their time and started planning their next album.Work on the album had already begun when a demo tape of the new songs was stolen. Although this delayed the release date, it was taking a long time anyway as the band were again trying to find material which would take them in new directions. Towards the end of 1991, the world got a taste of the new sound when the single "The fly" was released.In one music poll, this was a strong subject to be discussed:was it the best or the worst record of the year?. Reaction to the new album was varied,but ACHTUNG BABY can compete with THE JOSHUA TREE and THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE for the title of U2’s best album. It was described as “eclectic”and “adventurous” and included classics like "One" and treasures like "Love is blindness".
In february 1992 U2 started on their massive ZOO TV project.For more than 2 years,and in several stages, they toured the world with a show that added a stunning visual experience to the music. In 1992, the show visited the world. ZOO TV was captured live from Sydney in an excellent music video. Bono often invented a stage character to suit the theme of a major tour,and this time he had become the demonic MacPhisto, with borns and a gold suit.The video also includes a "Satellite of love" with Lou Reed. In 1995, they played with Brian Eno, Luciano Pavarotti and others under the name "Passengers" to produce an album called ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS 1.The album didn’t really work, but the single "Miss Sarajevo" did slightly better,in the U.K. at least.U2 also wrote "Hold me,thrill me,kiss me,kill me" for the Batman Forever film soundtrack,and this gave them another hit single.
As with ACHTUNG BABY, the first single "Discotheque" from the new album brought more questions than answers..This time U2 used techno and dance influences. As with all U2 albums, POP contains a mix of the brash and the beautiful,the loud and the lyrical.But when critics complain that their music “doesn’t sound like U2” the band’s answer is “but we are U2”.The band chose to use each album to explore and extend their own musical material rather than to trade on their past success. In 1997 U2 began their POPMART world tour,another massive venture with a gigantic golden arch,a gigantic lemon(30 metres long),a gigantic video screen(700 square metres) and a gigantic convoy of lorries(52) to transport it all. The tour took place in the entire world.Perhaps the high point came in September 1997,when U2 went straight from their biggest show in Sarajevo for their return there. The concert in Mexico City was broadcast on TV and recorded for the POPMART video.The tour ended on March 21st 1998 in Johannesburg.
In
April 1998, U2 took yet another new direction when they appeared in the
200th episode of The Simpsons! One thing which has remained constant is
the band’s commitment to human rights and the environment,and their active
support to the Northern Ireland peace process , condemning violence. In
1999, U2 have been working on a new album with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.The
album is expected to include "The ground beneath her feet" with lyrics
taken from Salman Rushdie’s book. Although originally expected early this
year,the album release will probably be delayed by other projects. Throughout
1999 Bono has been in the news for non-musical reasons. He has been prominent
in the Jubilee 2000 campaign for the cancellation of third world debt,and
in the Net Aid charity set up to help refugees and to fight poverty. In
september, he was part of a Jubille 2000 delegation which met the Pope
in the Vatican, in October he performed at the Net aid concert, and in
November he received a special MTV Award for his work. Bono has also been
working on the storyline and sountrack of a film by Wim Wenders.
Like all the rock bands,U2 has known a hard beginning and it’s probably
why they try to give people a chance to be someone in the whole world.At
the beginning of the new millennium, they collaborate with Greenpeace ,
Amnesty International, war Child and Jubilee 2000.The best way to succeed
in it is to use their popularity to help people.As far as I’m concerned
,U2 was , is and will be a part of rock and roll History.