U2's Guitar Tech Dallas Schoo on the Band's Songwriting Process

Dallas Schoo has been the guitar technician for U2 and The Edge for more than three decades now. Enamored as a young person not with the rock stars themselves but with those in charge of setting up and maintaining their gear, Schoo got his start while at college in Colorado.

Once he started working with bands, he steadily built his reputation as a dedicated and focused technician, and the jobs kept coming. Before meeting U2 in 1982, his resume already included work with Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Stephen Stills, and Pure Prairie League. Today, Schoo is widely recognized as one of the most talented guitar technicians in the business.


We recently had a chance sit down with Schoo to talk more about working with U2 and The Edge and his favorite parts of their collaboration. Surprisingly, though, his favorite part of working with the band isn't going along on tour—rather, Schoo loves to be a part of the band's creative process in the studio.

 "They don't write at home," Schoo tells us, clarifying that most of U2's entire creative process takes place in the studio. "For me, to be a part of that magic from the foundation up, that's [the best part]."




https://reverb.com

Happy New Year from Cedarwood Rd. Gang!!!

Photo: Edge

U2 and the Ireland Funds donate €3m to State’s music programme

Rock band U2 and philanthropic network the Ireland Funds have made donations totalling €3million to the State’s national music education programme.

Music Generation is to be expanded following the announcement by U2 that it is to receive €2million from their Irish concerts, and a further announcement from the Ireland Funds that it will donate € 1million.

Music Generation provides access to high quality subsidised music tuition for thousands of children and young people across the country.

U2’s the Edge said the organisation is “continuing to grow” and the donations would “bring us closer to achieving our ambition for every child and young person in Ireland to have access to music tuition”.

Kieran McLoughlin, president and chief executive of the Ireland Funds said the music education programme has been “extraordinary” and “brings so much benefit” to young people and communities throughout Ireland.

“The Ireland Funds is delighted to be supporting this flagship initiative and, together with U2, will also seek to raise additional support as part of our commitment to unlocking the musical talents of the next generation,” he said.

Music Generation national director Rosaleen Molloy said the programme provides access for 26,000 children and young people and creates employment opportunities 330 people.
The programme was established by Music Network in 2010 following a €7m donation from U2 (€5 million) and the Ireland Funds (€2 million) to implement its national strategy for music education in Ireland.

“The impact of the original €7m philanthropic donation from U2 and the Ireland Funds has been extraordinary,” said Ms Molloy.

“Every day, the lives of thousands of children and young people are being transformed through access to a variety of music tuition opportunities – everything from song-writing initiatives to brass bands, orchestras, choirs, rock groups, rap projects, grupaí cheoil and composers clubs.”


http://www.irishtimes.com/

HUMAN CHAIN

Last Sunday, September 13, Art for Amnesty and Amnesty International (along with the Italian NGO Insieme Si Può) is assembling 6,000 supporters to form a 10km human chain to encircle the iconic Tre Cime mountain, 90 minutes north of Venice in the Dolomites in northern Italy. 

It’s all in support of Amnesty's refugees campaign, which the band are promoting on the current European dates. And it’s a chance for anyone in striking distance of the Dolomites to try to throw their arms, if not around the world, then at least around the mountain, in solidarity. The event comes ahead of next week's emergency EU meetings  about the refugee crisis affecting Europe. 

Bill Shipsey, the barrister from Dublin who set up Art for Amnesty in 2002, has maintained Amnesty’s friendship with U2 since meeting the band at the opening of the Irish Amnesty Office in 1984. “I often say that if I had a Euro for every person who told me they’d got involved with human rights or Amnesty International because of U2, I’d be very wealthy,” he admits.

The focus, he explains, of Amnesty’s refugees campaign - and of the human chain in Italy this weekend - “is to persuade predominantly European countries to take 380,000 of the 4 million Syrians that are recognised as refugees but are in camps in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.”

There are strong links and a rich heritage between Amnesty and the arts which helps the cause enormously. “If you want to get people motivated, that’s where the arts and artists really come in,” he says. “A song, a poem a piece of beautiful writing - they will get you many more supporters than just telling people about the universal declaration of human rights.”

Indeed, the head of Refugee and Migrants Rights for Amnesty International, Sherif Elsayed-Ali, is “a young Egyptian who came to hear of Amnesty through watching poor quality U2 videos in Cairo.” 

The logistics for the human chain this Sunday are not simple. Six thousand people will be taken on a 45-minute journey up the mountain in 120 bus-loads. But it’ll be worth it. And if there’s a key message to U2 fans from Bill Shipsey, whether they can make it or not, it’s this: “Take injustice personally. Whatever the issue, please take injustice personally, and act.”

*     *     *

If you want to link arms physically with the human chain in northern Italy, you can find details of where to come and what to do here.

If you want to do something else in solidarity, Art for Amnesty is encouraging groups to form their own smaller human chains - there’ve already been chains formed around Wenceslas Square in Prague, and around giant redwood trees in California.  Upload your photos on social media with the hashtags #humanrightschain or #refugeeswelcome. Or simply tweet your support for the human-rights chain this Sunday, again, using the hashtag #humanrightschain or #refugeeswelcome .

4 Character Strengths Sustain U2’s Success

U2 went from a band people laughed at to become one of the greatest bands in history. Today, U2 has been awarded more Grammy awards than any other band and it surpassed the Rolling Stones’ record for the highest revenue-generating concert tour. How did such a remarkable transformation happen and how has the band continued its success for more than four decades? Bono, the band’s lyricist, lead singer and leader-among-equals has said the way U2 works is more extraordinary than its music. He’s referring to U2’s culture -- in other words, the predominant attitudes, language and behavior of U2’s members. Here are four character strengths that reflect U2’s culture and help explain how the band achieves sustained success.

1. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence

U2 has an appreciation of beauty and excellence. The band members have high standards for their music and concert performances. They never feel they’ve achieved perfection but always strive to become better. This attitude drives U2 to learn and grow.

U2 is willing to try new things and take risks. For example, the band teamed up with Apple (AAPL) to provide an instant download of its last record, Songs of Innocence, to 500 million users of iCloud. Although the unsolicited free gift received criticism from users who are not fans, the move was a big hit with the band’s followers. The surprising and generous move shows U2 is willing to experiment. This is a healthy sign that bodes well for U2’s future. 


2. Love

Achieving excellence and perfection is difficult. It requires hard work, perseverance and resilience to overcome obstacles. The character strength of love helps U2 get through the inevitable professional and personal challenges. Love means people value close relations with others; sharing and caring are reciprocated. 

The members of U2 share their economic profits equally among the four band members and their manager, which differs from many bands where the most popular band members make the most money. 

The guys in U2 have an inspiring history of caring for one another. When Larry Mullen’s mother was killed in an accident a short time after the band was formed, Bono reached out to help him get through a time of grieving. Bono’s mom had died a couple years earlier. He empathized with Larry. Some years later, when the band was offered its first recording contract with the condition it replace Larry with a more conventional drummer, Bono told the recording company executive to shove it. Through sickness, divorce, addiction, and death threats, the members of U2 know they can count on their bandmates to be there for them. They have each other’s backs.

3. Humility

If any member of U2 strongly opposes a proposed decision, they band will not implement it. This gives each member of U2 a voice in decisions. The band recognizes that it takes more time to make decisions this way, and it can be frustrating, but it believes this approach produces superior results. 

This consensus-oriented decision-making approach reflects humility. It recognizes that no one has a monopoly on good ideas and the best results come about when everyone is encouraged to share their opinions and ideas.  

4. Spirituality

The character strength of spirituality exits in a group when its members hold common strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of life. U2 is influenced by the Christian belief of loving and serving others. The band’s music is about human rights, social justice and matters of faith. Bono says this makes U2 different than most bands. He has described U2 as traveling salesmen whose ideas are communicated in songs. Bono “walks the talk,” too. He and his wife Ali are philanthropists who support the poor, particularly in Africa. 

These four character strengths -- appreciation of beauty and excellence, love, humility, and spirituality -- help U2 perform at the top of its game. Entering its fifth decade, look for U2 to continue to evolve in new directions. Given U2’s outstanding culture, the band’s best may be yet to come.  



http://www.foxbusiness.com/

Paul McGuinness No Longer U2's Manager

Live Nation Entertainment, the giant concert company that includes Ticketmaster, is in advanced negotiations to buy the management companies behind U2 and Madonna, according to several people with direct knowledge of the talks.If the deal is consummated, it will further strengthen Live Nation’s already deep ties with U2 and Madonna, two of the highest-earning and most durable pop acts of the last 30 years.

As part of the deal, Live Nation would pay more than $30 million for both Principle Management, the company of U2’s longtime manager, Paul McGuinness, as well as Maverick, run by Guy Oseary, Madonna’s manager, according to these people, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they were not authorized to discuss the deal publicly.

In what would be one of the most surprising shifts in years among the forces behind pop megastars, Mr. Oseary, 41, would take over the day-to-day management of U2. Mr. McGuinness, 62, who has managed U2 almost since its inception — and in doing so became one of the most highly esteemed executives in the music business — would become Principle’s chairman, with a role that was not fully clear.

A spokeswoman for Live Nation declined to comment, and Mr. Oseary could not be reached Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement, Mr. McGuinness said: “It could be seen as slightly poor etiquette for a manager to consider retiring before his artist has split, quit or died, but U2 have never subscribed to the rock ’n’ roll code of conduct. As I approach the musically relevant age of 64 I have resolved to take a less hands-on role as the band embark on the next cycle of their extraordinary career.

“I am delighted that Live Nation, who with Arthur Fogel have been our long term touring partners, have joined us in creating this powerful new force in artist management. I have long regarded Guy Oseary as the best manager of his generation, and there is no one else I would have considered to take over the day-to-day running of our business.”

According to Pollstar, a concert industry trade magazine, the top 10 highest-grossing tours include four by U2 and one by Madonna. U2’s last tour, called 360, had more than $700 million in ticket sales and was seen by nearly seven million people around the world.

Live Nation, which besides its concert promotion and ticketing business manages the careers of some 200 acts through its Artist Nation division, has had close ties with both U2 and Madonna for years. In 2007, it struck a $120 million deal with Madonna that covered touring and recorded music rights for a decade, and it later sold the recording rights to Universal. In 2008, it made a deal with U2 to handle the band’s touring and merchandising exclusively for 12 years.
Bilboard magazine says  U2 is readying a new album for tentative release in April,and is shopping for brand partners to announce the new project via a Super Bowl commercial. Leading the meetings for Bono, McGuinness & Co. is Oseary, who's been reaching out to potential sponsors on the band's behalf, according to four executives familiar with plans. Danger Mouse has been producing the set, which was recorded primarily at New York's Electric Lady Studios.

http://www.nytimes.com//http://www.billboard.com
pic: http://www.independent.ie

Jack White on U2's 'Achtung Baby': 'I Listened to That on Repeat as a Teenager'

Guitarist talks 'Great Gatsby' contribution, 'Love Is Blindness'

Jack White was a teenager in blue-collar Detroit when he purchased U2's heavy left turn of a seventh album, Achtung Baby. "I listened to that a lot in my headphones," he says. Almost immediately, the bluesman was drawn to the LP's closing track, "Love Is Blindness." "I listened to that on repeat quite often," says White, whose cover of the U2 classic appears on the soundtrack for The Great Gatsby.

Before White entered the studio, the guitarist engaged in brainstorming sessions with Jay-Z (who, in addition to his duties as executive producer, also wrote and performed the original song, "100$ Bill"). "I talked to Jay-Z a lot," White says. "We went back and forth on a lot of ideas. But the one that I kept thinking about, the one that was interesting just for me, was the "Love Is Blindness" track."

White was confident that his grimy rendition, one he characterizes as "almost violent," would fit in well with director Baz Luhrmann's vision for F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic tale of wealth, privilege and deception. "I could imagine it in hundreds of different scenarios," he says.

The guitarist first recorded his cover of "Love Is Blindness" in 2011 at the request of the Edge (the pair had previously joined forces for Davis Guggenheim's guitar documentary, It Might Get Loud, in 2008). Afterwards, the U2 co-founder asked White if he'd contribute a U2 cover to the band's 20th-anniversary Achtung Baby release, Ahk-toong Bay-bi Covered.

"I get requests for some kind of compilation, duet or tribute album twice a week," White explains. "And I always say no. I can't stand 99-percent of them – they're just wastes of time. But this one was different, because I've been connected to Edge since we made the guitar film."

"I thought, 'Well, this feels real close to me,'" he continues. "As long as I can do 'Love Is Blindness.' As long as no one's taken that."

White ended up so pleased with his version of the U2 track – which was originally inspired by the Edge’s breakup with his then wife, Aislinn O'Sullivan – that he asked for (and received) permission from the guitarist to include it as a b-side to his 2012 solo debut, Blunderbuss.

"This was bigger than just a tribute record," he explains. "It came off so powerful, we had to ask if we could put it somewhere else."

The Great Gatsby`s Soundtrack `s review.

http://www.rollingstone.com

Collectors set to flock to Ireland’s first ever rock and pop memorabilia auction

A pop and rock memorabilia auction in Dublin at the weekend includes rare acetate and vinyl records, autographs, photographs and other items from artists including Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Buddy Holly, U2 and Rory Gallagher.

Organised by Whyte’s Auctioneers, the 200 lots – due to go under the hammer at the RDS on Sunday – span 60 years of international and Irish pop and rock ’n’ roll. Almost all the items were sourced in Ireland.


An original copy of the first press mention of U2 in the Evening Press in March 1978, when the band was known as U2 Malahide, is estimated at €500-€700. All the names of the band members are misspelled in the photo caption apart from Adam Clayton.

Items from Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher, Christy Moore, Clannad and the Corrs are also included.

A chair designed by Stephen Colgan for Imelda May, signed by the singer, is being offered on behalf of the Parkinson’s disease charity in |Ireland. Other customised chairs signed by Nick Seymour, Michael Flatley and Daniel O’Donnell are being sold for the charity.

Ian Whyte of Whytes ’s Auctioneers said the collection had something for all music lovers.
“The items start at €100-€150 and then go up to the highest at over €50,000, but there’s something for every budget. It’s nice for fans to have a memento of their favourite music act, but there’s plenty of items for the serious collectors.”

Items are on show at the RDS from today until Sunday ; the auction tak es place from 2pm Sunday. See whytes.com/.


http://www.irishtimes.com// http://www.whytes.ie

Interview with Neil McCormick

U2 Brasil  (www.u2br.com)has posted their own interview with Neil Mc Cormick, a nice chat with one of the witness of the U2 phenomenon from the start.

German version of "Killing Bono"

1- Your book, "Killing Bono" is going to be released in Portuguese earlier 2013. Did you expect that? It must be really awesome seeing that your work is growing, and reaching different people, with a book, and later a movie...what do you think about that? It was weird seeing you in the movies? 

R: It is a thrill seeing my book translated into other languages. It is already available in Finnish and German, and will soon be in Italian, Polish and now Brazilian Portugese. It feels as if a stone I tossed into the world’s pond is still sending ripples out. I don’t envy the translators though. I’ve had some strange questions thrown at me. How do you explain teenage Bono’s jokey (and very Irish) remark “Up your bum, chum, with a big bass drum” in another language? It just means “Fuck that!” but a literal translation makes it sound both painful and physically impossible. The film is like another translation, another version. Yes it was very strange to see myself … but I know that it’s not me, and the film doesn’t replace my own memories.

 

2 - We've seen the book, we saw the movie, but how about the real life experience? How was growing up with not only the U2 boys, but with the other guys, like Gavin Friday and Guggi? Even today you guys are still in touch with each other?

R: Well, I hope the book tells you what that was like. It has been an adventure but it has also just been normality, these are guys I have known since my teens so it never seems quite as special as it would to someone who only got to discover them through their music. I am still in touch U2, of course, our lives intersect both professionally and personally. My friendship is mainly with Bono and we communicate mainly by text these days, and catch up when we happen to be in the same part of the world. And I see all the others through that friendship. I still run into Gavin and Guggi, both still impressively crazy.

 

3 - Let's talk about Frankie Corpse & the Undertakers. When did you realize that being a rockstar was not going to happen (ok, let me tell, I cheered for you guys, while seeing the movie)? When did the reality "punched" you in the face?

R: It wasn’t so much a sudden punch in the face as a slow knockout from an endless series of blows. The worst moment was when my girlfriend, Gloria, called me a loser. I was turning 30, still trying to get that elusive record deal but I didn’t want to be a loser in her eyes and that made me feel I needed to get my act together, even if it meant giving up music. But actually, even when I stopped chasing stardom, I still believed for years in my secret heart that it would happen one day. I still make music anyway. I’ve got a band who occasionally pop up in London called Groovy Dad … cos we are groovy … and we are dads. Music is for life. And I’m still with Gloria, anyway, so obviously she decided I wasn’t a complete loser.

 

4 - Reading you book, we could see clearly how hard was to deal with U2's success. I guess one of the greatest things about the book, is the fact that we can see ourselves in that story. Of course, we didn't go to school with U2, but we all had the experience of seeing a friend being successful in our own dream, while we stay there, and we have to deal with that. And how was that to you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you spent almost 5 years without being in contact with Bono (yes, I'm pretty much your stalker too!). What changed in that time? You can say that seeing Bono in such a down to earth experience (the funeral of Bill Graham) made you feel  that "Bono" wasn't the rockstar, but the boy you went to school with?

R: A lot of people do have the experience of being overshadowed by friends or relatives, that is one of the universal emotions that drives the book, although having your friend turn out to be the biggest rock star on the planet makes it a little more unusual. It did become hard for me to take, even though I understood that it was my problem, not his. Although I didn’t see Bono for quite a few years, that was partly because I was busy getting my own life together as a journalist, and a stepfather. Life was different then too, it was pre-text and email, U2 were out travelling the world and I was hustling to make it in London. But actually we were still sort of in touch through occasional phone calls or messages that might be passed on through friends and I did hear from Bono from time to time, often quite unexpectedly.  What I stopped doing was actively keeping contact. There were no more expectations of going backstage if they were playing a concert. I let U2 drop, really, to get them out of my psyche. Meeting them all again at Bill’s funeral was an interesting moment because we all just fell in together, very old friends, gathered to mourn a very old friend. It was, I suppose, a kind of healing experience for me, to see them in  that light again.

 

5- In some recent interviews, Bono said that he is afraid of U2 being "irrelevant",  even with the numbers (The 360º tour became the biggest of all time), and all the success, do you think that U2 is still like "The Hype" and "Feedback"? A band who's always dealing with the pressure of doing the best they can? Maybe their reinvention is the key for the success? Knowing that you can always improve, and you can always be better, by taking chances and "risking themselves"?

R: They are very driven and a lot of that comes from Bono, who has a restlessness and relentlessness about him, which I think (as I make clear in my book, and then we talked about some more when I wrote U2 By U2 for them) comes from the death of his mother at a young age, and the absence he feels in his heart. It’s not really something to be envied. But it does keep him pushing forward. We have had several conversations about U2’s relevance. It’s been a big topic for Bono even during the 360 tour. The last time I saw him was in August in Berlin, and he was still full of enthusiasm and excitement and pride about the music U2 were making but unusually he seemed in no hurry. He knows the world doesn’t really need another U2 record. So he wants to make sure that when they deliver one, it’s the greatest album they can possibly make.

 

6- And can you provide us some sneak peek about U2's new album? We're guessing that maybe the album is going out somewhere in late 2013. Have you heard it? Is that something you could tell us about? We're not going to tell anyone. 

R: I am sworn to secrecy. Which is helped by the fact that I don’t really know anything.

 

7- How do you think is going to be music's future? And not only about U2, but do you think that the physical media like cd's are going to disappear? The future is: downloaded songs, digital albums, amazing mobile apps and this kinda of thing? Personally, I still buy cd's and even vinyls, but do you think that in some years these are going to be nothing but memorablia?

 

R: The future is here. The CD is dying and with it will go the album as a long form experience. Single downloads are the medium of the moment. But, for those special artists who need that long form to really express themselves (and I would count U2 in there), I think they will still find an audience willing to listen.

 

8- Well, I'll not prolong that, so we arrived at the last question, and I can only thank you for the opportunity! I knew you because of the band, but I became a fan of your work, and not only 'Killing Bono' and 'U2 by U2', but I enjoy reading your critics and reviews. But I really can't help: That footages in the end of the movie were just pure blast, and I just have to ask: what was that naked human being playing inside a trash can? It was just...art!

 

R: That was from a video we made one hot summer day about 1982 with our band Yeah!Yeah! – We borrowed a video camera and mimed to a demo we had recorded called Is That You. It was so hot, we took our shirts off. Ah to be young and thin again. I am sure you can find it on the internet somewhere. Everything else is there.

http://www.u2br.com

The Unforgettable Tribute: MLK, U2, and the Making of “Pride (In the Name of Love)”

With his voice alone, Martin Luther King, Jr. made music.

MLK, among so many other things, was music.

With his voice alone, Martin Luther King, Jr. made music.

The rhythm and melody that permeated Martin Luther King, Jr. was evident not only in the way that he moved and spoke, but in the way that he inspired musicality in others. One of the greatest orators of our time – or any other – King’s mastery of language made his speeches lyrical as well as life-affirming.

In his non-violent pursuit of civil rights equality, an a cappella delivery of MLK’s words were sufficient to stir deep passions – he didn’t sound like bagpipes or a cavalry bugle, but hearing his voice makes you immediately electrified, and once more strong for the fight.

It was an instrument that rightly won him the Nobel Peace Prize, and helped solidify his legacy as an intellectual leader for the ages via landmark speeches like “I Have a Dream”, and so many more.

“Pride” – An Emotional Ride

It’s no surprise, then, that his influence is imprinted within what people traditionally refer to as music – songs with singers, guitars, beats, bass, and keyboards. On the sampling front from Michael Jackson to Paul McCartney and Common, the Orb to Linkin Park and scores of others, MLK has served as a powerful sound source.

Arguably, one of the greatest-ever musical tributes to MLK stands out in the form of “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, U2’s masterpiece from the 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire. Riveting from Moment One, “Pride” is one of those cosmic confluences that defines a classic: the beautifully rhythmic  guitar work of the Edge, drummer Larry Mullen, Jr.’s big beat is simultaneously complex and simply satisfying, Adam Clayton’s musing bass foundation. And then Bono’s incomparable voice comes, starting off in the verse’s quiet awe before soaring to the hair-raising heights of the chorus.

“Pride” is a structurally simple song, and this upward spiraling cycle gets broken only by the bridge. At the 1:40 mark appears what is certainly the most uncomplicated guitar solo arrangement ever recorded in the history of rock: eight consecutive repetitions of the same single note, exquisitely energized by the Edge’s unique battery of delay pedals and other effects.

If “Pride” is up your alley, then your experience of the song is 3:49 of perfection. Anywhere your ears land at any moment – vocals, guitar, bass drums – what you hear is deeply moving, and builds momentum as the song surges forward. The gang vocals that appear in the third chorus are the perfectly imperfect element that somehow takes “Pride” even higher, connecting band and listeners to the song’s history-changing hero – a campfire singalong where 1,000,000 people can easily join hands.

As did MLK himself, the song accomplishes so much in such a short span of time. And in yet another parallel, rather than diminishing, the power of “Pride” only grows with repeated exposure.

View from the Studio

Engineer/mixer Kevin Killen was there — and then some — for the recording of “Pride”.

One person with a unique perspective on U2’s musical monument to MLK is the New York City-based engineer/mixer Kevin Killen. Working alongside The Unforgettable Fire co-producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois in his native Ireland, Killen was present for the numerous recording sessions that brought the song together.

As part of the engineering team that had recorded U2’s War record and Under a Blood Red Sky mini-LP live album, Killen had already been treated to a front-row seat of the band’s considerable capabilities. As is well-documented, The Unforgettable Fire’s first set of sessions took place at County Meath’s picturesque Slane Castle, enabled by a portable 24-track recording system supplied by Randy Ezratty’s mobile recording company Effanel Music. After a month of work at Slane, U2 and the rest of their crew relocated to the more controlled conditions of Dublin’s Windmill Lane Studios to finish the record.

Before it could reach the pristine state we hear today, Killen reminds that “Pride” had to overcome some serious struggles before its completion at Windmill Lane. “There were two issues,” Killen recalls, taking a break from a mix session at Ezratty’s studio in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood. “Bono hadn’t settled on finished lyrics for the song, and so we were constantly looking at the arrangement to see if there was something about it that was preventing him from getting the words finalized. And Larry’s drum part was proving to be tricky, especially getting the roll right going into the chorus.

“But then Bono was finally able to get the lyrics the way he wanted, and execute the track. It wasn’t one particular word that was a problem, so much as he was just trying to get the exact sentiment to express. He knew what he was trying to say, but he was challenged just trying to get the right thing.”

The gestalt moment – when Bono found what he was looking for – was instantly apparent to everyone at Windmill Lane. “The first time he sang the finished lyrics everyone in the control room looked at each other and said, ‘That was definitely it,’” says Killen. “It was so obvious that he felt comfortable singing that lyric.”

The poetic final lines had arrived. They were written about the great Martin Luther King, Jr., but they could have been said by him just as easily (and indeed three of them were), in one of his unforgettable speeches: “Early morning, April 4/Shot rings out in the Memphis sky/Free at last, they took your life/They could not take your pride.”

Much of “Pride” had already been recorded to that point – suddenly the moment had arrived to launch it to the next level. An AKG C12 mic was waiting for Bono, connected to the preamp of an SSL E Series console with an LA-2A compressor inserted across the buss output.

As the singer was approaching the mic in the live room, Killen stepped up to the proverbial plate in the control room, one hand at the ready on the remote for the Otari MTR 90 tape machine – the young engineer was poised to pop a punch-in that he’d never forget.

“He sang it in one take,” Killen says. “I remember punching it in on the tape machine: Every hair on my body stood up. It was such a spine-tingling moment. He said something so concisely, so perfectly, about MLK’s life.”

Lasting Impact

Killen had the extreme privilege that only an engineer, producer, and an artist’s bandmates can experience: to be there for the magic moments of a classic song’s studio recording, getting the very first listen of a sound that will reach millions of ears for years upon years.

And, of course, Killen wasn’t the only one whose spine tingled at the sound of “Pride (In the name of Love)”. Released as the lead single for The Unforgettable Fire in September 1984, it was the biggest hit yet for U2, breaking the top 5 in the U.K. and the Top 40 in the U.S. While its peak position on the Billboard Hot 100 was only #33, “Pride” was inexorably connected to turning U2 in what it is now – a very, very, very big rock group.

“Pride (In the Name of Love” was released in September, 1984.

“When the band got here in 1984,” says Killen, “there was a very positive reaction to that track. And that was a very special period, stemming from the fact that the band were trying to do something different from their previous three releases.

“On that tour, they went from playing small 2,500-seat theaters to 4,000-seat theaters. Six months after that, they were playing arenas, so U2 saw their own career take off from that album release, up to a different level. And when you see them play ‘Pride’ live, you realize that it’s bass, drums, guitars, vocals, and no embellishments. It just works very well — very powerful, and very emotional.”

Being There

When great leaders emerge, their power to inspire action and art is a gift uniquely theirs to give the world. Growing up in Ireland, it’s reasonable to expect that Kevin Killen had no inkling that the life of Martin Luther King would help fulfill the aspiration held by so many in the music industry – to have a role in the making of a timeless song.

“At the time that we work on them, most engineers hope for songs to become classics,” says Killen, whose GRAMMY-winning career continues on, with hit records for clients including Peter Gabriel, Elvis Costello, Kate Bush, Jewel, Bon Jovi, Shawn Colvin, Shakira, Sugarland, Bryan Ferry, and Duncan Sheik. “When you get to be a part of one of them, or a number of them, it becomes pivotal in your career. You’re forever associated with the project, and that can never be taken away from you. Whether your participation was large or small, you’re always connected to it.

“When I sit and listen to ‘Pride’,” he continues, “I can remember that pivotal sequence of events that occurred when the song went from being difficult to record, to being realized. You look around the room, and realize you’ve captured a very special moment. That moment stays with you forever.”

Engineers and producers who crave that sensation need no small amount of luck to be in that right place, at the right time. But Kevin Killen knows that audio pros who are focused on the music can also turn their quest for a classic into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“Obviously, we all want to work with an artist that has something to say,” he points out. “Our job is to somehow set the stage so they can truly express themselves in that environment, without judgment, and convey what they’re trying to get out there. If you can be a part of that process, it can be incredibly rewarding not just for yourself, but for the artist.”

Sound Out

In a magic case of things coming full circle, one light that made MLK shine so brightly was that he enabled many millions to express who they truly were, as well.

Equipped with his voice and views – and often aided by a microphone – Martin Luther King, Jr. engineered a movement that unequivocally impacted the world. U2 were among the many who have heard his call. They went on to reflect that spirit forever in a song.

No matter what your walk of life, the chance to somehow have a hand in a timeless work — or even an Earth-changing attitude — may be closer than you think. You too may create something that qualifies. All of us should certainly try.

– David Weiss

http://www.sonicscoop.com

Peter Neill : An unexpected journey

Peter Neill - Music Photographer

Introduction

The first edition, a limited collectors edition of my photobook is now available.

Called "An unexpected journey" it is a visual memoir of his experience photographing U2

as well as providing some insight into  Concert Photography and its unique challenges.

It is a book with beautiful print quality and a few extras than the non-limited edition will not have.

1) The first page of each copy of the limited edition will be customised for each buyer.

A total of 150 copies of the limited edition are available.

2) The limited edition will be signed and numbered by the photographer himself.

3) The limited edition will include a CD with a selection of High Res shots from the Book.

For more information: http://shootthesound.com/book/

The price comes to £125 for this limited edition including worldwide delivery.

http://shootthesound.com/

U2 in the Olympic Games

U2's "Where The Streets Have No Name" and "Beautiful Day" were played in  London Olympics  2012 opening ceremony on Friday night  as the athletes walked in the parade of nations.
The version of "Where the Streets Have No Name" is a brand new mix of the song by High Contrast Remix (stage name of DJ/Producer Lincoln Barrett) , and it's available now on the official Isles Of Wonder opening ceremony album via iTunes or via Amazon MP3.

Aspiring young musicians get new rehearsal room

PIANO: Bill Whelan, composer and board member of Music Gereration tinkles the ivories with two Sligo students at the opening of the first rehearsal room in Sligo funded by Music Generation Sligo. Pictures by Brian Farrell

A fully equipped rehearsal room for aspiring young musicians has opened in Sligo town centre, thanks in part to the generosity of rock icons U2.
The facility is located at For—iges’ CRIB Youth Project and Health Cafe on Rockwood Parade in Sligo. It has been provided thanks to funding from U2 and the Ireland Funds – lead funders of Music Generation Sligo (MGS).Music Generation heavyweights including board member and composer/producer Bill Whelan and his colleague, Lyric FM presenter Ellen Cranitch travelled to Sligo for the official opening of one of five such rehearsal spaces planned for the county.
A similar facility has also just opened at the Coleman Centre, in Gurteen. Three others will open in Co. Sligo later this year.
Older children, including some with plans to form a band, as well as would be composers, will have access to state of the art facilities including a drum kit (with cymbals), acoustic, electric and bass guitars, guitar amp, and leads, digital piano, mic, stand and speakers at the CRIB.
“The positive benefits of playing and being part of music must not be under-estimated,” said Anne Marie Regan, For—iges’ Project leader in Sligo/Leitrim.
“Music forms a very important element of youth culture and whether it helps a young person through a tough time, or makes them feel part of something, it will build   confidence and make participants feel connected with their peers.”
The board members also visited Sandcastles Childcare Centre in Easkey, where dozens of tiny tots and their parents/guardians are availing of the Discovering Music programme.
“Music Generation’s donors – U2 and The Ireland Funds – and indeed the Board of Music Generation are delighted with the progress of Music Generation Sligo,” said Rosaleen Molly, National Director of Music Generation.
“The ambitious plans for the future of music education in the county are driven by Sligo Music Education Partnership’s commitment to quality and excellence.”
And Rosaleen also praised County Sligo VEC, Sligo County Council and other local partners for their pro-active investment in music education.
 ”We are thrilled to see how the programme is developing led by some of the county’s finest musicians under the superb direction of coordinator Jessica Fuller.
“Our shared vision is for every child and young person to have access to music education and undoubtedly, exciting times lie ahead for children and young people in County Sligo!”



http://sligoweekender.ie

Martin Luther King ,Jr ( (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

"Pride (In the Name of Love)" is the second track on the band's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, it was released as the album's lead single in September 1984. Written about Martin Luther King, Jr., it was a major commercial success for the band and has since become one of the band's most popular songs. It was named the 378th greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". 

 Bono had been influenced by Stephen B. Oates's book Let The Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a biography of Malcolm X. these caused him to ponder the different sides of the civil rights campaigns, the violent and the non-violent. Other sources say that the band had been to the Chicago Peace Museum and were impressed by the exhibit dedicated to civil rights leader. Bono had been writing about Ronald Reagan and the kind of pride that comes before a fall; now inspired by King he sensed there was a different song to be written.

 Adapted from Niall Stokes´ U2 The Stories behind every U2 Song

Last time the song was played  at the Magnetic Hill Music Festival, Moncton, Canada (30th July 2011) (youtube user:SteveSparx )

Bono invited to carry Olympic torch

EVERYONE from Bono to Jedward has been invited to carry it. But it looks like the GAA will be the biggest winners when the Olympic torch relay arrives in Dublin on June 6.
Despite the fact that Gaelic games are not Olympic sports, it will be a top inter-county GAA player who kick-starts the prestigious relay in the capital by carrying the torch across the roof of Croke Park's Hogan Stand. It will then spend a further half-hour at Croke Park before its two-hour tour around the city.
The GAA, along with other sporting bodies including the FAI and IRFU, has been asked to forward their nominee's name to the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) by Friday and the 40 participants will be announced a fortnight later.

Read more: here
http://www.independent.ie

Bono Participated in a Documentary about Victor Jara

"The Resurrection of Victor Jara"  is a  film that documents the life and work of iconic Chilean songwriter Victor Jara, executed in 1973 by a coup de etat government. 

The film chronicles the outrageous efforts of Jara´s widow, Joan, to return the censored singer to the cultural life of his country. It also explores his profound  impact on artists, activists, and musicians of all ages inside and outside Chile.

Bono together with other musicians, activists and singers all  over the world participate  in the documetary that will be premiered on 28th September when Jara would have been 80 years old.

   

http://www.resurrectionofvictorjara.com

"Original of the Species" in Every Mother Counts

A new benefit project for model Christy Turlington Burn’s Every Mother Counts program will include tracks from a bevy of big names in rock. Among those featured are U2′s Bono and the Edge, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, Dave Matthews Band, Sting, David Bowie, Beck, Rufus Wainwright and Coldplay, among others.

Highlights include an acoustic version of Coldplay’s early hit “Yellow,” an acoustic take on “Original of the Species” by Bono and the Edge, and Vedder’s “Skipping.” Also participating: Sade, Faith Hill, Diana Krall, Seal, Alanis Morrisette and Patti Smith, among others.

Starbucks is co-sponsoring the project, which will be called Every Mother Counts, Volume 2. Turlington Burn’s charity seeks to raise awareness in reducing the maternal mortality rate. The compilation will be available from May 1-29 in America; release dates in the UK have not yet been set.

“Bono and (Coldplay’s) Chris Martin were great supporters of the project the first time around,” Turlington Burns told Rolling Stone magazine, “and when I knew I wanted to include men on this album, they were obvious choices. They are also both fathers to daughters. I generally wanted a diverse group of artists who were parents.”

Tracklist:

Bono  and The Edge: Original Of The Species
Eddie Vedder: Skipping
Paul Simon  and  Edie Brickell: Pretty Day
Faith Hill: Wish For You
Sade: The Sweetest Gift
Lauryn Hill: I Remember
Rita Wilson: Baby I’m Yours
Diana Krall: Don’t Fence Me In
Seal: Secret
Dave Matthews Band: Sister
Sting: Fragilidad
Alanis Morissette: Magical Child
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros: Mother
David Bowie: Everyone Says Hi
Cedella Marley: Get Up Stand Up
Beck: Corrina, Corrina
Rufus Wainwright: Instead Of The Dead
Patti Smith: Somalia
Coldplay: Yellow


http://everymothercounts.org/

AMP Visual On U2´s Logos

AMP Visual   talks about their work for U2.

"We’ve worked with U2 for a long time as their graphic designers and through the years we’ve made quite a number of design pieces for the band. So we thought we’d do an occasional blog called U2 x 5. The idea is simply for us to take 5 related graphic pieces we’ve designed for the band and comment on them. This blog is about U2 logos.


Logos, they’re absolutely all around us. They are the shorthand and visual idiom of our age. We have always enjoyed making these little marks and symbols for U2. We’ve picked just five logos out of the many we’ve made for the band and say a few words about each."

The Joshua Tree

The isolated silhouette drawing of the Joshua tree was the first U2 logo to appear that people recognised globally. It works both literally and figuratively and it is highly memorable. People connect it intrinsically with the U2 masterpiece album and as such the icon has inherited the characteristics of integrity and a certain kind of honesty and beauty. The tree itself has a lovely very individual shape with its unusual branches and leaves. The logo represents all that that album means to people, so much so that some people have it as a tattoo.

Zooropa – Astrobaby and ring of stars

The ZooTV tour had a fantastic hi-tech connection with satellite technology and the notion of being a TV station on the road. By the time of Zooropa’s outdoor shows, it was incredibly in your face. The icon drawing of the astrobaby surrounded by 12 stars in imitation of the European flag came to represent the tour and subsequently appeared on the cover of the Zooropa album. The logo has a whimsy and intrigue that is appealing. It can be understood without words and somehow its human smallness nicely represents the largesse and technicality of the Zooropa tour.

Pop – Lemon-planet logo

The PopMart tour had a multitude of references – a kind of celebration of 60s kitch and Americana, pop-art, and shopping were all in there. The stage featured an enormous yellow arch almost in homage to the golden arches of the McDonald’s restaurant sign and the band emerged out of a huge chrome lemon during the set. So somehow this logo – made for the tour merchandising – of a shopping trolley traveling around a lemon like a satellite made good sense.

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb – Chevrons, target and blast

While the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb warning chevrons, the target and the ‘blast’ shape isn’t just one visual icon, it is still a visual language that worked in the same way as a logo for the album and tour campaign. The icons worked especially well on the cover of the special edition ‘handbook’ version of the album. These black and red-coloured components featured heavily as the album’s identity in promotion and advertising and through the singles from the album and consequently in the tour stage and merchandise.

U2360 – Logo

This icon represented the U2360 tour and in much the same way as The Joshua Tree logo, it’s a literal interpretation, with the logo’s simple curvilinear lines conveying the stage’s iconic shape rather than the other featured logos, which are more about representing an idea. It works well perhaps as its shape is not dissimilar to the elegant streamlined logos as seen for the likes of 60s automobiles with their reminiscence to the golden age of rockets and spacecraft.

AMP Visual work in a number of design disciplines in areas of cultural, entertainment, identity and corporate design and in assorted mediums and platforms from online to print, packaging to promotion. 

http://www.ampvisual.com

Tribute to Die-hard Fans

Self-proclaimed music lovers and long-time U2 fans, Dayna Shereck and Tami Falus, have brought their passion to life with “General Admission ‘Layin’ it on the Line” for U2’”, a documentary revealing the ultimate U2 fan experience.

Fascinated by the subculture of U2 fans who opt to camp-out for the gruelling and intimate general admission experience, Shereck and Falus join the group of die-hard fans who have invested over fifty hours into a U2 show, before the band has even hit the stage!

These two first-time filmmakers decided to make this film with the mandate to capture the U2 fan experience, demonstrate the level of kinship within the line and explore the continuously changing dynamics of the general admission line.

Shereck said “U2 fans come from across the globe, with many different backgrounds, of many different ages and holding greatly differing beliefs. However, what brings this vastly diverse group of people together, is their collective love for U2.

The film follows Shereck and Falus through their experience as line leaders, holding the coveted “number one” and “number two” positions for a Toronto U2 show. They examine the idiosyncrasies of this complex fan-organized process as the filmmakers immerse themselves into the world of the general admission line.

With a shared love for U2 and a sense of community that reaches international scales, “General Admission” places a microscope on a whole subculture of people that often relive the general admission experience on a regular basis.

For more information about General Admission, please visit generaladmissionthefilm.com.

Here’s the trailer for the documentary

http://www.irishcentral.com

U2 Producer Steve Lillywhite on the Alchemy of Hit-Making

Newly honoured record producer discusses working with Irish gigastars

Record producer Steve Lillywhite has been awarded a CBE in the 2012 New Year Honours list. Born in 1955, Lillywhite started his career in the late 1970s working with new wave and post-punk bands such as XTC and Siouxsie & The Banshees. He went on to produce everyone from Peter Gabriel and Talking Heads to Morrissey and Kirsty MacColl, to whom he was once married. His most enduring relationship, however, is with U2. It began with Lillywhite producing their 1980 debut album, Boy, and has continued to the present day. Here he recalls being in the studio as their 2004 hit, “Vertigo”, came together...

When I got brought in to produce How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb everyone was feeling a bit low. The band had done a fair bit of recording with another producer [Chris Thomas] and they decided it was time to change the team around. I came over to Dublin and they played me what they’d done, which included a song called "Native Son" that was marked down to be the first single. I liked the song, but I felt that it could be recorded with a bit more energy so I asked them to re-record it. I set them up in a completely different way to how they’d been recording up to this point, put the drums in a different place, and I changed the sound completely. It was still the same song, but I took them out of their comfort zone.

The band started jamming it and it was really coming together, sounding great. I said to Bono, who was sitting behind me in the control room, "Why don’t you go out there and do a live vocal? That way we’ll really be able to tell how it’s going." He goes out there, we get him set up, and the band start playing. He starts singing "Native Son", and pretty much by the first chorus he puts the microphone down and says, "Nah, I can’t sing that. That’s not good enough." 

Basically, the moment he started singing the song with the band, Bono projected himself a year into the future, on a stage at Madison Square Garden, and he suddenly realised he couldn’t sing it with the passion he really wanted. Bono has this great knack, which I’ve never really seen with anyone else, of putting a song in the set as he’s writing it. He’s thinking, ‘Ooh, this could replace such-and-such; or this could be a great opener.’ He looks at the album as being the tour as well, and the last thing they want to do is a tour that’s embarrassing when they play the new album. Most bands from their era, that’s the reality: the crowd just go crazy for the hits. U2 manage to still play half a dozen songs off the new album every time and it really works.