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History FAQ
G: Love and Peace or Else - Africa, iPods, and Atomic Bombs
- Why is Bono so involved with humanitarian issues,
and has it hurt the band?
- Why did U2 lose their recording studio
in Dublin?
- Where was the "Electrical Storm" video shot?
- I have an MP3 of "Electrical Storm", but it doesn't sound like the versions
on the CD. What do I have?
- I've seen a lot of postage stamps with U2 on them. Are they legitimate?
- What does U2 think about the war in Iraq? Is it true Bono went to Baghdad
to protest?
- I thought Chris Thomas was producing How To
Dismantle An Atomic Bomb? Why
is Steve Lillywhite listed on the CD as the producer?
- Did Bono really write a childrens' book?
- Where was the photo on the cover of How To
Dismantle An Atomic Bomb taken?
- What font is used on the How To Dismantle An Atomic
Bomb album cover and on other tour logos and merchandise?
- Why did they call the album How To Dismantle
An Atomic Bomb?
- Did U2 really lose the album before it was released?
- I thought U2 said they'd never let anyone use their music in a commercial.
How come Apple got to use "Vertigo"?
- At the 2005 Grammy Awards, Larry said something about not knowing if U2 would
be able to tour at all during the year, and he apologized for problems with
the ticket sales. What was that about?
- I saw U2 at Live 8, but not at the big finale at the end of the show. Why
did they miss that?
1.
Why is Bono so involved with humanitarian issues, and has
it hurt the band?
Bono's been interested in the less fortunate since the Band
Aid and Live Aid projects of the mid-80s. He got much more involved
personally in the late 1990s with the Jubilee 2000 campaign,
which later turned into Drop the Debt. In 2002, Bono co-founded
DATA with help from Bobby Shriver as well as members of the Jubilee
2000 and Drop the Debt efforts. DATA is an acronym which stands
for Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa - the core issues behind DATA's
efforts.
As part of his humanitarian work, Bono has met with dozens of
world leaders from countries big and small. He met President
George Bush for the first time in March, 2002, at the White House.
He's spent time with Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schroder,
and many others.
Bono has attended
all kinds of summits, conferences, presentations, ceremonies,
speeches, government
hearings,
and
much more.
One of his
favorite ways
to explain his own involvement is this: "We cannot fix every
problem, but the ones we can, we must." His humanitarian work has certainly impacted the band, though
whether it has hurt them is up for debate. Recording sessions
for both All That You Can't Leave Behind and How To
Dismantle An Atomic Bomb were slowed down considerably by
Bono's regular absence from the studio, and the other band members
have spoken of their frustation over that while at the same time
recognizing that what Bono is doing for Africa is "the most important
work he'll ever do." The flip side of the coin is that Bono has
received considerable press attention due to his humanitarian
work, which has helped keep U2's name in the public eye more
than it might have been otherwise. [M2]
2. Why did U2 lose
their recording studio in Dublin?
In the summer of 2002, a Dublin planning board ruled against
U2's appeals to keep their Hanover Quay studio in place near
the Principle Management headquarters. The studio's location
is in the heart of an area the city wants to redevelop into shops,
restaurants, homes, and even an open-air amphitheatre. But as
part of the ruling against U2, Dublin authorities agreed to build
a replacement studio not far from Hanover Quay. As of this writing,
Hanover Quay is still standing and the new studio is not yet
built. [M2]
3. Where was the "Electrical
Storm" video shot?
Near Bono's house in Eze, France.
4. I have an MP3 of
"Electrical Storm", but it doesn't sound like the versions
on the CD. What do I have?
You probably have a very early version of the song which aired
once on BBC Radio 1 after Bono gave a demo CD as a wedding gift
to DJ "Sarah HB."
The demo version was quickly shared online, and other radio stations even started
playing it, forcing Interscope and Island Records to rush a finished
version of the song for radio airplay. [M2]
5. I've seen a lot of
postage stamps with U2 on them. Are they legitimate?
Probably. Many countries, especially smaller ones, have issued
various U2 stamps over the years. Ireland didn't issue a U2 postage
stamp until October, 2002, when a gold stamp featuring all four
band members was created as part of their Irish Rock Legends
stamp set. [M2]
6. What does U2 think
about the war in Iraq? Is it true Bono went to Baghdad to protest?
No. There were rumors Bono would go to Iraq, but the rumors
were refuted by U2's PR people and Bono never went to Iraq.
When the war began, U2 issued no statement for or against what
was happening. Various band members did, however, quietly take
part in anti-war marches
and
demonstrations in Ireland. Bono, perhaps feeling a bit tied by
the need to remain friendly with George Bush, Tony Blair, and
other world leaders because of his efforts to help the African
continent, was very measured in the few comments he made. His
most famous war-related quote is probably one about Tony Blair:
"Tony Blair is not going to war for oil. Tony Blair is sincere
in his convictions about Iraq," Bono said. "In my opinion
he (Blair) is sincerely wrong."
Much later, in various press interviews promoting How To
Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and the Vertigo Tour, Bono and
the other band members offered stronger statements opposing
the war in Iraq. [M2]
7. I thought Chris Thomas
was producing How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb? Why is Steve Lillywhite
listed on the CD as the producer?
U2 started working with Chris Thomas in February, 2003.
By the fall, they thought they were just about done the new album.
Adam explained to Rolling Stone magazine that the "wheels fell
off" in October while the band were in London working with a
20-piece string section: "We could read the room. And they were
not going, 'Wow, guys, this is really happening!'" After
that, they turned to Steve Lillywhite and the rest is (recording)
history. [M2]
8.
Did Bono really write a childrens' book?
Not quite. Bono and his daughters, Jordan and Eve, did paintings
and illustrations for an updated version of the classic Peter
and the Wolf. The book release in late 2003 included a CD-ROM
with voicework and music from Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer.
Bono's original paintings were eventually auctioned off. Proceeds
from that and the book project went to help the Irish Hospice
Foundation, which had been involved heavily in caring for Bono's
dad, Bob, before he died. [M2]
9. Where was the photo on
the cover of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb taken?
In Portugal, during a photo shoot with Anton Corbijn in late
April / early May of 2004. [M2]
10. What font is used on
the How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb album cover and on
other tour logos and merchandise?
Clarendon (Light)
11. Why
did they call the album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb?
In interviews, Bono said the "bomb" referred to in the title
is his dad, Bob, and that the songs are mostly about Bono's efforts
to deal with his father's death.
12.
Did U2 really lose the album before it was released?
Apparently so, yes. It wasn't the whole album, but a CD with
some of the songs that would be on the new album. It happened
in July, 2004, while U2 was doing a photo shoot in France. Police
were called in to investigate and interview people who may have
seen what happened. It was never determined whether the CD was
lost or stolen. Though some have suggested it was all a publicity
stunt, U2 could be
accused
of
fraud for
getting
police
involved
in an investigation of a fake crime.
13. I thought U2 said they'd
never let anyone use their music in a commercial. How come
Apple got to use "Vertigo"?
Their statements about commercial use of U2 songs have never
been 100% for or against the idea, and in fact several U2 songs
have been used for various promotional purposes in the past.
See the Songs / Lyrics
FAQ for more.
U2 say they did the iPod "Vertigo" commercial because it promoted
their song as much as it promoted the iPod. They also say the
music industry is different now, and rock bands have to try new
ideas to get their music out to the public. For the record, U2
was not paid for that commercial. They were also not paid specifically
for the U2 iPod, though the band and Apple are sharing profits
from that collaboration. [M2]
14. At the 2005 Grammy
Awards, Larry said something about not knowing if U2 would be
able to tour at all during the year, and he apologized for problems
with the ticket sales. What was that about?
The Vertigo Tour announcement was delayed a couple weeks. Rolling
Stone broke the news and said it was due to a "family illness."
Hot Press later added that a member of Edge's family was
ill. There was speculation that the tour might be canceled, but
instead it began about a month later than expected.
When tickets went on sale, the presale for U2.com paid members
was a disaster. Fans who paid for membership on the premise that
they'd get "guaranteed priority booking" of concert tickets either
didn't get any tickets at all, or were only offered seats in
the worst
sections of the arenas. Larry eventually stepped in to fix the
situation as best he could and the presale for later dates was
much better. [M2]
15. I
saw U2 at Live 8, but not at the big finale at the end of the
show. Why did they miss that?
They left immediately after performing at the start of the
show because they had their own concert in Vienna, Austria, that
night. |
