U2.COM : Download Twelve

'...as for the tracks, they’re outstanding as U2 always are! UltraViolet has always been a  favourite and from listening to the live version, it’s easy to see why! Magnificent, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Elevation, One Tree Hill, City of Blinding Lights … phenomenal! Thanks very much Bono, Edge, Adam and Larry...'


U22, the soundtrack of U2360° featuring 22 songs chosen by fans across the world, is now released.

From today subscribers to U2.com can download 12 tracks immediately - and the limited-edition, double-live CD and photo book will be be in the mail to you.

From All I Want Is You to Walk On, Mysterious Ways to Bad, and Even Better Than The Real Thing to With or Without You this specially commissioned CD set runs to over two hours and is the definitive record of the 360° Tour.

Presented in a deluxe book of live photos, it also features  liner notes from Adam Clayton. Take a look at the tracklisting, some of the artwork and the videos.

Subscribe to U2.com and  download ELEVEN tracks from U22 - plus a bonus track,  'UNKNOWN CALLER', that's not on the double CD.

Check out the benefits of a U2.com subscription...  and start downloading the tour that was U2360°

U22 - The Videos !!!

U2.COM : 'In a parked car, in a crowded street...'

Something sound familiar in the newly released trailer for Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, coming later in the year.

The trailer opens with Jay-Z and Kanye's 'No Church In The Wild' playing in the background but a minute in and we're listening to a blistering vocal from Jack White...  performing Love Is Blindness.

 Take a look.

Jack and Edge worked together with Jimmy Page on the documentary film  It Might Get Loud. U2 wrote Love Is Blindness  for Achtung Baby in 1991 and Edge performed the song solo during the making of From The Sky Down last year.  Jack's version first came to light on 'AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered' last year.

Two special performances. One fine song.

Bono to appear on stage with Suu Kyi at concert during whistle-stop tour

BONO will appear on stage with Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi when she attends a special concert in her honour here next month.
A theatrical celebration has been planned for Ms Suu Kyi in the Bord Gais Theatre in Dublin's docklands on June 18. Ms Suu Kyi will attend the event as part of a whistle-stop visit to Dublin.
While U2 will not appear as a band, Bono has not ruled out making a musical contribution on the evening, according to sources close to the group.
The singer campaigned for many years on behalf of Ms Suu Kyi (66) and prominently featured her 15 years of house arrest in Burma during the band's performances.
The visit is being organised by Amnesty International and Art for Amnesty founder Bill Shipsey has promised a "special event to mark the occasion".
Ms Suu Kyi will be presented with Amnesty International's most prestigious award -- Ambassador of Conscience -- at the concert.
It is understood that the human rights organisation asked Dublin entrepreneur Harry Crosbie to stage the event in the theatre.
Mr Crosbie, who produced a concert for Queen Elizabeth's visit last year at the Convention Centre in the capital, was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Sources close to Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore confirmed that the Burmese opposition leader would, however, not be staying overnight in Dublin.
"Ms Suu Kyi will only be in Dublin for half a day or less and the concert will be the focal point, where she will receive awards and plaudits, but no details have been finalised," said the source.
Although she will address both Houses of Parliament at Westminster in London after she leaves Ireland, it is understood that there are no plans for her to address the houses of the Oireachtas.
"The Government will be happy to facilitate anything for the celebrated visitor but they are aware Ms Suu Kyi is a guest of Amnesty International," the source said.
Prize
Ms Suu Kyi is expected to fly to Dublin from Oslo where she will formally accept the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to her in 1991.
In Dublin Ms Suu Kyi will be presented with a number of honours awarded to her during her years of house arrest, including the freedom of Dublin city, granted to her in 2000 alongside the members of U2.
Earlier this month in Burma, Ms Suu Kyi was sworn in as an MP after her National League for Democracy won 43 seats in parliament.
Although the ruling military junta kept her under house arrest for 15 years, Ms Suu Kyi was always free to leave Burma -- but she refused, fearing she would not be readmitted.
Her European tour marks the first trip outside Burma since 1988. After her release from house arrest in 2010, Ms Suu Kyi said she wanted to develop closer ties with Ireland.
Mr Gilmore said he looked forward to discussing how Ireland can assist the people of Burma with Ms Suu Kyi.

source : http://www.independent.ie/ by Sam Smyth

U2.COM : U22: Tracklisting, Video, Photos

'I'm so happy! I cried a lot when Unknown Caller didn't enter the U22, but now I'm euphoric!'

'Definitely the best fan club release to date. U2 truly knows how to take care of their fans.'

'I'm so excited to get this CD. this was my 1st concert, even tho I've loved u2 forever, what an awesome way to remember.'

'Cant wait to get my cd from the best live band of all time.'

With the imminent release of the double-live CD from U2360°, the anticipation is rising and people are posting some great comments. In the countdown to release we're adding  information about U22 to the site every day

Take a look at this new gallery collecting the live video  clips from different songs.  And check out these sneak preview images from the deluxe book that comes with  U22.

And in case you missed it, here's the tracklisting. Is it the one you predicted ? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

U22 - THE DOUBLE-LIVE CD FROM U2360°
22 TRACKS SELECTED BY U2.COM SUBSCRIBERS

DISC ONE
1. EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING
2. THE FLY
3. MYSTERIOUS WAYS
4. MAGNIFICENT
5. UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
6. I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR
7. STAY (FARAWAY, SO CLOSE!)
8. ONE TREE HILL
9. BEAUTIFUL DAY
10. ELEVATION
11. BAD

DISC TWO
12. ALL I WANT IS YOU/LOVE RESCUE ME
13. THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE
14. ZOOROPA
15. CITY OF BLINDING LIGHTS
16. MLK/WALK ON
17. ONE
18. WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME
19. ULTRA VIOLET (LIGHT MY WAY)
20. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU
21. MOMENT OF SURRENDER
22. OUT OF CONTROL

U2's Bono praises Queen's use of Gaelic during trip to Republic of Ireland

Bono made a room full of celebrities cheer when he praised the Queen for speaking in Irish during her trip to the Republic last year.
The U2 singer, Joan Collins and Sir Paul McCartney paid tribute to the Queen as she attended a Diamond Jubilee celebration of the arts at the Royal Academy of Arts in central London.
Addressing the Queen, Bono said: “I wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary magic that you made on your trip to Ireland last year.”
He joked: “And the Queen spoke Gaelic. I can't even speak Gaelic.”
She met Sir Paul and his wife Nancy Shevell as she toured the galleries of the academy.
Sir Paul declared that he was a “huge fan” of the Queen.
The former Beatle said: “It is always wonderful meeting her. She's great.
“It is always a great pleasure meeting her —– I'm a big fan.”
In another room the Queen met Dame Shirley Bassey and Joan Collins.
“I'm such a great admirer of her,” said Collins.
“I think she is the most wonderful, incredible woman and just a great Queen. There will never be anyone like her again.
“I always want to know what she keeps in the handbag.”
The Queen also met choirmaster Gareth Malone, singer Jamie Cullum and his wife Sophie Dahl, and Sir Jonathan Ive — who was knighted at Buckingham Palace yesterday.

Bono - Angel of Harlem Live at the Apollo Theater 2012 [video]

Bono performed Thursday night at the Jazz Foundation of America's (JFA) annual concert and gala at the Apollo Theater in New York City.

U2.COM : 'The forces that shape the world...'

From Africa to Facebook. At the Global Food Summit in Washington Bono talks with NBC's Andrea Mitchell.

Watch the video, read a transcript.

Here's some edited highlights.

On Ending Global Hunger
 'But what's key about today's announcement is that the President of the United States is supporting African ideas on how to fix their problem. There are country-owned, country-devised plans in 30 African countries. And that's what it will take to get that 50 million people taken ... out of hunger over the next decade.'

On The Rise of Africa
'Africa, by 2050, will double the population of China. There will be more young people on the continent of Africa than there are Chinese in 2050. They're rich. They've got all these minerals on the ground.  And the people are saying to us, the African people, they don't want aid as an ongoing basis. They need it now to help them get to a place of independence. It's a whole new development paradigm...  the old sort of donor-recipient relationship, it's over.'

On the Facebook IPO
'Contrary to reports, I'm not a billionaire or going to be richer than any Beatle - and not just in the sense of money, by the way, The Beatles are untouchable. Those billionaire reports are a joke.  In Elevation, we invest other people's money –  endowments, pension funds. We do get paid of course. But you know, I felt rich when I was 20 years old and my wife was paying my bills. Just being in a band, I’ve always felt blessed. I got interested in technology because I’m an artist, I'm interested in the forces that shape the world, politics, religion, the stuff we've been talking about today. Technology is huge, I wanted to learn about it. People might say that's odd,  but I think it's odd if artists aren't interested in the world around them. I'm always chasing that.  Facebook are an amazing team, a brilliant team, it's a technology that brings people together.'

Watch the video, read a transcript.

U2.COM : The Resource Miracle

In the new edition of Time Magazine Bono calls on the leaders of the G8, meeting in Camp David,  to ensure that a resource boom in developing regions like Africa benefits the many, not the few.

'In many ways, Africa is to this century what North America was to the 19th. It has 60% of the world's undeveloped arable land and vast reserves of coal, oil and minerals, together with enormous renewable-energy resources.

Sub-Saharan Africa is also home to 400 million of the world's poorest people. These resources should be theirs. Get the development of them right and the forthcoming financial resources--invested well--can transform the lives of countless numbers of people.'

Read Bono's article in full.

More about the G-8 Meeting on the One Blog.

U2.COM : U22 - Coming Up

It's the soundtrack of U2360°, the 22 songs were chosen by fans across the world and it's all set for release.

It's a limited-edition, double-live CD.  It's called U22 and subscribers to U2.com can start downloading it today...

From All I Want Is You to Walk On, Mysterious Ways to Bad, and Even Better Than The Real Thing to With or Without You this specially commissioned CD set runs to over two hours and is the definitive record of the 360° Tour.

It's presented in a deluxe book of live photos complete with liner notes from Adam Clayton.

Subscribe to U2.com and instantly download FOUR tracks, including 'UNKNOWN CALLER', a bonus track that's not on U22.

On May 30th EIGHT more tracks from the 22 on the double CD will be available to download  - and U22 will be in the mail.

Check out the benefits of a U2.com subscription...  and start downloading these live songs from U2360°

U2 boss tells of hairy times in early days

THE manager of rock band Spinal Tap kept a cricket bat handy to deal with trouble.

But U2 boss Paul McGuinness revealed last night how he once used his bare hands to eject a troublemaker "by the hair or in a headlock" from one of his band's earliest gigs. The setting was the Project Arts Centre in Dublin in May 1978 when notorious gang the 'Black Catholics' attempted to disrupt one of U2's first live shows.

"The Black Catholics were dedicated to breaking up other people's gigs. I gained an early and completely undeserved reputation for physical violence by taking one of them out into the street beside the Project," recounted Mr McGuinness as he launched an exhibition of early U2 photographs in Dublin last night.

Thankfully, the now ageing Black Catholics didn't show up last night to disrupt the opening of 'U2: 1978-81' at the Little Museum of Dublin on Stephen's Green.

However in attendance were many of Bono and Co's long- standing friends including Virgin Prunes Gavin Friday and Guggi, venue owner Harry Crosbie, DJ Dave Fanning and presenter Lorraine Keane.

In his speech Mr Guinness recalled how one the first things he did for U2 was buy the underage teenagers "a round of drinks" on the night he agreed to manage them in the Project Art Centre on May 25, 1978.

It was the late 'Hot Press' journalist Bill Graham who had introduced Mr Guinness to the young U2.

"U2 tricked Bill into coming to one of their early rehearsals. They played him a few of their 'own songs' but Bill made them stop and said: 'hang on, all these songs you're playing are by the Ramones'.

"U2 said 'Okay, you're right, but we're going to write some great songs' and that's what they have been doing ever since," added Mr McGuinness.

Bono was an absentee from the opening as he celebrated his 52nd birthday in the US with his family, including daughter Jordan Hewson -- who was celebrating her 23rd birthday yesterday.

Photographer Patrick Brocklebank, who took the 32 early photos of U2, revealed how he first heard the group on Dublin pirate radio station BIG D.

"They sounded pretty raw. Off stage Bono was a bit loose with his tongue, The Edge seemed like an academic, Adam was a lad around town, but one with a purpose, and Larry was just a schoolboy," he said.

Indeed, the young Larry Mullen doesn't appear in some of the photographs because he busy with schoolwork, with his place taken in the shots by Guggi, then a member of rival band The Virgin Prunes.

"Looking back it wasn't so much U2's music that impressed me. It was U2 as people," said Guggi.

Limited edition prints from the exhibition are on sale at www.littlemuseum.ie.

'U2 1978-81' runs at the Little Museum of Dublin until September 1.

source : http://www.independent.ie/

U2.COM : 'U2 1978-1981'

Paul McGuinness was at the Little Museum in Dublin tonight, launching an exhibition of rare photos from the earliest days of U2.

The photographs were taken by Dubliner Patrick Brocklebank, who worked as a graphic artist and photographer in the 1970s.

 'Because I was always in town,' recalls Brocklebank, 'And because we were the same age, I’d often see U2 around the place. The show records the energy and ambition of a local band that would later conquer the world.'

At tonight's opening, Paul remembered being introduced to the band by Bill Graham of Hot Press. 'U2 tricked Bill into coming to one of their early rehearsals. They played him a few of their 'own songs' but Bill made them stop and said: 'hang on, all these songs you're playing are by the Ramones'.
'U2 said 'Okay, you're right, but we're going to write some great songs' and that's what they have been doing ever since.'

Paul recalled the music press and pirate radio stations of the late 1970s and reminisced about early  shows at Dandelion Market and the Project Arts Centre, when, on one occasion, a gang known as the 'Black Catholics' showed up.
'The Black Catholics were dedicated to breaking up other people's gigs. I gained an early and completely undeserved reputation for physical violence by taking one of them out into the street beside the Project.'

Also joining Patrick Brocklebank at the launch were luminaries from the Irish music scene and friends of the band including Gavin Friday, Niall Stokes,  John Stephenson - who ran the Project Arts Centre - and Dave Fanning.

U2: 1978-81 will run at the Little Museum of Dublin until September 2nd. More here.

Glen Hansard ft. Bono - The Auld Triangle [video]

Live at The Living Room NYC May 8 2012 filmed by Patrick Glennon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B-MAN!

“Celebrity is currency, so I wanted to use mine effectively.”
Bono

U2.COM : 'The First One Of Your Kind'

A new version of Original of the Species, recorded by Bono and Edge, features on a benefit CD produced by Every Mother Counts, raising funds to support maternal healthcare worldwide.

The 19-track CD, which includes songs by Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, Lauryn Hill, Eddie Vedder, David Bowie, Patti Smith and Coldplay, is on sale through Starbucks and $8 of every sale will be invested in life-saving maternal health programmes worlwide.

A woman dies every 90 seconds from complications in pregnancy but 90% of these deaths are preventable. While these deaths devastate children, families, and communities,  maternal mortality is an issue that many people don't notice. Christy Turlington Burns founded Every Mother Counts to boost awareness of this crisis and - and of solutions which will improve life for women worldwide. She was inspired by her own experiences and the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal to reduce maternal mortality by 75% by 2015.

Every Mother Counts 2012, the second album to be released for the organization, is available exclusively at Starbucks during May in celebration of Mother’s Day.

'I went to friends first, as I did with the first CD,' Christy told Rolling Stone. 'Bono and Chris Martin were great supporters of the project the first time around, and when I knew I wanted to include men on this album they were obvious choices. They are also both fathers to daughters.'

Speaking about 'Original of the Species', she said, 'Bono wrote the song with his daughters in mind. It's wishful and imparts the idea that, 'I'm here and I'm watching you take your steps forward and I'm supporting your independence, but at the same time, I don't want you to make mistakes.' Any parent can relate to that.'

Find out more about Every Mother Counts.

Get your copy of the CD.

U2.COM : Toast To Freedom

'Toast To Freedom' an exclusive commemorative song dedicated to human rights activism around the world and performed by nearly 50 artists, is released today by Amnesty International.

Written by music veterans Carl Carlton and Larry Campbell, performers include Levon Helm, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, Angelique Kidjo, Ewan McGregor, Donald Fagen, Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, Eric Burdon, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, Rosanne Cash and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

'Amnesty should have their very own song to sing in happy times and in struggling times.' says Carlton. 'To celebrate both small and monumental victories, to comfort loss and overcome pain.'

The track, released to coincide with World Press Freedom Day,  is available for purchase online worldwide and proceeds will benefit Amnesty International. Read more about how the song came together here.

 'Toast To Freedom' was inspired by Carlton, a longtime supporter of Amnesty International, who  teamed up with entrepreneur Jochen Wilms  and Art for Amnesty founder Bill Shipsey, longtime collaborator with U2 in their work with Amnesty International.

The basic tracks were recorded at the legendary Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, N.Y,  and following Helms death on April 19, Wilms said: 'Levon was one great soul. I am so grateful we got to work with him, his outstanding band and team in his barn in Woodstock. He was an inspiration and our muse. The song “Toast To Freedom” is dedicated to Amnesty International but in a certain way is now a 'Toast To Levon' and a celebration for him as well: Truth, heart and soul were always part of Levon’s DNA and are the essential basis of Amnesty International and our project. We will miss him and love him forever.'

Visit the Toast To Freedom website. Buy the song from iTunes.