U2

• Paul Hewson AKA Bono - vocals
• Dave Evans AKA The Edge - guitar
• Adam Clayton - bass
• Larry Mullins - drums
  
  
  above: U2 at Dark Space, Projects Arts, February 1979

Bio:

Ireland's most famous rock band, previously known as Feedback and The Hype (and according to an Evening Press article in March 1978 "U2 Malahide", though this was probably the result of confusion on the part of a journalist). These earlier incarnations of the band included Dave's brother Dik Evans of the Virgin Prunes as second guitarist.

By 1978 U2 were a stable, gigging band who'd won the Limerick Civic Week Pop '78 competition in March and were gaining the support of Bill Graham and Hot Press. They also had crucial early support from key UK music journalists Dave McCullough and Paul Merton. They appeared on Irish TV several times that year (see the Videos page for details). In 1979 they played a series of legendary gigs at the Dandelion Market which many now claim to have attended:

• Saturday 12 May 1979
• Saturday 28 July 1979 with The Strougers
• Saturday 11 August 1979
• Sunday 9 September 1979
• Saturday 15 September 1979
• Saturday 22 September 1979
• Saturday 17 November 1979 with The Epidemix
• Sunday 23 December 1979 with The Threat

They were signed to CBS Records in 1979 and released their debut single in September. Their first trip to London was after the November gig with the Epidemix (it was billed as a "farewell gig") and played their last Dandelion show in December 1979 after returning from London.

The early singles and first two albums are excellent post-punk/new wave records. All are well worth owning though "October" is perhaps a classic example of the 'difficult' second album. They were accused of plagarism at the time (Ian McCulloch of Echo & The Bunnymen was forever sniping in the press) but that was nonsense. However, for various reasons their records gradually became unlistenable, in direct proportion to their attempt to break in USA, peaking with the godawful "Joshua Tree", and remaining so until 2000's "All That You Leave Behind".

Note: the bands discography is presented here up to about 1982, focussing on Irish releases. There are several excellent and highly scientific websites which delve into the minutae of the Irish CBS releases. Please refer to them for such matters, i.e. please do not email me anymore about whether your copy is a first pressing or not!

tracks: Stories For Boys (early version)

 

tracks: Out Of Control / Stories For Boys / Boy-Girl

Notes: The U2 3 EP spent 2 weeks in the Irish charts beginning 29 October 1979, peaking at #19. None of U2's subsequent singles charted in Ireland until "Fire" in 1981.

1st press - label: Ireland spelt correctly, band name on both sides; CBS disco bag with hand-numbered sticker, limited to 1000 copies Beware bootleg editions of the handnumbered sticker!
2nd press - label: Ireland misspelt, band name on both sides; CBS disco bag
3rd press - label: Ireland misspelt, band name on one side; CBS disco bag
4th press - label: Ireland misspelt, band name on one side; black bag

 

tracks: Out Of Control / Stories For Boys / Boy-Girl

Notes: The U2 3 EP spent 2 weeks in the Irish charts beginning 29 October 1979, peaking at #19 by which time all 1000 copies of the original numbered 12inch edition had sold out. None of U2's subsequent singles charted in Ireland until "Fire" in 1981.
The 4th press may not be a distinct pressing, it may simply be the pressing plant ran out of CBS bags and switched to plain black bags; there are also 1st pressing labels in un-numbered CBS bags, suggesting either MORE than 1000 were actually pressed and the excess copies were sold, or some of the original 1000 became separated from their original stickered bag.

tracks: Out Of Control / Stories For Boys / Boy-Girl

 

 

 

side one:
I Will Follow
Twilight
An Cat Dubh
Into The Heart
Out Of Control

side two:
Stories For Boys
The Ocean
A Day Without Me
Another Time, Another Place
The Electric Co.
Shadows and Tall Trees
(uncredited 50 second track)

Most early pressings have an uncredited bonus track at the end of side two, usually considered an early version of "Fire".

 

side one:
Fire

side two:
J.Swallo

side three:
11 O'Clock Tick Tock
The Ocean

side four:
Cry
The Electric Co.

Notes: Second disc recorded live in Boston on 6 March 1981

side one:
Fire
J.Swallo

side two:
11 O'Clock Tick Tock
The Ocean

Notes: Side two recorded live in Boston on 6 March 1981

side one:
Gloria
I Fall Down
I Threw A Brick Through A Window
Rejoice
Fire

side two:
Tomorrow
October
With a Shout (Jerusalem)
Stranger in a Strange Land
Scarlet
Is That All ?

Notes:
Note this set is not strictly chronological. It collects Irish singles 1, 2, 3 and 5. Was this done to make sure the 2nd singles pack was a more attractive proposition with more non-LP tracks?

Notes:
Note this set is not strictly chronological. It collects Irish singles 4, 6, 7 and 8. Was this done to make sure the 2nd singles pack was a more attractive proposition with more non-LP tracks?

We need your help to correct and/or complete this entry. If you can provide more information about this band, have scans, photos or any other memorabilia we can use, or spare copies of any releases, then please get in touch.