So where were the stolen Achtung demos stolen from?

[whatdoyouwant]

Does anyone have any sources they can point to about where the stolen AB demos came from?

The Sky Down documentary has me all confused about when in the time line those sessions occurred.

They're usually labled on bootlegs as being from Berlin. But I thought that was untrue, and they were from an STS Studios session prior to Berlin.

The documentary doesn't make any mention of this STS session (or the stolen demos for that matter), but does talk about a pre-Berlin session with Bono and Edge working out loops and such. (Is this where Korova comes from? And how much more Korova-related material do you think there is? Why was that project abandoned?)

I used to have books that described that whole era, but no longer. I can't recall the details, and all this Achtung hype is getting to me - I need to, like, nerd-out for a while.

Anyway, for a few tracks on the stolen demos, I thought the band sounded in great form, really "on". The Real Thing demo, Blow Your House Down, Take You Down/Wake Up Dead Man, Acrobat, End of the World - those were really strong - and kind of made me believe this is what they did *after* Berlin, and not before. They don't sonically sound like Achtung yet, but they don't sound like a band in despair either.

Maybe the 9000 takes of Salome are a bit of despair, but really, one of the takes of Blow Your House Down on the stolen demos is one of the best tracks in their cannon - even with all the unfinished of it.

But after seeing Sky Down, it seems like the stolen tapes weren't from the post-Berlin Dublin sessions either.

Didn't they first appear on vinyl some time in the summer of 1991? I'd have loved to have heard about this on the documentary - and about the Negativland fiasco.

The other fact that always was odd to me, was that the 3-CD set of demos first appeared with the title "Salome: The Axtung Beibi Outtakes" in early 1992, some months before Salome was ever issued as a B-side. Yet in all those early takes of Salome, Bono never sings the title.

And how in the heck (and when) did a 7 CD version turn up?

 

[Blue Room]

I can only offer what I remember hearing back then in interviews from the band and with bootleggers at record shows back then. So this may not be completely accurate. Supposedly a DAT tape of the sessions was stolen from a band members hotel room in Berlin. They were pressed on vinyl by a German bootleg company. Island and Principle supposedly traced them and shut the factory down fairly quickly. But the cat was already out of the bag so to speak. The DAT was either copied or the original surfaced elsewhere and was put to CD the next year. The 7 disc version had been around the same amount of time but was not bootlegged because there is so much redundency in it. So it did not surface in mass until downloading became more prevalent down the line.

I purchased my 8 LP set of the original bootleg in late summer 1991 from the local import record dealer for $80.

 

[whatdoyouwant]

I purchased my 8 LP set of the original bootleg in late summer 1991 from the local import record dealer for $80.

That's really sweet. Do you remember your first impressions when hearing them? Had the news broken by then?

Thanks for the anecdote. Sounds familiar.

 

[Y2K]

Details Magazine, Sept 1992

During the prerecording, disaster struck. Master tapes recorded in Hansa studios were stolen and a bootleg of these works-in-progress surfaced across Europe. It was comprised of various album-track demos and songs that may never see the light of day in any other form. At the time, Bono dismissed the bootleg as "gobbledygook," but now, in California, the Edge makes no bones about his lasting discomfort: "It was like being violated. People are listening to very private things, stolen things. Most of it is just mumbo-jumbo crap, but it's made significant by becoming a U2 artifact. Even U2 goofing around becomes an artifact!"

"We've always had this idea that what was special about U2 was the spirit, that you could tear away at the flesh of the group but the spirit would remain intact," elaborates Bono, warming to the subject of both the bootleg and the official LP.

LA Times, May 1991

Rock radio isn't playing it. Record stores won't sell it. The band's record company hasn't even heard of it.

But U2 fans, both in America and across much of Europe, have quietly been taping and circulating a bootleg four-album set of rough, sometimes unfinished mixes of the band's long-awaited new album. Titled The New U2: Rehearsals and Full Versions, the album is being sold with two discs to a jacket, offering nearly 30 new songs, including such possible new material as "She's Gonna Blow Your House Down," "Sweet Baby Jane," "I Feel Free," "Don't Say Goodbye" and "Don't Let the Dues Get You Down."

It's impossible to say how many copies of the bootleg exist. But the album has caused an immediate stir, especially with U2 having been out of the public eye for the past two years. Many superstar rock bands have seen their live material or studio outtakes bootlegged, but not until after the group's new album has surfaced. In this case, The New U2 arrives while the band is still recording, with its album untitled and not scheduled for release until October.

"What makes this almost unprecedented is that these are tapes of songs that aren't even finished yet," says Pete Howard, publisher of the International CD Exchange newsletter, who says he received the bootleg from an anonymous subscriber. "Some of the songs sound close to being final versions, but others are still instrumentals without vocal tracks. You can even hear (lead singer) Bono signaling the band to go into a bridge or chorus."

Howard, who madvere clear he has not copied the bootleg or played it for anyone, says he thinks it has the makings of a "really strong" album. "It reminds me a lot of U2 during its Unforgettable Fire era. But it raises all sorts of huge potential problems. These people aren't just passing around tapes. They're pressing records. With U2 fans being as fanatical as they are, you'd have to assume that with the ease of today's copying processes, that these tapes could multiply at an incredible speed."

News of the bootleg hasn't gone over well with U2 or Island Records, which took out a full-page ad in the British pop publication Music Week, warning record stores that the label will "take legal proceedings" against anyone selling the bootlegs. Island general manager Andy Allen added: "We take the same position here that our counterparts have in England. We will vigorously prosecute these bootleggers."

Bandleader Bono could not be reached directly, but through a press spokesman he lambasted the bootlegs as "gobbledygook -- I don't know why anyone would be interested in them."

According to the U2 grapevine, the bootleg tapes were obtained after the band left rough mixes in a Berlin hotel trash can, where they were retrieved by curious hotel chambermaids. U2 insiders suspect that the tapes date back to the band's recording sessions last year at Berlin's Hansa Studios. But a spokesman insisted: "It's impossible to fathom the band leaving these tapes in the hotel trash. They would always be under lock and key."

Legally, the band has every right to suppress the bootlegs -- if they can find them. "You only register the copyright for songs when the album comes out, but the copyright protection is in effect as soon as you finish cutting the song," explains Peter Paterno, a former entertainment attorney who now runs Hollywood Records. "I'd get the RIAA to try and confiscate the tapes. But it's not such a terrible thing for the band. I think people will go out and buy the real thing too."

Radio programmers, citing a recent incident where Geffen Records sued rock station WMMS-FM in Cleveland for airing a bootleg copy of a new Guns N' Roses song, say they would think twice before airing any U2 material. And Bob Say, general manager of the trend-setting Moby Disc record store chain, says the retail bootleg market in Los Angeles has completely dried up.

"You'd have to be crazy to sell a bootleg in this day and age," he explains. "Nobody wants to take a chance on getting busted. Anyway, having a U2 bootleg out right now -- with all the press attention it's bound to get -- wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"We barely sell any of their records anymore. It's the same with Bruce Springsteen -- it's almost embarrassing how few albums he sells. So to get a lot of attention focused on a bootleg would get the band's name out in public, which might be good for them right now."

 

[nathan1977]

Interesting how substantially U2's following had seemingly dried up by 1991.

 

[Chrisedge]

I think the 7 CD version is "closer" to the original DAT than the first CD pressings were. There are skips in the 3 CD version that aren't as noticible on the 7 CD version. Plus a few of the songs have more at the end/beginning on the 7 CD one, than on the 3 CD one. I can go back and look at the original files I got, and see when the creation dates are, since I was the one that wrote out the titles and descriptions of the 7 CD set.

 

[everkier161]

it always seemed to me that at least part of the material was recorded at STS (Where did it all go wrong...) - just because the tapes were stolen in berlin doesn't mean that they were recorded there. my uninformed but educated guess is that this was material recorded the summer before that they wanted to revisit, so it was brought along.

 

[Chrisedge]

U2 - The Achtung Baby Working Tapes

In the winter of 1990, U2 were hard at work in Hansa Ton recording studios in Berlin, Germany. The ultimate result of this
effort would be the November '91 release of their next album, "Achtung Baby". However, in December 1990 that album was
a great ways off, because U2 (unlike most other bands) entered the studio with very few lyric or song ideas. Instead, U2
came into the studio to create as well as record. Here they sought inspirations for songs from playing together. They would
'etch' out ideas while improvising around some basic idea, or riff. Since all this 'jamming' was taking place in a recording
studio, even the simplest of ideas was captured on tape. The highlights of these tapes were then edited down and compiled
into 'working tapes' recorded onto DAT (Digital Audio Tape) casettes. Tapes of this nature were used to hold possible song
ideas, as well as a means for Brian Eno (and others) to hear the band's progress and make suggestions about the music.

In April of 1991, it was announced that such tapes had found their way into the hand's of bootleggers. Since then, the U2
'working tapes' have been pressed in a variety of forms.

May 1991 - THE NEW U2: REHEARSALS AND FULL VERSIONS The debut pressing of the sessions. Available on
vinyl only, as two separate double album packages. The covers were identical except for the colors of the lettering. One
cover featured silver lettering, while the other had gold. In this pressing both LP's of the silver lettered album proved to be
identical. This resulted in four LP's being released, but with only three LP's worth of material.

June 1991 - THE NEW U2: REHEARSALS AND FULL VERSIONS It was widely rumored that the set had been
pressed again, but this time without any duplication between the LP's. If true, this meant that there were now four LP's worth
of material available.

Nov. 1991 - THE NEW U2: REHEARSALS AND FULL VERSIONS This time the pressings were released as a boxed
set of 5 LP's. Surprisingly, there was no duplication within the set. All of these LP's were pressed on translucent vinyl, in
either blue or green (pink pressings have also been rumored). There were now 5 LP's worth of material available, which
came to a staggering total of 3 hours, 27 minutes, and 28 seconds.

Feb. 1992 - SALOME: THE [AXTUNG BEIBI] OUTAKES (sic) This was the release that had been deemed "too hot" to
ever be pressed. The complete three and half hours worth of material were now available as a triple compact disc set. Since
these CD's were mastered from the original DAT recordings, there's no quality loss between the original working tapes and
these CD's. Thus the sound quality is far superior to the LP's. The title (Salome) is believed to have been a working title used
during the Achtung Baby sessions, but it's not clear which song it was refering to.

With these releases U2 found themselves in the dubious position of being: "the first major band to have studio sessions
released before the finished product was either released, abandoned or the group broke up".

U2's manager Paul McGuiness reacted to the bootlegs by releasing a press statement accusing the bootleggers of cheating the
fans by passing off inferior material. He also stated that the finished product had evolved by leaps and bounds from what was
being illegally circulated.

Regardless of the superior polish of the finished material released as "Achtung Baby", the material found on the bootlegs is
fascinating in and of itself. The most compelling aspect about the bootleged material is that, rather than offering slightly
alternative versions of tracks found on the finished record, they instead reveal the songwriting process itself. Familiar solos,
bass lines, bridges and riffs abound, and there is also a host of interesting songs that didn't find their way onto "Achtung
Baby".

What follows are pseudo "liner notes" for the Achtung Baby 'working tapes'. For the purpose of these notes, the "Salome"
triple CD set is used as the source of reference.

Due to the nature of the recordings, the actual TITLES of the songs are unknown. This makes discussions of the material very
difficult unless you happen to have the CD's available for play at the moment of conversation, or are able to remember the
running order of each disc. Therefore, "Fan Working Titles" (hereafter referred to as FWT) have been created. These are
only meant as an aid when discussing and digesting this material, and do not represent what U2 might have actually called the
songs. FWT's also help keep a lineage evident as a song evolves.

These "notes" attempt to describe the songs musically and provide an audible association with the FWT's. These are followed
by one or more "sound bites" of lyrics from Bono. These "sound bytes" further aid in the identification of the track for
conversational reference, and are labled with the approximate time of their occurance in brakets. The quoted material under
"Bono -" are silly and/or amusing things Bono says (as opposed to sings). ENJOY!

Disc 1, Track 1 (5:59)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: This song must have been the most painful to evolve, since there are more takes of it than any other on SALOME.
You can virtually sing the words to Salome' (from the CD single of Even Better Than The Real Thing) to this take. Perhaps
it's title here still should be Got To Get Together Now, but it's Salome' for identity purposes. The bassline leads one to
believe this is an early form of ZOO STATION. Later also takes support this theory.
Words?
"Love, baby please don't go"
"We got to get together now...break!"

Disc 1, Track 2 (4:11)
FWT: Where Did It All Go Wrong?
NOTES: Here, all 4 members of U2 keep up a frantic pace resulting in a fast, hard driving song that sounds GREAT! It's
very repetitive, but that's the hook. It's all 4 members of U2 moving pretty fast. The music "skips" at 2:21.
Words?
"Did you want it?"
"Did you get it?"
"Did you feel it?"

Disc 1, Track 3 (3:44)
FWT: Where Did It All Go Wrong?
NOTES: A much more catchy version with a cool, albeit out of place, bridge.
Words?
"did you get it?"
"did you need it?"
"did you really get what you wanted?"

Disc 1, Track 4 (6:48)
FWT: Heaven And Hell
NOTES: U2 playing the same instrumental backing as DOCTOR DOCTOR, but with Bono singing completely different
words. A great slow song with a nice "fat" organ sound.
Words?
"Nothing's feels like this before now
Your heaven and hell
Baby, you're heaven and hell
Heaven and hell"
"Oh, heaven and hell
Anytime
I wanna chance to hold you
I wanna chance to kill you
I wanna chance to keep you awake at night
When the sunlight bursts through the room
But you can't always get everything you want
You take cards from all under the table
You're heaven
Heaven and hell
Baby you're heaven
Heaven and hell
Yeah, you're heaven
Heaven and hell"
Bono- "The organ, just organ"[4:24],
The band stops, organ picks up, and then band comes back in.
"Organ"[5:36], the organ cuts in beautifully.
"This time when we come in, I want it quietly. Not the drums but everyone else."[5:44]

Disc 1, Track 5 (2:36)
FWT: Doctor Doctor
NOTES: U2 playing the same instrumental backing as HEAVEN AND HELL, but Bono singing completely different words.
The music "skips" at 1:47, Fades out at 1:51, and back in at 1:55, and then back out again at 2:35.
Words?
"I can't hold you back"
"Doctor, Doctor
Tell me what to do
I got heartbreak in my pocket
I got sunlight next to you
Doctor, doctor
Will the difference be adjourned?"

Disc 1, Track 6 (3:57)
FWT: Jitterbug Baby
NOTES: This song fades in with a bouncy guitar riff and Bono singing in a low voice. There's plenty of reverb on Bono and
plenty of Edge "cutting" to ensure this song being scrapped early on. The words are quite lost in the mix.
Words?
"Jitterbug Baby"
"Ahhhhhaaaahhhh
Ahhhhhaaaahhhh
Jitterbug Baby"
Jitterbug, I got my high heeld shoes"
"Ooohhhhoooooh
Ooohhhhoooooh, ya!"
"Jitterbug Baby
Out love is bad
When the sun is burning
And our love comes to
I got my high heel love
??
I am running to
My little Jitterbug Baby
Ahhhhhaaaahhhh"
Bono- "Ok, here we go!"[2:28]

Disc 1, Track 7 (9:16)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: A real bridge take. You can hear U2 take a song that wasn't working for them and change it drastically to try and
make something out of it. The change was for a slower "less crowded" sound which results in a bored sounding band.
Towards the end of the take you can hear the familiar ZOO STATION-ish sounds coming forth in bursts. At 5:31 Bono
sings something that prompts Larry to drum a little faster, this in turn has The Edge (around 6:40) changing his guitar melody.
It changes the whole sound quite a bit! At 7:00 Bono re-introduces lyrics from the beginning of the song (why?), but soon
calls out "We're going into the F, going down to the F" which brings them into some place completely different. "E minor"
from Bono changes the sound of things even further. It seems something happens on the spur of the moment that changes the
song more than the simple chord changes. At 7:37 things really start coming together, so much as to prompt Bono to say (at
7:55) "That's really great stuff, Larry Mullen." Further toying with the song ultimately wears them down, and at 9:10 the steam
runs out very suddenly.
Words?
"We got to, got to get it together...."
"Oh, honey child, oh honey child, honey child."
"I like when the hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-lights burnin'"
"I feel this love is getting higher. "
Bono- "Chorus! Ah, la la got to get to gether now.
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Ya got to get together now- stop! Two, three, four."

Disc 1, Track 8 (5:37)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: The beginning sounds almost like a "remixed" version of the song. U2 seem to be taken by the idea of radically
changing the songs in an effort to spur creativity. There's a great deal of "production" on this take; plenty of assorted effects
and sound loops. The vocals can be heard, but it is difficult to understand much of what is being said. This songs later
evolution into ZOO STATION is most evident in this take, especially toward the end (ie, the fuzzy booming sound at 3:14).
The familiar ZOO STATION loop of clanking bells can also be heard throughout the song.
Words?
"well, you're high as a kite
burning with all your might"

Disc 1, Track 9 (8:49)
FWT: Sunset In Colors
NOTES: A loose melody, mostly instrumental with a very bright sound. A very good song consisting mainly of The Edge on
lead guitar.
Words?
"Here comes the sunset, it comes in colors...
Don't change it."
"I'm lost and I'm wasting all your time.
Here comes changes, coming all the time."
Bono- "I still can't hear my voice. Can you turn it up? yeah, nice... A little reverb?"

[Editors note: On the Salome CD, the following track is erroneously indexed as part of track 9 at 8:52. Therefore, what is
discussed here as tracks 11 and 12, are indexed as tracks 10 and 11. For the purpose of these notes, the indexing error has
been ignored in an effort to correspond with corrected pressings in the future.]

Disc 1, Track 10 (6:08)
FWT: Chances Away
NOTES: Demo sounding with only few words from Bono (though he seems to know the music!). Bono sings bits of TAKE
YOU DOWN, another song from these sessions. This is an early form of UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD. The
familiar riff is heard at the end of the choruses (indexed: 4:14, non-indexed: 10:22) words? "Don't hide away...you've got to
take your chances." bono- "Adam go around until you can hear the drums. You know the chords by now. It's the same
thing."[indexed: 3:16, non-indexed: 12:08] "Okay, it's the verse. Okay, verse- one, two, three..."[indexed: 5:20, non-indexed:
14:12]

Disc 1, Track 11 (1:40)
FWT: Chances Away
NOTES: Fades in for short while and then back out again. Odd. Perhaps there is something in this short clip that U2 wanted
to keep for future reference.

Disc 1, Track 12 (6:35)
FWT: I Feel Free
NOTES: Both Bono and The Edge sing vocals on this track, making it sound more planned, rather than the brainstorming
session we heard in CHANCES AWAY. Almost immediately we hear the familiar riff from CHANCES AWAY, only this
time it is the basis of the song instead of the second half of the chorus. This is an early form of UNTIL THE END OF THE
WORLD.
Words?
"We shadow down, shadow down by the water"
"Don't lock me down, lock me down.
I feel free. I feel free.
And I Feel Free. I Feel Free."
"Iiiieeeee feeeeeeeeeeeel freeeeeeeeeeee yeeaahh!"

Disc 2, Track 1 (4:31)
FWT: I Feel Free
NOTES: A fantastic shriek from Bono at beginning. The UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD guitar riff is the basis for the
whole song. Vocals are mostly Bono, but The Edge provides backup. This take is much more free-form than Disc 1, track
12. This is an early form of UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD.
Words?
"Where did you go?
Where did you go?
I'd really like to know."
"i.. i.. i.. feel free..."

Disc 2, Track 2 (2:02)
FWT: Sweet Baby Jane
NOTES: Bono sings the first verse acapella (and stammers on a word!) in a thick 'Bongloese'. The Edge follows him with
guitar, then they both join up. Adam comes in later. No Drums.
Words? (This was only attempted because the first verse is just Bono with no backing.)
"And I'll come in to say goodbye
Took in seargant maims my b-bye
More than dreams and the bottom'll come
When she would encumber writing well"
(Good luck on further figuring out what he's singing.)
"And if you catch me I'll take your time"
"Sweet baby Jane, sweet baby Jane.
Sweet baby Jane, sweet baby Jane."
"And if you call, I'll come running'
And if you ask, I will be given.
And if you need me, I will be here."

Disc 2, Track 3 (5:35)
FWT: Morning Child / Don't Turn Around
NOTES: This song is an early form of WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES. Bono sings "sweet morning child"
a few times then later sings "don't turn around" to the same melody. Bono asks for lyrics! Bono tells Edge [4:17]"Say 'don't
turn around' over and over again." and The Edge creates instant backup vocals. The audio cuts to silence for about one
second at 4:48. When it returns Bono says, "Try not to do that". At the end of the take Bono says "That alright mates?",
someone replies, "Yeah, that was real perfect."
Words?
"Baby sweet talking baby
Around..
Don't turn around and see
Don't turn around.
We're suffering the same.
Don't turn, we'll break."
"Don't turn around, don't turn around again"
"Don't turn.. Caledonia,
Caledonia, Caledonia.. Don't turn around"
Bono- "I don't know too many words"
"Is this the chorus?"
"It's the verse again?"
"This is the chorus, yeah..."
"Sing 'don't turn around' over and again so I can keep singing"
(And The Edge sings backup)

Disc 2, Track 4 (4:00)
FWT: Morning Child / Don't Turn Around
NOTES: This song is an early form of WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES. In this take you can really hear the
acoustic guitar. The bridge here is similar to how it turns out on the album (only better in my opinion; Bono barely sings at all
during this bridge). Bono starts singing "morning child" towards the end of the take.
Words?
"No, don't...ask why. Oh, no don't ask questions."
"Morning morning morning morning child.
Oh, lonely child."

Disc 2, Track 5 (5:09)
FWT: Morning Child / Don't Turn Around
Notes: This song is an early form of WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES. Bono sings "don't say goodbye"
several times in the same melody as he sings "morning child" and "don't turn around". Bono goes for some vocal calisthetics
toward the end of the take.
Words?
"I've been down there, been down
I've been down, I've been down there...
I've been down there, oh, I've been down there."
"Don't you turn around, don't turn around."
"Oh, in your eyes an angel dies
Love in the shadows and in December rain"
"Oh, don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye..." etc.

Disc 2, Track 6 (6:29)
FWT: Take Today
NOTES: Nice instrumental song with harmonica and horns.

Disc 2, Track 7 (4:51)
FWT: Even Better Than The Real Thing
NOTES: This is pretty much an instrumental version of EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING. You can practically
sing along with this one. The crescendo ending is fantastic, much better than the commercial version.

Disc 2, Track 8 (7:44)
FWT: She's gonna Turn Your Head Around
NOTES: This "version" sounds very little like what it later evolves/changes into. The vocals have a heavy, plate sounding
reverb. The audio is quieter than other tracks. It fades out early. Bono sings "she's gonna take her chances, gonna take her
chances" to what will be the melody of "She's gonna turn your head around" He also sings some other stuff to the same
melody. Bono adlibs though much of the song. Doesn't Larry ever get tired?
Words?
"How does it feel when you're letting go?"
"How does it fell when you're out of control?"
"Is anybody calling? Is anybody home? Is anybody Home?".
"I'm calling out for love. Is anybody home?"
"Sugar cane, sugar cane, sugar cane, sugar cane,"etc.
"Midnight is when the day begins. Midnight."
Bono: Sounds like a lot of improvisation here.
"Just drums."[2:55], the band cuts to just drums for a bit.)
"Edge- dooh dooh dooh"[7:11] (The Edge follows Bono's vocals w/guitar.)
"Doo doo dooo dooo dooo"[7:37]

Disc 2, Track 9 (7:38)
FWT: She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around
NOTES: There is now much less echo, more song structure, and a normal volume level. The chorus, "she's gonna blow your
house down, she's gonna turn your head around, she's gonna blow your house down", is now consistent now. This take
KICKS!
Words?
"She's gonna blow your house down, she's gonna take
your head off, she's gonna take you down"
Bono: "Bridge! How does it feel when you've gone into the Bridge now? How
does it feel when you're in the Bridge?
Bridge, in the bridge, in the bridge, and Chorus!
She's gonna blow your house down,
take your head around, she's gonna blow your house Down."
"Let's do the bridge again"
"Bridge. Dah, dah, dah, dah.. AND INTO THE CHORUS!"

Disc 2, Track 10 (5:33)
FWT: Back Mask U2
NOTES: This is an early form of SO CRUEL. The connection becomes more evident later on. There's plenty of percussion
playing backwards behind the band. The sound is slow and depressing. Bono mumbles through most of the song (a la ELVIS
PRESLEY AND AMERICA). Toward the end it becomes mainly instrumental, although at x:xx we hear a line we know
from SO CRUEL.
Words?
"And the day is dry.
And there's no water.
And you can't see the road ahead,
You can only see her."
"Woman... Woman..."
"A promise comes to this house, Where no one can sleep."

Disc 2, Track 11 (7:41)

NOTES: Bono says "wake up!" a lot. The melody has changed a little bit. Bono sings, "better wake up, better wake up
tonight, better find a new plan, better wake up tonight." to the melody of SHE'S GONNA TURN YOUR HEAD AROUND
chorus. Bono sings in a very high pitched voice towards the end, "she's gonna blow your house down, she's gonna turn your
head around, she's gonna take you down". It's as if he finally figured out the chorus!.
Words?
"How does it feel when your head is full of soul?"
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
Bono: "Here comes the chorus"[0:27]
"Better wake up, wake up tonight. Better sing a new song... so long."[4:29]

Disc 2, Track 12 (6:32)
FWT: Take Today
NOTES: This version has Bono singing, and The Edge doing backup. Sounds sort of "family" like. The audio cuts to silence
for about 1/10th of a second at 5:14. Another drop out is heard at 6:28.
Words?
"And you know
And you know that's going to be alright
No one's gonna tear
No one's gonna tear us apart
Every summer
Every summer's gonna be alright
I'll come by
At July
Yeah, come by in July
Every summer."
"If you want to take tomorrow,
Then you've got to take today."
Bono: "You're on the air... Okay, here we go..."[0:14]
"...then you've got to seize the day."[4:23]

Disc 3, Track 1 (1:05)
FWT: Someone
NOTES: This is a short clip of a song that sounds like a jam session.
Something must be in this clip that U2 wanted to save for later development.
Words?
"And you're calling out to someone
You believe is in your heart"

Disc 3, Track 2 (3:11)
FWT: Back Mask U2
NOTES: This is an early form of SO CRUEL. This is evident not only in the percussion, but also in the general emotion of the
song (specifically, the last two lines of the take). One can really understand what Bono is singing!
Words?
"When the night turns mean on you
And the day is dry
And there's no water around
And you can't see the road ahead
You can only see her...
White and alive
She's laughing in the face of love
Your love is white and alive
This is your last chance in my dreams
In my dreams she stands over me
Surrounded on all sides
She has taken the higher ground
And I'm the willing victim of her love
And faith my favorite drug
And faith my favorite drug
I'm sick for love
Sick for her love
Sick foods you sell
Just the sight of you makes me wobble
I can't see straight, walk or talk to anyone else
I can't even talk to you
White and alive
I'm laughing in the face of your face
White and alive
Sick for love
Sick for love
So, between the horses of love and lust
I'm trampled underfoot."

Disc 3, Track 3 (4:19)
FWT: Acrobat
NOTES: This song is ACROBAT with slightly different words. It is the only song that survived these sessions virtually
unchanged. Bono sings "Don't let (X) take you down", where X seems to be assorted different things, people, etc. It's hard to
actually pick any but a few out. A GREAT guitar solo from The Edge.
Words?
"Don't let them take you down."
"Don't let the teardrops grind you down."
"Don't let the tears take you down."
"And you know that you try and you try
To make it right, to make it so,
To make it sweet, they make it hard"
"How does it feel to be burned by the sun.

Disc 3, Track 4 (5:56)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: The bass line (reminicent of some Rolling Stones song) is the tell-tale clue that reveals this to be an early form of
ZOO STATION. It's very difficult to distinguish any lyrics.
Words?
"...and the shotgun"?
"We've got to get to gether now"

Disc 3, Track 5 (5:09)
FWT: Morning Child / Don't Turn Around
NOTES: Same take as the Disc 2, Track 5, except here the beginning has been partially omitted.

Disc 3, Track 6 (5:16)
FWT: Take You Down
NOTES: This song is an early form of LADY WITH THE SPINNING HEAD, which later evolved into ULTRAVIOLET
(Light My Way). The guitar solo was used again in THE FLY, and the bridge moved on to be used as the intro to ULTRA
VIOLET (Light My Way). Edge is NOT signing backup, it's Bono! The left and right channels are different takes of Bono
singing to the same backing music. Each channel sounds quite different from the other, and the two only come together in one
or two places. The vocals are not completely isolated to the left or right channels. In each channel you can faintly hear the
other. During the guitar solo and bridge you can only hear one vocal track (in both channels). Hendrix-like solo, wow! A
frantic ending. This song rips! Much, MUCH better than the LADY WITH THE SPINNING HEAD.
Words?
RIGHT CHANNEL:
"Oh, wont you get it up and get
My heart in the sunlight"
"Going to the back light,
Going back to the way we were.
Ahh, hahh
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up dead man
Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up dead man
LEFT CHANNEL:
"They're trying to take you down"
"And out you call,
You want it so,
And out you call."
Bono: "I was singing a bit late in here" (The band slows down for a bit.)
"I know sometimes you get it wrong, You got to get it wrong,
Sometimes you get it wrong, You take it anymore..."

Disc 3, Track 7 (5:24)
FWT: Going Down South
NOTES: Instrumental. Sounds like some 'hill billy' rock band. All that's missing is someone on washbasin and whisky jug.

Disc 3, Track 8 (3:52)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: This is Bono screwing around with a 12-string guitar while the backing of 'Salome' (Disc 3, Track 4) is playing. He
is presumably trying to work out something, but God only knows what. This take becomes truly annoying to the listener after
a couple of minutes (then again it was never meant to be LISTENED to). The plucking of strings from the 12-string can be
heard, while in later takes, you hear strumming and chord progressions.

Disc 3, Track 9 (13:08)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: More Guitar overdubbing amounts to 13 minutes of an idea being pounded to death from an assortment of angles
with plenty of reverb.

Disc 3, Track 10 (6:03)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: Oh God! More guitar overdubbing, although this time it seems more 'idea oriented'. U2 should be given credit for
being a great band, but the process of creating a song via this method is about as pleasant as giving yourself a root canal.

Disc 3, Track 11 (8:05)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: The take starts with someone announcing: "Bono, 12-string...take 2". Not much progress here. It seems like
someone is toying with the mix during this take. By the end of the track, the vocals and guitar are turned down so as to make
the 12 string, percussion, and bass more prominent.

Disc 3, Track 12 (12:04)
FWT: Salome'
NOTES: This track begins with a few seconds from the previous track (with it's percussion and bass biased mix). Then it's
onto more 12-string overdubbing. Fades in and out a couple of times. What they were trying to isolate is not apparent.

Special thanks to:
Nems
CD-NET
ColectorMania
Flood :^)
Wire (U2 mailing list)
and U2

BONO ON BOOTLEGS:
"The only thing that can piss you off is if people are charging a lot of money for something that isn't very good. It [the Achtung
Baby working tapes] got bootlegged in Berlin and it was just like having your notebook read out. That's the bit I didn't like
about it. There were no undiscovered works of genius, unfortunately, it was more just gobbledy-gook..." But he admits going
out and buying a copy of that bootleg anyway!

Version 1.00 on July 13th, 1992 (C) Copyright 1992 Sira Vista
HTML Version on Feburary 21st, 1997 (C) Copyright 1997 Chrisedge

 

[Chrisedge]

**********************************************
U2
"HANSA TON"
BERLIN STUDIO OUTTAKES 1990/91
Disc 1: (71:03)
Disc 2: (73:00)
Disc 3: (61:55)
Disc 4: (32:44)
Disc 5: (67:40)
Disc 6: (73:25)
Disc 7: (50:22)

These updated notes reflect the "Fan Working Titles" from the
original Salome set, with my notes on the new tracks. Numbers in
brackets { } indicates what disc/track this song was on the
original Salomé 3 CD Set.

The main difference between this new 7 cd set and the original is
the addition of a single cd of 5 tracks with songs similar to the
Back Mask U2 (So Cruel), a ROUGH demo version of Tryin' To Throw
Your Arms Around The World, along with 3 addtional cd's of mainly
drum tracks (some with some faint synthesizer)

Thanks to the original creator of the 3 CD notes, Sira Vista!

-Chrisedge

Disc 1:
01. Salomé {D1 T01} [5:53]
02. Where Did It All Go Wrong? {D1 T02} [4:07]
03. Where Did It All Go Wrong? {D1 T03} [3:44]
04. Heaven And Hell {D1 T04} [6:39]
05. Doctor Doctor {D1 T05} [2:34]
06. Jitterbug Baby {D1 T06} [3:53]
07. Salomé {D1 T07} [9:10]
08. Salomé {D1 T08} [5:30]
09. Sunset In Colors {D1 T09} [8:45]
10. Chances Away {D1 T10/T11} [7:39]
11. I Feel Free {D1 T12} [6:32]
12. I Feel Free {D2 T01} [4:27]
13. Sweet Baby Jane {D2 T02} [2:01]

Disc 2:
01. Morning Child / Don't Turn Around {D2 T03} [5:33]
02. Morning Child / Don't Turn Around {D2 T04} [3:57]
03. Morning Child / Don't Turn Around {D2 T05} [5:02]
04. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [3:46]
05. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [1:14]
06. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [1:25]
07. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [4:47]
08. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [1:31]
09. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [0:56]
10. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [1:02]
11. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [1:47]
12. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [6:05]
13. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [5:55]
14. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [1:58]
15. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [0:29]
16. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [2:35]
17. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [3:56]
18. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [4:44]
19. Salomé (Overdubs) {D3 T08-T12} [2:24]
20. She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around {D2 T11} [7:31]
21. Take Today {D2 T12} [6:09]

Disc 3:
01. Someone {D3 T01} [1:02]
02. Back Mask U2 {D3 T02} [3:06]
03. Acrobat {D3 T03} [4:14]
04. Salomé {D3 T04} [5:44]
05. Morning Child / Don't Turn Around {D3 T05} [5:05]
06. Take You Down {D3 T06} [5:14]
07. Going Down South {D3 T07} [5:36]
08. Take Today (instrumental) {D2 T06} [6:12]
09. Even Better Than The Real Thing (instrumental) {D2 T07} [4:48]
10. She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around {D2 T08} [7:43]
11. She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around {D2 T09} [7:35]
12. Back Mask U2 {D2 T10} [5:31]

Disc 4: (All New)
01. Back Mask U2 (Drums/Synthesizer) [5:48]
02. Back Mask U2 (Drums/Synthesizer/Vocals) (Tech: 4 Click, Get rid of that little tamborine/Bono?: Standing in the lake at night...) [7:54]
03. Back Mask U2 (Drums/Synthesizer/Vocals) (Bono?: Can you hear her standing there...Ya, this is the middle somewhere) [7:22]
04. Back Mask U2 (Drums/Synthesizer/Vocals) (Bono: Same as D3 T02, but longer) [8:21]
05. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World [3:14]

Disc 5: (All New)
01. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer) (Love Is Blindness'ish Fast/Acrobat'ish) [6:25]
02. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer) (Very Mothers Of the Disappeared'ish) [6:13]
03. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer) (Kinda Depeche Mode'ish) [5:50]
04. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer) (Similar to D5 T02, but slower/lower) [6:10]
05. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer) (Familar but I Can't Place It) [6:05]
06. (Drums) (She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around'ish) [5:57]
07. (Drums) (She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around'ish) [6:11]
08. (Drums) (She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around'ish) [6:13]
09. (Drums) (She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around'ish) [6:11]
10. (Drums) (Acrobat'ish) [6:12]
11. (Drums) (Acrobat'ish) [6:08]


Disc 6: (All New)
01. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer) (Love Is Blindness'ish Fast/Acrobat'ish) [6:10]
02. (Drums) (Acrobat'ish) [5:59]
03. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [6:06]
04. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [6:04]
05. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [7:06]
06. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [6:49]
07. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [6:07]
08. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer/loop) (She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around'ish) [6:02]
09. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer/loop) (She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around'ish) [6:13]
10. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer/loop) (She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around'ish) [6:20]
11. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer/loop) (She's Gonna Turn Your Head Around'ish) [6:15]
12. (Drums) (Acrobat'ish) [4:07]

Disc 7: (All New)
1. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer) (Love Is Blindness'ish Fast/Acrobat'ish) [6:20]
2. (Drums/Faint Synthesizer) (Love Is Blindness'ish Fast/Acrobat'ish) [6:03]
3. (Drums) (Acrobat'ish) [5:58]
4. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [6:02]
5. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [5:59]
6. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [7:05]
7. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [6:46]
8. (Drums) (Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car'ish) [6:04]

Source:
1990/91. Berlin, Germany. Hansa Ton Studios.

History: DAT(M)>CDR

This file was created in Jan 2002...

 

[The Panther]

Great thread here.

I rather like that "How does it feel to be burned by the sun?" line...

What a fertile period this was for them.

 

[The Panther]

Disc 1, Track 7 (9:16)
FWT: Salome'

This is an interesting take to listen to... but why does Bono seem to be impersonating a sheep, vocally, throughout it?

 

[LemonMelon]

DAT tape

I bet you call them ATM machines too.

The first disc of the Salome set is essential for any hardcore fan. Great, fun shit. I have personally never made it much further than that, however. Prior/better engagements.

 

[whatdoyouwant]

Cool, thanks for posting the articles and track listings.

I remember reading the Sira Vista piece on an early morning while in line at Tower Records for Outside Broadcast tickets, listening to the demos on a walkman.

I'm not convinced yet that these recordings represent Berlin sessions. The "trash" story does seem hard to imagine.

Later on, tapers would tell me, "Oh no, those outtakes are from Dublin ... I know the for a fact ... cuz I know someone who knows someone who knows the guy who stole them!!"

That was probably a case of tapers trying to make themselves look elite, but it still leaves some doubt.

 

[chocky]

I first got my hands on these demos in May 1991 - as two 60-min cassettes that I found in a market in Norwich, UK. I didn't know about the CD version til late 1993 when I found it at Red Eye records in Sydney, Australia ("out the back" for any regulars who knew the store in the Tank Stream days).

When AB came out later on 1991 I was relieved the songs were very different to the stolen tapes. Not because I didn't like the demos, just that I wanted something more.

 

[whatdoyouwant]

Disc 3, Track 6 (5:16)
FWT: Take You Down
NOTES: This song is an early form of LADY WITH THE SPINNING HEAD, which later evolved into ULTRAVIOLET
(Light My Way). The guitar solo was used again in THE FLY, and the bridge moved on to be used as the intro to ULTRA
VIOLET (Light My Way). Edge is NOT signing backup, it's Bono! The left and right channels are different takes of Bono
singing to the same backing music. Each channel sounds quite different from the other, and the two only come together in one
or two places. The vocals are not completely isolated to the left or right channels. In each channel you can faintly hear the
other. During the guitar solo and bridge you can only hear one vocal track (in both channels). Hendrix-like solo, wow! A
frantic ending. This song rips! Much, MUCH better than the LADY WITH THE SPINNING HEAD.

Sira's enthusiasm for this track is contagious.

I remember reading another comment on this track that compared it to songs like "Paranoid Android" and "Bohemian Rhapsody," wondering what those songs may have sounded like if they were turned into three different songs, like this one. Conversely, Achtung could have developed into an album of mini-epics - which is probably why the thing as a whole is so epic.

Others have noted/argued the drum beat of this song can also be found in Mofo, while its lineage to Wake Up Dead Man is undeniable, but completely unexpected. The lyric of "Wake up" appears on some of the "Blow Your House Down" takes, and that song can be traced back to the Rattle and Hum outtakes.

 

[cobl04]

Where'd you get that from chrisedge? u2wanderer?

is all 7 trillion minutes of this on the internet somewhere?

 

[santiago]

Actually, the documentary has a little bit of footage from STS, I think. There's a couple of shots (while the Blow your house down conga version plays) where they are shown playing in a small room over what looks like an Irish pub, I think that's STS.

If you like kindergarten and the other demos the AB outtakes are essential listening. There are some beautiful tracks there. Take today and the early Lady with the spinning head are some of my favourite U2 songs

There's a lot of stuff that is boring (the Larry drum loops, the Bono guitar overdubs, some of the longer jams), but the good stuff is great and the rest is interesting as documentation of the way the band write.

 

[chrissybaby]

I've been obsessed with these demo's for years... Great thread.

These are much rougher sketches than the Baby versions of the reissue. In some ways that is disappointing. I have always believed that these must be pre-Hansa, however since hearing the clip of "Sick Puppy" on FTSD I'm not so sure...

I wish there was a resources for U2 sessions around this time, like there are for Beatles and Pink Floyd sessions. This is the most fascinating period of music for me, ever.

One question, did the 7CD copies only turn up after the advent of the web, or were they circulated before that between traders... Someone somewhere knows the truth about this, one day we'll probably find out!!!

 

[Blue Room]

I bet you call them ATM machines too.

All I wrote and you had to comment on ONE typo? Thanks, for wasting my time. Sorry I tried to contribute to this forum. Notice I didn't make the same typo later in my comment.

I really am starting to dislike this place. I do not know what has happened to the fanbase here. It is just ridiculous some of the waste of time comments that are made or the thread derailing.



Going back to the topic of the thread. I pulled out my original vinyl versions and I had the original 6 disc version, not the 8. (So please feel free to rip this comment apart also).

 

[cobl04]

didn't*

 

[Chrisedge]

Where'd you get that from chrisedge? u2wanderer?

is all 7 trillion minutes of this on the internet somewhere?

Sira Vista wrote the first post of all the notes in 1992. That used to be hosted somewhere. (not a regular site like u2wanderer) and I wrote the 7 CD notes when it first really got shared openly in 2002.

 

[chrissybaby]

So Sira Vista had access to the full set way before the web.
Were these only shared openly with the advent of the web? I take it they were kept within close trading quarters before this?

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i've got the three disc version on my ipod and i remember reading some website with quite a bit of info about it, similar to what chrisedge posted (i might've read it on sira vista's site, actually). i find it strangely fascinating, i'm not sure why. i guess that the bootleg (in all its incarnations and total lengths) spread through the world like wildfire, before the actual album came out and also before everyone used the internet - especially to download music.

while i did pay money to buy a couple bootlegs, i did so online, so the concept of going to a brick and mortar record store to buy an illegal bootleg seems adorable to me. now this thread has got me wanting to download the whole shebang and wade through all the silly loops and 15,000 versions of salome. (which i should add too i find it hilarious that salome is so prominent on this bootleg and it ended up just being a freaking b-side. yes other songs came out of it, but yeah.)

thanks to both chrisedge and blue room for the memory refresher.

 

[Galeongirl]

Sira Vista wrote the first post of all the notes in 1992. That used to be hosted somewhere. (not a regular site like u2wanderer) and I wrote the 7 CD notes when it first really got shared openly in 2002.

Thanks man, that was a great read! I'd never read all this info before.

 

[Melon50]

I've always been intrigued by the details of this period (leading up to Berlin in October 1990) as well and would like to know more. As far as I can gather from various sources and the new details from FTSD it roughly was the following schedule:

Early 1989 - Cover recording sessions. Not sure whether any AB songs originated here.

August / September 1989 - Start of recording the Clockwork Orange soundtrack. Not sure whether any AB songs originated here.

January 1990 - Finished Clockwork Orange

May 1990 - Demo's (Bono and Edge only?) at Edge basement studio. "Sick Puppy" demo is from this time. Others might be as well. Also it has been said that "Night and Day" was recorded in Edge's basement. Sounds like Night and Day uses a drum machine as main drum part?

Summer 1990 - Band demos at STS studios (which I think the footage in small Dublin room is from). Not sure what originated here.

In general I'm not sure any of the outtakes were actually recorded in Berlin, rather before that time. Also:

1: The Outtakes are very incomplete. The berlin version of "Sick Puppy" isn't there, neither is "One", "Down all the Days" etc..

2. The more "sophisticated" or finished the songs from this period sound, the more likely they were already recorded before Berlin as a proper demo. WGRYWH, Take you down, EBTTRT, Heaven and Hell all sound quite ready, albeit without finished vocals.

Anyway, this is just what I can gather. I'd love it if anyone can dig up more details on this

 

[santiago]

I've always been intrigued by the details of this period (leading up to Berlin in October 1990) as well and would like to know more. As far as I can gather from various sources and the new details from FTSD it roughly was the following schedule:

Early 1989 - Cover recording sessions. Not sure whether any AB songs originated here.

August / September 1989 - Start of recording the Clockwork Orange soundtrack. Not sure whether any AB songs originated here.

January 1990 - Finished Clockwork Orange

May 1990 - Demo's (Bono and Edge only?) at Edge basement studio. "Sick Puppy" demo is from this time. Others might be as well. Also it has been said that "Night and Day" was recorded in Edge's basement. Sounds like Night and Day uses a drum machine as main drum part?

Summer 1990 - Band demos at STS studios (which I think the footage in small Dublin room is from). Not sure what originated here.

In general I'm not sure any of the outtakes were actually recorded in Berlin, rather before that time. Also:

1: The Outtakes are very incomplete. The berlin version of "Sick Puppy" isn't there, neither is "One", "Down all the Days" etc..

2. The more "sophisticated" or finished the songs from this period sound, the more likely they were already recorded before Berlin as a proper demo. WGRYWH, Take you down, EBTTRT, Heaven and Hell all sound quite ready, albeit without finished vocals.

Anyway, this is just what I can gather. I'd love it if anyone can dig up more details on this

Hi, a few additions to your chronology:

Night and day seems to include at least some overdubbing at STS, since Paul Barrett plays keyboards and is credited too. But I agree most of the recording must have taken place in The Edge's house. Interestingly enough, the congas are played by Noel Eccles (who also plays on Alex descends) and not Larry, so it seems to be almost like a Bono/Edge song from the Clockwork orange period (I agree that the drums seem to come from a drum machine). By the way, isn't Wild irish rose from that same set of Bono/Edge sessions?

Various - Red Hot + Blue (CD) at Discogs

The outtakes do not contain much that is recognisable as Eno playing or singing, however, they do contain Lanois (he can be heard singing on some of the early takes of "Woman/sick for love" and talking on the early "trying to throw"). So those may be some early Berlin recordings or some STS recordings with Lanois (I have not heard about him being involved at that stage, but it is reasonable he would have been).

 

[Melon50]

Hi, a few additions to your chronology:

Night and day seems to include at least some overdubbing at STS, since Paul Barrett plays keyboards and is credited too. But I agree most of the recording must have taken place in The Edge's house. Interestingly enough, the congas are played by Noel Eccles (who also plays on Alex descends) and not Larry, so it seems to be almost like a Bono/Edge song from the Clockwork orange period (I agree that the drums seem to come from a drum machine). By the way, isn't Wild irish rose from that same set of Bono/Edge sessions?

Various - Red Hot + Blue (CD) at Discogs

The outtakes do not contain much that is recognisable as Eno playing or singing, however, they do contain Lanois (he can be heard singing on some of the early takes of "Woman/sick for love" and talking on the early "trying to throw"). So those may be some early Berlin recordings or some STS recordings with Lanois (I have not heard about him being involved at that stage, but it is reasonable he would have been).

Don't know about Lanois' earliest cooperation during that period. For Wild Irish Rose, I think it is from the same period, not so sure if it's Clockwork or spring/summer demo sessions. The WIR video also doesn't give it away? Can't make out which season it is in the outdoor shots, haha..

 

[ADecentMelody]

All this talk has gotten me to dig up my old copy of these Outtakes. I must have bought it around '92, when bootlegs were fashionable. Disc 3, Tracks 5 and 6 are easily my favorites. The "don't say goodbye part" on Track 5 still makes the hair in the back of my neck stand. Track 6 is just awesome with parts from 3 great songs.

I need to dig up my VHS copies of the beach sessions too. Nice to see "Blow Your House Down" get the limelight, but what about "We Almost Made it This Time"??? I've always found it to be a superior "song." Anybody have this in an .mp3?

 

[ADecentMelody]

i've got the three disc version on my ipod and i remember reading some website with quite a bit of info about it, similar to what chrisedge posted (i might've read it on sira vista's site, actually). i find it strangely fascinating, i'm not sure why. i guess that the bootleg (in all its incarnations and total lengths) spread through the world like wildfire, before the actual album came out and also before everyone used the internet - especially to download music.

while i did pay money to buy a couple bootlegs, i did so online, so the concept of going to a brick and mortar record store to buy an illegal bootleg seems adorable to me. now this thread has got me wanting to download the whole shebang and wade through all the silly loops and 15,000 versions of salome. (which i should add too i find it hilarious that salome is so prominent on this bootleg and it ended up just being a freaking b-side. yes other songs came out of it, but yeah.)

thanks to both chrisedge and blue room for the memory refresher.

I'm with you on the memory lane drive.

I also missed those days of buying bootlegs from brick & mortar stores. There were a few I visited regularly and can see right away when there's a new offering. And for them to cost so much - $52 for a double CD and $30 for a single. I think the 3-Disc Outtakes cost me about $64, but was so worth it!

 

[nathan1977]

According to U2: Outside Is America (later re-released as U2: The Road to Pop), "Night and Day" was recorded in Edge's basement in the summer of 1990 -- guessing that's May.

"Wild Irish Rose" probably dates from here as well. Even though the lyrics apparently originated in 1987 or 88, when Bono was doing some filming in L.A., the song wasn't finished until 1989, when it featured in the 1989 special "Bringing It All Home." (Bono sings from handwritten lyrics, and elsewhere in the interview says that he just finished the song "in the last day".) By the look of where they did the interview with Bono, guessing they all just went downstairs to film in Edge's basement as well -- so that's another May 1990 track.

The music for "Acrobat", according to Bill Flanagan, was written in Australia in 1989. "Going Down South"/"Montgomery's Visit" (later to be released as "Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World") also had its origination in Australia -- there's a jam of them playing it during a soundcheck. There was a lot of soundcheck jamming around this time, most of it in the very rootsy/Rattle and Hum style. I believe this also led to "Even Better than the Real Thing," which was originally conceived as a Rolling Stones-style rocker, which would fit more with where U2 had been than where they were going.

Also according to Flanagan's book, the demos from July 1990 didn't really go anywhere before Hansa. I'm guessing Bono and Edge had already worked on "Salome," "Acrobat," "Real Thing," as well as "Sick Puppy" (eventually to morph into "Mysterious Ways") and "Don't Turn Around" (which eventually turned into "Who's Gonna Ride") in those May 1990 sessions. These were probably presented to the band and worked on in July at STS, where they also laid down "Where Did It All Go Wrong?"

As a result, when they went to Hansa they had all that material, as well as "Blow Your House Down" from the Rattle and Hum sessions (it had originated in 87), and "Take You Down" (the early "Lady With the Spinning Head") as well as the guitar part from "Sunset in Colors" that would eventually spawn "Until the End of the World". "Take Today" (later to be released as "North and South of the River") also sounds pretty far developed musically.

That's actually a pretty impressive place to start an album with -- six or seven solid songs already in progress, and several sketches ("Sick Puppy," "Don't Turn Around," the guitar part for "Until the End of the World"). But it sounds like Adam and Larry weren't all that behind that material ("Sick Puppy" was probably the most confounding), and were impatient when Bono and Edge brought nothing new to the table in Berlin and instead had their heads full of Manchester. Larry and Adam's response wasn't entirely unreasonable either -- you listen to those tracks, and they're solid, but not necessarily magic, particularly given where Bono and Edge wanted to take the music. Probably even tougher if Adam and Larry were just being presented with material, as opposed to generating it.

The problem is that the material they generated in Hansa together -- I'm guessing primarily "Heaven and Hell", "Doctor Doctor", "Back Mask U2", and "Sweet Baby Jane" -- just weren't that great, mid-tempo plodding jams with not a lot going on. "Sunset in Colors" is solid, but kind of an anomaly. You can listen to those jams and see that the magic they're trying to find isn't there yet.