U2 Recording video with Mary J

[Catman]

There are a lot of narrow-minded people here... sometimes being a U2 fan isn't all that great

 

[Jack In The Box]

I'm from Mexico too... and I don't know nothing about this, that's weird, really hard to believe for me

 

[bono_212]

While I pretty much hate rap/hip-hop/ and all that jazz, I must say that I actually enjoy this cover of I One...I also like the Johnny Cash cover, and I think that there is nothing wrong with the song being released as a single...

On another note, totally unrelated, I kind of like Bowling for soup singing melt with you, but it is sad that people think the Atari's version is the original....

 

[Numbology]

next song : Streets Have No Name Yo feat. 50 cent and Pharell


Come on and trivialise the true meaning of the song.

 

[doubleU]

next song : Streets Have No Name Yo feat. 50 cent and Pharell


Come on and trivialise the true meaning of the song.

Can you have missed the point more?

Or be more full of shit?

 

[mickeza]

I don't see the need for this song to be released as a single. Every man and his dog knows it by now surely, MJB doesn't really add much to it (if anything she takes stuff away from it). I don't mind it being performed at special events , but to release it as a single seems to be a desperate measure from U2 and their marketing team to try and stay relevant and get a single onto the charts in the US.

 

[guill]

Mary J loves this song, she enjoys singing it, that's all. Her version is great, non-U2 fans love it.
U2 is not a sect, other singers can use their songs, what is so extraordinary ? They're trying to be in the US charts again ? Oh my God, it's criminal....

And when you consider the number of crap covers made by U2......

 

[guill]

And i add that One has never been number 1 in the US (hot 100)or UK charts, i'll be very happy if this version reaches the 1st rank.

 

[Achtung Ya'll]

You know...it's not like Bono recording One with MJB erases all previous copies of the song. Once the recording is over they don't pound down your door and confiscate your copies of it.

The original is still there for you to enjoy. So if you don't like this version then just enjoy the past versions.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

next song : Streets Have No Name Yo feat. 50 cent and Pharell


Come on and trivialise the true meaning of the song.

what on earth does someone covering a song have to do with trivialising the "true" meaning of the song?

there really are some narrow-minded people here. how disappointing.

 

[doctorwho]

That's because he wrote it. One is for U2 what Imagine was for Lennon.

It's just one of the greatest songs ever written.

I agree with this.

I wonder if the "hatred" for Blige here is similar to what U2 received during R&H. After JT, U2 was huge - so U2 record some songs with famous artists, like Dylan and B.B. King. They talk about "taking back" the Beatles' "Helter Skelter". Suddenly, critics felt that U2 were saying that they belong up there with these legendary artists and the backlash began.

Time has proven that U2 does indeed belong with those artists. The amount of albums made, the sales of those albums, the number of hits, the sold-out tours, the number of awards, yada, yada - all have proven that if U2 was indeed trying to make that statement in 1988, they were correct. Trouble is, that was 1988 and U2 really only had super hit album. Critics felt this type of collaboration album was premature. (On a personal note, I never got the feeling that U2 was trying to compare themselves with said greats - but rather they were honored to be performing with those artists. Of course, I'm not some "brilliant" music critic, which is the most worthless profession on the face of this planet, so what do I know?)

Come 2006, Blige has enjoyed success, analogous to U2 in 1988. And I'm wondering, just like critics felt of U2 in 1988, perhaps fans here feel the same way about Blige in 2006. She's good, she's a talent, she's enjoyed success, but she's not this "super-star" that U2 is. She's no legend. How dare she compare herself to U2? How dare she perform a song with them? Worse, how dare she, this person who is still proving her own worth in the music world, re-record a classic U2 song? Is this Blige backlash the same as U2's backlash, circa R&H?

I think, "yes". Maybe not intentionally, but it's clear from reading these posts that Blige does not have the respect here that Cash does.

Clearly, though, U2 disagree. We have countless versions of U2 performing this song. We have Cash's performance. Now we have this Blige/U2 collaboration. If you hate it, great! Listen to one of the many other versions of this song that have been officially and unofficially released. But I think Blige at least adds another perspective to the song - and this R&B flavor does ultimately work, even if it takes some time to adjust to. And, perhaps, just perhaps, Blige will introduce this song to an audience that U2 doesn't reach. With a song this powerful, I can't help but feel this is a good thing.

 

[Catman]

Clearly, though, U2 disagree. We have countless versions of U2 performing this song. We have Cash's performance. Now we have this Blige/U2 collaboration. If you hate it, great! Listen to one of the many other versions of this song that have been officially and unofficially released. But I think Blige at least adds another perspective to the song - and this R&B flavor does ultimately work, even if it takes some time to adjust to. And, perhaps, just perhaps, Blige will introduce this song to an audience that U2 doesn't reach. With a song this powerful, I can't help but feel this is a good thing.

 

[JMScoopy]

Come 2006, Blige has enjoyed success, analogous to U2 in 1988.

I see what you are getting at, but i have to disagree and i find some faults in your analogy of Blige and U2.

1.) U2 had a SMASH album under their belt, and the Joshua Tree tour was a stadium-filler nightly. Mary J whatshername i doubt has that, or ever will have that.

2.) U2's music during the 80's was different than anything else of the time. Most people can agree that music from the 80's was shit, with a few exceptions, U2 being one of them. Mary J whatshername sounds the same as all these other R&B women singers. she is nothing original or special like U2 was. all of that R&B music all sounds the same: vocals with some shitty computer generated beat in the background. If anything in the future they'll say "oh yeah i remember, she was one of those R&B singers."

 

[doctorwho]

Blige may not have had that "super smash" album yet, but take a look at the Billboard charts. She's #2.

Also, some history on Blige - she's been around longer than most think (I'm amazed some don't know her name - I'm not really an R&B fan and I know who she is). Here are some of her releases:

"What's the 411" - released 1992 - 3x Platinum
"My Life" - released 1995 - 3x Platinum
"Share My World" - released 1997 - 3x Platinum
"Mary" - released 1999 - 2x Platinum
"No More Drama" - released 2001 - 2x Platinum

"The Breakthrough", Blige's current release, is not only #2 on the charts, but has already gone Platinum.

So maybe none of those albums sold 14M copies worldwide like JT did in 1987. But clearly she's had quite a bit of success from the early 90's to today. Multi-Platinum selling albums are, sadly, becoming a rarity in today's world. This is part of what makes U2 so special - their albums can still sell 3 or 4M copies just in the U.S., despite rampant illegal downloading and the presence of iTunes (which decreases overall album sales).

So while Blige may not have a JT-esque hit, her tenure and success for over a decade now equates her to U2 circa 1988, IMO.


I would also like to add that I do NOT agree with your statement that most of the music from the 80's "was shit". I find the music from that era to be far superior to what was released in the 90's, with first the over-abundance of grunge (Nirvana and Pearl Jam opened Pandora's Box with their sound and produced 1000000 imitators) and then silly teen pop (at least Debbie Gibson wrote her own music!). Don't forget the dominance of gangsta rap. The 00's have been dominated by hip-hop and R&B. But Blige has been around for a while. If anything, people are copying her sound, not the reverse.

 

[angelordevil]

I'm not a fan of her version, but all great art (music included) should be open to interpretation.

 

[GibsonGirl]

There are a lot of narrow-minded people here... sometimes being a U2 fan isn't all that great

Tell me, how does disliking the rap / hip hop genre make someone a narrow-minded person?

 

[Tiger Edge]

Tell me, how does disliking the rap / hip hop genre make someone a narrow-minded person?

But you are narrow-minded, GG.

 

[GibsonGirl]

But you are narrow-minded, GG.

 

[Yahweh]

Really is she rap or hip hop, no not really. How many of you have actually listened to any other things shes done outside of the One remake, probably not very many. Really it is time for you folks to get out of 1984 or even 1994, this is the year 2006, it is nice to see U2 opening up to people they wouldnt have been associated with in the past, it widens the musical landscape that U2 will and can be influenced by and in my opinion that is a good thing not a bad thing.

 

[Aygo]

This discussion is getting weird, isn't it?

 

[caragriff]

hey peeps, if you don't like it, don't listen to it.

 

[chocky]

Have you guys even heard the studio version? I bought from itunes and it's wonderful.

The live version IS the studio version.

Not to be picky, but in an interview last week Mary explained how she took the live version into the studio, re-recorded part of her vocal, and created a few overdubs. Bingo......a studio version. U2 didn't enter the studio with her. All of U2's instruments and Bono's vocals are taken from the live recording.

 

[angelordevil]

A lot of rap is crap, a drug & sex trap,
Some, like Kanye, bring truth back

Having an opinion
Is better than being a minion

Some shop at Sobey's, others love Dominion*

Rap rap rap and rock rock rock
Rip rop rippity doo!

U2, U2, U2!!!


















Word.


* Canadian grocery store reference

 

[U2Girl1978]

I'm seriously disappointed in some of the posters in this thread. Everyone has their own taste in music and to bash people over it is ridiculous. And to bash the whole hip hop/rap/r&b medium just because you don't like how one artist is collaborating with another smacks of plain ignorance. Grow up people.

 

[JMScoopy]

I'm seriously disappointed in some of the posters in this thread. Everyone has their own taste in music and to bash people over it is ridiculous. And to bash the whole hip hop/rap/r&b medium just because you don't like how one artist is collaborating with another smacks of plain ignorance. Grow up people.

I'm not bashing people for their taste of music, you can listen to whatever you want and i could give a shit less.
I'm bashing rap/hiphop/R&B because i simply don't like the music. It is displeasing for me to hear rap/hiphop/r&b.

I don't like how apples taste, therefore im a close-minded, ignorant, person.

 

[Axver]

I'm not bashing people for their taste of music, you can listen to whatever you want and i could give a shit less.
I'm bashing rap/hiphop/R&B because i simply don't like the music. It is displeasing for me to hear rap/hiphop/r&b.

I don't like how apples taste, therefore im a close-minded, ignorant, person.

Exactly.

It's funny, I can dislike all mangoes without being called closed-minded, but I can't dislike hiphop? It grates on my ears in just the same way mangoes grate on my tastebuds. I'd rather not have either.

The only closed-minded people are the "Closed-minded Brigade" who think people who don't accept certain genres are closed-minded. Broaden your minds and learn some people just don't enjoy some genres of music.

Or shall I just go choke on a mango?

 

[AtomicBono]

A lot of rap is crap, a drug & sex trap,
Some, like Kanye, bring truth back

Having an opinion
Is better than being a minion

Some shop at Sobey's, others love Dominion*

Rap rap rap and rock rock rock
Rip rop rippity doo!

U2, U2, U2!!!


















Word.


* Canadian grocery store reference

brilliant.

1) I don't like the MJB version of One at all. But it will maybe bring the song to an audience that would normally never listen to it, so is that so bad?

2) I think there's a difference between disliking hip-hop/rap/R&B (I don't get the difference between hip hop and rap, but R&B is definitely not the same at all - it doesn't have rap in it, it's more "soul singing") and dismissing the entire genre as shit. Disliking it is one thing, forsaking the entire genre is quite another. I'm not a big country fan but I appreciate that there are some talented country artists, such as Johnny Cash. In fact, you don't even have to like the music to appreciate that it takes talent. Bluegrass, for example, I pretty much despise, but it's also really fucking hard to play. Anyone who thinks rap doesn't take any talent - please, by all means, record a rap album, since apparently anyone can do it.

3) That's all I wanted to say, really.

 

[JMScoopy]

mary j blige and U2 performing One while eating mangoes and apples.

 

[Yahweh]

As was said before if you dont like the version dont listen to it, but I am glad U2 doesnt listen to the people here or they would have retired a long time ago never making a great album...or so you would think.

 

[Axver]

mary j blige and U2 performing One while eating mangoes and apples.

Bring Kanye West into the mix and I'll throw myself off a bridge.

And this despite the fact I like apples.