Alternate Breathe - DO NOT POST REQUESTS HERE

[popacrobat]

For those wondering what No Line might have sounded like if U2 didn't end up re-doing some of the songs, maybe we'll get a bit of a taste of that this weekend...

Per AtU2:
Bono, New Version of 'Breathe' In South Africa Documentary

There's a two-hour documentary that's currently airing -- or soon to begin airing -- on History Channel around the world and it features Bono and, we think, a new version of U2's song, "Breathe."

It's called Miracle Rising: South Africa and, as I look at the DirecTV guide in the US, it's due to air twice this Sunday (Feb. 17th) on History Channel 2, and then once on History Channel on Feb. 23rd. The History Channel UK website says the film will air on Saturday, Feb. 16th. You might check your local History Channel listings to see if and when it airs in your country. It's already premiered in South Africa.

Bono makes a brief appearance in the 30-second trailer for the documentary (embedded below) and, according to an information sheet about the film, one of the songs included is "Breathe - Alternate Version" by U2. The sheet includes this quote from producer Michelle Sparkes:

Bono had already rewritten lyrics to Breathe for Nelson Mandela and when we interviewed him he asked if we would like to use the song in our documentary. Of course, we said yes.

That may sound familiar to you. If you have the Deluxe Box edition of No Line On The Horizon, the lyrics to this alternate version appear right near the beginning of the book. Bono mentioned it when the U2 360 tour was in South Africa in early 2011 during an interview on local radio there, and our Sherry Lawrence transcribed some of the alternate lyrics that Bono wrote in an old edition of OTR.

(Thx to Z. for the tip.)

UPDATE: Via Twitter, we've learned that the alternate version of "Breathe" plays over the end credits of the film, and that Bono's appearance is very brief.

 

[trevgreg]

Hmmm... they said that they went through a few different lyrics for it, so I'm assuming this will be one of them? Sort of curious to see the alternate lyrics cited now (as I don't have the deluxe set).

 

[PennyLanePHINS]

Hmm, wonder if they'll release it for download like the acoustic "Walk On" from Burma Soldier, which I love.

Sure it'll be on YouTube anyway.

 

[Vlaco]

Could be interesting. I love Breathe, sure it wasn't the best opener, but the performances at Letterman and at that French tv studio are the ones I really enjoy

 

[God Part III]

The lyrics he recited on South African radio were better than those on the album, and I almost (almost) prefer the beach clip version to the album version, so I'm a bit excited by this actually.

 

[mikal]

If this is from before the album was released, it will be good, if it's from after the album came out, it will suck.

 

[last unicorn]

I remember Bono reading out the lyrics that he wrote for Nelson Mandela on South African radio during an interview when U2 were there for the 360 tour. I thought it's a nice dedication but no way better than the album lyrics.

I've seen the trailer for this History documentary many times in the last weeks. Someone said, Bono does only appear for a minute or so in the final documentary and Breathe is played over the end credits. I will surely watch it when it's on.

 

[Galeongirl]

I'll have to check the boxset tomorrow. Don't remember seeing that.

 

[Danny Boy]

I've got the DVR programmed to record it on Saturday.

 

[last unicorn]

Should be an interesting documentary, apart from Bono's short appearance, but I'll have to watch it online since we have theatre tickets for Saturday evening and I don't think I'll watch at 4 in the morning when the programme is repeated. Still, curious about the "Breathe" version. Hopefully there will be an audio file available soon.

 

[An Cat Gav]

If this is from before the album was released, it will be good, if it's from after the album came out, it will suck.

Agreed, Eno said the original version(pre-Lillywhite) was one of U2's best songs.

 

[U2girl]

(1st verse) 18th of July on the banks of a not well-known river, I started a journey to where I am now. Troublesome, troublemaker, guided by the drums of my creator towards a rhythm, a rhyme, a melody line of a song called freedom, which once heard will never leave your head. Rolihlahla, on a day like this, it's love that gives us courage to resist.

(chorus) Agape love forged like steel in the fire. Agape love like a whisper that calls us to walk out into the street with your arms out and the people you meet are neither down nor out, hey there is nothing you have that I need. I can breathe. I can breathe.

(2nd verse) All those who stand together, fist in air, now know this -- that real division is not a scar on the land, but in the hearts of every man who began as a kiss not to resist, and not a fist. Now an open hand, an open face, an open page where history might rewrite its rage.

(chorus) Agape love forged like steel in the fire. Agape love whispering to us to walk out into the street, sing your hearts out to the people you meet, neither down nor out, hey there is nothing you have that I need. I can breathe, I can breathe.

That's 1:0 for the album version right there, even if the music is the best tune of their lives. Eno hype, perhaps ?

 

[LemonMirrorSky]

Those lyrics are...

 

[U2NativeSon]

Hopefully there will be an audio file available soon.

The song plays at the end during credits and is broken into parts as people speak, it sounds "different" but IMO not better than the album version, like 3 30 seconds clips

 

[mikal]

Freedom!

 

[God Part III]

That's 1:0 for the album version right there, even if the music is the best tune of their lives. Eno hype, perhaps ?

Judging from the beach clips, those weren't the lyrics in the pre-Lillywhite version, which, supposedly, is what Eno was referring to. But we're clutching at straws already...

 

[redhill]

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble but the version is clunky and suffers from Bono trying to force together lyrics that don't fit / sound good together in a poorly timed way.

The version is also not played in a linear fashion and is broken up into several segments interspersed with people talking about Africa...

So even if it was good it would be irritating to listen to the way they presented it.

I believe I heard a couple different production elements which were to me, the most interesting changes and only possible improvements. Would have to listen again to know for sure.

Overall quite a disappointment as I do love this song (which also has a few clunky lyrics but nothing like this version.)

 

[AndrewCowley]

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble but the version is clunky and suffers from Bono trying to force together lyrics that don't fit / sound good together in a poorly timed way.

Sounds like every other unfinished / alternate version / outtake etc... that we've heard for the past 15 years. It all points to them spending an excruciating amount of time in the studio overplaying and over tweaking songs to get them completed. No wonder the recent few albums are incohesive and kind of forced. Maybe better luck next time.

 

[Danny Boy]

Sorry to burst anyone's bubble but the version is clunky and suffers from Bono trying to force together lyrics that don't fit / sound good together in a poorly timed way.

The version is also not played in a linear fashion and is broken up into several segments interspersed with people talking about Africa...

So even if it was good it would be irritating to listen to the way they presented it.

I believe I heard a couple different production elements which were to me, the most interesting changes and only possible improvements. Would have to listen again to know for sure.

Overall quite a disappointment as I do love this song (which also has a few clunky lyrics but nothing like this version.)

Can't say that I'm shocked.

 

[trevgreg]

Can't say that I'm shocked.

And yet a lot of fans will still proclaim how it is better than the album version and that the band "overcooks" their material.

Any links out there yet for this version?

 

[last unicorn]

I'm not surprised. I love the album version and didn't expect it to be any better, especially since hearing Bono read the lyrics.

 

[dan_smee]

This may truly be a divisive song - seems like it would split the camps rather than have a clear cut favourite

 

[dan_smee]

So has this aired yet, or what?

 

[dan_smee]

Just downloaded a torrent of the movie - credits are short and cut with audio clips from the interviewees. The song is a completely different recording - horns and keys instead of cello. Sounds interesting, and would be cool to hear a full version

 

[last unicorn]

I missed it because I wasn't at home.

Any chance to watch this online? I can't find it on the History channel site (yet).

 

[Nick66]

This, as expected, is awful. And those lyrics are an embarrassment.

 

[trevgreg]

Just downloaded a torrent of the movie - credits are short and cut with audio clips from the interviewees. The song is a completely different recording - horns and keys instead of cello. Sounds interesting, and would be cool to hear a full version

Yeah, that was my impression too. I didn't think the lyrics were that bad in the places they were at, and I didn't even hear the other instrumentation too much until the finale.

They've released alternate versions of songs before, so it wouldn't surprise me if this sees the light of day somewhere.

 

[U2DMfan]

The song is a completely different recording - horns and keys instead of cello. Sounds interesting, and would be cool to hear a full version

That sounds pretty damn uninteresting to me, Dan.
Horns (and woodwinds) are almost always bad ideas in rock.

I feel like the album version was close to being special but didn't get there.

Would be cool to hear a version that was faster (+10bpm) that had a bigger chorus (reverb on the vocals) and cut out some of that nonsense guitar (used in the outro). Also with a fresher Bono vox. He sounds deflated on the album track, especially "I found grace...it's all I found".

They could have easily got that song to 4mins and it would have been a great radio song. Not that I give a shit about that but I know they do.

Some people (ridiculously, IMO) actually prefer the beach clip version. I think this is because the chorus sounded so much bigger because of the atmosphere of the way it was recorded. "Walk Out"...seemed to explode. But also it had a different walk-up, or pre-chorus. It was the "songs are in our eyes" section instead of "Eve-ry-day-I...". I don't remember if it was faster or not. That's the one thing the album track needed for certain. +tempo.

Of course if someone loves the album version that's great for them. I wish I did. Pretty clear case, to me, that they were working on that song for too long. IIRC, it was one of the last songs worked on during the 6-month delay.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

Some people (ridiculously, IMO) actually prefer the beach clip version. I think this is because the chorus sounded so much bigger because of the atmosphere of the way it was recorded. "Walk Out"...seemed to explode. But also it had a different walk-up, or pre-chorus. It was the "songs are in our eyes" section instead of "Eve-ry-day-I...". I don't remember if it was faster or not. That's the one thing the album track needed for certain. +tempo.

I definitely had my 'perception' of the album altered because of the beach clips. It was clearly a matter of distortion/ sub par recording equipment, but the atmosphere in breathe (and also magnificent) seemed much more colourful, and 'big', almost like electronica mixed with ambience... so when i finally heard the actual studio recordings of those tunes, they seemed (and still do seem) too 'bare bones' for me, lacking the power and ambience that was implied in the beach clips.

That's definitely a big reason i'll avoid any possible beach clips in the future (besides not wanting the surprise spoiled for me) - i don't want to have this preconception of how the music 'should' sound, it made it very jarring when i finally did listen to breathe.

I agree with you that the album version was close to special without really getting there. I could have overlooked the lack of reverb (or whatever) that i had in mind thanks to the beach clips, but it still lacked way too much power for me - the guitar is way too quiet, and the production in general is too artificially clean and polished. The live version is far superior to me, because the instruments all sound louder and 'grittier' to me, how i think the song should have been recorded.

I don't even listen to the album version because it sounds too weak to me - i just check out live versions. This is a good example of how gritty the live version can be, and how i think it should've been recorded:

U2 - BREATHE LIVE ON THE JO WHILEY SHOW BBC RADIO ONE 27TH FEB 2009 - YouTube

I really hope the next album has a rougher production feel to it than NLOTH did.

 

[LemonMelon]

Guess I'm in the minority that considers Breathe perfect as it is. Maybe a better vocal would have put it over the top, but I find the story in the lyrics unique (much better than whatever Bono was trying to peddle in the original version) and the melody very strong. The cello was a fantastic touch. With an edit here or there, it could have been a massive single.

Also, the fade in drum intro is by far the best thing Larry has contributed to U2 since Pop. Nothing technically spectacular, it just sounds awesome.