has bono ever sang Pride better than this?

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1:50 to 1:59 in this video is Unforgettable Fire smoothness meeting Lovetown power, I just noticed. Too damn bad he couldn't replicate this at the actual. However, I have plenty of confidence he will on the next tour.

I hope they don't play Pride at all on the next tour!
 
I think it was the conditions more than anything that made Bono sound average at best throughout most of the song, I wouldn't doubt that he'll be doing much speccies once the tour rolls around. I have to say I think the album version beats pretty much all else I've heard, sometimes live it's better in parts, but not overall.

One thing really missing from the Inauguration 'Pride' was something Bono did in the Self Aid version that was truly inspired:

YouTube - U2 : PRIDE (Live Dublin '86 Stereo)

Although if anything it would have a negative effect on his voice, I can't help but think that if Bono jumped on Lincoln's foot and then fell backwards and somersaulted for no conceivable reason, the whole performance would have truly come together. For America. For Israel. For Palestine.
 
The actual performance sounded crap, but I suspect It also had a lot to do with the mixing, the vocal levels were way too loud
 
YouTube - U2 Lincoln Memorial Rehearsal 1-17-09

He realy went for and hit those In the Naaaaaaaame notes with more quality and confidence than I have ever heard him sing it and belted the what mores. His voice sounds so strong and full hear and I love his tone - I love it - to bad he wasnt as confident during the actual tv performance on sun and messed it up a little. He still sang it better than he had for a while though. What do u guys think

This version was pretty weak IMO actually. Yes, Bono has sung this better a lot of times. Listen to this version, and you may feel the difference ...

YouTube - U2 : PRIDE (Live Dublin '86 Stereo)
 
Smarty pants. I didn't know that!

Anyway, there is something about R&H Pride that doesn't sound right. It sounds too good; doesn't match all the bootlegs I've heard.

The irony of that statement is that I never really liked the R&H version. I've come to accept it over the years. However, when I first heard it, I was wildly disappointed. For 4+ years, I adored "Pride" - it was the song that transitioned me from enjoying U2 to loving U2. Bono's vocals were outstanding in that song. I wanted to hear it in concert (as I hadn't yet seen U2 live). And when I finally did - eh. Seemed like he was a key or two lower and all high parts were short screams, not actual singing.

Then I listened the CD single of "Pride". There is an extra verse on the single - it's just another line of the refrain. But that one line wasn't blended in the studio nearly as well - it really stands out. And as I listened to it, you can hear the scratchiness in Bono's voice as he strains to hit those notes. He's really in his highest open throat register (without resorting to a falsetto of some form). But it became clear to me then that studio magic removed that scratchiness and gave the vocals a lot of power, something that could never be reproduced live.

As such, I've never heard Bono sing "Pride" in concert as he does in the album - and that includes the UF tours, when the song was new, or the Love Town tour where some argue Bono had his best voice ever (if you exclude the "kermit" falsetto, which is fine when used sparingly - something Bono even does today - but he tended to overuse it a bit back then, probably due to his vocal problems).

The version shown in the first post is fine, especially given Bono's age. Still not the studio version, but not bad. :)
 
Although if anything it would have a negative effect on his voice, I can't help but think that if Bono jumped on Lincoln's foot and then fell backwards and somersaulted for no conceivable reason, the whole performance would have truly come together. For America. For Israel. For Palestine.

LOLOL that has got to be the funniest thing I've seen Bono ever do! After a really crap day that has sure put a smile on my face! Good God, if Bono did something like that now, I don't think we'd be able to face being U2 fans anymore haha.

Btw, if anyone has the Live Aid DVD, watch The Who's performance, and you'll see Townshend fall flat on his arse for absolutely no reason towards the end of one song. What makes it more funny is that Daltrey then leaps off the drumkit to try and cover it up slightly.
 
Pitch correction wasn't around until 96 or 97...

Now it's possible there were overdubs, but to actually change the pitch with what they were using back then would be near impossible.

Maybe pitch correction as you know it.

You watch the making of Unforgettable Fire and you will see them turning a knob that adjusts pitch and likely speed of Pride. They did it post recording and during the mix.

This could have easily been used on the live recordings for R&H.

It wasnt really pitch correction, but it was adjusted.
 
Thanks to Peterrrr for posting that strange PopMart performance. That was weird, especially when Bono tried to hit the sudden falsetto on "sky-yy!" and totally missed it.

Anyway, I agree that the first ever performance in Wellington, NZ was the best ever. His voice was superb and the guitar was fat and hard. WHERE IS THE SOUNDBOARD VERSION OF THAT SHOW???
 
Oh, one more thing about 'Pride': Can anyone clarify whether the real lyric is "One more" or "What more in the name of love"? It seems to be "what more" officially, and that's what I've always thought, but there are several live performances (like the PopMart one I mention above) where Bono clearly makes a "1" with his finger while singing "one/what". Or, perhaps he sometimes sings one word or the other, interchangeably?

Damn, if we could just get Bono on this forum we'd have the answer to a lot of questions. . .
 
It's "what more in the name of love".

As for the OP question, I don't think he has. He may have had more power in the past but now he actually sings the notes.
 
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