Any U2 b-side you wish was on an album?

[Rafiennes]

I’m a huge Oasis fan (so sue me!) and they’re a band who has these amazing b-sides that make you wish they were on the album in place of some other songs. I was trying to think if there were any U2 b-sides that I felt that way about.

Lady With The Spinning Head? As much as I love the extended version of that song, it is the origins of The Fly and Ultraviolet, so to have it on the album would be pointless.

Slow Dancing? As much as I would love to have it close out ‘side one’ of Zooropa’, and have HMTMKMKM open up “side two” I think Zooropa is the way it is for a reason.

Summer Rain? Good song, but up to par with an album song? Maybe not.

Always? No. (see Lady With The Spinning Head)

Salome? God, no…I have the Achtung, Baby outtakes. I’ve had my fill of that song and it 247 incarnations.

And I don’t know if I’d take any of the great Joshua Tree b-sides (Walk To The Water, Spanish Eyes, Sweetest Thing, Deep In The Heart) to take away from the flow that IS The Joshua Tree.

I don’t know, I can’t think of any b-sides I’d want on their albums.

You guys?

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[sarahlou]

dancing barefoot

lady with the spinning head

 

[pax]

"North and South of the River" would have sounded lovely between "When I Look at the World" and "Grace" on ATYCLB.

They probably could have squeezed "Hallelujah Here She Comes" into Rattle and Hum.

"Neon Lights," actually, I think could have been a bizarre and beautiful opener for How to Dismantle...

 

[ZeroDude]

Spanish Eyes on The Joshua Tree with Silver and Gold and The Sweetest Thing, with Trip removed from the album, ah perfection

 

[sniggirb]

Lady With the Spinning Head, I'm sure it could've fit in on Zooropa or something.

 

[dazzlingamy]

the three sunrises

bass trap

dancing barefoot

walk to the water

hallelujah here she comes

love them.....

but which albums, well i dont really know...im happy they all got put on the bside album!

 

[popacrobat]

spanish eyes, summer rain

 

[phanan]

They probably could have squeezed "Hallelujah Here She Comes" into Rattle and Hum.

Definitely. What a great song.

 

[bono_man2002]

Spanish Eyes, Defnitly could/should have been on an album.
Look forward to hearing them playing in Spain prehaps, this tour.

 

[miss becky]

Spanish Eyes on Joshua Tree
Can't Help Falling in Love on Zooropa
Walk to the Water on Unforgettable Fire
Luminous Times on Unforgettable Fire
Summer Rain on ATYCLB

 

[menelaos]

What about Mercy and Your Blue Room..?

God, I love these 2..!!!!!

 

[Pearl]

I agree with Mercy. I also think Summer Rain should be where either Wild Honey or New York are in ATYCLB

 

[popacrobat]

mercy technically isnt a bside. it hasnt been released in any fashion so it could very well be on the next album.

 

[AtomicBono]

Mercy isn't technically a b-side yet...I think it'll show up on the next album. In fact, I decree that it will be on the next album. If it's not, then...well...IT WILL BE, ALRIGHT?!

I think Summer Rain would have been ATYCLB-worthy, maybe...

 

[the tourist]

All I can say is....

Beautiful Ghost
Where The Streets Have No Name
Silver And Gold
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Spanish Eyes
With Or Without You
Luminous Times
Walk To The Water
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
Race Against Time
In God's Country
Trip Through Your Wires
The Sweetest Thing
One Tree Hill
Deep In The Heart
Exit
Mothers Of The Disappeared.

 

[the tourist]

And Love Comes Tumbling should have been on The Unforgettable Fire.

 

[U2girl]

Sweetest thing on Joshua Tree and North and south of the river on Pop.

 

[typhoon]

They're not B-sides, but I think the gritty "I'm Not Your Baby" would've fit right into Pop and "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" is better than most of ATYCLB. "Fast Cars" should've been on every edition of HTDAAB (and not sloppily tacked onto the end) since it's better than most of that too. Also, Rattle and Hum would've been much better if they had one disc of only new studio recordings and one disc of only live recordings, and if you have to stuff "A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel" onto the studio portion to pillow it out, then so be it.

I think their albums usually have pretty good flow, and the B-sides generally don't fit in, which is why I find all the "here's my Unforgettable Fire tracklist with both 'Boomerangs' and the single edit of 'Pride' and 'Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle of Milk' squeezed in for no good reason" threads a little silly.

 

[MsMofoGone]

Originally posted by miss becky

Walk to the Water on Unforgettable Fire
Luminous Times on Unforgettable Fire

Absolutely right on those two, miss becky !!

 

[corianderstem]

And Love Comes Tumbling should have been on The Unforgettable Fire.

Totally. Ditch Elvis Presley and America, because it isn't even a song - it's a slowed down drum beat from another song, with Bono mumbling over it. Replace it with a real song.

 

[Irishteen]

Summer Rain and Always instead of Grace

 

[liamcool]

Treasure should have opened War, and you should have just released Sunday Bloody Sunday as like a single-only track. As for the B-side of New Year's Day if that happened? Be There.

 

[Jack In The Box]

Deep In The Heart

 

[Axver]

I cannot comprehend why the band chose Trip Through Your Wires rather than Spanish Eyes to replace Heartland on JT. Spanish Eyes is my #10 U2 song of all time. Luminous Times is #11 but the lyrics need to be tightened and a greater concluding climax reached if it's to go between WOWY and Bullet on JT.

The instrumental UF b-sides should've been on an instrumental album and The Three Sunrises should've been the first track on UF with ASOH second.

Why, why, WHY was Treasure not on War? In fact, why wasn't the song a single? With some clearer lyrics, it would've been a hit, and without them, it would be a sensational album track. Certainly better than Red Light!

11 O'clock Tick Tock, although not a b-side, should've been polished up and put between The Electric Co. and Shadows And Tall Trees on Boy.

Dancing Barefoot should've gone on Rattle And Hum somewhere, maybe before or after Desire. Slow Dancing should've made an album, full band with only U2, but I'm not sure which album as it first appeared during Lovetown but didn't reach its end until the Pop era with Willie Nelson. Finally, Smile should have made HTDAAB, maybe with more refined lyrics.

 

[jkid]

"Holy Joe" on "Pop"

"Love Comes Tumbling" on "The Unforgettable Fire"

"Sliver And Gold (Studio Version)" on "The Joshua Tree"

"Miss Sarajevo" on "Pop" (It's not really a b-side, but sholud have had a bigger release)

 

[jkid]

"Stateless" on "All That You Can't Leave Behind"

"Jesus Christ" on "Rattle And Hum"

"Love You Like Mad" on "All That You Can't Leave Behind"

"Mercy" on "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"

"Smile" on "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"

 

[liamcool]

Originally Posted by Axver
Why, why, WHY was Treasure not on War? In fact, why wasn't the song a single? With some clearer lyrics, it would've been a hit, and without them, it would be a sensational album track. Certainly better than Red Light!

You're just trying to get me to put the axe down, right? Because you praised Pride, of course.

GO TREASURE GO!

 

[U2FanPeter]

"Night and Day" - one of my top #10 u2 tracks and it's been out of print for 14 years or so.

"Pete The Chop".

"Burn Your House Down".

u2fp

 

[ravenette]

If the Joshua Tree was re-issued, I'd like to see a bonus CD included, with all the b sides that went with the singles.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Since I'm not in the mood to explain, I'll list.

Spanish Eyes
Walk To The Water
Boomerang II
Treasure (Whatever Happened To Pete The Chop?)
Smile
Flower Child (I think it's better than Wild Honey)
Xanax And Wine