bono singing red hill mining town

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
M

marik

Refugee
Joined
Sep 25, 2001
Messages
1,800
Location
Edmonton, Ab, Canada
this was supposed to be the lead off single (or maybe the 2nd), but i heard that the plan was scrapped cuz bono wouldn't be able to sing it everynight. so apparently its hard to sing. yet, when i listen to it, i can't figure out what part bono wouldn't have been able to nail everynight. it sounds easy to sing compared to without You. can anyone help explain?
 
Actually the chorus is pretty difficult. I can see where the "hanging and I'm still waiting" part is hard for Bono's type of voice.

Plus they were pretty embarassed by the video.
 
Red Hill Mining Town is higher and more shouted than With Or Without You on the chorus.
 
the tourist said:
Red Hill Mining Town is higher and more shouted than With Or Without You on the chorus.
Click to expand...

Technically shouted isn't the right word. You should never shout a song. But I know what you are talking about.
 
"With or Without You" is pretty chill until the end, but the "Red Hill Mining Town" chorus makes it rough the whole way.

It was supposed to be the second single, I think, instead of "I Still Haven't Found...", which is a better song anyway, so it worked out okay.

I wonder, though, if it had been released as a single, would it have been one of their bigger songs? Would we regard it as a classic instead of a forgotten gem? "Man, that Bono can't sing 'Red Hill Mining Town' anymore. He always forgets the fucking words too. They should retire it and play 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' or something else rare."
 
I remember reading at the time, in all the pre-release hype, that 'Red' was supposed to be first--then it just disappeared completely--never released as far as I know. Always wondered how it went from first to gone. I think the "Love, slowly stripped away...." would be hard to nail consistently, but he could do it. Or maybe could've. Who knows? Seems like they never even tried.
 
I'm looking at the sheet music and those notes in the chorus are high!

"...hangin' on, you're all that's left to hold..."

The 'hang' is b two above middle c (virtually two octaves higher than middle c) and the lowest note in 'hangin' on' is only a tone lower, g. Then 'all' is higher still, being c two octaves higher than middle c. Virtually the whole chorus is higher than the f above middle f.

Those are some hellish hard notes to hit, particularly singing live.
 
It's a shame it's never even seen the light of day - even at a concert. I would take Red Hill live over Acrobat anyday.
 
Last edited:
Didn't they even rehearse it at the start of JT tour? And because Bono couldn't sing it they didn't use it as a single?

I think the "hanging on" chorus would probably be too much, even for Bono. (and in fact it was!) The ending is also very high I think.
 
Yeah the endings fairly high too. The whole song is really.

I reckon Bono must have struggled with it, even in the studio.
 
and you can't really drop Red Hill a few steps lower like they've done with Still Haven't Found because the singing needs that "oomph" behind it that isn't needed with Still... it NEEDS to be sung high
 
Still, they could have done it a few times? Imo it's the second best song on Joshua tree and I guess U2 thought the same :)
If you listen to the boot from the first joshua tree show, bono's voice is cracked from rehearsal singing in the dry desert air.. perhaps aswell from trying to sing Red Hill?
 
korczykp said:
and you can't really drop Red Hill a few steps lower like they've done with Still Haven't Found because the singing needs that "oomph" behind it that isn't needed with Still... it NEEDS to be sung high
Click to expand...

I know what you mean - it's kinda like it being sung at that pitch gives the song the power it should have and needs.
 
Re: facts on RHMT live. On 28 November 1987 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the band EXTENSIVELY soundchecked Red Hill Mining Town. It was the only Joshua Tree song they hadn't done on the tour and it seems they wanted to bring it out. Larry fully re-learnt the drums and the whole band ran through the song, but despite the repeated practise, it somehow didn't make that night's setlist and never appeared in any other show. I don't even know of any instances of it being snippeted.

Dream Theatre have played it live, though!
 
Last edited:
There's really never been any mystery as to why 'Red Hill' didn't make the live cut. Bono was quoted in various articles in 1987 stating that his voice couldn't handle the song on a regular basis. He said it was too high for his voice. Remember, he didn't hit those high notes in a technically correct way back then. This song on a nightly basis would've destroyed his voice for that tour.
 
but. . . Bono struggled through Unforgettable Fire throughout the entire JT tour, rarely being able to hit the "Stay, this time, stay tonight. . . ."

They should have tried RHMT! I haven't heard the song in a while, and just reading the lyrics again gives me the chills. . . what a great song!
 
Too bad the band will never play it live. Forget Acrobat - this is the greatest song the band has never performed in concert before.
 
Nisse said:
Imo it's the second best song on Joshua tree and I guess U2 thought the same :)
Click to expand...

I agree. Imo it's the most underrated U2 song - I always yell it at tribute bands to play but alas no luck :shrug: (although Third Verse played it once, that was amazing!)

Btw, where can I boot of this first JT show????
 
discothequeLP said:
but. . . Bono struggled through Unforgettable Fire throughout the entire JT tour, rarely being able to hit the "Stay, this time, stay tonight. . . ."

They should have tried RHMT! I haven't heard the song in a while, and just reading the lyrics again gives me the chills. . . what a great song!
Click to expand...

I have no idea why they played UF on that tour, but I don't believe Bono was ever quoted saying that UF was too hard on his voice like he was regarding 'Red Hill'. I agree that 'Red Hill' is a great song and maybe Bono's best vocal, but Edge forgot to show up for the tune. I'll end on that teaser. Someday, I'll explain my Edge theory on 'Red Hill'.
 
Layton said:


I have no idea why they played UF on that tour, but I don't believe Bono was ever quoted saying that UF was too hard on his voice like he was regarding 'Red Hill'.
Click to expand...



Bono didn't have to make any excuses about UF because he sang the damn song.
 
Did they play UF a few semitones down when they played it live? I wouldn't know because sadly I haven't got a live copy of what is one of my favourite U2 songs.

You can certainly get away with knocking UF down a couple of semitones - I had to when I recorded it for an A-Level music piece, so that my brother could sing it. But I still don't think RHMT would work lowered.

So did they?
 
Plus they were pretty embarassed by the video. [/B]
Click to expand...


I never knew this. It was directed by Neil Jordan, a very respected director (Mona Lisa with Bob Hoskins :drool: ), wonder why it didn't turn out?

(Noone know the plot do they???)
 
ive seen those screens of the video that are around the net, and it looks like the typical cheesy U2 video except worse. it looks like they're down in a mine or something. really lame but kind of funny
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Headache in a Suitcase
  • Sticky
U2 in Vegas - Tips for booking hotels, flights and other Vegasy type things.
20 21 22
Replies
642
Views
32K
Headache in a Suitcase
Headache in a Suitcase
A
The Little Stranger chapter 14
Replies
0
Views
518
annj
A
A
The little stranger chapter 12
Replies
0
Views
727
annj
A
A
The little stranger chapter 10
Replies
0
Views
675
annj
A
A
the little stranger chapter 3
Replies
0
Views
577
annj
A

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom