In May of 1985, U2 released what would be their second 'mini' LP, "Wide Awake in America". "Under a Blood-Red Sky", being their first mini LP. 'Wide Awake' only contained four tracks, three of which had already been released to the public. The first track 'Bad', a live performance by the band was the only song of the four that had not before been available. Another song, 'Sort of a Homecoming', was also a live performance by U2. Both songs had been recorded during their North American tour, which took place in 1984-85.
Honestly, I had never heard of this album. Upon it's initial release it had been available to audiences only in the U.S., but would later be released in the U.K. It was the first time the band-members themselves had taken part in some of the album's production. U2 produced two songs on 'Wide Awake', 'Bad' and 'Loves Comes Tumbling'. Once again, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanios, took part in the albums creation, assisting the group with 'Three Sunrises'. U2 had no input on just the one song, 'Sort of a Homecoming'.
In the autumn of 1986, U2 returned to Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin to record their seventh album. Producer, Brian Eno and engineer, Daniel Lanios also returned for a third time to work on the upcoming album. The album's recording was finished in January of 1987. Originally called "The Enduring Chill", after a trip to Death Valley, California, where they are plentiful, the band renamed the album to "The Joshua Tree". The mysterious desert surroundings inspired U2.
They felt the arid and near desolate area they traveled through, would be a perfect back-drop for the album's music. At the very beginning of 'Tree's' creation, some of the song's, such as 'With or Without You', came about very easily, while tunes like, 'Where the Streets Have No Name', took forever and a day to get right. Song's like 'Mother's of the Disappeared' and 'Bullet the Blue Sky', were inspired by a group of women known as 'madres' Bono had met on a trip to El Salvador. These women had lost their children, either by imprisonment or murder by the country's military regime. Bono was moved by these women, as they bravely campaigned for justice and hopefully the eventual release of their children from political prisons. This experience would lead to U2's vigorous support of 'Amnesty International'. The final three song's were called 'a suite about death', by Edge. One of these, 'One Tree Hill' was a tribute to one of U2's tour crewman named Greg Carroll, who was killed in a motorcycle accident. The title of the song comes from a hill with a lone tree on it, known locally as One Tree Hill, in Auckland, New Zealand, where the band had first met Greg. "The Joshua Tree" was dedicated to Greg Carroll's memory.
"The Joshua Tree" was released on March 9th, 1987. It became the fastest selling album in U.K. history. It hit #1 on the charts of 22 countries. By the end of 1987 'Tree' had sold over 12 million copies. To many critics and fans alike, "The Joshua Tree" was the pinnacle of U2's career and the album that raised their status from celebrities to superstars.
Honestly, I had never heard of this album. Upon it's initial release it had been available to audiences only in the U.S., but would later be released in the U.K. It was the first time the band-members themselves had taken part in some of the album's production. U2 produced two songs on 'Wide Awake', 'Bad' and 'Loves Comes Tumbling'. Once again, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanios, took part in the albums creation, assisting the group with 'Three Sunrises'. U2 had no input on just the one song, 'Sort of a Homecoming'.
In the autumn of 1986, U2 returned to Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin to record their seventh album. Producer, Brian Eno and engineer, Daniel Lanios also returned for a third time to work on the upcoming album. The album's recording was finished in January of 1987. Originally called "The Enduring Chill", after a trip to Death Valley, California, where they are plentiful, the band renamed the album to "The Joshua Tree". The mysterious desert surroundings inspired U2.
They felt the arid and near desolate area they traveled through, would be a perfect back-drop for the album's music. At the very beginning of 'Tree's' creation, some of the song's, such as 'With or Without You', came about very easily, while tunes like, 'Where the Streets Have No Name', took forever and a day to get right. Song's like 'Mother's of the Disappeared' and 'Bullet the Blue Sky', were inspired by a group of women known as 'madres' Bono had met on a trip to El Salvador. These women had lost their children, either by imprisonment or murder by the country's military regime. Bono was moved by these women, as they bravely campaigned for justice and hopefully the eventual release of their children from political prisons. This experience would lead to U2's vigorous support of 'Amnesty International'. The final three song's were called 'a suite about death', by Edge. One of these, 'One Tree Hill' was a tribute to one of U2's tour crewman named Greg Carroll, who was killed in a motorcycle accident. The title of the song comes from a hill with a lone tree on it, known locally as One Tree Hill, in Auckland, New Zealand, where the band had first met Greg. "The Joshua Tree" was dedicated to Greg Carroll's memory.
"The Joshua Tree" was released on March 9th, 1987. It became the fastest selling album in U.K. history. It hit #1 on the charts of 22 countries. By the end of 1987 'Tree' had sold over 12 million copies. To many critics and fans alike, "The Joshua Tree" was the pinnacle of U2's career and the album that raised their status from celebrities to superstars.
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