This article needs additional citations for verification .(August 2007) |
"If God Will Send His Angels" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by U2 | ||||
from the album Pop and City of Angels soundtrack | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | 8 December 1997 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length |
| |||
Label | Island, Warner Bros. | |||
Composer(s) | U2 | |||
Lyricist(s) | Bono and The Edge | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
U2 singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"If God Will Send His Angels" on YouTube |
"If God Will Send His Angels" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fourth track on their 1997 album, Pop , and was released as its fifth single on 8 December 1997. It was also featured on the City of Angels soundtrack.
The "If God Will Send His Angels" singles were backed with the following B-sides:
"Slow Dancing" is a country song written by Bono for Willie Nelson in 1989. Its first release was on a 1993 single, "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)", and performed solely by Bono and the Edge. In 1997, U2 had the opportunity to record it with Nelson. This version features the entire band, in addition to vocals by Nelson and harmonica by Mickey Raphael. Bono and Brian Eno provide backing vocals.
This song was written by Bono and the Edge for Frank Sinatra in 1992. It is a jazzy lounge song written in the style of Sinatra's music. This performance was recorded live by Bono and the Edge in a London studio for Sinatra's 80th birthday. It was played for Sinatra in the United States at a televised birthday tribute on 19 November 1995 and was likely recorded a few days earlier. It has a string arrangement by Craig Armstrong.
Although Frank Sinatra never got a chance to record it himself, his daughter, Nancy Sinatra, cut a version for her 2004 album Nancy Sinatra . U2's Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. play bass and drums respectively for the track (they did not appear on the original recording). Sinatra changes the pronouns in the lyrics from a first-person perspective to a third-person, presumably to refer to her father.
Canadian singer Matt Dusk recorded the song for his album, Two Shots .
The performance of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" was recorded live at the band's PopMart show at Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina on 23 September 1997. Because Bono lost his voice early in the show, guitarist the Edge sang the song, accompanied only by his guitar. It is a quiet, pensive performance of the song, a stark contrast from the fiery original on War .
This was the first time the song was performed this way, replacing Edge's nightly karaoke song in the set (with the exception of the immediately subsequent shows in Thessaloniki, Greece and Tel Aviv, Israel, this set list change would continue until the end of the PopMart tour).
This version of the song was remixed by Johnny Moy.
There are three versions of this song:
The song was promoted with a music video directed by Phil Joanou. The video takes place in a restaurant in Detroit. [1] The screen is split horizontally, showing Bono in the top half and the person sitting across from him in the bottom half. The lighting brightly lights up each person's face (in contrast to the dim backgrounds). As Bono sings the song, numerous different people sit down at his table, talk for a while, and leave (including the three other members of the band at one point).
The video was filmed at a slower speed and sped up; thus, Bono had to learn how to sing the song slowly in order to properly synchronize with the song. The other people in the video spoke and moved at regular speed, so they appear sped up in the video.
The video appears on the DVD for The Best of 1990–2000 , along with director's commentary.
An alternate cut of the video, in which scenes from the movie City of Angels are interspliced, was also released.
"If God Will Send His Angels" was performed solely on the PopMart Tour at 23 of the 35 shows on the tour's first leg. [2] It debuted at the tour's first show, on 25 April 1997 in Las Vegas, and segued out of "Until the End of the World". This was the only time the full band played the song. [3] All 22 subsequent performances were played just by Bono and the Edge, though the segue out of "Until the End of the World" was retained. Its last performance was on 27 June 1997 in Chicago [4] and it was replaced by "New Year's Day" the next night. [5]
A chocolate advent calendar was distributed to promote the single. [6]
All tracks performed by U2, except "Slow Dancing" by U2 featuring Willie Nelson, and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by the Edge.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "If God Will Send His Angels" (Single version) | Bono and the Edge | U2 | Flood, Howie B, and Steve Osborne | 4:32 |
2. | "Slow Dancing" | Bono and the Edge | U2 | Flood | 4:00 |
3. | "Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad" | Bono | Bono and the Edge | Nellee Hooper | 4:12 |
4. | "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (Live in Sarajevo, Bosnia, 23 September 1997) | U2 | U2 | Chris Lycett | 3:50 |
Chart (1997–1998) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [7] | 4 |
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [8] | 26 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [9] | 6 |
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [10] | 4 |
Ireland (IRMA) [11] | 11 |
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [12] | 10 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [13] | 30 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [14] | 24 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [15] | 35 |
Scotland (OCC) [16] | 9 |
Spain (AFYVE) [17] | 5 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [18] | 56 |
UK Singles (OCC) [19] | 12 |
Chart (2001) | Position |
---|---|
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [20] | 97 |
Chart (2002) | Position |
---|---|
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) [21] | 129 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 8 December 1997 |
| Island | [22] |
Canada | 9 December 1997 | CD | [23] | |
United States | 2 March 1998 | Contemporary hit radio | [24] | |
8 April 1998 |
| [23] |
Pop is the ninth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Flood, Howie B, and Steve Osborne, and was released on 3 March 1997 on Island Records. The album was a continuation of the band's 1990s musical reinvention, as they incorporated alternative rock, techno, dance, and electronica influences into their sound. Pop employed a variety of production techniques that were relatively new to U2, including sampling, loops, programmed drum machines, and sequencing.
All That You Can't Leave Behind is the tenth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and was released on 30 October 2000 through Island Records and Interscope Records. Following the band's experimentation with alternative rock and dance music in the 1990s and the mixed reception to their 1997 album, Pop, U2 returned to a sound more akin to their earlier records for All That You Can't Leave Behind. The group reunited with Eno and Lanois, who had produced three prior U2 albums together. The record was originally named "U2000", which had been a working title for their PopMart Tour.
"Discothèque" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track on their 1997 album, Pop, and was released as its lead single on 3 February 1997 by Island Records. The song exhibits influences from electronic dance music, characteristic of the band's musical direction in the 1990s. The music video, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, was set inside of a mirrorball and featured the band members dressed as members of the disco group the Village People.
"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the second track on their tenth studio album, All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000), and was released as the album's second single on 29 January 2001. The band's lead vocalist Bono has said the song was inspired by a fictional conversation with his friend Michael Hutchence about suicide. The song peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Canada, their native Ireland, and Italy, while reaching the top 10 in Australia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom. In 2002, the song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony.
"New Year's Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their 1983 album War and was released as the album's lead single in January 1983. With lyrics written about the Polish Solidarity movement, "New Year's Day" is driven by Adam Clayton's distinctive bassline and the Edge's piano and guitar playing. It was the band's first UK hit single, peaking at number 10, and was also their first international hit, reaching for number 9 in Norway, number 11 on the Dutch Top 40, number 17 in Sweden, and number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, becoming the band's first single to chart in the US.
The PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 1997 album Pop, the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks in 1997 and 1998. Much like the band's previous Zoo TV Tour, PopMart was an elaborate production. Its lavish stage design had a 165-foot-wide (50 m) LED screen, a 100-foot-high (30 m) golden arch, and a large mirror-ball lemon. As with the Zoo TV Tour, the band delivered an image and performance that were ironic and self-mocking on PopMart, deviating from their earnest performances of the 1980s; the band performed in costumes that, along with the stage design, poked fun at the themes of consumerism and pop culture.
"I Will Follow" is a song by rock band U2. It is the opening track from their debut album, Boy, and it was released as the album's second single in October 1980. Lead singer Bono wrote the lyrics to "I Will Follow" in tribute to his mother, who died when he was 14 years old.
"With or Without You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree (1987), and was released as the album's lead single on 16 March 1987. The song was the group's most successful single at the time, becoming their first number-one hit in both the United States and Canada by topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and the RPM national singles chart for one week, with a further three weeks at number two.
"Even Better Than the Real Thing" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the second track on their seventh album, Achtung Baby (1992). It was released as the album's fourth single on 8 June 1992, and it reached number three in Ireland and Canada while becoming a top-ten hit in Austria, New Zealand, and Sweden. A remixed version of the song released the same year peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom and number 10 in Ireland. In 1997, readers of Mojo named the song the 71st-best track of the 1990s.
"Sweetest Thing" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was originally released as a B-side on the "Where the Streets Have No Name" single in 1987. The song was later re-recorded and re-released as a single in October 1998 for the band's compilation album The Best of 1980–1990.
"Staring at the Sun" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1997 album, Pop, and was released by Island Records as the album's second single on 14 April 1997. The song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Canada and Iceland and number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the US, it topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks and Adult Alternative Songs charts. It also reached the top 10 in Finland, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand and Norway.
"Last Night on Earth" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the sixth track on their 1997 album, Pop, and was released by as its third single on 1 July 1997 by Island Records. The song features excerpts from "Trayra Boia", written by Naná Vasconcelos and Denise Milan. It's music video was directed by Richie Smyth and filmed in the US.
"Please" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the eleventh track on their ninth album, Pop (1997), and was released as its fourth single on 22 September 1997 by Island Records. As with "Sunday Bloody Sunday", the song is about The Troubles in Northern Ireland. The single cover for this song features pictures of four Northern Irish politicians – Gerry Adams, David Trimble, Ian Paisley, and John Hume. Two months before the release of the single, live versions of "Please" and three other songs from the PopMart Tour were released on the Please: PopHeart Live EP in September 1997.
"Mysterious Ways" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the eighth track from their 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and was released as the album's second single on 2 December 1991, two weeks after the album. The song began as an improvisation called "Sick Puppy", with the band liking only the bass part that bassist Adam Clayton composed. The band struggled to build a song from it, with vocalist Bono and producer Daniel Lanois arguing intensely during one songwriting session. The song's breakthrough came after guitarist the Edge began experimenting with the Korg A3 effects unit. "Mysterious Ways" features a danceable beat, funky guitar hook, and conga-laden percussion, as well as mystical lyrics by Bono about romance and women.
"The Fly" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the seventh track from their 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and it was released as the album's first single on 21 October 1991 by Island Records. "The Fly" introduced a more abrasive-sounding U2, as the song featured danceable hip-hop beats, industrial textures, distorted vocals, and an elaborate guitar solo. Lead vocalist Bono described the song as "the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree", due to its departure from the sound that had traditionally characterised the band in the 1980s.
"All I Want Is You" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the final track on their 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released as its fourth and final single on 12 June 1989. It also appears in the Rattle and Hum film, playing over the closing credits.
"When Love Comes to Town" is a song by Irish rock band U2 featuring blues guitarist B.B. King. It is the twelfth track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released in 1989 as the record's third single. The song was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis. "When Love Comes to Town" reached number one in the Irish Singles Chart, number six in the UK Singles Chart, number ten in the Dutch Top 40, and number two in the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
"Desire" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the third track on their 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. It was released as the album's lead single on 19 September 1988, and became the band's first number-one single in the United Kingdom and Australia. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and topped both the Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, making it the first song to reach number one on both charts simultaneously. It reached number two on the Dutch Top 40. At the 31st Annual Grammy Awards, "Desire" won the 1989 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
"Get On Your Boots" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the sixth track on their 2009 album No Line on the Horizon. The song was released as the album's lead single on 19 January 2009, with a physical release on 14 February. The lyrical delivery of the song's verses has been said to resemble Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues," while the song has also been compared to "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello.
"Stay " is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their eighth album, Zooropa (1993), and it was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993 by Island Records. The song reached number one in Ireland and reached the top 10 in Australia, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The accompanying music video, directed by Wim Wenders, was shot in Berlin, Germany. The earliest incarnation of the song developed during sessions for the group's 1991 album Achtung Baby. It was written for and inspired by Frank Sinatra and bore his surname as the original working title. An alternative recording was used in the 1993 film Faraway, So Close!, also by Wim Wenders.