Scattered Thoughts: Worth A Listen
Forgive the artsy little non-video backgrounds, but these YouTube clips are really worth a listen. The uploader lists the clips as: U2 interviewed by Dave Fanning, RTE Radio 2, January 1980. Timing-wise, this would be after U23 had been released, but before the band had recorded Boy. In these clips, teenage Bono and Edge discuss recent demos they had just recorded, and Fanning plays those “demo” songs in between chatting with Edge and Bono
Part 1: Edge explains why legendary British DJ John Peel wouldn’t play their record. Bono tells a hysterical story about his inability to use England’s “funny” phone boxes. I love that it is the phone’s fault. They talk about a song they just recorded, and then play the recording - “The Dream Is Over.”
Part 2: They talk about their recent gigs in London and their good reviews from the British press. Edge listens. “Professor” Bono goes off on a blah blah Baby Bono tangent
Part 3: Bono keeps referring to Edge as Dave, which is so confusing (to me). Oh, and Jimmy Page latched onto Edge?
Update: As Beth points out in the comments, there are a few other U2-related interviews uploaded by the same YouTube user that are worth checking out.
Update # 2: As noted in the comments, the user removed the videos. Stay tuned for future developments …
-This post brought to you by Scatter O’ Light.
Beth said,
May 15, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
This is really amazing, and don’t miss the rest of the stuff posted by the same author, including the 1979 broadcast in which listeners are invited to choose the single for U2:3, and Bono reviewing one of Dylan’s Christian albums live on the radio in 1981. Unbelievable. I cannot believe I have just listened to these.
caravox said,
May 16, 2008 @ 6:39 am
Thanks Beth, I didn’t notice the other ones at first. I had never heard any of this particular audio floating around. It is geekishly exciting to run across it.
rihannsu said,
May 17, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
What strikes me most in listening to early U2 interviews is how many things Bono mentions that at the time sound like flights of fancy or delusions of grandeur and yet over the years have steadily been achieved. The consistancy of his talking about poverty and injustice in the world years before even Live Aid which many assume to be his beginning foray into activism. There are so many things in their career that seem to have been mentioned off the cuff in interviews years ahead of the actual events. You can go back and find ideas mentioned in interviews the show up in the music years later. It is amazing to see how he plays with ideas and how they affect the direction and scope of the music. I wonder too how many people who dismissed his ideas and vision early on are now marveling at what he has done.
Dana
calhouns said,
May 19, 2008 @ 7:40 am
Hey, where did those audio clips go!? That didn’t take long.
April said,
May 19, 2008 @ 8:32 am
Not sure why, but all of those videos have been removed from youtube.
caravox said,
May 19, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
Hmmmm …. well it is *possible* that I downloaded all of the clips before the user removed them, so maybe we can find a different way of sharing. Stay tuned.
parnellmooney said,
May 20, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
Enjoy. Plenty more where those came from but not, alas, for circulation. I left the clips up until I figured there had been plenty time to download them and share them around. So much twaddle has been written about U2 that the unique tone of the pre-Island U2 has been obliterated by the subsequent mythology. Posting the interviews was just one small genture towards retrieving the reality. All the best with the book.
Edwardo said,
May 22, 2008 @ 12:25 pm
Yea point in leaving them up for people to listen to. %-/
evan said,
August 17, 2008 @ 8:18 am
PLEASE REPOST SOMEBODY !!! OR PLEASE SEND THIS TO ME BY MY EMAIL !
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS INTERVIEW FOREVER !!!!
I AM WORKING ON A HUGE EARLY U2 WEBSITE COVERING 1976 TO PRE- BOY U2
I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING EARLY U2 INFO FOR 15 YEARS OR SO !
AND NEED THIS INTERVIEW
PLEASE HELP !!!! ANYBODY !!! ( POSSIBLY WE CAN WORK OUT A TRADE ? )
THANKS!!!!
EVAN
jetway777@hotmail.com
Evan said,
August 21, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
Anybody ! Please Read !!!
Can anybody out thier please help me get a copy of this interview ?
my email is
jetway777@hotmail.com
Thanks in advance