News: January 2002 Archives

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January 24, 2002

New U2!

1.24.02 - NME

Bono has teamed up with Scottish soundtrack composer Craig Armstrong to record a new version of the U2 hit 'Stay (Faraway So Close').

The track will feature on 'As If To Nothing', Armstrong's second album due for release on April 1 through Massive Attack's Melankolic Records. 'Stay...' originally appeared on 1993's 'Zooropa'.

The U2 frontman is not the only collaborator to team up with Armstrong, best known for work with Baz Luhrmann on 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Romeo & Juliet'. A raft of strange bedfellows include Evan Dando, popping up on new track 'Wake Up In New York', Mogwai appearing on 'Miracle' and drum 'n' bass pioneer Photek, who crops up on 'Hymn 2'.

Armstrong picked up a Golden Globe on Sunday in LA for work on 'Moulin Rouge'.

The Evan Dando single is released on March 18. Armstrong will be performing a special one-off show on April 7 at London's Barbican. It is unclear at present if any of his big name friends will guest.

Posted by Jonathan at 03:56 PM | Comments (0)

January 18, 2002

U2 Putting Limited-Edition Album On Sale At Target Stores

1.18.02 - Launch

U2 has teamed up with Target Stores for a limited-edition CD that will only be available through the nationwide retailer. Titled U2 7, the collection features seven U2 songs, ranging from an acoustic version of "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of," to remixes of "Beautiful Day" and "Elevation," to the regular versions of the B-sides "Summer Rain" and "Always." The CD has a $6.99 list price. U2 7 will be available in all Target stores, as well as at target.com, starting Tuesday (January 22).

U2 is up for eight awards at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, which takes place February 27 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The nominations include record of the year and best rock song for "Walk On"; album of the year and best rock album for All That You Can't Leave Behind; song of the year and best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal for "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of"; and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal and best rock song for "Elevation."

The band is set to play the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans on February 3.

-- Bruce Simon, New York

Posted by Jonathan at 03:58 PM | Comments (0)

January 09, 2002

U2 In Fight Against Demolition Of Studios

1.9.02 - Belfast Telegraph

Supergroup U2 have cited multi-million record sales and musical heritage in their case against the compulsory demolition of their recording studios.

The first ever pop planning battle could see U2 members in action at the Gresham Hotel in Dublin in a fortnight when a Bord Pleanala oral hearing gets underway into objections by the group and their manager Paul McGuinness to the planned compulsory purchase of the Dublin southside docks studios.

In their formal objection made in the names of Adam Clayton, David Evans, Paul Hewson, Laurence Mullen and Paul McGuinness, the band say they have been recording albums at the Hanover Quay premises since about 1994. This was well in advance of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA), which has served a compulsory purchase notice on the studies for a quayside public amenity.

According to the nine-page submission, their latest album 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' was recorded at the studio and has sold over 10m copies.

The band say they have been recording in the docklands area since the early 1980s at studios in Windmill Lane, prior to the move to Hanover Quay.

U2 insist that the present use of the premises is entirely in accordance with both the corporation's development proposals and the DDDA master plan.

According to the submission, keeping the buildings and structures was not inconsistent with the creation of a public amenity area. Although the premises would not qualify as a protected structure, a strong case could be made for its retention as "as an element in the recognised music-recording heritage of the area".

They say they are the owners of the 400 sq metre single-storey plus mezzanine building located at the dockside and that it is a converted former warehouse. The land is subject to a 35-year lease in favour of U2. Another objection by businessman Harry Crosbie, who owns adjoining buildings, says the compulsory acquisition was not necessary and that the order did not specify the purpose.

The DDDA, in placing the CPO, said it wanted people to have access to the waterways and these were currently cut off because of the buildings.

U2 manager Paul McGuinness has said the band had strong feelings about the building and that they were not going to let anyone knock it down without a big fight. The DDDA have said the buildings were not particularly pleasant looking.

The oral hearing is to be conducted by Padraig Thornton, a planning inspector with Bord Pleanala. It will be held on January 29 at 11am in the Gresham Hotel, O'Connell St.

Posted by Jonathan at 03:59 PM | Comments (1)

January 06, 2002

U2, India Arie and Alicia Keys Lead Grammy Nominations

1.6.02 - New York Times

By Jon Pareles

U2 dominated the nominations for the 44th annual Grammy Awards, which are to be announced on Feb. 27 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences during a CBS broadcast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

U2's album "All That You Can't Leave Behind," released in 2000, garnered eight nominations, including ones for album, song and record (the recording of a single song) of the year. Two U2 songs are competing in the best rock song category: "Elevation" and "Walk On."

The other performers with the highest number of nominations were the rhythm- and-blues singers and songwriters India Arie, with seven, and Alicia Keys, with six. Both were nominated in rhythm-and-blues categories, as well as for record of the year, song of the year and best new artist. Ms. Arie's "Acoustic Soul" was also nominated for album of the year, while Ms. Keys's "Songs in A Minor," an album that sold four million copies and appeared on many critics' lists of the year's best recordings, was not.

The other nominees for album of the year were Bob Dylan's "Love and Theft," Outkast's "Stankonia" and the soundtrack to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," which was a top-selling country album for much of the year. Although individual songs from "O Brother" were nominated in country categories, the album itself was not nominated for best country album, but for best compilation soundtrack album.

In the best new artist category, Ms. Keys and Ms. Arie are to compete with the songwriters Nelly Furtado and David Gray and with Linkin Park, the rap-rock group that made the year's best-selling album.

In hip-hop, Outkast drew a total of five nominations for "Stankonia" and its single "Ms. Jackson," edging out Ja Rule and Jay-Z, with three each. Only one new category was added to the Grammys this year: best rap/sung collaboration, reflecting the number of hits in which rappers take verses while singers provide choruses.

U2 received Grammy awards in 2001 for song and record of the year with its single "Beautiful Day" from "All That You Can't Leave Behind." The Grammy Awards represent the year of releases between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30. Because "Beautiful Day" was released before Oct. 1, 2000, and the album was released afterward, U2 was eligible for awards in successive years.

The nominees for best classical album include two conducted by Pierre Boulez: one with the works of Varse and the other the Schoenberg Piano Concerto, with Mitsuko Uchida as soloist. Also nominated were Sir Colin Davis conducting Berlioz's "Troyens," Sir Charles Mackerras conducting Janacek's "Sarka," and Richard Hickox conducting Vaughan Williams's "London Symphony."

Possible reactions to the Sept. 11 attacks could be seen in the best male rock vocal performance category, which includes John Mellencamp's "Peaceful World" and Ryan Adams's "New York, New York" (the music video, made before Sept. 11, shows the World Trade Center), and in the spoken-word category, which includes "War Letters," read by Tom Brokaw and others. U2's "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," nominated for song of the year, received widespread radio play after the attacks.

Posted by Jonathan at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

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