U2 The Unforgettable Fire LOVELY COPY

	£		17
	$		23

A BREAKDOWN OF THE ARTIST/S :-

Indisputably one of the most popular rock acts in the world, this Irish quartet's achievements since the late 70s have been extraordinarily cohesive and consistent. U2 began their musical career at school in Dublin in 1977. Bono (Born Paul David Hewson, 10 May 1960, Dublin, Eire; vocals), The Edge (Born David Evans, 8 August 1961, Barking, Essex, England; guitar), Adam Clayton (Born 13 March 1960, Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England; bass) and Larry Mullen Jnr. (Born Laurence Mullen, 31 October 1961, Dublin, Eire; drums) initially played Rolling Stones and Beach Boys cover versions in an outfit named Feedback. They then changed their name to the Hype before finally settling on U2 in 1978. After winning a talent contest in Limerick that year, they came under the wing of manager Paul McGuinness and were subsequently signed to CBS Records Ireland.

U2's debut EP U2:3 featured "Out Of Control" (1979), which propelled them to number 1 in the Irish charts. They repeated that feat with "Another Day" (1980), but having been passed by CBS UK, they were free to sign a deal outside of Ireland with Island Records. Their UK debut "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", produced by Martin Hannett, was well received but failed to chart. Two further singles, "A Day Without Me" and "I Will Follow", passed with little sales while the band prepared their first album, produced by Steve Lillywhite. Boy, a moving and inspired document of adolescence, received critical approbation, which was reinforced by the live shows that U2 were undertaking throughout the country. Bono's impassioned vocals and the band's rhythmic tightness revealed them as the most promising live unit of 1981. After touring America, the band returned to Britain where "Fire" was bubbling under the Top 30. Another minor hit with the impassioned "Gloria" was followed by the strident October. The album had a thrust reinforced by a religious verve that was almost evangelical in its force. Later, it was revealed that the band almost disintegrated during the sessions for the album. The loss of a suitcase full of notes and lyrics led to Bono being forced to hastily write new words in the studio.

In February 1983 U2 reached the UK Top 10 with "New Year's Day", a song of hope inspired by the Polish Solidarity Movement. War followed soon afterwards to critical plaudits. The album's theme covered both religious and political conflicts, especially in the key track "Sunday Bloody Sunday", which had already emerged as one of the band's most startling and moving live songs. Given their power in concert, it was inevitable that U2 would attempt to capture their essence on a live album. Under A Blood Red Sky (recorded at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, USA) did not disappoint and, as well as climbing to number 2 in the UK, it brought them their first significant chart placing in the USA at number 28.

By the summer of 1984, U2 were about to enter the vanguard of the rock elite. Bono duetted with Bob Dylan at the latter's concert at Slane Castle and U2 established their own company, Mother Records, with the intention of unearthing fresh musical talent in Eire. The Unforgettable Fire, produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, revealed a new maturity and improved their commercial and critical standing in the US charts. The attendant single, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)', displayed the passion and humanity that were by now familiar ingredients in U2"s music and lyrics. The band's commitment to their ideals was further underlined by their appearances at Live Aid, Ireland's Self Aid, and their involvement with Amnesty International and guest spot on Little Steven's anti-Apartheid single, "Sun City".

During this same period, U2 embarked on a world tour and completed work on their next album. The Joshua Tree emerged in March 1987 and confirmed U2's standing as one of the most popular acts in the world. The album, which became the fastest-selling album in history and topped both the US and UK charts, revealed a new, more expansive sound that complemented their soul-searching lyrics. The familiar themes of spiritual salvation permeated the work and the quest motif was particularly evident on both "With Or Without You" and the gospel-tinged "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", which both reached number 1 in the US charts, confirming U2 as indisputably the most successful European act to cross the Atlantic for several years. They became the first rock band since the Who to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

After such a milestone album, 1988 proved a relatively quiet year for U2. Bono and the Edge appeared on Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl and the year ended with the poorly received double album and documentary film, Rattle And Hum. The portentous tone of the film did the band little favours, with Bono's po-faced self-mythology attracting particular critical ire. The band also belatedly scored their first UK number 1 single with the R&B-influenced "Desire". The single, which also reached the US Top 5, was one of several new studio tracks written for Rattle And Hum, which despite its indifferent critical reception went on to sell over 14 million copies. Further UK Top 10 hits followed with the Billie Holiday tribute "Angel Of Harlem", the BornBorn King duet, "When Love Comes To Town", and "All I Want Is You".

The challenge to complete a suitable follow-up to The Joshua Tree took considerable time, with Bono and The Edge declaring their desire to push the band in a new direction incorporating the latest developments in electronica and industrial music. To this end, in 1990 the duo collaborated on a loop-driven soundtrack to the RSC's stage production of A Clockwork Orange. Later in the year, U2 appeared on the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue, performing a radical reading of "Night And Day". The band arrived in Berlin in November 1990, a year after the demolition of the infamous wall dividing the East and West sectors of the city. They set up base at Hansa Ton studios, birthplace of David Bowie's seminal 1977 recording "Heroes", and with regular collaborators Lanois, Lillywhite and Eno also present, began the painful process of forging their new sound. They returned to Dublin four months later with only a handful of completed tracks but with a more coherent sense of purpose, and sessions for the album were wrapped up during the spring and summer. In late 1991, U2 unveiled their bold, new sound with the remarkable lead-off single "The Fly". The almighty clatter of the rhythm section and The Edge's trashy guitar sound demonstrated that U2 had taken on board recent developments on the dancefloor, while Bono's vocals moved from a dirty growl to a twisted falsetto in keeping with the song's barely disguised air of menace. Of even more note were Bono's self-mocking lyrics, which introduced the singer's new alter ego and buried the painfully earnest rock god of the Rattle And Hum era. The single risked alienating the band's fans but proved to be a triumph, entering the UK charts at number 1 and winning U2 a new, hipper audience, although their conservative fanbase in America was more circumspect.

The attendant Achtung Baby was an impressive work that captured the majesty of The Joshua Tree, yet also stripped down the sound to provide a greater sense of spontaneity. This was evident in the riotous sleeve collage designed by Anton Corbijn, an explicit rejection of the po-faced probity of the cover of The Joshua Tree. The work emphasized U2's standing as an international rock act, topping the US chart and spawning a number of transatlantic hit singles, including "Mysterious Ways", "Even Better Than The Real Thing" and "One". The latter, a tender, widescreen ballad, was the closest the band came to replicating their 80s sound and remains one of their most enduring songs. Elsewhere on the album, the quartet rushed headlong into an uncertain new decade with the ominous clatter of the opening track "Zoo Station" and the hard-rocking "Until The End Of The World", which saw Bono adopting a new stance by role-playing Judas at the Last Supper. The album's subtext of sexual betrayal, meanwhile, drew on the fractured personal relationships of certain members of the band (The Edge had broken up with his wife shortly after the band returned from Berlin).

U2 then embarked on a remarkable worldwide tour which cemented their reputation as one of the most popular "stadium" attractions of the era. Dubbed the Zoo TV tour, it featured the band performing against a backdrop inspired by the writings of "cyberpunk" author William Gibson, with a huge bank of television screens blasting out live news bulletins, messages from the crowd and a dizzying array of images supplied by video art troupe Emergency Broadcast Network. During the shows Bono, dressed in wraparound shades and black leather and revelling in his alter-ego "The Fly', would make live phone calls to targets ranging from politicians to fast food joints. Ironically, the band's intended commentary on fame and mass media developed new angles when Adam Clayton was thrust into the spotlight because of his relationship with supermodel Naomi Campbell. On 19 June 1992, U2 performed at the Greenpeace-backed Stop Sellafield show in Manchester, England. The following morning the four members took part in a protest at the Sellafield site in north west England, dumping Irish soil allegedly contaminated by the nuclear power plant on the grounds. In January of the following year, Clayton and Mullen teamed up with R.E.M."s Michael Stipe and Mike Mills to perform at MTV's Rock N Roll Inaugural Ball for the newly-elected US President Bill Clinton. The quartet dubbed themselves Automatic Baby.

In May 1993, U2 launched the new Zooropa tour in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Bono created a new alter-ego for the tour, MacPhisto, donning a gold lam‚ suit and devil's horns in a post-modern nod to Elvis Presley's Las Vegas years. The attendant shows featured an even wilder spin on the Zoo TV format, with Irish theatre troupe Manass appearing as U2 in caricature outfits, and nightly news bulletins from the besieged city of Sarajevo relayed by American reporter Bill Carter. A new EP was planned to promote the tour but the band found they had enough material to release the 10-track Zooropa. Recorded in spare moments between shows, the album included some memorable songs in the shape of the ballad "Stay (Faraway, So Close)" and the shimmering "Lemon". Veteran US artist Johnny Cash provided the vocals for the closing track, "The Wanderer". Although the critics were less than generous with Zooropa the album still rocketed to the top of the US and UK charts. On 11 August that year, the band brought the fatwah-threatened author Salman Rushdie on stage during a concert at Wembley Stadium, London. In November that year, Clayton missed a concert in Sydney, Australia, and shortly afterwards called off his planned marriage to Naomi Campbell and resolved to give up drinking.

After such a frenetic period spent recording and touring, U2 announced in January 1994 that they would be taking a break in order to recover from the excesses of the previous three years. The following June they released the single "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me", taken from the Batman Forever soundtrack. In the mid-90s Bono devoted much of his time to writing songs for others. With The Edge he wrote the James Bond film theme "Goldeneye" for Tina Turner and became involved in the Passengers project alongside the rest of U2 and Brian Eno (the 1995 release Original Soundtracks 1 spawned a couple of memorable ballads, "Miss Sarajevo" and "Your Blue Room".)

During this period, Bono established himself as a highly respected and shrewd political advocate for a number of causes. His verbal lashing of the French president Jacques Chirac at the 1995 MTV Awards in Paris created headlines. Obviously upset by the country's recent nuclear tests, Bono came onstage smiling to accept an award. The audience were brilliantly fooled by his perfectly delivered sarcasm: "What a city" (cheers and applause), "what a night" (cheers and applause), "what a bomb" (confused laughter and applause), "what a mistake" (mixed response), "what a wanker you have for President" (sporadic boos). Of more particular note is the singer's tireless work in helping to solve the financial and health crisis in Africa. In 1999 he joined the Jubilee 2000 (later renamed Drop The Debt) movement, dedicated to erasing the public debt of 52 of the world's poorest countries, many of them located in Africa. In his role as a Jubilee 2000 ambassador, Bono has met with Pope John Paul II, US president George W. Bush, former US president Bill Clinton, US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In 2002, he founded DATA (Debt, Aid, Trade for Africa)

In 1996, U2 returned to the studio to begin work on a projected new album. The only release of note that year, however, was Clayton and Mullen's version of the Mission: Impossible theme, which made the US and UK Top 10 and was later nominated for a Grammy Award. The following February the single "DiscothŠque" debuted at UK number 1. This dance-orientated track set the tone for the cooly-received Pop, hyped in the media as the band's attempt to record techno music. The album's most traditional-sounding track, "Staring At The Sun", was another big UK hit. On 25 April, the band launched their PopMart world tour at the Sam Boyd stadium in Las Vegas, USA. The set for the show featured the largest video screen on the planet, a 40-foot mirrorball lemon (which the band emerged from for the encore), and a 100-foot tall toothpick with an olive on top. During the subsequent 11-month world tour the show was beset by technical problems.

What many critics and fans regard as the musical renaissance of U2 began in October 1998 when a re-recorded b-side, "Sweetest Thing", reached UK number 3. The single was followed by the release of the band's first compilation album. In March 2000, the Bono-scripted movie The Million Dollar Hotel was released. The soundtrack included the new U2 track "The Ground Beneath Her Feet", featuring lyrics by Salman Rushdie. The same year's All That You Can't Leave Behind eschewed the band's preoccupation with electronica to return to the epic rock sound they championed in the late 80s. The chart-topping "Beautiful Day" won three Grammy Awards, including Song Of The Year, the following February. The album's enduring appeal was confirmed when the band won four more awards at the following year's Grammy Awards, including Best Rock Album and Record Of The Year ("Walk On").

Following the release of All That You Can't Leave Behind, Bono threw himself back into charity work. He was the only original vocalist invited back to perform on the 2004 re-recording of the Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?". During the same period U2 began heavy promotion of their forthcoming new studio album. The bizarrely-titled How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (apparently a reference to Bono) topped the UK and US charts in December. The UK chart-topping single "Vertigo", meanwhile, received extensive media coverage when it was used to promote Apple's i-Tunes download store.

Discography:
Boy (Island 1980)***, October (Island 1981)***, War (Island 1983)****, Under A Blood Red Sky (Island 1983)***, The Unforgettable Fire (Island 1984)****, Wide Awake In America (Island 1985)***, The Joshua Tree (Island 1987)****, Rattle And Hum (Island 1988)***, Achtung Baby (Island 1991)****, Zooropa (Island 1993)***, Pop (Island 1997)***, All That You Can't Leave Behind (Island 2000)****, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (Island 2004)****.

THE HISTORY OF THE RECORD :- The Unforgettable Fire is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was released in October 1984. The band wanted a different musical direction following the harder-hitting rock of their 1983 album War. They employed Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois to produce and assist them experiment with a more ambient and abstract sound. The resulting change in direction was at the time the band's most dramatic.

Recording began in May 1984 at Slane Castle, where the band lived, wrote, and recorded to find new inspiration. The album was completed in August 1984 at Windmill Lane Studios. It features atmospheric sounds and lyrics that lead vocalist Bono describes as "sketches". Two songs feature lyrical tributes to Martin Luther King Jr. The Unforgettable Fire received generally favourable reviews from critics and produced the band's biggest hit at the time, "Pride (In the Name of Love)", as well as the live favourite "Bad", a song about heroin addiction. A 25th Anniversary edition of the album was released in October 2009.

The title is a reference to "The Unforgettable Fire"—an art exhibit about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The band saw the exhibit in November 1983 in Japan while on the War Tour.

THE COVER :- Single Textured sleeve

THE LABEL :- Island labels

THE VINYL VISUALLY :- On initial inspection of this piece of vinyl I cannot see any areas of immediate concern. The vinyl sits perfectly flat on the turntable so there are no nasty warps to worry about. The vinyl still retains its just pressed quality, full of deep shine and lustre. I have only noted one very small scratch on Track One but very small. Nothing else to note besides that. A lovely piece of vinyl. Excellent Plus visualy. 

THE VINYL PLAY GRADED :- The playgrading of the vinyl reveals no lessening in the sound quality. It lives up to its visual grading. There is very minimal surface noise. What there is can be only heard on the run in and run out of tracks the worst of which is noted at the start of Side Two in the intro, just a little static than can be eradicated with careful handling and regular cleaning after play as there is no apparent reason for it under a viewer. The sound quality is high with a full dynamic range and very detailed sound. I feel certain this album has been played carefully and stored well over the years. I would grade the audio playback as Excellent Plus condition.

THE SLEEVE FRONT CONDITION :- This is the very earliest 1st press textured sleeve. The front of the sleeve is free from writing, free from stickers or evidence of previously removed stickers. The sleeve reveals no ringwear and no creases. Just some very light corner and seam wear. The colours are bright and crisp. About the best you will find. I would grade the front of the cover as Near Mint condition.

THE SLEEVE REAR CONDITION :- The rear of the sleeve is free from writing, free from stickers or evidence of previously removed stickers. There are no creases on the rear of the sleeve and no ringwear. Just some very light corner and seam wear. Again the rear still retains its original crisp colours. I would grade the rear as Near Mint condition.

THE LABEL SIDE ONE CONDITION :- Original Island picture label in excellent order free from stickers or writing and no damage at all. No signs of play around the spindle hole. Near Mint condition.

THE LABEL SIDE TWO CONDITION :- Original Island picture label in excellent order free from stickers or writing and no damage at all. No signs of play around the spindle hole. Near Mint condition.

THE SPINE CONDITION :- The writing on the spine is crystal clear, no spine splits at all just very light signs of shelfwear in the two corners. Near Mint condition

THE INNER SLEEVE CONDITION :- The original picture inner is in Excellent condition. No splits. There are a few grubby paw prints on the back but nothing too bad.

THE EXTRAS :- No extras were given with this album

THE CATALOGUE NUMBER :- U2 5

THE YEAR OF RELEASE :-  1984

THE LABEL :- ISLAND

THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN :-  UK

PLAYING FORMAT :- STEREO

THE MATRIX NUMBERS :-  U25-A-7U  &  U25-B-9

TRACK LISTING :-

SIDE ONE :-

1. A SORT OF HOMECOMING
2. PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE)
3. WIRE
4. THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE
5. PROMENADE

SIDE TWO :-

1. 4TH OF JULY
2. BAD
3. INDIAN SUMMER SKY
4. ELVIS PRESLEY & AMERICA
5. MLK

WHAT WE PLAY THE RECORD ON :- 

We use a Project 6 Perspex Turntable to play grade our records which delivers a rich authoritative sound and achieves a rich and weighty vibrancy unrivalled by the majority of decks within its price range

HOW WE CLEAN YOUR RECORD :- 

We use a V.P.I. HW-16.5 record cleaning machine to clean your vinyl. "A highly recommended machine" as quoted by Stereophile magazine. This removes any excess dirt before playing

HOW WE PACKAGE YOUR RECORD :- 

Your record will be package very securely to minimise any risk of damage during transit. We remove the record from the outer sleeve unless asked not to do so. This helps to minimise the risk of seam spliting. We use a high quality record mailer which is designed to give superior protection for your vinyl record. We place stiffeners either side of the record for added protection. The album will also be placed in a 450 gram Poly outer sleeve for even extra added protection

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING CHARGES FOR UK CUSTOMERS :-

We advise that items reaching over £50 in price to be insured and sent by Special Delivery. This protects both of us and ensures better handling of the parcel during transit.We are in no way out to make money from postage. The postage price includes the record mailer, stiffeners and plastic sleeve. We just want your item to reach you in the best possible condition. A breakdown of insured postal services are listed below. Please choose to use the relevant postal service for your own protection as once these rare records are lost they can quite often seldom be replaced

SECOND CLASS RECORDED (INSURED UP TO £50) :- FREE

FIRST CLASS RECORDED (INSURED UP TO £50) :- £0.45

SPECIAL DELIVERY NEXT DAY UPTO 500g :- £3.80

SPECIAL DELIVERY NEXT DAY FROM 500g - 1000g :- £5.00

(SPECIAL DELIVERY INSURES YOUR ITEM UPTO £500)

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All records reaching under £15 are sent to the European Union by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS  :-  £6.22 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :-  £11.37 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :-  £13.97 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE USA AND CANADA :- 

All records reaching under £15 are sent to the USA & Canada by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS  :-  £8.78 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £13.93 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £16.53 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

POSTAGE AND PACKAGING FOR THE AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN AND ROW :- 

All records reaching under £15 are sent to the Australia & Japan by Airmail small packets. We will not ship abroad without insured post for items reaching over £15

AIRMAIL SMALL PACKETS :- £9.06 (For items under £15)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £14.21 (For items £15 - £50)

INTERNATIONAL SIGNED FOR :- £16.81 (For items £50 - £500)

(These prices are based on a package weight of no more than 500g and can vary for heavier packages)

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DO NOT PROFIT FROM POSTAGE, THE PRICES WE QUOTE ARE QUITE ACCURATE AND INCLUDE THE PACKAGING MATERIALS AT COST PRICE

NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS:

PLEASE AWAIT AN INVOICE BEFORE PAYING SO WE CAN WORK OUT THE CORRECT POSTAGE/SHIPPING CHARGES

BUYERS OF MULTIPLE ITEMS :- 

Postage prices and courier methods for multiple purchases will be calculated after the auction end. It is impossible for us at the pre auction stage to determine these prices as the final weight is unknown.If you are the winner of multiple items the please await contact from us or alternately contact us yourself for a breakdown of the shipping costs.You will only pay the stamp price + relevant packaging charges so there are big savings to be made with multiple purchases

HOW TO PAY FOR YOUR RECORD :-

We can accept the following payment methods

UK BUYERS :- 

• PayPal
• Personal cheque (Please allow to clear)
• Bankers Draft
• Postal Order

OVERSEAS BUYERS :-

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS :-

We always try to appraise the record for sale as openly and honestly as possible and provide plenty of pictures for you to look at but please be aware that errors however rare do occur and not everyone has the same audio  equipment. There is no problem that cannot be worked out in a civilised manner. We urge you to contact us so that we can discuss any small problems that may occur. We offer a refund of the purchase price for returned items within 7 days of purchase and are happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have during the auction

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