“Wide Awake in America" it´s a four-track extended play by U2. It was released on 20 May 1985
through Island
Records. It was originally released only in North America and Japan
but it charted in the UK as an import. It was re-released internationally in
1990.
This is an
extended version of that EP, now turned into LP that shows all the selected and
unused material, alternative and unknown material made by Brian Eno and Daniel
Lanois.
Side one
begins with: "Yoshino Blossom", whose
title means "cherry blossom" in Japanese; It was recorded at the
beginning of the “The unforgettable fire sessions”, end of May 1983. at Slane
Castle with producer Paul Thomas. Remixed later by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois
adding Bono's voice reciting the poem "Mother of God" by William
Butler Yeats, Although the song remained as a possible B-side and a candidate
to open “Wide awake in America”, but both the instrumental and vocal versions
ended up archived.
Next song: "Bad" was produced by the band and recorded live from
the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England on 12 November 1984, as
part of the Unforgettable Fire Tour.
It´s a song about heroin addiction, would become a staple of their live
set. Radio programmers
often chose this “Wide Awake in America” version over the original studio
recording.
“Boomerang” is a “outtake”
of over seven minutes made by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois to be included in the
12-inch, cassette or CD release and “wide awake in America” EP.
Side two opens with "BassTrap / Three Sunrise", both songs are shown together because they should have originally appeared like this, in April 1985 as part of 12-inch "The Inforgettable Fire"; but the producers Bit.ly/Ud-aWA Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois were reserved to be part of "Wade awake in America", although in the end this version was unreleased.
"Love Comes
Tumbling", it´s an slightly edited version
with four bars immediately preceding the vocal deleted, that appears first on
12 ": Island / L18002 (Australian release) and after on the B-sides disc
of The Best of 1980–1990.
“Sixty Seconds In Kingdom Come”.
It
was to be a coda of the previous song whose title was not going to appear on
"wide awake in America". But in the end it included in "The
Unforgettable Fire" 2x7 ": Island / ISD220 and CBS / DA 6185 (UK and
Ireland releases).
“A Sort of Homecoming" is live
from Wembley Arena in London on 15 November 1984. The song was produced
by Tony Visconti and recorded during a
soundcheck at the concert, with the crowd noise mixed in later during
post-production at Good Earth Studios.
This is the song without any post-production,
as recorded during soundcheck.
Side One: 19:53.
1.Yoshino Blossom.(Alternate vocal version).(4:37) - 2.Bad.(Live).(7:53) - 3.Boomerang.(Unreleased version).(7:21).
Side Two: 19:46.
1.BassTrap / Three Sunrise.(Unreleased mix).(8:43) - 2.Love Comes Tumbling (Alternate).(4:39) - 3.Sixty Seconds In Kingdom Come.(Unreleased mix).(2:24) - 4.A Sort of Homecoming.(Soundcheck version).(3:59)
For the
cover, another alternative has been used that finally appeared exceptionally in
some countries such as Mexico. Ok, that´s all see you soon, with more and
better.
