- Please (U2 song)
Single infobox
Name = Please
Artist =U2
from Album = Pop
Released =October 20 ,1997
Format = CD, cassette
Recorded =
Genre = Rock
Length = 5:36 (single version)5:10 (album version)
Label = Island
Producer = Howie B
Chart position =- #23 (Australia)
- #7 (UK)
- #31 (US
Modern Rock Tracks ) - #10 (
Canada )
Last single = "Last Night on Earth " (1997)
This single = "Please" (1997)
Next single = "If God Will Send His Angels " (1997)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Pop
Type = studio
prev_track = "If You Wear That Velvet Dress "
prev_no = 10
this_track = "Please"
track_no = 11
next_track = "Wake Up Dead Man "
next_no = 12U2 's 1997 album, "Pop".Similar to the classic "Sunday Bloody Sunday", the song is about
The Troubles inNorthern Ireland . The single cover for this song features the pictures of four Northern Irish politicians —Gerry Adams ,David Trimble ,Ian Paisley , andJohn Hume (clockwise from top left). Two months before the release of the single, live versions of "Please" and three other songs from thePopMart Tour were released on the "" in September 1997.Live performances
This song was played live during every performance of the PopMart Tour, with an outro similar to the drumbeat to that of "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Each performance segued directly into "Where the Streets Have No Name." During the
Elevation Tour , the song was played acoustically byBono andThe Edge at about 20 different shows. The song has not been played in full since. However, it was "snippeted" frequently along with "The Hands That Built America " during "Bullet the Blue Sky " on theVertigo Tour . [ [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/song94.html All times "Please" has been played live] ]Track listings
Version 1
#"Please" (Single Version) — 5:36
#"Dirty Day " (Junk Day) — 4:41
#"Dirty Day" (Bitter Kiss) — 4:32
#"I'm Not Your Baby" (Skysplitter Dub) — 5:47This is the most common release. A cassette single had only "Dirty Day" (Junk Day) as the B-side.
Version 2
#"Please" (Single Version) — 5:36
#"Please" (Live from Rotterdam, July 18, 1997) — 7:11
#"Where the Streets Have No Name " (Live from Rotterdam, July 18, 1997) — 6:33
#"With or Without You " (Live from Edmonton, June 14, 1997) — 4:38
#"Staring at the Sun" (Live from Rotterdam, July 18, 1997) — 5:33This is the U.S. CD release, featuring the single version of "Please," as well as four live tracks, which were previously released in other countries on the "".
B-sides
The "Please" singles were backed with the following
B-Sides :"Dirty Day"
Two remixes of this "
Zooropa " song were made for the single, both byButch Vig andDuke Erikson ."I'm Not Your Baby" (Skysplitter Dub)
This song was recorded for the soundtrack for
Wim Wenders ' "The End of Violence ", with guest vocals bySinéad O'Connor . The version featured here is an instrumental remix, with few differences from the original version."Please" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" (Live from Rotterdam)
This performance was taken from the European première of the
PopMart Tour onJuly 18 1997 at Feijenoord Stadium, inRotterdam ,The Netherlands . Themiddle eight in "Please" featured the drumbeat from "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and the outro, withBono 'sfalsetto , segued into the opening chords of "Where the Streets Have No Name", which was updated to an almosttechno sound. The end of the performance included some lyrics from another song from "Pop", "The Playboy Mansion"."With or Without You" (Live from Edmonton)
This performance from "
The Joshua Tree " classic was taken from the first leg of the PopMart Tour in June 1997, at Commonwealth Stadium inEdmonton ,Canada ."Staring at the Sun" (Live from Rotterdam)
This performance of "Staring At The Sun", played by Bono and
The Edge as part of an acoustic set at the PopMart concerts, was a departure from the version on the "Pop" album. It was a more subtle, vocal-oriented version, with only the two guitars and some harmonies during the choruses.Alternate versions
There are five versions of this song available:
*The album version, featured on "Pop".
*The single version, on the single and video. This version was more similar to the live performances, with an orchestrated intro and the "Sunday Bloody Sunday" drumbeat on the middle eight. This version was recorded at the Wisseloord Studios inHilversum ,Netherlands .
*The USA edit, a special edit included on the US versions of the "Please" single CD. It is a more stripped down and shortened version of the single version. Its running time is 3 minutes, 55 seconds.
*The live performance from theJuly 18 ,1997 concert in Rotterdam, also from the single.
*Another live performance, from theDecember 3 ,1997 concert inMexico City . This version appears on the "Hasta la Vista Baby! " album.Elvis Costello has recorded a cover version of this song.Videos
The "Please"
music video is a black-and-white concept piece byAnton Corbijn . It takes place on a street called "No Name" (a reference to the song "Where the Streets Have No Name") where abeggar is standing, with a sign saying "please" hanging from his neck. Several people pass by on their knees, until a point where this situation is reversed. The band actually does not show up for much of the video, finally making an appearance duringThe Edge 's guitar solo. This video appears on theDVD for "The Best of 1990-2000 ", along with the director's commentary.Two live videos from the PopMart Tour have been released as well — one video from the "" release, and one known as the "Mural Mix," (filmed in
Helsinki on August 9, 1997), which was released on "The History Mix" bonus disc from "The Best of 1990-2000 & B-Sides".ee also
*"Pop"
*"Sunday Bloody Sunday"
*PopMart Tour
*U2 discography References
External links
* [http://www.u2wanderer.org/disco/sing040.html Discography entry at U2 Wanderer] — Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more.
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