A Celebration & Just for Kicks


Stephen McBride ([email protected])
Sun, 23 Aug 1998 07:03:16 +0100


Who was it asking about A Celebration?

This came out as a 7" picture sleeve single, with splendid artwork
circa March 1982. I remember this, as it was the same week I
actually decided to start A level revision, and needed to buy this to
fortify me!!

The B side (I'm giving my age away talking about B sides!!) was the
original version of "Under a blood red sky's" Party Girl. Only then it
was called "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl". I remember I
was able to gain a couple of converts at school on the basis of this
track alone!! Very ethereal and mysterious, and arguably their
most creative work until the Euro/industrial splendour of "Achtung
Baby!"

Interestingly, the Independent (British broadsheet newspaper)
recently ran an article on how bands no longer issue singles in
their own right, the way groups did in the 60's, because record
labels corporate executives insist on every thing being tied into
album releases. It quoted A Celebration as one of the last stand
alone singles released in the UK.

Something else that may be of interest to collectors is an album
released only in Ireland in 1979, entitled "Just for Kicks". It was
released by RTE, and showcased popular Dublin bands of the era.
U2 are the first track, playing "Out of Control". An how innocent
and teenaged they sound!! Not sure if Bono's voice had broken
then!!! they were the only band on the LP who ever made it. A
pity, because another band, The Atrix, were superb, and I
remember seeing them the same year in Belfast's Whitla Hall.

Just for Kicks is virtually unobtainable now, but if you can get your
hands on it, it's really worth getting, as it let you see the
environment the band grew up in.

BTW, anyone out there like a coupe of U2's influences, Horslips
and Bruce Cockburn? I cannot find anyone who even remembers
Horslips, apart from a guy I each with! Cockburn is a genius -
possibly the most gifted lyricist ever imho.

Do reply!

Stephen



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