U2NEWS: November 15, 1998 Part II


Who needs bathrooms? ([email protected])
Sun, 15 Nov 1998 13:34:58 -0600


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Releases:

CONFIRMED: "U2 PopMart - Live From Mexico" VHS November 17, 1998
NA (No word on DVD yet...)

1*POP MUZIK 2*MOFO 3* I WILL FOLLOW 4*GONE 5*EVEN BETTER THAN
THE REAL THING 6*LAST NIGHT ON EARTH 7*UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
8* NEW YEAR'S DAY 9*PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) 10*I STILL HAVEN'T
FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR 11*ALL I WANT IS YOU 12*DESIRE
13*STARING AT THE SUN 14*SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY 15*BULLET THE
BLUE SKY 16*PLEASE 17*WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME
18*DISCOTHEQUE 19*IF YOU WEAR THAT VELVET DRESS 20*WITH OR
WITHOUT YOU 21*HOLD ME, THRILL ME, KISS ME, KILL ME 22*MYSTERIOUS
WAYS 23*ONE 24*WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Across The Bridge of Hope: The Omagh Tribute Album, UK November 30,
1998

Across The Bridge of Hope: The Omagh Tribute Album, NA March 17, 1999

Concerts/Live Events:
RUMOUR: U2 at Amnesty International's 50th anniversary of the
United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Celebration, Paris, France, December 10, 1998.

Confirmed: U2 at my house. Today. :)

Television/Radio Events:

BBC: Straight from The Edge's mouth -- The BBC are working on a
special for "Classic Albums" about the Joshua Tree. Airdate TBA
Channel V(Australian) : U2 video special, November 14, 9:30 - 11:30pm
Network TV:
MTV:
MuchMusic/MuchUSA:
Win Disc #000001 promotion starting Nov 23, 1998
SPOTLIGHT(and a huge 3-day one at that!):
Much programming repeats 3 times a day so each show airs 3 times :)
-- 7 pm, 11:30 pm, 5:30 am, November 10, November 11, and November 12.
VH1:

Net Events:
--------------
Vote for U2 at NBC: http://www.nbc.com/NBCFridaynight/frimusic.asp
--------------
Island Records Contest -- actually a bit difficult!
Entries judged by U2 themselves! http://www.island.co.uk/u2/main.html
--------------
Support Breast Cancer Research and buy the Bear!
http://www.pinkribbonball.ozemail.com.au/bear_star.html
--------------
Bono/The Edge on Sly-Fi TV : http://www.davestewart.com
--------------
Vote for U2 at Triple J's(Australian Radio) poll at
 http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/net50/vote.htm
--------------
Vote for U2 at DotMusic's Top Albums of All Time
--------------
Vot for U2 at http://www.bradfitz.com/votingbooth?schwag402
--------------

Fan Club/WIRE/U2 nutzoid meetings:
Coming Soon : U2 Internet Fan Club(WIRE, EXIT, One, U2Lemon,
etc.) Convention -- Calgary, Alberta, Canada
--------------
18th Anniversary of U2's first performance in Canada Celebration
DEC 9th 1998. Check out http://www3.sympatico.ca/p.m_c.c/
or email [email protected] for more information.
(Peter wants to rent a theatre to show Rattle N' Hum on Dec. 9.
The proceeds will go to the a hospital for sick children.
He is putting up a LOT of money himself and he needs 70 people to go.)
--------------
U2 Laser Show in New York City, New York FRI DEC 18, 1998 9:00PM
81ST BTW CPW + COLUMBUS,AMERICAN MUS.NAT HIST., IMAX
THEATER, LASER U2 IN 3D
--------------
January 29, 1999, 8:00 pm U2 coverband "Vorsprung durch Technik"
Bremen, Germany. Email [email protected] for more information.
--------------

NEWS dates:
The truth about that Australia concert added Nov 14
Ten years ago added Nov 14
Htuch concert postponed added Nov 14
Zucherro article added Nov 14
U2 hits double platinum added Nov 14
Pieces of Hotpress Interview w/ Adam added Nov 14
Icon Productions added Nov 14
Another Kitchen Launch added Nov 14
Kitchen Records launch added Nov 14
U2 to leave Island Records? added Nov 14
Maria McKee/Lone Justice delayed added Nov 12
U2 #1 in Canada added Nov 12
More U2 #2 added Nov 12
Alanis #1, U2 #2 added Nov 11
Irish album to be dedicated to Americans too? added Nov 11
Alanis dominates charts added Nov 11
Alanis breaks record added Nov 11
UBL to have exclusive footage next week added Nov 11
Alans #1 in US, U2 #2 added Nov 11
Big weeks for U2 and Alanis...but... added Nov 11
The NYD Skip-A-Thon added Nov 11
3" Japanese ST single added Nov 11
U2 mention in Springsteen article added Nov 10
Peter and Guggi added Nov 10
Rushdie speaks about rumour added Nov 10
Nu Nation review added Nov 10
LA Times article on Seagram/Polygram deal added Nov 10
Bono and The Edge launch new dance label added Nov 10
Bonus pic in Vinyl Best of added Nov 10
Best of debuts #1 in Australia added Nov 10
Lillywhite to start label added Nov 10
Alanis article added Nov 10
MTV Asia Playlist added Nov 10
More on Omagh Tribute added Nov 10
Win Disc #000001 added Nov 9
Comment on AOL review added Nov 9
More Alanis VS U2 added Nov 9
CMJ Interview added Nov 9
U2 beats out Oasis added Nov 9
Best of goes Platinum in UK added Nov 9
VH1 Timeline and review added Nov 9
Italian Interview with The Edge added Nov 9
AOL article and review added Nov 9
"Before They Went To Hell" award added Nov 8
Top 5 UK Albums and ST charting added Nov 8
Best of debuts at #1 in UK added Nov 8
Ebay item causes Weird-Al-itis added Nov 8
Mexican sales news added Nov 8
Belgian ST chartings added Nov 8
Joanou on Carey and Houston added Nov 8
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>From @U2News :

I'm Rock's Mr Clean; U2's Adam Beats Battle With Booze
 BYLINE: Neil Michael

U2 bass player Adam Clayton has beaten his battle against drink
and drugs.

After years of struggling against the effects of his much publicised
rock 'n' roll lifestyle, he admitted: "I was an addict but I'm completely
clean now."

And the musician, whose boozing nearly led the band to split, even
said he has given up partying. It is the first time Clayton has spoken
o openly about the problems he has faced in the band over the years.

"I am one of those characters that has an addictive personality," he
said. "It's an emotional problem as much as it is a physical one and
I had to start dealing with that.

"The avoiding substances of any kind is hard but, okay, it's not that
hard. It's facing the devil inside you, that's the tricky bit."

Clayton, who was busted for drugs and drink-related offences,
admits in Hot Press magazine that failing to turn up for the Sydney
leg of the 1994 Zoo Tour of Australia was a "bad moment". He said:
"It was one of those mornings you wish you'd never woken up.

"Again a lot of very complex emotions, and to some extent it was
about letting down the other guys in the band and the audience.
But in many ways, it was actually the effect it has on yourself, of
letting yourself down or realising that you've crossed a line and
saying that it's not acceptable.

"I did examine what it was all about and it was not a very nice
conclusion that I came to."

And he added: "There are members in the band who seem to be
able to cope quite easily without sleep, with a large amount of
alcohol inside them. They seem to be fine but I just wasn't one
of those people."

So desperate was Clayton to give up on drink that he even lived in
New York for a time where he believed the temptation to drink
was not as strong.

While there he was said to have spent most of his time reading,
exercising and making music. The superstar also joined
Alcoholics Anonymous to help him beat his drinking problems.
But it was only after the rest of the band gave him an ultimatum
that he decided to get his act together once and for all.

Clayton also blamed booze for the highly-publicised break up
between himself and ex-fiancee Naomi Campbell.
-------------
>From Washington Post:

Spoken 10 years ago, Nov 11, 1988

                  ``People are trying to make us into stars and we're not.
                  We're musicians.'' --Bono, lead singer of U2.
-------------
Condensed from Addicted To Noise:

Michael Hutchence Tribute Concert Postponed

Planned Jan. 22 all-star celebration honoring late INXS singer
not 'appropriate' at this time, says band's manager.

Despite previously announced plans to honor late INXS singer
Michael Hutchence with an all-star concert in his native Australia
on Jan. 22, the group's manager said Friday (Nov. 13) that the
concert will not be taking place.

"We're not going to do either tribute," said INXS' long-time manager
Martha Troup, referring to plans she'd previously revealed to honor
the singer with simultaneous shows in Sydney, Australia and New
York. "It's not the appropriate time, and I just don't think we're all
ready
for it right now."

Hutchence -- the 37-year-old singer of such INXS hits as "Devil
Inside" and "Suicide Blond" (RealAudio excerpt) -- hanged himself in
his Sydney hotel room in November 1997.

The proposed concert in Australia, dedicated to the highly charismatic
frontman of one of the most popular dance-rock bands of the '80s,
was expected to feature the first live group performance of the
surviving members of INXS -- Garry Gary Beers (bass), Kirk
Pengilly (guitar/saxophone) and brothers Andrew Farriss (guitar/
keyboards), Jon Farriss (drums) and Tim Farriss (guitar) -- since
Hutchence's death. Prior to Hutchence's demise, INXS were
rehearsing for a planned Australian tour to promote their 20th year of
recording together.

Meanwhile, the singer's family is planning a memorial for him on the
anniversary of his death. The Nov. 22 service will be held in the Northern
Chapel of Sydney's Northern Suburbs Memorial Park, where
Hutchence's funeral took place last year. Members of INXS, as well as
3,000 fans, are expected to attend the memorial, according to the late
singer's father, Kelland Hutchence.

"This will be the one and only [memorial event]," Kelland Hutchence
said. "We won't do this every year. It's the first memorial service as a
tribute to my darling son and his great achievement in the music industry.
That's what it's all about."

As recently as last Thursday, Troup was drawing a distinction between
the memorial service and the planned concerts, saying that the shows
would be more of a celebration than a benefit or tribute to Michael
Hutchence. In light of the cancellation of the event, however, Troup said
she had some "other ideas" about honoring Hutchence.

"We have some other things we might release," Troup said, declining to
go into specifics about recordings, "and at another point, we might do a
show in New York at a later date."

Troup has said there are more than 40 unreleased INXS songs that
might be issued eventually. The band released nine albums over the course
of its 20 years together.

A solo album by Michael Hutchence, produced by Black Grape's Danny
Saber and former Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill, was expected to be
released this year. It is currently on hold, according to the manager.

The band's former Australian publicist, Shawn Deacon, had previously
confirmed that such major artists as British pop-legend Elton John, glam-
pioneer David Bowie, American punk-rocker Iggy Pop, crooner Tom Jones,
Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon and Michael Hutchence's good friend,
U2 singer Bono, had been approached to play a benefit show.

-------------
>From Billboard:

Zucchero Reaches For Anglo Audience
BY MARK DEZZANI

MILAN -- A duet with Sin�ad O'Connor and live U.K. and U.S. dates next year

are among the tools Polydor is using to reintroduce Zucchero "Sugar"
Fornaciari to Anglo audiences.

Zucchero's new album, "Bluesugar" (Polydor), released here Nov. 5, marks a
new
direction in the Italian singer/songwriter's music. It's his ninth album in
a
15-year recording career, with more than 10 million albums sold worldwide.
Zucchero says "Bluesugar" has a more international sound, with British rock

influences.

However, in the U.K., Polydor U.K. will concentrate first on releasing a
customized version of "The Best Of Zucchero" in March 1999, tying in with
several live U.K. dates. A new recording of Zucchero's 1997 Continental
hit, a
version of Giuseppe Verdi's operatic aria "Va Pensiero," will be released
in
the U.K. in February as a duet with O'Connor.

"England is a very specific market, which makes it difficult for
Continental
artists to break there. It's difficult even for American artists,"
acknowledges Zucchero, adding that he has experienced success there. "Senza

Una Donna" (Without A Woman) with Paul Young went to No. 2 on the U.K.
singles
chart in 1991, while "Miserere," with operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti and
U2's Bono, charted in the U.K. two years afterward. Both songs, in revised
versions, will be included on the U.K. best-of package.

Zucchero will also be including U.S. dates in his world tour, which starts
Feb. 12, 1999, in Italy, although plans for promotion and releases in the
U.S.
are still to be fixed. Last year, Zucchero sold out four consecutive nights
at
House of Blues in Los Angeles.

"It was fantastic to play in a shrine to the blues," Zucchero says. "We
were
booked for two nights and sold out a further two evenings. There were a lot
of
Italians in the crowd, but the majority were Americans. On the first night,

[actors/Blues Brothers cohorts] Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, and John Goodman
introduced me as a soul brother from Italy, complete with the Blues
Brothers
outfit and dance. And the crowd went crazy."

In the rest of the world, Zucchero has begun promoting the new "Bluesugar"
album with showcases, radio, print, and TV promotion in Europe. The world
tour, in which Zucchero will play Asia and Australia for the first time, is

set to continue through December 1999.

"The new album is different because it's more international than American,"

Zucchero says. "I used to have a lot of Delta blues, gospel, and Memphis
influences. This album is more British in its feel and includes influences
from Robert Johnson to Radiohead, passing through Italian melodic song."
The leadoff single, "Blue," a classic Zucchero blues-style ballad, was
released to radio Oct. 1 in Italian and English versions; the lyrics to the

English version were written by U2's Bono.

Another guest, Steve Winwood, plays Hammond organ on the haunting
"Bluesugar"
ballad "Arcord."

Zucchero's longstanding producer Corrado Rustici plays electric and
acoustic
guitars on the album, which mixes slow ballads like "I Tempi Cambieranno"
(The
Times Will Change), which closes the album, with rockers like "You Make Me
Feel Loved," which opens the set and features Mark Feltham on harmonica.
THREE-PRONGED MARKETING PLAN

Elena Zannoni, international exploitation manager at PolyGram Italy, says
the
label has set a three-stage global marketing strategy for Zucchero.
"Our first target is to maintain his established success in continental
Europe, where sales of his last album ["The Best Of Zucchero"] exceeded 3
million sales," she says. "Next February, we will target Spain and Latin
America with a Spanish version of the 'Blue' single recorded as a duet with

Spanish star Rosana Arbelo."

Adds Zannoni, "Although Zucchero has made a mark in the Hispanic markets,
he
has still to conquer Spain and Latin America. So we are focusing on those
markets separately, with the album set for release in March 1999. Next
year,
we will also be looking to build on Scandinavia, where the greatest-hits
album
charted in Sweden and Finland, and then Japan and Asia, where he will be
touring for the first time."

Zucchero's management -- Henry Padovani, who deals with Europe, and Miles
Copeland, who handles the rest of the world -- considered delaying the
release
of "Bluesugar" due to uncertainty over PolyGram's buyout by Universal
parent
Seagram. However, they went ahead following assurances that the PolyGram
team
handling the release would stay in place during the crucial release and
promotional phases.

Of the changes, Zucchero says, "This is something that is bigger than the
artist. I hope that the good people who were so helpful for my career in
the
past three or four years remain. If the owner changes, it doesn't affect my

career.

"Many people think the music business is only numbers, but I can say that
behind the numbers there are the people that have to respect you as an
artist," he adds. "They need to be convinced. They have to be proud working

for you. They have to love your music. For now, everything is going well,
and
the whole team is still there."
-------------
>From CNN:

U2's Best of' Highest Greatest Hits Debut by any Band in the History of
SoundScan(R)

NEW YORK, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- "U2 The Best of 1980-1990," which
instored last Tuesday, November 3, sold 237,434 units over the counter
last week, making the two-disc set the highest selling greatest hits
collection by any band in its first week of release since the industry
has been able to accurately monitor sales on a weekly basis. The album
has already qualified for Double Platinum status.

"We couldn't be happier with the first week's sales," said Island
Records President John Barbis. "We knew this would be huge, but the
first week number is a testament to the enduring loyalty of U2's fans."

The two-disc collection entered the charts at Number One in 17 countries
including Canada, U.K., France, Australia and Japan. A single disc
version of the collection, minus a b-sides disc, was released on
Tuesday, November 10.

"The consumer has spoken: 'U2 The Best of 1980-1990' is the definitive
must have for Christmas!" said Gary Arnold, Senior Vice President of
Merchandising for Best Buy.

"The U2 sales for the week were absolutely spectacular," said Jim
Litwak, Executive Vice President of Merchandising for Transworld
Entertainment. "Obviously U2 is one of the greatest bands of all time
and they certainly proved it once again with the latest release. We're
very pleased and looking forward to having a terrific holiday season
with this album."

The esteemed Baltimore Sun critic J.D. Considine summed it up best when
he recently wrote: "U2's strengths were common knowledge for anyone who
listened to the radio during the '80s. But just how great the band
could be doesn't become fully apparent until those moments are laid
end-to-end, as they are on 'The Best of 1980-1990.'"

 SOURCE Island Records, Inc.
-------------
>From Hotpress:

Cover story: U2 - The Best of 1980-90 has already generated advance sales
of
100,000 copies in Ireland alone. With the band firmly back in the
spotlight,
Adam Clayton talks about the past, present and future in this compelling
interview with Olaf Tyaransen. Topics include the peace process, appearing
on
The Simpsons, and the journey from Boy to man

>From the Baggot Inn to The Simpsons, from 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' to
Trimble
and Hume, from 'I Will Follow' to follow that, from boys to men, from the
end
of the '70s to the end of the millennium - this is how 20 years of U2 looks

through the eyes of Adam clayton, a man who has experienced his own share
of
highs and lows and lived to tell the tale. Interview: Olaf Tyaransen.

"Do you think maybe that's a bit too loud? I'll get them to turn it down a
little." Mega-rich rock star or not, Adam Clayton is a real gentleman, make
no
mistake. Not only does he helpfully ask a member of staff to turn down the
music playing in the front lounge of the Clarence Hotel in order to
facilitate
a clearer recording of this interview, but he also accepts the small gift
I've
brought him with far more politeness and grace than the gesture probably
deserves. "Gosh!" he exclaims, examining it closely through his trademark
spectacles (today's are sharkskin grey). "Er, I really don't know what to
say
. . ." "It's for your collection," I explain helpfully. "Yes, I figured
that,"
he deadpans in his distinctively pronounced not-quite-Dublin accent.
"Thanks!"
The gift in question is a small silver (plated) coffee spoon, liberated 20
minutes earlier from a trendy George's Street bar in a moment of
journalistic
inspiration. So why am I giving one of the world's most famous bass players
a
coffee spoon as a gift? Well, regular viewers of Matt Groening's The
Simpsons
can answer that one. In the satirical cult cartoon show's 200th episode,
Adam
and his bandmates make a guest appearance, bringing their Popmart Tour to
Springfield and getting stage-crashed by one Homer J. Simpson in the
process.
For some strange reason, the animated Adam is portrayed as the U2 geek, a
spoon-collecting nerd who's only just barely tolerated by his bandmates.

Not only do Larry and Edge refuse to allow him to accompany them to Moe's
Tavern for a pint but, during the show's hilarious end-credit sequence,
Bono
delights in torturing the beleaguered bassist by stealing his Springfield
spoon (thus reducing his collection's size to eight!). "I don't know why
they
decided to pick on me," the real life Adam smiles, carefully placing the
plundered piece of cutlery down beside his car keys on the table. "But it
was
quite funny the things they picked up on. It was actually quite hard to do
-
you know, being a voice actor. I thought it would've been easy but it
wasn't."

Even so, it was definitely worth the effort. An appearance on The Simpsons
isn't like an appearance on just any old TV programme. It's a cultural
moment,
a zeitgeist seal of approval. When Adam, Bono, Edge and Larry made their
second ever animated appearance (their first being in the Hold Me, Thrill
Me,
Kiss Me, Kill Me video), their images were permanently engraved onto the
Mount
Rushmore cliff-face of popular culture. It was a final
confirmation, the ultimate acknowledgement of their superstar status. Fuck
being on the cover of Time magazine - The Simpsons is where it's at these
days! Their cartoon cameo meant U2 were huge, huger than huge. Even bigger
in
the '90s than they ever were in the '80s.

But then, you probably already knew that. To those of us who were
adolescents
in Ireland during the '70s and '80s, U2 and their music were as culturally
significant as Gay Byrne and Bobby Sands. More even. We grew up with them
and
they grew up with us. Love them or loathe them - and let's face it, there's

never been much middle-ground when it comes to this particular band - U2
have
had a more serious impact on Irish youth consciousness than almost anyone
else, playing a constantly evolving soundtrack to the dramas of our lives,
threading together those difficult teenage years with memorable gigs,
albums
and occasionally bombastic statements.

We all have our U2 moments, whether we want them or not. Maybe you had your

first kiss to 'Bad'. Or had the crap kicked out of you at one of their
gigs.
Or listened to The Joshua Tree endlessly on your headphones when you were
supposed to be studying for your Leaving Cert. For my own part, I lost my
virginity to the strains of The Unforgettable Fire (that's the whole album,

incidentally, not just the song!). And given that the band have sold more
than
75 million albums over the 20 years since they first formed in Dublin's
Mount
Temple High School, chances are that as you're reading this, somebody,
somewhere, is losing theirs in exactly the same way. You see, U2 are part
of
what we are. We all have a little U2 DNA inside us.
-------------
>From Mr Showbiz:

UPDATE: Gibson's Icon invades U.K.

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - In an unusual move for a Hollywood-based production
company, Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey's Icon Prods. has launched its own
British
theatrical distribution company, Icon Film Distribution. The new company,
which will begin operating next year, will be the exclusive U.K. film
distributor of all Icon-produced pictures, such as Wim Wenders' "The
Million
Dollar Hotel" and Atom Egoyan's "Felicia's Journey." Significantly, the new



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Sun Nov 15 1998 - 12:55:42 PST