Rock and roll music
1989 single by U2 with B.B. King
"When Love Comes to Town" is a song by Irish rock band U2 featuring American blues guitarist B.B. King. It is the twelfth track from U2`s 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released in 1989 as the record`s third single. The song was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis. "When Love Comes to Town" reached number one in the Irish Singles Chart, number six in the UK Singles Chart, number ten in the Dutch Top 40, and number two in the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Leer másSingles chronology
When Love Comes to Town (with B.B. King)
U2
Label: Island · Studios: Sun Studio (Memphis) · Productor: Jimmy Iovine
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1
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When Love Comes to Town (with B.B. King)
U2 •
w: Bono; all music is composed by U2 •
1989 /03
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4:15 |
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2
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Dancing Barefoot
U2 •
1989 /03
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4:47 |
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Album
Rattle and Hum
Fecha Lanzamiento: 10 October 1988 · Fecha Grabación: 1987 - 1988Discográfica: Island · Estudio de Grabación: Sun (Memphis); Point Depot (Dublin); Danesmoate (Dublin); STS (Dublin); A&M (Los Angeles); Ocean Way (Hollywood) · Productor: Jimmy Iovine
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1
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Helter Skelter
U2 •
w: Lennon–McCartney (lyrics and music) •
1988 /10 /10
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3:06 |
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2
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Van Diemen's Land
U2 •
w: The Edge (lyrics) •
1988 /10 /10
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3:05 |
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3
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Desire
U2 •
U2 •
w: Bono and the Edge •
1988 /10 /10
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2:58 |
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4
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Hawkmoon 269
U2 •
w: Bono; all music is composed by U2 •
1988 /09 /19
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6:21 |
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5
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All Along the Watchtower
U2 •
w: Bob Dylan (lyrics and music) •
1988 /09 /19
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4:23 |
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6
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I Still Haven't Found ...
U2 •
1988 /09 /19
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5:52 |
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7
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Freedom for My People
U2 •
w: Sterling Magee (lyrics and music); Adam Gussow (music) •
1988 /09 /19
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0:38 |
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8
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Silver and Gold
U2 •
w: Bono; all music is composed by U2 •
1988 /10 /10
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5:48 |
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9
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Pride, In the Name of Love
U2 •
1988 /10 /10
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4:27 |
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10
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Angel of Harlem
U2 •
w: Bono; all music is composed by U2 •
1988 /10 /10
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3:48 |
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11
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Love Rescue Me
U2 •
w: Bono and Bob Dylan (lyrics) •
1988 /10 /10
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6:23 |
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12
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When Love Comes to Town
U2 •
w: Bono; all music is composed by U2 •
1988 /10 /10
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4:15 |
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13
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Heartland
U2 •
w: Bono; all music is composed by U2 •
1988 /10 /10
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5:02 |
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14
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God Part II
U2 •
w: Bono; all music is composed by U2 •
1988 /10 /10
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3:15 |
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15
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The Star Spangled Banner
U2 •
w: John Stafford Smith (music) •
1988 /10 /10
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0:43 |
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16
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Bullet The Blue Sky
U2 •
w: Bono; all music is composed by U2 •
1988 /10 /10
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5:36 |
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17
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All I Want is You
U2 •
U2 •
w: Bono and the Edge •
1988 /10 /10
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6:29 |
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Album
| "When Love Comes to Town" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by U2 with B.B. King | ||||
| from the album Rattle and Hum | ||||
| B-side | "Dancing Barefoot" | |||
| Released | March 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1987–1988 | |||
| Studio | Sun Studio (Memphis) | |||
| Genre | Blues rock | |||
| Length | 4:15 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Composer(s) | U2 | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Bono | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Iovine | |||
| U2 singles chronology | ||||
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| Music videos | ||||
Review
1989 single by U2 with B.B. King
"When Love Comes to Town" is a song by Irish rock band U2 featuring American blues guitarist B.B. King. It is the twelfth track from U2`s 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released in 1989 as the record`s third single. The song was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis. "When Love Comes to Town" reached number one in the Irish Singles Chart, number six in the UK Singles Chart, number ten in the Dutch Top 40, and number two in the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Leer másHistory
On the extended "Live from the Kingdom Mix", Little Richard is featured preaching, rapping in funky rhyme style, and singing background vocals amid Maceo Parker`s saxophone playing. The single contained two different versions of the Patti Smith song "Dancing Barefoot". The 7" and cassette featured the long version, while the 12" and CD contained the short version. While U2 has stopped regularly playing it live, it continued to be featured in B.B. King concerts. During the Lovetown Tour concerts, this song would be played, usually along with "Angel of Harlem" and "Love Rescue Me", in an encore featuring B.B. and his band.
Like the song "Van Diemen`s Land", this song originally featured an extra verse:
When I woke up I was sleeping on the street
I felt the world was dancing, and I was dirt beneath their feet
When I woke up I saw the Devil looking down
But my Lord He played guitar the day love came to town
This verse was sung during the song`s premiere in Fort Worth, Texas on U2`s Joshua Tree Tour and does not appear in the studio version or subsequent live performances.[1]
Cash Box described the song as a "solid blues rumble."[2]
Live
The debut performance took place on 24 November 1987 in Fort Worth, Texas during the concert`s encore and B.B. King joined U2 to perform the song. On 1989`s Lovetown Tour, the song again featured during the encore and was played with B.B. King. It was played at 46 of the 47 shows; the only concert it missed was 18 December 1989 in Amsterdam, as the show concluded prematurely due to Bono suffering vocal problems.[3]
On the next tour, 1992-93`s Zoo TV Tour, "When Love Comes to Town" did not debut until the second-last concert of the first leg on 21 April 1992 in Tacoma.[4] It appeared only infrequently on the second leg, in Europe, but on the third leg, in North America, it was performed frequently and this was continued on the fourth leg return to Europe. The Zoo TV Tour version of the song was stripped down in comparison to previous versions and was performed on a b-stage in the midst of the crowd. U2 would not perform the song for years after the fourth leg`s final show on 28 August 1993 in Dublin, although B.B. King continued to play the song at his live shows.[5]
On 26 October 2008, Bono and the Edge rejoined B.B. King to play the song for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Founders Award.[6]
After King died on 14 May 2015, U2 paid tribute to him during a show in Vancouver the following night during the Innocence + Experience Tour by playing "When Love Comes to Town" for the first time in 23 years.[7] The song was played three more times on the tour.[8] The song was played at a promotional appearance at the Apollo Theater in New York during the Experience + Innocence Tour.[8] The song was played with the Sun Ra Arkestra.[9]
It was played on November 4, 2023 during the band’s residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Bono; all music is composed by U2, except "Dancing Barefoot" (written by Patti Smith and Ivan Kral)
| No. | Title | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When Love Comes to Town" | Jimmy Iovine | 4:15 |
| 2. | "Dancing Barefoot" | U2 | 4:47 |
| 3. | "When Love Comes to Town" ("Live from the Kingdom" mix) | Louil Silas Jr. | 7:28 |
| 4. | "God Part II" (Hard Metal dance mix) | Louil Silas Jr. | 4:46 |
Personnel
U2
- Bono – lead vocals, guitar
- The Edge – guitar
- Adam Clayton – bass
- Larry Mullen Jr. – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- B.B. King – additional vocals, and guitar
- Rebecca Evans Russell – backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
In popular culture
The title is picked up by Tom Lennon in his 1993 book, the first gay book published in Ireland.[26]
See also
- List of covers of U2 songs – When Love Comes to Town
1989 single by U2 with B.B. King
"When Love Comes to Town" is a song by Irish rock band U2 featuring American blues guitarist B.B. King. It is the twelfth track from U2`s 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released in 1989 as the record`s third single. The song was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis. "When Love Comes to Town" reached number one in the Irish Singles Chart, number six in the UK Singles Chart, number ten in the Dutch Top 40, and number two in the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
History
On the extended "Live from the Kingdom Mix", Little Richard is featured preaching, rapping in funky rhyme style, and singing background vocals amid Maceo Parker`s saxophone playing. The single contained two different versions of the Patti Smith song "Dancing Barefoot". The 7" and cassette featured the long version, while the 12" and CD contained the short version. While U2 has stopped regularly playing it live, it continued to be featured in B.B. King concerts. During the Lovetown Tour concerts, this song would be played, usually along with "Angel of Harlem" and "Love Rescue Me", in an encore featuring B.B. and his band.
Like the song "Van Diemen`s Land", this song originally featured an extra verse:
When I woke up I was sleeping on the street
I felt the world was dancing, and I was dirt beneath their feet
When I woke up I saw the Devil looking down
But my Lord He played guitar the day love came to town
This verse was sung during the song`s premiere in Fort Worth, Texas on U2`s Joshua Tree Tour and does not appear in the studio version or subsequent live performances.[1]
Cash Box described the song as a "solid blues rumble."[2]
Live
The debut performance took place on 24 November 1987 in Fort Worth, Texas during the concert`s encore and B.B. King joined U2 to perform the song. On 1989`s Lovetown Tour, the song again featured during the encore and was played with B.B. King. It was played at 46 of the 47 shows; the only concert it missed was 18 December 1989 in Amsterdam, as the show concluded prematurely due to Bono suffering vocal problems.[3]
On the next tour, 1992-93`s Zoo TV Tour, "When Love Comes to Town" did not debut until the second-last concert of the first leg on 21 April 1992 in Tacoma.[4] It appeared only infrequently on the second leg, in Europe, but on the third leg, in North America, it was performed frequently and this was continued on the fourth leg return to Europe. The Zoo TV Tour version of the song was stripped down in comparison to previous versions and was performed on a b-stage in the midst of the crowd. U2 would not perform the song for years after the fourth leg`s final show on 28 August 1993 in Dublin, although B.B. King continued to play the song at his live shows.[5]
On 26 October 2008, Bono and the Edge rejoined B.B. King to play the song for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Founders Award.[6]
After King died on 14 May 2015, U2 paid tribute to him during a show in Vancouver the following night during the Innocence + Experience Tour by playing "When Love Comes to Town" for the first time in 23 years.[7] The song was played three more times on the tour.[8] The song was played at a promotional appearance at the Apollo Theater in New York during the Experience + Innocence Tour.[8] The song was played with the Sun Ra Arkestra.[9]
It was played on November 4, 2023 during the band’s residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Bono; all music is composed by U2, except "Dancing Barefoot" (written by Patti Smith and Ivan Kral)
| No. | Title | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "When Love Comes to Town" | Jimmy Iovine | 4:15 |
| 2. | "Dancing Barefoot" | U2 | 4:47 |
| 3. | "When Love Comes to Town" ("Live from the Kingdom" mix) | Louil Silas Jr. | 7:28 |
| 4. | "God Part II" (Hard Metal dance mix) | Louil Silas Jr. | 4:46 |
Personnel
U2
- Bono – lead vocals, guitar
- The Edge – guitar
- Adam Clayton – bass
- Larry Mullen Jr. – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- B.B. King – additional vocals, and guitar
- Rebecca Evans Russell – backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
In popular culture
The title is picked up by Tom Lennon in his 1993 book, the first gay book published in Ireland.[26]
See also
- List of covers of U2 songs – When Love Comes to Town