Until June 1989, Island Records was an independent company that had found a band that literally was the dream of any record of that style: a multinational record company sales and freedom of a small company.
However, U2 is not "noticed" that until June 1993 when they became free of their contract with "Island" and renewed for the same but under the command of Polygram, which bought Island in 1989. Then U2, in an absolute power position (JT, R & H and AB are three consecutive albums with more than 10 million copies the first year, something that is done very few times) it took to get a huge contract and yet maintain its absolute freedom.
But "Island" did not have that freedom, now forced to make more profit, and hence the pressure to make the album a certain date.
The pressure to release a new record with a new tour was enourmous.
The band continues working in the studio but the result is what they expected, there are doubts about the recorded material and spend hours and hours trying to get something out of what until then had managed to capture.
"Island", prepared the launch campaign and set a title and what is worse, a date. There is talk of different name for the album and for some songs on the disc.
As can be seen in the book "Stealing hearts at a traveling show, it was ported to work with titles as disparate as" Novelty Act "Supercitymania" or "The sun, the moon and the stars," "Godzilla," " U2 * maverick "," YoU2, U2MIAMI "," Atomic "and" Staring at the sun ". reshuffled others who are also now sounds so familiar to us as" 12 songs from U2 news "or" 10 news songs " predecessors newborn title "U2 18 singles."
In this book you can see proposals that include headlines such as those titles are listed below:
To end with proposals cover it, which, under the title "U2" is the closest to the final.
Island machine is non stop and start over internet cards (emerging tool at the time) announcing the launch, possible dates, possible tour of the sleeves and what is worse, with a different title or even the previous than the final "pop". It goes without saying that I have never seen these cards rather than images on the web, images that in no case show that were actually printed on postal card, so it may be sketches, but "stronger" comes later.
Consider the four above post (I reproduce the texts can be read correctly. Other little sense):
Information:
* Part of the album: "Nothing Except" 1996 "But the best"
* Date of delivery of the album: Agust '96
* Release date: October'96
* Date first single: September '96
Information:
* 10th album on Island Records U2
* The first to appear in "all territories", "new" territories: Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Belgium.
Information:
* Tour Stadiums:
* South America
* North America
* Europe
* Africa
* Japan
* South Pacific
* Australasia
Information:
* "Expect Nothing" U2
Note the difference with the first post, that the title was "Nothing Except (except / expect)
Island even made T-shirts printed with a title that seemed a definitive launch date, October 14, 1996.
The rest of the story we know it all. The album was delayed and "Island" it launches March 3, 1997 with a tour starting on April 25 at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, although the banda is not 100% satisfied with the outcome.
Proof of this is that several years after taking advantage of the release of their second "Best of" to re-record some songs like "Gone" and "Staring at the sun."
Although these are minor details that were left in oblivion, are part of U2's history and we wanted to be included in this report half collectibles half story.
Thanks to "The Collector" for info + images
