"Desire" is a song by Irish
rock band
U2 and the third track on their 1988 album, ''
Rattle and Hum
''Rattle and Hum'' is a hybrid live/studio album by Irish rock band U2, and a companion rockumentary film directed by Phil Joanou. The album was produced by Jimmy Iovine and was released on 10 October 1988, while the film was distributed by ...
''. It was released as the album's lead single on 19 September 1988, and became the band's first number-one single in the United Kingdom and Australia. It reached number three on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States, and topped both the
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
and
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in M ...
charts, making it the first song to reach number one on both charts simultaneously. It reached number two on the Dutch Top 40. At the
31st Annual Grammy Awards
The 31st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 22, 1989, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.
Album of the Year went to George Michael for '' Faith'', and Song of the Year ...
, "Desire" won the 1988
.
History
U2 cite
the Stooges
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
' song "1969" as the primary influence on "Desire," which is an interpolation of the
Bo Diddley beat
The Bo Diddley beat is a syncopated musical rhythm that is widely used in rock and roll and pop music. The beat is named after rhythm and blues musician Bo Diddley, who introduced and popularized the beat with his self-titled debut single, "Bo D ...
. The band originally recorded a demo of the song at STS Studios in Dublin. After re-recording it at
A&M Studios
The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of North La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property serve ...
in Los Angeles, they agreed it sounded "tighter and more accurate", but according to guitarist
the Edge
David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...
, "it lacked feel". As a result, they abandoned the re-recording in favour of the original demo. The Edge later praised the song, saying it was "a
rock & roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
record – not a pop song."
''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said of it that "Bono and U2 go for the groove, a
Magic Bus-like throb that harkens back to who knows
Who
Who or WHO may refer to:
* Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun
* Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism
* World Health Organization
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book ''Horton Hea ...
."
"Desire" debuted live on the first night of the
Lovetown Tour on 21 September 1989, and appeared at almost every concert on that tour. It segued into a cover of
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's "
All Along the Watchtower
"All Along the Watchtower" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his eighth studio album, '' John Wesley Harding'' (1967). The song was written by Dylan and produced by Bob Johnston. The song's lyrics, which in its original ve ...
".
On the
Zoo TV Tour
The Zoo TV Tour (also written as ZooTV, ZOO TV or ZOOTV) was a worldwide concert tour by rock music, rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby'', the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1992 to 1993. It was intended t ...
, "Desire" was re-invented with different effects on
the Edge
David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...
's guitar, and it opened most encores.
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2.
Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...
would use the song to accentuate characteristics of his onstage alteregos
Mirrorball Man and
MacPhisto. On the
PopMart Tour
The PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Rock music, rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 1997 album ''Pop (U2 album), Pop'', the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks in 1997 and 1998. Much like the band's previ ...
, Bono and the Edge would play the song acoustically. For the
Elevation Tour
The Elevation Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2000 album ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'', the tour visited arenas across North America and Europe in 2001. Contrasting with the extrav ...
, it was a stripped-down electric version played at the tip of a heart-shaped walkway that extended into the audience.
Adam Clayton would join in with bass just before the bridge, and
Larry Mullen, Jr. played along on a single drum.
On 15 October 2004, at an appearance on British television promoting the ''
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'' album, Bono and Edge performed a rough electric version. On the
Vertigo Tour, "Desire" was not played at all on the first three legs, and appeared just once in an acoustic form on the fourth leg in response to a fan's request in
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
. It made a full electric debut at the beginning of the fifth leg at the second show in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountai ...
; this performance was ramshackle and it was refined before appearing at four subsequent concerts. "Desire" was played sporadically during the
U2 360° Tour, usually played in a semi-acoustic form. On one occasion, it was combined with Bruce Springsteen's "
She's the One." It was played semi-regularly on the
Innocence + Experience Tour during their b-stage set, often with Bono bringing someone from the crowd to play guitar with the band.
The song was not performed at all on
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 tour, making it the first tour on which the song was not performed. It returned to the setlist for the 2019 tour, being played to close the main set in rotation with "
Angel of Harlem". The song was played at every date of the North American leg of the
Experience + Innocence Tour in a remixed form, taking influences from the Hollywood Remix.
"Desire"'s
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
"Hallelujah (Here She Comes)" has never been played in full live by U2 but was debatably snippeted once during "
Bullet the Blue Sky."
[U2gigs.com]
Setlist Of The Week #7: B-Sides Live
accessed 22 May 2007
"Desire" has appeared on two U2 compilation albums, ''
The Best of 1980–1990
''The Best of 1980–1990'' is the first greatest hits compilation by Irish rock band U2, released in 2 November 1998. It mostly contains the group's hit singles from the 1980s, but also mixes in some live staples, as well as one new recording ...
'' and ''
U218 Singles
U or u, is the twenty-first and sixth-to-last letter and fifth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''u'' (pr ...
''.
An early version of the song appears in the form of a studio performance in the ''Rattle and Hum'' film. "Desire" has furthermore appeared on ''
Zoo TV: Live from Sydney'' (as a bonus track from a different concert), ''
PopMart: Live from Mexico City'', ''
Elevation 2001: Live from Boston'', and ''
U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland''.
Music video
The music video for "Desire" was filmed in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...
and directed by
Richard Lowenstein and
Lynn-Maree Milburn. It is the Hollywood remix version of the song, with band members and local people in assorted places in the city, supplemented by random images pertaining to references in the song.
Track listings
Personnel
*
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2.
Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...
– lead vocals, harmonica
*
The Edge
David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...
– guitar, backing vocals
*
Adam Clayton – bass guitar
*
Larry Mullen Jr. – drums, percussion
* Alexandra Brown – backing vocals on Hollywood Remix
*
Edna Wright – backing vocals on Hollywood Remix
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
See also
*
List of covers of U2 songs - Desire
*
List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
*
List of number-one singles of 1988 (Ireland)
*
List of number-one singles from the 1980s (New Zealand)
*
List of number-one singles from the 1980s (UK)
*
List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1980s
*
List of Billboard number-one alternative singles of the 1980s
References
{{Authority control
1988 singles
1988 songs
Number-one singles in Australia
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Island Records singles
Number-one singles in Italy
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Number-one singles in Spain
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Song recordings produced by Jimmy Iovine
Songs written by Bono
Songs written by the Edge
Songs written by Adam Clayton
Songs written by Larry Mullen Jr.
U2 songs
UK Singles Chart number-one singles