Desire (U2 song)

"Desire"
Single by U2
from the album Rattle and Hum
Released	September 1988
Format	CD, cassette, 12"
Recorded	STS Studios in Dublin, Ireland
Genre	Rock, rhythm and blues
Length	2:59
Label	Island
Producer	Jimmy Iovine
U2 singles chronology
"One Tree Hill" (New Zealand only) (1987) "Desire" (1988) "Angel of Harlem" (1988)
Rattle and Hum track listing "Van Diemen's Land" (2) "Desire" (3) "Hawkmoon 269" (4) Music video "Desire" on YouTube Music video "Desire" (Hollywood remix) on YouTube

"Desire" is a song by U2. It is the third track on their 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and the band's first number-one single in the UK and Australia. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and topped both the Modern and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, the first song to reach the top of both of these charts simultaneously. It reached number two on the Dutch Top 40.

History

"Desire" debuted live on the first night of the Lovetown Tour on 21 September 1989, and appeared at almost every concert on that tour.^[1] It segued into a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower", and the Lovetown performances of this song are considered by fans to be far superior to the one found on Rattle and Hum. On the Zoo TV Tour, "Desire" was re-invented with different effects on The Edge's guitar, and it opened most encores. Bono would use the song to accentuate characteristics of his onstage alteregos Mirrorball Man and MacPhisto.^[2] On the PopMart Tour, Bono and Edge would play the song acoustically.^[3] For the Elevation Tour, 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 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.^[4] On the Vertigo Tour, "Desire" was not played at all on the tour's 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.^[5] It made a full electric debut at the beginning of the fifth leg at the second show in Sydney;^[6] 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 ^[7] it was combined with Bruce Springsteen's "She's The One".

The band cite The Stooges' song "1969" as its main influence,^{[8][9][10][11]} which is an interpolation of the Bo Diddley Beat.^[12]

"Desire"'s B-side "Hallelujah (Here She Comes)" has never been played in full live by U2 but was debatably snippeted once during "Bullet the Blue Sky".^[13]

"Desire" has appeared on two U2 compilation albums, The Best of 1980-1990 and U218 Singles.

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 Dublin, Ireland. It features U2 in a small room performing the song before a concert while Bono is seen running away from the police after stealing from a records shop.

Track listings

MC: Island / CISX400 (Promotional cassette)
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Desire" (Hollywood remix)	9:23

MC: Island / 99250-4
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Desire"	2:59
2.	"Hallelujah (Here She Comes)"	4:12

12": Island / 12ISX400 (Promotional 12")
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Desire" (Hollywood remix)	9:23

7": Island / IS400 and ISG400
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Desire"	2:59
2.	"Hallelujah (Here She Comes)"	4:12

12": Island / 12IS400 and 12ISG400
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Desire"	2:59
2.	"Hallelujah (Here She Comes)"	4:12
3.	"Desire" (Hollywood remix)	5:23

CD: Island / CIDP400
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Desire"	2:59
2.	"Hallelujah (Here She Comes)"	4:12
3.	"Desire" (Hollywood remix)	5:23

Chart positions

Chart (1988) Peak position Certification Australian ARIA Chart[14] 1 Austrian Singles Chart[14] 19 Canada RPM 30 Retail Singles[15] 19 Gold[16] Dutch MegaCharts[14] 2 French Singles Chart[14] 37 Irish Singles Chart[17] 1 New Zealand Singles Chart[14] 1 Norwegian Singles Chart[14] 5

Chart (1988) Peak position Certification Swedish Singles Chart[14] 5 Swiss Singles Chart[14] 9 UK Singles Chart[18] 1 Silver[19] US Billboard Hot 100[20] 3 Gold[21] US Modern Rock Tracks[20] 1 US Album Rock Tracks[20] 1 US Hot Dance Music/Club Play[20] 37

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 in 1988 (New Zealand)
• List of number-one singles from the 1980s (UK)
• List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)
• Number one modern rock hits of 1988

References

1. ^ U2gigs.com, Lovetown Tour, accessed 22 May 2007
2. ^ U2gigs.com, 1992-02-29, Lakeland Arena, accessed 22 May 2007
3. ^ U2gigs.com, 1997-09-11, Estadio Jose Alvalade, accessed 22 May 2007
4. ^ U2gigs.com, 2004-10-15, BBC carpark, accessed 22 May 2007
5. ^ U2gigs.com, 2006-02-21, Morumbi, accessed 22 May 2007
6. ^ U2gigs.com, 2006-11-11, Telstra Stadium, accessed 22 May 2007
7. ^ http://www.u2gigs.com/show1624.html
8. ^ U2 by U2, p. 217
9. ^ U2 The Complete Guide to Their Music
10. ^ Into The Heart
11. ^ [1]
12. ^ New York Times
13. ^ U2gigs.com, Setlist Of The Week #7: B-Sides Live, accessed 22 May 2007
14. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "U2 – Desire". Hung Median. http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=U2&titel=Desire&cat=s. Retrieved 2009-11-24. 
15. ^ "Search Results: Desire U2". RPM. 1988-10-01. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?q1=%22Desire%22+U2&sk=25&&PHPSESSID=8btpc55uesvhffgnhp22r4co86. Retrieved 2009-11-25. 
16. ^ "Gold Platinum Database: Desire". Canadian Recording Industry Association. http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Desire&ica=False&sa=U2&sl=&smt=5&sat=-1&ssb=Artist. Retrieved 2011-07-12. 
17. ^ "Irish Singles Chart". The Irish Charts. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2009-11-23.  Note: U2 must be searched manually.
18. ^ "EveryHit.com search results: U2". Everyhit.com. http://www.everyhit.com. Retrieved 2009-11-22.  Note: U2 must be searched manually.
19. ^ "BPI Certification Results: U2". British Phonographic Industry. 1988-09-01. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 2010-09-14.  Note: U2 must be searched manually.
20. ^ ^{a b c d} "U2: Charts & Awards: Billboard Singles". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5723/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
21. ^ "RIAA Certification Results: U2". Recording Industry Association of America. 1989-01-10. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH. Retrieved 2010-09-14.  Note: U2 must be searched manually.