What songs did U2 play at Red Rocks?

Q: When did U2 perform at Red Rocks?

U2s now-legendary Red Rocks show on June 5, 1983, had all the makings for a classic disaster. The weather bordered on sleet and rain all day — hardly idyllic conditions for a video shoot that included countless cameras and three giant torches sitting atop the rocks.

Q: Who has recorded at Red Rocks?

The venues otherworldly setting — the worlds only naturally occurring acoustically perfect amphitheater — attracts a huge number of incredible performers. Many people cited performances by U2, Widespread Panic, James Taylor, 311, The Eagles and Coldplay.

Under a Blood Red Sky

Live album by

Table of Contents Show

History[edit]
Track listing[edit]
Personnel[edit]
Charts[edit]
Certifications[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
When did U2 perform at Red Rocks?
Who played at Red Rocks in 1983?
What song has U2 played the most live?
Who has recorded at Red Rocks?

Released

21 November 1983

Recorded

6 May 1983 – 20 August 1983

Venue

Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Morrison, CO)
Freilichtbühne Loreley (St. Goarshausen, Germany)
Orpheum Theatre (Boston, MA)

Genre

Rock, post-punk

Length

35:29

Label

Island

Producer

Jimmy Iovine

U2 chronology

War
(1983)

Under a Blood Red Sky
(1983)

U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky
(1984)

Singles from Under a Blood Red Sky

"I Will Follow"
Released: August 20, 1983

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[3]
Mojo	[4]
The New Zealand Herald	8/10[5]
Pitchfork	9.0/10[6]
Record Collector	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[9]
The Village Voice	A−[10]

Under a Blood Red Sky is a live album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released on 21 November 1983.[11] The record's eight tracks were compiled from three concerts during the group's 1983 War Tour, including two songs from their 5 June performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The concert film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky, recorded at the same Red Rocks show, was released as a companion to the live album. Both releases helped establish U2's reputation globally as a renowned live act.

History[edit]

The album consists of live recordings from three shows on the band's War Tour, from Colorado and Boston in the US and from Germany.

An accompanying concert video entitled Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky was released the following year. The film was recorded entirely at the outdoor Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 1983, while two songs from that show are included on the album.

The title is taken from the lyrics of the song "New Year's Day", originally released on U2's War album.

The album was re-released on 29 September 2008 as a remastered CD with a DVD of the Red Rocks concert.[12]

Track listing[edit]

Side two

No.	Title	Recording location/date	Length
1.	"Sunday Bloody Sunday" (from War)	Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983	4:55
2.	"The Electric Co." (from Boy)	Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983	5:18
3.	"New Year's Day" (from War)	Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983	4:29
4.	"40" (from War)	Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 1983	3:36

Notes
During the performance of "The Electric Co.", Bono included a 27-second snippet of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns". When Under a Blood Red Sky was released, U2 failed to get permission and pay the appropriate licensing and royalty fees to include Sondheim's tune on the album. When Sondheim objected, U2 agreed to pay a $50,000 (US) penalty for the unauthorized use and to press all future releases with a new version that did not include the snippet.

Essentially, there are now two versions of the vinyl album: the original with the full "The Electric Co." running 5:18 and the edited version which runs 4:51. However, the various CDs pressed around the world all vary in the versions of the song that are included.

The trifold digipack CD pressed in the U.S. correctly lists "The Electric Co." at 4:51 and contains the edited version of the song.
Later U.S. CD pressings in the standard jewel box format incorrectly list "The Electric Co." at 5:18, but have the edited version of the song.
Some, and perhaps all, European pressings of the CD correctly list "The Electric Co." at 5:18 and have the unedited version of the song (the same is likely true of other worldwide CD pressings).
An Australian pressing of the CD lists the track at 4:57, but the song actually runs the full 5:18.
The remastered editions all contain the edited version of the song.

Personnel[edit]

Bono – lead vocals
The Edge – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, bass guitar on "40"
Adam Clayton – bass guitar, guitar on "40"
Larry Mullen Jr. – drums

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

References[edit]

^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Under a Blood Red Sky – U2". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
^ Kot, Greg (6 September 1992). "You, Too, Can Hear The Best Of U2". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
^ Wyman, Bill (29 November 1991). "U2's Discography". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
^ Cameron, Keith (November 2008). "U2: Under a Blood Red Sky". Mojo. No. 180. p. 126.
^ Giles, Darrell (16 November 2006). "March 84, album review: Under a Blood Red Sky". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
^ Plagenhoef, Scott (29 September 2008). "U2: Under a Blood Red Sky". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
^ Heatley, Michael (December 2008). "Live At Red Rocks: Under A Blood Red Sky | U2". Record Collector. No. 356. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
^ Connelly, Christopher (19 January 1984). "Under A Blood Red Sky". Rolling Stone. No. 413. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
^ Considine, J. D.; Brackett, Nathan (2004). "U2". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 833–834. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
^ Christgau, Robert (21 February 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
^ "U2 > Discography > Albums > Under a Blood Red Sky". U2.com. Live Nation Entertainment. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
^ "Live At Red Rocks And Under A Blood Red Sky". U2.com. Live Nation Entertainment. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 317. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "ultratop.be – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "ultratop.be – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 24. 18 February 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky' – dutchcharts.nl". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography U2". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "italiancharts.com – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "charts.org.nz – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "portuguesecharts.com – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "spanishcharts.com – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "swedishcharts.com – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "U2 | full Official Charts history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "U2 U2 Live: Under A Blood Red Sky (EP) Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "Top Selling Albums of 1984 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^ "Canadian album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky". Music Canada.
^ "French album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky" (in French). InfoDisc. Select U2 and click OK.
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (U2; 'Under a Blood Red Sky')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
^ "New Zealand album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 921. ISBN 8480486392.
^ "British album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky". British Phonographic Industry.
^ "American album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links[edit]

Under a Blood Red Sky on U2.com

When did U2 perform at Red Rocks?

U2's now-legendary Red Rocks show on June 5, 1983, had all the makings for a classic disaster. The weather bordered on sleet and rain all day — hardly idyllic conditions for a video shoot that included countless cameras and three giant torches sitting atop the rocks.

Who played at Red Rocks in 1983?

Each complete performance will be available for 48 hours. U2 played at Red Rocks on June 5, 1983 as part of the War Tour. The show was under threat of cancellation from heavy rain, but instead went ahead to become an epic chapter in the band's relatively early history.

What song has U2 played the most live?

1 PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) - 1,022 TIMES This is the song U2 has played live in concert the most.

Who has recorded at Red Rocks?

The venue's otherworldly setting — the world's only naturally occurring acoustically perfect amphitheater — attracts a huge number of incredible performers. Many people cited performances by U2, Widespread Panic, James Taylor, 311, The Eagles and Coldplay.