Lot Essay
According to the vendor, this tape was given to him by Bono in 1979, when working as a staff writer at Record Mirror music newspaper. The tape was recorded on an unknown date in February 1979, and contains six songs, two of which are unreleased - Alone In the Light and False Prophet. Interestingly, of the other four songs, the version of Twilight was used as the B-side of the band's second single Another Day, in February 1980, but the band would re-record it for the album Boy.
According to the vendor, the promotional poster for the band's E.P. Three was a gift from Bono, on one of the singer's many visits to the Record Mirror's offices. The EP was produced as result of U2 winning a CBS Records talent contest held on Saint Patrick's Day 1978, the prize consisted of £500 and funding to record a demo. Even though CBS did not take up the option of signing U2, an agreement was reached whereby U2 would record for CBS Ireland, but would be free to seek a deal elsewhere for sales in the rest of the world. As a result at a second CBS session their first record, a three-track single called U2-Three was recorded. A thousand, individually numbered copies of the single were released, and sold out within days. Interestingly the advertising poster uses an image of Peter Rowan (brother of Bono's friend, Guggi) who also appears on the covers of the albums Boy and War.
The vendor explains in the accompanying letter, how he acquired the Bible: In April 1980 U2 signed to Island Records and I flew to Dublin for a second interview (for Record Mirror), during which I learned that three of the group's members were Christians. It wasn't exactly Rock 'n' Roll but I was intrigued by the idea, and over the following months I heard much more about their beliefs from the group and took a great interest in what they had to say. Along the way, Bono and The Edge presented me with a New English Bible, adding signatures and scriptural quotes to the title page. Later on, I spent a lot of time in Dublin, attending U2's Fellowship meetings, Bible in hand, trying to decide if this was for me. In the end, it wasn't quite. In 1979 the band were introduced to the Shalom Group of Charismatic Christians, by Dublin friends Guggi and Pod, who had both attended the group's prayer meetings. The Shalom Group became increasingly important in the lives of Larry, The Edge and Bono. The group met twice a week, when the meetings would begin with songs, followed by members discussing the values expressed in the Bible. The meetings would end by people joining hands and singing, hugging, helping to break down the barriers between them all. The challenge for Christians in the Shalom group was for the individuals not to be ashamed, to proclaim their values and their faith and to read their Bibles whenever and wherever they wanted to. These spiritual developments ran parallel with U2's; they would take their Bibles with them when embarking on the upcoming first tour of the UK, reading during the day and holding prayer meetings in their rooms at night. As Eamon Dunphy writes: "Their Values were not considered normal in rock music nobody who knew U2 laughed, but many who heard second-hand about their Christianity did mock the notion but around the band the reality was known; Edge, Bono and Larry hadn't changed and were still respected for what they were - musicians. Their faith was their own business. Eventually members of the Shalom group attempted to exert pressure on U2 that they sould have to give up Rock 'n' Roll in order to please God. It was a crossroads for the band, and after deciding that God would rather have them play rock music than stay in the fellowship, Bono, The Edge and Mullen left. Never again would any members of U2 be formally aligned with a religious group. Yet U2's brand of religious devotion would remain at the forefront of their work. The cover of their 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind features an altered airport sign that directs onlookers to read Jeremiah 33:3: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Many U2 concerts open, perhaps catching fans unaware, with quotations from the book of Psalms. One of the group's most recent hit singles, "Beautiful Day," offers a pointed reference to Noah's dove, making the song far more than the feel-good pop anthem it may at first appear.
According to the vendor, the promotional poster for the band's E.P. Three was a gift from Bono, on one of the singer's many visits to the Record Mirror's offices. The EP was produced as result of U2 winning a CBS Records talent contest held on Saint Patrick's Day 1978, the prize consisted of £500 and funding to record a demo. Even though CBS did not take up the option of signing U2, an agreement was reached whereby U2 would record for CBS Ireland, but would be free to seek a deal elsewhere for sales in the rest of the world. As a result at a second CBS session their first record, a three-track single called U2-Three was recorded. A thousand, individually numbered copies of the single were released, and sold out within days. Interestingly the advertising poster uses an image of Peter Rowan (brother of Bono's friend, Guggi) who also appears on the covers of the albums Boy and War.
The vendor explains in the accompanying letter, how he acquired the Bible: In April 1980 U2 signed to Island Records and I flew to Dublin for a second interview (for Record Mirror), during which I learned that three of the group's members were Christians. It wasn't exactly Rock 'n' Roll but I was intrigued by the idea, and over the following months I heard much more about their beliefs from the group and took a great interest in what they had to say. Along the way, Bono and The Edge presented me with a New English Bible, adding signatures and scriptural quotes to the title page. Later on, I spent a lot of time in Dublin, attending U2's Fellowship meetings, Bible in hand, trying to decide if this was for me. In the end, it wasn't quite. In 1979 the band were introduced to the Shalom Group of Charismatic Christians, by Dublin friends Guggi and Pod, who had both attended the group's prayer meetings. The Shalom Group became increasingly important in the lives of Larry, The Edge and Bono. The group met twice a week, when the meetings would begin with songs, followed by members discussing the values expressed in the Bible. The meetings would end by people joining hands and singing, hugging, helping to break down the barriers between them all. The challenge for Christians in the Shalom group was for the individuals not to be ashamed, to proclaim their values and their faith and to read their Bibles whenever and wherever they wanted to. These spiritual developments ran parallel with U2's; they would take their Bibles with them when embarking on the upcoming first tour of the UK, reading during the day and holding prayer meetings in their rooms at night. As Eamon Dunphy writes: "Their Values were not considered normal in rock music nobody who knew U2 laughed, but many who heard second-hand about their Christianity did mock the notion but around the band the reality was known; Edge, Bono and Larry hadn't changed and were still respected for what they were - musicians. Their faith was their own business. Eventually members of the Shalom group attempted to exert pressure on U2 that they sould have to give up Rock 'n' Roll in order to please God. It was a crossroads for the band, and after deciding that God would rather have them play rock music than stay in the fellowship, Bono, The Edge and Mullen left. Never again would any members of U2 be formally aligned with a religious group. Yet U2's brand of religious devotion would remain at the forefront of their work. The cover of their 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind features an altered airport sign that directs onlookers to read Jeremiah 33:3: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Many U2 concerts open, perhaps catching fans unaware, with quotations from the book of Psalms. One of the group's most recent hit singles, "Beautiful Day," offers a pointed reference to Noah's dove, making the song far more than the feel-good pop anthem it may at first appear.