Under a Blood Red Sky

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.

This article is about the live album. For the concert film, see U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky.

Under a Blood Red Sky
Live album by
U2
Released21 November 1983 (1983-11-21)
Recorded6 May 1983 – 20 August 1983
Venue
GenrePost-punk
Length35:29
LabelIsland
ProducerJimmy 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
  1. "I Will Follow"
    Released: August 20, 1983
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Chicago Tribune[2]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[3]
Mojo[4]
The New Zealand Herald8/10[5]
Pitchfork9.0/10[6]
Record Collector[7]
Rolling Stone[8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[9]
The Village VoiceA−[10]

History

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

All tracks are written by U2, with lyrics by Bono

Side one
No.TitleRecording location/dateLength
1."Gloria" (from October)Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 19834:32
2."11 O'Clock Tick Tock" (single)Boston, Massachusetts on 6 May 19834:34
3."I Will Follow" (from Boy)Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 19833:36
4."Party Girl" (B-side of "A Celebration" single)Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 19832:52
Side two
No.TitleRecording location/dateLength
1."Sunday Bloody Sunday" (from War)Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 19834:55
2."The Electric Co." (from Boy)Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 19835:18
3."New Year's Day" (from War)Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 19834:29
4."40" (from War)Sankt Goarshausen, Germany on 20 August 19833:36

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.

On the streaming platforms YouTube Music, Spotify, and Apple Music the album contains the edited version of the song.

Personnel

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[28] 4× Platinum 280,000^
Belgium (BEA)[29] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[30] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[31] Platinum 300,000*
Germany (BVMI)[32] Platinum 500,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[33] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[34] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] 3× Platinum 900,000^
United States (RIAA)[36] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Under a Blood Red Sky – U2". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  2. Kot, Greg (6 September 1992). "You, Too, Can Hear The Best Of U2". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  3. Wyman, Bill (29 November 1991). "U2's Discography". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  4. Cameron, Keith (November 2008). "U2: Under a Blood Red Sky". Mojo. No. 180. p. 126.
  5. Giles, Darrell (16 November 2006). "March 84, album review: Under a Blood Red Sky". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  6. Plagenhoef, Scott (29 September 2008). "U2: Under a Blood Red Sky". Pitchfork. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  7. Heatley, Michael (December 2008). "Live At Red Rocks: Under A Blood Red Sky | U2". Record Collector. No. 356. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Christgau, Robert (21 February 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  11. "U2 > Discography > Albums > Under a Blood Red Sky". U2.com. Live Nation Entertainment. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  12. "Live At Red Rocks And Under A Blood Red Sky". U2.com. Live Nation Entertainment. 11 August 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
  13. 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.
  14. "ultratop.be – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  15. "ultratop.be – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  16. "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 39, no. 24. 18 February 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  17. "U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky' – dutchcharts.nl". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  18. "Offiziellecharts.de – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  19. "Irish-charts.com – Discography U2". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  20. "italiancharts.com – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  21. "charts.org.nz – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  22. "portuguesecharts.com – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  23. "spanishcharts.com – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  24. "swedishcharts.com – U2 – Live At Red Rocks 'Under A Blood Red Sky'". Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  25. "U2 | full Official Charts history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  26. "U2 U2 Live: Under A Blood Red Sky (EP) Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  27. "Top Selling Albums of 1984 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  28. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  29. "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  30. "Canadian album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky". Music Canada.
  31. "French album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky" (in French). InfoDisc. Select U2 and click OK. 
  32. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (U2; 'Under a Blood Red Sky')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  33. "New Zealand album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  34. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. p. 921. ISBN 8480486392.
  35. "British album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky". British Phonographic Industry.
  36. "American album certifications – U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky". Recording Industry Association of America.
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