A Celebration
"A Celebration" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by U2 | ||||
B-side | "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl" | |||
Released | 22 March 1982[1] | |||
Recorded | 1982 | |||
Genre | Rock, post-punk | |||
Length | 2:57 | |||
Label |
| |||
Songwriter(s) | U2 | |||
Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |||
U2 singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"A Celebration" on YouTube | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
"A Celebration" is a song by Irish
U2 have re-released "A Celebration" on a few occasions: in 2004 with the digital box set The Complete U2; in 2008 on a bonus disc with the remastered edition of October; and in 2022 on vinyl for Record Store Day.
Composition and theme
"A Celebration" runs for 2:57. According to Universal Music Publishing Group's sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, it is played in common time at a tempo of 157 beats per minute in the key of B minor. The vocals extend from a low note of A4 to a high of B5.[2]
In a 1983 interview, lead vocalist Bono indicated that the song was the source of controversy due to misinterpretation of the verse "I believe in a third World War / I believe in the atomic bomb / I believe in the powers that be / But they won't overpower me" by fans who questioned his motives. Bono explained, "all I was saying was that the realities of the bomb must be faced."[3]
Release
"A Celebration" was released on 22 March 1982 as a non-album single. The song "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl" was featured on the B-side of the single, except in Japan, where the song "Fire" was included on the B-side instead.[4]
"A Celebration" was absent from any of the group's compilations until the digital box set The Complete U2 in 2004. The song was also included on the remastered release of October in 2008.
"A Celebration" was reissued on Record Store Day on 22 April 2022 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its original release. It was pressed on 12-inch, 180-gram vinyl and contained four tracks: two versions of "A Celebration" on the A-side (the original version and a studio outtake), and two versions of "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl" on the B-side (the studio version and a live performance from 2015).[5]
"Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl"
"Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl", commonly known as "Party Girl", was the B-side to "A Celebration". The song runs for 2:32 (2 minutes, 32 seconds). According to Universal Music Publishing Group's sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, it is played in common time at a tempo of 152 beats per minute in the key of D major. The vocals extend from a low note of A4 to a high of E6.[6]
In contrast to the A-side, after its live debut on February 26, 1983 at the first War Tour concert, "Party Girl" became a regular during the encores. This happened despite the fact that after the initial performance,
"Party Girl" can also be found on the 2008 deluxe edition bonus CD of October, the live albums
Music video
The song's music video was filmed at Dublin's
Live performances
"A Celebration" made its live debut in late February 1982 and sporadically appeared at concerts throughout that year until it became a regular of the Pre-War Tour during the month of December. It then appeared at some early dates of the War Tour in February and March 1983. Its last live appearance was on November 30, 1983, in Tokyo.
Formats and track listings
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Celebration" | 2:57 |
2. | "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl" | 2:32 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "A Celebration" | 2:56 |
2. | "Fire" | 3:50 |
Charts
Chart (1982) | Peak position |
---|---|
Irish Singles Chart[8] | 15 |
UK Singles Chart[9]
|
47 |
See also
References
Footnotes
- ^ Sams, Aaron; Kantas, Harry. "U2 – "A Celebration" Single". U2songs.com. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
- ^ "U2 – A Celebration – Digital sheet music". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. 10 April 2001. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ Thrills, Adrian (June 1983). "Of War & Peace & the Light Within". Record. Vol. 2, no. 8. pp. 16–17.
- ^ a b McGee (2008), p. 58
- ^ Brayden, Kate (17 February 2022). "U2 to mark 40th anniversary of 'A Celebration' with vinyl reissue on Record Store Day 2022". Hot Press. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "U2 – Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl – Digital sheet music". Musicnotes.com. Universal Music Publishing Group. 10 April 2001. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ "Larry Mullen Interview". White Lucy. 1983-04-01. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
- ^ "Irish Singles Chart". The Irish Charts. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 2009-11-23. Note: U2 must be searched manually.
- ^ "U2". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
Bibliography
- McGee, Matt (2008). U2: A Diary. London: ISBN 978-1-84772-108-2.
External links
- "A Celebration" lyrics at U2.com
- "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl" lyrics at U2.com