U2’s Joshua Tree: 7 Things You May Not Know

Coming from a punk background and influence, U2 to this point hadn’t really delved into the world of blues music. This lack of blues influence struck Bono when he was working on a project with Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, when the lads were jamming some blues music and he realised he had no familiarity with it. Along with spending some time with Bob Dylan and Van Morrison as well as the Waterboys and Hothouse Flowers, this inspired Bono to go back to a roots influenced style of writing for the album, drawing on both Irish and American culture and tradition.

On U2’s previous album The Unforgettable Fire, all tracks and instruments had been recorded separately, and layered into the mix. While this worked well with the textural experimentation of The Unforgettable Fire, the band wanted a more raw sound for Joshua Tree. The band had also found a recording space where they really enjoyed the sound, in a large Georgian house at the foothills of the Wicklow mountains. This resulted in all but two of the tracks on the album actually being recorded fully live in Danesmoate House.

While the majority of the recording was done in Danesmoate House, there was some recording done in other studios. One of the studios which was used was STS studios in Temple Bar, owned by Paul Barrett, and located just across the street from the museum. These sessions gave rise to the excellent “With Or Without You” and “Bullet in the Blue Sky”. STS Studios still stands today, but sadly is now a hostel. I wonder if tourists sleeping in their bunks realise the rock history that took place where they lie?

There’s no denying that U2 are one of the most globally successful bands of all time, but did you know they have only reached number one in the US singles charts twice? Shockingly the only two U2 songs to reach number one on the US singles charts are “With Or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, both from Joshua Tree. Just goes to show what a massive album it was for the lads!

Once the album was finished, the guys knew it was something special, however they also had many doubts. Bono even reportedly wanted to stop distribution because he thought it needed to be redone. Kirsty MacColl, wife of producer Steve Lilywhite and possibly most famous for “Fairytale of New York” volunteered to select the running order, as the band were finding it hard to come up with one themselves. They requested that she start the album with “Where the Streets Have No Name” and end with “mothers of the Disappeared” (both excellent choices) but left the rest up to her. I think we can all agree she did an excellent job!

Joshua Tree has gained many accolades, being listed on countless best albums of all time lists and winning many awards. However it also holds a more surprising accolade. In 2014, the album was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the US Library of Congress for being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. It is the only Irish album to ever receive this honour.

Once all was said and done, the band were pretty delighted with the album. It had been a transformative experience for them and  catapulted them even further into the realms of global superstardom. The place at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains, where the album was formulated, Danesmoate House, held a special place in their hearts. So much so for Adam Clayton, that he bought it shortly after the album’s release and lives there to this day.