The Fly (song)
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| "The Fly" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Image:U2thefly.jpg | ||
| Single by U2 | ||
| from the album Achtung Baby | ||
| Released | October 21 / 22, 1991 | |
| Format | CD single, cassette, Vinyl (7" and 12") | |
| Genre | Rock | |
| Length | 4 m 29 s | |
| Label | Island | |
| Producer(s) | Daniel Lanois | |
| Chart positions | ||
| ||
| U2 singles chronology | ||
| All I Want Is You (1989) | The Fly (1991) | Mysterious Ways (1991) |
| Achtung Baby track listing | ||
| "So Cruel" (6) | "The Fly" (7) | "Mysterious Ways" (8) |
| The Best of 1990-2000 track listing | ||
| "The First Time" (16) | "The Fly" (UK and Japan-only) (17) | |
"The Fly" was the first single released from U2's 1991 Achtung Baby album. Lead singer Bono described the single as "the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree," due to its shocking difference to the former "classic" U2 sound. "The Fly" served as an introduction to the sonic and electronic experimentation that would dominate U2's 90s work.
The song was also a showcase for Bono's "The Fly" persona on the Zoo TV Tour, a stereotypical leather-clad rock star known for wearing large wrap-around sunglasses and strutting around the stage.
Contents |
[edit] History
Described as a "whooshing, industrial, beat-driven" piece[1], the song showcases a heavier, more abrasive side of U2. The band first experimented with such a sound on their cover of Cole Porter's "Night and Day". The song also features one of the most intricate guitar solos The Edge has ever recorded.
Underlined by this new direction, "The Fly" became extremely successful among alternative rock audiences, though it struggled to find airtime on pop radio. The song became U2's second No. 1 single in the UK, following "Desire". It was notable for ending the record breaking 16 week run at the top of the singles chart for Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" but it quickly slid down the chart. In the U.S., it only managed #61 on the Hot 100, a position later surpassed by all the other Achtung Baby singles. Nevertheless, the song was very successful on modern rock radio, reaching the top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart and #2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Live versions of the song are featured on the Zoo TV: Live From Sydney long form video and DVD, the Elevation: Live From Boston DVD and the Vertigo: Live From Chicago DVD.
The song was played on the Zoo TV Tour, Elevation Tour, and Vertigo Tour. On Zoo TV, Edge used an Eric Clapton-edition Fender Stratocaster, accompanied by Bono on a Gibson ES-175. The Zoo TV performances included, aside from the added guitar from Bono, an extended outro. The song was not played on the Popmart Tour, although it was snippetted several times. The version from the Elevation Tour, available on the Boston DVD, featured just The Edge on a Gibson Les Paul Custom (This version was played in a higher key with less Wah). For the Vertigo Tour, "The Fly" was played during the Zoo TV-themed encore. Edge used a Line 6 Variax 700 Acoustic (custom painted to match the tour's red and black color scheme) and Bono used his signature guitar, the Gretsch Irish Falcon. The subliminal messages played on the LED lights invoked nostalgia of the Zoo TV Tour.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] Version 1
- "The Fly" (4:29)
- "Alex Descends into Hell for a Bottle of Milk / Korova 1" (3:37)
- "The Lounge Fly Mix" (6:28)
This was the regular CD and 12" release. The 7" and some of the cassette versions omitted "The Lounge Fly Mix".
When the covers to the "Even Better Than the Real Thing", "The Fly", "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses", and "Mysterious Ways" singles are arranged in a larger square, a picture of the band members driving a Trabant is formed.
[edit] B-sides
The single was backed with the following B-sides:
[edit] Alex Descends into Hell for a Bottle of Milk / Korova 1
"Alex Descends into Hell for a Bottle of Milk / Korova 1" is a music piece by Bono and The Edge, taken from the score for the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "A Clockwork Orange" [2]. This was the only part of the score which was officially released. The author of the original book, Anthony Burgess was reportedly very unsatisfied with the soundtrack, which may have something to do with the fact that it was never released in its entirety. [citation needed] This song was also featured on the soundtrack to the Johnny Mnemonic movie.
[edit] The Lounge Fly Mix
This is an alternate take of "The Fly", featuring different lyrics and a more dancing, trip-hop sound.
[edit] Alternate versions
There are four released versions of this song:
- The album version, which appears on Achtung Baby and some editions of The Best of 1990-2000.
- The Lounge Fly Mix, which appears on the single. The beginning of the music video features a snippet of this version.
- A live performance from Manchester, England in June 19, 1992 for the Stop Sellafield concert. This was released as a B-Side on the "City of Blinding Lights" single. It is also avaiable on the second disc of the Zoo TV: Live From Sydney DVD as a bonus track.
- Another live performance from the Vertigo Tour, recorded in Chicago in May 2005, which appears on the U2.Communication promotional album. This performance is also available in the Vertigo: Live From Chicago DVD.
[edit] Video
The song was promoted with a music video directed by Ritchie Smythe and Jon Klein. Smythe's contribution was a basic performance video, relying heavily on unfocused, fast, wandering takes. It also displayed the band's "new look". Klein's part featured only Bono sitting in a chair with a remote control, facing a wall with several TV sets. The intro to the video, also filmed by Klein, fetaured a small portion of the "Lounge Fly Mix", with Bono running in the streets in his "Fly" costume.
The video appears on the DVD for The Best of 1990-2000, along with the directors' commentaries.
[edit] Chart positions
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "The Fly" | UK Singles Chart | #1 |
| 1991 | "The Fly" | US Billboard Hot 100 | #61 |
| 1991 | "The Fly" | US Modern Rock Tracks | #1 |
| 1991 | "The Fly" | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | #2 |
| 1991 | "The Fly" | US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | #44 |
| Preceded by: "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams | UK number-one single October 27 1991 for 1 week | Succeeded by: "Dizzy" by Vic Reeves & The Wonder Stuff |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Discography entry at U2 Wanderer--Comprehensive details on various editions, cover scans, lyrics, and more.
- Videography entry at U2tours.de--Has some screen captures of the video. Written in German.
