One (U2 song)

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"One"
Single by U2
from the album Achtung Baby
Released	March 1992
Format	CD single, Cassette 7" single, 12" maxi
Recorded	Hansa Tonstudio (Berlin, Germany) and Windmill Lane Studios (Dublin, Ireland) 1990–1991
Genre	Rock
Length	4:36
Label	Island
Writer(s)	Bono (lyrics), U2 (music)
Producer	Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno
U2 singles chronology
"Mysterious Ways" (1991) "One" (1992) "Even Better Than the Real Thing" (1992)
Achtung Baby track listing
"Even Better Than the Real Thing" (2) "One" (3) "Until the End of the World" (4)
The Best of 1990-2000 track listing
"Electrical Storm" (William Orbit Mix) (4) "One" (5) "Miss Sarajevo" (6)
U218 Singles track listing
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" (11) "One" (12) "Desire" (13)
Audio sample
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"One" is the third single from U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and was released in 1992. While recording Achtung Baby, there was a rift between band members over the direction of the band's sound. Tensions almost prompted U2 to break up until the band rallied around the writing of "One".^[1] The song reached #7 in the UK charts and #10 in the US pop chart, and reached the top of the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts. It peaked at #10 on the Dutch Top 40.

The song is widely considered to be one of the band's greatest songs and is consistently featured in lists of the greatest songs of all time. It was named the 36th greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #1 on Q's list of the "1001 Greatest Songs of All-Time".^[2] VH1 ranked the song #2 in its list of "Greatest Songs of the 90s".^[3] The song is currently ranked as the 94th greatest song of all time, as well as the fourth best song of 1991, by Acclaimed Music.^[4]

Contents 1 Writing and recording 2 Composition 3 Reception 4 Live performances 5 Music videos 6 Bank of America controversy 7 Duet version with Mary J. Blige 8 Track listings 8.1 U2 track listings 8.2 Mary J. Blige & U2 track listings 9 Credits 10 Certifications 11 Charts 12 See also 13 References 13.1 General 13.2 Notes

[edit] Writing and recording

Looking for inspiration following the falling of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent German reunification, U2 began the recording sessions to Achtung Baby in Berlin's Hansa Tonstudio in 1990.^[5] However, the mood was bleak, as the studios, in addition to the hotel the band were staying at were run-down. Conflict arose within the band over the quality of the material and their musical direction. While bassist Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. preferred a sound similar to U2's previous work, Bono and The Edge were inspired by alternative rock and European electronic dance music of the time, and were advocating a change.^[5] Mullen, Jr. in particular felt his "input was being diminished", as Edge was delving into drum beats from electronic music while Mullen Jr. was focusing on learning to play differently.^[5] The band also had difficulty in developing demos and ideas into completed songs.^[5] Bono and Edge believed the lack of progress was the fault of the band, while Clayton and Mullen Jr. believed the problem was the song ideas.^[5] Mullen Jr. said he "thought this might be the end."^[5]

At the instant we were recording it, I got a very strong sense of its power. We were all playing together in the big recording room, a huge, eerie ballroom full of ghosts of the war, and everything fell into place. It was a reassuring moment, when everyone finally went, 'oh great, this album has started.' It's the reason you're in a band - when the spirit descends upon you and you create something truly affecting. 'One' is an incredibly moving piece. It hits straight into the heart.

— The Edge on the recording of "One"^[6]

A breakthrough was achieved when Edge combined two separate bridge sections he had been developing for "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)".^[6] Playing alone in another room, Edge was improvising chord progressions, which he did not like in the context of the song.^[6] Daniel Lanois overheard him and asked him to play the separate sections together. Edge did so on acoustic guitar and Bono joined in with vocals, improvising lyrics and melodies. Soon afterwards, the band had improvised the piece of music into "One".^[6][7] Bono said the lyrics "just fell out of the sky, a gift"; the concept was inspired by a note Bono sent to the Dalai Lama declining to attend a festival called Oneness - the note read, "One - but not the same".^[6] The song's writing inspired the band and changed their outlook on the recording sessions. Mullen Jr. said the song reaffirmed the band's "blank page approach" to recording and reassured the band that all was not lost.^[6]

Brian Eno wanted the band to remove the melancholy elements of the song and persuaded them to remove the acoustic guitar from the song.^[6] Eno also worked with Lanois and Edge to "undermine the 'too beautiful' feeling", which is why the "crying guitar parts that have an aggression to them" were added.^[6]

Months later at Windmill Lane Studios, on the last night of the sessions, some last minute additions were made to "One". The song's mix had just been completed by the production team, but Edge came up with a guitar part he wanted to add to the song's end.^[8] After convincing the production team to allow the addition, Edge played the part once and had it mixed in ten minutes later.^[8]

[edit] Composition

Bono described the song as such: "It is a song about coming together, but it's not the old hippie idea of 'Let's all live together.' It is, in fact, the opposite. It's saying, We are one, but we're not the same. It's not saying we even want to get along, but that we have to get along together in this world if it is to survive. It's a reminder that we have no choice".^[6] The band has mentioned that many people tell them they have played "One" at their weddings, prompting Bono to respond, "Are you mad? It's about splitting up!"

[edit] Reception

"One" was ranked #36 in the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, the highest ranked U2 song. The track was also voted #1 on Q Magazine's "1001 Best Songs Ever" list,^[2] and the 5th most popular song of all time in a poll conducted by Sony.^{[citation needed]} A listener's poll conducted by the popular Israeli radio station Galgalatz ranked "One" as the best song of the 1990s, and in April 2006 it was voted as having Britain's number one lyric – "One life, with each other, sisters, brothers" – by a VH1 poll.[3] In a recent poll, the listeners of the Portuguese radio RFM voted "One" as the best song ever, while VH1 ranked the song #2 in its list of "Greatest Songs of the 90s".^[3]

[edit] Live performances

Since its first live appearance in 1992, the song has been played at every concert of U2's subsequent tours.^[9] It has also been played at several benefit concerts, including the 1995 Pavarotti and Friends concert in Modena, the 1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert in New York, the 2003 46664 concert, at Live 8 in 2005, and with Mary J. Blige on Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast. The song took on an even more emotional meaning at U2's Popmart show at Mexico City in 1997, as featured on the live DVD of the same name, where the tearful rendition was dedicated to the late Michael Hutchence of INXS.

[edit] Music videos

There were 3 videos made for the song which adds to the discussions. One of them suggests that "One" is about a gay son confessing to his father that he is HIV-positive—largely assumed because of the content of director Anton Corbijn's video, in which the band dressed in drag and Bono sings the song to his own father. It is filmed in Berlin and has footage of the band driving in Trabant cars. Also, a large amount of sales from the single went to AIDS charities.

Another video, directed by Mark Pellington, has footage of blooming flowers and buffaloes, interspersed with numerous black title cards featuring the word "one" in white lettering, depicted in numerous languages. The buffaloes in the video originate from a photo by David Wojnarowicz, a gay artist who died of AIDS.^[10] The photo is on the cover of the single. This video has also been used during live performances during the Zoo TV, Elevation, and Vertigo tours.

Yet another version of the video, directed by Phil Joanou, shows Bono in a bar, smoking a cheroot and drinking beer combined with snippets of the band performing in concert.^[11]

[edit] Bank of America controversy

In late 2006, a Bank of America employee sang "One" with lyrics modified to refer to the Bank of America and MBNA merger. The video subsequently became an Internet phenomenon.^[12] Universal Music Group, the copyright owner of the song, posted a cease and desist letter directed at Bank of America in the comments section of Stereogum, one of the blogs that posted the video.^[13]

[edit] Duet version with Mary J. Blige

"One"
Single by Mary J. Blige and U2
from the album The Breakthrough
Released	3 April 2006
Format	CD single
Genre	R&B, rock, pop
Length	4:03 (edit) / 4:21 (album)
Label	Geffen/Island
Writer(s)	Bono (lyrics), U2 (music)
Producer	Ron Fair
Mary J. Blige singles chronology
"Be Without You" (2005) "One" (2006) "Enough Cryin" (2006)
U2 singles chronology
"Original of the Species" (2005) "One" (2006) "The Saints Are Coming" (with Green Day) (2006)

After being invited to join the group, on stage at a New York concert in 2005, Mary J. Blige performed the track with U2 and received a standing ovation. The song was then recorded featuring Blige on lead vocals, with Bono supplying additional vocals and the band performing the music.

"One" is featured on Mary J. Blige's multi-platinum album The Breakthrough, released in late 2005. It was released as the second international single in April 2006, having already been featured heavily on BBC Radio 1's playlist, and it has been a staple record on Capital FM's playlist since late January 2006. In May 2006, Blige performed the song at the finale of American Idol with finalist Elliott Yamin, ahead of its full release to American radio. It was also used by Fox for its end-of-season montage after game five of the 2006 World Series.

On December 31, 2006, "One" was announced by BBC Radio 1 to be the thirty-fifth highest-selling single of 2006 in the UK.^[14]

It was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in December 2006.

[edit] Track listings

[edit] U2 track listings

[edit] Mary J. Blige & U2 track listings

Mary J. Blige's "One" single had two releases, both featuring the radio edit of the song. The first single release featured a live B-side, and the second single featured both a live and studio B-side, as well as a link to watch the "One" video online. The B-sides were songs by Blige only and did not feature U2.

[edit] Credits

U2 version

• Artwork : Works Associates Dublin
• Photography (back cover) : Anton Corbijn
• Photography (front cover) : David Wojnarowicz
• Producer : Paul Barrett
• Published by Warner Chappell Music, except "Satellite of Love" (written by Lou Reed [Oakfield Avenue Music/Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc.]) and "Night and Day" (written by Cole Porter)

[edit] Certifications

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified
Denmark[15]	Platinum	December 21, 2006	8,000

[edit] Charts

U2 version Chart (1992) Peak Position Australian ARIA Singles Chart[16] 4 Canada RPM Top 100 1 Dutch Mega Top 100[16] 12 French SNEP Singles Chart[16] 13 Irish Singles Chart[17] 1 Swiss Singles Chart[16] 25 UK Singles Chart[18] 7 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 10 U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks 1 U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 1 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks 24

Mary J. Blige & U2 version Chart (2006) Peak position Austrian Singles Chart[19] 1 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[19] 6 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[20] 10 Czech IFPI Chart 28 Denmark Singles Chart[19] 7 Dutch Singles Chart[19] 2 Eurochart Hot 100 3 French SNEP Singles Chart[19] 35 German Singles Chart[19] 6 Irish Singles Chart[19] 2 Italian Singles Chart[20] 2 Norwegian Singles Chart[19] 1 Swedish Singles Chart[19] 27 UK Singles Chart[19] 2 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 86 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 36 U.S. Billboard Pop 100 64

Preceded by "Stay" by Shakespear's Sister	Irish IRMA number-one single March 5, 1992 (1 week)	Succeeded by "Stay" by Shakespear's Sister
Preceded by "Hit" by The Sugarcubes	Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single April 4, 1992	Succeeded by "High" by The Cure
Preceded by "Save the Best for Last" by Vanessa L. Williams	Canadian RPM number-one single May 9, 1992 - May 30, 1992 (4 weeks)	Succeeded by "If You Asked Me To" by Céline Dion
Preceded by "I Still Burn" by Tobias Regner	Ö3 Austria Top 40 number-one single May 5, 2006 (1 week)	Succeeded by "Nie genug" by Christina Stürmer
Preceded by "Respekt for Grandiosa" by Grandiosa "A Little Perfect Too" by Aleksander Denstad With "Neste såmer" by Ravi me De Lilos	Norwegian VG-Lista number-one single 21/2006 (1 week) 28/2006 (1 week) 33/2006 - 36/2006 (4 weeks)	Succeeded by "A Little Perfect Too" by Aleksander Denstad With "Neste såmer" by Ravi me De Lilos "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake

[edit] See also

• List of covers of U2 songs - One

[edit] References

[edit] General

• McCormick, Neil (ed), (2006). U2 by U2. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7

[edit] Notes

v • d • e U2's singles discography 1980s 1980: "Out of Control" • "Another Day" • "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" • "A Day Without Me" • "I Will Follow" • 1981: "Fire" • "Gloria" • 1982: "A Celebration" • 1983: "New Year's Day" • "Two Hearts Beat as One" • "Sunday Bloody Sunday" • 1984: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" • 1985: "The Unforgettable Fire" • 1987: "With or Without You" • "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" • "Where the Streets Have No Name" • "In God's Country" • 1988: "One Tree Hill" • "Desire" • "Angel of Harlem" • 1989: "When Love Comes to Town" (with B. B. King) • "All I Want Is You" 1990s 1991: "The Fly" • "Mysterious Ways" • 1992: "One" • "Even Better Than the Real Thing" • "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" • 1993: "Numb" • "Lemon" • "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" • 1995: "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" • "Miss Sarajevo" (as Passengers) 1997: "Discothèque" • "Staring at the Sun" • "Last Night on Earth" • "Please" • "If God Will Send His Angels" • "Mofo" • 1998: "Sweetest Thing" 2000s 2000: "Beautiful Day" • 2001: "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" • "Elevation" • "Walk On" • 2002: "Electrical Storm" • 2004: "Take Me to the Clouds Above" (LMC vs. U2) • "Vertigo" • 2005: "All Because of You" • "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" • "City of Blinding Lights" • "Original of the Species" • "One" (with Mary J. Blige) • 2006: "The Saints Are Coming" (with Green Day) • 2007: "Window in the Skies" • 2008: "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" (with The Dubliners, Kíla, and A Band of Bowsies) • 2009: "Get on Your Boots" • "Magnificent" • "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"