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Fire (U2 song)

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"Fire"
Song
B-side"J. Swallow"

"Fire" was the first single from U2's 1981 album, October.

History

"Fire" was recorded at a studio in the Bahamas while U2 took a break from the Boy Tour in April 1981, and it debuted live the next month on 27 May 1981. It was the second of two October songs played on the Boy Tour, the first being "I Fall Down." "Fire" was a setlist regular for much of the October Tour, although it was not played at any of the tour's shows where U2 acted as support for the J. Geils Band. It then appeared on the War Tour's "Pre-Tour", and its final live performance was at the first proper date of the War Tour on 26 February 1983. Most of its live appearances were in the encore, often as the first encore song. After its initial release, "Fire" was U2's first song to chart in the UK, where it managed to break the top 40, peaking at #35. This chart position would not be surpassed until 1983's "New Year's Day."

Releases

The first appearance of "Fire" was an early 30-second instrumental version of the song that appeared on some versions of Boy as a hidden track after "Shadows and Tall Trees." When the song was officially released, three versions of the single were produced — a single 7" version, a double 7" version, and a 12" version titled "U2 R.O.K.," a pun on the word "rock" and on the phrase "U2 are OK." A forth "single" was later released ten years later on CD in 1991, also under the title "U2 R.O.K."

In addition to the "Fire" singles, the song was later included as a b-side on the Japanese version of the "A Celebration" single in 1982, and as a live version on several versions of the "New Year's Day" single in 1983.

Track listings

Version 1

  1. "Fire" (Album Version) – 3:48
  2. "J. Swallo" [sic] – 2:18

This was the common 7" vinyl release.

Version 2

  1. "Fire" (Album Version) – 3:48
  2. "J. Swallow" – 2:18
  3. "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" / "The Ocean" (Live from Boston March 6, 1981) – 7:03
  4. "Cry / The Electric Co." (Live from Boston, March 6, 1981) – 4:53

This was the UK and Ireland double 7" vinyl release.

Version 3

  1. "Fire" (Album Version) – 3:48
  2. "J. Swallow" – 2:18
  3. "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" / "The Ocean" (Live from Boston March 6, 1981) – 7:03

This was the "U2 R.O.K." 12" vinyl release from Germany, Spain and The Netherlands.

Version 4

  1. "Fire" (Album Version) – 3:50
  2. "J. Swallow" – 2:20
  3. "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" (Live from Boston March 6, 1981) – 4:52
  4. "The Ocean" (Live from Boston March 6, 1981) – 2:14

This was the "U2 R.O.K." 5" CD release from Germany and Austria, released in 1991, ten years after its initial release.

Chart positions

Chart (1981) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart 35
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