Three, also known as U2 3, is the debut release by Irish rock band U2. It was released in Ireland on 2 September 1979 through the CBS Ireland record label.

Three comprises three songs recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in August 1979, with the label's A&R representative Chas de Whalley serving as producer. "Out of Control" appears on the A-side, with "Stories for Boys" and "Boy/Girl" on the B-side, the result of a listener poll on Dave Fanning's radio programme; the release is variously referred to as a single and an EP. It was the group's first chart success, selling all 1,000 copies of its limited-edition 12-inch vinyl almost immediately. The 7-inch vinyl release of Three reached number 19 on the Irish Singles Chart.

"Out of Control" and "Stories for Boys" were re-recorded the following year and included on the band's debut album, Boy. Three was reissued for Record Store Day Black Friday in November 2019 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its original release.

Background

Involvement of Jackie Hayden

U2 first came to the attention of Jackie Hayden, a representative for the CBS Records label, through their participation in a music talent contest as part of Limerick Civic Week on St. Patrick's Day in March 1978. Hayden was on the judging panel that selected U2 as the winning act, and their prize consisted of £500 and a chance to audition for the label. Watching U2 perform, Hayden "liked them instantly", as he was drawn to lead singer Bono's "supremely confident stage presence" and the "workmanlike fashion" in which the other band members played. the group were booked for a recording session at Keystone Studios in Dublin to fulfil CBS's commitment to the Limerick Civic Week Committee. The session was largely unsuccessful, as the band were "extremely nervous" about their first recording session. Hayden expressed to McGuinness that the band would need a "very sympathetic producer" to translate the excitement of their live performances to studio recordings. De Whalley said that they "sounded like a thousand other wannabe new wave acts and made no real impression on [his] jaded ears". However, his interest was piqued after talking to McGuinness and learning that U2 had won a CBS-sponsored contest. Word had circulated in the label's London office that Hayden was raving about them from Ireland. De Whalley convinced his bosses, Muff Winwood and assistant A&R director Nicky Graham, that U2 were worth a speculative visit. Winwood was still disappointed that his team had missed out on signing the Undertones and thus approved the trip, provided that de Whalley be accompanied by another A&R representative, Howard Thompson, who had successfully scouted Eddie and the Hot Rods and Motörhead. By this point, U2 had become rising stars in the Dublin scene, but de Whalley was still not overly impressed by the band, recalling: "They were a pretty damn average post-punk band. They weren't particularly good – a lot of sound and fury signifying not a great amount. Except that [Bono] was absolutely mesmerizing even then". De Whalley remarked to Thompson that he thought Bono would either be the next Alex Harvey and burn out after a few hits or become the next David Bowie and "be a major force in pop music". during the weekend before Ireland's August Bank Holiday. The sessions lasted from 6 p.m. to midnight each day.

Three was released by CBS Ireland in the Irish market on 26 September 1979. The 12-inch vinyl sold out almost immediately, becoming the highest-selling 12-inch record in Irish history.

Performance history

U2 performed all songs from Three live regularly in the band's formative years. The earliest known performances of "Out of Control" and "Stories for Boys" took place in August 1979. "Out of Control" was written on Bono's eighteenth birthday. "Boy/Girl" may have also been played at this stage: a song named "In Your Hand" may have been related in some way to "Boy/Girl" but no recordings of it exist. The first confirmed performance of "Boy/Girl" took place in October 1979. All three songs were regularly performed on the Boy Tour in 1980–1981, although "Boy/Girl" appeared less than the others. "Stories for Boys", which premiered at an unknown date in August 1979, was used as a concert opener a few times before being moved to late in the main setlist, nearer to "Out of Control", which was typically the last song of the main set. In mid-March 1981, the Three songs were united to close the main set. "Stories for Boys" was first, followed by "Boy/Girl", which segued into "Out of Control". This trilogy lasted until the end of the tour.

"Boy/Girl" and "Stories for Boys" did not remain in the band's live repertoire long after the end of the Boy Tour. "Boy/Girl" was played three times afterwards, while "Stories for Boys" was initially frequently performed on the October Tour before it was removed from the setlist in late March 1982. "Out of Control", however, remained in the band's live show for longer, rotating with "Gloria" as the concert opener on the War Tour and the first leg of the Unforgettable Fire Tour. It then appeared twice late in the Unforgettable Fire Tour before returning sporadically to the setlist on the third leg of the Joshua Tree Tour and three performances on the Lovetown Tour. "Out of Control" then had an absence from live shows of over eleven years. It was played again on 15 May 2001 on the Elevation Tour. After initial infrequent performances proved popular with fans, it became more regular in the setlist as the tour progressed. It was retained on the Vertigo Tour for special occasions; it was played a total of nine times, including instances in Toronto and Los Angeles where U2 performed it with local bands. "Out of Control" made its U2 360° Tour debut in São Paulo. It made 5 other U2 360° appearances. The song was also the closer to the Glastonbury 2011 set. The Vertigo Tour also saw part of "Stories for Boys" return to the setlist – Bono acknowledged its lyrical relationship with "Vertigo" by snippeting some lyrics from "Stories for Boys" at the end of "Vertigo". This snippet was a regular feature of shows on the Vertigo Tour's first leg but was done only sporadically on the second leg and never on subsequent legs. On the Innocence + Experience Tour, "Out of Control" was played second on the setlist, rotating with "The Electric Co." amongst other early U2 songs.

Track listing

Personnel

U2

  • Bono – vocals
  • The Edge – guitar
  • Adam Clayton – bass
  • Larry Mullen Jr. – drums

Additional personnel

  • U2, Chas de Whalley – production
  • Robbie McGrath – remixing
  • Hugo – photography

Chart

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!align="left"|Chart (1979)

!align="left"|Peak

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!scope="row"|Irish Singles Chart (IRMA)

|align="center"|19

|-

|}

See also

  • U2 discography

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

  • "Out of Control" lyrics at U2.com
  • "Stories for Boys" lyrics at U2.com
  • "Boy/Girl" lyrics at U2.com
  • U2 3 at U2.com