Under a Blood Red Sky is a live album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released in 1983. Along with its companion concert film, Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky , the release helped establish U2's reputation as a remarkable live band, making the band a popular live college rock act.

UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY TICKETS BTS Tickets Rush Tickets Journey Tickets Shakira Tickets Bryson Tiller Tickets Earth, Wind and Fire Tickets

History

The album consists of live recordings from three shows on the band's War Tour from Denver, Boston, and St. Goarshausen. Album highlights include a fiery rendition of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (famously introduced by Bono with the words, "this is not a rebel song") and a jaunty run-through of the B-side "Party Girl".

An accompanying concert video entitled Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky was released the following year. Unlike the album, the film was recorded entirely at the dramatic outdoor Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 1983. The band's performance of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" from the film has been cited as one of Rolling Stone 's "50 Moments that Changed the History of Rock and Roll."

The phrase "Under a blood red sky" is taken from the lyrics of the song "New Year's Day", originally released on U2's War album.

The album was re-released as a remastered CD on September 29, 2008. ^[1]

Track listing

During the recording of "The Electric Co.", Bono included a 27 second snippet of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns". When Under a Blood Red Sky was released, U2 failed to get permission and pay the appropriate licensing and royalty fees to include that piece of Sondheim's tune on the album. When Sondheim objected, U2 agreed to pay a $50,000 (US) penalty for the unauthorized use and to press all future releases with a new version that did not include the snippet.

Essentially, there are now two versions of the vinyl album: the original with the full "The Electric Co." running 5:18 and the edited version which runs 4:51. However, the various CDs pressed around the world all vary in the versions of the song that are included.

• The trifold digipack CD pressed in the U.S. correctly lists "The Electric Co." at 4:51 and contains the edited version of the song.
• Later U.S. CD pressings in the standard jewel box format incorrectly list "The Electric Co." at 5:18, but have the edited version of the song.
• Some, and perhaps all, European pressings of the CD correctly list "The Electric Co." at 5:18 and have the unedited version of the song (the same is likely true of other worldwide CD pressings).
• An Australian pressing of the CD lists the track at 4:57, but the song actually runs the full 5:18.

Chart positions and sales

Country	Peak position	Certification	Sales
Canada		2x Platinum [2]	200,000+
France		Platinum [3]	300,000+
Germany		Platinum [4]	200,000+
United Kingdom	2	3x Platinum [5]	900,000+
United States	28	3x Platinum

Personnel

• Bono – lead vocals
• The Edge – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, bass guitar on "40"
• Adam Clayton – bass guitar, guitar on "40"
• Larry Mullen Jr. – drums

See also

• U2 discography
• Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky
• Red Rocks Amphitheatre

References

1. LIVE AT RED ROCKS AND UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY
2. CRIA
3. Disque En France
4. IFPI Germany
5. BPI