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* live recording *

Recorded:
5/6/83 to 8/20/83

Charted: December 10, 1983

Genre: classic alternative rock

Quotable: “illustrate[s] quite effectively why U2 were considered one of the best, most exhilarating live bands of the ‘80s” – Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Album Tracks:

  1. Gloria
  2. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock
  3. I Will Follow
  4. Party Girl
  5. Sunday Bloody Sunday
  6. The Electric Co.
  7. New Year’s Day
  8. “40”

Rating: 3.379 (average of 11 ratings)

Sales:

sales in U.S. only 3 million
sales in U.K. only - estimated 900,000
sales in all of Europe as determined by IFPI – click here to go to their site. --
sales worldwide - estimated 10 million

Peak:

peak on U.S. Billboard album chart 28
peak on U.K. album chart 2

Singles/Hit Songs: *

  • 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (5/80) #30 AR
  • I Will Follow (10/19/80) #81 US, #20 AR
  • Gloria (10/17/81) #55 UK
  • New Year’s Day (1/22/83) #53 US, #10 UK, #2 AR
  • Sunday Bloody Sunday (3/83) #7 AR
* Chart information is for the original studio versions of the songs.

Notes: A 2008 Deluxe Edition paired the CD with a live DVD of a 17-song set that included all the songs on the 8-song CD.

Awards:

Band of Gypsys is rated one of the top 1000 albums of all time by Dave’s Music Database. Click to learn more.

Under a Blood Red Sky
U2
Review:
“War turned U2 into arena rock stars, and the EP Under a Blood Red Sky captures the band on its supporting tour as the bandmembers adjusted to their larger audiences. Unsurprisingly for a band that always favored the grand statement, the group flourished in such a setting, as this mini-EP attests. Comprised of material recorded in America and Germany, Under a Blood Red Sky draws equally from the band’s first three albums, and these live versions, while less textured, are considerably tougher than their studio counterparts and illustrate quite effectively why U2 were considered one of the best, most exhilarating live bands of the ‘80s” (Erlewine).

Review Source(s):

Related DMDB Links:

previous studio album: War (1983) U2’s DMDB page next studio album: The Unforgettable Fire (1984)

Last updated January 26, 2009.