Your Blue Room
Encyclopedia
"Your Blue Room" is a song by Passengers
, a group composed of rock band U2
and producer Brian Eno
. It is the third track on the group's only release, the 1995 album Original Soundtracks 1
. The track was written for the 1995 Michelangelo Antonioni
–Wim Wenders
film Beyond the Clouds
. Though Eno made the majority of creative decisions during the recording sessions, "Your Blue Room" was one of the few tracks that the members from U2 tried to craft themselves.
's 1996 film The Pillow Book
as a warm up before the main Pop sessions. Though the plan did not come to fruition, Eno suggested they continue recording for imaginary films. U2 were unsure of the idea at first, but agreed after Eno told them that producing radio hits was not the goal of the collaboration.
U2 had frequently improvised in the past, and in the Original Soundtracks 1 sessions they engaged in free-form jamming
to video clips from various films. Eno stated, "Listening to the original improvisations as they came off the floor, you feel the excitement of the process ... You have to be careful not to disturb the organic flow of the thing." The group brought in producer Howie B to cut down and mix some of the tracks after several hours of jam sessions had been recorded.
Part of the group's intent in creating Original Soundtracks 1 had been to make a "night-time" record. Lead vocalist Bono
said, "It feels like it's been set on the bullet train in Tokyo. Every record has a location, a place where you enjoy listening to it, whether that be a bedroom or a club, well this record location is a fast train. It's slo-mo music though. But it has an odd sense of speed in the background." He also noted that when creating works for soundtracks the visual suggestion from the music is more important than the story told by the lyrics. With this in mind the band had tried to create "visual music" when recording, continuing a trend that began with their 1993 song "Zooropa
".
–Wim Wenders
film Beyond the Clouds
.
Bono describes the song as "based on the idea that sex is a conversation of sorts" but that on another level it is a prayer. He concludes by saying, "It's an incredible thing to say to your lover or your maker: 'Your instructions, whatever the direction.'"
The track features U2's bass player Adam Clayton
reciting the final verse, and is the only album recording featuring Clayton as vocalist. (Clayton's only other vocal performance was in 1983 on "Endless Deep," which was released as a B-side to the "Sunday Bloody Sunday
" and "Two Hearts Beat as One
" singles.)
The Edge stated that, while Eno made the majority of creative decisions during the recording sessions, "the only tracks we really dug in our heels and did more work on and tried to craft were 'Miss Sarajevo
', 'Seibu', and 'Your Blue Room'."
", but it was canceled due to poor album sales. In addition to the Passengers album, "Your Blue Room" was later featured as a B-side on the "Staring at the Sun" single in 1997, and on the B-sides disc of The Best of 1990–2000 in 2002.
called Original Soundtracks 1 "a collection of sketched songs and free-form instrumentals" in which "Bono stays quiet and smoky-voiced". Pareles went on to say that "Your Blue Room" "harks back to the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes
"". Jim Faber of New York's Daily News was less receptive to the album saying, "It can't speak well of an album when the artists involved won't even put their real names on it." In regards to "Your Blue Room" Faber said it "sounds like one of Lou Reed
's blander ballads from the '70s". In a 2005 Rolling Stone
magazine article, Bono
nominated it as one of his favourite U2 songs. Recounting U2's determination to try to craft "Your Blue Room" against Eno's inclination, The Edge said "I think it paid off."
In a 2010 survey conducted by fan site @U2.com, 1513 of 4814 participants (31.43%) labelled "Your Blue Room" their favourite song on the album, ranking it the second most favoured song and the second choice overall behind "Miss Sarajevo" (37.99%), and before no preference (18.53%). Previous fan surveys in 2005, 2006, and 2007 had all also ranked the song the second favourite on the album.
in Chicago, during the U2 360° Tour
. It was subsequently played on some of the North American second leg shows of the tour, and featured pre-recorded vocals from Sinéad O'Connor
and a pre-recorded video of astronaut Frank De Winne
reciting the song's final verse from the International Space Station
. In writing about the live performance in Toronto
on 16 September 2009 Mike Doherty of the National Post
said, "When you can play music with someone who’s in space, the idea goes, you’re shrinking our corner of the universe down to size." The Richmond Times-Dispatch
was less receptive of the song's performance in Charlottesville, Virginia
, stating how the song ruined the show's mood and was "a plodding rumination that consumed precious set list space".
Technical
Original Soundtracks 1
Original Soundtracks 1 is a 1995 album recorded by U2 and Brian Eno, as a side project, under the pseudonym Passengers...
, a group composed of rock band U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and producer Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
. It is the third track on the group's only release, the 1995 album Original Soundtracks 1
Original Soundtracks 1
Original Soundtracks 1 is a 1995 album recorded by U2 and Brian Eno, as a side project, under the pseudonym Passengers...
. The track was written for the 1995 Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
–Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
film Beyond the Clouds
Beyond the Clouds (1995 film)
Beyond the Clouds is a 1995 Italian-French-German film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders.- Plot :Four stories of love and illusion are told from the perspective of a wandering film director. In the first story, two beautiful young lovers are unable to consummate their passion...
. Though Eno made the majority of creative decisions during the recording sessions, "Your Blue Room" was one of the few tracks that the members from U2 tried to craft themselves.
Background
U2 and producer Brian Eno formed Passengers as a side-project during the preliminary recording sessions for U2's 1997 album, Pop. Their intention was to record a soundtrack for Peter GreenawayPeter Greenaway
Peter Greenaway, CBE is a British film director. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Flemish painting in particular...
's 1996 film The Pillow Book
The Pillow Book (film)
The Pillow Book is a 1996 film by United Kingdom director Peter Greenaway, which stars Vivian Wu as Nagiko, a Japanese model in search of pleasure and new cultural experience from various lovers...
as a warm up before the main Pop sessions. Though the plan did not come to fruition, Eno suggested they continue recording for imaginary films. U2 were unsure of the idea at first, but agreed after Eno told them that producing radio hits was not the goal of the collaboration.
U2 had frequently improvised in the past, and in the Original Soundtracks 1 sessions they engaged in free-form jamming
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
to video clips from various films. Eno stated, "Listening to the original improvisations as they came off the floor, you feel the excitement of the process ... You have to be careful not to disturb the organic flow of the thing." The group brought in producer Howie B to cut down and mix some of the tracks after several hours of jam sessions had been recorded.
Part of the group's intent in creating Original Soundtracks 1 had been to make a "night-time" record. Lead vocalist Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
said, "It feels like it's been set on the bullet train in Tokyo. Every record has a location, a place where you enjoy listening to it, whether that be a bedroom or a club, well this record location is a fast train. It's slo-mo music though. But it has an odd sense of speed in the background." He also noted that when creating works for soundtracks the visual suggestion from the music is more important than the story told by the lyrics. With this in mind the band had tried to create "visual music" when recording, continuing a trend that began with their 1993 song "Zooropa
Zooropa (song)
"Zooropa" is a song by the rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1993 album Zooropa. The song was the result of combining two pieces of music, the first of which was conceived in the studio, and the second of which was discovered by guitarist The Edge while listening to soundchecks the...
".
Writing and recording
The song was written for the Michelangelo AntonioniMichelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
–Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
film Beyond the Clouds
Beyond the Clouds (1995 film)
Beyond the Clouds is a 1995 Italian-French-German film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and Wim Wenders.- Plot :Four stories of love and illusion are told from the perspective of a wandering film director. In the first story, two beautiful young lovers are unable to consummate their passion...
.
Bono describes the song as "based on the idea that sex is a conversation of sorts" but that on another level it is a prayer. He concludes by saying, "It's an incredible thing to say to your lover or your maker: 'Your instructions, whatever the direction.'"
The track features U2's bass player Adam Clayton
Adam Clayton
Adam Charles Clayton is a musician, best known as the bassist of the Irish rock band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965...
reciting the final verse, and is the only album recording featuring Clayton as vocalist. (Clayton's only other vocal performance was in 1983 on "Endless Deep," which was released as a B-side to the "Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday Bloody Sunday
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by U2.It may also refer to:*Sunday Bloody Sunday , a 1971 film*"Sunday, Bloody Sunday"...
" and "Two Hearts Beat as One
Two Hearts Beat As One
"Two Hearts Beat as One" is a song by rock band U2. It is the seventh track on their 1983 album, War, and was released as the album's second single in the US, UK and Australia.-History:...
" singles.)
The Edge stated that, while Eno made the majority of creative decisions during the recording sessions, "the only tracks we really dug in our heels and did more work on and tried to craft were 'Miss Sarajevo
Miss Sarajevo
"Miss Sarajevo" is the only single from the 1995 album Original Soundtracks 1 by U2 and Brian Eno, under the pseudonym Passengers. Luciano Pavarotti makes a guest vocal appearance, singing the opera solo. It also appears on U2's compilation, The Best of 1990-2000, and was covered by George Michael...
', 'Seibu', and 'Your Blue Room'."
Release
"Your Blue Room" was slated as the second single release for the album following "Miss SarajevoMiss Sarajevo
"Miss Sarajevo" is the only single from the 1995 album Original Soundtracks 1 by U2 and Brian Eno, under the pseudonym Passengers. Luciano Pavarotti makes a guest vocal appearance, singing the opera solo. It also appears on U2's compilation, The Best of 1990-2000, and was covered by George Michael...
", but it was canceled due to poor album sales. In addition to the Passengers album, "Your Blue Room" was later featured as a B-side on the "Staring at the Sun" single in 1997, and on the B-sides disc of The Best of 1990–2000 in 2002.
Reception
Jon Pareles of The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called Original Soundtracks 1 "a collection of sketched songs and free-form instrumentals" in which "Bono stays quiet and smoky-voiced". Pareles went on to say that "Your Blue Room" "harks back to the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes
Pale Blue Eyes
"Pale Blue Eyes" is a song written by Lou Reed and performed by The Velvet Underground. It was included on the band's eponymous 1969 album The Velvet Underground....
"". Jim Faber of New York's Daily News was less receptive to the album saying, "It can't speak well of an album when the artists involved won't even put their real names on it." In regards to "Your Blue Room" Faber said it "sounds like one of Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
's blander ballads from the '70s". In a 2005 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine article, Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
nominated it as one of his favourite U2 songs. Recounting U2's determination to try to craft "Your Blue Room" against Eno's inclination, The Edge said "I think it paid off."
In a 2010 survey conducted by fan site @U2.com, 1513 of 4814 participants (31.43%) labelled "Your Blue Room" their favourite song on the album, ranking it the second most favoured song and the second choice overall behind "Miss Sarajevo" (37.99%), and before no preference (18.53%). Previous fan surveys in 2005, 2006, and 2007 had all also ranked the song the second favourite on the album.
Live performances
"Your Blue Room" made its live debut on 13 September 2009 at Soldier FieldSoldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
in Chicago, during the U2 360° Tour
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. It was named for a stage configuration that allowed the audience to almost completely surround the stage...
. It was subsequently played on some of the North American second leg shows of the tour, and featured pre-recorded vocals from Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
and a pre-recorded video of astronaut Frank De Winne
Frank De Winne
Frank, Viscount De Winne is a Belgian Air Component officer and an ESA astronaut. He is Belgium's second person in space . He was the first ESA astronaut to command a space mission when he served as commander of ISS Expedition 21.-Education:De Winne graduated in 1979 from the Royal School of Cadets...
reciting the song's final verse from the International Space Station
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
. In writing about the live performance in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
on 16 September 2009 Mike Doherty of the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
said, "When you can play music with someone who’s in space, the idea goes, you’re shrinking our corner of the universe down to size." The Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
was less receptive of the song's performance in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, stating how the song ruined the show's mood and was "a plodding rumination that consumed precious set list space".
Tracklisting
Personnel
Passengers- BonoBonoPaul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
– vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the... - Adam ClaytonAdam ClaytonAdam Charles Clayton is a musician, best known as the bassist of the Irish rock band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, narrationNarratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for... - The EdgeThe EdgeDavid Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with... - Brian EnoBrian EnoBrian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
– synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s - Larry Mullen, Jr. – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
Technical
- Brian Eno – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, sequencingMusic sequencerThe music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :... - Danton Supple – audio engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...