U2.Com 2014 Membership Package.

[slaneman]

Good question dagobah--

This is a pic from the back of my copy. Of course there is still some confusion concerning the date of the Boy-Girl B-side on the IWF single. I think Aaron will have that cleared up for the new site.

Having nothing better to do, I've been listening to the Boy-Girl B-side, its remaster, and the new version from ATAP. This has gotten me confused. I'm going to continue spotting differences and similarities. Please don't hold your breath. Fortunately I like the song and I'm used to repeated listenings trying to get the lyrics fairly straight. We all should know by now that this is U2's music and they can do whatever they want to it to make a good sounding release. Who knows the details of the ATAP original recording and the 'remaster' that we have. I'm also curious about the setlists from the 29th show that are online.

So far we have a version of Electric Co. that seems to predate usage of 'The Cry' and sounds as if Edge is holding some high note for a couple minutes during the time when Bono would do 'Send in the Clowns'. One gets a sense from the crowd that they knew it was coming. I don't blame U2 if they didn't want to pay the rights.

So far: 'the Joker is the best card'. This is on the B-side version, is not on the B-side remaster, and is on the ATAP version. There are a few lyrics differences between the ATAP and the B-side version. Curious stuff. But it really sounds great!

[Brad]

So far: 'the Joker is the best card'. This is on the B-side version, is not on the B-side remaster, and is on the ATAP version.

Just to add, "the Joker is the best card" is on the IWF b-side from the The Complete U2. The only digital release of that particular edit, I guess.

[Aaron]

This is a pic from the back of my copy. Of course there is still some confusion concerning the date of the Boy-Girl B-side on the IWF single. I think Aaron will have that cleared up for the new site.

The single never did have a date on it.  It just said "Live from the Marquee".  I looked at different labels from different pressings as well.  On none of them are a date.

The 2008 remaster of "Boy" had two tracks "Live from the Marquee" included.  "Boy-Girl", which was listed as the B-side to "I Will Follow" and "11 O'Clock Tick Tock".  The date for both of these given is September 22, 1980.  That is where the other date comes from.  The booklet of the deluxe set.

U2 have been known to release a hybrid audio track before.  Some of the tracks on the Elevation DVD are edits across two nights.  The same with a few tracks on "U22" - the digitally released "Unknown Caller" was from two nights at Wembley if I remember correctly.  So maybe they did use some material from another night to fill in some gaps.  I don't know.  I'll have to take a listen.  But this is what we have:

- Boy / Girl - I Will Follow B-Side - Date not given
- Boy / Girl - Boy Deluxe Remaster - Date given as September 22
- Boy / Girl - ATAP - September 29

[dagobah]

Wow, thanks for all the interesting feedback.  For now . . . . . . . based on what you guys are saying . . . . . . . . I will document these 10 live tracks (from the subscription gift) as September 29, 1980.   

[dagobah]

This post concerns the live version of Boy-Girl
FYI, I don't have a record player so I am unable to discuss any vinyl versions of it

A
In my iTunes, I have the live digital version of Boy-Girl from the iTunes U2 digital box set (also known as The Complete U2); that live digital version of Boy-Girl is listed as:
-  Kind:  Protected AAC audio file
-  Size:  3.5 MB
-  Bit Rate:  128 kbps
As far as I know, November 2004 is when iTunes released the U2 digital box set (The Complete U2)
However, I did not buy it until May 2005

B
I have the 2-CD Remaster of Boy (released in 2008).  However, I did not import into my iTunes the live version of Boy-Girl that is on CD #2

C
I have the live digital version of Boy-Girl from the U2.com subscription gift Another Time, Another Place: Live At The Marquee (released in 2015); that live digital version of Boy-Girl is listed as:
-  Kind:  MPEG audio file
-  Size:  7.8 MB
-  Bit Rate:  320 kbps

Between A and C above, why does A sound better?
To my ears, the difference is obvious
A sounds like I'm at the concert
C sounds like it was recorded at the concert by someone with a recording device inside their shirt and jacket; it's not a bad recording . . . . . it just sounds a little muffled

Considering the audio file information, shouldn't C sound better?

[George]

The 2008 remaster of "Boy" had two tracks "Live from the Marquee" included.  "Boy-Girl", which was listed as the B-side to "I Will Follow" and "11 O'Clock Tick Tock".  The date for both of these given is September 22, 1980.  That is where the other date comes from.  The booklet of the deluxe set.

Actually, the title of the track as it appears in the The Complete U2 (as a b-side for I Will Follow) is "Boy/Girl (Live from London, Sep 22, 1980)", so the date was known at least at that point.  I listened to the iTunes version and the remaster version and I do think that they are the same, mainly based on the way the "picture, disco, roundabout" line is sung.  I'm not around the software right now to play them at the same time.  The newest version from Another Time, Another Place is most certainly a different performance.

[u2hmtmkmkm]

Does anyone know where I can listen to side 4 of the second vinyl? I've downloaded the digital copies but I haven't received my vinyl yet, and don't have a way to play it anyway.

[Brad]

Considering the audio file information, shouldn't C sound better?

Recording and mastering are much more important to sound quality than the level of compression, at least up to a point. You do start to get pretty dramatic sonic degradation from compression aritifacts if you go below 128 kbps.

You should check your iTunes account to see if you can redownload The Complete U2 at the 256 kbps bit rate. I paid $30 or so to upgrade mine when Apple first launched iTunes Plus, but I think you can probably redownload it at the higher bitrate for free now.

[dagobah]

Considering the audio file information, shouldn't C sound better?

Recording and mastering are much more important to sound quality than the level of compression, at least up to a point. You do start to get pretty dramatic sonic degradation from compression aritifacts if you go below 128 kbps.

You should check your iTunes account to see if you can redownload The Complete U2 at the 256 kbps bit rate. I paid $30 or so to upgrade mine when Apple first launched iTunes Plus, but I think you can probably redownload it at the higher bitrate for free now.

Brad, thank you for the detailed reply.  I sincerely appreciate it.  But I'm confused about your suggestion.  My digital version of Boy-Girl from The Complete U2 (iTunes) sounds perfect!  It sounds better than the digital version from Another Time Another Place: Live At The Marquee.  Why would I want to re-download The Complete U2 from iTunes?

[Brad]

My digital version of Boy-Girl from The Complete U2 (iTunes) sounds perfect!  It sounds better than the digital version from Another Time Another Place: Live At The Marquee.  Why would I want to re-download The Complete U2 from iTunes?

The iTunes Plus version is double the bit rate, so it is possible you would hear some slight differences. iTunes Plus is also DRM free, so the files can be transferred to non-Apple devices and you never have to worry about them becoming unplayable.

[morgan1098]

So, the 2014 gift only arrived a few weeks ago--but for many of us it's time to renew again before the end of the month. Does anyone know anything about the new gift? If we renew before the end of November will we just get another copy of the vinyl set? This is a dilemma I face every year.

[Aaron]

Apparently they are supposed to be meeting this week to decide on the fan club and 'fixing' this issue is supposed to be covered.  There is an easy fix.  Announce the present on the exact same day every year.  

That being said, it's usually announced the last week of November - I included all of those dates when I wrote up the Fan club releases here: http://www.u2songs.com/discography/albums/ - so maybe in teh next few days there will be an answer...

[Aaron]

that being said - i expect maybe "U2ieTour Live from Paris" - the soundtrack to the eventual DVD. 

[U2Joshua]

That would be cool, but unprecedented, to issue a fan club release of something that new.  Mind you, your suspicion is as good a guess, as any, and it's one I would certainly welcome.

Maybe it will be a The Edge skull cap ?

[morgan1098]

Over at Interference, which can occasionally be useful when people post inside info, folks are complaining about the general chaos that is the fan club at the moment. What happened? U2.com has been notoriously bad in the past, but over the past few years, starting with U22, they really seemed to turn the ship around. But now it sounds like everything is being mismanaged again with terrible customer service, etc.

Then again, it is Interference, so it might be just a handful of very vocal people stirring up trouble.