Singular Thoughts.

[Aaron]

Back when U2 started dabbling more and more in digital singles and the like, we made a choice to keep them separate from the main discography entry...so over time "Get On Your Boots" had four entries, the single, the promotional releases, an entry for the digital single, and an entry for the Crookers remix.  "I'll Go Crazy" was similar with a separate digital entry for the live from Somerville release. 

We've started the process to streamline this.  We're going to be combining the digital releases in with the physical releases going forward, and we're going to combine the old entries where it makes sense to do so.  I've already tackled the two above.  Will get to "Magnificent" soon.  As I'm going I'm also adding more information about the digital entries that never got captured before.  Releases on iTunes that were not unique didn't necessarily get a mention before. 

If you want to take a look at any digital information and don't feel like going through the full catalog section at the bottom?  Look for the link that says "digital" -- clicking on it will separate it out so you just see the digital entries for each single. 

I won't be putting in a catalog entry for every single online shop and every single format. But we will capture each configuration of songs.  So with Boots, the Crookers remix which was released separate from the single with NLOTH, there will be two different catalog entries...each entry will try to make mention of the variety of formats available.

There will still be a digital section for the discography but we'll use it for unique digital titles, and anything that was released as a single or an album, etc. will be covered in the appropriate entries.  Just wanted to give a heads up if case anyone is looking for anything. 

[Aaron]

And for those wanting more detail these are the discography entries that have been updated to date:

* Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
* One
* If God Will Send His Angels
* Please
* Vertigo
* Get On Your Boots
* Discotheque
* I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
* Magnificent (more work to be done)
* Beautiful Day
* Staring at the Sun
* All I Want is You
* Elevation
* Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own

Will try to remember to come in and update the above as more work is completed.

[Anam]

Makes great sense. I did something similar on the HD. Singles are all together now, regardless of format.

[Aaron]

Another oddity...similar to the recent release of "Every Breaking Wave" and "I'll Go Crazy" alternate versions...In September 2017, when the "Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own" single was reissued to some services, they did a single song single of the 99BPM Radio Edit, instead of the 96BPM Radio Edit that they had used on the single in 2005.  It's the first time the 99BPM Edit was released commercially I believe...noticed it over on Supraphonline, the same place that weird "Song for Someone" single popped up for download...

[morgan1098]

Another issue here is what constitutes a "single." Often now when you pre-order a digital album you'll get not one but two (or more) "instant grat tracks," i.e. songs from the album that aren't necessarily being promoted anywhere else as singles for radio, etc. They're just previews to tide you over until the full album is available. Maybe that's worth noting in the album discography entry. These songs aren't singles but then again they're tracks from the album released sometimes far in advance of the album.

[Aaron]

Determining what is a single is a pain...

"American Soul" was one of the instant grat tracks.  (Well it was instant at U2.Com, it was two weeks later for the rest of the services...)  The song was sent to radio in the UK. And it had a video that was released, two of them, with the Broken Fingaz video, and the later boys on a barge thing. It was also used for promotion as part of the basketball stuff in the USA. It was definitely a promotional single. 

But its not that different from "Until the End of the World" which was sent to radio, had its own promotional CD, and had a video developed for it.

So for me it comes down to whether or not it was ever sold separate from the album. And in the case of "American Soul" I would argue that it was not, as if you bought the track you got 1/13 of the album.  The art was the same, it was sold under the album listing, and there was nothing to differentiate it from any other album track, except you could get it early. So it doesn't get a listing under singles...

it gets more difficult with all this digital stuff. The lines aren't as clear cut anymore. Even with my description above I still keep a link to the "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" promotional entry under singles, because that still makes sense to me.  So there's always going to be exceptions. 

[morgan1098]

[Aaron]

I remember a conversation I had with the guy who used to run the Live discography and the guys over at depmod.com (a Depeche Mode discography) about whether or not we should even list digital as they weren't releases. (Yes, I've routinely sought advice amongst other sites.)

I decided in the end that I would.  Sometimes I think it would have been easier to stay on the "if its not on plastic it doesn't count" bandwagon.  But then we'd have missed out on at least 35 remixes of "Love is Bigger Than Anything in its Way".

And full admission.  I still don't know how to handle streaming on something like YouTube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh9rK3K8q6o
Does "Vertigo" (Live from the Apollo) have a home in the discography?

[George]

And full admission.  I still don't know how to handle streaming on something like YouTube...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh9rK3K8q6o
Does "Vertigo" (Live from the Apollo) have a home in the discography?

I think that all these types of tracks, the ones that are made only to be streamed but not owned, are just the same as the radio shows that used to get pressed on vinyl or CD.  So when Spotify lets you stream but not download "What's Going On?", or U2 posts their performance of Vertigo on their own YouTube channel, it's the same as when the Dublin '93 or Sarajevo '97 shows were broadcast on radio.  In both cases, the audio can be captured (today using a download tool or previously using what was known as an "audio cassette recorder" - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_deck for more info).

[Aaron]

I like looking at it that way George.