Arlene PELAYO ([email protected])
Fri, 7 Aug 1998 16:15:38 -0400 (EDT)
"In 1988, it was the turn of the Irish rock group U2 to pay homage
to the master of the electric guitar by offering him 'When Love Comes to
Town,' the standout title on their album Rattle and Hum; tactfully, they
arranged for him to record it at the Sun Studio in Memphis where he had
cut his first sides for RPM. Thanks to the airplay it got on MTV, 'When
Love Comes to Town' has played a crossover role somewhat similar to that
of 'The Thrill Is Gone' twenty years earlier. But unlike Fats Domino or
Ray Charles, whose success with mainstream America was achieved thanks to
pop-oriented material, King owes a large share of his worldwide popularity
to his flirtation with the rock players, thus confirming the strong link
between electric blues and hard-core rock. 'My association with U2 made a
big difference,' King states. 'We were playing Dublin, Ireland. We were
there and they came out as a guest one night. They came backstage after
the concert, we chatted backstage, and when they were about ready to
leave, I asked Bono if he would write a song for me, and he said he would,
and it started from there. So he did, and the song later became a hit, I
toured with them in '89 and part of '90, and that tour did a lot for B. B.
King. A lot of the young people that listen and like rock 'n' roll,
they've been introduced to myself through U2, including through video and
television.'"
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