Who needs bathrooms? ([email protected])
Sun, 18 Oct 1998 12:43:09 -0600
BONO DID NOT AWARD THE NOBEL
PEACE PRIZE TODAY.
End of story. What you saw was footage from the "Yes" concert
in Belfast at which U2 and Ash played. Trimble and Hume were
invited on stage by Bono -- Bono raised their arms, which he later
said was inspired by Bob Marley's peace efforts in his island nation
of Jamaica.
The Nobel Prizes are officially awarded in December -- I'm not
sure of the exact date, but I believe it's the 10th or 11th(someone
correct me on that).
Prarit's note:
While I'm never happy with the recipient of the Peace Prize, I
would like to point out that the Nobel Prize in Medicine went to
the American discoverers of the Viagra principle. Now *there's*
something that I agree with :) :) :) :)
------------
Condensed from CNN:
October 16, 1998
OSLO, Norway (AP) -- John Hume and David Trimble today won
the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to resolve the Northern
Ireland conflict.
Hume, leader of Northern Ireland's largest Catholic party, and Trimble,
leader of the leading Protestant party, were cited by the Norwegian
Nobel
Committee for work toward ending "the national religious and social
conflict
in Northern Ireland has cost over 3,500 people their lives."
http://cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9810/16/nobel.peace.prize.01.ap/
------------
>From NME:
BONO AND RUSHDIE? FATWA CHANCE!
U2's THE EDGE has spoken exclusively to NME
about reports in Irish newspaper The Sunday
Independent (Sunday October 11) that author
Salman Rushdie had lived at Bono's Dublin home.
The story had suggested that Rushdie stayed at the
residence for a long period during the 10 year fatwa
passed against him by Iranian religious leader
Ayatollah Khomeni, during which time the Satanic
Verses author was under the protection of Special
Branch bodyguards. "It's not really accurate," The
Edge told NME last night (Thursday October 15). "In
fact we're a bit pissed off about it because it implies
that Salman was staying for long periods of time in
Bono's house, which wasn't the case. He did stay for
the weekend on maybe two occasions. But it wasn't
like he was living with Bono for months on end, which
was sort of what the story claimed."
Bono and Rushdie have reportedly collaborated on
lyrics together and U2 have been long time
supporters of the author during his years in hiding.
"He's been on stage with us," said The Edge. "We
don't have a problem with standing beside him. But
the focus of that story seemed to be on Bono's house,
which we could have done without, from a security
point of view."
Although the Iranian government have said that they
would not support anyone trying to kill Salman
Rushdie, isolated Islamic groups throughout the world
have said that they regard Khomeni's fatwa as still
being in force; only Khomeni could revoke a fatwa and
he is now dead.
The Edge also said that there was little chance of U2
playing Slane Castle next year as has been reported
elsewhere. He did, however, confirm that the BBC are
doing an episode of the next series of Classic Albums
about 'The Joshua Tree' and the band are currently
going through old multitrack tapes, rediscovering the
genesis of songs for the multi-million seller.
For the full U2 feature, read NME next week.
------------
Condensed from CNN:
B.B. King and Puff Daddy Win Top Awards
World Entertainment News Network
15-OCT-98
(OCT. 15) WENN/P - B.B. KING AND PUFF DADDY WIN TOP
AWARDS AT MOBO From WENN correspondent DAN DAVIES in
London Blues master B.B. KING received a standing ovation when
he took the stage to accept his Lifetime Achievement award from U2
guitarist THE EDGE at the third MUSIC OF BLACK ORIGIN awards
last night (14OCT98).
------------
The Canadian version of the Best of will be numbered -- I'm pretty
sure this is to enhance it's collectability...
------------
The 3eb version of "I Will Follow" can be found at:
http://www.andyres.demon.co.uk/3eb_iwill_edit.mp3
I wish to thank "foot" for his help in obtaining this. His 3eb page
is at:
http://pages.prodigy.net/tension7/3eb/3eb.htm
Please stop in and give him a hit on his counter, or drop him an
email to thank him for his help in obtaining the mp3.
------------
The UK sure are lucky -- a double vinyl set of the Best of
will be released there...
------------
>From Addicted to Noise:
U2's Bono Reportedly Sheltered Hunted 'Satanic Verses' Author
Irish newspaper says Salman Rushdie has been superstar-singer's
guest for years.
Staff Writer Chris Nelson reports:
For five years, writer Salman Rushdie -- in hiding ever since Islamic
fundamentalists put a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head -- has
been a guest at U2 singer Bono's Irish estate, the Sunday Independent
newspaper reported in Ireland.
Longtime human-rights advocate Bono first extended his hospitality
to the British author in 1993, five years after the late Iranian leader
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a "fatwa," or religious edict, to
kill Rushdie for alleged blasphemy against Islam in his book "The
Satanic Verses" (1988), noted society-columnist Lorraine Keane
wrote in the latest edition of the newspaper.
Rushdie has spent nearly a decade under British police protection.
"He would fly into one of Dublin's airports, helicopter to Killiney [on
the east coast of Ireland and] land on the beach below Bono's
garden," Keane wrote in Sunday's edition, without offering a source
for her information. Bono reportedly installed closed-circuit television
and other security measures to protect the four-room gazebo where
Rushdie stayed, Keane wrote.
Both Keane and her newspaper are well-regarded in journalistic circles,
Tim Gopsill, editor of the British and Irish National Union of
Journalists'
trade publication The Journalist, said. The Sunday Independent has a
circulation of 320,000.
Given the circumstances, those in a position to know are reluctant to
discuss the matter, and as of Wednesday (Oct. 14), the superstar's
publicists could not confirm the story. However, they did note the that
the
singer and writer have long held a mutual admiration for each other's
work.
"All that we know is that Bono is a great admirer, all the band are
great
admirers, of Salman Rushdie and his work, and Salman did appear on
stage with them at Wembley Stadium in 1993 on the Zoo TV tour," said a
representative (who asked not to be named) of the politically outspoken
singer's RMP publicity firm. "But as for him staying in the house,
management doesn't know about that and we haven't been able to get
hold of Bono to ask him."
But a source close to the band over the last several years said, without
going into detail, "Put it this way, they're friends and Bono has a
palatial
estate."
He added that Rushdie "has been to a handful of U2 concerts across the
globe over the past few years. From what I remember, the two of them
even collaborated on a project."
Keane stated that Rushdie's landings on Bono's estate were so frequent
they did not arouse suspicion from neighbors -- one of whom is Rolling
Stones guitarist Ron Wood. She added that Bono's gazebo became
Rushdie's "regular home since 1993." She did not say, however, if the
author is still staying with the rocker.
Keane was unavailable for questions Wednesday (Oct. 14), and her
editors declined to comment on the story.
Bono reportedly built the gazebo in 1992 as a place to write songs and
entertain guests. Rushdie left the dwelling only for midnight and
early-
morning walks along the beach, during which times he was accompanied
by bodyguards, according to Keane.
Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary general of the Islamic Society of North
America, said Tuesday (Oct. 13) that the fatwa has no legal standing
internationally. Although he added that the ISNA has taken no stance on
the fatwa or Bono's alleged hiding of Rushdie, Syeed said those who
aid Rushdie also cause Muslims pain.
"We won't kill them -- someone else may have said that, but we've never
said that -- but we will certainly feel bad about it," he said.
"Muslims all over the world feel bad that Salman Rushdie has
scandalized prophet Mohammed," he said from the society's Plainfield,
Ind., offices. "Whosoever is participating in that, we feel bad about
them."
Last month, Iranian president Mohammed Khatemi announced that while
his government has insufficient religious authority to revoke the fatwa,
it does not endorse killing Rushdie. Since then, however, two groups --
an
Iranian student association and the 15 Khordad Foundation --
have renewed calls for the death sentence to be carried out. The Khordad
Foundation upped its reward for Rushdie's death from $2.5 million to
$2.8
million.
U2 have for years used their worldwide popularity to draw attention to
human-rights abuses. In 1986, they took part in the Conspiracy of Hope
tour to benefit the watchdog-group Amnesty International. They continue,
in
liner notes of their albums, to urge fans to support the organization.
Since the fatwa was issued, several people associated with "The Satanic
Verses" have been injured or killed, according to a 1997 Amnesty
International report. In 1991, a Japanese translator was stabbed to
death.
An Italian translator survived a stabbing that same year. In 1993, a
Norwegian publisher of the book was shot three times, but survived.
------------
>From Addicted to Noise:
R.E.M. Single Takes Alternative Radio By Storm
Athens, Ga., rockers' 'Daysleeper' added to playlists at more than 100
alternative radio stations in U.S.
Senior Writer Gil Kaufman reports:
Coming off one of the most difficult eras in their nearly 20-year
career, Athens, Ga.-bred rockers R.E.M. staged a triumphant return to
alternative radio last week, with nearly every alternative outlet in the
U.S. adding the band's new single to their playlists.
According to Kevin McCabe, director of charts for radio-industry
trade-magazine Radio and Records, R.E.M.'s "Daysleeper",
http://www.addict.com/music/R.E.M./Daysleeper.ram (RealAudio excerpt),
was picked up by 120 of the 135 alternative stations that report to the
magazine, making it the most-added song last week.
"Their success speaks for itself," McCabe said of the high rate of radio
ads for the lush ballad that several prominent radio programmers have
described as classic-sounding R.E.M. "They are one of the pioneer
alternative bands, and it seems as though they have remained relevant to
the format, even when a lot of the stations are playing a lot harder
material."
Given the lengthy bouts of recording time by the bandmembers and their
difficulty in trying to reinvent themselves in the absence of long-time
drummer and friend Bill Berry (who quit the group last year), the
group's manager Bertis Downs said the remaining members -- singer
Michael Stipe, bassist Mike Mills and guitarist Peter Buck -- were
thrilled with the news.
"Basically, almost every station that could add the song did, and
obviously, the band is really pleased," Downs said. "This is definitely
one where it took us by surprise a bit. In a way, you expect it, but in
another, you just don't know what to think. They just want the thing out
there at this point."
The high add-rate even caught R.E.M.'s record label, Warner Bros.
Records, by surprise. After a tepid response to the moody, fairly
esoteric "E-Bow the Letter",
http://www.addict.com/music/R.E.M./E-bow_The_Letter.ram (RealAudio
excerpt), from the group's previous album, New Adventures In Hi-Fi,
there
were some questions about the reaction of an ever-changing radio market
to new R.E.M. material, according to Jon Leshay, Warner Bros. senior
vice president of marketing.
"We were very surprised," Leshay said. "I think the anticipation for
bands that have been around for years, like U2 or R.E.M., is sometimes a
bit lower, especially coming off 'E-Bow,' which was not a mass-appeal
record. A lot of people were scratching their heads and wondering if
[R.E.M.] still had a place on radio."
Leshay said the number of alternative radio adds of the song, which he
pegged at 94 (owing to stations that don't report to R&R), was outpaced
only by the number of so-called adult-alternative stations that put the
song in rotation. Leshay said the song was the most added record in the
history of that relatively new format.
McCabe said the group nearly closed-out the adult-alternative market,
with 38 out of the 40 stations reporting to R&R adding the song.
Leshay said it was also, percentage-wise, the largest number of
first-week adds in the band's 17-year history.
The single, from the group's upcoming album Up (Oct. 27) -- the first
not to feature drummer Bill Berry, who departed last fall -- has kept
pace with a number of other high-profile releases this year, according
to McCabe. Among the songs McCabe said had similarly widespread
alternative-radio adds are "Sweetest Thing" by Irish rockers U2, and the
new singles by rock songstress Sheryl Crow, pop-rock act the Goo Goo
Dolls and Canadian singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette.
------------
Condensed from HotPress, 14 October 1998:
... it's understoood that U2 mets up with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois
in Dublin to discuss the recording of their new album.
According to a well-placed source, "The producers and U2 will meet again
next month to discuss possible recording locations and times for the
project. ... I'd say we are looking at a February or March '99 start
date."
-- Prarit....[email protected] U2 news: http://www.members.home.net/u2-news/u2.html
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