"Love and Peace or Else (Live from Toronto)" - U2

Digital Song

Track Listing:

Background Information

In September 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept into New Orleans, devastating the city. As part of the relief efforts a televised concert was done on MTV networks featuring performances by artists such as Trent Reznor, Melissa Etheridge, Rob Thomas, and U2. The performances were live on September 10, 2005. The U2 track is “Love and Peace or Else” and it was performed live during a dress rehersal for the third leg of the Vertigo tour. The track was recorded live in Toronto Ontario, where the tour would resume two nights later. The visuals accompaning hte song during the telethon showed U2 performing “Love and Peace or Else” on the empty Vertigo stage, done similar to how it was done during concert, with Adam and Edge on the main stage, and Larry and Bono out on the circle, and included the CoExist headband, and Bono taking over the drum kit from Larry when he returned to the main stage.

No limitations were placed on the tracks, and each track could be downloaded individually as a single. The entire performance was called “ReAct Now: Music + Relief”. Initially it was announced that these tracks would be available for only a limited time, 30 – 60 days. However, on at least one service, the tracks were still available to stream in 2012. Proceeds from the sale of the tracks were earmarked for the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. Retailers selling the tracks included MSN Music, Rhapsody (now Yahoo Music), Sony Connect, FYE, and Virgin Digital. MTV approached iTunes about the sale of these tracks, but Apple declined as they were in the midst of their own Katrina-related fundraising activities. Each service offered the song in their own format, Sony for instance, released the track in ATRAC3 format, similar to an mp3 in compression, but only playable on Sony music players and software.

U2 would also perform in the “Shelter from the Storm” telethon, once again filming their contribution at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. For that performance they recorded “One” with Mary J. Blige.

There wasn’t any cover art with the single itself, and the three images below were taken from various sites associated with ReAct Now. The first is taken from the Sony Connect store.

Liner Notes

No traditional liner notes with this digital release.

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