"Get Out of Your Own Way" - U2

Promotional Release

Track Listing:

Background Information

“Get Out of Your Own Way” was the second single delivered to radio from Songs of Experience. Promotion of this single included a mix of promotional releases, mostly digitally distributed to DJs and radio stations.

There are three different edits of the song done for radio that we have identified. The first, which we are calling Radio Edit I, is 03:20 in length, and the vocal starts at 9.607s. The track fades in and out again. The second edit is slightly longer, and we are calling it Radio Edit II, this version edits a bit more off the front of the track, with the vocal starting at 8.464. The overall track is 03:22 in length. The final edit, which we are calling the French Edit, is 03:34 in length. The vocal starts at 23.252s, matching the album track, but there is a sudden cut rather than fading out, just before the Kendrick Lamar vocal starts. (The album version, for comparison runs 03:58)

The song was delivered to a handful of radio stations in Poland on November 2, 2017 for trials at radio, and would also be heard on the BBC during the week leading up to U2’s EMA performance on November 11, 2017. A wider release to radio was done on December 8, 2017. Promotion in North America started with delivery of the song to radio on November 22, 2017. It also first appeared on an Interscope Records promotional site at that time. The official push date for radio was December 4, 2017 on AAA Radio in the US (Adult Alternative Albums) just days after the release of the album. In these cases the edit sent out or used was the shorter Radio Edit I. Copies of the edited version of the song that were distributed digitally include artwork featuring all four members of U2 on a beach as the sun is low in the sky in some cases, and used the album cover in others.

In January 2018 a promotional CD was prepared by Universal Music in France, which was sent out to radio stations to promote the song, the release of the album, and the newly announced tour dates. These CDR promos went out to stations on January 16, 2018. These were distributed in a card sleeve using the album cover on the front side. (Although most of the CDR promos for this track are indeed fakes, we are told that these were generated by Universal Music.) These include what we call the “French Edit” of the track, just chopping off Kendrick Lamar’s vocals and ending suddenly, without a fade out.

More promotion was done to radio on both sides of the Atlantic in January as well. The push date in the USA for the track was January 16, 2018 on Modern Rock Radio, and January 29, 2018 on Hot AC (Adult Contemporary). The Hot AC date was the day after the band were to appear on the Grammy Awards with a performance of the song. This time out the Radio Edit II was being distributed to stations, although some stations report getting the earlier edit. In fact the promotional service Promo Only serviced the Radio Edit I on digital services, while using the Radio Edit II on CD. These promotional releases were done using the album cover.

On January 19, 2018, two additional promotional items were sent by digital distribution to DJs and EDM influencers to promote the song in clubs. The releases included a set of remixes by Afrojack, and a set of remixes by Switch. The cover for the Switch remixes uses the black and blue colours in a spiral similar to the box set, and the one for the Afrojack remixes has the blue and black colours in horizontal bands. Each cover has the song name and the remix name below it. The Afrojack remixes are 04:07 and 05:08 in length. (The 04:07 version was commercially released on January 26, 2018) The Switch remixes are 03:41 and 06:38 in length (The 03:41 version had been commercially released on December 27, 2018.) These were distributed via the promotional group Citrusonic. Additional remixes were commissioned, but not used, and the band quickly switched into promotion of “Love is Bigger Than Anything in its Way” instead.

A promotional video was put out in an animated style on January 18, 2018. The video uses a mix of the song similar to the French Edit, but it does fade out at the end. This animated video was recut into videos for the Switch remix and the Afrojack remix as well, with both remixed videos being released on May 25, 2018. Two additional videos featuring performances by U2 were filmed but never released. One, filmed in London on November 11, 2017, featured the band performing outdoors in London while the crowd held up protest signs. The other video was filmed in Mexico City and featured the band performing on a rooftop in the city, however, they failed to get permission to use set pieces from the James Bond Spectre film, and were asked not to release the video. (The video had been teased on U2’s social media channels on December 11, 2017. A performance of the song in the Hudson River in New York was filmed and used for the Grammy Awards.

Liner Notes

Artwork

Photograph by Anton Corbijn.

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