"Pride (In the Name of Love)" - U2

Single

Track Listing:

Background Information

The first single released commercially from U2’s 2023 album Songs of Surrender is a re-recorded version of “Pride (In the Name of Love)” which was released on January 11, 2023. The song was recreated during lockdowns, and features the entire band, as well as the Hillspring Children’s Choir from Mumbai and Kamakshi Khanna, a Delhi based singer. The song was produced by The Edge, with co-producer Bob Ezrin, and additional producer Duncan Stewart. The track was mixed by Stewart as well.

The Hillspring Children’s Choir is arranged, and orchestrated by Karsh Kale who also provides bells on the track. If that name is familiar to you it is because Kale worked with U2 in the past. In 2019, when visiting India for the first time on tour, U2 worked with a number of Indian DJs to remix some of their biggest songs, released as an EP called “The Eternal Remixes“. On that EP, Kale remixed, “Pride (In the Name of Love)”. Listening to the two back to back there are some similarities to be found. Kamakshi Khanna who features on the new 2023 version of “Pride” is also featured on the 2019 remix, titled the “Karsh Kale 100 Voices Remix”.

The song was announced, and sent to radio at noon Eastern on January 11, 2023. At that time it was also made available on some streaming services. In some cases it is listed as a unique single, on other services it is a bundled track as part of the album itself. It was also quickly made available in CD quality and compressed versions at most online retailers. Although a higher resolution streaming version was available on streaming services such as Tidal, it wasn’t until January 20 that these higher resolution versions were available for individual purchase in most shops. At the same time the Dolby Atmos versions was made widely available on streaming services that could support the format.

The original version of “Pride (In the Name of Love)” was released in September 1984 as the lead single from The Unforgettable Fire. The original version of the song includes an error in the lyrics, when Bono sings “Early morning, April four, a shot rings out in the Memphis sky…” In reality, Dr. King was shot in the evening, not the early morning. This error has been fixed in the new lyrics for the 2023 version. Bono also makes reference to “One boy washed up on an empty beach / One boy never will be kissed” which is a reference to Alan Kurdi, a two-year-old Syrian refugee, who made headlines when he died in 2015, in an attempt to cross the Mediterranean fleeing from war-torn Syria. Bono has been singing both lyrics frequently in concert.

A lyric video was also released to accompany the song.

Liner Notes

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart.
Engineer: Alastair McMillan. Engineer: Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Jonathan Pfarr. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank. Engineer: The Edge
Mixer: Duncan Stewart

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Choir: Hillspring Children’s Choir (Mumbai). Choir: Kamakshi Khanna. Bells, Choir Arranger, Orchestra: Karsh Kale

Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo

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