2025 Remaster of “In A Lifetime” (Bono with Clannad)

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams (2025-10-25)

In 1985, Bono appeared on the song “In A Lifetime” with Clannad, released initially on their 9th album Macalla. The song has been released on a number of additional compilations over the years. Yesterday, October 24, Clannad issued a 40th anniversary version of Macalla. The new version of the album has been remastered by Phil Kinrade at Air Studios.


AUDIO: 2025 REMASTER OF “IN A LIFETIME”

The new remaster of the album is available now on vinyl, CD and digital formats including high resolution audio up to 96kHz, 24-bit. This is the first time the track has been made available in higher than CD quality. Also released to a number of digital platforms is a newly upscaled to 1080p video of the “In A Lifetime” song, which also features Bono.

The album, initially released in 1985, was remastered previously in 2003. This 2025 version is a new master. It was the 2003 master of the song which had featured on the recent In A Lifetime Immersive Collection released in April 2022.

The album is released in physical formats on vinyl and CD. The physical packages include previously unseen band photos, new liner notes and a band interview. The CD comes in a card sleeve. The vinyl is a marbled vinyl in grey and white. Both are released via BMG and are available in stores now.

Physical Catalog Information:

  • Vinyl: 964169431
  • CD: 964169422

The album is also now available on digital services. The highest quality is available at specialty audio storefronts such as ProStudioMasters and HighResAudio in some regions. Here the songs are available at 96kHz and 24-bit. A high resolution version is also available at Qobuz, but at a lower quality, 44.1kHz and 24-bit. The album is also available at CD quality and below on a number of digital shops.

Streaming the song on Spotify allows one to watch the video for “In A Lifetime” while streaming. The video is also available to stream on Tidal and Apple Music, and is available to purchase on iTunes at 1080p.

When searching for the album on some sites, you may have to dig, as it has been listed with different release dates on different sites. On some you may see it listed as the most recent release, on others it shows as a October 14, 1985 release. On Apple Music the version listed in their discography is the 2003 remaster still, but searching will turn up the 2025 version. (And they are all labeled 2025 for the new version.)

If purchasing through Clannad’s own shop the vinyl and CD versions can be bundled together and they have also made available a Macalla T-shirt and tote bag. These additional items can be purchased as part of a bundle or separate.

This is the second 40th anniversary remastered album from Clannad. Last Fall they released a 40th anniversary edition of Legend.

“In A Lifetime”, featuring Bono, has been one of Clannad’s biggest songs. In the UK charts it spent 12 weeks on the chart and peaked at #17. The song reached #5 at home in Ireland. The song was written by Pól Brennan and Ciarán Brennan and recorded at Windmill Lane with Steve Nye producing and Kevin Maloney acting as engineer. The song was recorded during a two day session in Dublin, which included inspiration from an electrical storm that passed over the studio. Bono was the first musician outside of the band that Clannad had recorded with at that point.

The video for “In A Lifetime” was shot by Meiert Avis, and took Bono into the countryside in Ireland where we see life in the small town Gweedore, county Donegal. The hearse seen in the video is one that Bono had recently purchased. The driver of the hearse in the video is an artist friend of Bono’s, Charlie Whisker. (It was Whisker who would first graffiti the design of the the baby used on the cover of the album Zooropa.) We have embedded the video below, but it is an earlier version of the audio here, and not the 2025 version.


VIDEO: 2003 REMASTER OF “IN A LIFETIME”

“In A Lifetime” is one of Clannad’s most well known songs. In 1993 the song was used in a Jameson Whiskey ad in The Netherlands. In 2021 the song was re-released for St. Patrick’s Day as an updated version by Clannad, with Denise Chaila taking over the Bono portions. Perhaps one of the more tangential projects inspired by the song? The look of Bono in the “In A Lifetime” video inspired artist Dave McKean when designing the look of the Sandman character for DC Comics. Yes, the same Sandman currently featured in his own Netflix series.

The new remaster of Macalla is out now. Many thanks to Brad for spotting this new release.

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