"Get On Your Boots" (Unfinished Version) [03:24]

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Video Information

This version of the video is pretty close to the final finished version, however, this version was leaked before it was ready for public consumption. Originally “Get On Your Boots” was supposed to premiere in conjunction with the Irish Independent website on January 30, 2009. However, at 3:10pm that day the Independent issued a statement:

Delivery of the video for U2’s new single, ‘Get on Your Boots’, has been delayed. We are waiting for a new premiere date from the band and their record company. More details will follow.

Another statement was made later in the day by Mark Crossingham, the managing director of Universal Music in Ireland:

The video is going really well but unfortunately it just wasn’t finished in time for the premiere today. Alex Courtes is an amazing director and we can assure you that it will be well worth the wait.

But even though the official version wasn’t ready in time, an unfinished version did start to circulate that day. That video looks very similar to the final copy but there are “Getty Image” watermarks scattered throughout the video, and these can be seen on images at 1:57 and again at 02:04. There were at least three other images which could be seen with the watermark as well. The photos were used from the stock photos site “Getty Images” and the band / producer at the time of the leak had not paid to use an unwatermarked image.

Did all of the watermarked images make it into the final video? No they did not. A couple were replaced with similar images. One other was dropped entirely. Thus this is a unique version of the video.

So how did the video leak? One of the animators posted the video on a video sharing site, looking for some feedback on the incomplete video. She thought that the video would go unnoticed while doing this, but it was immediately picked up by fans, and shared around the internet.

A statement was issued through U2.Com on the message boards:


Dear all,

You might have seen we’ve been removing links to the rogue copy of the ‘Boots’ video in the last 24 hours. It’s not just U2.Com, it’s being taken down from everywhere on the web.

Word is that everyone was pretty fed up about an unfinished bootleg leaking out before the production team had finished their work.

Apparently it’s a pretty amazing video they’re producing but if you saw that ruff-cut the give-away was the watermark copyright details in some of the images. Turns out there were legal issues involved – and it’s being taken down from YouTube, Facebook etc etc

As soon as the video is wrapped we’ll have it on U2.Com – as early as anyone else.

Honest!

U2.COM

The finished version of the video premiered at 17:00 on Friday, February 6 on the Irish Independent newspaper’s website

Additional Screen Captures

Video Credits

Directed by Alex Courtes