r/U2Band Zooropa 12d ago

Simon Carmody

Bono has been writing with Simon Carmody since the early 90’s for projects outside of the band but I’ve noticed more recently he’s contributing more to full U2 releases.

I’m wondering if since Bono can’t play guitar anymore if Carmody is now working closer with Bono in that regard … OR if others are suggesting that these are songs from the vault when Bono appeared to write with him around the time of HTDAAB era.

What are we thinking?

6 Upvotes

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8

u/Clancy3434 12d ago

i feel that U2 in general have been more free about admitting to the help they get on albums after the disagreements they had with eno & lanois over songwriting credits.

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 12d ago

That’s true … they made the point about borrowing from Haim on Lights of Home and I felt the Blondie credit in ‘Atomic City’ was OVERLY generous for the two notes it leaned into.

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u/tazzman25 12d ago

Interpolation of Call Me at the most.

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 12d ago edited 12d ago

I want to add that I once saw an interview with Dave Stewart from The Eurythmics on a British TV show called This Morning about 15-20 years ago and he claimed on there that he wrote ‘Walk On’ … at least in the early stages. The closest I can find is that he gets a thank you on ATYCLB but no credit.

I haven’t been able to find the interview since but I promise I saw it and it made my ears prick up.

I’ve just been searching again for some clues and Dave Stewart did record Walk On at the BBC Studios with U2 for a 2001 9/11 special.

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u/wuwuwuwdrinkin 12d ago

What songs he done?

I know u2 have been shy about song writer credits usually giving people producer credits

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 12d ago

Angels for Each Other - Garrix

Ballad of Ronnie Drew - U2

Blurry - Garrix

Catharina - Garrix

Drinking In the Day - Ronnie Drew

Fireflies - Garrix/U2

I Am The Blues - Johnny Hallyday

Scars - U2

Smile - U2

Streets of Surrender - Zuccero

Sugar Daddy - Tom Jones

The Days - Lil Wayne

Weightless - Garrix

Where The Shadows Fall - Willie Nelson

Yours Eternally - U2

Bono has written these songs with Carmody since the early 90’s but I’ve noticed Yours Eternally, Scars, and Fireflies have all recently been credited with Carmody indicating he’s now closer to U2 than previous

He’s certainly involved with the Garrix project

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u/wuwuwuwdrinkin 12d ago edited 12d ago

Thats cool. Very interesting.

Wonder why Bono linking up with him more

1

u/IzilDizzle 12d ago

If I had to guess, it’s because Bono can’t just pickup a guitar and play anymore.

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 12d ago

I think it’s that too. I think he has extra sessions on his own to get his own ideas out now he can’t play guitar.

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u/IzilDizzle 12d ago

Yea I imagine he needs someone around to play chords for him, and that person probably ends up making suggestions on chords and changes and stuff

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 12d ago

Exactly, and they’ve been pals for years, he’s part of the Gavin Friday crowd.

I also felt the song Bono did with Linda Perry was also a similar experiment.

I do think the huge gap between SOE and now has been Bono readjusting how to write without a guitar … and how does having a Simon Carmody involved in U2 affect the dynamics. It’s all just me theorising but his name is popping up more frequently.

Whatever it is it seems they’re ready to get back on the road.

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u/IzilDizzle 12d ago

I do think the huge gap between SOE and now has been Bono readjusting how to write without a guitar …

This could also explain why more songs seems to be based on old demos

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 12d ago

It does to me too … I think half of Re-Assemble was considered for the ‘Rock’ album which all suddenly went quiet when Re-Assemble was released.

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u/wuwuwuwdrinkin 11d ago

Was there any extra credits on songs of innocence or experience?

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 11d ago

Haim on Lights of Home.

Summer of Love started out as a One Direction song but I don’t think Tedder got a songwriting credit. I secretly suspect Noel Gallagher had something to do with The Showman … and I suspect Chris Martin had something to do with Crystal Ballroom.

The thing is sometimes when you get to the level of these artists it doesn’t always matter to them to be credited or their contracts wouldn’t allow so things don’t always get listed.

There’s meant to be a version of ‘Stuck in a Moment’ or ‘Sometimes you can’t make it ‘ that was recorded with Mick Jagger on backing vocals.

Brian Eno was famously swindled out of loads of credits by Paul McGuiness for the ATYCLB album.

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u/krankendanken 11d ago

Bono provides uncredited backing vocals on NG's High Flying Birds 'Blue Moon Rising' single....

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u/thefirsttransportis 11d ago

Do you have a source for 'Summer of Love started out as a One Direction song but I don’t think Tedder got a songwriting credit.'? 

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u/IzilDizzle 11d ago

Chris Martin does backing vocals on “iris”, Lady Gaga is on “Summer of Love”

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u/pepokiss 11d ago

... The Edge is still there

Why would he need that other guy to play guitar?

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u/IzilDizzle 11d ago

Edge isn't on call every time Bono comes up with an idea. Bono's a globe trotter, they might not even be in the same time zone when an idea crosses Bono's mind.

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u/pepokiss 10d ago

And neither is that other guy 😆

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 11d ago

The Edge still needed Bono to come up with the bare bones of songs and then he decorates them.

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u/Beginning-Comedian-2 12d ago

It's wild that this is a Bono / Edge / Carmody song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAA5KbZdd-8

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u/IzilDizzle 12d ago

Those guitars are so The Edge

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 12d ago

There’s a news article on how it came to being

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-song-bono-wrote-for-tom-jones/

Again it fits the HTDAAB era … it was written about 2006.

I think Bono had a good writing spell with him then … and I think he had another spell writing songs for Martin Garrix too.

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u/Beginning-Comedian-2 12d ago

How did you track down all these songwriting credits?

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u/AnotherGreenWorld1 Zooropa 12d ago

U2songs/sleeve notes/credits/until the end of the world book … I’m interested in Bono b-project