A Celebration
| "A Celebration" | ||||||
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| Single by U2 | ||||||
| B-side | "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl" | |||||
| Released | March 22, 1982 | |||||
| Format | 7" vinyl | |||||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||||
| Genre | Rock, post-punk | |||||
| Length | 2:57 | |||||
| Label |
CBS (Ireland)- CBS 2214 Island (UK) - WIP6770 Polystar (Japan) - 7S-69 |
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| Writer(s) | U2 | |||||
| Producer(s) | Steve Lillywhite | |||||
| U2 singles chronology | ||||||
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"A Celebration" is a song by rock band U2. It was released as a non-album single in March 1982, between the records October (1981) and War (1983). U2 have re-released the track on two occasions; on the 2004 digital compilation album The Complete U2, and on the bonus disc of the remastered October in 2008.
"Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl," commonly shortened to "Party Girl," was released as the B-side.
"A Celebration" runs for 2:57. According to Universal Music Publishing Group's sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, it is played in common time at a tempo of 157 beats per minute in the key of D major. The vocals extend from a low note of A4 to a high of B5.
In a 1983 interview, Bono indicated that the song was the source of controversy due to misinterpretation of the verse "I believe in a third World War / I believe in the atomic bomb / I believe in the powers that be / But they won’t overpower me" by fans who questioned his motives. The singer explained that "all I was saying was that the realities of the bomb must be faced."
"A Celebration" made its live debut in late February 1982 and sporadically appeared at concerts throughout that year until it became a regular of the Pre-War Tour during the month of December. It then appeared at some early dates of the War Tour in February and March 1983. Its last live appearance was on November 30, 1983 in Tokyo.
The track was absent from any of the group's compilations until The Complete U2 in 2004. Nevertheless, the band did film and release a video for the song, most of which was shot in and around a prison in Dublin. This video has not been included in any video compilation released by the band. The video was directed by Meiert Avis. "A Celebration" was available as part of The Complete U2, and the remastered release of October in 2008. Its appearance on the latter was its first appearance on a U2 Compact Disc.
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Wikipedia