Boy (album)

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Boy (album)

Boy is the debut album from Irish

Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
rock

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
band U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
, released October 20, 1980. Produced by Steve Lillywhite

Steve Lillywhite

Steve Lillywhite is a Grammy Award-winning England Record producer...
, the album received generally positive reviews. Common themes among the album's songs are the dreams and frustrations of adolescence. The album included the band's first United Kingdom hit single, "I Will Follow

I Will Follow

"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, Boy . It was written by Bono after the tragic death of his mother, who died of a brain hemorrhage at the funeral of her father....
". Boys release was followed by U2's first tour of continental Europe and the United States. Despite being unpolished, these early live performances demonstrated U2's potential.

album was preceded by the single "I Will Follow
I Will Follow

"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, Boy . It was written by Bono after the tragic death of his mother, who died of a brain hemorrhage at the funeral of her father....
".

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Boy is the debut album from Irish
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
rock
Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a form of music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Its roots lay mainly in rhythm and blues, Country music, folk music, gospel music, and jazz....
band U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
, released October 20, 1980. Produced by Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite

Steve Lillywhite is a Grammy Award-winning England Record producer...
, the album received generally positive reviews. Common themes among the album's songs are the dreams and frustrations of adolescence. The album included the band's first United Kingdom hit single, "I Will Follow
I Will Follow

"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, Boy . It was written by Bono after the tragic death of his mother, who died of a brain hemorrhage at the funeral of her father....
". Boys release was followed by U2's first tour of continental Europe and the United States. Despite being unpolished, these early live performances demonstrated U2's potential.

History
The album was preceded by the single "I Will Follow
I Will Follow

"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, Boy . It was written by Bono after the tragic death of his mother, who died of a brain hemorrhage at the funeral of her father....
". The single was a hit on college radio
Campus radio

Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the station is based....
and established a buzz surrounding the group's debut. The song was widely perceived as a religious song affirming the band's Christian
Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament....
faith, though this was not confirmed until 2007 in an NME interview. The song, along with the album, also focuses on Bono's childhood and the loss of his mother at the age of 14.

Originally, Joy Division
Joy Division

Joy Division were an English Rock music band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris ....
producer Martin Hannett
Martin Hannett

Martin Hannett , sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer who helped develop Joy Division and was an original partner in Factory Records with Tony Wilson....
(who also produced U2's "11 O'Clock Tick Tock
11 O'Clock Tick Tock

"11 O'Clock Tick Tock" was U2's third single, released . It followed debut Extended play/single "Three " and "Another Day ," and was released prior to their debut album, Boy ....
" single) was supposed to produce U2's debut album, but was too distraught after the suicide of Ian Curtis
Ian Curtis

Ian Kevin Curtis was the vocalist and lyricist, as well as occasional guitarist and keyboardist, of the band Joy Division, which he joined in 1976 after meeting with Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook at a Sex Pistols gig....
. Boy was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios
Windmill Lane Studios

Windmill Lane Studios is a music recording studio located in Dublin, Ireland . It was opened in 1978 by Brian Masterson who is a company director and head engineer....
in Dublin
Dublin

Dublin is both the largest city and capital of Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region....
with Steve Lillywhite
Steve Lillywhite

Steve Lillywhite is a Grammy Award-winning England Record producer...
producing
Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
. Some of the songs, including "An Cat Dubh" and "The Ocean
The Ocean (U2 song)

"The Ocean" is the seventh track of U2's debut album, Boy . The song is U2's shortest, at just over a minute and a half in length. Adam Clayton's bassline is one of the most notable elements of the song....
", were written and recorded in the studio. Many of the songs were taken from the band's 40-song repertoire at the time, including "Stories for Boys", "Out of Control", and "Twilight
Twilight (U2 song)

"Twilight" is the second track from U2's debut album, Boy .The track originally appeared on the "Another Day " single, but was polished up for the album....
". The Edge
The Edge

David Howell Evans , more widely known by his nickname and stage name The Edge , is a British people Irish people musician known best as the guitarist, keyboardist, and main backing vocalist for the Ireland rock band U2....
recorded all the songs using his natural stained Gibson Explorer
Gibson Explorer

The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar. The Explorer made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its sibling, the Gibson Flying V....
.

The album has overtones of sexuality, leading to its enthusiastic acceptance in American gay clubs shortly after its release. Bono commented on this phenomenon, saying "First of all we started out and made Boy, which is a sexual LP, and we changed the cover in America to stop any concern there might be about paedophilia and the like, because it was our first album. But import copies got in and, as you know, in America a lot of music is broken in gay clubs and so we had a gay audience, a lot of people who were convinced the music was specifically for them. So there was a misconception if you like."

The final track on the album, "Shadows and Tall Trees
Shadows and Tall Trees

"Shadows and Tall Trees" is the eleventh and final track from U2's debut album, Boy . On the track, The Edge plays an acoustic guitar, instead of an eletric guitar ....
", gives a nod to William Golding
William Golding

Sir William Gerald Golding was a United Kingdom novelist, poet and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate best known for his novel Lord of the Flies....
’s novel Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies is an Allegory novel by Nobel Prize for Literature-winning author William Golding. It discusses how culture created by man fails, using as an example a group of United Kingdom school-boys stuck on a desert island who try to govern themselves with disastrous results....
; it shares its name with a chapter from the book.

Boys highest position on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
was #63, but after the success of U2's later material, it re-entered the American charts for a lengthier spell. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
it reached #52. "I Will Follow
I Will Follow

"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, Boy . It was written by Bono after the tragic death of his mother, who died of a brain hemorrhage at the funeral of her father....
" peaked at #20 on the Mainstream Rock charts
Mainstream Rock Tracks

Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock stations, which are counted in the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart....
.

Despite criticisms of their live shows as predictable and Bono using "too much echo" , these early live shows nevertheless helped demonstrate U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
's potential, as critics noted that Bono
Bono

Paul David Hewson , also known by his stage name Bono, is the main vocalist of the Ireland rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Ali Hewson, and the future members of U2....
was a very "charismatic" and "passionate" showman, reminiscent of a young Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart

Roderick David "Rod" Stewart Order of the British Empire is a British singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England and currently residing in Epping....
. Boy is the only U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
album from which every song (as well as every B-side) has been performed live at least once.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 417 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J....
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003.Related news articles:* The list was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics and industry figures, each of whom submitted a weighted list of 50 albums....
.

Album cover
The boy on the cover is Peter Rowan (brother of Bono
Bono

Paul David Hewson , also known by his stage name Bono, is the main vocalist of the Ireland rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Ali Hewson, and the future members of U2....
's friend, Guggi
Guggi

Guggi is an avante-garde Irish artist, once a member of the goth subculture/post-punk band The Virgin Prunes alongside his close friend Gavin Friday....
, and now a well-renowned Irish photographer). He also appears on the covers of Three
Three (EP)

Three, also known as U2 3, is the first release by Irish rock band U2, a three-song Extended play recorded and released in 1979. It was produced by the band with Chas de Whalley and only available in Ireland at the time of its release....
, War
War (album)

War is the third studio album by Republic of Ireland rock and roll band U2, released on . The album has come to be regarded as U2's first overtly political album, in part because of songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday ", "New Year's Day ", as well as the title, which stems from the band's perception of the world at the time; Bono stated that...
, The Best of 1980–1990, and Early Demos
The Complete U2

Released by Apple Computer on the iTunes Store, The Complete U2 is a digital set by U2 released on November 23, 2004. It is the first major release of a purely-digital online set by any artist....
. The photographer, Hugo McGuiness, and the sleeve designer, Steve Averill (a friend of bassist Adam Clayton
Adam Clayton

Adam Charles Clayton , is the Bass guitar of the rock music band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965....
), went on to work on several more U2
U2

U2 are a rock music band from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr. .The band formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency....
album covers.

The image was changed to a distorted picture of the band for the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
and Canadian release, due to the record company's fears that the band would be accused of pedophilia
Pedophilia

The term pedophilia or paedophilia has a range of definitions as found in psychology, law enforcement, and the popular vernacular.As a medical diagnosis, it is defined as a psychological disorder in which an adult experiences a sexual preference for prepubescent children....
. Sandy Porter is credited as the photographer for the American cover. However, the photo of Rowan appeared on the inner sleeve of the album in the US and Canada.

In 2008, the artwork of the remastered editions was standardised worldwide to that of the 1980 UK release.

Track listing

"A Day Without Me
A Day Without Me

"A Day Without Me" is the lead single from U2's debut album, Boy and was released in August 1980. It was the second single the band recorded after signing the contract with Island Records....
" and "I Will Follow
I Will Follow

"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, Boy . It was written by Bono after the tragic death of his mother, who died of a brain hemorrhage at the funeral of her father....
" were released as singles
Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
. The album was preceded by Three
Three (EP)

Three, also known as U2 3, is the first release by Irish rock band U2, a three-song Extended play recorded and released in 1979. It was produced by the band with Chas de Whalley and only available in Ireland at the time of its release....
, a three-song EP
Extended play

An extended play is a vinyl record, Compact disc, or music download which contains more music than a Single , but is too short to qualify as an LP album....
with different recordings of "Out of Control" and "Stories for Boys" as well as a song called "Boy/Girl".

Early vinyl and some cassette copies of the album have a short, thirty-second instrumental sample of the demo "Saturday Night", the song that would become "Fire
Fire (U2 song)

"Fire" was the first single from U2's 1981 album, October ....
" (on 1981's October album) at the very end of the album, after "Shadows and Tall Trees." This was dropped from most vinyl copies and all early CD versions. It was re-instated on the 2008 remastered editions of Boy and appeared in full for the first time as "Saturday Night" on the Deluxe Edition B-sides CD included with the 2008 remastered version of Boy. Until the remastered release of Boy, this thirty-second sample was thought to be "Fire."

Some pressings of the album, mostly in North America, indexed the the track length of "An Cat Dubh" and "Into the Heart" at "6:21" and "1:53", respectively. The 2008 remastered edition of the album reinstated the original European lengths of 4:47 and 3:28. Early compact disc releases (identified by being West German-pressed and in a digipak
Digipak

Digipak is a patented style of compact disc or DVD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI Media, a MeadWestvaco resource, which acquired the original trademark holder, IMPAC Group, Inc., in 2000....
) combined the two songs into a single track at 8:14.

2008 remastered edition
The remastered Boy, along with the albums October, and War
War (album)

War is the third studio album by Republic of Ireland rock and roll band U2, released on . The album has come to be regarded as U2's first overtly political album, in part because of songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday ", "New Year's Day ", as well as the title, which stems from the band's perception of the world at the time; Bono stated that...
were released on in the UK, with the U.S. version following it the next day. As with The Joshua Tree, the cover artwork has been standardised to the original UK release. It was released in three different formats:

1. Standard format: A single CD with re-mastered audio and restored packaging. Includes a 16 page booklet featuring previously unseen photos, full lyrics and new liner notes by Paul Morley
Paul Morley

Paul Morley is an England journalist, who wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, during one of its most successful and relatively notorious periods, and has since written for a wide range of publications....
. The 11-tracks match the previous release of the album.

2. Deluxe format: A standard CD (as above) and a bonus CD including b-sides, live tracks and rarities. Also includes a 32 page booklet with previously unseen photos, full lyrics, new liner notes by Paul Morley, and explanatory notes on the bonus material by The Edge.

3. Vinyl format: A single album re-mastered version on 180gram vinyl with restored packaging.

Bonus CD (2008 Remix Deluxe Edition)

Personnel

Bono
Bono

Paul David Hewson , also known by his stage name Bono, is the main vocalist of the Ireland rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Ali Hewson, and the future members of U2....
– lead vocals, piano
Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
on "Into the Heart"
The Edge
The Edge

David Howell Evans , more widely known by his nickname and stage name The Edge , is a British people Irish people musician known best as the guitarist, keyboardist, and main backing vocalist for the Ireland rock band U2....
– guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
, backing vocals
Adam Clayton
Adam Clayton

Adam Charles Clayton , is the Bass guitar of the rock music band U2. Clayton has resided in County Dublin since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old in 1965....
– bass
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
Larry Mullen Jr.
Larry Mullen Jr.

Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Mullen, Jr. is the drummer for the Irish rock music band U2. He is the founder of U2, which was originally known as "The Larry Mullen Band" at its inception....
– drums
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....

Chart positions and sales

Album

Country Peak position Certification Sales
Canada Platinum 100,000+
United Kingdom 52 Gold 100,000+
United States 63 Platinum 1,000,000+

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1981 "I Will Follow" Billboard Mainstream Rock 20
1984 "I Will Follow" The Billboard Hot 100 81

See also

U2 discography
U2 discography

The discography of the Irish rock music band U2 consists of twelve studio albums, seven live albums, five compilation albums, fifty-eight Single s, and seven extended plays ....