Sad To See You Go

U2's current UK/European record label, Mercury Records, has announced that it will no longer produce physical singles and will instead focus on digital downloads. It seems this has been coming for awhile given that sales of physical singles have been sinking and simply aren't profitable any longer, at least on a mass scale. As someone who has been collecting U2 singles for nearly 25 years, I will certainly miss the next round with the new album. This is either going to save me some cash or cost me dearly trying to track down promos. I suppose we shall have to wait and see if Universal imprints in other regions will produce any singles in the future. Interscope did manage to release two singles in the US last time around.

U2 Contribute To Japanese Relief Album

Universal Music is putting together a charity album to raise money for the Red Cross in Japan. The album will reportedly be digital only and will feature a track by U2, though there is currently no word on whether this will be a previously unreleased track. More details when we get them.

U2:Duals Shipping Soon

A subscriber email distributed by U2.com this morning indicates that the oft-maligned U2:Duals will begin shipping this week. Shipping times for the annual subscribers’ gift are reportedly up to two weeks for North America and Europe and three weeks for the rest of the world. Subscribers are also advised to make sure that their address information is up to date. I also see that the annual eBay gouging for the CD has begun. As unpopular as the tracklisting for this release has been, I anticipate demand to be relatively low, so don’t go paying a ridiculous price for one. These CDs can typically be had for under $20 once they start arriving in scalpers' subscribers' mailboxes.

Pride on Rock Hall Live Album

A live version of Pride appears on the iTunes exclusive album, The Best of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live, which is released on 03/15. This appears to be the performance from U2's induction in 2005. This version has previously been available on DVD, but this is the first time the audio has been commercially available.

Bono in Swizz Beatz Brooklyn Studio

Rapper/producer Swizz Beatz is tweeting again about hangin' with Bono, this time supposedly in his Brooklyn studio where he is working on his new album titled Haute Living. Bono and The Edge are reportedly back in New York putting the finishing(?) touches on the Spider-Man musical. Bono is rumored to be making a guest appearance on the album on a track also featuring John Legend, a snippet of which can be heard here. You may recall that Swizz produced the Bono/Jay-Z/Rihanna collaboration "Stranded," which was a charity track for Haiti.

Killing Bono Soundtrack

There seems to be some confusion in the mainstream press regarding the Killing Bono Soundtrack. A number of outlets are reporting that "Street Mission" is a previously unreleased U2 track, but the Sony Music press release is pretty clear that this is a cover version performed by the film cast. The only U2 track included on the soundtrack is "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and there's no indication that this is anything other than the album version. Incidentally, ISHFWILF may fit the theme of the film, but it's totally from the wrong time period, even if Hot Press claims it's from 1982. :)

U2 Duals Tracklisting

We are actively discussing the recently announced tracklisting for U2 Duals in our forums. The details are posted there and on U2.com, so I will spare you the details. I do have to say that the general consensus in our forums (and in others I have visited) is that there is too much recycled material on this release for die-hard fans and collectors, particularly the inclusion of album tracks. It will be interesting to see how they spun a one-minute snippet of Amazing Grace into a stand-alone track.