Lanois’s Lesson in Producing a Song
“The most potent way to tell a story is to have lived it. And if you’ve lived it, then you are speaking the truth. And when you speak the truth, a listener will feel that it is the truth. And therefore your story will be more contagious. And that’s what listeners look for in songs. They want to feel that the writer, the singer has lived it. And then they can experience the same feeling while entering the songs.”
Back in 2007, Brad Frenette from Canada’s National Post was invited into Lanois’ Toronto studio for a lesson in producing a song. It’s an interesting peek into the way U2′s producer works.
Lanois: Bono wanted ‘spiritual songs for the future’
Alan Cross on ExploreMusic.com’s blog has started posting the transcript of his interview with Daniel Lanois.
“We started in Fez Morocco because we wanted a musical and exotic location. One of my first conversations with Bono was one about future hymns—spiritual songs for the future—and he was at the opinion that Morocco would be a great crossroads for a universal feeling for the album.”
You can also listen to two brief soundbytes from the interview on AtU2.com in which Lanois reveals he’s seen the band’s preliminary set-drawings, including a 360-degree stage, with all the ‘artillery’ out of the sight line.
Get On Your Boots (3:24) – the credits
These are the credits to Get On Your Boots as printed on the 1-track european CD single:
Music by U2
Lyrics by Bono
Produced by Brian Eno and Danny Lanois
Additional production by Declan Gaffney
Engineered by Richard Rainey
Additional engineering by Declan Gaffney and Carl Glanville
Mixed by Declan Gaffney
Keyboards by Terry Lawless
Additional percussion by Sam O’Sullivan
Published by Universal Music Publishing BV
Thanks to Oli at www.u2swisshome.com for the information.
Daniel Lanois on The View
Daniel Lanois will appear on a special of The View, this Tuesday May 27th, midnight on RTÉ One television (Ireland).
Lanois is currently working on U2′s new album in Dublin and the South of France,and will talk to presenter John Kelly about the influences that have shaped his influential musical career.
More on the RTE website. And you can view an earlier performance by Lanois on RTE’s Other Voices on the show’s website.
U2 in new Lanois documentary
Not to be outdone by Jacknife Lee, U2′s other collaborator Daniel Lanois has a documentary cooking.
This new film, ‘Here Is What Is’ contains footage of Lanois working with Eno and U2 in Morocco, as well as material shot with Emmylou Harris, Garth Hudson, Willie Nelson, Sinead O’Connor and Billy Bob Thornton.
‘Here Is What Is’ premieres at the Toronto Film Festival this September. A preview of the film can be seen on Daniel Lanois’ website.
U2 recording in Morocco
Bono applauds U.S. President Bush’s AIDS proposal says USA Today, which is all very nice, but what we really want to know is what the band is up to musically. Well fret no more, because the same interview reveals the boys are in the studio in Fez, Morocco, recording for their new album.
As atu2.com reported last week, Daniel Lanois was recently spotted hanging out with the band in a Dublin studio. We can confirm this and add the news that Lanois is not alone… his old friend ‘Ben O’Rian’ has come along for the ride. Allegedly.
Meanwhile, Fez-based blog ‘The View from Fez’ is trying to catch up with Bono.
Toronto 4: The week ends with disco balls
Gee, we don’t know what more to say about Toronto 4 than what our editor-in-chief had to say. Yes, U2 played “Discotheque.” (Audio/video to come soon now available.) We think we liked Willie’s light show for the song more than we liked the musical performance. (Oops, did we say that aloud?) Pretty, colorful disco balls displayed across the curtain lights as Bono sang a snippet of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax.” Très eighties!
Once again, Daniel Lanois performed “One” with U2 for their final Vertigo show in Toronto. We suspect that the band might like him or something.
Later in the show, Bono proved our suspicions about Lanois correct by giving special thanks to the Canadian producer for his musical guidance through the years.
Hmm, what else is there to say about Toronto 4? U2 brought an American on stage: Mr. Eddie Vedder from a lil band called Pearl Jam to sing “Old Man River.” (See video link below.)
It would have been more entertaining to hear Vedder add his vocals to a U2 song, but we won’t complain.
- Eddie Vedder – Old Man River
- Discotheque – part 1
- Discotheque – part 2
Postage stamp sized video, audio ok
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