Sweetest Thing

"Sweetest Thing"
Single by U2
from the album The Best of 1980–1990
Released 20 October 1998
Format CD, cassette
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:03 (The Single Mix)
3:06 (Original Version)
Label Island
Producer Steve Lillywhite, Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno
U2 singles chronology
"Mofo"
(1997)		 "Sweetest Thing"
(1998)		 "Beautiful Day"
(2000)
Music video
"Sweetest Thing" on YouTube

"Sweetest Thing" is a song by U2. It was originally released in 1987 as a B-side on the "Where the Streets Have No Name" single.

The song was later re-recorded and re-released, as a single for the U2 compilation album, The Best of 1980-1990, in 1998.

Contents

History

The song was reportedly written by Bono as an apology to his wife Ali Hewson[1] for having to work in the studio on her birthday during The Joshua Tree sessions.[2] At Alison's request, profits from the single went to her favoured charity, Chernobyl Children's Project International.[2]

A version by New York gospel choir, The New Voices of Freedom, appears on the soundtrack to the 1988 Bill Murray film Scrooged. It was recorded following U2's performance of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" with the choir at Madison Square Garden, which appears on the band's 1988 album Rattle and Hum.[3]

To promote the release of the single in 1998, Island Records distributed "Sweetest Thing" chocolate bars, wrapped to look like the single, throughout Europe. They have become a very valuable collectors item among U2 fans during the 2000s.[4] The song reached #1 in both Canada and Ireland, #3 in the UK,[5] #6 in Australia, #63 on the Billboard Hot 100, #9 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and #31 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States.

The band played the song about 30 times during the Elevation Tour in 2001, where Bono played The Edge's piano parts. The song is featured in the short film, Sightings of Bono and the film, Mr. Deeds.

Music video

The video, directed by Kevin Godley, features Bono taking his wife Ali on a carriage ride along Fitzwilliam Place, and on to Lower and Upper Fitzwilliam Street in Dublin,[6] enlisting various performers along the way in an effort to apologize to her. The performers featured include Riverdance, Boyzone, Steve Collins, the Artane Boys Band, and the Chippendales. The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., Norman Hewson (Bono's brother), Dik Evans (The Edge's brother), and Ali herself appear in the video as well.[7]

Track listings

Cassette release
No. Title Length
1. "Sweetest Thing" (Single Mix) 3:00
2. "Twilight" (Live from Red Rocks, June 5, 1983) 4:29
CD version 1
No. Title Length
1. "Sweetest Thing" (Single Mix) 3:00
2. "Twilight" (Live from Red Rocks, 5 June 1983) 4:29
3. "An Cat Dubh" / "Into the Heart" (Live from Red Rocks, 5 June 1983) 7:14

The back cover listed the third track simply as a live version of "An Cat Dubh".

CD version 2
No. Title Length
1. "Sweetest Thing" (Single Mix) 3:00
2. "Stories for Boys" (Live from Boston, 6 March 1981) 3:02
3. "Out of Control" (Live from Boston, March 6, 1981) 4:25
Japan 3" CD
No. Title Length
1. "Sweetest Thing" (Single Mix) 3:00
2. "With or Without You"   4:56

Charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Chart[8] 6
Austrian Singles Chart[8] 7
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[8] 23
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[8] 33
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[9] 1
Dutch MegaCharts[8] 7
French Singles Chart[8] 18
Irish Singles Chart[10] 1
Italian Singles Chart[11] 2
New Zealand Singles Chart[8] 3
Norwegian Singles Chart[8] 4
Swedish Singles Chart[8] 6
Swiss Singles Chart[8] 28
UK Singles Chart[5] 3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] 63
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks[12] 9
U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 Tracks[12] 12

References

  1. ^ U2.com Backgrounder, "The Sweetest Thing" http://www.u2.com/discography/index/album/albumId/4051/tagName/singles
  2. ^ a b "Who's that woman at the beginning of the "Sweetest Thing" music video?". Videography FAQ. U2faqs.com. http://u2faqs.com/videography/#11. Retrieved 2007-03-23. 
  3. ^ McGee, Matt (2008). U2:A Diary. Omnibus Press. pp. 111. ISBN 978-1-84772-108-2. 
  4. ^ "Sweetest Thing Chocolate Bar". U2 Collectibles and Memorabilia - Silver & Gold. U2Wanderer.org. http://www.u2wanderer.org/silver/sil003.html. Retrieved 2007-03-23. 
  5. ^ a b "EveryHit.com search results: U2". Everyhit.com. http://www.everyhit.com. Retrieved 2009-11-22.  Note: U2 must be searched manually.
  6. ^ Fitzwilliam Place http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=fitzwilliam+place,+dublin&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=18.808364,44.780273&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fitzwilliam+Pl,+Dublin+2,+Ireland&t=h&z=16
  7. ^ "Who are all those extras in the "Sweetest Thing" music video?". Videography FAQ. U2faqs.com. http://u2faqs.com/videography/#12. Retrieved 2007-03-23. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "ultratop.be - U2 - Sweetest Thing". http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=U2&titel=Sweetest+Thing&cat=s. Retrieved 2010-09-01. 
  9. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 68, No. 7, November 09 1998". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.7041&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=ccntousk30frf6h4jsn237nm12. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
  10. ^ "Irish Singles Chart". The Irish Charts. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2009-11-23.  Note: U2 must be searched manually.
  11. ^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Hit_Parade_Italia; see Help:Cite errors/Cite error references no text
  12. ^ a b c "Sweetest Thing - U2 - Billboard.com". http://www.billboard.com/artist/u2/5928#/song/u2/sweetest-thing/1505483. 
U2 singles discography
1980s
1990s

1991: "The Fly" • "Mysterious Ways" • 1992: "One" • "Even Better Than the Real Thing" • "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" • 1993: "Numb" • "Lemon" • "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" • 1995: "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" • "Miss Sarajevo" (as Passengers) • 1997: "Discothèque" • "Staring at the Sun" • "Last Night on Earth" • "Please" • "If God Will Send His Angels" • "Mofo" • 1998: "Sweetest Thing"
2000s