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Valleywag
A previously unreleased song from U2's upcoming rerelease of Joshua Tree is already available on the Internet. But we're not just talking about unlicensed BitTorrents here. "Wave of Sorrow" and the video embedded above explaining the song, is available on iLike, and not, as far as we can tell, on the band's MySpace or official site. So why did U2 favor iLike, the music widget best known as a Facebook success story?
As CNET points out, it's all about the business ties. U2 lead singer Bono is the most stylish managing director at Elevation Parters, the Sand Hill private equity firm. Elevation cofounder Marc Bodnick is on the board of directors of iLike. Hence, the arrangement. Bonus for close students of the Valley's real social networks: Marc Bodnick's wife is Michelle Sandberg, the sister of Google executive Sheryl Sandberg, who's married to former Yahoo Music chief Dave Goldberg, who's an iLike advisor. Got that?
Comments
Well thank the good Lord they didn't include that on the original album. I wouldn't have even included it the extended version/mix I cobbled together a few years ago (based on various interviews they gave at the time of original release). It's made worse by Bono-2007 singing over/with it. His doctors are right: he destroyed his voice in the '90s.
Goddamit Bono, if Bono who wrote the Joshua Tree could see the sunglasses that Bono today is wearing, Joshua Tree Bono would kick today's Bono's ass.
I rescind some of what I said about his voice, as it wasn't exactly a fair comparison. I still maintain that it has declined precipitously, but the vocal track at least on the song being played in the background was recorded only recently. Reference, which sadly also talks about them recording songs for a Broadway musical. Disney soundtracks are next, a la Elton John and Phil Collins. They've truly jumped the shark.
Megan missed just one connection here: Brooke Hammerling, the publicity-shy publicist who reps both iLike and Elevation Partners. Add in her long personal association with the music scene -- let's just say she's a Georgia Bulldogs fan -- and it's not surprising she had a hand in this.
Goddamn it Bono, if the Bono who wrote the Joshua Tree could see the glasses that the Bono of today is wearing, Joshua Tree Bono would kick Today Bono's ass.
Just for the record, this video was available inside U2.com (for paying members) about 1-2 days before it hit iLike.
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