Writers: U2
Producers: Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno
Recorded: Late 1986 at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland
Released: March 1987
| Players: | Bono — vocals The Edge — guitar, vocals Adam Clayton — bass Larry Mullen Jr. — drums Brian Eno — keyboards |
| Album: | The Joshua Tree (Island, 1987) |
The first single from The Joshua Tree, “With Or Without You” caught U2 fans off guard with its restraint and ambient, bass-dominated arrangement.
U2 watchers also applauded it as lead singer Bono's first “adult” love song.
Part of this new direction was attributed to some of the singer's experiences between The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree sessions. He had met and become friendly with Bob Dylan and had also participated in the all-star “Sun City” anti-apartheid project, for which he wrote the song “Silver And Gold.” During this time, he also guested on the Irish group Clannad's song “In A Lifetime.”
A guitar called “The Infinite” created part of the song’s ambiance. It was created by Michael Brook and introduced to The Edge when the two worked on the film soundtrack for The Captive (which also featured Sinead O'Connor).
“With Or Without You” was U2's first Number One hit in the U.S.
The British CD single for “With Or Without You” featured two non-album tracks, “Luminous Times (Hold On To Love)” and “Walk To The Water.”
The song won the viewer's choice prize at the MTV Video Music Awards.
The Joshua Tree hit Number One on the Billboard 200 and debuted at Number One on the U.K. chart. It has since sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S.
As the album was released, U2 made the cover of Time magazine, dubbed “Rock's Hottest Ticket.”
The album was dedicated to U2's personal assistant, Greg Carroll, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in July 1986 in Dublin.
The Joshua Tree won honors for album of the year and best rock performance by a duo or group at the 1988 Grammy Awards.