Unsolved Mysteries … Can You Help?

September 30th, 2007

(I’m starting a new category called “Unsolved Mysteries” so I don’t have to keep repeating the same unanswered questions over and over each time I post a new list of questions.)

This is the current list of “unsolved mysteries,” or questions that I’m unable to answer, even with the sensational help of my wonderful blog readers. Each of these questions has been mentioned already in the Calls for Help category. So, at the end of each one, I’ll include a link to the original post where we probably already discussed the question/mystery to some degree in the comments.

I’ll update this post as mysteries are solved and/or added.

1. Sometime after The Joshua Tree came out, Sony put the advertisement at right in some Irish/UK music papers. Sony never asked permission and U2 forced them to pull the ad quickly. I’d like to get at least the month in which this started appearing. (original discussion)

2. There are many articles online that reference the fact that U2 “swept the competition”, winning five awards in the 1979 Hot Press Reader’s Poll — which would’ve been published in January, 1980. But I can find no record of what those 5 awards are. I have an e-mail in to my contact at Hot Press, but some backup help would be appreciated! (original discussion)

3. According to this article, Larry played drums on June 1, 2006, at a going away party for a guy named Stephen Galligan. No disrespect intended, but who is Stephen Galligan? (original discussion) Solved by Donal! Thank you!

4. Still don’t have a date for the famous “$23 million offer for ‘Streets’” story that I mentioned in this post. Probably never will get that answer. (original discussion)

5. Still don’t have the date that Waterboys singer Mike Scott married Irene Keogh. Edge and Adam attended. (original discussion)

6. Did Bono and Garry Kasparov ever have the chess match they were supposed to have in 1993? (original discussion)

7. Still don’t have when and where Dick Evans was born.

8. Still don’t have the exact date Mt. Temple opened in 1972.

9. Still on the hunt for the exact date of the “Two Hearts Beat As One” video shoot. March 1983, which every source claims, seems kinda impossible considering the band’s tour schedule that month. (original discussion)

10. In this 1986 article on @U2, Edge talks about going to Paris to see some of the Heroine film. (see the COLLABORATING sub-heading) He also says “Bono and Adam were on their way back from picking up some awards in Italy.” Earlier in the article, he mentions “it wasn’t until September last year” that he was able to start work on this soundtrack. So I’m guessing this meeting in Paris and the awards in Italy were around September, 1985. Except I have no information at all on any Italian awards U2 won at that time. Help??? (original discussion)

11. Exact date that Bono and Edge (with Harry Crosbie) purchased the Clarence Hotel? I’ve narrowed it down to November, 1992, but would love an exact date. (original discussion)

12. Which year did Bono go to Cork with Ali and her family, bet on a horse race, and win big to help a friend pay for his wedding? The story is told in Michka Assayas’ book, but no date is given. (original discussion)

13. Pg. 31-32 of U2 At the End of the World (UK hardback edition) talks about Paul McGuinness going to Eastern Europe to buy the Trabants for Zoo TV. This had to be sometime in 1991, but I’d like to at least narrow it down to a specific month if possible.

14. Pg. 35 of U2 At the End of the World (UK hardback edition) talks about a dinner meeting they had with Alain Levy, the top dog at Polygram. Would be nice to have a date on this.

15. U2 by Mark Taylor says Bono wrote two songs in October, 1985, when he was doing the Sun City stuff — “Silver and Gold” and a tune called “This I’ve Got To Stop.” I’ve found no other info. on the second song.

16. On pg. 105 of The U2 Reader by Hank Bordowitz, Howie B makes a comment about Edge attending cooking classes “every Monday at 4 o’clock.” This would’ve been in August, 1996, during the Pop recording sessions. I’d love to know if Edge really took cooking classes, or was Howie B just making a flip comment?

Replies are welcome in the comments!

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