Unsolved Mysteries … Can You Help?
(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) Solved thanks to Chris!
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) Solved thanks to Loris and Marco!
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!
3) hmmm, theres two guys by the name I stumbled across: one is an artist (http://www.artsaccess-sa.org.au/gallery/AFrameExhib/pages/42.htm) and 2 – which I think is more likely given the Larry refernce – is a motorcycle driver (e.g.: http://www.irishsidecar.com/Program_I.S.A.M._25th___26th_August_2007.pdf page 9)
Re # 3) Woo Is Stephen Galligan ?
Stephen Galligan was the Manager of the Summit Bar in Howth according to this message board entry. It also comes with two photos of Larry behind the drum kit.
Check it out here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054937438
Re # 8, Date Mount Temple Opened.
2 telephone calls to the school reveal that even the school don’t have an exact date. However one of the school secretaries told me that after she asked around, the new name came into being at the start of the school term which commenced in September 1972. This can only mean on or around the first week in September 1972 as thats when Irish schools re-open after the summer.
I recall Bono mentioning Edge’s cookery class in an isue of Q Magazine around the time Pop was launched. If that’s any help at all!
Thanks, Ben – you wouldn’t happen to have that article, would you? 🙂 Maybe it’s on @U2. I’ll check.
There’s a reference to Edge’s cookery classes in an article in Spin Magazine March 97 but it looks like the same quote from Howie B. However the article is written by some one different to the name above. The article is on atu2.com
Wasnt the offer for “Streets” made around 2003 or 2004?
I remember hearing about it somewhere, possible on atU2, and telling my husband who screamed that they should NEVER sell that song!! EVER!!
and i agree!!
Matt,
Mike Scott and Irene Keogh – don’t have the day, but they weren’t married until June 1990 according to Strange Boat – Mike Scott & The Waterboys by Ian Abrahams, which you might also want to check out for the October 3 1990 story among other things. Most of the other things you list that are 1992 and earlier are identical to what I have on the chronology I assembled between 1982 and 1992, e.g., March 1983 for the Two Hearts video and no more info than that. Haven’t read your book, but a couple other dates you might want to look to other books for that I suspect you may not have noted are BB King’s Treasures for the birthday gift from Edge (follow-up to the poker story BB told me that I related in One Love), and I think (I don’t have it in hand right now) the advanced reader’s copy of Bill Carter’s book may have the date of the pre-release party Bono threw for him (I know it at least mentions the party).
Chris – thx for the help. Looks like my local library system doesn’t have those books you mentioned, so I’ll have to go an alternate route. Appreciate the Mike Scott info. Can I get your last name so I can give you credit for helping? (Feel free to email rather than post a comment if you prefer some privacy.)
Matt – it’s Kidd (and that’s not my last name 😉 ). I’m going into finals but over Thanksgiving I’ll try and transcribe the 10/3/90 piece for you, which I think you’ll see meshes interestingly with previously described events on that day, namely why Bono would be ready to answer the door. I’ll also try and dig out my ARC of Bill Carter’s book to see if there is a date. If I get a chance I can check my old date list over to see if there’s anything that might be of interest that you might not find through the regular sources, e.g., that they called WBCN on 9/22/87 to request a copy of Woody Guthrie’s Jesus Christ. Was thinking maybe Peter Rowan remembers the Two Hearts video and you could contact him on it? Anyway, don’t worry about credit – Pimm didn’t credit me either so I’m used to it And check out the cover of Eno’s new album – it might seem a tad familiar…
Kidd … long time. Wow. 🙂 Thx for the assistance here, much appreciated. Still want to give credit.