Ongoing History of New Music

Ongoing History Daily: U2’s Unforgettable Fire artwork

Have you ever looked at the cover of U2’s Unforgettable Fire album and wondered what that was? It’s actually a slightly doctored photo of a real Irish castle called Moydrum.

Moydrum was built in the town of Athlone in Ireland back in 1814 but was burned out in 1921 by the IRA during a confrontation with the British army. It’s now used to store hay for a nearby farm. The photo on the cover of The Unforgettable Fire was taken by Anton Corbijn, one of rock and roll’s most famous photographers.

But here’s something more: the design of the album artwork was overseen by a guy named Steve Averill. In 1978, he was working for an ad agency in Dublin when a kid named Adam Clayton phoned him up for advice on a new name for his band which, at the time, was called The Hype. After talking for a while, Steve suggested that the Hype change their name to U2.

My last post was about the first internet concert in Canada.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39154 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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