U2 previews unreleased track on Facebook, snubs MySpace?

By Brendon Chase on 15 November 2007

Bono has given the creators of Facebook app iLike a sneak preview of U2's upcoming re-release of the Joshua Tree, which will feature previously unreleased tracks.

Wearing his trademark sunglasses Bono, the lead singer of U2, has given fans a rendition of a previously unreleased song via Facebook's iLike application. With U2 set to release a special re-mastered edition of the Joshua Tree next week, he talked through the song "Wave of Sorrow" -- a track which was first demoed during recording sessions for the Joshua Tree album in 1987 but which never made the cut.

The message and announcement of the new unreleased tracks has caused a flutter on Facebook with over 6,000 messages left for Bono's band and over 1.2 million users signed up to the U2 page to receive updates.

At the time of writing the video has yet to appear on the popular social music Web site, MySpace, nor on the band's official Web site. Bono's choice of using iLike over other platforms for giving the exclusive could have been motivated by his business contacts. Marc Bodnick sits on the board of both iLike and a venture capital firm, Elevation -- the same VC firm that Bono is involved in.

The video and future updates from Bono can be found via iLike on Facebook (http://apps.facebook.com/ilike/artist/U2).

Topics: u2, facebook, tree, track, myspace, firm

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Comments (3)

  • lolemo commented on 21/11/2007 18:57 Report abuse

    Personally, I think this is unfair. How are U2 fans, who don't want to support Facebook, supposed to get their hands on this material? I think that everybody who support U2 should have an equal chance of finding the song and video, without having a Facebook profile. I quess I shouldn't write anything since I've got iTunes and they are selling the whole Joshua Tree re-release there. Thank god for iTunes!

  • alipartovi commented on 16/11/2007 18:47 Report abuse

    hey this is Ali from iLike. Just wanted to note that U2 already had about 1.1 million fans on iLike *before* posting the video. Most well-known artists now have more fans on iLike than on Myspace, in part because iLike is "syndicated" across multiple channels including Facebook.

  • Mike Berkley commented on 16/11/2007 15:07 Report abuse

    Congrats to iLike and Bono! This is not the first big-name artist to market himself on Facebook. Sony BMG labels (Zomba Records, Columbia Records, and RCA), Universal Music Group labels (Island Def Jam and Geffen Records), and EMI (Capitol Records) have ALL launched artist-specific Facebook applications that include regularly updated video channels, fan channels (for fan-submitted pictures and videos), live chat, and many other social features. A great example of how artists are connection to their fans on Facebook, mega-pop-star Chris Brown regularly posts personal video messages in his application specifically for his Facebook fans. See http://apps.facebook.com/chri sbrown. Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Coheed and Cambria, The Beastie Boys, and Lifehouse all have Facebook apps. See http://splashcastmedia.com for complete list. Also, let's not forget that The White Stripes' application was part of Facebook's initial Platform launch, back in May. Facebook + OpenSocial is the new Comcast. It will be where kids consume their entertainment.

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