BOY

North America Cover

ROW Cover

Cassette
Commercial Release October 20, 1980
Record Label Island Records
Top Chart Position US: 94, Canada --, UK: 52
Singles Released I Will Follow
A Day Without Me
TRACKLISTING

  • I Will Follow (3:36)

  • Twilight (4:22)

  • An Cat Dubh (4:47)

  • Into the Heart (3:28)

  • Out of Control (4:13)

  • Stories for Boys (3:02)

  • The Ocean (1:34)

  • A Day Without Me (3:14)

  • Another Time Another Place (4:34)

  • The Electric Co. (4:48)

  • Shadows and Tall Trees (4:36)

 

Some alternate versions featured the following combination of tracks instead of the above (See notes for more detail):

  • An Cat Dubh (6:21)

  • Into the Heart (1:53)

  • Fire (Instrumental) (0:30)
LINER NOTES

All songs written by Bono Hewson / Larry Mullen / Adam Clayton / "The Edge" Evans. Produced by Steve Lillywhite. Managed by Paul McGuinness. Engineer: Paul Thomas. Studio: Windmill Lane, Dublin. Agent, Dublin: Dave Kavanagh, Road Runner. Agent, London: Ian Wilson, Wasted Talent. Agent, New York: Frank Barselona, Priemier Talent. Tour Manager: Tim Nicholson. Crew: John Kennedy, Pod, Amigo O'Herlihy. LP mastered at the Sound Clinic by John Dent. U2 Photographs: Ian Finlay. "Boy" photographs: Hugo McGuinness. Design: Bruno-Christian Tilley.

 
OTHER NOTES
Originally released in Europe with the "Boy" cover above, the album was released a few months later in North America a few months later with the stretched faces cover. The label had felt that the American public wouldn't approve of an album cover by an unknown band that featured a young boy without visible clothing.  Obviously the same opinion was changed in 1983 when War was released.

Some early versions of the vinyl release contained a short 30s instrumental piece at the end of Shadows and Tall Trees. This was included on UK pressings of the vinyl. It has since been removed from all commercial repressings on cassette and CD, although it was present on the 1989 vinyl reissue in Germany.

There are two different mastering versions of the album as well.  The American releases tend to have An Cat Dubh (6:21) / Into the Heart (1:53) where as European releases have these as An Cat Dubh (4:47) / Into the Heart (3:28).  When comparing the actual European and American vinyl this is evident as you can see the differences in length between the track marks.  If one is listening to the album however, this difference is unnoticible, as An Cat Dubh flows directly into Into the Heart and there isn't a true physical break to judge where this difference is.  The over all tracks are the same on both releases, it is just the point at which they have been divided which is different.
Previous Release:  Three (1979)
Next Album:  October (1981)