Engineer Paul Thomas suggested adding a backwards recording of a cymbal to the song, which they did.
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After the Atrix left, U2 were in a dour mood, uncertain how to remedy the situation. At one point, Hannett said to guitarist the Edge, "What are we going to do? It's three in the morning and the rhythm section can't play in time together!" During the session, fellow Dublin band the Atrix confronted U2 at the studio and accused them of plagiarising the guitar riff of "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" from their song "Treasure on the Wasteland". to use a click track to stay in time, but Mullen was unsure he could play with one, having never done so before. The rhythm section, in particular, had issues playing at a consistent tempo, as they continually sped up during the song. Clayton believes that nervousness affected the band's performances. The group were nervous during the session, having never recorded in a studio with a proper producer before. They suspected him of using acid in the studio at one point, Hannett fell backwards out of his chair and exclaimed, "Jesus Christ! I've just hallucinated a gherkin!" Moloney thought the band were "freaked out" by Hannett's eccentric personality and attitude. He crafted the song's bassline by recording each individual note played by bassist Adam Clayton on a separate track before sequencing them together.
He obsessed over details and insisted that each sound be isolated and recorded separately. The producer did creative things with electronics during the session that the band had never heard before. Windmill Lane sound engineer Kevin Moloney called it a "wild, wild session" and said that Hannett lived up to his reputation as a "mad genius". He was not impressed with the studio's facilities and made the band rent equipment from London. Hannett travelled to Dublin for the recording session, which took place at Windmill Lane Studios from 5–6 April 1980 on Easter weekend. They played Hannett a demo of "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", and although he was not impressed with the recording, he liked the song. U2 travelled to England to meet with Hannett, where they observed the recording sessions for Joy Division's single " Love Will Tear Us Apart". He was a genius." Stewart's assistant Annie Roseberry called Hannett a perfectionist who stood out from most producers of the time. Stewart thought Hannett would give them the push that they needed he said of the producer: "The man had something that very few producers have- Phil Spector's one, George Martin's another. He recommended they work with Martin Hannett, who was producing post-punk group Joy Division-U2's favourite band at the time, according to U2 lead vocalist Bono. Island A&R representative Nick Stewart was looking for a record producer who would improve the quality of the band's studio recordings without losing the energy of their live performances. "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" did not chart at the time of its original release but later did after subsequent U2 releases: in January 1984, the song reached number 30 on the US Rock Albums & Top Tracks chart after its inclusion on the band's live album Under a Blood Red Sky a few months prior in 2020, the song reached number 69 on the Irish Singles Chart after it was reissued for Record Store Day in commemoration of its 40th anniversary.Īfter signing a record deal with Island Records in March 1980, U2 began making plans to record an album and a single. Although Hannett was in consideration to produce U2's debut album Boy, the band ultimately decided to hire Steve Lillywhite instead, beginning a career-spanning working relationship with him. They found him to be an eccentric personality and believed he had imposed his distinctive production style on their music. The group were impressed by Hannett's technically innovative production but had a difficult experience with him. Hannett travelled to Dublin in April 1980 to record "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" at Windmill Lane Studios. The song's lyrics were written by lead vocalist Bono based on his experience at a Cramps concert in London, where he watched a "lifeless, goth-style" crowd from the balcony.Īfter Island signed U2 in March 1980, the label recommended the band work with Hannett, believing he could improve their studio recordings without losing the energy of their live performances. It followed their debut EP Three and the single " Another Day." It was the group's first release for Island Records. It was released as a single on, and was produced by Martin Hannett. " 11 O'Clock Tick Tock" is a song by Irish rock band U2.
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