View source for Wide Awake in America

{{Distinguish|Wide Awake in Europe}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use Irish English|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Wide Awake in America
| type       = ep
| artist     = [[U2]]
| cover      = Wide Awake in America.png
| border     = yes
| alt        =
| released   = 20 May 1985
| recorded   = 1984–1985
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| length     = 20:40
| label      = [[Island Records|Island]]
| producer   = [[U2]], [[Tony Visconti]], [[Brian Eno]], [[Daniel Lanois]]
| prev_title = [[The Unforgettable Fire]]
| prev_year  = 1984
| next_title = [[The Joshua Tree]]
| next_year  = 1987
}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1= [[AllMusic]]
|rev1score={{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/r20765|title=Wide Awake in America&nbsp;– U2|website=[[Allmusic]]|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|access-date=2011-08-12}}</ref>
|rev2=[[Robert Christgau]]
|rev2score=B<ref name="RobC">{{cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=u2|title=U2&nbsp;– Consumer Guide Reviews|first=Robert|last=Christgau|author-link=Robert Christgau|publisher=robertchristgau.com|access-date=2009-10-13}}</ref>
|rev3=''[[Rolling Stone]]''
|rev3score=mixed<ref name="rsreview">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/u2/albums/album/104913/review/5942781/wide_awake_in_america |title=Music Review: Wide Awake in America |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |first=James |last=Henke |date=1985-07-18 |access-date=2011-08-12 |issue=452–453 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107032712/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/u2/albums/album/104913/review/5942781/wide_awake_in_america |archive-date=7 November 2007 }}</ref>
|rev4=''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
|rev4score={{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/u2/albumguide|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618013313/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/u2/albumguide|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 June 2011|title=U2: Album Guide|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=2012-05-25}}</ref>
| noprose = yes
}}
'''''Wide Awake in America''''' is a four-track [[extended play]] by Irish [[rock music|rock]] band [[U2]]. It was released on 20 May 1985 through [[Island Records]]. It combines two live performances of songs from the group's 1984 album ''[[The Unforgettable Fire]]'' with two [[B-sides]] from the era, which had previously been available only in the United Kingdom. ''Wide Awake in America'' was originally released only in North America and Japan but it charted in the UK as an import. It was re-released internationally in 1990.

The EP's centerpiece, "[[Bad (U2 song)|Bad]]", a song about [[heroin addiction]], would become a staple of their live set, particularly after an extended performance at [[Live Aid]] in which lead vocalist [[Bono]] danced with a woman in the audience. Radio programmers often chose this ''Wide Awake in America'' version over the original studio recording for airplay. The EP's title is inspired by the chorus of "Bad", with its refrain, "Wide awake / I'm wide awake / I'm not sleeping."

==Song notes==
"Bad" was produced by the band and recorded live from the [[National Exhibition Centre]] in [[Birmingham]], [[England]] on 12 November 1984, as part of [[the Unforgettable Fire Tour]]. Guitarist [[the Edge]] misplayed the final note of this song, but U2 decided to use this version anyway, and the error was fixed during mixing.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 86</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine had been critical of the album version of "Bad" and other songs on ''The Unforgettable Fire'' album, which it described as "unfocused". In its review of ''Wide Awake In America'', it said that the album's songs benefited from the transition to live performance and that "Bad" was a "show stopper."<ref name="rsreview"/>

"[[A Sort of Homecoming (U2 song)|A Sort of Homecoming]]" is live from [[Wembley Arena]] in [[London]] on 15 November 1984. The song was produced by [[Tony Visconti]] and recorded during a soundcheck at the concert, with the crowd noise mixed in later during post-production at Good Earth Studios.

"The Three Sunrises" (also listed as "Three Sunrises") was produced by the band with [[Brian Eno]] and [[Daniel Lanois]]. It can also be found on the B-sides disc of the limited edition version of ''[[The Best of 1980–1990]]'' compilation from 1998.

"Love Comes Tumbling" was produced by the band and also appears, as a slightly edited version with four bars immediately preceding the vocal deleted, on the B-sides disc of ''The Best of 1980–1990''.

All tracks except "Bad" originally appeared on "[[The Unforgettable Fire (song)|The Unforgettable Fire]]" [[Single (music)|single]], released in April 1985 outside the U.S. The mix on "A Sort of Homecoming" from that single is different on this release and includes some studio-dubbed backing vocals by the Edge.

The EP was released in the United Kingdom on 19 October 1987.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 112</ref>

==Track listing==
{{tracklist
| headline        = Side one
| extra_column    = Producer
| title1          = [[Bad (U2 song)|Bad]]
| extra1          = U2
| note1           = live
| length1         = 8:00
| title2          = [[A Sort of Homecoming (song)|A Sort of Homecoming]]
| extra2          = [[Tony Visconti]]
| note2           = live
| length2         = 4:05
}}
{{tracklist
| headline        = Side two
| extra_column    = Producer
| title1          = The Three Sunrises
| extra1          = U2, [[Brian Eno]], [[Daniel Lanois]]
| length1         = 3:50
| title2          = Love Comes Tumbling
| extra2          = U2
| length2         = 4:45
}}

==Charts and certifications==
In the U.S., ''Wide Awake in America'' debuted at No. 37 on the [[Billboard 200|Top Pop Albums]] chart.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top Pop Albums |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=29 June 1985 |page=68}}</ref> However, the following week, ''Billboard'' declared the EP ineligible for the album chart because it contained only four songs and had a retail price of [[United States dollar|US$]]4.98. ''Billboard'' policy stated that to appear on the album chart, "a disk must list for at least $5.98 and contain more than four cuts, or the equivalent in terms of minutes of music."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=For the Record |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=6 July 1985 |page=4}}</ref>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Album'''
{|class="wikitable"
! Country
! Peak position
! Certification
! Sales
|-
|Canada
|align="center"|
|align="center"|Platinum<ref name="Canada">{{cite web|url=http://cria.ca/cert_db_search.php?page=2&wclause=WHERE+artist_name+like+%27%25u2%25%27+ORDER+BY+cert_date%2C+cert_award+&rcnt=81&csearch=0&nextprev=1 |title=CRIA Certification Results: U2 |publisher=[[Canadian Recording Industry Association]] |date=1988-05-17 |access-date=2011-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015223137/http://cria.ca/cert_db_search.php?page=2&wclause=WHERE+artist_name+like+%27%25u2%25%27+ORDER+BY+cert_date%2C+cert_award+&rcnt=81&csearch=0&nextprev=1 |archive-date=15 October 2007 |url-status=unfit }}</ref>
|align="center"|100,000+<ref name="Canada" />
|-
|United Kingdom
|align="center"|11<ref>{{cite web |url=http://everyhit.com/ |title=U2 albums |publisher=Everyhit.com |access-date=2009-10-29}} Note: U2 must be searched manually.</ref>
|align="center"|Silver<ref>{{cite web|title=Certified Awards Search|publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]]|access-date=2009-11-25|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630225416/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx|url-status=dead}} Note: U2 must be searched manually.</ref>
|align="center"|
|-
|United States
|align="center"|37<ref name="Allmusic Chart">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5723/charts-awards/billboard-albums|pure_url=yes}} |title=U2: Charts and Awards |website=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=2010-01-23}}</ref>
|align="center"|Platinum<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |title=Gold and Platinum Database Search |publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] |access-date=2010-01-23}} Note: U2 must be searched manually.</ref>
|align="center"|
|}

{{col-2}}
'''Songs'''
{|class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"|Year
! rowspan="2"|Song
! colspan="6"|Peak
|-
! width="50"|<small>[[Mainstream Rock Tracks|US Main Rock]]</small><br /><ref name="Allmusic Chart 2">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5723/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} |title=U2: Charts and Awards |work=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=2010-01-23 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5lShoqdHr?url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:u2jc7i6jg71r~T51 |archive-date=2010-01-23}}</ref>
|-
|1985
|"The Three Sunrises"
|align="center"|16
|-
|}
{{col-end}}

==Personnel==
*[[Bono]] – [[singing|vocals]]
*[[The Edge]] – [[guitar]], [[electronic keyboard|keyboards]], vocals
*[[Adam Clayton]] – [[bass guitar|bass]]
*[[Larry Mullen Jr.]] – [[drum kit|drums]]

==See also==
*[[U2 discography]]

==References==
;Footnotes
{{Reflist}}

;Bibliography
*{{Cite book|last=McGee|first=Matt|title=U2:A Diary|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2008|isbn=978-1-84772-108-2}}

==External links==
*[https://www.u2.com/music/albums/4113 ''Wide Awake in America''] on U2.com

{{U2}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wide Awake In America}}
[[Category:1985 EPs]]
[[Category:Live EPs]]
[[Category:U2 live albums]]
[[Category:U2 EPs]]
[[Category:1985 live albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Brian Eno]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Daniel Lanois]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Tony Visconti]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Bono]]
[[Category:Albums produced by the Edge]]