Burning The Ground Exclusive
When U2 returned in 1997 with “Discothèque,” it felt like a shock to the system—in the best possible way.
Released as the lead single from their ambitious album Pop, “Discothèque” saw the band diving headfirst into electronic dance music, club culture, and the glossy excess of the late ‘90s. Produced by Flood, Howie B, and Steve Osborne, the track fused U2’s signature anthemic sound with pulsing beats, distorted grooves, and a heavy dose of irony.
From the opening filtered guitar riff by The Edge, it’s clear this isn’t the same band that gave us The Joshua Tree. Instead, “Discothèque” leans into a sleazy, neon-lit atmosphere—more underground club than stadium rock. Bono delivers lyrics that flirt with decadence and spiritual longing, blurring the line between indulgence and introspection: “You can reach, but you can’t grab it…”
The single was a commercial success, hitting #1 in the UK and topping charts across Europe, while also making a strong showing on the Billboard Hot 100. In the U.S., it also became a major club hit, proving that U2 could successfully reinvent themselves yet again—this time for the dancefloor.
Of course, no discussion of “Discothèque” would be complete without its unforgettable video. Directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, the clip features the band dressed in outrageous costumes—most notably their appearance inside a giant mirrorball—poking fun at both themselves and club culture excess. It perfectly captured the era’s playful, anything-goes aesthetic while reinforcing the band’s willingness to take risks.
For longtime fans, “Discothèque” was initially divisive. Those expecting another With or Without You or One were instead met with a bold stylistic pivot. But in hindsight, that’s exactly what makes it so compelling. Much like their earlier reinvention during the Achtung Baby era, this track showed that U2 refused to stand still.
On the 12-inch and CD single formats, “Discothèque” truly came alive. Various remixes expanded the track’s club appeal, stretching its hypnotic groove into extended dancefloor workouts that fit perfectly alongside the late ‘90s electronic scene. The US 12″ promo that I am featuring today is especially noteworthy, as it includes the “Discothèque (DM Tec Club Mix),” which, as far as I know, remains exclusive to this particular release—making it a must-have for collectors and completists.
Nearly three decades later, “Discothèque” stands as one of the most daring singles in U2’s catalog. It’s a time capsule of late ‘90s experimentation, excess, and transformation—and a reminder that even the biggest bands can still surprise you when they’re willing to take risks.
SIDE A:
Discothèque (DM Deep Club Mix) 6:59
SIDE B:
Discothèque (DM Tec Club Mix) 7:20
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Chart | Peak Position | Date |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Dance Club Songs | #1 | 1997 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | #10 | 1997 |
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock | #6 | 1997 |
| UK Singles | #1 | 1997 |
| Scottland Singles | #1 | 1997 |
| Norway | #1 | 1997 |
| New Zealand | #1 | 1997 |
| Ireland | #1 | 1997 |
| Italy | #1 | 1997 |
| Finland | #1 | 1997 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | #2 | 1997 |
| Canada Dance/Urban | #1 | 1997 |
| Canada Rock/Alternative | #1 | 1997 |
| Australia | #3 | 1997 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Island Records – PR12 7398-1
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genres: Electronic, Pop
Styles: House
CREDITS:
- Decks [Original], Loops [Original], Recorded By [Original] – Howie B.
- Mastered By [Original] – Howie Weinberg
- Mixed By [Original] – Conal Markey
- Mixed By [Original], Recorded By [Original] – Mark “Spike” Stent*
- Producer [Original] – Flood
- Recorded By [Original] – Femio Hernandez, Rob Kirwan
- Remix – David Morales, Satoshi Tomiie
NOTES:
For Promotional Use Only – Not For Sale
“Discothèque” contains samples from “Fane” by Freeform. Courtesy of Skam Records.
Mastered at Masterdisk – New York
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!
Password: burningtheground
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I remember these mixes got played here in the UK. I was a fan of the David Morales mixes of an earlier single from U2 called Lemon from 1993.
I have it on yellow vinyl.
Cheers Paul 🙂
I will admit that I was never a crazy fan of U2 like everyone else seemed to be. Like I really appreciated, even loved, a lot of their tracks and I don’t know if they ever did anything I out and out hated…but for me most of the time it was like half an album and I was good. 😆 Let’s do the other half later. My absolute fave to this day is Achtung Baby. To me that bested Joshua Tree, War or Unforgettable Fire. I also love All That You Can’t Leave Behind, but mostly it’s a half album… Read more »
This was my introduction track for U2. Love it !
There was a digital single 2024 which may have some versions of these mixes.
As far as I can tell, the B-side Discothèque (DM Tec Club Mix) wasn’t included, only the “DM Tec Radio Mix”.
Hello,
In terms of Cyberculture, I believe Discothèque was the first hit single to leak on the Web in late 96, probably two months before the release.
Actually, it was only a short clip in .wav of it, but it made the news here in France, because the Internet was still a novelty for most people. Indeed this was probably my first download of an audio file from the Web at that time, because of course, I wanted to find / listen to it.
Paul, you’re like our musical “leprechaun” delivering gold records at the end of the rainbow!! This is quite fabulous, especially since it’s a promo single! Like David below, I liked U2’s weird phase too! I love when acts try and strive for something different than normal. They’re a fantastic band and I love this song! I’m very grateful, Paul!
Jeff
Album was a huge let down with production on most of the album sounded incomplete and was rightly noted when Larry Mullins Jnr admitted the album was not finished (had apparently ran out of time). I think in my opinion they took the wrong direction and their sound lacked the killer melodies that newcomer upstarts Coldplay so lovingly embraced.
Thank you!
U2 went from an anthemic JT album to an industrial sound on the AB album only to string their ardent fans into the Pop album. U2 took incredible gambles and proved yet again that they were at the top of their game.
Thanks for this post!
Ooh, these are different than the versions from my CD single. Thanks!
This song is a banger. I loved U2’s weird phase. I miss U2’s weird phase.