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
You can help show your support for this blog by donating using PayPal. I appreciate your help.
Undercooked songs recorded too soon, as Larry Mullen Jr said. The songs of Pop benefited from touring and repeated playing live, check out the PopHeart Live EP, that’s why it exists. Sometimes this happens in a band’s life: the songs aren’t yet quite consolidated. A consequence is sometimes albums are sequenced badly. I’d have led off with “Please”; and that’s how I play the album, with “Please” first and “Discotheque” last. For the many people who were blindsided by the electronica of Pop and Discotheque, it’s fair to say that they hadn’t been watching. The transition piece is the album… Read more »
What an awesome 90’s single!
This was a real treat to check out these mixes which I am quite sure I have never heard before.
U2 had suck a long run with hit after hit, I love that I can still discover new remixes. Thanks so much Dj Paul!!
This was the exact moment I tapped out of U2. I wasn’t expecting another ‘War’ or ‘Joshua Tree part 2’, but this wasn’t even the same band in my opinion. If it moves you, enjoy. I’ll pass.
It’s fascinating how opinions on this single and album are so divided, yet it still managed to top the charts in numerous countries. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Oh gosh, this one takes me back to Germany where I was studying for the year in college. I remember buying the CD single in a drug store. When I first heard Discothèque, I thought, wow, what IS this? Achtung Baby and Zooropa threw fans, but anyone expecting a return to The Joshua Tree was surely shocked by Discothèque and Pop. I was on board at first listen. U2 were continuiiing to push the envelope. And it was the 90s – what a time and place (and sound) to do it. I love the remixes. Thank you, Paul for posting… Read more »
MusicMan3, What a great memory—Germany, college, and picking up the CD single in a drug store… that’s exactly the kind of moment that sticks with you. And I love that reaction—“what IS this?”—because I think a lot of people had that same initial shock when U2 dropped “Discothèque.” You’re absolutely right—by the time Pop rolled around, they had already challenged fans with Achtung Baby and Zooropa, but this was a whole other level. And like you, I’ve always admired that willingness to keep pushing forward, especially in the context of the ‘90s when electronic music was exploding. Totally agree on… Read more »
Thank you, Paul! These should be the same David Morales remixes that were included on the CDMs, but I can’t wait to hear how much better your transfers sound!
The “DM Tec Club Mix” is not available on CD – just vinyl, and as a compressed 256kbps AAC file, when temporarily available on iTunes back in 2004 when they released The Complete U2 (no longer available).
You are correct, U2Joshua, the DM Tec Club Mix is exclusive to this promo.
yeah, you’re absolutely right! WOW! Absolutely awesome!
U2 really embraced electronica, which was the rage, Eric Clapton did it with Retail Therapy, even Bruce Springsteen toyed with synthesizers in the 90’s and decided not to release it at the time. Whispers of a U2 collaboration with Massive Attack never materialized, Their split release of MOFO with Underworld got nixed at the last minute… This was really the height of record company excess, a time when if an album sold a million copies it was a flop. This was an expensive, excessive release, true decadence. The only real fault was it seemed that U2 at the time were… Read more »
Joey, This is such a great take, and you really nailed the context of the era. That late ‘90s moment where everyone was flirting with electronica—sometimes fully committing, sometimes just trying it on for size—really does make “Discothèque” feel like both a product of its time and something a bit more calculated. I totally get what you mean about U2 not being 100% all in. There’s definitely that layer of irony and performance carried over from Achtung Baby and Zooropa, but here it sometimes feels like they’re observing the club scene rather than fully losing themselves in it. Compare that… Read more »
Thank you Paul for this U2 rarity!! In hindsight I can appreciate U2’s experimentation with new sights and sounds, but at the time I was quite disappointed! I realize artists have to grow and “chase their muse.” At the time when they were teasing the Pop album they were actually talking about returning to their rock roots following their forays into the industrial/art pop world, which I was quite excited about! So when Discothèque hit the airwaves you can understand my disappointment. U2 would eventually come full circle, and now I actually appreciate them pushing the envelope. Thank you Paul… Read more »
Retro Hound, I completely understand where you were coming from at the time. The way U2 positioned Pop in early interviews definitely gave the impression they were circling back to something more straightforward and rock-driven, so when “Discothèque” dropped, it probably felt like a bit of a curveball. In hindsight, it’s interesting how that initial disappointment has softened for a lot of fans. Like you said, artists have to follow where the inspiration takes them, and even if the results don’t immediately connect, they often make more sense with a bit of distance. I think Pop—and especially “Discothèque”—fits into that… Read more »
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 have it as well, a sealed copy. I have been debating over the years whether to open it.
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 »
ING, I love this take—and honestly, I think a lot of people would relate to the “half an album” experience with U2 . They’ve always been a band that swings big, and when you do that, not everything is going to land the same way for everyone. Totally with you on Achtung Baby. For me, that’s where everything just clicks—the reinvention, the songwriting, the production… it’s a perfect balance of experimentation and accessibility. I know it’s almost cliché to say now, but it really is a masterpiece, and I’d agree it edges out The Joshua Tree and the earlier records… Read more »
it’s funny… Zooropa started out as an EP… their best album for me until Achtung Baby was Live Under A Blood Red Sky, which was also originally labeled as a “special live ep” though it had 8 songs, plenty long enough for an album in the ’80’s…
I was just adding this into my library and realized it was a David Morales Mix!!!
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”.
100%
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.
Arnaud, Wow—this is such a fantastic memory, and a great piece of context for the era. It’s easy to forget now, but in late ’96 the internet really was still the Wild West. The idea that a new single by U2—one of the biggest bands in the world—could leak online, even as a short .wav clip, felt almost futuristic at the time. That must have been incredibly exciting (and probably a bit surreal) to experience firsthand. I love that this was your first audio download too—that says a lot about how big a moment it was. Before MP3s took over,… Read more »
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
Jeff, Haha—I’ll gladly take the “musical leprechaun” title! ☘️😀 I’m really glad you enjoyed this one. That whole “weird phase” of U2 is such an interesting chapter—definitely not for everyone at the time, but for those of us who appreciate artists taking risks, it’s a goldmine. I’ve always had a soft spot for when bands step outside their comfort zone and try something unexpected. And yeah, there’s just something extra special about a promo like this. Between the rarity and that exclusive mix, it makes the whole release feel like a little hidden treasure—which makes sharing it even more fun.… Read more »
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.
Training Berries, You’re not wrong—and it’s interesting hearing that perspective echoed years later. The fact that Larry Mullen Jr. himself admitted Pop felt unfinished kind of validates what a lot of listeners picked up on at the time. There’s definitely a sense that the album was still evolving even as it hit the shelves. I think part of that comes down to just how ambitious U2 were being. They were deep into experimenting with electronic production, sampling, and groove-based songwriting, which was a big shift from their more melody-driven past. In some cases, that resulted in really interesting textures—but maybe… Read more »
Hi Paul, I really appreciate your comprehensive response. Agree everything you wrote. I too was a lifelong U2 fan but just thought they took a left field direction which they never were able to replicate their enormous success. Okay they had the odd brilliance like Beautiful Day, Vertigo and Walk On but their later albums fell well short of their previous opus output. Thanks Paul.
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!
Geoff, You summed that progression up perfectly. The leap from The Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby was already a bold reinvention, and then to pivot again into Pop—that’s a band that absolutely refused to stand still. I think that’s what makes U2 so fascinating. They were willing to risk confusing (and even alienating) their audience in order to explore new sounds and ideas. Not every gamble paid off for everyone, but you can’t deny the ambition behind it. And like you said, that kind of risk-taking is exactly what kept them at the top of their game for so long.… Read more »
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.
You’re very welcome, David.