U2 - 1986-2001 - Godfathers Of The Zoo (DVDfull pro-shot)

(DVDfull pro-shot)

U2 
Godfathers of the Zoo 
Various Pro-Shot Sources 1986-2001 
From the archives of JEMS and Chrisedge 
DVD Authoring by Chrisedge 

Our Program: 

1987 WEA Sales Convention Message (from Island in-house VHS "master" 

With or Without You (alternate version) (from Island in-house VHS "master" 

Amnesty Tour Pro-Shot, Los Angeles, CA 6/6/86 (from unknown generation VHS) 
-MLK 
-Pride (In the Name of Love) 
-New Year's Day (cut) 

ZOO TV Pro-Shot, Boston, MA 3/17/92 (from second generation VHS) 
-Zoo Station 
-The Fly 
-Even Better Than the Real Thing 

ZOO TV Pro-Shot, New York, NY 3/20/92 (as aired on the program Irish Eyes, WNYE,-TV New York City; 
from first generation VHS) 
-Intro/Zoo Station 
-The Fly 
-Even Better Than the Real Thing (as credits roll) 

ZOO TV Pro-Shot, Sacramento, CA 4/17/92 (as aired on MTV; from first generation VHS) 
-Until the End of the World 

ZOO TV Pro-Shot, Detroit, MI 9/9/92 (captured satellite feed for MTV Awards; from first generation VHS) 
-Intro/Television, Drug of the Nation 
-Zoo Station 
-The Fly 
-Even Better Than the Real Thing 
-Mysterious Ways (correction, not in Info file) 

ZOO TV Pro-Shot, Detroit, MI 9/9/92 (audio only from above source) 
-Until the End of the World 
-New Year's Day -The Wild Rover 

ZOO TV Pro-Shot, Detroit, MI 9/9/92 (from above source) 

-Award ceremony 

Elevation Tour Pro-Shot, Anaheim, CA 4/26/01 (news footage; from DVD source of master tape) 
-Elevation (cut) 
-Beautiful Day (cut) 

For many months now, Chrisedge and I have been working on a compilation of various pro-shot bits, many of which have not seen the light of day before or are not widely circulated. We finally got it all on one disc under the title Godfathers of the Zoo. 

The disc opens with one of my favorite pieces of U2 video ever. In 1988 I befriended an Island employee who sent me several in-house VHS tapes. On one is this amazing little skit the boys did for a WEA (at the time Island's distribution partner) sales convention. The Godfather parody has been around in various forms and I think you can even find it on YouTube, but from what I have been led to believe, it has never been sourced from a known generation in high quality. This is a direct transfer from the Island in-house VHS. 

Also on the same tape was an alternate version of Meiert Avis' video for "With or Without You." It features a lot of the same band images but different and more interstitial imagery. In my opinion it is, on the whole, dreamier. 

Next comes the better part of three pro-shot songs from the LA stop on the Amnesty tour. I've had this footage since the early '90s from a well-connected LA source though it was the only U2 thing he ever gave me. It's definitely a few gens down but very watchable. There are a couple of minor glitches which ChrisEdge did a nice job repairing. 

A pair of three-song, pro-shot feeds follow from early stops on arena leg of the Zoo TV tour. The Boston footage comes from a local TV source, while the NY footage was aired on a local TV show called Irish Eyes. Love the local girls at the start. Then it's a fantastic "Until the End of the World," from Sacramento 4/17/92, as aired by MTV during some special which escapes me. 

The satellite feed footage of Detroit 9/9/92 has been around before and was posted here. My copy is a first gen. off the master, obtained in 1992. I've seen other low gen sources of this before that look very good but I'd give this one the edge though perhaps I'm just biased. Regardless it is here, along with the audio-only portions of the feed and the award ceremony. 

Lastly we have some fine, inside-the-heart news camera footage from Anaheim 4/26/01. The songs are not complete but I found them exciting just the same. That Kangol hat you see in the first few seconds sure looks like he's taping to me. 

Thanks to Chrisedge for all his hard work on this. No thanks whatsoever to FedEx who lost three master tapes.