The Atrix: Treasure on the Wasteland. 45rpm.

Produced by Midge Ure, released in 1980 on Double D Records by Dublin-based band The Atrix, which comprised John Borrowman (guitar, vocals), Dick Conroy (bass), Chris Greene (keyboard) and Hughie Friel (drums). The song was part of a minor controversy n Dublin at the time, as some considered its riff the precursor to U2's 11 O'Clock Tick Tock.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The
• Atrix
• Treasure
• on
• the
• Wasteland

[ToolsnFire]

which came first? U2's Silver Lining in 1979 or the Atrix's Treasure on the Wasteland in 1979. Silver Lining was first played live apparently in August.

[ParnellMooney]

@ToolsnFire

Silver Lining is a myth, like the white alligators in New York sewers. The song was always called 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, it was written in January 1980 and debuted at the National Stadium gig the following month.

[ToolsnFire]

@ParnellMooney, but then why does Bono distinctly say 'Silver Lining' in the lyrics, and the lyrics are entirely different than 11OTT on Silver Lining? You can hear it here on Youtube. The earliest recording I've heard of Silver Lining is from August 1979, and it's indeed a more primitive form though distinctly Silver Lining, which sounds like 11OTT in the basic 'chunk chunk' parts and some other parts. The intro on that recording begins with repeated harmonics up and down the frets/neck.

[ParnellMooney]

@ToolsnFire

Hi there, Tools. The various recordings of U2 on YouTube and elsewhere supposedly from 1979 are all in fact from 1980, and from two gigs in particular: the Stadium in Feb and the Hanging Gardens in Tullamore in April. Tick Tock had improvised lyrics in Feb and was recorded Easter weekend 1980 with Martin Hannett in Windmill Lane. It did not exist in 1979. The Atrix were not the source of the riff; if anything, the Virgin Prunes had one much more similar before U2 wrote Tick Tock.

[ToolsnFire]

@ParnellMooney, I respect that answer, very believable, I'll go with it, thank you for the clarification. When did they start playing A Day Without Me live? What Virgin Prunes song most resembles Tick Tock?

Thank you very much! That would be cool to read the 'real nuanced history' of 11OTT/Silver Lining, from the Memory Man Deluxe unit, the Prunes influence, until the Martin Hannett recording.

[ParnellMooney]

@ToolsnFire

Hi Tools. The Prunes song is - from memory - In the Grey Light. Dik Evans had a scrawling riff that bore some similarity to the Tick Tock riff but I doubt there was much if any direct influence, it was more likely a matter of slight osmosis. The Cork Opera House 1979 stuff is authentically from 1979, incidentally. They started playing A Dat Without Me on that short Irish tour of Feb 1980. Bono later described it as a song about Ian Curtis's suicide but of course it wasn't.

[Liamoooooooo]

Bought the LP purely based on this track. EPPPPICCCCC! Still have it and it's mint (only played the whole album 3 times at most!)

[rorystokes]

There's a blast from the past - I think I have this 7" somewhere!

[brotherstar1]

Seen these guys in the Dando market. Magic.. RTE ran this song to a piece about finglas in the early eighties, Pauly Pendergast and his mates on horses, great clip really caught the times.......

[Gombeenie]

So U2 are plagiarists? Designer steals a top hat and U2 Inc. take her to High court? Hypocrites. Can any1 upload Atrix tune 'Cashel Rock'? maybe 86-87? Sounds like a load of unkempt heritage falling on a tourists head. Julian Cope mite have it in his archive, seriously

[owy75]

Sweet !