Back in the day and before they became synonymous with failed product promotions, U2 was actually a pretty cool band.  In this video for When Love Comes To Town, they team up with the great BB King.  The performance was recorded for the 1987 documentary film, Rattle and Hum, and the video features scenes and outtakes from that film.  The video won the MTV Movie Award for Best Music Video From A Film.

Today, it’s easy to see some warning signs of U2’s high self-regard while watching a documentary like Rattle and Hum.  Even back then, Bono was of the opinion that he was the lead singer of the most important band in the history of the world and he wasn’t going to let you forget it.  But this was Joshua Tree-era U2 and they were so good that no one cared that Bono could be self-important.  He had earned the right.  It’s a shame that the band will forever be associated with the Songs of Innocence fiasco because back in the day, they rocked.

As for this song, it was a success for both U2 and BB King.  Even after U2 stopped regularly performing it, When Love Comes To Town remained a part of BB King’s setlist.

Enjoy!