after the father of drummer Larry Mullen Jr. The session was supposed to last late into the night but ended abruptly at 11 p.m. However, he did not think the band understood that, as they were only able to complete one song, "Inside Out" (by Clayton's recollection). Hayden said that the intent of the session was to record eight to ten songs to allow the label to better judge the band's repertoire, rather than spend the entire time refining a few tracks. Bassist Adam Clayton said, "It was horrible, because nobody told us anything." The group were accustomed to playing together live, in a room or on stage, and they found it difficult to communicate with each other while spread out in the studio and separated by baffles.
The session was largely unsuccessful, as the band were "extremely nervous" about their first recording session. Hayden oversaw the session but was not an experienced producer. Ī few weeks later in April, the group were booked for a recording session at Keystone Studios in Dublin to fulfill CBS's commitment to the Limerick Civic Week Committee. Watching U2 perform, Hayden "liked them instantly", as he was drawn to lead singer Bono's "supremely confident stage presence" and the "workmanlike fashion" in which the other band members played. Hayden was on the judging panel that selected U2 as the winning act, and their prize consisted of £500 and a chance to audition for the label. U2 first came to the attention of Jackie Hayden, a representative for the CBS Records label, through their participation in a music talent contest as part of Limerick Civic Week on St. To the right are handwritten lyrics for the song "Out of Control", which is featured on Three. The trophy given to U2 for winning the 1978 Limerick Civic Week music talent contest. Three was reissued for Record Store Day Black Friday in November 2019 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its original release. "Out of Control" and "Stories for Boys" were re-recorded the following year and included on the band's debut album, Boy. The 7-inch vinyl release of Three reached number 19 on the Irish Singles Chart. It was the group's first chart success, selling all 1,000 copies of its limited-edition 12-inch vinyl almost immediately. "Out of Control" appears on the A-side, with "Stories for Boys" and "Boy/Girl" on the B-side, the result of a listener poll on Dave Fanning's radio programme the release is variously referred to as a single and an EP. Three comprises three songs recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in August 1979, with the label's A&R representative Chas de Whalley serving as producer. It was released in Ireland on 26 September 1979 through the CBS Ireland record label. Three, also known as U2 3, is the debut release by Irish rock band U2.