When Love Comes to Town#Charts

{{Infobox song

| name = When Love Comes to Town

| cover = U2wlctt.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = U2 with B.B. King

| album = Rattle and Hum

| B-side = Dancing Barefoot

| released = March 1989

| recorded = 1987–1988

| studio = Sun Studio (Memphis)

| venue =

| genre = Blues rock

| length = 4:15

| label = Island

| composer = U2

| lyricist = Bono

| producer = Jimmy Iovine

| chronology = U2

| prev_title = Angel of Harlem

| prev_year = 1988

| next_title = All I Want Is You

| next_year = 1989

| misc = {{External music video|{{Plain list|

{{YouTube|_TGU35i8czo|"Official Video"}}
{{YouTube|7mCE73j59Zs|"Rattle & Hum Version"}}}}

|header=Music videos}}

}}

"When Love Comes to Town" is a song by Irish rock band U2 featuring American blues guitarist B.B. King. It is the twelfth track from U2's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum, and was released in 1989 as the record's third single. The song was recorded at the historic Sun Studio in Memphis. "When Love Comes to Town" reached number one in the Irish Singles Chart, number six in the UK Singles Chart, number ten in the Dutch Top 40, and number two in the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

History

On the extended "Live from the Kingdom Mix", Little Richard is featured preaching, rapping in funky rhyme style, and singing background vocals amid Maceo Parker's saxophone playing. The single contained two different versions of the Patti Smith song "Dancing Barefoot". The 7" and cassette featured the long version, while the 12" and CD contained the short version. While U2 has stopped regularly playing it live, it continued to be featured in B.B. King concerts. During the Lovetown Tour concerts, this song would be played, usually along with "Angel of Harlem" and "Love Rescue Me", in an encore featuring B.B. and his band.

Like the song "Van Diemen's Land", this song originally featured an extra verse:

:When I woke up I was sleeping on the street

:''I felt the world was dancing, and I was dirt beneath their feet

:When I woke up I saw the Devil looking down

:But my Lord He played guitar the day love came to town

This verse was sung during the song's premiere in Fort Worth, Texas on U2's Joshua Tree Tour and does not appear in the studio version or subsequent live performances.U2gigs.com, [http://www.u2gigs.com/show937.html Setlist for 24 November 1987, Fort Worth], accessed 25 September 2007.

Cash Box described the song as a "solid blues rumble."{{cite magazine|title=Top of the Pops|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1989/CB-1989-04-01.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|date=April 1, 1989|accessdate=2022-12-21|page=20}}

=Live=

The debut performance took place on 24 November 1987 in Fort Worth, Texas during the concert's encore and B.B. King joined U2 to perform the song. On 1989's Lovetown Tour, the song again featured during the encore and was played with B.B. King. It was played at 46 of the 47 shows; the only concert it missed was 18 December 1989 in Amsterdam, as the show concluded prematurely due to Bono suffering vocal problems.U2gigs.com, [http://www.u2gigs.com/show1053.html Setlist for 18 December 1989, Amsterdam], accessed 25 September 2007.

On the next tour, 1992-93's Zoo TV Tour, "When Love Comes to Town" did not debut until the second-last concert of the first leg on 21 April 1992 in Tacoma.U2gigs.com, [http://www.u2gigs.com/show294.html Setlist for 21 April 1992, Tacoma], accessed 25 September 2007. It appeared only infrequently on the second leg, in Europe, but on the third leg, in North America, it was performed frequently and this was continued on the fourth leg return to Europe. The Zoo TV Tour version of the song was stripped down in comparison to previous versions and was performed on a b-stage in the midst of the crowd. U2 would not perform the song for years after the fourth leg's final show on 28 August 1993 in Dublin, although B.B. King continued to play the song at his live shows.U2gigs.com, [http://www.u2gigs.com/show649.html Setlist for 28 August 1993, Dublin], accessed 25 September 2007.

On 26 October 2008, Bono and the Edge rejoined B.B. King to play the song for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Founders Award.U2.com, [http://www.u2.com/news/index.php?mode=full&news_id=2265 "Royalty In the House," U2.com News], accessed 12 November 2008.

After King died on 14 May 2015, U2 paid tribute to him during a show in Vancouver the following night during the Innocence + Experience Tour by playing "When Love Comes to Town" for the first time in 23 years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/u2-honor-b-b-king-mock-the-edges-fall-at-second-show-74050/|title=U2 Honor B.B. King, Mock the Edge's Fall at Second Show|first=Andy|last=Greene|website=Rollingstone.com|date=16 May 2015|access-date=30 May 2021}} The song was played three more times on the tour.{{Cite web|url=http://www.u2gigs.com/When_Love_Comes_To_Town-s144.html|title=U2 When Love Comes To Town – U2 on tour|first=Matthias Muehlbradt, Andre|last=Axver|website=U2gigs.com|access-date=30 May 2021}} The song was played at a promotional appearance at the Apollo Theater in New York during the Experience + Innocence Tour. The song was played with the Sun Ra Arkestra.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/u2-recapture-their-club-roots-at-intimate-apollo-theater-show-627658/|title=Live Review: U2 Recapture Club Roots at Intimate Apollo Theater Show|first=Andy|last=Greene|website=Rollingstone.com|date=12 June 2018|access-date=30 May 2021}}

It was played on November 4, 2023 during the band’s residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Track listing

{{tracklist

|all_music=U2, except "Dancing Barefoot" (written by Patti Smith and Ivan Kral)

|all_lyrics=Bono

|extra_column=Producer

|title1=When Love Comes to Town

|extra1=Jimmy Iovine

|length1=4:15

|title2=Dancing Barefoot

|extra2=U2

|length2=4:47

|title3=When Love Comes to Town

|note3="Live from the Kingdom" mix

|extra3=Louil Silas Jr.

|length3=7:28

|title4=God Part II

|note4=Hard Metal dance mix

|extra4=Louil Silas Jr.

|length4=4:46

}}

Personnel

; U2

; Additional musicians

B.B. King – additional vocals, and guitar
Rebecca Evans Russell – backing vocals

Charts

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine\|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles\|magazine=Music & Media\|volume=6\|issue=17\|page=31\|date=29 April 1989}} \|21
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+Weekly chart performance for "When Love Comes to Town" !Chart (1989) !Peak position
{{single chart\|Australia\|23\|artist=U2 with B.B. King\|song=When Love Comes to Town\|rowheader=true\|access-date=16 August 2021}}
{{single chart\|Flanders\|16\|artist=U2 with B.B. King\|song=When Love Comes to Town\|rowheader=true\|access-date=16 August 2021}}
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|41\|chartid=6348\|rowheader=true\|access-date=28 March 2025}}
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|1\|song=When Love Comes to Town\|rowheader=true\|access-date=28 March 2025}}
scope="row"\|Italy (Musica e dischi){{cite web\|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php\|title=Classifiche\|work=Musica e dischi\|language=it\|access-date=28 May 2022}} Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "U2". \|13
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|9\|year=1989\|week=17\|rowheader=true\|access-date=16 August 2021}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|10\|artist=U2 with B.B. King\|song=When Love Comes to Town\|rowheader=true\|access-date=16 August 2021}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|4\|artist=U2 with B.B. King\|song=When Love Comes to Town\|rowheader=true\|access-date=16 August 2021}}
{{single chart\|Sweden\|20\|artist=U2 with B.B. King\|song=When Love Comes to Town\|rowheader=true\|access-date=16 August 2021}}
{{single chart\|UKsinglesbyname\|6\|artist=U2\|artistid=21874\|rowheader=true\|access-date=28 March 2025}}
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|68\|artist=U2\|rowheader=true\|access-date=16 August 2021}}
{{Single chart\|Billboardalternativesongs\|10\|artist=U2\|access-date=18 June 2015\|rowheader=true}}
{{Single chart\|Billboardmainstreamrock\|2\|artist=U2\|access-date=23 December 2020\|rowheader=true}}
{{Single chart\|West Germany\|64\|artist=U2 with B.B. King\|song=When Love Comes to Town\|songid=268603\|rowheader=true}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (2015)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|France|200|artist=U2 with B.B. King|song=When Love Comes to Town|rowheader=true|access-date=16 August 2021}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+Year-end chart performance for "When Love Comes to Town" !Chart (1989) !Position
scope="row"\|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web\|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1989\|title=Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1989\|publisher=Dutch Top 40\|language=nl\|access-date=16 August 2021}} \|96
scope="row"\|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine\|title=1989 The Year In Music: Top Album Rock Tracks\|magazine=Billboard\|volume=101\|issue=51\|page=Y-58\|date=23 December 1989}} \|6

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+Year-end chart performance for "When Love Comes to Town"

!Chart (1989)

!Position

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1989|title=Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1989|publisher=Dutch Top 40|language=nl|access-date=16 August 2021}}

|96

scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=1989 The Year In Music: Top Album Rock Tracks|magazine=Billboard|volume=101|issue=51|page=Y-58|date=23 December 1989}}

In popular culture

The title is picked up by Tom Lennon in his 1993 book, the first gay book published in Ireland.{{Cite book |last1=Lennon |first1=Tom |title=When Love Comes to Town |last2=Klise |first2=James |date=2013 |publisher=Albert Whitman & Company |isbn=978-0-8075-8916-8 |edition=1st |location=Morton Grove}}