U2’s Bono at the Conspiracy of Hope concert at Giants Stadium in June 1986.
I’ve already included one video from the 1986 Conspiracy of Hope concert in this series, but in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here’s another: U2’s stirring King tribute, “Pride (In the Name of Love),” which follows an excerpt from another U2 tribute, “MLK.”
“Free at last, they took your life/They could not take your pride,” Bono sings, in the song’s most memorable phrase. Later, he holds the mike up to crowd, encouraging people to sing along: “Sing it for Jimi Hendrix … for John Lennon … for the Rev. Martin Luther King!” Bono exhorts the crowd.
The June 15, 1986 concert at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford was the last date of a six-day tour in support of the human rights organization, Amnesty International. It was the biggest show of the tour, and was broadcast live on MTV. Joining U2 were The Police, Peter Gabriel, Bryan Adams, Joni Mitchell, Lou Reed, Joan Baez, The Neville Brothers, Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, Jackson Browne and many others.
Both “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and “MLK” were included on U2’s The Unforgettable Fire album, released in 1984.
New Jersey celebrated its 350th birthday in 2014. And in the 350 Jersey Songs series, we marked the occasion by posting 350 songs — one a day, from September 2014 to September 2015 — that have something to do with the state, its musical history, or both. To see the entire list, click here.
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