Information about Adam Clayton

Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960 in Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England), is the bass player of the rock band U2.^[1] A British citizen, Clayton has resided in Dublin county since the time his family moved to Malahide when he was five years old. Clayton is well-known for his bass playing on songs such as "New Year's Day" and "With or Without You".^[2]<ref name="adambio" /> He has worked on several solo projects throughout his career, such as his work with fellow band member Larry Mullen Jr. on the theme of 1996's .<ref name="wand" /> Clayton as a part of U2 has won 22 Grammy awards, more than any other rock artist.^[3]

Biography

Clayton is the eldest child of Brian and Jo Clayton, born on 13 March, 1960 in Oxfordshire, England. When Clayton was five years old, his family moved from Oxfordshire to Malahide, near Dublin, where Clayton's sister Sarah and his brother Sebastian were born. The Clayton family became friends with the Evans family, with their sons Dick and Dave (more commonly known as The Edge), who were both in the original group, Feedback, that spawned U2.^[4]

Clayton attended boarding school at St. Columba's in Rathfarnham.<ref name="book1" /> He later changed school to Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, where he met fellow bandmates Paul "Bono" Hewson and Larry Mullen Jr., and was reunited with this boyhood friend Dave "The Edge" Evans. Mullen had posted an advertisement on the school bulletin board for musicians to form a band with him; Clayton showed up at the first practice, which also included Dick Evans, Dave Evans's older brother, Ivan McCormick, and Peter Martin, who were two of Mullen's friends. McCormick and Martin left the band soon after its conception. While the band was a five-piece (consisting of Bono, The Edge, Mullen, Evans, and Clayton), it was known as Feedback. The name was subsequently changed to The Hype, but changed to "U2" soon after Evans left the band.^[5] Clayton also served as the band's first manager before Paul McGuinness, a more experienced manager, was hired, because Clayton had left school earlier.

In 1981, around the time of U2's second, spiritually charged album, October, a rift was created in the band between Clayton and McGuinness, and the three other band members. Bono, The Edge, and Mullen had joined a Christian group, and were questioning the compatibility of rock -and-roll with their spirituality.<ref name="bio1" /> However, Clayton, with his more ambiguous religious views, was less concerned, and so was more of an outsider, until Bono's wedding to Alison Hewson (Neé Stewart), in which Clayton was the best man.^[6] In August 1989, Clayton made newspapers around the world when he was arrested in Dublin carrying a small amount of marijuana. However, he avoided conviction by making a large donation to charity, and has later been regretful, saying "It was my own fault. And I'm sure I was out of my head -- emotionally apart from anything else. But it is serious because it is illegal."<ref name="adambio" /> Clayton has also had alcohol problems, which came to a head on 26 November, 1993 when he was so hung over that he was unable to play that night's show in Sydney. However he gave up alcohol after that incident.^[7]

In 1996, after the groundbreaking Zoo TV Tour and Zooropa album, Clayton headed to New York with bandmate Mullen to receive formal training in the bass; until then Clayton had been entirely self-taught.<ref name="book2" /> During that period, he worked on U2's experimental album, released under the pseudonym "Passengers", entitled Original Soundtracks 1. That album featured is one of the few instances that Clayton appeared as a vocalist; he spoke the last verse of "Your Blue Room", the album's second single. While in New York, he collaborated with Mullen to re-record the soundtrack.^[8]

Clayton was the only bachelor member of U2 for many years. During the early 1990s he was involved in a relationship with, and at one point engaged to, British supermodel Naomi Campbell. More recently, he was engaged to marry Suzanne Smith, whom he was planning to marry in the summer of 2007, but broke up in February 2007.^[9]

Style

As a bass player, Adam Clayton is recognized for his unique playing style and rhythms that are apparent in many songs, most notably "New Year's Day", which evolved out of an attempt to play Visage's song "Fade to Grey", and "With or Without You".^[9][10] His style has been influenced by many different styles, such as Motown and reggae, and has evolved over his years in U2.^[11] He cites artists such as Paul Simonon of The Clash as influences on his musical style.<ref name="interview1" /> When Clayton first joined the fledgling U2, he did not have any formal training in the bass.^[9] Consequently, his style developed without any formal training whatsoever until 1995.^[9] In the early years of U2, his bass was generally a simple part in 4/4 time.^[9] However, as the group grew and evolved, his bass became more complicated, as is the case on 1987's The Joshua Tree and 1988's Rattle and Hum.<ref name="interview1" /> He has continued to use these simple parts over the years, for example, 2000's "Beautiful Day", with a simple 8th-note part.<ref name="interview1" />

Clayton has sung on several occasions, for example, on the song "Endless Deep", the B-side to the single "Two Hearts Beat As One" from 1983, he made an appearance singing. He also spoke the last verse of the aforementioned "Your Blue Room". Clayton can be heard speaking on "Tomorrow ('96 Version)" (a rerecording of "Tomorrow" that he arranged) a song from U2's 1981 album October.^[12] He plays the guitar on a few occasions, most notably the song "40", where he and guitarist The Edge switch instruments. He also plays the introduction to "City of Blinding Lights" on the keyboard.

Musical equipment

Clayton has used many different basses, but his most-often used basses are listed:

• Fender Precision Bass
• Fender Jazz Bass
• Gibson Thunderbird Bass
• Gibson Les Paul Triumph Bass
• Gibson Les Paul 70's Recording Bass, unknown model
• Lakland Joe Osborne Signature Bass
• Lakland Darryl Jones Signature Bass
• Auerswald Custom Bass

Throughout his career, Clayton has used both Precision and Jazz basses. His first bass, however, was a dark brown Ibanez copy.<ref name="book1" /> He uses Ashdown amplifiers and blue Herdim picks, as does bandmate The Edge.<ref name="bio2" /> Clayton's Precision bass is modified with a Fender Jazz neck; in an interview with Bass Player magazine, he said that he prefers the Jazz bass neck because it is more "lady-like" and is a better fit in his left hand.<ref name="interview1" />

Solo projects

Clayton has worked on several solo projects throughout his career. He played on Robbie Robertson's self-titled album from 1987, and has also performed with Maria McKee.^[13][14] He joined U2 producer Daniel Lanois and bandmate Larry Mullen Jr. on Lanois's 1989 album Acadie, playing the bass on the songs "Still Water" and "Jolie Louise".^[15] In 1994, Clayton played bass along with bandmate Larry Mullen Jr. on Nanci Griffith's album Flyer, playing on the songs "These Days in an Open Book", "Don't Forget About Me", "On Grafton Street" and "This Heart".^[16] Clayton and Mullen also re-recorded the soundtrack for the 1996 movie remake, including the theme song, which was changed from the original 5/4 time signature to the simpler 4/4 signature.<ref name="wand" /> They recorded the soundtrack while both Mullen and Clayton were in New York City for musical training.^[9] The "Theme from Mission: Impossible" was nominated for the "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" Grammy in 1997, also reaching #8 on the US Billboard chart.<ref name="wand" />^[17][18]

Awards

Main article: List of U2 awards

Clayton and U2 have won numerous awards in their career, including 22 Grammy awards, including those for Best Rock Duo or Group seven times, Album of the Year twice, Record of the Year twice, Song of the Year twice, and Best Rock Album twice.<ref name="grammyawards" />

See also

• List of bass guitarists
• U2 discography
• List of U2 awards

References

External links

• U2.com, official U2 website
• Adam Clayton @U2 Biography

•  • [ e] U2

Band members: Bono • The Edge • Adam Clayton • Larry Mullen Jr. Other personnel: Paul McGuinness • Dik Evans • Brian Eno • Daniel Lanois • Steve Lillywhite • Jimmy Iovine • Flood • Howie B Discography Studio albums: Boy • October • War • The Unforgettable Fire • The Joshua Tree • Rattle and Hum • Achtung Baby • Zooropa • Pop • All That You Can't Leave Behind • How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb Compilations and EPs: Three • Wide Awake in America • • The Best of 1980–1990 • 7 • The Best of 1990–2000 • Exclusive • The Complete U2 • Live from Under the Brooklyn Bridge • U218 Singles Live albums and other projects: Under a Blood Red Sky • Rattle and Hum • • Original Soundtracks 1 • Hasta la Vista Baby! • • Live from the Point Depot • U2.COMmunication • Zoo TV Live Video and theatrical releases: Under a Blood Red Sky: Live at Red Rocks • Rattle and Hum • • • • • • • U218 Videos • U2 3D Tours War Tour • Unforgettable Fire Tour • A Conspiracy of Hope Tour • Joshua Tree Tour • Lovetown Tour • Zoo TV Tour • PopMart Tour • Elevation Tour • Vertigo Tour

Persondata
NAME	Clayton, Adam Charles
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Bassist
DATE OF BIRTH	13 March, 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH	Chinnor, Oxfordshire, England
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH