November 25, 2008 17:01

New U2 album 'needs two more songs'

Plus label reveals Eminem is 'on fire' with new record

Photo Gallery: U2
Photo: Pa Photos

U2 pushed back the release of their new album from late 2008 to next year because the record needed two more songs, according to the boss of their label.

Interscope-Geffen-A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine says he met with the band, who told him the album was two songs short, so the release date was adjusted to give them time to work on those tracks.

"I met with the guys in U2, and they say to me, 'You know what? This album needs two more songs, and it will be exactly what we have in mind.' I go there and I listen, and I agreed with them."

Iovine told Billboard: "It's a great record, but it deserves the time. Labels need to work with artists to help them achieve their best work, not to jam records out that are half-baked or three-quarters baked."

U2 announced in September that they were pushing back the release date of the album, the follow-up to 2004's 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb', saying they were on a songwriting roll.

"We've hit a rich songwriting vein," Bono said in a statement on U2's website. "It gets a bit dark down here but looks like we've found diamonds, not coal. I thought a while back we might have the album wrapped by now, but why come up above ground now if there's more priceless stuff to be found? It's been maddening...there have been injuries and recoveries, no babies born that I know of, but this one is nearly ready for the new year of 2009."

The album is reportedly set to be called 'No Line On The Horizon'.

When asked about the new Eminem record, 'Relapse', Iovine said that Dr. Dre put his own album on hold to return to work with the rapper.

"We got into a quagmire," Iovine said. "Eminem was always coming next year. But what happened was I lost Dr Dre to Eminem. Dre had to stop making his album to finish Eminem's album. Eminem hit a streak, and when a guy like Eminem gets on fire, you stop everything. That's how we lost Dre."

--By our New York staff.
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