Adam Clayton | |
|---|---|
 Clayton performing in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Adam Charles Clayton (1960-03-13)13 March 1960 (age 65) Chinnor,Oxfordshire, England |
| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | [citation needed] |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | U2 |
Spouse | |
Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of therock bandU2.[1] Born in Oxfordshire, England, he lived inCounty Dublin,Ireland after his family moved toMalahide in 1965, when he was five years old. Clayton attendedMount Temple Comprehensive School, where he met schoolmates with whom he co-founded U2 in 1976. A member of the band since its inception, he has recorded 15 studio albums with U2.
Clayton's bass playing style is noted for its "harmonicsyncopation", giving the music a driving rhythm. He is well known for his bass playing on songs such as "Gloria", "New Year's Day", "Bullet the Blue Sky", "With or Without You", "Mysterious Ways", "Vertigo", "Get On Your Boots", and "Magnificent". He has worked on several solo projects throughout his career, such as his work with fellow band memberLarry Mullen Jr. on the 1996 version of the "Theme fromMission: Impossible".[2] As a member of U2, Clayton has received 22Grammy Awards[3] and was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
Adam Charles Clayton, the oldest child of Brian and Jo Clayton, was born on 13 March 1960 inChinnor,Oxfordshire, England. His father was a pilot with theRoyal Air Force who moved into civil aviation, and his mother was a former airlinestewardess. When Clayton was four years old, his father worked inKenya as a pilot withEast African Airways, with the family residing inNairobi; Clayton regards this as the happiest period of his childhood. In 1965, the family moved toMalahide, northernCounty Dublin, Ireland, where Clayton's brother Sebastian was born. The Clayton family became friends with the Evans family (including their sonDavid Evans ("The Edge"), who later co-founded the bandU2 with Clayton).[4]
When he was eight years old, Clayton was sent to the private junior boarding Castle Park School inDalkey, southern County Dublin. Not being sports-oriented, Clayton did not enjoy the school or respond well to its ethos; he found it difficult to settle socially there. He was interested in pop music, which students were not allowed to listen to. He joined the School's "Gramphone Society", which met to listen to classical music. He also took piano lessons for a short time. His introduction to the world of popular music was around age 10, listening to rock operas such asJesus Christ Superstar andHair, and other material that was midway between classical andpopular music.[4]
"Adam was Mrs Burns because he did come over like an old woman sometimes."
At age 13, Clayton entered the privateSt Columba's College secondary school inRathfarnham, Dublin. Here he made friends with other pupils who were enthusiastic about the pop/rock music acts of the period, includingthe Who,the Beatles,Grateful Dead, andCarole King. In response, he bought a £5 acoustic guitar from a junk shop near the Dublin quays, and began learning elementary chords and songs.[4] John Leslie, who shared a bunk bed with Clayton at St. Columba's, persuaded him to join in with a school band where Clayton played thebass guitar for the first time.[6] His mother purchased a bass for him when he was 14 when Clayton promised that he would commit himself to learn to play the instrument.[7]
Clayton later changed school to the non-boardingMount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, where he met future U2 bandmatesPaul Hewson ("Bono") andLarry Mullen Jr., who were also pupils there, and was reunited with his childhood friend David Evans.[8]
In September 1976, Mullen put an advert onto the school's bulletin board seeking other musicians to form a band; Clayton showed up for the first meeting and practice, as did the Edge with his older brotherRichard Evans ("Dik"), Bono, and Mullen's friends Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin, who both left the band soon after its inception.[8]
While the band was a five-piece (consisting of Bono, the Edge, Mullen, Dik Evans, and Clayton) it was known as "Feedback". The name was subsequently changed to "The Hype", but changed to "U2" soon after Dik Evans left.[9] Clayton stood in as the nearest thing that the band had to a manager in its early life, handing over the duties toPaul McGuinness in May 1978.[10] In 1981, around the time of U2's second, spiritually charged album,October, a rift occurred 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 music with their spirituality.[9] However, Clayton, with his more ambiguous religious views, was less concerned, and so was more of an outsider.
In 1995, after theZoo TV Tour andZooropa album, Clayton went to New York with bandmate Mullen to receive formal training in the bass; until then, Clayton had been entirely self-taught.[11] During that period, Clayton worked on U2's experimental album, released under thepseudonym "Passengers", entitledOriginal Soundtracks 1. That album features one of the few instances where Clayton has appeared as a vocalist; he spoke the last verse of "Your Blue Room", the album's second single. Prior to this Clayton had only provided live backing vocals to tracks such as "Out of Control", "I Will Follow", "Twilight", and "Bullet the Blue Sky". Since the 1997PopMart Tour, Clayton has not sung live in any capacity for the band.[2]
Clayton has worked on several side projects throughout his career. He played (along with the other members of U2) onRobbie Robertson'sself-titled album from 1987, and has also performed withMaria McKee.[12][13] Clayton joined U2 producerDaniel Lanois and bandmateLarry Mullen Jr. on Lanois's 1989 albumAcadie, playing the bass on the songs "Still Water" and "Jolie Louise".[14] Clayton played onSharon Shannon's song "The Marguerita Suite" from her self-titled debut album, which was released in October 1991.[15] In 1994, Clayton played bass alongside Mullen onNanci Griffith's albumFlyer, appearing on the songs "These Days in an Open Book", "Don't Forget About Me", "On Grafton Street" and "This Heart".[16]
Clayton and Mullen contributed tothe soundtrack of the 1996 filmMission: Impossible, which included reworking the "Theme fromMission: Impossible", whose time signature was changed from the original5
4 time signature to an easier and more danceable4
4 time signature. The song reached number 7 on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100,[17] and was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1997.[18] Clayton was also featured onSteven Van Zandt's 1999 albumBorn Again Savage.
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Clayton's style of bass guitar playing is noted for what instructor Patrick Pfeiffer called "harmonicsyncopation". With this technique, Clayton plays a consistent rhythm that stresses theeighth note of eachbar, but he "anticipates theharmony by shifting thetonality" before the guitar chords do. This gives the music a feeling of "forward motion".[19] Initially, Clayton had no formal musical training;[20] Bono said of Clayton's early bass playing, "Adam used to pretend he could play bass. He came round and started using words like 'action' and 'fret' and he had us baffled. He had the only amplifier, so we never argued with him. We thought this guy must be a musician; he knows what he's talking about. And then one day, we discovered he wasn't playing the right notes. That's what's wrong, y'know?"[21] In the band's early years, Clayton generally played simple bass parts in4
4 time consisting of steady eighth notes emphasising theroots ofchords.[22] Over time, he incorporated influences fromMotown andreggae into his playing style, and as he became a better timekeeper, his playing became more melodic.[22] AuthorBill Flanagan said that he "often plays with the swollen, vibrating bottom sound of a Jamaicandub bassist, covering the most sonic space with the smallest number of notes". Flanagan said that Clayton's playing style perfectly reflected his personality: "Adam plays a little behind the beat, waiting till the last moment to slip in, which fits Adam's casual, don't-sweat-it personality."[23]
Clayton relies on his own instincts when developingbasslines, deciding whether to follow the chord progressions of the guitars or play acounter-melody, and when to play anoctave higher or lower.[24] He cites bassists such asPaul Simonon,Bruce Foxton,Peter Hook,Jean-Jacques Burnel,[22] andJames Jamerson as major influences on him.[25] He credits Jacques Burnel for his choice of instrument, saying that upon hearing his bass guitar playing inthe Stranglers' song "Hanging Around", Clayton "immediately [knew] it was going to be the instrument for [him]".[25] Describing his role in U2's rhythm section with drummerLarry Mullen Jr., Clayton said, "Larry's drums have always told me what to play, and then the chords tell me where to go".[22] One of Clayton's most recognisable basslines is from "New Year's Day", which was borne out of an attempt to playVisage's song "Fade to Grey".[26]
Clayton has sung on some occasions, including on the song "Endless Deep", the B-side to the single "Two Hearts Beat as One" from 1983. Clayton also sang backup vocals on "I Will Follow", "Twilight", "Trip Through Your Wires" and also on some occasions on "With or Without You" and "Bullet the Blue Sky" during live performances. He also spoke the last verse of "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 albumOctober.[27] He plays the guitar on a few occasions, most notably the song"40", where he and guitaristthe Edge switch instruments. He also plays the keyboards on "City of Blinding Lights" and "Iris (Hold Me Close)".
"So there I was, fifteen years old, with a dark brown Ibanez-copy bass guitar and no amp. I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it. Absolutely none. Not a clue. It just sounded good to me. Deep and fat and satisfying."
Clayton's first bass was a walnut brownIbanez Musician, which he played heavily from the recording ofBoy and well through theWar era. Two years later, at 16, Clayton asked his father Brian to purchase a second-hand Precision for him when Brian travelled to New York, as he felt he needed a better guitar to master the instrument.[7] For the rest of his career, he has mainly been known for using variousFender Precision andJazz basses. Clayton's Precision basses have been modified with a Fender Jazzneck. In an interview withBass 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.[22]
In 2011, theFender Custom Shop produced a limited-edition signature Precision Bass built to Clayton's own specifications in a limited run of 60 pieces, featuring an alder body and a gold sparkle finish. In 2014, Fender announced a signature Adam Clayton Jazz Bass guitar, modelled after a Sherwood Green 1965 Jazz Bass he played during the 2001Elevation Tour.[28] In 2023, Fender unveiled a signature model of bass guitar amplifier designed in collaboration with Clayton, the ACB 50. It is a 50-watt, all-tube combo amplifier that emphasises mid-range distortion.[29]
Clayton's basses include:
For amplification, Clayton started out onAshdown amplifiers, and later switched toAguilar amplifiers.
Clayton served as the best man in Bono's wedding toAlison Hewson (née Stewart) in 1982.[34][35] He became a naturalised citizen ofIreland in 1989, whilst also retaining hisBritish citizenship.[36][37][38]
"Life was pretty chaotic. I don't really like that kind of intensity, I don't like that sort of activity, so whilst I was able to go along with it, I wasn't really in control, it would be fair to say. Every night was a party, but I don't think I felt much contentment or peace, that's for sure. I'd be fine during the day, I'd be fine for the gig but afterwards it was too easy to go out all night or just keep drinking in your room. I was beginning to realize that every time I drank, I couldn't really be sure of the result. And it always made the next day worse. So I decided to lay off and stop drinking during the final leg of the tour."
Clayton made the news in August 1989 when he was arrested in Dublin for carrying a small amount ofmarijuana. However, he avoided conviction by making a large donation to charity, and later commented: "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."[35] Clayton has also had alcohol problems, which came to a head during theZoo TV Tour. On 26 November 1993, he was so hung over that he was unable to play that night's show in Sydney, the dress rehearsal for theirZoo TV concert film. Bass duties had to be fulfilled by Clayton's technician Stuart Morgan. After that incident, he resolved to give up alcohol,[11] eventually beginning his sobriety in 1996.[40][41] On 26 June 2017, Clayton received the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award at theMusiCares 13th annual MAP Fund Benefit Concert in recognition of his commitment to helping others with addiction recovery.[42]
Clayton remained a bachelor for several decades until his marriage in 2013. During the early 1990s, he dated English supermodelNaomi Campbell. He also had a long-standing relationship with Suzanne "Susie" Smith, a former assistant to Paul McGuinness; they were engaged in 2006, but the pair broke up in February 2007.[43] In 2010, Clayton fathered a son with his then-partner, an unnamed French woman. In 2013, he confirmed that he was no longer in that relationship.[41][44] On 4 September 2013, Clayton married former human rights lawyer Mariana Teixeira de Carvalho in a ceremony in Dublin.[45]The Independent reported in 2015 that de Carvalho, originally from Brazil, works as a director at Michael Werner, a leading contemporary art gallery in London and New York.[46] On 25 July 2017, Clayton and his wife announced the birth of a daughter.[47] In 2024, the couple announced their divorce.[48]
In 2009 theHigh Court ordered the assets of Carol Hawkins, Clayton's former housekeeper and personal assistant, be frozen after it was reported that she misappropriated funds of €1.8 million.[49] At the subsequent trial that figure was stated to be €2.8 million.[50] Hawkins denied the charges but in 2012 was convicted by a jury of 181 counts of theft and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.[51]
In April 2024, Clayton was featured in an episode of BBC'sGardeners' World, showing his collection ofcamellia,magnolia andrhododendron at his Dublin home, to interviewerAdam Frost.[52] Clayton will also be a presenter on the television programmeBallroom Blitz, which was commissioned byRTÉ and will explore the history ofIrish showbands.[53]
In 2011 Clayton became an ambassador for the Dublin-basedSt Patrick's Hospital's Mental Health Service "Walk in My Shoes" facility.[54]
Clayton and U2 have won, among many other honours, 22Grammy Awards, includingBest Rock Duo or Group seven times,Album of the Year twice,Record of the Year twice,Song of the Year twice, andBest Rock Album twice.[3] In March 2005, Clayton was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of U2, in their first year of eligibility.[55][56]
Footnotes
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