"Hawkmoon 269" was recorded in
Hollywood,
California in
Sunset Sound studios. The name "Hawkmoon" was supposedly inspired by the town of Hawkmoon,
North Dakota, that U2 had passed through while on tour. However, there is no town in either North or South Dakota named Hawkmoon. This name may have been inspired by a Sam Shepard book. The number "269" in the title refers to the number of mixes the song went through before the final recorded version, according to
the Edge, who said they spent three weeks on the track.
Bob Dylan plays the Hammond organ on this track; he also collaborated with
Bono on writing "Love Rescue Me" for
Rattle and Hum. In addition, U2 covered the Dylan song "
All Along the Watchtower" during a live performance that appears on
Rattle and Hum. == References ==