"Silver and Gold" was written in support of the Artists United Against Apartheid project, which protested the South African apartheid. The song was originally featured on the project's 1985 album, Sun City, performed by Bono with Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones. It was re-recorded by U2 for the single while the band returned to Dublin during in May 1987 during a break between the first and second legs of The Joshua Tree Tour. The song was described by Musician as "tough and raw, with Bono in husky and confident voice, underpinned by a sinuous bass line, and with The Edge demonstrating his newfound prowess in blues-based guitar. "Silver and Gold" was played live on The Joshua Tree Tour several times, one performance of which was featured on the band's 1988 album and rockumentary, Rattle and Hum. Both the studio recording and the Sun City versions were later featured on the bonus disc of the 20th anniversary edition of The Joshua Tree. The studio version was also included on the limited edition B-sides bonus disk of the band's first compilation album, The Best of 1980 - 1990.
Album : Sun City.
Released : December 7, 1985.
Recorded : 1985.
Label : EMI Manhattan Records.
Producer : Steven Van Zandt, Arthur Baker.
Genre (s) : Rock, Post Punk.
