Bono claims he once told Apple's Steve Jobs to 'Go f**k yourself'

U2's relationship with Apple hasn't always been cosy

Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl and co haven't been keeping details of their forthcoming record quiet, with Grohl dubbing it "awesome and explosive". What would be even more explosive, however, would be if they released it as a surprise - eight albums in, you've got to keep things fresh somehow.

Tags: U2

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Friday 24th October 2014 by Andy Morris | Photos by Wenn

Tags: U2

U2's frontman has revealed that he once had a furious row with Apple founder Steve Jobs, which included Bono saying 'go fuck yourself' and siding with Blackberry.

In the new issue of Rolling Stone, Bono describes how the band fell out with Apple - and had Blackberrry sponsor their 360 Tour in 2009 following a strongly worded argument.

"I had a tantrum, like a child," Bono tells the magazine, "and went to the competition."

Despite the row, Jobs maintained the partnership with Bono's (RED) charity and the two reconciled before Jobs passing. Bono's head still features on the logo of Apple's iTunes' app. "I've hacked into you before you even knew," he says. "I've been looking at you every time you pressed 'Music.'

On Jobs death in 2011, Bono said of the tech pioneer: “He changed music. He changed film. He changed the personal computer and turned telephony on its head while he was at it. He was tenacious in the extreme, his toughness never more evident than these past few years in his fight for his life as well as his companies". Bono described the Apple founder as "the hardware software Elvis.'”

Elsewhere in the issue, Bono also reveals that the band are not only working of new follow-up Songs Of Experience, but a third album. They plan to tour Songs Of Innocence in indoor venues, will take Songs Of Experience to festivals and larger stadiums, before launching a third LP. "Songs of Ascent will come," he promises. "And there are some beautiful songs."

Bono also discusses how he rewrote the lyrics to Songs Of Innocence track 'Iris' after reading murdered war reporter James Foley's letter to his family. "I realized," Bono says, "that we will all be remembered, and we remember our loved ones, by the least profound moments. The simplest moments. In the letter he says to his brother, 'I remember playing werewolf in the dark with you.'

"If I make a swift exit, stage left, my family and friends will not be thinking about debt cancelation or, you know, fighting for HIV/AIDS medication, or U2 being on the cover of Rolling Stone, or 50 million people listening to Songs of Innocence. They might remember some stupid face I made at breakfast."

Since its surprise release on 9 September, the band's 13th studio LP was downloaded 26 million times worldwide and has been apparently heard by 38 million people.

Below: Who could be the next artist to drop a surprise album on iTunes?