The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill, Damian O'Neill, Michael Bradley and Billy Doherty (drums). Much of the earlier Undertones material drew influence from punk rock and new wave; the Undertones also incorporated elements of rock, glam rock and post-punk into material released after 1979, before citing soul and Motown as the influence for the material released upon their final album. The Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums between 1978 and 1983 before Sharkey announced his intention to leave the band in May 1983, citing musical differences as the reason for the break up.
Seán Feargal Sharkey is a singer from Northern Ireland. He was the lead vocalist of punk band The Undertones in the 1970s and 1980s, and a solo artist in the 1980s and 1990s. His 1985 solo single "A Good Heart" was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands. After becoming less musically active in the early 1990s, he has performed various roles supporting the UK's commercial music industry, winning several awards and honours for his work in that area.
"Teenage Kicks" is the debut single by Northern Irish punk rock band the Undertones. Written in the summer of 1977 by J.J. O'Neill, the band's rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter, the song was recorded on 15 June 1978 and initially released that September on independent Belfast record label Good Vibrations, before the band signed to Sire Records on 2 October 1978. Sire Records subsequently obtained all copyrights to the material released upon the Teenage Kicks EP and the song was re-released as a standard vinyl single on Sire's own label on 14 October that year, reaching number 31 in the UK Singles Chart two weeks after its release
"Sometimes" was the third single released from Northern Irish rock band Ash's third studio album, Free All Angels (2001). It was released on 9 July 2001 as two CD singles, as a 7-inch vinyl, and a DVD single. Although "Sometimes" reached only number 21 on the UK Singles Chart, it helped contribute to increase in sales for Free All Angels. The song also reached number 41 in Ireland.
The Undertones is the 1979 debut album by the Undertones. The album was recorded at Eden Studios in Acton, West London in January 1979 and was released in May that year. The original release included just one single release: "Jimmy Jimmy" and an album version of "Here Comes the Summer", which was never released as a single.
Hypnotised is a 1980 album released by the Undertones. The album, the second of four released by the band, was recorded at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands in December 1979, and at Eden Studios in London in January 1980, with the majority of the songs to appear on the album being written between March and December 1979. In addition, although the primary lyrical concern of the songs upon this album focused upon teenage angst, boisterousness, and heartbreak, several of the songs upon Hypnotised are notably both lyrically and musically more sophisticated than material released upon The Undertones.
That Petrol Emotion were a London-based Northern Ireland-originating band with an American vocalist, Steve Mack. It featured the O'Neill brothers from celebrated Derry pop-punk band The Undertones plus ex-members of fellow Derry bands Bam Bam and The Calling and The Corner Boys. They recorded five albums between 1986 and 1994, exploring an eclectic fusion of alternative rock, post-punk, garage rock and dance music which in part anticipated and overlapped with the dance-pop era of the 1990s.
Stephen Damian O'Neill is the lead guitarist in the pop-punk band, The Undertones. He joined the band following the departure of his older brother, Vincent, in 1976, and remained with the band until their break up in 1983. O'Neill wrote several album tracks and singles during the career of The Undertones, usually writing with bassist Michael Bradley.
Michael "Mickey" Bradley is the bassist for the Northern Irish pop punk band The Undertones. Bradley is also a radio producer for BBC Radio Foyle and presented a one-hour programme on Radio Ulster: "After Midnight with Mickey Bradley". The show featured tracks from the new wave/punk era. Bradley now presents a show titled "The Mickey Bradley Record Show" which airs from 7.30pm to 9.30pm every Friday night on BBC Radio Ulster with Bradley's discussing the records played with a Twitter audience.
Get What You Need is a 2003 studio album by an Irish power pop/punk rock band The Undertones. It is the band's first collection of new studio material since their reformation with new lead singer Paul McLoone, which occurred in November 1999. Allmusic stated in their review that "It's almost unthinkable, really, that Derry's fabled good-time teen punks of yesteryear would record and continue... let alone that their output would be anything less than embarrassing." The website also stated that "you have everything you need for a complete escape to more innocent, drunken, loutish times with a smile on the faces of everyone in your immediate vicinity" and recommended the album. Uncut Magazine gave a favorable review as well, remarking that its songs "inhabit the same ageless corner of garage band heaven as earlier classics". In contrast, Blender gave it two stars out of five—'mediocre'—and stated that "they sound more like a road-toughened bar band".
Good Vibrations was a Belfast record label and store. Founded by Terri Hooley in the early 1970s, Good Vibrations started out in a small derelict building on Great Victoria Street, Belfast. Good Vibrations began life as a record shop, opening in late 1976; it grew to become a popular record shop.
Positive Touch is a 1981 album by the Undertones. The album, the third to be released by the band and the last to be produced by Roger Bechirian, was recorded between January and February 1981 at Wisseloord studios in The Netherlands. The LP was released in May that year, reaching number 17 in the UK Albums Chart.
The Sin of Pride is the fourth and final album to be released by the original line-up of the Undertones. The album, which was produced by Mike Hedges, was recorded between the autumn of 1982 and the spring of 1983. Unlike the three previous albums released by the Undertones, which primarily consisted of guitar-oriented music, The Sin of Pride drew much inspiration from both Soul music and Motown. The band's lead singer, Feargal Sharkey, has opined The Sin of Pride as being "the finest Undertones album."
"You've Got My Number " is a 1979 punk rock song originally written and recorded by Northern Irish band the Undertones. Written in the summer of 1979 by the band's main songwriter, John O'Neill, the single was released on 9 October that year and reached number 32 in the UK charts. The song was performed live on Top of the Pops on 15 November 1979.
"My Perfect Cousin" is a song by Northern Irish punk rock band the Undertones. The song – inspired by an actual cousin of one of the band members – was written during the summer of 1979 and recorded at Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum in December 1979.
"Here Comes the Summer" is a song originally written and recorded by Northern Irish band the Undertones. The song was inspired by the Ramones and was written in 1978 by the band's principal songwriter, John O'Neill. It was included, initially as an album track, on their eponymous debut LP, which was released on 13 May 1979.
"Jimmy Jimmy" is a Top 20 punk rock song originally written and recorded by Northern Irish band the Undertones in the spring of 1979. The song was written by the band's main songwriter, John O'Neill, it was the Undertones' third single and was released on 20 April 1979, reaching number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, making "Jimmy Jimmy" the Undertones' first Top 20 single. The song was included on both the original issue and subsequent reissue of the band's debut album, The Undertones.
"Wednesday Week" is the seventh single released by the Undertones. The song was written in December 1979 by the band's rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter, John O' Neill, during a Christmas break the band had taken while recording their second album, Hypnotised. The song was notably more mellow than each of the six singles the band had released previously, drawing influences from mid-sixties acts such as the Kinks and the Beatles as opposed to punk rock acts such as the Ramones.
"It's Going to Happen!" is a new wave song originally written and recorded by Northern Irish band the Undertones. The song was written in the winter of 1980 and recorded at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands in January, 1981. "It's Going to Happen!" was the eighth single released by the band and the second single released to be co-written by lead guitarist Damian O'Neill and bassist Michael Bradley.
"Alternative Ulster" is the second single by the Northern Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers. Originally released as a single on 17 October 1978, the song later appeared on the band's 1979 debut studio album, Inflammable Material.
