John O'Neill (guitarist)

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John Joseph O'Neill
John O'Neill undertones.jpg
O'Neill in 2022
Background information
Birth nameJohn Joseph O'Neill
Also known asSean O'Neill
Born (1957-08-26) 26 August 1957 (age 66)
Derry, Northern Ireland
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentRhythm guitar
Years active1976–1994, 1999–present
Labels
Member of The Undertones
Formerly of That Petrol Emotion

John Joseph O'Neill (born 26 August 1957) is a musician who is the rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter of the punk rock/new wave band the Undertones. [1] O'Neill, along with his younger brother Vincent and friends Feargal Sharkey, Michael Bradley and Billy Doherty, founded the Undertones in 1975, but Vincent O'Neill was replaced the following year with his younger brother Damian O'Neill, who became the band's lead guitarist. [2]

Contents

John O'Neill wrote the majority of the band's singles and a number of album tracks [3] (occasionally collaborating with his brother Damian or Michael Bradley). Undertones songs written by John O'Neill include the singles "Teenage Kicks", "Jimmy Jimmy", "Here Comes the Summer" and "You've Got My Number", and such notable album tracks as "When Saturday Comes", "I Gotta Getta", "Girls That Don't Talk" and "You're Welcome".

After releasing four albums and 13 singles, the Undertones disbanded in 1983; [4] they reformed in November 1999. Since then, the band (who have a new lead singer, fellow Derry native Paul McLoone who also serves as a radio presenter for the Irish national and independent radio station Today FM) have released two more albums and performed a number of gigs in both the UK, Ireland, Europe and North America. [5]

In 1985, the O'Neill brothers formed That Petrol Emotion, an acclaimed rock act that disbanded in 1994. [6]

In the 1990s, he formed a trip hop group named Rare under the stage name Seán Ó'Néill with vocalist Mary Gallagher. Despite some positive reviews in the music press, they only had one notable chart appearance and disbanded shortly after the release of their only album in 1998.

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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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teenage Kicks</span> 1978 debut single by the Undertones

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It?)</span> 1979 single by The Undertones

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Here Comes the Summer</span> 1979 single by The Undertones

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Jimmy (song)</span> 1979 single by The Undertones

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wednesday Week</span> 1980 single by 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.

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References

  1. Heibutzki, Ralph. "Biography: The Undertones". All Media Guide. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  2. Teenage Kicks: My Life as an Undertone ISBN   978-1-78558-180-9 pp. 19-20
  3. "One Old 'Journal' Photograph, Two Future Stars and The Rest is History". Derry Journal. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  4. Teenage Kicks: My Life as an Undertone ISBN   978-1-78558-180-9 p. 217
  5. "Shows 1976-1983". Theundertones.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  6. The Rough Guide to Rock ISBN   978-1-858-28457-6 p. 1121

Further reading