"Listen to Your Father" | ||||
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Single by Feargal Sharkey | ||||
B-side | "Can I Say I Love You" | |||
Released | September 1984 [1] | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:14 | |||
Label | Virgin Records, Zarjazz | |||
Songwriter(s) | Carl Smyth | |||
Producer(s) | Feargal Sharkey Liquidator Productions | |||
Feargal Sharkey singles chronology | ||||
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"Listen to Your Father" is a song from Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, released as his non-album debut single in 1984. It was written by Carl Smyth, and produced by Sharkey and Liquidator Productions (i.e. the British ska band Madness). The song reached No. 23 in the UK and No. 22 in Ireland. [2] [3] The B-side, "Can I Say I Love You", was written by Smyth and Sharkey.
The single was the first to be released on Zarjazz Records, a sub-label of Virgin which had been formed that year by Madness. All members of Madness performed on the record minus lead singer Suggs. When "Listen to Your Father" became a hit, Sharkey left the label to sign with Virgin as Madness had not required him to sign a contract with their label. [4]
A music video was created to promote the song. Sharkey performed the song on popular UK music show Top of The Pops with members of Madness as backing musicians. [5] Madness members Smyth and Mark Bedford also appeared with Sharkey on UK show Saturday Starship to promote the single and the Zarjazz label. [6]
On 24 November 1985, the song was performed live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, during Madness' tour to promote their Mad Not Mad album. Sharkey performed lead vocals, with Madness singer Suggs introducing Sharkey as "Mr Teenage Kicks", referring to the Sharkey's hit song with his ex-band The Undertones. [7]
Upon its release, Paul Bursche of Number One wrote, "It's not a brilliant song but its sheer stomping, foot-tapping brightness almost guarantees Fergy a hit." [8] Paul Massey of the Aberdeen Evening Express stated, "I preferred him with the Undertones but this is still good - bold, brassy and powerful." [9] Frank Edmonds of the Bury Free Press gave the song a 9 out of 10 rating and described it as "a bouncy, vibrant single full of brass and all the life and drive which made the Undertones great". He added that Sharkey and Madness made a "good combination" and that Sharkey is "the most wonderfully distinctive voice in pop". [10]
Jim Reid of Record Mirror was less favourable, writing, "A Carl Smythe tune, 'Listen to Your Father' is the 4-4 stomp of early Madness without the winning melody and hook lines. Sharkey's voice isn't well served by the brassy jolting action. The Ulsterman deserves a more restrained treatment than this." [11] Vici MacDonald of Smash Hits stated, "This man has gone one of the best voices around. What, then, is he doing on this foul pub-rock thingy? A terrible waste!" [12]
No. | Title | Written by | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Listen to Your Father" | Carl Smyth | 3:14 |
2. | "Can I Say I Love You" | Smyth, Feargal Sharkey | 3:30 |
No. | Title | Written by | Length |
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1. | "Listen to Your Father" (Extended Version) | Smyth | 5:00 |
2. | "Can I Say I Love You" | Smyth, Sharkey | 3:52 |
Chart (1984) | Peak position |
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Irish Singles Chart [3] | 22 |
UK Singles Chart [2] | 23 |
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.
Madness are an English ska band from Camden Town, North London, who formed in 1976. One of the most prominent bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s two-tone ska revival, they continue to perform with six of the seven members of their original line-up. Madness's most successful period was from 1980 to 1986, when the band's songs spent a total of 214 weeks on the UK Singles Chart.
Seán Feargal Sharkey is a singer from Northern Ireland most widely known as the lead vocalist of punk band The Undertones in the 1970s and 1980s, and for solo works in the 1980s and 1990s. His 1985 solo single "A Good Heart" was an international success. 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.
Graham McPherson, known primarily by his stage name Suggs, is an English singer-songwriter, musician, radio personality and actor from Hastings, England.
The Madness is the only studio album by the British ska/pop band The Madness, a short-lived incarnation of Madness. It was originally released in mid-1988, on the label Virgin. The album was produced by the Three Eyes, a pseudonym, whose identities remain a mystery. With the demise of Madness and the group's own label Zarjazz, the Madness were directly recruited under Virgin Records.
Cathal Joseph "Carl" Smyth, also known as Chas Smash, is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His career spans more than 40 years. Smash came to prominence in the late 1970s as secondary vocalist, trumpet player and dancer for the English band Madness, with whom he was associated from their inception until 2014.
Zarjazz was a record label and sub-label of Virgin Records.
"A Good Heart" is a song by Northern Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, released as the first single from his self-titled debut album. It was released in 1985 on Virgin Records.
Utter Madness is a greatest hits album by the British pop band Madness, released on their own Zarjazz label through Virgin Records on 24 November 1986 shortly after the group's original split. It picks up from where the band's first greatest hits album Complete Madness left off, running from "Driving in My Car" to the last Madness single before their split, "(Waiting For) The Ghost Train".
Wish is the second solo album of former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey. Released in 1988, three years after his successful self-titled solo debut, the album was considered to be somewhat disappointing and was not as successful as its predecessor.
Songs from the Mardi Gras is the third and last solo album of former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey and was released in early 1991 on Virgin Records. Despite the somewhat non-commercial character of the music, the single "I've Got News for You" did make it into the UK Top 20.
"One Better Day" is a song by British band Madness from their 1984 album Keep Moving. The song, written by Graham McPherson and Mark Bedford, was released as a single in the United Kingdom, and spent seven weeks in the charts peaking at number 18.
"Never Never" is the title of the only single released by the Vince Clarke project, The Assembly, in 1983.
"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.
Lucky Seven Records were founded by the British band Madness.
"You Little Thief" is a song by Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, released in December 1985 as the second single from his self-titled debut album. It was written by Benmont Tench and produced by David A. Stewart. The song reached No. 5 in the United Kingdom and was a hit in several other countries, including Australia, Belgium, and Ireland.
"Someone to Somebody" is a song by Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, which was released in 1985 as the third single from his self-titled debut album. It was written by Geraldine L. Gooden, Michael Torrence, Thomas Gordy and Daniel Kane, and produced by David A. Stewart. The song reached No. 64 in the UK and No. 30 in Ireland.
"More Love" is a song by Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, released in 1988 as the first single from his second studio album Wish. It was written by Benmont Tench and produced by Danny Kortchmar. The song reached No. 44 in the UK. A music video was filmed to promote the single. The B-side, "A Breath of Scandal" was exclusive to the single, and was written and produced by Sharkey. A piano version of "More Love" was included on the 12" and CD formats of the single.
"Out of My System" is a song by Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, released in 1988 as the second single from his second studio album Wish. It was written by Eddie Chacon and Suzanne Valentine, and produced by Danny Kortchmar. The song failed to chart in the UK, but reached No. 45 in Italy.
"I've Got News for You" is a song by Irish singer Feargal Sharkey, released in 1991 as the first single from his third studio album Songs from the Mardi Gras. It was written by Sharkey and Dennis Morgan, and produced by Barry Beckett. The song reached No. 12 in the UK and No. 8 in Ireland.