Michael Bradley (musician)

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Michael Bradley
Mickey Bradley.jpg
Bradley performing with The Undertones in Newcastle, County Down in 2022.
Background information
Birth nameMichael Bradley
Born Derry
Genres Punk rock
Occupation(s) Musician, producer, DJ
Instrument Bass guitar,
Years active1976–1983, 1999–present

Michael "Mickey" Bradley is the bassist for the Northern Irish pop-punk band The Undertones.

Contents

Career

The Undertones

Bradley formed The Undertones in 1976. Their first single, "Teenage Kicks", went gold in the UK, and is also best known for being the most favoured song by late Disc Jockey John Peel. [1] [2] Subsequent songs charted averagely in comparison, and the band had their highest charted song in 1980, with "My Perfect Cousin", going to number nine in both the UK and Ireland. [3] [4] They had split up by 1983, but in 1999, all original members apart from lead singer Feargal Sharkey reformed the group, and Bradley still tours in the band, as of 2024.

In 2016, Bradley wrote a book titled Teenage Kicks: My Life as an Undertone. [5]

Radio

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. [6] 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.

Personal life

Bradley was born in Derry and is married to Elaine Duffy. They have four children. [7]

Bradley stopped doing music professionally in between the Undertones' break up. During this time, he worked as a Bicycle courier in SoHo. [8]

In October 2006, Bradley revealed that he had received treatment for bowel cancer. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Undertones</span> Northern Irish punk rock band

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stiff Little Fingers</span> Northern Irish punk rock band

Stiff Little Fingers are a Northern Irish punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star, doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They were the first punk band in Belfast to release a record – the "Suspect Device" single came out on their own independent label, Rigid Digits. Their album Inflammable Material, released in partnership with Rough Trade, became the first independent LP to enter the UK top 20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feargal Sharkey</span> Northern Ireland singer (born 1958)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Way or Another</span> 1979 single by Blondie

"One Way or Another" is a song by American new wave band Blondie from their 1978 album Parallel Lines. Lyrically, the song was inspired by Blondie frontwoman Deborah Harry's experience with a stalker in the early 1970s, an incident which forced her to move away from New Jersey. The song's music was composed by bassist Nigel Harrison, who introduced the Ventures-influenced track to keyboardist Jimmy Destri.

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

"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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudi (band)</span> Northern Irish band

Rudi were a punk rock/power pop band from Belfast formed in 1975. Throughout the late 1970s they were one of the most popular Northern Ireland punk bands but while The Undertones and Stiff Little Fingers secured record deals with major labels and had chart success, Rudi didn’t hit the big time and became 'the band that time forgot'. Rudi split in 1982. Their recordings can still be found today.

<i>The Undertones</i> (album) 1979 studio album by the Undertones

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.

<i>Hypnotised</i> (album) 1980 studio album by the Undertones

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Across the Line (radio show)</span>

Across the Line is a radio show on BBC Radio Ulster. It broadcasts Fridays from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, presented by Gemma Bradley, who also presents the national BBC Music Introducing on BBC Radio 1. It is also known for its website at www.bbc.co.uk/atl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John O'Neill (guitarist)</span> Northern Ireland-born punk/new wave musician (born 1957)

John Joseph O'Neill is a musician who is the rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter of the punk rock/new wave band the Undertones. 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.

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.

<i>Positive Touch</i> 1981 studio album by the Undertones

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.

<i>The Sin of Pride</i> 1983 studio album by the Undertones

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."

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

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Perfect Cousin</span> 1980 single by The Undertones

"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.

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

"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.

<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">It's Going to Happen!</span> 1981 single by The Undertones

"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.

<i>Good Vibrations</i> (film) 2013 British film

Good Vibrations is a 2013 comedy-drama film written by Colin Carberry and Glenn Patterson and directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn. It stars Richard Dormer, Jodie Whittaker, Adrian Dunbar, Liam Cunningham, Karl Johnson and Dylan Moran. It is based on the life of Terri Hooley, a record-store owner instrumental in developing Belfast's punk rock scene. The film was produced by Chris Martin, with Andrew Eaton, Bruno Charlesworth and David Holmes. Holmes also co-wrote the soundtrack score.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternative Ulster (song)</span> 1978 single by Stiff Little Fingers

"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.

References

  1. "Joshua Radin, Simple Times, Album". BPI. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. "So hard to beat". The Guardian. 2 November 2001. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  3. "UNDERTONES". Official Charts Company. 21 October 1978. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  4. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  5. Michael Bradley. "The story of Teenage Kicks: how a punk classic was born | Music". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  6. After Midnight with Mickey Playlist. BBC.co.uk (2009). Retrieved on 13 September 2013.
  7. Secrets and lies: Michael Bradley. Belfast Telegraph. 16 June 2007
  8. "MICHAEL BRADLEY | TEENAGE KICKS – MY LIFE AS AN UNDERTONE | CQAF2016" . Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  9. Musician speaks out on cancer. BBC News (7 November 2006). Retrieved on 13 September 2013.