| Wish | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 28 March 1988 [1] | |||
| Studio | A&M (Hollywood, Los Angeles, California) | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Producer | Danny Kortchmar | |||
| Feargal Sharkey chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 U.S. album cover | ||||
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.
Upon release, Sharkey told the Sunday Independent : "I've never devoted myself so much to an album before, so if it comes out, and nobody gives a damn about it, I would be extremely disappointed, to say the least." [2]
"Blue Days" was inspired by the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Sharkey told the Sunday Independent: "It's about my last return to Derry, and how soul-destroying I found it, seeing what living there has done to all my old friends." [2] He added to Record Mirror : "I wrote the song because I believe that at the end of the day, despite sectarian differences, nobody is happy with what's going on in Ireland." The title was inspired by Rev Ian Paisley's comment: "We will never forsake the blue skies of Ulster for the grey mists of an Irish republic." [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Number One | [5] |
| Record Mirror |  [6] |
Upon release, John Aizlewood of Number One said: "So why is our Fearg hitless? One things for sure, it can't be the music. Wish is a steady grower which creeps up on you like exams, only it's fun to listen to! And does that voice fair quiver? It does indeed. Nice one Fearg, ignore the barrackers." [5] Billboard described the album as an "even-better follow-up" to Sharkey's debut, and one that "should soon be sitting firmly at the top of the charts". [7] Cash Box described the album as "a slickly-crafted collection of pop numbers that should finally enable the artist the edge at Top 40 radio he deserves" [8]
Stereo Review commented: "The first solo album by Feargal Sharkey was so subtle and understated that much of it barely registered. This time around, he's made a record that cannot go unnoticed. With the help of producer Danny Kortchmar, whose guitar playing is the instrumental heart of the album, Sharkey takes a measured soul turn." The reviewer praised five of the album's tracks as "gems", but then added the rest of material "gets thin". They concluded: "Five out of the ten tracks are hardly memorable, but the good ones are very good". [9]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cold, Cold Streets" | Danny Kortchmar, David Lasley, Feargal Sharkey | 5:16 |
| 2. | "More Love" | Benmont Tench | 4:35 |
| 3. | "Full Confession" | Danny Kortchmar, Feargal Sharkey, Tim Daly | 3:54 |
| 4. | "Please Don't Believe in Me" | David A. Stewart, Feargal Sharkey, Tim Daly | 4:49 |
| 5. | "Out of My System" | Eddie Chacon, Suzanne Valentine | 4:19 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "If This Is Love" | Feargal Sharkey, Maggie Lee, Tim Daly | 3:43 |
| 2. | "Strangest Girl in Paradise" | Danny Kortchmar, Feargal Sharkey | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Blue Days" | Danny Kortchmar, Feargal Sharkey, Waddy Wachtel | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Let Me Be" | Feargal Sharkey, Mark Goldenberg | 3:13 |
| 5. | "Safe to Touch" | Feargal Sharkey, Steve Jordan | 4:10 |
The CD release contains three changes to the track listing.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Strangest Girl in Paradise" | Danny Kortchmar, Feargal Sharkey | 4:20 |
| 7. | "Let Me Be" | Feargal Sharkey, Mark Goldenberg | 3:13 |
| 9. | "If This Is Love" | Feargal Sharkey, Maggie Lee, Tim Daly | 3:43 |
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [10] | 66 |
| Swedish Albums Chart [11] | 22 |
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