The Undertones is a Northern Irish band formed in Derry in 1974 and originally composed of Feargal Sharkey, John O’Neill, Damian O’Neill, Michael Bradley and Billy Doherty.
They will have to wait 4 years and the year 1978 to see their career finally take off thanks to the providential help of the famous John Peel, DJ radio host on the BBC, who agrees to play demos recorded by the group. The same demos sent some time ago by the band to several labels and which they all refused.
This unexpected highlight allows them to record a mini album "Teenage kicks", a mini album from which the single of the same name will be extracted and which will meet with great esteem success.
This first success allows them to sign with the Sire Records label, a major label that allows them to release their first album "The Undertones" a year later in 1979. The album is a real success and produced several hits including "Get over you”, “Jimmy Jimmy”, “Here comes the summer” but also, and above all, "You've got my number (Why don't you use it ?)”, a flagship title that will remain as the biggest success of the album. These four titles will also be released in 1979.
Success confirmed and especially amplified the following year in 1980 with the release of the album “Hypnotized”, an album which produced the enormous “My perfect cousin”, a title which remains to this day their biggest record success, and to a lesser measure "Wednesday week".
The year 1981 saw the group change labels following strong differences with Sire Records to move to EMI. New label which allows them to release the album "Positive touch", an album with less success than its predecessor but still successful. In particular thanks to the titles "Julie ocean" and "It’s going to happen !", the latter giving the group one of its best Charts rankings. A title, like the rest of the album, which will openly deal with the disturbances that are shaking Northern Ireland hard at the start of the 1980s.
New album "The sin of pride" in 1983, album which will be the last for the group, at least in its version 80s. The album knows a mixed success, as the titles "The love parade" and "Got to have" you back ”which will be extracted from it.
Repeated failures that will hamper the dynamics of the group, which will eventually separate shortly after.
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others ...) :
Teenage kicks 1978
Jimmy Jimmy 1979
You’ve got my number (Why don’t you use it) 1979
My perfect cousin 1980
Wednesday week 1980
It’s going to happen 1981
Julie ocean 1981
Beautiful friend 1982
The love parade 1982
Got to have you back 1983
Chain of love 1983
Save me 1986
Clips :
1978 ... first title and first success. A title to say the least punchy for a group which is not less. Ideal start as they say ...
1979 ... the group immediately confirms all the good we could think of him. Of course, all the titles to come should not go so quickly but hey, at the end of the 1970s, everything is acceptable ...
1979 ... a year 1979 which saw them become one of the big phenomena of the moment. Each title released knows its heyday and de facto positions the group at the head of the leading pack ...
1980 ... a transition to the 80s perfectly successful with this title which will remain as the best classified of all their discography. A dazzling consecration to say the least, just like the tempo of their title. HU-GE !
1980 ... a year 1980 which will undoubtedly remain as their best vintage. We must therefore expect a slight deceleration in the years to come ...
1981 ... a year 1981 which saw them stay ahead of the race without too much difficulty. Their supercharged style still works just as well, although this style may go out of fashion very quickly ...
1981 ... a nice title full of finesse which shows that they also know how to do in this area. A healthy awareness and above all essential to be able to continue the adventure ...
1982 ... the beginning of the decline. As paradoxical as it may sound, the band's change of style is not really going to be successful for them. Go figure ...
1982 ... as soon as they leave in supercharged mode, the public returns as if by magic. Certainly, the level of success has nothing to do with it before, but it's always better than nothing ...
1983 ... the last year of existence. An adventure that will have lasted 5 years, certainly a minimal duration but which will have all the same allowed to produce several titles of big caliber !
1983 ... this title will not even be classified. The group is too braced on its bases and does not see the world changing around him. Fatal error...
1986 ... an almost 'posthumous' title since it will be released after the band has dissolved. Anyway, a nice title that it would have been a shame to hide ...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :