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 (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O’Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradley (bass, vocals) and Billy Doherty (drums). By 1977 the band were performing their own three-chord pop punk material, which was performed alongside cover versions at concerts, primarily at the Casbah, where the band began to perform in February. In March 1978, the Undertones recorded a demo tape at Magee University in Derry and sent a copy of their recordings to influential DJ John Peel, requesting he play the songs on his radio programme. Peel replied to the band, offering to pay for a recording session in Belfast. In June 1978, the band recorded their debut four-song EP “Teenage Kicks” on a budget of only £200. The title song became a hit with support from John Peel, who considered “Teenage Kicks” his all-time favourite song, an opinion he held through to his death in 2004.
In January 1979, the Undertones recorded their eponymous debut album at Eden Studios in Acton, West London, using producer Roger Bechirian, whom the band had worked with for the first time the previous December, when Bechirian had produced the band’s second single, “Get Over You”. Much of the material upon their first album had been performed regularly at the Casbah, and the band were able to record this album in the space of less than four weeks. Following the release of “Get Over You” in February 1979, the Undertones’ eponymous debut album was released in May. The primary lyrical concern of the songs focused upon youthful relationships and adolescence. Three further punk singles: “Jimmy Jimmy”, “Here Comes The Summer” and “You Got My Number” were released between April and October 1979, each to critical acclaim.
In March 1980, the Undertones released their sixth single, “My Perfect Cousin”. The song, which had been written the previous summer by Damian O’Neill and Michael Bradley, reached number 9 in the UK charts and would subsequently prove to be the band’s highest-charting single in the United Kingdom. The following month the band’s second LP, Hypnotised was released. This album reached number 6 in the UK Album Chart, remaining in the Top 10 for one month. “Wednesday Week”—the second single to be released from Hypnotised—was released in July 1980. This single reached number 11 in the UK chart and remained in the Top 40 for a total of seven weeks.
Positive Touch was released in May 1981. This third album peaked at number 17 in the UK charts—remaining in the Top 40 for a total of four weeks. The album also received favourable reviews from several music critics and was listed by NME as one of the best albums to be released in 1981. The songs on this album indicated a change in both musical and lyrical influences: although the songs remained largely guitar orientated, the band had written songs which focused upon the Troubles in Northern Ireland such as “Crisis of Mine”, “You’re Welcome” and the single “It’s Going To Happen!”, which preceded the release of the LP and was inspired by the 1980–81 Hunger Strikes.
In March 1983, the Undertones released their fourth album, The Sin of Pride. This album, which drew inspiration from both soul and Motown, was produced by Mike Hedges. Feargal Sharkey is known to have stated he had worked harder upon this album than at any point in his singing career to date, and that he considers this album the finest the Undertones ever produced. The Sin of Pride was met with critical acclaim upon release, and the Undertones performed several gigs in both Scotland and England to promote the release of this album; it reached number 43 in the UK chart. The Undertones released two further studio singles in 1983; their first single, “Got To Have You Back”— was released in February and their second single, “Chain of Love”, was released in May. Both failed to make any major impact on the UK chart. The Undertones remain the most successful band to have emerged from Derry, and one of the most successful bands to have emerged from Northern Ireland.
