![[Undertones]](/ub4.png)
Feargal Sharkey has been a pop star, on one level or another, for the last seven years.
![[Record Colector Undertones]](/feargal_bw.jpg) |
But there were still a few raised eyebrows at the end of last year, when "A Good Heart" his third solo single gave him a British No. 1 hit. As yet, the single hasn't showed up in the American charts, but it has the transatlantic crossover appeal which could make it as big a hit in the States as it has been in Europe - and which would make Feargal into an international superstar . |
It all seems a long way from Sharkey's early career with the Undertones, the finest punk band to come out of Northern Ireland. Few of the original punk crusaders enjoyed such consistent support from the music press as the Undertones, who were seen as the perfect singles band, a bunch of eternal teenagers who couldn't help themselves producing a string of catchy, incisive hits. In fact, the Undertones' final years saw them venturing far away from their original doses of three-minute fervour, and it could well have been the band's lack of success with their more ambitious releases that persuaded Feargal to adopt a more commercial approach when he finally launched his solo career.
The same critics who praised the Undertones for their exuberant wit and charm have been quick to criticise Sharkey's solo work for its lack of the same qualities. Reviewers have made the comparison between Feargal, and Paul Young and Alison Moyet, two other singers who lost their initial critical favour when they started to sell records to a wider audience. Feargal Sharkey is clearly unworried by his status in the press. He has recently visited America to plan a promotional campaign for the album, and he obviously expects to strike it big in the States. After such a long and varied career, who is to say that he wouldn't deserve it?
The Undertones were formed in the mid Seventies in Derry. Their line-up featured Sharkey on vocals, brothers John O'Neill (rhythm guitar) and Damian O'Neill (lead guitar and keyboards), Micky Bradley (bass) and Billy Doherty (drums). They sent an early demo tape to Good Vibrations, the most successful of the Northern Irish indie labels of the period, and were given the chance to make an EP, fronted by "Teenage Kicks".
From there, events moved on a pace. DJ John Peel gave "Teenage Kicks" constant airplay, and within a month of the record appearing, the group had been signed to Sire (home of the Ramones and the Talking Heads), who reissued "Teenage Kicks" in a more professional sleeve and then continued to release their records for another two years. Then, unhappy at Sire's attempts to break them in America, the Undertones left the label, under a deal whereby the rights to their early records would soon revert to the band. They signed with EMI, getting the chance to start their own company, Ardeck Records. After one more major hit, however, the band fell into personal difficulties, at the same time as they abruptly changed their musical style. In sales terms, they were never the same again.
The band eventually split in the early summer of 1983, after a few months' rest, Sharkey - the only member of the band not to compose material for the Undertones briefly joined Vince Clarke in the Assembly. There was then another hiatus, before Feargal signed to Madness's label, Zarjazz, for another one-off single. Then, another long gap - until his recent signing with Virgin eventually brought him his much-deserved success.
Feargal has been working with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics on his most recent project, and this in turn has led to a meeting with Bob Dylan (Feargal actually appeared in Dylan's most recent videos). Some kind of artistic collaboration between the three cannot be ruled out, which would show just how far this former punk has come !
Just 7,000 copies of this original EP were issued, before the record was snapped up by Sire. "Teenage Kicks" was one of the classics of 1978, a perfect slice of punk with a pop charm, complete with the requisite powerhouse rhythm guitar. Despite the standard punk vocals and solos, the song wasn't all that far removed from the glamrock of the Sweet and David Bowie. The other tracks were less distinctive, all falling into the three-chord stereotype that hundreds of British punk bands had adopted as a uniform, although "Emergency Cases" has a memorably amateurish two-note guitar solo.
This was the fourth single on Good Vibrations, a Northern Ireland independent with - to judge from the quality of the fold-out sleeve little money to iN,.Vest in fancy packaging. The back cover features some of the least distinct photographs of a band ever to grace a picture sleeve, placed alongside a much clearer shot of some classic Derry graffiti, announcing "The Undertones Are Shit". The sales of this EP proved otherwise.
The Sire reissue came just a month after the original indie release, packaged in a far more professional picture sleeve. Despite the sales already taken by the first pressing, this release reached No.31 in the U.K. charts.
This was the band's first collaboration with Roger Bechirian, having produced their debut themselves. "Get Over You" benefitted as a result, with the clear, crisp production lifting the song out of the standard punk rut, to which the group added some Ramones-like harmonies. One of Billy Docherty's rare compositions, "Really Really", surfaced on the flip - again the Ramones comparison seems the closest - together with the brief, jokey "She Can Only Say No". "Get Over You" only reached a disappointing No.57 in the charts.
The band's third single announced their future direction, as they moved a way from mainstream punk, and in troduced a snappier, more commercial edge into their music. "Jimmy Jimmy" also announced the emergence of Feargal Sharkey's unique vocal style, with its love-it or loath-it quaver, that was one of the first things the public could latch onto in the group. Even when they split, the average fan only knew the name of one member of the group.
"Jimmy Jimmy" was hinged around some fine instrumental work, however, notably churning rhythm guitar and tight bass and drums. On the flipside, Michael Bradley and Damian O'Neill came up with a minor classic. "Mars Bars" was a tongue-in-cheek 'advertisement' for the chocolate bar, which took in astronomy, David Bowie, and the famous 'work, rest & play' slogan, tossed together into an irresistible mixture. Quite deservedly, "Jimmy Jimmy" reached No.16.
The group's debut album appeared a month after their first major hit, "Jimmy Jimmy", which was included here. It received rave reviews for its blend of perfect pop and power-punk, on a set of fourteen original compositions. Only Feargal Sharkey was unrepresented in the composer credits. Besides their latest single, the album also included their forthcoming 45rpm release, albeit in a different form to that which was issued on a single. "The Undertones" charted immediately after its release, peaking at No, 13.
Sire Records seemed to like changing the track listing of their albums, an early Ramones LP had to have a song about glue-sniffing removed from its line-up after public protest, while one of the Searchers' albums for the labels underwent a change of cover design and contents. For this premature reissue, Sire added the band's early hits, "Teenage Kicks" and "Get Over You", to the track listing, bringing the album up to a total of sixteen songs. They also substituted the single remix of "Here Comes The Summer" - and changed the cover design, for good measure. It was this revised line-up which was included on later reissues of the LP .
This single followed in a glorious tradition of summer singles - short, simple, with its classic three-chord chorus, and very effective. The introduction of a tinny organ into the tight Undertones sound conjured up images of fairgrounds and beach huts, and added to the record's atmosphere. Completing the package was a picture sleeve made out like a postcard of Derry. Despite this attention to detail, the single stalled at No.34. On the flipside were "One Way Love", built around the guitar riff from the Monkees' "Last Train To Clarksville", and "Top Twenty", which signs off with a couple of lines from T Rex's "Solid Gold Easy Action".
"You've Got My Number" presented a doomier Undertones than on recent releases, coming closer to the sound of the Stranglers, and tipping the hat to mid-Sixties punk. So an original American punk song was a perfect complement to the A-side, and on "Let's Talk About Girls" (a Chocolate Watch Band song) Feargal Sharkey turned in a sneering, vicious vocal barely recognisable as coming from the same throat as his usual vulnerable quaver. The picture sleeve of,the single took the title at face value, and printed the catalogue numb in enormous red type.
The Undertones' biggest hit single - it reached No.9 in the Britii charts - marked a return to the straight pop approach of " Jimn Jimmy" and "Here Comes The Summer". This was the band's fiI A-side to be composed by Damian O'Neill and Michael Bradley rather than John O'Neill, and it was the first on which the lyric content was as important as the sound, not because of any gre sociological importance, but simply because the words told a stor The 'Subbuteo' packaging of the picture sleeve reflected the lyric perfectly.
On the flipside were two contrasting numbers, "Hard Luck" was tuneless instrumental with occasional vocal interjections, rath than a song, while "I Don't Wanna See You Again" was a short and bitter throwaway, clocking in at under one minute.
This was the band's highest charting album, reaching No.6. The Undertones were sceptical about its success, however, claiming that it sold only half as many copies as their first release, and that it was helped up the charts by clever 'marketing' techniques. These no doubt included the free mobile that was present with early copies.
Like their debut, this' album was produced by Roger Bechirian, who had struck up a very comfortable relationship with the band. The opening track, "More Songs About Chocolates And Girls", had two tongues in its cheek, it poked fun at the Undertones' adolescent image, and at the Talking Heads' rather pretentious album title ("More Songs About Buildings And Food" issued on Sire two years earlier). One non-original song was featured on the album, the old Drifters' classic "Under The Boardwalk", alongside two songs destined to appear on single, "My Perfect Cousin" and "Wed Week".
"Wed Week" was a slight change in direction, and easily the Undertones' subtlest single to date. That it reached No.11 was pro of the quality of the song, and also of the public impact that the previous single had made. John O'Neill's melodic love song could have come from a mid-Sixties Who or Kinks album, sounding distinctly like something Pete Townshend or Ray Davies might have knocked off one of their more romantic moments. The Sixties-style picture sleeve was the ideal complement to the record.
"Told You So" drew its inspiration from the same decade, and again suggested that the Kinks had become regular listening in the Vndertones' tour bus.
The band's first single for their own label was their most ambitious to date. Once again, it took Bradley and Damian O'Neill to come up with something a little different for the group, the song took staccato rhythm guitars and chiming leads, with a strong brass section that provided a beautiful cameo of sound before the song final faded away. The single reached No.18, and in many ways marked the furthest extension of the Undertones' original sound. From here on they would hardly be recognisable as the same band. The group had their best to give a sense of continuation, however, as this first record on a new label carried a catalogue number which reminded the public that this was the group's eighth single. On the flipside, 'Tommy Tate and the Torpedoes' provided a jokey throwaway, "Fairly In The Money Now".
It is one of the drawbacks of being a rock band that you are open to criticism whichever way you move. If you don't change, the press tell you that you should. If you do, then you are likely to be accused of betraying your fans, or losing touch with your roots. "The Positive Touch" caught the group in the middle of a radical shift in style, in between the "It's Going To Happen" and "Julie Ocean" singles. Some of the songs looked back to earlier times, while others suggested the band's future direction. This halfway house didn't please all of the critics, although sufficient Undertones fans remained to take this to No. 17 in the charts.
Rarely can a successful group have changed direction quite so suddenly and radically in the middle of a career. "Julie Ocean" was delicate, haunting ballad, which even by Undertones' standards was certainly serious, and maybe even pretentious. All trace of the band's punk origins had vanished, and in its place were the influence of Sixties bands like Love and the Velvet Underground (in their gentler moments). For a group often described as "eternal teenagers", "Julie Ocean" was a swift growth into adulthood, which obviously baffled the public, the single peaked at No.41, the band's last chart success with new material.
Late Sixties psychedelic music inspired this single, the first Undertones' release not to make the British charts. Arabic influences and acid-rock guitar combined for another gentle, melancholy piece, still further removed from the band who made "Teenage Kicks" and "My Perfect Cousin". On the flipside, "Life's Too Easy" was a more strident offering, though equally uncommercial. The cover artwork reflected the group's new seriousness, with a pastiche of Picasso decorating the sleeve. Subbuteo players were, it seemed, a thing of the past-
This was standard record company marketing procedure, if a group undertakes an unrecognisable change of direction, then remind the public what they used to sound like. These three singles appeared in identical fashion to their original releases, none of them charted.
Damian O'Neill and Michael Bradley combined forces to produce "The Love Parade", a song which evoked memories of the Doors, both with its title (remember "The Soft Parade") and its sound. At the same time, it sounded like a softer version of the Stranglers, who had, after all, pulled their inspiration from the same source. A well crafted song and another fine art sleeve weren't enough to take this into the charts, however.
The air of psychedelic dreaminess continued with "Like That" on the flipside of the 7" single. For the band's first 12" offering, however, they felt that they had to dip back into the past. The three extra tracks on the extended release all came from earlier albums, "Crises Of Mine" and "You're Welcome" from "The Positive Touch", and "Family Entertainment" from the group's very first long player .
By the time this album was released, the press had had time to catch up with the group's musical wanderings. This, their final LP, was coproduced by Mike Hedges with the group, and it included material in a variety of styles, as the inclusion of the band's last three singles suggests. Surprisingly, this LP received better reviews than anything the group had done in years, so it was unfortunate that the Undertones chose the weeks after its release in which to announce their split. "The Sin Of Pride" stands as the group's most ambitious achievement, and was a suitably impressive farewell from the band.
"Got To Have You Back" had been a Tamla Motown single by the Isley Brothers in the early summer of 1967, and its choice as a single was the Undertones' first non-original A-side. Instrumentally, it had echoes of Elvis Costello's Attractions, with a tinny organ sound whining away in the background. Vocally, it was closer to late Sixties U.K. performers like Chris Farlowe. The production was a little cluttered, but the record was still sufficiently commercial to be a hit The fact that it wasn't was an indication of how far the group had fallen from public favour.
On the flipside, the group returned to a more direct style, with a delicate, emotional ballad that could almost have been written in the pre-Beatles era. For the 12" version, the group pulled out a track from their current album, "The Sin Of Pride".
After the artiness of recent sleeve designs, "Got To Have You Back" appeared in a cover that featured simply yellow lettering on a blue background. The sleeves for both this release and its follow-up suggested that the Undertones - normally so careful about the presentation of their records - were losing interest.
For the Undertones' final single, John O'Neill conjured up memories of the group's original sound. For the first time in ages, Feargal Sharkey sounded like the man who had warbled his way through their early classics, and the band followed suit, although harmonica and Caribbean drums were added to their usual instrumental line-up, to give this very commercial song a reggae flavour. On the flipside, John O'Neill took lead vocals, on a song with a pleasant late Sixties feel that .was heightened by the introduction of a harpsichord. With the group effectively dead, it was somehow fitting that they should bow out with a track that sounded nothing like the Undertones.
TEENAGE KICKS - In May, the group split, and Sire reissued their first single. This wasn't an ordinary reissue, of course, both the original versions of "Teenage Kicks" (on Good Vibrations and Sire) had been four-track EPs, so as a gesture of goodwill and farewell to the band's fans, the single was chopped down to a two-track release this time. To get all four original tracks, you had to buy the 12" version. As a marketing ploy, however, this appears to have worked, the single charted at No. 60, the group's first 'hit' for nearly two years.
MY PERFECT COUSIN - This reissue of the band's biggest hit retained the full original track listing for both the 7" and 12" releases - the record company presumably felt that they couldn't offer the forty-three seconds of "I Don't Wanna See You Again" as an additional bonus on the 12". This release didn't chart, and ended the career of one of the great singles bands on a down-beat note.
thE UNDERTONES - HYPNOTISED - What better time to reissue the band's first two albums than when they have just split up? Although the Sire or-iginals were still very easy to find in 1983, the group's own company (with EMI) decided that the time was right for the records to appear under their own logo. Both records retained their Sire track listings - the second line-up, in the case of the debut album.
As a Christmas special, EMI compiled this double-set in a single sleeve (which featured a rather revolting cover design). It brought together all the group's A-sides on one disc, while all the B-sides and additional tracks from their 7" singles were included on the other. There was one omission, however, the long and rather tedious "Hard Luck (Again)" Undertones - the original flipside for "My Perfect Cousin" - was not included on either album. Also missing were the additional album tracks featured only on the 12" pressings of "The Love Parade" and "Got To Have You Back".
Original copies of this package featured a polythene strip attached to the cover, announcing the fact that the double-set was a limited edition. The idea was that the second album, containing the flipsides, would be dropped when this limited edition was exhausted. In fact, the set is still available as a double-album, though without the strip on the front cover. It seems unlikely that any copies of the single-LP were ever issued.
Feargal Sharkey lost little time in resuming his recording career, teaming up with Vince Clarke (whose previous band, Yazoo, had split in the same week as the Undertones) to form the Assembly, a one-off aggregation who produced this touching and delicate single. Despite the fact that it reached No.4 in the British charts, "Never Never" was not repeated, and the Assembly was 'disbanded'.
This was the first single to be released on the custom label run by Madness, and the group collaborated with Sharkey on this, his debut solo release. It shared some of the quirkiness associated with both acts, and charted reasonably well for a one-off release, reaching No.23.
In the early summer of 1985, Feargal signed a solo contract with Virgin Records. Its first result was this non-album single, which bore little relation to his previous work. Radio airplay was heavy, and the single rose to No.26 in the charts.
Maria McKee of the American band 'Lone Justice wrote the A-side, a poignant mid-pace song of lost love that struck a chord with the public, and eventually made the No.1 spot in Britain. The B-side of the 'single was a non-album track, with the extra cut on the 12" being an alternate version of a song from the "Feargal Sharkey" LP.
Feargal's first solo album has attracted much criticism from the music press, who feel betrayed by the distance he has travelled since his time with the Undertones. Sharkey is undoubtedly aiming for mainstream acceptance with this record, though it is far from being the bland, middle-of-the.road sell-out which the press have portrayed.
The album is produced by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, who has also co.written much of the material with Sharkey - the latter's debut as a serious songwriter. Among the strongest tracks are Chrissie Hynde's "Made To Measure", Sharkey and Stewart's "Ghost Train", and the same partnership's " Love And Hate". There is also an unusual version of the Bobby Womack/Rolling Stones hit, "It's All Over Now". The song selected as the most likely new single, however, is Benmont Tench's "You Little Fool", a nasty little number which takes a rather jaundiced view of any woman who dares to leave a man. This is one of the less enjoyable songs on an album which is, however, much more worthwhile than the music press reviews would have you believe.
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