The Undertones
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).[5] 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.[6] 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,[7] citing musical differences as the reason for the break up.[8]
This article is about the punk rock band. For other uses, see Undertones (disambiguation).
The Undertones
Despite the backdrop of the Troubles in Derry and across Northern Ireland, the vast majority (though not all) of the material the Undertones released focused not upon the political climate,[9] but upon issues such as adolescence, teenage angst and heartbreak. AllMusic has stated that guitarists John and Damian O'Neill "mated infectious guitar hooks to 1960s garage, 1970s glam rock, and Feargal Sharkey's signature vocal quaver."[8]
In 1999, the Undertones reformed, replacing lead singer Sharkey with Paul McLoone.[10]
The Undertones remain the most successful band to have emerged from Derry,[9] and one of the most successful bands to have emerged from Northern Ireland.[11]
EMI
Positive Touch (1981–1982)
In December 1980, the Undertones announced their intention to split from Sire Records as they were unhappy with the lack of promotion they were receiving outside of the UK, particularly in the US. Following negotiations, their manager, Andy Ferguson, succeeded in the band retaining ownership rights to the material released on Sire Records; Ferguson subsequently signed the group to EMI in March 1981.[48]
On 4 January 1981, the band began recording their third album, Positive Touch, again at Wisseloord Studios,[24][49] and again with Roger Bechirian as producer. The band recorded a total of eight songs in five days before returning to Derry. Later the same month, the band returned to Wisseloord Studios to complete the recording of the LP. The songs on this album indicated a change in both musical and lyrical influences: although the songs remained largely guitar-oriented, 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 addition, several songs upon the LP included instruments such as pianos, saxophones, recorders and brass instruments, with two further songs ("Julie Ocean" and "It's Going To Happen!") drawing musical inspiration from contemporary artists Orange Juice and Dexy's Midnight Runners respectively. The band themselves were content with the change of influences for Positive Touch, which bassist Michael Bradley later described as a "natural progression" for the band,[50] adding that, at the time, consensus between the band members was that the songs upon the LP were their best yet.[51]
One month prior to the release of this third album, in April 1981, the Undertones embarked on their 'Positive Touch tour'; this tour saw the band perform a total of 36 gigs across the UK mainland in the space of less than two months.[40]
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.[52] 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,[53] although neither the album nor either of the singles released were as successful as any of the material released the previous year.[54]
Following the conclusion of their 'Positive Touch tour' in June 1981, the Undertones released their second single of 1981, "Julie Ocean". The single – an extended recording of the 90-second album version – was produced by Hugh Jones and Dave Balfe.
On 29 September 1981, the Undertones embarked on their biggest tour of continental Europe, which lasted until 20 October 1981 and saw the band perform a total of 19 concerts in six countries.[40]
1982 saw a lull in activity from the Undertones, who only performed live on a total of five occasions throughout the entire year. Two of these gigs were held in England, with three further live appearances held in the United States in August.[40] Much of the time the band spent together was devoted towards writing and recording songs for their next LP in their 8-track demo studio. Damian O'Neill, the Undertones' lead guitarist, later admitted: "We (had) definitely lost a bit of the spark. I don't know but I tend to think some of us got too complacent sitting in our homes in Derry."[55] The Undertones released two studio singles, "Beautiful Friend" and "The Love Parade", in February and October; both of these singles failed to make an impact upon the UK charts.[56]
The Sin of Pride (1983)
In March 1983, the Undertones released their fourth album, The Sin of Pride. This album, which drew inspiration from both soul and Motown,[57] was produced by Mike Hedges, who had replaced Roger Bechirian as the Undertones' producer following the 1981 release of Positive Touch. 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.[58] 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;[19] it reached number 43 in the UK chart.[n 4]
The Undertones released two further studio singles in 1983; their first single, "Got To Have You Back"—an Isley Brothers cover which was inspired by both ABC and Smokey Robinson—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.[60]
Disbandment
In April 1983, the Undertones embarked on their 'UK Sin of Pride tour' to promote their latest album.[19] By this stage in their career, the band were acutely aware of the pressure they were under from EMI, who were unhappy with the lack of chart success of much of the material the band had released since the release of their Positive Touch LP.[61] In addition, relations between various members of the band, in particular between Feargal Sharkey and John O'Neill, had deteriorated significantly. These factors led to Sharkey announcing his intentions to leave the Undertones during the 'European Tour 1983', which the group performed in May of that year.[62][n 5]
To fulfill agreed commitments, the Undertones remained together for a further two months, performing several gigs across continental Europe[40] before disbanding in mid-1983,[63] with their final concert being played at Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare in Ireland on 17 July.[40]
Media recognition
In a 2000 poll by Q to discover the 100 greatest British albums of all time as voted by the British public, the Undertones' eponymous debut LP was voted the 90th greatest British album.[82]
The Undertones have also been the subject of two documentaries: The first documentary to be produced: The Story of the Undertones: Teenage Kicks, was recorded in 2001 and released in 2004. Directed by Tom Collins, this 65-minute documentary was produced with the cooperation of John Peel, who interviews all current and former members of the band (with the exception of Vincent O'Neill) in addition to Seymour Stein and Eamonn McCann.[83] In this documentary, the band discuss their formation, career, subsequent careers, personal lives and 1999 reunion.[84]
The second documentary relating to The Undertones: Here Comes the Summer: The Undertones Story, was commissioned by the BBC[85] and broadcast on BBC Four in September 2012. This documentary also features with interviews with current and former members of the Undertones (excluding Feargal Sharkey) in addition to numerous fans, friends, journalists, and additional personnel involved in the band's recordings and career.[86]
The band were also portrayed in the 2013 film Good Vibrations about Terri Hooley and the Good Vibrations record label, featuring Jodie Whittaker and Richard Dormer.
Current members
Former members