THE BOOMTOWN RATS – LOOKIN’ AFTER No. 1 12″ – Nr MINT- A1/B1 UK 1977 ORIG PUNK BOB GELDOF

The Boomtown Rats – Lookin’ After No. 1
(Ensign Records  1977  ENY4)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing

Vinyl in Nr MINT- condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Sleeve in Very Good condition
– wear to edges/corners & ringwear – pen mark top right corner

The Boomtown Rats are an Irish rock/new wave band originally formed in Dublin in 1975. Between 1977 and 1985, they had a series of Irish and UK hits including “Like Clockwork”, “Rat Trap”, “I Don’t Like Mondays” and “Banana Republic”. The original line-up comprised six musicians; five from Dún Laoghaire in County Dublin; Gerry Cott (rhythm guitar), Simon Crowe (drums), Johnnie Fingers (keyboards), Bob Geldof (vocals) and Garry Roberts (lead guitar), plus Fingers’ cousin Pete Briquette (bass). The Boomtown Rats broke up in 1986, but reformed in 2013, without Fingers or Cott. Garry Roberts died in 2022. The band’s fame and notability have been overshadowed by the charity work of frontman Bob Geldof, a former journalist with the New Musical Express.

“Lookin’ After No. 1” is the first single by The Boomtown Rats. It appears on their first album The Boomtown Rats. The single was released in August 1977 after the band had performed a five-date tour supporting Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. “Lookin’ After No. 1” was the first so-called new wave single to be playlisted by the BBC and the Boomtown Rats subsequently became the first New Wave band to be offered an appearance on Top of the Pops, performing the song. The song reached number 2 on the Irish Singles Chart and spent nine weeks in the UK Singles Chart reaching a peak of number 11. Different covers were produced for releases in the Netherlands and Japan. Reviewer David Clancy described the song as having a “breakneck sneering selfishness”.

Tracklist

• Bob Geldof – vocals, saxophone
• Pete Briquette – bass guitar, vocals
• Gerry Cott – guitar
• Johnnie Fingers – keyboards, vocals
• Simon Crowe – drums, vocals
• Garry Roberts – guitar, vocals