THE UNDERTONES – DEBUT LP – Nr MINT A1/B1 UK 1979 ORIG  PUNK

The Undertones
(Sire Records  1979  SRK6071)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing
“Porky Prime Cut” in dead wax

Sleeve & Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

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

The Undertones are a punk rock/New Wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975. 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). Although 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. 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, citing musical differences as the reason for the break up.

Despite the political climate in which the band had lived, the vast majority (though not all) of the material the band released focused not upon The Troubles, but upon issues such as adolescence, teenage angst and heartbreak. The merging of instruments has led AllMusic to state that guitarists John and Damian O’Neill “mated infectious guitar hooks to 1960s garage, 1970s glam rock, and Feargal Sharkey’s signature vocal quaver.”

In 1999, the Undertones reformed, replacing lead singer Feargal Sharkey with Paul McLoone.

The Undertones remain the most successful band to have emerged from Derry.

The Undertones is the 1979 debut album by The Undertones. The album was recorded at Eden Studios in London in early 1979 and released in May that year. The original release included just one single release: Jimmy Jimmy and an album version of Here Comes The Summer, which was never released as a single.

A re-released version of the album (housed in an alternate sleeve), was issued in October 1979. The re-released album also included the Undertones’ first two singles: Teenage Kicks and Get Over You alongside both Jimmy Jimmy and a single version of Here Comes The Summer, which had been released in July. In addition, the song Casbah Rock was included as the final track of the album.

Numerous polls conducted since 1979 have placed The Undertones as one of the greatest albums to be released in the 1970s and one of the Top 40 Punk/New Wave albums of all time, with the single Teenage Kicks being listed by the BBC Radio 2 as the 51st best song ever released.

Personnel

•    Feargal Sharkey – lead vocals
•    John O’Neill – rhythm guitar and backing vocals
•    Damian O’Neill – lead guitar, keyboard and backing vocals
•    Michael Bradley – bass guitar, lead vocals (on original album version of True Confessions) and backing vocals
•    Billy Doherty – drums

Tracklist