Rock and Roll Love Letter

I’ve been in a serious Undertones mood for a few weeks now (well possibly for the past 10 years, but I meant more so lately). Reaching what I would call an unhealthy obsession with playing a copy of their debut album at least twice a day. How lucky I am that CD’s don’t wear out (anyone else remember being told how the grooves in vinyl will heat up if you play a song twice in a row)?

For my money, The Undertones are a perfect pop band. 5 pimply teenagers from Derry, Northern Ireland fronted by the uniquely warbly voice of Feargal Sharkey playing brisk, jumpy, 3-chord wonders that stick pretty much to the topics of chocolate, girls, and teenage hijinx. I recently bought a documentary made about the band - “The Undertones: Teenage Kicks” where band members spend considerable time wandering the Irish countryside reminiscing with their guardian angel, the late BBC DJ John Peel. The documentary itself though is as much an upper as a downer. Hearing about the band’s early days and seeing Peel with the band who even now in their 40’s still reek of a sweet earnestness is lovely. But Sharkey, filmed sitting in a room somewhere quite far away from the rest of the band spends most of his on-air time being far from proud of singing in a truly seminal punk/pop band. Rather he gives the impression that he views his time with The Undertones as a lead up to his horrible solo career, capped with his odious soft rock single “A Good Heart.” Seems Sharkey was always a hired hand even in The Undertones, singing someone else’s lyrics to someone else’s music, a fact which he’s oddly self-righteous about. Lord only knows why.

I actually just corrected the band’s Wikipedia listing to include their 1999 reformation with new singer Paul McLoone, which led to 2003 the release of the surprisingly good CD “Get What You Need”. Who would have imagined the band could put out a release which would hardly suffer for lack of Sharkey’s unique vocals? And what is Sharkey up to nowadays? Hanging with all those other singers who refuse to tour with their old bands like Dennis DeYoung and Steve Perry?

Random linkology:
My favorite Undertones song. My recent obsession. And thank you for playing football in a video for no reason.