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Fundamental Books, Long Beach, MS (2026)

03/05/2024

BELFAST WILL NOT LEAVE ME ALONE!!

PROTEX IN PHILADELPHIA!!

TONIGHT!!

AT JOHNNY BRENDA'S

02/29/2024

WHAT THEY SAY:

Colin Campbell, Louder than war.com “One of the greatest joys of books like this is uncovering bands who now have disappeared under the cultural radar but still burned brightly for a moment before their Warhol quarter clock ticked to midnight . . . very well written . . . and could easily find a home with a mainstream publisher.”

Hugh Hodges, Chair, Department of English and Cultural Studies, Trent University “The Troubles (with music) is a wonderful resource; I’m looking forward to what comes next.”

Joe Moody (Zero), Androids/ Victim “Though the book is an academic study of the period, it will appeal to anyone interested or to anyone who was there . . . if you ever wanted to know the background of Ulster punk and the political, social and cultural origins that gave rise to it, this book would be a great place to start.”

Thomas Paul Burgess, Ruefrex/ Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Social Studies, University College Cork “. . . impressed with the level of detail/ scholarship that went into the book. It’s strikingly comprehensive. Jordan offers insights . . . that are balanced and don’t blanch from some hard truths . . . Ruefrex content accurately represents our place in the wider mosaic . . . you feel Jordan genuinely engaged with/understood the raison d’etre of (all) the
bands.

11/08/2023

Booking multiple bands for one event is never easy, and The Boys pulled out to be replaced by The Damned. Nevertheless, The Derry Dance looked promising until loyalist paramilitaries intervened. In its May 5th issue, New Musical Express held a spoof election for Westminster and ‘elected’ Joe Strummer; Point 11 of his ‘Riot Wing’s Manifesto’ called for “Troops and British out of Northern Ireland.” Upset that The Clash’s guitarist would appear in their city, the Londonderry branch of the Red Hand Commando (RHC) mailed editor Neil Spencer a handwritten death threat, warning Strummer not to come. Northern Ireland’s Special Branch believed it authentic, and sent detectives to London’s Vanilla Rehearsal Studios, and to advise against playing. At first, Strummer insisted on appearing, but without further explanation The Clash pulled out. With the loss of the largest draw and still concerned over security, The Undertones issued an apology and cancelled the event, arguing that they could not arrange insurance. In retrospect, Michael Bradley does not believe that the threat had any credibility - the RHC would have phoned a journalist or sent a typed statement to a newsroom (to show the sender’s authenticity). But there is no way to determine the Special Branch’s motive: were they sincere or trying to disrupt punk and new wave music?
Whatever disappointment The Undertones felt, subsequent news and events must have lessened their pain. In early September, John Peel selected three songs for his fortieth birthday and all-time Top Forty (Teenage kicks #2, Jimmy jimmy number three and Get over you #4). Later that month, The Undertones supported David Johansen and The Clash in North America; although they were offered the entire twenty-one dates in Canada and the United States, The Undertones accepted eight shows. CBS Records made The Clash a priority, and gave them a tour bus, as compared to the smaller van The Undertones used to travel between cities. Nevertheless, the only long distances were the nearly one thousand miles between the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago and the Orpheum Theater in Boston (given five days to make) and the 458 from Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theater to the Thèâtre St-Denis in Montreal. On October 9th, Sire released the band’s fifth single, You’ve got my number , which reached number thirty-two on the mainstream UK Singles Chart and #14 on Sounds’ alternative rankings. The B-side, Let’s talk about girls, covered the Chocolate Watch Band (an American group, released in 1967) ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 100-1).

11/07/2023

Being successful and having finished four sold-out shows at London’s Marquee Club (August 1st through the 4th), The Undertones looked to bolster Londonderry’s punk and new wave scene. They attended shows, lent out equipment and helped with a three-night event at the Orchard Gallery; the ‘Come and Feel the Noise Festival’ featured Dick Tracy and the Green Disaster, and The Moondogs. Dick Tracy had approached Orchard’s director about alternative gigs, and wanting local opportunities to expand from The Casbah, Declan McGonagle agreed. Originally a painter, McGonagle ran the gallery while making a name for himself in the art world. Needing additional performers, two newly formed groups were drafted, The Corner Boys (with an average age of fifteen) and the Idol Threats, while The Undertones made an impromptu appearance. They did so with a fill-in drummer, as Billy Doherty would not break a date. A few days later, the complete group played at Oscar’s, a local disco, and as a thank you for free rehearsal time. The event had enough stature that Harry Doherty wrote a report for Melody Maker.
With new groups forming in the Londonderry area, The Undertones decided to hold ‘The Derry Dance,’ a punk jamboree scheduled for August 25th. The event would be the city’s first live gathering since the ‘Free Derry Fleadh’ in mid-August 1969, which was a gala of traditional music that followed the Battle of the Bogside. Feargal Sharkey explained his band’s reasoning: “there’s so little live rock in Derry so we want the festival to be accessible to everyone in the community. We hope it will be a trouble-free day out for everyone.” They chose the Templemore Sports Complex and its sports fields, a suitable site due to its 60,000-fan capacity, location on the outskirts of Londonderry, and proximity to the city center. The Undertones planned to finance the event using monies earned at London’s Marquee Club, and to make the event more exciting, The Clash, The Moondogs and two British groups, The Boys from England and Scotland’s Shake (who had just signed to Sire), agreed to play ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 99-100).

11/06/2023

Suddenly, the deal with Sire made sense. The Undertones album reached #13 on the ‘UK Albums Chart,’ number forty-one in New Zealand, and in mid-May, #4 on Sounds’ alternative listings. A resurgence to number three occurred in early August, and overall, The Undertones stayed a mainstream success until late November. The band’s profile had clearly increased, as Dave McCullough gave "The Undertones" a five-star recommendation: the Derrymen were “a wee band of pure straight ahead magic” and their songs “powerful but bouncy three-minute pop, teenage dreamland sagas of dealing with the mental crises of acne, jealousy, courtly love and losing your cherry.” On June 11th, John Peel aired a third session.
On July 13th, Sire issued "Here comes the summer"/ "One way love" and "Top twenty" (all three being John O’Neill compositions). The title track had been included on the band’s debut LP, but the two songs on the B-side were new. Because devout fans will buy any album or single that a band produces, the market for 45s is often manipulated. Seven-inch records are cheaper (and easier for most youth to buy) and could have (as noted) a marketing ploy: such as colored vinyl and/ or a picture sleeve designed for collectors, and A-side tunes that are best suited for radio play. Accordingly, and as the other two tracks were done, the band re-recorded "Here comes the summer" at Nova Sound Studios in Marble Arch, and into a slightly sped up version more easily hummed. The Undertones’ shortest 45 RPM (1:45), and intended to commemorate The Ramones, the record reached #34 as a UK Single ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 97-8).

10/25/2023

In early March, "New Musical Express" received a bogus story that Billy Doherty had suffered a road accident and died in hospital, and duly printed a ‘Stop Press.’ Coming via telephone as the journal made its last edits, there was little time to confirm the facts. Mystified about the situation, Andy Ferguson rationalized: “someone obviously has it in for us. What kind of crank would do something like this?” On April 20th, a second Sire-produced single came out, with "Jimmy jimmy" on the A-side (written by John O’Neill, the band’s main songwriter), and "Mars bars" (which Michael Bradley and Damian O’Neill co-wrote) on the reverse. Taking advantage of marketing trends like color vinyl and extra tracks on limited editions, Sire printed two sleeves. Both featured a young Feargal Sharkey holding the trophy he had won at Derry’s Fèis Doíre Colmcílle festival. But one had black vinyl and a yellow cover, and the other a green disc, the same color sleeve, and an in-lay card with tour dates. Reviews were still limited and not always positive, as Giovanni Dadomo disliked the single: “for someone trying to fathom the attraction of The Undertones, this pedestrian effort, repetitive to the point of total tedium, is of no help at all.”
Still, "Jimmy jimmy" sold well, making #16 on the mainstream charts, and number two on the Alternative (May 12th), which allowed The Undertones to re-appear on "Top of the Pops." The band and their single were a topic for "Roundtable", a weekly radio show (early Friday evening) that Kid Jensen currently hosted. Various guests (deejays, musicians and other ‘personalities’) listened, talked about and ‘rated’ recent records, which they were encouraged to ‘slag off.’ However, Nick Lowe stated: “I think they are great! . . . Love the singer . . . delivers a song from the heart.” May saw a new tour of Great Britain, and the release of "The Undertones," the band’s first album. With a cover that sought to replicate the Ramones’ debut: a black and white picture, the band sat atop a short wall in Bull Park. Available for sale in the United Kingdom (on May 13th), Sire also began an international marketing campaign, as local editions were organized in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the United States (with an additional cassette version) ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 97-8).

10/24/2023

Nonetheless, the British who purchased records were impressed. The Undertones sold well, and in the ‘1978 Sounds’ Readers’ Poll’ they were the number five ‘Best New Band’ and "Teenage kicks" the sixth best single. With growing excitement, the group sat down to record new tracks. In December, Sire booked them into Eden Studios in west London, and with producer Roger Bechirian. Born in Calcutta India, Bechirian had earned an important niche inside the British new wave scene, having worked with Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe and Graham Parker. The session resulted in "Get over you," "Really really," and "She can only say no," and a single in late January 1979. During that month, The Undertones went on to record the songs for their first album (again with Bechirian and Eden).
The Undertones did a second Peel Session (taped on January 22nd and aired February 5th), with a set list that included: "Billy’s third"/ "Family entertainment"/ "Here comes the summer" and "Listening in." Despite Peel’s support, having a well-respected producer, the promotional backing of a larger label, and shows in Britain and Ireland, "Get over you" found moderate success. There were scant reviews in the music press, but in "Sounds," Sandy Robertson liked it because The Undertones were “not just a Clash or Ramones copy band” and that “the singer sounds like the guys in those old Irish showbands who (did) The Hucklebuck.” Get over you had a short run on the alternative charts, with Sounds placing it at number two (February 17th), and the record reached #57 on the mainstream charts ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 96-7).

10/23/2023

To maximize records sales, The Undertones began their first tour of Great Britain (early November). They supported The Rezillos, an Edinburgh-based band also signed to Sire, whose debut album had been released the previous July. "Can’t stand the Rezillos" mixed new wave with punk, to find chart success ( #16, mainstream) and an appearance on Top of the Pops. Moreover, having the same label, The Undertones did not have to pay the standard support fee. Unfortunately, Faye Fife developed scarring in her vocal cords, and The Rezillos’ vocalist dropped out after five shows. Tensions were already high within the Scottish group, and Sire looked for new acts to complete the subsequent dates. They chose Chelsea (who had three singles on Step-Forward Records) and John Otway (signed to Polydor Records, a Polygram subsidiary), while a relatively unknown Joy Division joined for several gigs. At the end of the British dates, The Undertones returned to Ulster to play both The Pound and their hometown.
Neither "Teenage kicks" nor performing live gave The Undertones the level of press coverage or the number of reviews that Stiff Little Fingers were receiving. Belfast-based correspondents for the British music press took little interest in Londonderry, and writers domiciled in London only ventured to other British cities for major events. Considering the problems with The Rezillos tour, these opportunities were even less frequent. Gavin Martin accused the band of disliking the music business because it was driven by the English and other "Sassenach," and noted that they opposed emigrating to London, a move that aspiring artists and journalists had to make. Martin had little to say about either "Teenage kicks" or The Undertones on stage except that their music “has a passing resemblance to (that of) Bryan Ferry,” and “provide(d) a raunchy rock ‘n’ roll show,” meaning raw and unprofessional ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 96).

10/19/2023

Sire operated under the assumption that a deal had been concluded (or decided that Hooley could do little about it) and rushed out a pressing of "True confessions." They also made plans for The Undertones to record their second single. How much can be contributed to Sire’s promotion or to Good Vibrations’ reputation is debatable, Teenage kicks found immediate success. Within Sounds, Dave McCullough reviewed the EP as a Good Vibrations release, proclaimed it his ‘Single of the Week’ and “destined to become a true classic pop record.” After becoming a Sire commodity and another ‘Pick of the Week,’ Teenage kicks entered the mainstream charts at #31 and The Undertones were invited onto Top of the Pops (October 26th). The band went through the program’s recording procedures and while Sire wanted them to stay for interviews, they refused and flew back to Londonderry to play the Rockin’ Chair pub. At its peak, "Teenage kicks" made #2 on the Sounds Alternative Chart, and remained in the Top Ten through February.
As has been shown, music is a business as well as an artistic pursuit and effective management is important to a band’s success. Without a hometown prospect, The Undertones considered the proprietors of Chester’s New Arcadia (Portrush), who were Newsreaders for BBC Northern Ireland. Because the club owners had little experience in the record industry and few, if any, connections in Great Britain, The Undertones accepted Andy Ferguson’s offer. With the financial windfall that a hit single and a contract with a major company brought, each band member received a weekly salary of thirty pounds, and additional revenues were allocated towards the future. Resolving business matters, the band and The Moondogs played a benefit for the Tristar Boys’ Football Club (in Londonderry on Halloween night, October 31st) ("The troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 95-6).

10/18/2023

The Undertones had every right to make a deal with Sire Records for future releases, as their verbal accord with Hooley was a One/ off, but including the "Teenage confessions" EP brought ethical and legal considerations. Nevertheless, Good Vibrations chose to fold and to negotiate its exit, and Paul McNally went to Belfast to conclude an agreement. Hooley wanted £500 to buy a van, which Sire agreed to if Good Vibrations conceded all rights to the recordings and limited future sales to existing stock. To complete the deal, Hooley flew to London at Sire’s expense, including accommodations, and delivered the master tapes. During this time, Hooley asserts that he received better offers for The Undertones - £22,000 from CBS and five thousand pounds from Solomon and Peres, but these would have implied future releases that Hooley could not deliver. Both the negotiations with Sire Records and feelers from major companies were common knowledge, or Hooley wanted them known, as Alternative Ulster reported on them.
As Hooley paid for the master tape, it was his property. Keeping a band on the label that received airplay and positive press, and whose record was selling, would not only have raised Good Vibrations’ profile, but help all the bands on his roster and those he signed in the future. Hooley asserts that he did not want to stand in the way of the band’s success, but keeping "True confessions" and leaving Sire to future recordings, would not have hindered either. If The Undertones had been from Belfast or eastern Ulster and were a consistent presence within local clubs and The Harp, would Hooley have stepped aside?
In his defense, Hooley had an interesting and productive plan, as Sire agreed to release a compilation album of Northern Irish bands. Such a record would have been good promotion for such groups and Good Vibrations, and possibly better than keeping the rights to "Teenage kicks." Sire must have agreed as they forwarded a contract that assigned them The Undertones EP, offered an additional $ 2,500 advance for the proposed LP, and asked for an exclusive, sixty-day option to any new act that Good Vibrations signed. Either intentionally or by ‘mistake,’ the document was not dated, making the offer invalid. Moreover, it contained a New York address and a clause giving a U.S. court jurisdiction over any dispute. Unless a large sum of money became involved, a small Ulster-based company would not have the resources to defend its rights in an American court. Accordingly, Hooley returned the document unsigned, asked for his master tapes, and continued to sell and repress his EP ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," 94-5).

10/17/2023

Sire’s investigative trip, and the responses from both The Undertones and Good Vibrations illustrate the predatory nature of the music business, and provides a lesson on its partnerships. During the two decades leading up to punk, major record companies regularly exploited smaller companies as talent scouts. An independent spent their time and knowledge ‘discovering’ new artists, but after development reached a sufficient point, the larger and wealthier organization often stole them away. This happened after Good Vibrations, Sire Records and The Undertones left The Casbah. Impressed, McNally offered the band a recording contract that included the British Isles and North America.
Although Hooley and Birch advised The Undertones against signing with Sire, as it was too early in their career, the young musicians eagerly bypassed Good Vibrations. On October 2nd, the entire band left for England, McNally picked them up at a London airport, and drove them to Stein’s apartment and to the obligatory ‘wining and dining.’ That evening and without the benefit of legal or managerial advice, The Undertones accepted a ten-thousand-pound advance and a five-year deal. The agreement allowed Sire to re-release the "Teenage confessions" EP and push Good Vibrations aside. Sharkey and his band mates were taken to see the Ramones and to an after-gig party, and then left for home. Becoming Londonderry’s first musical act to contract with an American or British label (since Dana), The Undertones held a celebratory concert in Bull Park. For support, Billy Doherty allowed Austin Barrett, his cousin and fellow drummer, and two friends to perform a mixture of power pop and punk. Having to choose a name for the event and being Beatle fans, ‘The Moondogs’ made their debut on the back of a coal lorry. The Undertones were invited for a Peel Session, which they recorded at Downtown Studios; with Stephen Nelson engineering and producing, John Peel paid the bill (seventy pounds), and on October 16th, aired the songs ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 93-4).

10/16/2023

What happened next constituted a big break for not only The Undertones, but for the Good Vibrations label. Although it was not his debut of the record, on September 12th, Peel played the other three songs, and then spun "Teenage kicks" twice in a row. For the first time on his show, the same tune was repeated consecutively, before: “isn’t that the most wonderful record you’ve ever heard,” and the deejay comparing Sharkey’s voice to Loudon Wainwright III’s. Over the subsequent fortnight, John Peel revisited "Teenage kicks" four additional times and every other track once.
On his way to a gig featuring The Searchers, Seymour Stein tuned into Peel and liked what he heard. Co-owner of Sire Records, a label that worked with the Ramones and the Talking Heads, Stein wanted The Undertones for North America. Before negotiating, however, he needed Paul McNally, his British manager, to see The Undertones perform. With no shows scheduled for Great Britain, this meant a trip to Northern Ireland. The London office had only two other employees - Pauline Oakley (an office assistant) and Andy Ferguson (a free-lance record plugger, who worked part time), - so on September 29th, McNally and Ian Birch (as noted, a writer for Melody Maker) travelled to Londonderry. Walking into a sold-out Casbah, they noticed the two hundred fans, outside without tickets, and that Terri Hooley had arrived. Accordingly, the next morning, band, label and Sire held a meeting ("The Troubles, with music: Ulster punk and British independents," p. 92-3).

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