The Undertones - The Most Fascinating Facts Anywhere

The Undertones came out of Derry in the late 1970s with an extraordinary gift for turning everyday teenage experiences into unforgettable punk-pop. “Teenage Kicks” made them famous, but the story goes much further: a recording made in a garden shed, a John Peel session tape that turned up in his attic, a surprising shift towards soul and Motown, and a final original-line-up album that divided opinion. Here are 20 fascinating facts about the band.

The Undertones

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1. Their first recording studio was a garden shed

Before professional studios became part of their working lives, the Undertones recorded early material in Mrs Simms' shed at 23 Creggan Street in Derry. “Casbah Rock”, a raw instrumental from this period, eventually appeared on their 1979 debut album. The track is a little musical time capsule of the band learning their craft before their records reached a national audience.

2. “Casbah Rock” was not listed on the original album sleeve

Although “Casbah Rock” was credited on the record label of the original UK pressing of their debut LP, it was missing from the sleeve's track listing. The song's unusual recording history made it something of a hidden bonus for early buyers, and it illustrates how the band's home-recorded beginnings survived into their first proper album.

3. John Peel's missing session tape turned up in his attic

The Undertones recorded a John Peel session in October 1978. The master tape was long considered lost until Peel reportedly found it in his attic in the summer of 1992. Its recovery restored a piece of the band's early BBC history, including performances of “Get Over You”, “Top Twenty”, “She Can Only Say No” and “Male Model”.

4. “Mars Bars” was too commercial for the radio

The October 1978 Peel session is also associated with the song “Mars Bars”, although the band's official session history says it is only rumoured to have been recorded for that session. The track could not be broadcast because of its commercial content. It later became one of the more curious titles in the Undertones catalogue, with a reputation that outlived its modest origins.

5. Their early BBC sessions sometimes caught songs before they were finished

The band's May 1979 recordings of “Top Twenty”, “Whizz Kids”, “Nine Times Out of Ten” and “The Way Girls Talk” are described by the official website as early run-throughs rather than a recognised official Peel session. Peel played the recordings on air, but the distinction matters: the performances document the songs while they were still developing, rather than presenting a formal studio session.

6. “Teenage Kicks” was released on a Belfast independent label first

The single first appeared in September 1978 on Good Vibrations, the Belfast label run by record-shop owner Terri Hooley. That small independent release changed the band's prospects. John Peel championed the song, and the attention helped secure the group a deal with Sire Records, which reissued it and brought them to a much wider audience.

7. Their debut album originally did not include “Teenage Kicks”

The first UK pressing of The Undertones, released in May 1979, did not include “Teenage Kicks” on its original track listing. The album opened instead with “Family Entertainment”, “Girls Don't Like It” and “Male Model”. A later version added the famous single, which means different pressings of this hugely loved debut can have different track lists.

8. Their first album had a distinctive white cover

The original UK sleeve for The Undertones used a plain white background with two black-and-white photographs of the band against a brick wall in Derry. A red inner sleeve was also included, featuring an epitaph for the group. The photographs grounded the band in their hometown rather than presenting them as polished, distant rock stars.

9. They toured America supporting The Clash

In autumn 1979, the Undertones joined The Clash as a support act on the American leg of the Clash's tour. For a young group from Derry, the experience brought them onto much bigger stages and into the orbit of one of punk's most influential bands. John O'Neill later recalled being in awe of The Clash, but feeling too diffident to strike up a conversation.

10. They were fans of the Ramones but did not want to repeat themselves

The Ramones were a key influence on the Undertones' early sound, but John O'Neill later explained that the band knew they could not simply make the same record again and again. He had grown up seeing each new Beatles album as a fresh musical event. That desire to explore different influences helped lead to the more adventurous arrangements of their later records.

11. “Hypnotised” showed them stretching beyond their first punk-pop formula

The 1980 album Hypnotised retained the group's sharp guitar sound but included more variety than their debut. Songs such as “Wednesday Week”, “Tearproof” and “Girls Don't Talk” demonstrated their knack for concise pop songwriting, while the record also included their take on “Under the Boardwalk”. The band were already looking beyond the style that had made them famous.

12. “More Songs About Chocolate and Girls” was a playful answer to expectations

The title of the opening track on Hypnotised neatly captured the band's reputation for writing about everyday teenage concerns rather than trying to deliver grand political statements. The phrase also became an album title, a tongue-in-cheek declaration of the subjects they were happy to sing about. Their apparent simplicity was part of their appeal, not a lack of ambition.

13. “My Perfect Cousin” drew on a very familiar family rivalry

Released in 1980, “My Perfect Cousin” turned envy and family comparison into a sharply observed pop song. Its lyrics describe a cousin who seems to excel at everything, including games and school, while the narrator feels left behind. The song's specificity helped make it one of the band's most enduring singles, and its memorable video was directed by Julian Temple.

14. They brought brass and other unexpected instruments into “Positive Touch”

By the 1981 album Positive Touch, the Undertones were experimenting with a wider palette. Songs incorporated instruments including saxophones, brass, piano and recorders, moving them away from the stripped-back punk-pop of their earliest records. Guitarist Damian O'Neill later explained that the influence of Dexys Midnight Runners encouraged the band to use brass players in the studio.

15. “Julie Ocean” was influenced by Orange Juice

The sound of Positive Touch reflected the group's interest in other contemporary guitar bands as well as their older influences. “Julie Ocean” drew inspiration from Orange Juice, the Scottish group associated with a brighter, more intricate strand of post-punk and indie pop. The track shows how the Undertones could retain their melodic directness while letting new influences reshape the arrangement.

16. “It's Going to Happen!” had a connection with the Northern Ireland hunger strikes

The 1981 single “It's Going to Happen!” was partly inspired by the 1980–81 hunger strikes in Northern Ireland. While the Undertones were often known for avoiding overtly political lyrics, they did not completely ignore the circumstances around them. Their third album included songs that approached the tensions of the time more directly than their early material had done.

17. “The Sin of Pride” took them towards Motown and soul

Their fourth album, released in 1983, was a substantial departure from the group's earlier punk-pop. John O'Neill's growing interest in Northern soul, Marvin Gaye and the early Temptations influenced the songwriting. The resulting record featured richer arrangements and more expressive vocals from Feargal Sharkey, though the shift proved difficult for some fans and did not produce the commercial success the band hoped for.

18. Feargal Sharkey regarded “The Sin of Pride” as their finest album

Despite the album's disappointing commercial performance, Sharkey later said he had worked harder on it than on any other record in his singing career and considered it the band's best. The record has since been reassessed by critics and fans who appreciate its soul influences, vocal performances and willingness to move beyond the band's early formula.

19. The final album's sessions were tense

Bassist Michael Bradley later recalled that making The Sin of Pride involved difficult moments in the studio, with tension between Sharkey and songwriter John O'Neill. The record company also had input into the album after earlier releases had failed to meet expectations. The disagreements were part of a wider strain that eventually led to the original line-up's split in 1983.

20. The Undertones continued with a different singer after re-forming

After the original group split, John and Damian O'Neill went on to form That Petrol Emotion. The Undertones eventually returned to the stage in 1999, with Derry singer Paul McLoone taking over vocal duties from Feargal Sharkey. The re-formed group went on to record two new studio albums, Get What You Need in 2003 and Dig Yourself Deep in 2007, alongside regular live performances.