The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in
1975 and released their debut album ‘The
Undertones’ in 1979 which peaked at #13 in the UK
Charts.
John and Damian O'Neill partnered infectious guitar
hooks to '60s garage, '70s glam rock, with Feargal
Sharkey's signature vocal quaver. Those qualities
came together on their breakout hit "Teenage Kicks,"
whose simplicity harked back to '60s ideals of when
the song was king.
This classic debut record infuses so much unabashed
joy in two-minute three-chord pop songs, and
there's little pretension in their unapologetically
teenage worldview, that even the darker hints of life
in songs like the suicide-themed "Jimmy Jimmy" are
delivered with a sense of optimism at odds with so
many of their contemporaries.