Undertones anthology

It’s hard to believe that it’s now thirty years since the release of the Teenage Kicks EP by The Undertones.  Some things haven’t changed much.  A former Chancellor of the Exchequer (Jim Callaghan) had taken over from an elected Labour Prime Minister (Harold Wilson) and found himself in deep political trouble after a brief spell of initial popularity.
  This era of high inflation, economic uncertainty and political instability gave birth to punk and new wave music. This was treated with some hysteria by the popular press which demonised punk music and its disaffected fans as barbarian hordes bent on destroying ‘life as we know it’.
  That was then. Today, three decades later, we can look back on that time with some affection for the bands that outraged public decency; the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Rudi, Stiff Little Finger and The Undertones.    
  The Undertones began playing in the Casbah bar in Derry city centre before signing with Terri Hooley’s Good Vibrations record label.  They went stellar after Teenage Kicks was picked up by the influential Radio One presenter John Peel who regarded the song highly. The group signed up with the London label Sire, the home of The Ramones and Talking Heads. They went on to release four albums and a total of 13 singles before the band broke up in 1983 when Feargal Sharkey left to pursue a solo career.
  A facsimile limited edition 45rpm vinyl disc was released at the Good Vibes record shop in Belfast to celebrate the launch of the original Teenage Kicks EP.  For those who still have a vinyl record player in service, this is a good buy. It sounds terrific.
  Of greater interest to most Undertones fans is the simultaneous launch of The Undertones: an Anthology. This isn’t your average compilation album. It’s much more than that. The gatefold packaging display photographs and disc covers from the band’s heyday.  The first disc has 29 tracks.  All the expected hits – Teenage Kicks, Jimmy Jimmy, You’ve got my Number, Julie Ocean etc – are there.  What’s even more interesting for old fans is the second disc; 27 previously unreleased private demo tapes, some rough mixes and a few rehearsals.
  This is all bundled together with a useful booklet with a long essay by Mickey Bradley.  Mickey recalls the first gig in the Casbah, the Battle of the Bands against Rudi and The Outcasts in the McMordie Hall in Belfast, signing with Sire Records and the band’s last gig at Punchestown in 1983.  
  Damien O’Neill, who admits to being the ‘sad old hoarder and archivist of the group’ writes of rummaging through his treasure trove of old C60 and C90 cassettes to find rare gems for the second disc.  Listen for yourselves to see if he succeeded in sorting out the wheat from the chaff.  I rather think that he did well.
  The booklet doesn’t waste any space, offering a complete play list for both discs and lots of contemporary pictures, record cover images and old posters for the band.  No Undertones fan could hope for anything better.