Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4).
Teenage Kicks (1978)
The Undertones fell into their best-known song almost by accident. Slapped onto an EP that was recorded only after the Northern Ireland-based band persuaded their singer to rejoin the group, "Teenage Kicks" was a Ramonesy ripper that caught fire after BBC DJ John Peel heard it and began championing it.
The band was formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1974 by five friends: brothers and guitarists John and Vincent O'Neill (the latter was replaced by younger brother Damian), singer Feargal Sharkey, bassist Michael Bradley and drummer Billy Doherty. When punk hit in late 1976, the Undertones went in that direction, inspired by the Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and others.
Written by rhythm guitarist John O'Neill, "Teenage Kicks" song was slapped together quickly once singer Feargal Sharkey agreed to record four songs for an EP. Inspired by the MC5 and the Ramones, the song was 2:28 of teen angst and it connected with Peel immediately. On his rating system of 1 to 5, Peel gave the song a 28.
"Are teenage dreams so hard to beat?/Everytime she walks down the street/Another girl in the neighborhood/Wish she was mine, she looks so good/I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight/Get teenage kicks right through the night."
Peel loved the song so much he said it was his favorite of all time, and he requested that lyrics from the song be engraved on his tombstone (he died in 2004).
"I'm gonna call her on the telephone/Have her over 'cause I'm all alone/I need excitement oh I need it bad/And it's the best I've ever had/I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight/Get teenage kicks right through the night, all right."
Seymour Stein, president of Sire Records, was in London on business when he heard Peel play the song on BBC Radio 1 and was interested in the Undertones. They signed a five-year contract and the single was re-released on Sire two weeks later. After making TV appearances and doing a Peel session on the radio, the Undertones saw "Teenage Kicks" go to #31 on the U.K. singles chart.
They released their self-titled debut in 1979 and toured the U.S. for the first time, opening for the Clash. The Undertones had a successful 1980 touring behind their second album Hypnotised, but felt Sire wasn't promoting them enough and jumped ship to EMI the following year. The band released two more albums over the next two years, but after seeing sales drop on their last album, 1983's The Sin of Pride, the band split up in mid-'83.
Sharkey had a successful solo career until the mid-'90s, while John and Damian O'Neill formed That Petrol Emotion in 1984. The Undertones reformed in 1999, but without Sharkey, who had been working as a music industry executive. The band went with singer Paul McLoone instead and have toured periodically over the last 25 years; they've also released two albums with McLoone.
Although it must be strange to be in their 60s singing about teenage kicks, the Undertones definitely owe their career to that song and the impact it had on one influential DJ.
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