THE UNDERTONES 

Get Over You/Really Really/She Can Only Say No

 Sire Records : SIR 4010

Here is a VERY GOOD copy of The Undertones classic second release, on the Sire Record label, 'Get Over You'.  The record dates from 1979.  This has the RARE picture sleeve in EXCELLENT condition.

The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975, the band members were five friends from Creggan and the Bogside, who originally drew inspiration from such artists as the Beatles, the Small Faces and Lindisfarne.  The band initially rehearsed cover versions at the home of the guitarists, brothers John and Damian O'Neill, and in the shed of a neighbour.  By the following year the group, at this stage still un-named, began playing gigs at minor local venues, including schools, parish halls and scout huts, where the band's lead singer, Feargal Sharkey, was a local scout leader.  Sharkey was also responsible for giving the band their first name: at the introduction to a gig at Saint Joseph's Secondary School in Derry on 16 March 1976, Feargal Sharkey was asked the name of the band and quickly replied "The Hot Rods".

Later that year, drummer Billy Doherty proposed an alternate name for the group: The Undertones, which Doherty had discovered in a history book.  The other members of the band agreed to the proposal.

With the arrival of punk rock in the winter of 1976, the artistic focus of the band changed.  Artists such as the Adverts, Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks and, particularly, the Ramones became major influences on the Undertones.

By 1977 the band were performing their own three-chord pop punk material, which was performed alongside cover versions at concerts, primarily at The Casbah, where the band began to perform in February of that year.  These gigs were the first performances for which The Undertones were actually paid: performing at The Casbah earned the group up to £40 a week.  This inspired the band to write and rehearse further material, as a means of remaining a popular act at this venue.  By the summer of that year the concerts The Undertones performed would include the song Teenage Kicks, which was written by guitarist John O'Neill in the summer of 1977.  The gigs performed at The Casbah gave The Undertones increased confidence in their musical ability, and in June 1977 they performed concerts outside of Derry for the first time, supporting a Dublin punk group named The Radiators From Space.

In March 1978, The Undertones recorded a demo tape at Magee University in Derry, and sent copies of the tape to various record companies in the hope of securing a record deal, but only received official letters of rejection.  The band had also sent a copy of their recordings to influential BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, requesting he play the songs on his radio programme.  Peel replied to the band, offering to pay for a recording session in Belfast.  On 16 June 1978, the band recorded their debut four-song EP "Teenage Kicks" on a budget of only £200.  The E.P. was produced by Dave Smyth in his studio Wizard Sound Studios in Lower Donegall Street, Belfast and was released on Belfast's Good Vibrations record label.  The title song became a hit with support from John Peel, who considered Teenage Kicks his all-time favourite song, an opinion he held of the song until his death in 2004.  Seymour Stein, president of Sire Records, heard Teenage Kicks on BBC radio and sent a London based representative named Paul McNally to Derry to discuss a record deal with the band.

The Undertones signed to Sire Records in September 1978 on a five-year contract, and the single was re-released on Sire's own label in October that year.  The same month, The Undertones performed Teenage Kicks on Top Of The Pops.  With help from DJ John Peel, Teenage Kicks reached number 31 in the UK charts. The following month, The Undertones embarked on their first tour of the U.K., which lasted for one month, as the supporting act for The Rezillos.

In January 1979, The Undertones recorded their eponymous debut album at Eden Studios in London, using producer Roger Bechirian, whom the band had worked with for the first time the previous December, when Bechirian had produced the band's second single, Get Over You. Following the release of Get Over You in February 1979, The Undertones' debut album was released in May.  The primary lyrical concern of the songs focused upon youthful relationships and adolescence.  Three further punk singles; Jimmy Jimmy, Here Comes The Summer and You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It)? were released between April and October 1979, each to critical acclaim.  In September, 1979, The Undertones toured America for the first time, supporting The Clash with eight concerts in six different States.

Following the You Got My Number tour of October 1979, The Undertones began recording the songs for their second album, Hypnotised at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands.  The recording of the songs began in December.  Ten songs were recorded before the band returned to Derry prior to Christmas to write and record further songs for the album.  Three further songs were written during this break: Tearproof, More Songs About Chocolate and Girls and Wednesday Week.

In January of 1980, the production of Hypnotised was finished at Eden Studios in London, with The Undertones recording the three further songs written the previous December, plus two further songs — Hypnotised and a cover of Under The Boardwalk — which had been written that month.

Hypnotised was released on 21 April 1980, and reached number 6 in the UK album chart, remaining in the top 10 for one month.  Two further singles, My Perfect Cousin and Wednesday Week, were released in March and July, reaching number 9 and 11 in the UK singles chart respectively, and making 1980 the band's most successful year in terms of chart sales.  In a review by Sounds magazine the same year, The Undertones were described as: 'possibly the best pop group in the English speaking world.' 

Between February and December of 1980, the band also performed five major tours, including another tour of America, this time as the headlining band, and their first tours of continental Europe.

In December 1980, The Undertones announced their intention to split from Sire records as they were unhappy with the lack of promotion they were receiving outside of the U.K., particularly in America.  Following negotiations, their manager, Andy Ferguson, signed the group to EMI.  In January, 1981, the band began recording their third album, Positive Touch, again at Wisseloord Studios.  This third album was released in May 1981.  The songs on this album indicated a change in both musical and lyrical influences; although the songs remained largely guitar-oriented, the band had written songs which focused on the Troubles in Northern Ireland such as Crisis Of Mine, You're Welcome and the single It's Going To Happen!, which preceded the release of the LP and was inspired by the Hunger Strikes.  Positive Touch, which peaked at number 17 in the U.K. charts, did receive favourable reviews from several critics, and was listed by NME as one of the best albums to be released in 1981.

Two months after the release of Positive Touch, The Undertones released their second single of 1981, Julie Ocean.  The single — an extended recording of the 90-second album version — was produced by Hugh Jones and Dave Balfe.  As with Positive Touch, each single was critically acclaimed, although neither the album nor either of the singles was as successful as any of the material released the previous year.  Following the release of their third album, the group embarked on their biggest European tour, which lasted from May until October 1981.

1982 saw a lull in activity from The Undertones, who only performed a single tour of continental Europe in August, and spent much of their time writing and recording songs for their next LP in their 8-track demo studio.  Damian O'Neill, the Undertones' lead guitarist, later admitted: "we (had) definitely lost a bit of the spark. I don't know but I tend to think some of us got too complacent sitting in our homes in Derry."  The Undertones did, however, release two studio singles, Beautiful Friend and The Love Parade, in February and October, however both of the singles failed to make an impact on the UK charts.

The record is in VERY GOOD condition and plays well with the usual surface noise as you would expect.  The card picture sleeve is in EXCELLENT condition with very slight creasing and ring wear.

All records are well packaged and sent recorded delivery in the UK, and with adequate compensation if sent abroad, for my piece of mind.

No Reserve
Good Luck and Happy Bidding