The Undertones: True Confessions (Singles A's & B's) auf 2 CDs

Der Song ‘Teenage Kicks’ ist zweifellos das Aushängeschild der nordirischen Band (und John Peels Lieblingssong aller Zeiten), aber Feargal Sharkey und seine Mannen konnten mit zahlreichen weiteren Singles und auch deren starken B-Seiten im Laufe ihrer Karriere punkten.

Diese liebevoll gestaltete Compilation mit 16-seitigem, informativem Farbbooklet enthält nicht nur alle 7“-Single A- und B-Seiten, sondern auch alle B-Seiten, die auf EPs oder 12“-Singles erschienen sind. Insgesamt 32 Tracks, incl. ‘Teenage Kicks’, ‘True Confessions’ (von der Teenage Kicks EP), ‘My Perfect Cousin’, ‘Here Comes The Summer’, ‘Jimmy Jimmy’, ‘It’s Going To Happen’, ‘Julie Ocean’, ‘Wednesday Week’, ‘You’ve Got My Number’, ‘Got To Have You Back’ und ‘The Love Parade’.

It has been 33 years since The Undertones ripped a Derry-shaped hole in the public consciousness with Teenage Kicks, a perfectly crafted pop / punk-straddling tour de force and, notably, John Peel’s favourite ever song. Though their debut set the bar impossibly high, the hits didn’t stop there: True Confessions catalogues all of the band’s singles from Teenage Kicks to Jimmy Jimmy; My Perfect Cousin to Here Comes The Summer and more, together with all their fantastic B-sides.

In total, 13 singles were released by the band between September 1978 and May 1983. Four were top twenty hits, but surprisingly (given its truly seminal status) the most famous Undertones single ,Teenage Kicks, only staggered to the relatively modest heights of number 31. Not a lot of people know that.

It is a more widely acknowledged fact, of course, that singles are the currency of pop. The Undertones understood that as well as any band. Enjoy individually or irresponsibly!