Undertones

The Undertones were my favourite band for years.  There are some records you know so well that you don't need to play them and the first 2 Undertones lp's are like that for me.  I'd  revised them thoroughly in my teens and  it's all still there (unlike the stuff I should have been revising)....but I was pleasantly caught out by technology.  I'd had the cd reissue  of the first lp and knew it had b sides on as the extra tracks.....so I was not expecting to hear the most definitely A side quality You've got my number.

The lyrics are either a lesson in brevity, or else there was a lyric shortage in late 70's Derry and John O'Neil's mum forgot to queue up. The entire lyrics are ....

"You've got my number why don't you use it
  you know my name, you won't abuse it
  If you wanna wanna wanna have someone to talk to.
  I'll pick you up in my car, I'll  take you home it's not far.
  Why don't you ring my number
  To say goodbye I couldn't stand it,
  you've got my number why don't  you useit" 

 
I could still picture the sleeve, with it's one sided cut out for thepicture label to show through.In true stealth buffet style...I had to play it again.  (Twice nightly Richard Whitely)

Of course it all get's better because the next track was it's b side Let's talk about Girls.  The Undertones version is very close to the original. (Can't remember who did it first but it's on Nuggets)  It's a great garage rock record and I remember the Undertones playing it on their last tour in 83. The last minute or so is just the line "Let's talk about girls" repeated over and over , occasionally changed to "Let's talk about women"  before settling back to "Let's talk about girls." With  Feargal's "Honest , I'm not a virgin" toy tough  vocals and  boy boisterous ("How come the girls have all gone?") backing vox you just get the feeling that they're talking about girls because they don' t actually know any.  Which makes it a great pop record because, as we all know....The best songs are either about getting or not getting the girl.

Which brings us neatly to the  Ramones.
"Everyone else sang about cars and girls....but we didn't have cars or girlfriends"
What else is there to say apart from 1.2.3.4.