Teenage Kicks
| "Teenage Kicks" | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by The Undertones | ||||||||
| from the album The Undertones | ||||||||
| Released | September 1978 | |||||||
| Genre | Punk rock, Pop Punk | |||||||
| Label | Good Vibrations GOT 4 | |||||||
| Writer(s) | John O'Neill | |||||||
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"Teenage Kicks" is a 1978 song originally recorded by Northern Irish punk rock group The Undertones. Composed by the band's principal songwriter, John O'Neill, it was championed by DJ John Peel, and was his all-time favourite song.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Impact
[edit] John Peel
In 1978, John Peel played the song twice in a row on his Radio 1 show. Peel often rated new bands' songs with 1 to 5 stars. He liked "Teenage Kicks" so much he awarded 28 stars. In 2001 Peel had written in The Guardian that apart from his name all he wanted on his gravestone were the words, "Teenage dreams, so hard to beat", from the lyrics of "Teenage Kicks".[2] In February 2008, a headstone engraved with the line was placed on his grave in Great Finborough, Suffolk.[3][4] In 2004, a mural in tribute to Peel, featuring the opening line of the song, appeared on a Belfast flyover.[5]
Teenage Kicks - The Undertones is a 2001 documentary film directed by Tom Collins.[6]
[edit] Track listing
| Side one | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Written by | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Teenage Kicks" | J. J. O'Neill | 2:26 | ||||||
| 2. | "True Confessions" | J. J. O'Neill, Michael Bradley, Damian O'Neill | 1:53 | ||||||
| Side two | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Written by | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Smarter Than U" | J. J. O'Neill, Michael Bradley, Billy Doherty | 1:36 | ||||||
| 2. | "Emergency Cases" | J. J. O'Neill | 1:56 | ||||||
[edit] Cover versions
Teenage Kicks has been covered by numerous artists, Bands that have performed this song include:
. "Teenage Kicks" was acoustically covered by Snow Patrol in tribute to John Peel, and was played at his funeral. Fans of Derry City F.C. regularly sing the song during the team's games.
[edit] References
- ^ John Peel's favourite song
- ^ John Peel So hard to Beat, The Guardian, November 2, 2001. Accessed online August 31, 2006.
- ^ "DJ Peel's song sets the tone for gravestone". http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/dj_peel_s_song_sets_the_tone_for_gravestone_1_186925. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- ^ "DJ Peel is 6ft Undertones". http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article795475.ece.
- ^ Slow Thrills: Post-rock and Other Music: November 2004
- ^ Teenage Kicks: The Undertones (2001)
