52 Weeks Of 'Teenage Kicks'
GUEST POST: Scott Hudson
Are Teenage Dreams So Hard To Beat?
As a wannabe teenage punk rocker stuck in South Dakota, I missed out on a lot of seminal bands and songs from that late ‘70s initial blast that changed the world. Sure, my life was changed by the likes of the Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Jam, and many others but thanks to the lack of print or radio outlets in my seemingly remote section of the country I was an otherwise clueless hick.
It wasn’t until I entered college in 1981 and volunteered for the university’s radio station that I discovered a song that today I can’t imagine living without. As a freshman, I was given the 2am-6 am graveyard shift, and happily spent hours browsing the station’s massive library.
It was during one of those nights that I pulled out The Undertones’ self-titled debut and, for no reason other than the title, gave “Teenage Kicks” a spin.
Maybe it wasn’t pure punk rock. Yet it was. It was also pure pop. It was power pop.
It was immediate love. In just over two minutes, I understood why John Peel considered this his favorite song ever. How was this not a gigantic hit all over the world? Lyrically, it was a natural progression of the “boy desires girl” history of rock and roll. It was my generation’s “I Want To Hold Your Hand”! It combined that perfect mix of lust and self-doubt.
Musically, maybe it wasn’t pure punk rock. Yet it was. It was also pure pop. It was power pop. As my friend Link West recently said, “it’s 50% bubblegum and 50% booty call”. (Honestly, it can probably also be blamed for decades of really bad pop punk.)
As the years went on I came to learn more about the band that created this mixtape mainstay. They came together in Derry, Ireland in the mid-70s, but instead of creating the soundtrack of that country’s growing political violence they sang about adolescent angst and heartbreak. Lead singer Feargal Sharkey’s quavering vocals were perfectly suited for those concerns, and brothers John and Damian O’Neill’s shimmering guitars combined elements of the British Invasion and glam rock, a combo that became the template for hundreds of alternative bands in subsequent decades.
The Undertones, though, are not a one-song band. That entire debut album is a must-have for everybody. In fact, their initial run of four albums between 1979 and 1983 are all full of treats. But “Teenage Kicks” is an all-timer. It’s a song that has never gone away, and it’s still a thrill when a band pulls it out for a surprise encore or a B-side.
In fact, one of my biggest thrills in recent years was at a Tommy Stinson show at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Standing up against the stage barrier I immediately became the worst sort of fanboy in the world when Stinson suddenly launched into that simple yet immediately recognizable riff.
I Need Excitement Oh I Need It Bad
As a DJ on realpunkradio.com for around a dozen years with a show called “The Ledge,” a “Teenage Kicks” cover was a surefire way of getting some airplay. A few months ago when I was going through my master library to put together an episode, I was astonished to discover that I had over 30 versions of the song. I filed this away in my mind but at that point wasn’t sure how I could utilize this information. (More research saw this folder expand to around 60 different covers!)
This folder does prove it’s a song that you really can’t screw up. Outside of One Direction strangely combining it with Blondie’s “One Way Or Another,” I can’t say I've heard a version I don’t like. Most artists, of course, do it pretty straightforwardly. Billy Childish, The Vibrators, Boris the Sprinkler, The Mahones, and Die Toten Hosen (featuring Undertones’ guitarist Damin O’Neill).
It was my generation’s ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand!’ It combined that perfect mix of lust and self-doubt.
Showcasing the universal appeal of the lyrics, a ton of female-led bands have also taken a turn, including Thee Headcoatees, Dollyrots, Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents, and The Knee-Hi’s. The Pristeens took a few lyrical liberties with their amazing “Teenage Dicks” that first saw release on The Hound, 2020’s collection of demos.
Others have experimented with different styles, such as The Coal Porters, The Liminanas, Nouvelle Vague, and former Young Ones’ star Adrian Edmundson’s mandolin-led Bad Shepherds.
And if you really need to put a smile on your face, go watch the jubilance of these 700 Irish students as they sing it.
And It's The Best, I've Ever Had
It was in early December that I stumbled upon the perfect plan to utilize my collection. I had read that a great early ‘90s Minneapolis band, Loose Rails, were playing a reunion show. They had a great 1992 record, Red Turns To Green, that was released on Crackpot Records, and I went to Discogs to see if they had ever put out anything else. A giant smile broke out when I saw that a year later they had released a cover of “Teenage Kicks” as the B-side of their “You’ve Got Mine” 7-inch.
I needed this record, and a friend of a friend hooked me up with band member Matt Potts, who so thoughtfully sent me a physical copy of the record. At the same time, I decided to create a sub-theme for my little radio show called “52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks.” Every show this year will kick off with an interpretation of this classic.
52 Weeks Of ‘Teenage Kicks’
Obviously, it would be easy enough to just rely on my existing library, but isn’t it more fun to debut brand new recordings? This is why I’m reaching out to all labels, artists, and listeners to submit their own tracks.
Rum Bar Records head honcho “Malibu Lou” Mansdorf was the first person I reached out to about this idea, and within an hour he responded with a demo he recorded way back in 1996! A trio of listeners have also already sent in their home demos, and I have promises from punk and power pop artists in Denmark, England, and the U.S.
I’d love to air as many original recordings as possible. It can be a live recording from years ago, a never used demo, a solo bedroom recording, or from a full-on studio session. It can also be in any genre. Experiment to your heart’s delight!
Have any questions or have a track to submit? Hit me up at paulisded@gmail.com!
Former Tempest and Argus Leader music writer Scott Hudson started his punk/garage/indie rock podcast The Ledge in 2010. Over 550 episodes later, the show can be heard every Friday night at 7 pm ET at realpunkradio.com, and later on most podcast sites.
Five More ‘Teen’ Tracks
A few additional songs hand-selected by S.W. Lauden
Meant to attach this, it's an extract from my book - challenge69.substack.com - with TKs appearing at #2 on the (loosely autobiographical) lead character's list of all time favourite pop songs:
4) ‘Another Girl, Another Planet’ by The Only Ones – not Perrett’s finest lyrical hour, but never has a song had a finer more irresistible rhythm, or a catchier chorus. Highest chart position 57, really!
3) ‘Girl from Mars’ by Ash – a beautifully structured song with clever teen words, its eponymous Martian love interest proving metaphorically unobtainable, but the point where the chorus kicks back in, from a quiet bridge, is pure genius.
2) ‘Teenage Kicks’ by The Undertones – the opening drumbeat hooks you, but the verses finish the job off, with a repeating guitar line perfectly underlining Feargal’s yearning each time his girl walks down the street.
1) ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ by The Cure – Pop precision. Jangly guitars drive Robert’s growing heartache, until it reaches the unmatchable pathos of misjudging the relationship’s limit and pushing the girl too far. Gets you every time.
A year of TKs covers, awesome!
I'm sure you've probably got it on the list, but I've always enjoyed the (pretty faithful) version the Northern Irish band Ash often play as part of their encores (and there is a recorded version available)