"Jimmy Jimmy" is a Top 20 punk rock song originally written and recorded by

Northern Irish Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...

band

the Undertones The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradley ...

in the spring of 1979. The song was written by the band's main songwriter, John O'Neill, it was the Undertones' third single and was released on 20 April 1979, reaching number 16 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, making "Jimmy Jimmy" the Undertones' first Top 20 single. The song was included on both the original issue and subsequent reissue of the band's debut album, ''

The Undertones The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradley ...

''. Two versions of the single were issued: A conventional black vinyl version of the single housed in a yellow paper sleeve sporting a photograph of the band's lead singer,

Feargal Sharkey Seán Feargal Sharkey (born 13 August 1958) is a singer from Northern Ireland most widely known as the lead vocalist of punk band The Undertones in the 1970s and 1980s, and for solo works in the 1980s and 1990s. His 1985 solo single "A Good H ...

, as a youngster, holding a trophy he had won at a Fèis Doíre Colmcílle festival, and a green vinyl version—displaying the same image—housed in a clear plastic sleeve with a paper inlay detailing dates and venues of then-forthcoming gigs across the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The decision to simultaneously release "Jimmy Jimmy" on both coloured and traditional black vinyl was made by

Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer ...

to give the single a competitive edge in the charts following the relative commercial failure of the band's previous single, "Get over You".

Reception

Music journalist Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

Cliff White Cliff White (9 November 1945 – 25 January 2018) was a Grammy-winning British music journalist, critic and researcher. Biography White became a fan of rock and roll music in his early teens. After leaving school in London, he worked briefly ...

reviewed the single in the May 1979 edition of ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'', stating: "Hmm. Either my record player is on the brink or the Undertones have made a disappointingly weak slab of nothing special, stitched together from bits of other people's old rock hits.

Track listing

References

External links

* Jimmy Jimm
lyrics
* The Undertone
official website
{{The Undertones 1979 singles Sire Records singles Songs written by John O'Neill (guitarist) Songs about suicide The Undertones songs