BOOMTOWN RATS

SHORT BIOGRAPHY:

The Boomtown Rats were an Irish punk rock band that had a series of hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof.

The band was originally formed under the name "The Nightlife Thugs," but they agreed on the name change to the "Boomtown Rats" after a gang in Woody Guthrie's autobiography, Bound for Glory.

The group moved to London in October 1976, and became influenced by the punk movement. They signed with Ensign Records and released their debut single, "Lookin' After No. 1", in August 1977. It was the first of nine straight singles to make the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart.

Their debut album, The Boomtown Rats, was released in September 1977, on Ensign in the UK and on Mercury Records in the United States, and featured another single, "Mary of the 4th Form".

The Rats' second album, A Tonic for the Troops, appeared in June 1978 in the UK. It featured three hit singles, "Like Clockwork", "She's So Modern" and "Rat Trap". A Tonic for the Troops was released in the U.S. on Columbia in February 1979, with two tracks from The Boomtown Rats substituted for tracks on the UK version.

Mutt Lange produced "Rat Trap", which became the first rock song by an Irish band to reach #1 in the UK, and the first of any description by an Irish band to top the official chart used by the BBC. In addition, "Rat Trap" was also the first new wave song to claim the number one spot.

In 1979, "I Don't Like Mondays", was released. The song was written in response to a California school shooting, and also reached #1 in the UK. The song was a worldwide hit.

The Fine Art of Surfacing was the band's third album. Besides "I Don't Like Mondays" the album also contained "Diamond Smiles" which became their next Top 10 hit in the UK and another hit-single "Someone's Looking at You".

In 1980 "Banana Republic" was released, which was their last Top 10 hit, and in the following year The Boomtown Rats next studio album Mondo Bongo was issued.
Here after their popularity waned, and the band final two albums did not achieve very much attension.
Bob Geldof later got involved with the Band Aid projects which secured him a name in Pop/Rock history.

Source: Wikipedia

Band Members:

Bob Geldof: Born 5 October 1951. Singer and songwriter. Later also known as author, occasional actor and political activist.

Johnnie Fingers: Born John Moylett, 10 September 1956. Pianist and a founding member. He was notable for his stage costume of striped pyjamas as well as his melodic piano style.

Pete Briquette: Born Patrick Andrew Cusack 2 July 1954. Bass guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional songwriter,

Gerry Cott: Born 15 October 1954,. Guitarist and songwriter.

Garry Roberts: Born 16th June 1954. Lead guitarist

Simon Crowe: Born April 14, 1955. Drummer.

Discography:

1. The Boomtown Rats - Ensign 1977

1. Lookin' After No. 1 / 2. Neon Heart / 3. Joey's on the Street Again / 4. Never Bite the Hand that Feeds / 5. Mary of the 4th Form / 6. Do You In / 7. Close as You'll Ever Be / 8. I Can Make It If You Can / 9. Kicks / 10* Doin' It Right (Live Demo) / 11. My Blues Away ( Live Demo)* / 12. A Second Time ( Live Demo)* / 13. Fanzine Hero (Live Demo)* / 14. Barefootin' ( Live)* / 15. Mary of the 4th Form (Single)*
Rating : 7

2. A Tonic for the Troops - Ensign 1978

1. Like Clockwork / 2. Blind Date / 3. (I Never Loved) Eva Braun / 4. She's So Modern / 5. Don't Believe What You Read / 6. Living in an Island / 7. Me and Howard Hughes / 8. Can't Stop / 9. (Watch Out For) The Normal People / 10. Rat Trap / 11. Lying Again* / 12. How Do You Do?* / 13. So Strange*
Rating : 8

3. The Fine Art of Surfacing - Ensign 1979

1. Someone's Looking at You / 2. Diamond Smiles / 3. Wind Chill Factor / 4. Having My Picture Taken / 5. Sleep / 6. I Don't Like Mondays / 7. Nothing Happened Today / 8. Keep It Up / 9. Nice N Neat / 10. When the Night Comes / 11. Episode #3* / 12. Real Different* / 13. How Do You Do?* 14. Late Last Nigh* 15. Nothing Happened Today (Live)*
Rating : 9

4. Mondo Bondo - Ensign 1981

1. Straight Up / 2. The Elephant's Graveyard / 3. This Is My Room / 4.Another Piece of Red / 5. Hurt Hurts / 6. Please Don't Go / 7. Fall Down / 8. Go Man Go! / 9. Under Their Thumb / 10. Banana Republic / 11. Whitehall 1212 / 12. Mood Mambo / 13. Cheerio* 14. Don't Talk to Me* 15. Another Piece of Red" (Live)*
Rating : 4

5. V Deep - Ensign 1982

1. He Watches It All / 2. Never in a Million Years / 3. Talking in Code / 4. The Bitter End / 5. The Little Death / 6. A Storm Breaks / 7. Up All Night / 8. House on Fire / 9. Charmed Lives / 10. Skin on Skin / 11. Say Hi to Mick / 12. No Hiding Place* / 13. House on Fire* / 14. Up All Night*
Rating : 5

6. In the Long Grass - Mercury 1984

1. Dave / 2. Over And Over / 3. Drag Me Down / 4. A Hold Of Me / 5. Another Sad Story / 6. Tonight / 7. Hard Times / 8. Lucky / 9. An Icicle In The Sun / 10. Up Or Down / 11. Dave (Single)* / 12. Walking Down Town* / 13. Precious Time */ 14. She's Not The Best*
Rating : 4

---

My Suggestion For a 80 minutes (app.) Best Of Compilation:

1. She's So Modern ( Geldof/Fingers ) A Tonic For the Troops
2. I Don't Like Mondays ( Geldof ) The Fine Art of Surfacing
3. Someone Looking at You ( Geldof ) The Fine Art of Surfacing
4. Me and Howard Hughes ( Geldof ) A Tonic For the Troops
5. Eva Braun ( Geldof ) A Tonic For the Troops
6. Living on an Island ( Geldof ) A Tonic For the Troops
7. Diamond Smiles ( Geldof ) The Fine Art of Surfacing
8. Another Piece of Red ( Geldof ) Mondo Bondo
9. Like Clockwork ( Geldof/Briquette/Crowe ) A Tonic For the Troops
10. Fall Down ( Geldof ) Mondo Bondo
11. Sleep ( Fingers ) The Fine Art of Surfacing
12. When the Night Comes ( Geldof ) The Fine Art of Surfacing
13. Never in a Million Years ( Geldof ) V Deep
14. Don't Talk to Me ( Geldof ) Mondo Bondo*
15. Joey's on the Street Again ( Geldof ) The Boomtown Rats
16. Looking After Number One ( Geldof ) The Boomtown Rats
17. Mary of the Fourth Form ( Geldof ) The Boomtown Rats
18. She's So Modern ( Geldof/Fingers ) A Tonic For the Troops
19. The Normal People ( Geldof ) A Tonic For the Troops
20. Cheerio ( Geldof ) Mondo Bondo*
21. Up All Night ( Geldof ) V Deep
22. Another Sad Story ( Fingers ) In the Long Grass
23. Hard Times ( Geldof ) In the Long Grass

---

LINKS:

Official Page

Essential Albums!

Original albums as listed and rated on “Rate Your Music” - May 29 - 2011

282 A Tonic For the Troops - 1978
313 The Fine Art of Surfacing - 1979
480 Boomtown Rats - 1977
702 V Deep - 1983
882 Mondo Bondo - 1981
Check and Rate Here!

August 15 - "rateyourmusic.com"

Back To GREAT BANDS

---

mehr

mail to:

mvindberg@yahoo.dk
Morten Vindberg