The Boomtown Rats are an Irish new wave band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985, including 'I Don't Like Mondays', which reached number 1 in the UK singles chart in 1979. The group is led by vocalist Bob Geldof. The other members of the original line-up were Garry Roberts (lead guitar), Johnnie Fingers (keyboard), Pete Briquette (bass), Gerry Cott (guitar) and Simon Crowe (drums). The Boomtown Rats broke up in 1986, but reformed in 2013, without Johnnie Fingers or Gerry Cott. Garry Roberts died in 2022. The band's fame and notability have been overshadowed by the charity work of frontman Bob Geldof, a former journalist with the New Musical Express.
Links To Peel[]
Peel played the band's debut single, 'Looking After No 1' in 1977 and voted the song at number 39 in his personal 1977 Festive Fifty. Peel would continue to support the band throughout the late 70's. Over the years he occasionally joined singer Bob Geldof in TV programmes including Music Of The Millennium and Grumpy Old Men. After Peel's death in 2004, Gerry Cott, the band's guitarist, paid tribute to the man: [1]
"When we started the Boomtown Rats, John, as he did with lots of other bands before and since, gave us a helping hand. It's still hard to believe he's gone. I loved listening to him on the radio. I will miss him very much."
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- 1977 Festive Fifty: Looking After Number One #39
Sessions[]
The Boomtown Rats - Peel Session 1977
1. Recorded: 1977-07-26. Broadcast: 03 August 1977. Repeated: 29 September 1977, 28 December 1977, 27 March 1978.
- Joey / Neon Heart / Looking After Number One / Mary Of The 4th Form
- "Neon Heart" available on A Tonic For The Troops CD reissue, 2005 (Mercury 982 677-4) . "Looking After Number One" available on Various Artists: Kats Karavan: The History Of John Peel On The Radio 4xCD, 2009 (Universal 271 415-1)
2. Recorded: 1978-05-15. Broadcast: 26 May 1978. Repeated: 05 June 1978, 01 January 1979, 25 June 1980
- Like Clockwork / Me And Howard Hughes / Living In An Island / (Watch Out For) The Normal People
Live[]
Recorded at the Rainbow Theatre, London: 1978-12-15. Broadcast: 23 December 1978
- Mary Of The 4th Form
- (I Never Loved) Eva Braun
- Close As You'll Ever Be
- Late Last Night
- Me And Howard Hughes
- Like Clockwork
- Joey's On The Street Again
- Kicks
- Rat Trap
- Don't Believe What You Read
- So Strange
- She's So Modern
- Lookin' After No.1
- Blind Date
Other Shows Played[]
Boomtown Rats - Looking After No. 1 (1977)
- 1977
- 12 July 1977: Lookin' After No.1 (7") Ensign ENY 4
- 11 August 1977: Lookin' After No.1 (7") Ensign ENY 4
- 16 August 1977: Lookin' After No.1 (7") Ensign ENY 4
- 22 August 1977: Lookin' After No.1 (7") Ensign ENY 4
- 30 August 1977: Neon Heart / Joey's On The Street Again / Mary Of The 4th Form
- PM031: She's Gonna Do You In (album - The Boomtown Rats) Ensign ENVY 1 31 August 1977 or 01 September 1977
- 13 September 1977: Mary Of The 4th Form (album - The Boomtown Rats) Ensign ENVY 1
- 13 September 1977: I Can Make It If You Can (album - The Boomtown Rats) Ensign ENVY 1
- 14 September 1977: Neon Heart (album - The Boomtown Rats) Ensign ENVY 1
- 16 September 1977: Kicks (album - The Boomtown Rats) Ensign ENVY 1
- 01 November 1977: Mary Of The 4th Form (7") Ensign ENY 9
- 01 November 1977: Do The Rat (7" - Mary Of The 4th Form) Ensign ENY 9
- 22 December 1977: Do The Rat (7" - Mary Of The 4th Form) Ensign ENY 9
- 23 December 1977: Lookin' After Number 1 (single) Ensign FF #39
- 1978
- 09 March 1978: She's So Modern
- 01 June 1978: Like Clockwork (7") Ensign
- 02 June 1978: How Do You Do? (7" - Like Clockwork) Ensign ENY 14
- 08 June 1978: Like Clockwork (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 08 June 1978: Me And Howard Hughes (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 08 June 1978: (I Never Loved) Eva Braun (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 08 June 1978: Can't Stop (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 08 June 1978: Rat Trap (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 15 June 1978: She's So Modern (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 15 June 1978: Me And Howard Hughes (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 15 June 1978: Don't Believe What You Read (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 20 June 1978: Blind Date (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 29 June 1978: Living In An Island (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 03 August 1978: Can't Stop (album - A Tonic For The Troops) Ensign ENVY 3
- 29 September 1978: Rat Trap (single) Ensign
- 02 October 1978: Rat Trap (7") Ensign
- 1979
- 28 May 1979: She's So Modern (Soundtrack LP - That Summer!) Arista
- 02 July 1979: I Don't Like Mondays (7") Ensign
- 12 July 1979: It's All The Rage (b/w I Don't Like Mondays) Ensign
- 05 May 1983 (TOTP): Looking After Number One