Like Clockwork
Encyclopedia
"Like Clockwork" is a single by The Boomtown Rats
. It was the band's first to break the top ten in the British charts reaching number 6. Described as simple, cool,
in concerts supporting A Tonic for the Troops
the song's agitated, staccato bassline made it a common show opener. The song features a nod to the John Lennon Song God. The B-side, "How do you do?" was a typical fast-paced punk/new-wave song in the mould of the band's earlier work. However, the Irish version of the single, released on Mulligan Records, substituted the B-side "D.U.N L.A.O.G.H.A.I.R.E", a tongue in cheek samba discussing the spelling of the band's home town, Dún Laoghaire
. The latter was later released in the UK as a free Flexidisc
distributed by Flexipop Magazine
in January 1981.
The Boomtown Rats
The Boomtown Rats were an Irish punk rock band that had a series of Irish and UK hits between 1977 and 1985. They were led by vocalist Bob Geldof.-Biography:All six members were originally from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland...
. It was the band's first to break the top ten in the British charts reaching number 6. Described as simple, cool,
in concerts supporting A Tonic for the Troops
A Tonic for the Troops
A Tonic for the Troops was The Boomtown Rats' second album and included the hit singles "She's So Modern", "Like Clockwork" and "Rat Trap".The album featured dark themes in an often upbeat, pop-punk style...
the song's agitated, staccato bassline made it a common show opener. The song features a nod to the John Lennon Song God. The B-side, "How do you do?" was a typical fast-paced punk/new-wave song in the mould of the band's earlier work. However, the Irish version of the single, released on Mulligan Records, substituted the B-side "D.U.N L.A.O.G.H.A.I.R.E", a tongue in cheek samba discussing the spelling of the band's home town, Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
. The latter was later released in the UK as a free Flexidisc
Flexi disc
The flexi disc is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable...
distributed by Flexipop Magazine
Flexipop Magazine
Flexipop magazine was famous for the re-emergence of the flexible music disc in the UK during the 1980s. Launched in 1980 by ex-Record Mirror journalists Barry Cain and Tim Lott, the magazine featured a flexidisc in each issue. The magazine lasted for two years...
in January 1981.
Personnel
- Bob GeldofBob GeldofRobert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
– vocals, saxophone - Pete BriquettePete BriquettePete Briquette is the stage name of Patrick Cusack . His pseudonym refers to the fact that he hails from the Irish countryside; peat briquettes are a type of refined turf burned in fires instead of coal.-Boomtown Rats:He was the bass guitarist, backing vocalist, occasional songwriter, and sometime...
– bass, vocals - Gerry CottGerry CottGerry Cott was a guitarist and songwriter with the Irish new wave band, The Boomtown Rats.He started playing flamenco guitar when he was 11 years old....
– guitar - Johnnie Fingers – keyboards, vocals
- Simon CroweSimon CroweSimon Crowe was the drummer for the Irish new wave bandThe Boomtown Rats.The original name of the Boomtown Rats was the "Nightlife Thugs". The name Boomtown Rats was taken from a novel entitled Bound for Glory by Woody Guthrie.The Boomtown Rats had eighteen hit singles in the UK, including "Rat...
– drums, vocals - Garry RobertsGarry RobertsGarry Roberts is the former lead guitarist with the Irish band, The Boomtown Rats, which came into being in 1976...
– guitar, vocals