Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!: Day 254 - The Boomtown Rats

 The Fine Art of Surfacing - The Boomtown Rats

Ensign Records (UK)

Mulligan Records (Ireland)

Columbia Records (USA)

Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange

Released 9th October 1979

UK Chart #7

US Chart #103

A1 Someone's Looking At You    
A2 Diamond Smiles    
A3 Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)    
A4 Having My Picture Taken    
A5 Sleep (Fingers' Lullaby)    
B1 I Don't Like Mondays    
B2 Nothing Happened Today    
B3 Keep It Up    
B4 Nice 'N' Neat    
B5 When The Night Comes

 Personnel
Bob Geldof – vocals, saxophone
Pete Briquette – bass, vocals
Gerry Cott – guitar
Johnnie Fingers – keyboards, vocals
Simon Crowe – drums, vocals
Garry Roberts – guitar, vocals

Singles From The Fine Art of Surfacing

 

I Don't Like Mondays / It's All The Rage 

July 1979

UK Chart #1 (4 Weeks)

Diamond Smiles / Late Last Night

December 1979

UK Chart #13

 

Someone's Looking At You / When The Night Comes 

February 1980

UK Chart #4

 

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Happy Birthday

Johnnie Fingers

Keyboards 1975-1986

The Boomtown Rats third studio album The Fine Art of Surfacing that was released in 1979 contained three hit singles, one of them, I Don't Like Mondays, their second UK #1 in a row following Rat Trap. Personally I think those singles were three of the best and probably the last of the good ones as what followed with the singles from Mondo Bongo (Banana Republic and Elephant's Graveyard) I didn't like at all. I know people who do like them and that's fine, for me they just didn't appeal as much as many of the singles that had already been released.

Likewise when it came to the albums, I thought the first three were really impressive (especially the Debut) but the last three (Mondo Bongo, V Deep and In The Long Grass) I was quite disappointed by.

The Boomtown Rats

Top 10

10. Don't Believe What You Read.

09. She's So Modern.

08. Like Clockwork.

07. Lookin' After Number One.

06. I Can Make It If You Can.

05. I Don't Like Mondays.

04. Joey's On The Street Again.

03. Someone's Looking At You.

02. Diamond Smiles.

01. Rat Trap.

 

 Let The Day Begin...Let The Day Start!

Rewind: 1979 The Fine Art of Surfacing - The Boomtown Rats

 The Fine Art of Surfacing - The Boomtown Rats

Ensign Records (UK)

Mulligan Records (Ireland)

Columbia Records (USA)

Produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange

Released 9th October 1979

UK Chart #7

US Chart #103

 

Personnel
    Bob Geldof – vocals, saxophone
    Pete Briquette – bass, vocals
    Gerry Cott – guitar
    Johnnie Fingers – keyboards, vocals
    Simon Crowe – drums, vocals
    Garry Roberts – guitar, vocals

Singles From The Fine Art of Surfacing

I Don't Like Mondays

July 1979

UK Chart #1

Diamond Smiles

December 1979

UK Chart #13

 

Someone's Looking At You

February 1980

UK Chart #4 

The Boomtown Rats are one of those bands you either love or totally hate, it would appear there is little ground inbetween. Of course a lot of people's ire is directed at Bob Geldof, and he doesn't always do himself many favours with his mouth spewing out nonsense from time to time!

I really loved their debut album. The follow up, Tonic for the Troops, was okay but not brilliant (the singles were the best tracks - She's So Modern, Like Clockwork and the #1 single for 7 weeks Rat Trap).

Their third Studio Album, The Fine Art of Surfacing, which reached #7 in the UK Album Charts was much better I thought and again contained three Top 20 singles including their 2nd #1 in a row - I Don't Like Mondays. It held the top spot for 4 weeks.

45RPM: #5 Looking After No.1 - Bootown Rats (1977)

Released on this day in 1977 Looking After No.1 was one of the first "new wave" songs to be playlisted by the BBC and became the first "new wave" band to be offered a spot on Top of the Pops.

The single was released after touring five dates with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers! A month after the release the debut album came out.

I know he's a bit of a pain is ol' Bob Geldof but some of the early Boomtown Rats singles were great I thought.

I always loved the line at the end of Looking After No.1, 

"I'm Gonna Be Like...Me!"

A-Side: Looking After No.1

B-Side: Born To Burn / Barefootin' (Live)

Ensign Records

Released 19th August 1977  

Produced by Mutt Lange 

 UK Chart #11

Rewind: 1979 - Boomtown Rats Hit #1 For the Second Time

On this day in 1979 the Boomtown Rats followed their #1 Single Rat Trap with yet another #1 single with I Don't Like Mondays.

 Bob Geldof wrote the song after reading a report on the shooting spree of 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer, who fired at children playing in a school playground across the street from her home in San Diego, California. She killed two adults and injured eight children and one police officer. Spencer showed no remorse for her crime, and her full explanation for her actions was "I don't like Mondays, this livens up the day."

Bob Geldof and Johnnie Fingers

The Secret Policeman's Other Ball

Boomtown Rats Return

Click on the Links to Watch the Performances

HURTWOOD PARK POLO CLUB MAY 4TH 2013.

I Don't Like Mondays.
Banana Republic.

Rat Trap.

The Gate, Ifield, Sussex 7th June 2013.
Like Clockwork.
She's So Modern.
I Don't Like Mondays.

 Isle of Wight Festival

Like Clockwork.
She's Gonna Do You In.
Someone's Looking At You.
I Don't Like Mondays.
Rat Trap.