Feargal Sharkey is the debut solo album by former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey, released in 1985. The album peaked at No. 12 in the UK and contains Sharkey's best known single, "A Good Heart", his only No. 1. "You Little Thief" also became a top 10 hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching No. 5, and "Someone to Somebody" reached No. 64.
Production The album was produced by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics who Sharkey had met in an elevator seven years previously. Sharkey said, "We both had the same commitment to excellence, to finding great songs. Whether they were our own or other people's didn't matter."
Reception Spin said, "Feargal Sharkey features a few great songs, though none of them were composed by Sharkey and Stewart: The three stand-out tracks were written by Chrissie Hynde, Bobby Womack, and Maria McKee of Lone Justice." Armond White said, "Packaging a singer this odd requires a certain degree of Top-40 costuming, and Stewart is the Bob Mackie of producers. His familiar, eager imitation of any known style slips unavoidably into parody. But Sharkey is pretty crafty himself, using his rough stammer. This is the sound of pure stress, not soul."
Track listing
Personnel Feargal Sharkey – lead vocals, synthesizer, percussion, sequencer programming, backing vocals, design concept Dean Garcia – bass Richard Morcombe – guitar Davey Payne – flute, saxophone Dave Plews – trumpet Jimmy Z – harmonica Olle Romo – drums Patrick Seymour – keyboards Molly Duncan – saxophone Michael Kamen – string arrangement, conductor Boy George – backing vocals Debra Byrd – backing vocals Freida Williams – backing vocals Martin Chambers – drums Nathan East – bass David A. Stewart – guitar, backing vocals Technical Jon Bavin, Michael Schuman, Robin Laine, Tom Nist – engineer Don Smith, Shelly Yakus – mixing Hugh Brown – front cover photography
Chart performance Chart (1985–86)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)7Canadian Albums Chart17German Albums Chart29New Zealand Albums Chart16Swiss Albums Chart11UK Albums Chart12US Billboard 20075
Year-end charts Chart (1986)PositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)20
References
External links