Wish (Feargal Sharkey album)

Wish is the second solo album of former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey. Released in 1988, three years after his successful self-titled solo debut, the album was considered to be somewhat disappointing and was not as successful as its predecessor.

Wish
Studio album by
Released28 March 1988[1]
StudioA&M (Hollywood, Los Angeles, California)
GenrePop
LabelVirgin
ProducerDanny Kortchmar
Feargal Sharkey chronology
Feargal Sharkey
(1985)
Wish
(1988)
Songs from the Mardi Gras
(1991)
Alternative cover
U.S. album cover

Background

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Upon release, Sharkey told the Sunday Independent: "I've never devoted myself so much to an album before, so if it comes out, and nobody gives a damn about it, I would be extremely disappointed, to say the least."[2]

"Blue Days" was inspired by the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Sharkey told the Sunday Independent: "It's about my last return to Derry, and how soul-destroying I found it, seeing what living there has done to all my old friends."[2] He added to Record Mirror: "I wrote the song because I believe that at the end of the day, despite sectarian differences, nobody is happy with what's going on in Ireland." The title was inspired by Rev Ian Paisley's comment: "We will never forsake the blue skies of Ulster for the grey mists of an Irish republic."[3]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]
Number One     [5]
Record Mirror     [6]

Upon release, John Aizlewood of Number One said: "So why is our Fearg hitless? One things for sure, it can't be the music. Wish is a steady grower which creeps up on you like exams, only it's fun to listen to! And does that voice fair quiver? It does indeed. Nice one Fearg, ignore the barrackers."[5] Billboard described the album as an "even-better follow-up" to Sharkey's debut, and one that "should soon be sitting firmly at the top of the charts".[7] Cash Box described the album as "a slickly-crafted collection of pop numbers that should finally enable the artist the edge at Top 40 radio he deserves"[8]

Stereo Review commented: "The first solo album by Feargal Sharkey was so subtle and understated that much of it barely registered. This time around, he's made a record that cannot go unnoticed. With the help of producer Danny Kortchmar, whose guitar playing is the instrumental heart of the album, Sharkey takes a measured soul turn." The reviewer praised five of the album's tracks as "gems", but then added the rest of material "gets thin". They concluded: "Five out of the ten tracks are hardly memorable, but the good ones are very good".[9]

Track listing

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A-side
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cold, Cold Streets"Danny Kortchmar, David Lasley, Feargal Sharkey5:16
2."More Love"Benmont Tench4:35
3."Full Confession"Danny Kortchmar, Feargal Sharkey, Tim Daly3:54
4."Please Don't Believe in Me"David A. Stewart, Feargal Sharkey, Tim Daly4:49
5."Out of My System"Eddie Chacon, Suzanne Valentine4:19
B-side
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."If This Is Love"Feargal Sharkey, Maggie Lee, Tim Daly3:43
2."Strangest Girl in Paradise"Danny Kortchmar, Feargal Sharkey4:20
3."Blue Days"Danny Kortchmar, Feargal Sharkey, Waddy Wachtel4:09
4."Let Me Be"Feargal Sharkey, Mark Goldenberg3:13
5."Safe to Touch"Feargal Sharkey, Steve Jordan4:10

The CD release contains three changes to the track listing.

CD release
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Strangest Girl in Paradise"Danny Kortchmar, Feargal Sharkey4:20
7."Let Me Be"Feargal Sharkey, Mark Goldenberg3:13
9."If This Is Love"Feargal Sharkey, Maggie Lee, Tim Daly3:43

Charts

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Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 66
Swedish Albums Chart[11] 22

Personnel

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Technical
  • Richard Haughton – photography
  • Gary Wathen – art direction

References

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  1. ^ Smith, Robin (26 March 1988). "News: Wishful Thinking". Record Mirror. p. 4. ISSN 0144-5804.
  2. ^ a b Hand, Lise (24 January 1988). "Feargal the Fiery". Sunday Independent.
  3. ^ Dickson, Ian (23 January 1988). "The return of the native". Record Mirror.
  4. ^ "Wish – Feargal Sharkey". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  5. ^ a b Number One magazine - Albums - John Aizlewood - 9 April 1988 - page 48
  6. ^ Paisley, Pete (9 April 1988). "Albums". Record Mirror. p. 32. ISSN 0144-5804.
  7. ^ Billboard magazine - April 16, 1988 - Album reviews - page 64
  8. ^ Cash Box magazine - April 9, 1988 - Album Releases - page 9
  9. ^ "Stereo Review - Google Books". 26 May 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 270. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. ^ Steffen Hung. "Feargal Sharkey - Wish". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
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