# Like Clockwork > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Like_Clockwork > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Like_Clockwork.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_Clockwork > Source revision: 1310225861 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) For the Queens of the Stone Age album, see [...Like Clockwork](/source/...Like_Clockwork). 1978 single by The Boomtown Rats "Like Clockwork" Single by The Boomtown Rats from the album A Tonic for the Troops B-side "How Do You Do?" Released 9 June 1978[1] Genre New wave, post-punk Length 3:45 Label Ensign Records (UK) Columbia Records (US) Songwriters Bob Geldof - lyrics Pete Briquette and Simon Crowe - music Producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange The Boomtown Rats singles chronology "She's So Modern" (1978) "Like Clockwork" (1978) "Rat Trap" (1978) "**Like Clockwork**" is a single by [The Boomtown Rats](/source/The_Boomtown_Rats). It was the band's first to reach the Top Ten in the [UK Singles Chart](/source/UK_Singles_Chart), peaking at No. 6.[2][3] Described as "simple, cool",[4] in concerts supporting *[A Tonic for the Troops](/source/A_Tonic_for_the_Troops)*, the song's agitated, staccato bassline made it a common show opener. The [B-side](/source/A-side_and_B-side), "How Do You Do?" was a 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 with "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, written [Dún Laoghaire](/source/D%C3%BAn_Laoghaire) but pronounced Dunleary.[5] The latter was later released in the UK as a free [flexi disc](/source/Flexi_disc), distributed by *[Flexipop](/source/Flexipop)* in January 1981.[6] "Like Clockwork" was the first song on air broadcast on [RTÉ Radio 2](/source/RT%C3%89_2fm), when the station began broadcasting on 31 May 1979, played by [Larry Gogan](/source/Larry_Gogan). ## Personnel - [Bob Geldof](/source/Bob_Geldof) – vocals, saxophone - [Pete Briquette](/source/Pete_Briquette) – bass, vocals - [Gerry Cott](/source/Gerry_Cott) – guitar - [Johnnie Fingers](/source/Johnnie_Fingers) – keyboards, vocals - [Simon Crowe](/source/Simon_Crowe) – drums, vocals - [Garry Roberts](/source/Garry_Roberts) – guitar, vocals ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Music Week"](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1978/Music-Week-1978-06-10.pdf) (PDF). p. 55. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums_2-0)** Roberts, David (2006). *[British Hit Singles & Albums](/source/British_Hit_Singles_%26_Albums)* (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 71. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-904994-10-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-904994-10-5). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** William Ruhlmann. ["The Boomtown Rats | Biography"](http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-boomtown-rats-mn0000520033/biography). AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-09. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["A Tonic For The Troops Album Review"](http://www.boomtownrats.co.uk/the-boomtown-rats/record-reviews/39-boomtown-rats-record-reviews/91-a-tonic-for-the-troops-album-review.html). Boomtownrats.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-01. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["The Boomtown Rats Discography"](http://www.boomtownrats.co.uk/the-boomtown-rats/discography.html). Boomtownrats.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-01. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["The Boomtown Rats - Dun Laoghaire"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8la0hug9tRY&feature=fvst). YouTube. 2011-11-08. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/8la0hug9tRY) from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2013-06-01. v t e The Boomtown Rats Bob Geldof Pete Briquette Gerry Cott Simon Crowe Johnnie Fingers Garry Roberts Studio albums The Boomtown Rats A Tonic for the Troops The Fine Art of Surfacing Mondo Bongo V Deep In the Long Grass Citizens of Boomtown Singles "Lookin' After No. 1" "Mary of the 4th Form" "She's So Modern" "Like Clockwork" "Rat Trap" "I Don't Like Mondays" "Diamond Smiles" "Someone's Looking at You" "Banana Republic" "Up All Night" "The Elephant's Graveyard (Guilty)" "Charmed Lives" "Tonight" "Drag Me Down" "A Hold of Me" Other albums Ratrospective The Boomtown Rats' Greatest Hits Loudmouth – The Best of Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats The Best of The Boomtown Rats Back to Boomtown: Classic Rats Hits Related articles Discography Authority control databases MusicBrainz work MusicBrainz release group --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Like Clockwork](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_Clockwork) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_Clockwork?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.