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"Like Clockwork" is a single by The Boomtown Rats. It was the band's first to reach the Top Ten in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 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 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 but pronounced Dunleary. The latter was later released in the UK as a free flexi disc, distributed by Flexipop in January 1981. "Like Clockwork" was the first song on air broadcast on RTÉ Radio 2, when the station began broadcasting on 31 May 1979, played by Larry Gogan.

Personnel

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

References

1. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 55.
2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 71. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
3. William Ruhlmann. "The Boomtown Rats | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
4. "A Tonic For The Troops Album Review". Boomtownrats.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
5. "The Boomtown Rats Discography". Boomtownrats.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
6. "The Boomtown Rats - Dun Laoghaire". YouTube. 2011-11-08. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2013-06-01.

• 1978 singles
• The Boomtown Rats songs
• Song recordings produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange
• Songs written by Bob Geldof
• Songs written by Pete Briquette
• 1978 songs
• Ensign Records singles
• Columbia Records singles