Under The Sun was the first ever song played by Coloursøund, being the opening track performed at the Gathering 6 in Llandudno, Wales on Friday 9th January 1998 by Mike Peters, Billy Duffy, Craig Adams and Johnny Donnelly
The song was first released on the Coloursøund 1998 4 track EP as a demonstration recording,. A new recording for the debut self titled Coloursøund album released on 11th October 1999 and was later remastered for the 2020 reissue
1998 Demonstration Coloursøund recording details
Running length 4:58
Written by Mike Peters / Billy Duffy
Musician & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Billy Duffy – Lead Guitar
Craig Adams – Bass Guitar
Johnny Donnelly – Drums
Recorded live at Cil-Y-Bryn, Wales
Engineered by Mike Jones
Alternative studio recordings ~ Demo ~ Album ~ Acoustic~ Remastered ~
1998 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund II – Demonstration recording
Running length 5:00
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Guitar
Billy Duffy – Guitars
Craig Adams – Bass Guitar
Johnny Donnelly – Drums
Recorded in 1998 in Wales
Recorded by Mike Jones
Mixed by Mike Peters and Mike Jones
Mastered by Gary Butler at RTS
1999 : Original Coloursøund album recording details
Running length 4:48
Musician & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Billy Duffy – Lead Guitar
Craig Adams – Bass Guitar
Scott Garrett – Drums
Recorded at The Vibrating Room, Wales
Produced by Mike Peters and Billy Duffy
Mixed by Mike Peters & Jim Lowe at Trident Studios, London W1F, England
Mastered by Declan Burns at Chop Em Out
1999 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund III – Acoustic recording
Running length 3:15
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Drum Machine
Billy Duffy – 12 & 6 string Acoustic Guitars
Craig Adams – Acoustic Bass
Recorded in 1999 at Mountain and Sea Studios, Dyserth, Wales
2020 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund [Remastered]
Running length 4:46
Musician & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Billy Duffy – Lead Guitar
Craig Adams – Bass Guitar
Scott Garrett – Drums
Remastered from the 1999 original recording by Pete Maher
Remastering supervised by Mike Peters
Album appearances and discography for studio recordings
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
(All pictures can be enlarged by right clicking to open in a new window)
11th October 1999 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund
Released on CD by 21st Century Records under exclusive licence to Sanctuary Music Productions PLC, catalogue number No. 21C008
1999 Original album recording
2001 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund I
Released as part of a 3 CD Boxset by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number No. 21C022
1999 Original album recording
2001 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund II
Released as part of a 3 CD Boxset by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number No. 21C023
1998 Demo recording version
2001 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund III
Released as part of a 3 CD Boxset by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number No. 21C024
1999 Acoustic version
28th September 2020 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund
Released on vinyl and CD by The Great North Western Recording Company, catalogue number No. GNWRCD001. (CD) GWRC001 (Black vinyl, limited edition blue vinyl, Limited edition red vinyl)
1999 Album recording remastered
EP appearance and discography
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
(All pictures can be enlarged by right clicking to open in a new window)
26th August 1998 : Coloursøund – Coloursøund
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21CS001
1998 Demonstration recording
Officially released live recordings – Audio
All the following are Worldwide releases on The Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
24th August 2003. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running Length 4:51
Performed by Mike Peters Solo acoustic.
Released on CD in 2003 on Alarmstock Volume 7 – Pouring Petrol On A Fire
29th August 2004. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running Length 4:46
Performed by Mike Peters Solo acoustic.
Released on CD in 2003 on Alarmstock Volume 7 – Out Come The Flags And Banners Again
1st February 2014. Recorded at Venue Cymru. Llandudno, Wales
Running Length 4:54
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard and Mark Taylor
Released on CD/DVD in 2015 on The Alarm – No Barriers – The Gathering 2014 (highlights discs) by The Twenty First Century Recording Company , catalogue number 21CDVD018
Officially released live recordings – DVD
All the following are Worldwide releases on The Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
9th January 1998. Recorded at The Gathering 7, The North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, Wales.
Performed by Coloursound : Mike Peters, Billy Duffy, Craig Adams, Johnny Donnelly
Released on DVD in 2005 – The Alarm – The Gathering History, catalogue number 21CDVD003
16th January 1999. Recorded at The Gathering 7, The North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, Wales.
Performed by Coloursound : Mike Peters, Billy Duffy, Craig Adams, Steve Grantley
Released on DVD in 2005 – The Alarm – The Gathering History, catalogue number 21CDVD003
12th January 2001. Recorded at The Gathering 9, The North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, Wales.
Performed by Mike Peters – Solo Acoustic
Released on DVD in 2005 – The Alarm – The Gathering History, catalogue number 21CDVD003
12th January 2002. Recorded at The Gathering 10, The North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, Wales.
Performed by Mike Peters and Billy Duffy – Acoustic
Released on DVD in 2005 – The Alarm – The Gathering History, catalogue number 21CDVD003
1st February 2014. Recorded at The Gathering 22, Venue Cymru. Llandudno, Wales
Running Length 4:54
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard and Mark Taylor
Released on CD/DVD in 2015 on The Alarm – No Barriers – The Gathering 2014 (highlights discs) catalogue number 21CDVD018
Lyrics – Coloursøund 1999 Album release version
I don’t want to live forever
Alone except for the sound of the rain
I want to experience life in all its glory
I don’t want to live in time pacified by the silence
I want to be out there at the centre of everything
Alive at the centre of everything
Under the sun is where I want to be
Under under under the sun
I don’t want to live a future blinded by eternal faith
I want to live five minutes five minutes in the real world
I don’t want to come again I don’t need a second chance
I believe in one life one life one life only
Alive at the centre of everything
Under the sun is where I want to be
Under the sun
Under the sun
I don’t want to live if I can’t have life
I don’t want life if I can’t live
I just want to run beneath the headlands
Over the ocean under the sun
Under the sun is where I want to be
Under under the sun
Under the sun
Under the sun
Under the sun under the sun under the sun under the sun
Under the sun under the sun under the sun under the sun
Audio & Visual Links ~ 3 x Video ~ 2 x Audio ~
Video Link – Footage from The Gathering 1999. Remastered studio 2020 sound from official the Coloursøund Youtube page
Video Link – Live from The Gathering 6, Llandudno, Wales, 9th January 1998
Video Link – Live from The Gathering 7, Llandudno, Wales, January 1999
Audio Link – 1999 8 Track Demo version
Audio Link – 2020 Remastered version
Spotify Link for the Remastered Coloursøund including Under the Sun
(Page updated 04/04/2022)