Collection of Internet/Collection of Internet.iso/faq/rec/music/xtc_faq

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From: [e-mail] (John Relph)
Newsgroups: rec.music.info,rec.answers,news.answers
Subject: FAQ: Chalkhills, The XTC Mailing List
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Date: 11 Apr 1994 15:01:59 -0700
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Summary: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Chalkhills and XTC
Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu rec.music.info:3080 rec.answers:4839 news.answers:17914

Archive-name: music/xtc-faq
Last-modified: 23 March 1994
Subject: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
From: Chalkhills Administration <[e-mail]>

This message contain the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) often seen in Chalkhills, the XTC mailing list.  It is posted to
help reduce volume in the mailing list and to provide hard-to-find
information of general interest.

This message includes answers to the following questions.  Ones marked
with a `+' indicate questions new to this issue; those with changes of
content since the last issue are marked by `*':

  1) What is Chalkhills and how do I join?
  2) What are XTC up to these days, anyway?
  3) Is Chalkhills archived?
  4) Is the FAQ list available for FTP anywhere?
  5) Are XTC lyrics available?
  6) Is that Woody Allen at the end of "My Love Explodes?"
  7) What is said at the end of "Mole From The Ministry"?
  8) Who is XTC's drummer?
  9) What's the story with "Dear God" and "Mermaid Smiled" on _Skylarking_?
 10) Why is the XTC mailing list called "Chalkhills"?
 11) Are the albums _Waxworks_ and _Beeswax_ available on CD?
 12) What does the song "Pink Thing" refer to?
 13) Who were all XTC's producers?
 14) What does the cover of _English Settlement_ mean?
 15) What recordings should a new XTC-er buy?
 16) Why does everyone hate Todd Rundgren, I liked _Skylarking_?
 17) Why don't they tour?
 18) Are _Waxworks_ and _The Compact XTC_ the same album?
 19) What are the addresses of the fan clubs?
 20) Has anybody every covered any XTC songs?
 21) What's with the Virgin UK CD of _Drums and Wires_?
 22) Who is `Brian' in "Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)"?
 23) Are charts, chords and/or tablature for XTC songs available?
 24) Who are the children in "Dear God" and on _Psonic Psunspot_?
 25) Who is that other guy in the photographs from _Psonic Psunspot_?
*26) Did XTC do any other covers beside the Hendrix one on _White Music_?

This document copyright (c) 1994 by John Relph.

While some information included herein is not copyright and may be
used without permission, the compilation of this information in this
document in this format is copyright and may not be published in any
form whatsoever without the permission of the author.

This document may be distributed electronically and otherwise if and
only if the entire copyright notice and attributions are included.

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1) What is Chalkhills and how do I join?

Chalkhills is the XTC Internet Mailing List, a mailing list for the
discussion of the music and recordings of XTC (the band).  Chalkhills
is distributed in a digest format and is moderated and administered by
John Relph.  The Chalkhills digests are sent out irregularly, as
posting volume warrants.

To join the Chalkhills mailing list, send the command

    subscribe chalkhills username@hostname Your Name Here

in the body of a message to "[e-mail]".

(N.B. "Your Name Here" should be your actual name, not your
username, and definitely not the words "Your Name Here".)  You
will then and only then be added to the list (this is to reduce
mail failure).

By the way, there is no charge to subscribe to the Chalkhills digest.

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2) What are XTC up to these days, anyway?

Dave Gregory told Chalkhills that XTC are contributing a track to the
new Carmen Sandiego CD.  Mr Gregory is touring with the Aimee Mann
band, and apparently the two of them have a relationship.

Andy Partridge is getting a divorce from his wife.  Mr Partridge is
currently living in New York City.  He has contributed a single to the
Hello Recording Club, to be released in 1994.  He also says that the
next XTC LP will likely be recorded in New York this spring.

Neil Goldstein <[e-mail]> adds:

Just got the March '94 Keyboard Magazine.  In the "Career update" section
there's a note:

   "Possible odd couple of '95: ambient music master Harold Budd
    and XTC's Andy Partridge, who have been talking about doing a
    collaborative project next year".

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3) Is Chalkhills archived?

Yes, Chalkhills is archived on net.bio.net [134.172.2.69], accessible
using anonymous FTP.  The files are in the directory "chalkhills".

Send a message to [e-mail] for more help.

Many XTC- and Chalkhills-related files are also available from Dave
Datta's FTP Music Archives, at ftp.uwp.edu [131.210.1.4], in the
/pub/music/lists/chalkhills and /pub/music/artists/x/xtc directories.

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4) Is the FAQ list available for FTP anywhere?

Yes, in the archives.  See (2).

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5) Are XTC lyrics available?

Yes, in the archives.  See (2).

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6) Is that Woody Allen at the end of "My Love Explodes?"

ANDY: "The little voice at the end after all the fireworks go off,
courtesy of the same BBC sound effects record, is a tape that John
Leckie had.  He was in New York a little while ago, and had his
radio/cassette player going and he was tuned into this ludicrous New
York radio station where this chap was singing this rather...  How
would you describe this song he was singing?

DAVE & COLIN: Rude!

DAVE: It was actually a protest song.

ANDY: Called "Hey, go f... yourself with your atom bomb" [performed by
Tuli Kupferberg.  Ed.], this chap was singing this song over the air,
and John Leckie couldn't believe the banality of this song so he
turned on his cassette to capture it for posterity, and he left the
cassette running.  At the end of the thing there's a phone-in where
they invite people to phone in and comment on the song, and there's
this marvellous guy who phones in, with this Woody Allen voice, and he
is really outraged...  "That's the most obscene abomination of a
song!"  So we thought this was marvellous and we nailed him on the end
of My Love Explodes.  So the strange "Woody Allen" voice is a very
irate New Yorker who's commenting on the song "Hey, go f...  yourself
with your atom bomb".

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7) What is said at the end of "Mole From The Ministry"?

DAVE: In fact, if you want to hear more of the original version, at
the end of side 2 on the run-out grooves, if you've got a record
player capable of playing it, you'll hear spinning backwards at twice
the speed, a snatch of this gentleman's song in it's original form".

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8) Who is XTC's drummer?

XTC was founded with drummer Terry Chambers, who drums on _White Music_,
_Go 2_, _Drums and Wires_, _Black Sea_, _English Settlement_, and on the
songs "Beating of Hearts" and "Wonderland" on _Mummer_, after which he left
the band.  Since that time, XTC have hired drummers for recording sessions.

Peter Phipps drums on the remainder of _Mummer_ and on _The Big Express_.

Ian Gregory, Dave Gregory's brother, drums on _25 O'Clock_ and _Psonic
Psunspot_.

Prairie Prince, originally from The Tubes, plays the part of the time bomb
on _Skylarking_.

Pat Mastellotto, from Mister Mister, drums on _Oranges and Lemons_.

Dave Mattacks, from Fairport Convention, drums on _Nonsvch_.

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9) What's the story with "Dear God" and "Mermaid Smiled" on _Skylarking_?

Originally _Skylarking_ was released with the song "Mermaid Smiled"
appearing in between "Another Satellite" and "The Man Who Sailed Around His
Soul".  "Dear God" was originally released as the B-side to the UK _Grass_
single.  "Dear God" started getting some airplay in the US, so Geffen
withdrew initial copies of the _Skylarking_ LP and re-released the LP,
removing "Mermaid Smiled" and adding "Dear God" in between "The Man Who
Sailed Around His Soul" and "Dying".

The UK _Skylarking_ CD preserves the original running order with
"Mermaid Smiled" and sans "Dear God"; the US CD has "Dear God" but no
"Mermaid Smiled".  There is, however, a Canadian CD that has the same
running order as the original UK CD (including "Mermaid Smiled"), but
also adds "Dear God" as a bonus track to the end of the album.

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10) Why is the XTC mailing list called "Chalkhills"?

The XTC mailing list is called "Chalkhills" because it captures the essence
of middle and late XTC albums.  The "Chalkhills and Children" reference is
obvious, from the _Oranges and Lemons_ album, but the name also refers to
the `chalk horse' near Swindon which was used on the cover of _English
Settlement_; Andy Partridge says it's a "prehistoric hill carving of a
horse, literally a kind of Iron Age advertisment for an English settlement
that was on top of the hill."

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11) Are the albums "Waxworks" and "Beeswax" available on CD?

Not directly.  However, almost all of the tracks from both _Waxworks_ and
_Beeswax_ are available on CD.  Every track from _Waxworks_ appears on _The
Compact XTC: The Singles 1978-85_.  Some of those tracks appear on other
CDs as well.  The only track that does not appear on CD anywhere is the
extended version of "Hang On To The Night" from _Beeswax_, which is only 6
seconds longer than the version on the _White Music_ CD.  Here's a
breakdown of where to find the tracks from these CDs:

  Waxworks: Some Singles 1977-1982        Where to find it:
    Science Friction                White Music
    Are You Receiving Me?            Go 2
  * Life Begins at the Hop            Drums and Wires (US, Japan)
    Senses Working Overtime (edit)        A Kick Up The Eighties Vol. 1
    Ball and Chain                English Settlement
  Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977-1982
    She's So Square                White Music
    Dance Band                    White Music
    Heatwave                    White Music
    Instant Tunes                White Music
    Pulsing Pulsing                Rag & Bone Buffet
    Don't Lose Your Temper            Black Sea
    Smokeless Zone                Black Sea
    The Somnambulist                Black Sea
  * Blame the Weather                Rag & Bone Buffet
  * Tissue Tigers (The Arguers)            Rag & Bone Buffet
    Punch and Judy                Rag & Bone Buffet
  * Heaven is Paved With Broken Glass (remix)    Rag & Bone Buffet

* Notes:

"Life Begins At The Hop" appears only on the Geffen US, the Virgin UK
picture disc, and the Virgin Japan CDs of _Drums and Wires_.  It does not
appear on other CDs of _Drums and Wires_.

"Blame the Weather" is also available on the Virgin UK CD-3 of _Senses
Working Overtime_ and on the Virgin France compilation CD _The Tiny Circus
of Life_.

"Tissue Tigers (The Arguers)" is also available on the Virgin UK CD-3 of
_Senses Working Overtime_.

The original version of "Heaven Is Paved With Broken Glass" does not appear
on CD at all.  It is only available on the original _Ball and Chain_
singles.

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11) What does the song "Pink Thing" refer to?

It's about the singer's "John Thomas".  It's also about a baby.  Apparently
Andy Partridge and Mrs Partridge referred to their baby as "The Pink Thing"
and the song grew out of that nickname.  As it were.

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13) Who were all XTC's producers?

John Leckie produced _White Music_, _Go 2_, _25 O'Clock_ and _Psonic
Psunspot_.

Steve Lillywhite produced _Drums and Wires_ and _Black Sea_.

Hugh Padgham produced _English Settlement_.

Steve Nye and others produced _Mummer_.

David Lord produced _The Big Express_.

Todd Rundgren produced _Skylarking_.

Paul Fox produced _Oranges and Lemons_.

Gus Dudgeon produced _Nonsuch_ and the album was mixed by Nick Davis.

XTC has also had different producers for some of their singles.

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14) What does the cover of _English Settlement_ mean?

See (9).

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15) What recordings should a new XTC-er buy?

All of them.

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16) Why does everyone hate Todd Rundgren, I liked _Skylarking_?

Andy Partridge says:

    Musician and producer Todd Rundgren squeezed the XTC clay into
    its most complete/connected/cyclical record ever.  Not an easy
    album to make for various ego reasons but time has humbled me
    into admitting that Todd conjured up some of the most magical
    production and arranging conceivable.  A summer's day cooked
    into one cake.

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17) Why don't they tour?

Andy has debilitating stage fright.  And he doesn't think their live gigs
sounded any good.  Aren't their albums good enough for you?

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18) Are _Waxworks_ and _The Compact XTC_ the same album?

Not exactly.  _The Compact XTC: The Singles 1978-85_ contains every
track that appears on _Waxworks_ with the addition of three singles
from _Mummer ("Great Fire", "Wonderland", and "Love on a Farmboy's
Wages") and three from _The Big Express_ ("All You Pretty Girls",
"This World Over", and "Wake Up").

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19) What are the addresses of the fan clubs?

For further reading, writing and rhythmatic on XTC you might like to drop a
line enclosing SAE and International Postal Reply Coupon or equivalent to

The Little Express: Box 1072, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 5E1, Canada

Limelight: 17 Ainsdale Close, Bromborough, Wirral, Merseyside, U.K.

Ecstasy: 1-38-18 Higashi-Tamagawa, Setagaya-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 158 (in Japanese)

Lumiere: 135 Rue Danton, Entree C1, 92500 Rueil-Malmaison, France (in French)

Also, a very detailed (the most) XTC discography is available from
Shigemasa Fujimoto.  The Wonderland discography is lavishly detailed and
nicely produced, and includes photographs of important and interesting
cover art.  For more information, send an SAE with International Postal
Reply Coupon to:

    Shigemasa Fujimoto
    1-B Heim Shimouma, 2-1-7 Shimouma
    Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154
    Japan

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20) Has anybody every covered any XTC songs?

Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin covered "Roads Girdle the Globe", available
on their album _Up From The Dark_.

Primus covered "Making Plans For Nigel" on their EP _Miscellaneous Debris_.

Cayuga's Waiters, a college singing group, covered The Dukes' "Vanishing
Girl" on their self-produced cassette _Maintaining the Illusion_.

The Japanese group Shonen Knife apparently were inspired by "Making Plans
for Nigel" when they wrote their song "Making Plans for Bison", also known
as "Bear Up Bison".  Listen for yourself.

Robert Wegmann, pop musician from Tampa, Florida, has covered songs by
XTC in his live act.

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21) What's with the Virgin UK CD of _Drums and Wires_?

There are two different CDs and three different sleeves for this CD.
The first CD was the original Virgin UK release, which listed only the
songs from the original LP on the sleeve, but in fact also contained
the songs from the original bonus single, "Limelight" and "Chain of
Command", and does not contain "Life Begins at the Hop".  The second
CD contains the same songs, but lists "Life Begins At The Hop" as well
as the bonus songs, on the sleeve.  It is also a Virgin UK release.
The third CD also includes "Life Begins At The Hop" and has been
issued in Japan, the USA, and in the "Collectors Edition 3 Limited
Edition Picture Discs" box from Virgin UK.

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22) Who is `Brian' in "Battery Brides (Andy Paints Brian)"?

It's Brian Eno, who briefly considered joining the band in 1980, and
was also asked to produce XTC at some point.  I believe his reply was,
"You don't need a producer."

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23) Are charts, chords and/or tablature for XTC songs available?

Yes, in the archives.  See (2).

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24) Who sings the child's part in "Dear God"?

Stewart Evans <[e-mail]> writes:

The spoken bits on Psonic Psunspot are by Lily Fraser, a girl whose
family lived above the studio.  Andy wrote a bunch of Lewis
Carroll-ish nonsense and had her read it.

Derek Miner <[e-mail]> adds:

Well, I can't quote Andy, but I can quote Chalkhills and Children,
page 151, from a section on why "Dear God" was dropped from the LP:

   "...Lascelles was put off by its controversial lyrics and didn't
    like the sound of "the whiny American kid singing the first
    verse" (a ten-year-old girl called Jasmine Veillette, who'd
    been drafted in by Rundgren)."

If you look at the liner notes of Skylarking, you'll notice that Ms.
Veillette is the last name under the "Thanks" section...

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25) Who is that other guy in the photographs from _Psonic Psunspot_?

E.I.E.I. Owen, A.K.A. Ian Gregory, Dave Gregory's brother, drummer on
_25 O'Clock_ and _Psonic Psunspot_.  E.I.E.I. Owen also appears in the
video for "Mole From The Ministry" and I believe in the video for
"King for a Day".

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26) Did XTC do any other covers beside the Hendrix one on _White Music_?

XTC cover Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" on their _White
Music_ album.

XTC also cover Captain Beefheart's "Ella Guru" on the _Fast & Bulbous:
A Tribute to Captain Beefheart_ compilation album, originally released
in the UK in June 1988.  "Ella Guru" was later released on some
versions of the _Mayor of Simpleton_ single.

David Dreams covers "Third Stone from the Sun" on the _``If 6 Was 9'':
A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix_ compilation album, originally released in
April 1990.  David Dreams is Dave Gregory on all instruments.

Colin's Hermits cover The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields" on the _1967:
Through the Looking Glass_ compilation album, originally released in
1990.  The `band' consists of Dave Gregory on all instruments with
Andy Partridge on vocals.

XTC were known to play some covers in concert, notably the theme song
from the UK TV show _Fireball XL-5_.

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