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Subject: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
where you were when you heard it?
Mine was "Helicopter" (circa 1979), and I just heard it on the University of Kentucky radio station, WRFL, in Lexington, KY, and I'm sitting in my office.
also
I loved "Melt the Guns" which I heard on a dark gray day near Seattle in 1983, near the Green River in Renton.
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Hi bj26...
Well, it's the altogether "obvious" one I s'pose...namely "Senses Working Overtime" (I say "obvious" as it was their biggest-selling single release here..)
I HAD actually heard of XTC prior to its success (due to a couple of kids in school being absolutely potty about them), but this was the first instance where a song of theirs actually made me sit up and listen..
Where was I? Listening to new releases on a long-forgotten radio programme way back in '82. Went out and bought the thing the following day!
And it's aged extremely well, very much remembered by people my age..although, I must admit the follow-up "Ball And Chain" was equally as good, tho' not as popular..
And, bless 'em, they're still in some sort of functionality to this very day (tho' very, very quiet of late!)
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead!
Hooray for Peter Pumpkinhead!
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Just remembered "Mayor of Simpleton", and I was driving up Interstate 25 in Denver, Colorado. It was in 1984 and I recall I was heading to North High School to tutor students in a science class. Let's see, they were 16 or 17 in 1984, and I was about 27...
Quoting:
where you were when you heard it?
Mine was "Helicopter" (circa 1979), and I just heard it on the University of Kentucky radio station, WRFL, in Lexington, KY, and I'm sitting in my office.
also
I loved "Melt the Guns" which I heard on a dark gray day near Seattle in 1983, near the Green River in Renton.
End Quote
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Hay Paul, nice to hear from you! Guess you are from merry old England, or maybe Scotland, Ireland? XTC touches me very soulfully and brings back beautiful memories of where I was or what Iwas doing when I heard a particular song. Then the episode is etched in my mind, hopefully forever. Don't be shy write me some more about the music you like.
Quoting:
Hi bj26...
Well, it's the altogether "obvious" one I s'pose...namely "Senses Working Overtime" (I say "obvious" as it was their biggest-selling single release here..)
I HAD actually heard of XTC prior to its success (due to a couple of kids in school being absolutely potty about them), but this was the first instance where a song of theirs actually made me sit up and listen..
Where was I? Listening to new releases on a long-forgotten radio programme way back in '82. Went out and bought the thing the following day!
And it's aged extremely well, very much remembered by people my age..although, I must admit the follow-up "Ball And Chain" was equally as good, tho' not as popular..
And, bless 'em, they're still in some sort of functionality to this very day (tho' very, very quiet of late!)
End Quote
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Favorite XTC songs: 8)
"Making Plans For Nigel"
"Dear God"
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
"Making Plans For Nigel", i love this one!
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Senses Working Overtime--- reminded me of Utopia
Making Plans for Nigel--- made me think of "The Young Ones" 8)
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
I still have the vinyl 45 picture sleeve edition of "Generals and Majors" and a vinyl edition (no picture sleeve) of "Science Friction" which was their first UK single back in 1977, I think?
My younger sister was a big fan of theirs in the early 80s. I remember she played the "English Settlement" album a lot, also the single "Love on a Farm Boy's Wages".
I heard that the reason they never perform live anymore was that Andy Partridge had a severe nervous condition that prevented him from performing in front of an audience anymore. Even so, like Paul_UK said, Andy and Colin Moulding are still working together on musical projects...
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
I forgot about "Making Plans for Nigel", that is a beautiful one! Just had a flashback of a park in Denver off Colorado Blvd. up near I-25, circa 1985.
also
"Dear God" is a haunting melody, had a flashback of sitting in my apartment listening to KJETam in Tukwila, Washington, circa 1983.
Thanks for the feedback and memories.
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Senses Working Overtime - no idea where I was was whenI first heardit, save to say in Brisbane somewhere ::) :)
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Just a last bit on Swindon's finest...
As maddog rightly states, Andy's "mini-breakdown" whilst touring in 1982, did hurt the band insofar as cracking the US would've been concerned. Due to signing a horrific deal at the outset, the boys didn't really see any fruits of their labours, which led to Andy's troubles. The record company, Virgin, couldn't really get their heads around this problem and consequently couldn't (and didn't) give the band the push they needed.
They just awaited the next saleable signing - Culture Club!
Andy & Colin are finally extricated from their Virgin contracts, and despite all the problems of before, Andy does retain his sense of humour!
maddog - that wouldn't be the VS 188 edition of "Science Friction", would it? I don't have exact values to hand, but that must be creeping towards the 100 quid mark! Sorry to hear of lack of picture sleeve, that bumps it up to five times that amount!
Just recollecting that radio show I would've heard "SWO" on - I'm pretty sure it was on a Sunday afternoon just before the Top 40 countdown on Radio 1 (our only national pop station at the time!) - still for the life of me can't remember who presented it! Oh well!
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
I really loved "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime". Can't remember where I was when I first heard either. I hadn't heard "Senses Working Overtime" in a long time, then I found a CD I had bought about 8 years ago and never played - that was one of the tracks on it!
These are both great tunes - I will have to try and find some others to check out.
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
The entire Skylarking album.
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Senses Working Overtime and Dear God. I don't remember where I was when I first heard them but I probably was happy because it was...THE 80s!
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Favorite XTC songs: 8)
"Senses Working Overtime" (Now I remember...)
"Making Plans For Nigel"
"Dear God"
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Quoting:
maddog - that wouldn't be the VS 188 edition of "Science Friction", would it? I don't have exact values to hand, but that must be creeping towards the 100 quid mark! Sorry to hear of lack of picture sleeve, that bumps it up to five times that amount!End Quote
Wow - I don't know, all my old 45s are stored away in an old box up in the loft. I'll have to get up the ladder and check it out! I got it second hand in a record exchange shop in the early 80s.
Quoting:Just recollecting that radio show I would've heard "SWO" on - I'm pretty sure it was on a Sunday afternoon just before the Top 40 countdown on Radio 1 (our only national pop station at the time!) - still for the life of me can't remember who presented it! Oh well!
End Quote
Would that have been Anne Nightingale? She used to present a Sunday afternoon show before getting moved to Sunday evening (and eventaully to 3am Sunday morning!).
And also...anyone remember "This Is Pop" and "Life Begins At The Hop" - they were great songs.
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
:D Doesn't "Skylarking" have some significant meaning in English (England type English)? For example, "apples and pears" are words for "stairs" in England, I think!
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Quoting:
:D Doesn't "Skylarking" have some significant meaning in English (England type English)? For example, "apples and pears" are words for "stairs" in England, I think!
End Quote
I'm not sure about that..."skylarking" in England means mucking about, having a bit of a laugh, generally not taking things too seriously - does it have the same connotation in the USA?
The apples and pears/stairs reference is Cockney rhyming slang, supposedly started in the criminal community of London's East End in the 19th Century to come up with a coded language that "the law" didn't understand. I've never heard "skylarking" used in that context - what would it rhyme with? parking? marking? barking?
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
"Skylarking" has no known meaning in the US, except a Buick Skylark was a sports car in the 70s and 80s.
I like to hear the cockney speech!
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Well, sadly bj26, there's not a lot of it about these days!
In fact, I've rarely heard anyone use it! Actually, I'm guilty on one - I do use the phrase "butcher's" - as in "Let's have a butcher's at that..." - butcher's hook = look. The rhyming part is never used (or isn't supposed to be...)
Most of London's dialect has been replaced by a rather ugly dialect that is unofficially known as "Thames Estuary" English. I'd like to give you an example, but it doesn't really carry well in words - you have to hear it!
Anyway, "skylarking" - as far as I know isn't cockney rhyming slang for anything. It's just used to describe joviality. However, the boys from the West Country would probably say "skoylaaaarrrrks"!
maddog - no, wasn't dear old Annie...she was always on after the 40, with that trademark "Hi!" - roughly about the time that I'd be doing my last minute physics homework!
All the best!
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
As a younger visitor of the boards (15), I've only just started to get interested in XTC. Regrettably, I've only heard "Dear God," "Senses Working Overtime," and "Earn Enough for Us," but I'll definitely be dashing out to buy Skylarking as soon as I get some spare cash. :)
Subject: Re: Favorite XTC song(s) and....
Great to hear from you all! I think old Filch in Harry Potter may have spoken with a Cockney accent, but Filch was an old meany. Cockney is really a happy kind of uplifting lingo, just seems like fun to speak in rhymes.
I just bought "Skylarking" on Friday and heard some of the most soulful songs I had forgotten, especially "Earn Enough for Us". "Supergirl", "Oranges, Lemons", etc. I recall those songs from a life I used to have, but they are just as beautiful in the life I now have. ;)