Chalkhills Digest Volume 1, Issue 345
Date: Monday, 2 May 1994
Chalkhills, Number 345
Monday, 2 May 1994
Today's Topics:
Cherry In My Boots
miscellaneous musings
Re: RED KROSS, the mellowing, and CHERRY
Re: Chalkhills #344
XTC influences
Give 'Em The Boot...
intro
Bubblegum and DC Comics
XTC Remarks I've Overheard
Demos&Bubblegum
(none)
Various and sundry replies
Proposed list for box set
_XTC_In_Motion_
Hi
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Date: Wed, 27 Apr 94 13:39:46 PDT
From: "John Relph" <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: Cherry In My Boots
Steve Wilcox <SWilcox@computer.org> writes:
>
>"Hello, my name is Steve Wilcox, and I have been an XTC fan since 1981."
Hi, Steve!
The chef of the treble clef <MELINDA@delphi.com> writes:
>
>Geez, lots of Eno suggestions and no one mentions _No_Pussyfooting_.
>Am I remembering it wrong? This is Eno isn't it?? It's a cool album!
Yes and No. It's Eno and Fripp, but I don't really consider it "Eno"
as such. It's definitely a collaboration, and the sound is more what
I would nowadays call Fripp. The album could be considered the
genesis of Frippertronics. I enjoy the album quite a bit, and also
appreciate Fripp's _Let The Power Fall_, an entire album of
Frippertronics pieces.
>Ron Henry says:
>> Was anyone else out there a little annoyed at the disruption of album
>> continuity we were used to? I like some of these new songs and all, but
>
>Yeah, it definitely bothers me. The only thing that makes it okay, is
>when, like on Big Express, the extra tracks are in the place that would
>normally be between turning the record over.
Yes, I also get annoyed but I like the fact that the closing song on
the album is still at the end of the CD. It would be more annoying to
hear the entirety of _Black Sea_, for example, ending with the
powerful "Travels To Nihilon", and then to be rudely shocked by the
silly sounds of "Smokeless Zone". And either way you can program the
bonus tracks out.
>I like how on "Cherry", Dave Gregory is credited with "good natured
>ghost effects" -- I assume this means he's not on it?
I assume similarly.
> John, I remember
>you talked briefly with Dave about Lemon Dukes/No Lemon Dukes, so maybe
>you know this: Was "Cherry" perhaps as far as being a Lemon Dukes demo
>or something, and then recorded specifically for this album?
Dave definitely said it was a Lemon Dukes song.
DAMIAN Scar-Face FOULGER <SPXDLF@cardiff.ac.uk> writes:
>
>I was browsing through the Discography a minute ago and got bored,
>fell asleep and depressed the <page down> key. The beeping woke
>me and I found myself looking at this :-
>
>> 256. XTC
>>
>> new album.
>> a. CD, Virgin UK, ?, May 1994.
It's a rumour. Unfortunately I don't remember where I heard it.
Jeffrey Pettit <6705115@sunybroome.edu> writes:
>
>Not
>one penny of the money made on these CD sales goes to XTC themselves.
>Somebody correct me if they think I'm wrong.
> The sales of these CD's is actually hurting artists.
> I suggest we circulate bootleg tape copies of these bootlegs just
>to spite these parasites.
The sale of these CDs does not actively hurt artists because the
artists (and their close-fisted record companies) do not release
recordings of this kind. Until long after the success of bootleg
market points out a possible source of income to the so-called
"legitimate" record companies. However, it is true that the artists
do not receive any income from the sale of bootleg recordings.
But I think the bootleggers have a right to income from the actual
bootlegs because these people DID put in the effort to tape the shows,
to make liner notes, and to press CDs. They don't get something for
nothing. And quality sells.
In my opinion bootleggers are no more parasites than the record
companies themselves. There is a market, they provide product. If
the record companies allowed other people to release live recordings
then the artists could receive royalties on their now-bootlegged
concert recordings. But of course the record companies will never do
it.
By the way, this discussion is IN NO WAY specific to XTC, and should
probably be taken to one of the groups whose charter is specifically
the discussion of unauthorized recordings.
And now, back to your regularly scheduled XTC discussion.
-- John
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: seanbe@microsoft.com Date: Wed, 27 Apr 94 13:37:08 PDT Subject: miscellaneous musings greetings - i love all the info about others bands that appears in Chalkhills --i'm especially going to look for the Tater Totz--sounds great. meanwhile, can someone clue me in about how to get onto the Elvis Costello alias that has been mentioned here? also, if someone has an extra copy of (or cares to dub) Griboulliage (sp?) or Jules Verne, i'd be interested. by the way i used to have No Pussyfooting by Eno and Fripp, which I bought virtually on the strength of the cover alone (plus i was a huge King Crimson fan), and hoping that it was as brilliant as Tiger Mountain and Warm Jets--and after one listen, it sat unplayed in my collection for years. It's essentially a couple of sides of droney tape loop feedback stuff, no lyrics, no melody, no, er, anything much that i was expecting. Bears very little resemblance to xtc except for possibly the dub noodlings of Mr. Partridge. Brilliance? Wank? I dunno!
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: hotspur@mcs.com (Michael Faulkner) Subject: Re: RED KROSS, the mellowing, and CHERRY Date: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 20:18:21 -0500 (CDT) re: dferg@aol.com's query about RED KROSS sounding Dukesish... I haven't heard the album you referred to in particular, but the RED KROSS I am familiar with is/was a punk band, and not a very good one at that. Perhaps they have re-invented themselves, but I would be skeptical about their talents as pop songsmiths. In a related vein, however, has anyone else noticed that bands in general seem to go through this "mellowing" phase as they a) grow older and b) learn more about record production? Our boys from Swindon did just that, as evidenced by the contrast of their early work with the current stuff. As did Pink Floyd (compare Piper at the Gates of Dawn with Final Cut), The Who, etc. It is in this sense that I mourn the death of Kurt Cobain...While I really didn't care for NIRVANA, I was looking forward to hearing what they sounded like after 8 albums, because, if nothing else, Mr. Cobain did have an (albeit undeveloped) ear for melody. Don't get me wrong...I still *love* White Music! It's the first XTC album I bought! One final thing, I'm back on line and on the list after a two month absence...I moved, used to be hotspur@cruzio.com, now it's hotspur @mcs.com...Where can I find the song Cherry? Mail me the answer to this one, because I'm sure everyone else on the list is sick of reading about it. Glad to be back, Mike hotspur@mcs.com
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Date: Wed, 27 Apr 1994 23:17:35 -0600
From: mad@interaccess.com (Michael De Bernardi)
Subject: Re: Chalkhills #344
JahUbik <PRSAVAGE@delphi.com> wrote:
> I must admit I've almost completely purged Love from my
>memory. To British ears, at the time, there was something
>terribly inauthentic and manufactured about them. Now I think
>about it, I find myself writing a Post-It note saying
>"don't bother now, either..." The Dukes are fun: the actual
>musical period, to be honest, I'm not so convinced about.
You did yourself a disservice by dismissing Love as "inauthentic and
manufactured" in the '60s, and you would be well off to burn the Post-It
and pick up a copy of "Forever Changes". Coming out of the same L.A. scene
as the Doors (speaking of manufactured...), Love was one of the most
original and artistically profound bands of the psychedelic era. Whereas
many bands simply jumped on the commercialization of psychedelia, Love did
something interesting with their hallucinogen influences and produced
(IMHO) the ultimate statement of the times in "Forever Changes", not to
mention a number of other gems scattered throughout their other efforts.
Truly fantastic stuff.
dferg@aol.com wrote:
>
>I just read about a new band called Redd Kross in the April Stereo Review
>best of the month column- has someone mentioned them here already?- and here
>is what was said:
>"Redd Kross is bratty Beatles, Led Zepplin with a marshmallow creme center.
>Powerpoppers with steel plates in their heads...Too clever for the Beavis &
>Butthead-era, "Phaseshifter" is the smartest blast of affectionately
>derivative pop whimsicality since XTC mascaraded as Dukes of Stratosphear.
>And it rocks like crazy". Anyone heard it and *agree* with the hyperbole
>spewed from the thesaurus Stereo Review has in their "hip" pocket?
Redd Kross is certainly not a new band; they've been around since
the mid-1980's and put out four (?) albums under their own name and a
couple of disks as the Tater Totz. I thought that their "Neurotica" album
>from the late 1980's was phenomenal (I once heard it described as "if the
Beatles were still around and played through Marshall stacks"), though
"Third Eye" and "Phaseshifter" have not lived up. They do have some of the
spirit of the Dukes in their music, and though it is rooted in early-'70s
bubblegum music, it is intelligent and sounds quite modern. Their live
shows have always been the most fun in town when they come around, so check
them out if you can. Also, the McDonald brothers from Redd Kross starred
with David Cassidy, Leif Garrett, Rob Reiner, and Olivia D'Abo in a movie
called "Spirit of '76" a few years ago, and it was the most laughing I've
done in a long time. Rent it if you can find it.
_______________________________________________________
Michael De Bernardi (((({({{{ mad@interaccess.com}}})})))
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From: m.mccormick2@genie.geis.com
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 94 06:35:00 UTC
Subject: XTC influences
Since folks have been asking about contemporary musical influences on our
favorite band, I can pass along some info that is a little dated (mid 80s)
from the band member bios that were put out by Virgin Records, which
included sections called "Favorite Records", "Favorite Groups", and
"Influences" for each of them. Some selected highlights:
ANDY: Trout Mask Replica (Capt. Beefheart), North Star (Phillip Glass),
The Laughing Policeman (Charles Penrose), Hello Goodbye (Beatles),
Their Satanic Majesty's Request (Rolling Stones) ... New York Dolls,
Charlie Parker, Helium Kidz, T-Rex, Taste, Grateful Dead.
COLIN: Dachau Blues (Capt. Beefheart), any San Francisco psychedelic
bands, ... Barry Andrews, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Taste,
New York Dolls, Sex Pistols.
DAVE: Countdown to Ecstasy (Steely Dan), Innervisions (Stevie Wonder),
We're Only in it for the Money (Mothers of Invention), Hermit of
Mink Hollow (Todd Rundgren) ... Talking Heads, Gerry & the
Holograms, UB40, Beatles, Kinks, Trogs, Taste, Jimi Hendrix, J.S.
Bach, Eric Clapton, Tchaikovsky, Pete Townshend, John McLaughlin,
Rory Gallagher.
For some REALLY detailed lists of Dave's favorite albums, I direct your
attention to Issue #1 of LIMELIGHT (Spring 1982). He gave his dozen or so
favorite LPs for each year from 1967 thru 1981! Some highlights
chronologically: Beatles-Revolver, Cream-Fresh Cream, Jimi Hendrix - Are
You Experienced?, Cream - Wheels of Fire, Beatles - Abbey Road, King
Crimson, Free - Fire & Water, Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die, Neil
Young - After the Goldrush, Yes, Jack Bruce - Harmony Row, Miles Davis -
Live Evil, David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust, Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic, Joni
Mitchell - Court & Spark, Todd Rundgren - Todd, The Band, Capt. Beefheart -
Clear Sput, Little Feat - Last Record Album, Parliament - Mothership
Connection, Steely Dan - Aja, Peter Gabriel, Elvis Costello - My Aim is
True, Kate Bush - The Kick Inside, Ramones - Leave Home, Frank Zappa -
Sheik Yerbouti, Talking Heads - Fear of Music, etc.
Hope this helps! -Mike
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] From: d.zemel@genie.geis.com Date: Thu, 28 Apr 94 03:55:00 UTC Subject: Give 'Em The Boot... Re bootlegs: I've seen or heard mention of three XTC bootleg CDs. Those are This Is Live (which may be the same show as the legit Live In Concert 1980, I don't remember), Making Plans For Andy and KROCking In Pasadena, which is the O&L radio show on that station. I see This Is Live quite often, KROCking In Pasadena very infrequently and Making Plans For Andy never (although I know it exists). I've seen some boot vinyl but I've become more of a CD man these days. Are there any other XTC boots out there? "Concrete And Clay" by Unit 4+2 debuted at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1985, oddly enough the exact same week that the exact same song by Eddie Rambeau (believed to be no relation to Sylvester Stallone) debuted at number 98. (They both tracked for several weeks within five places of each other---with Unit 4+2's version usually ahead---and peaked when they hit about 28 and 33, respectively. (Talk about everything you want to know and more!) By the way, a while back, someone mentioned something about a book with the music to early XTC songs and I asked if that book was Eleven Different Animals? I also asked if not, what is Eleven Different Animals, which I heard about at the last XTC convention? Since those questions went unanswered, I'll ask it once more and if no one posts an answer, I'll assume that no one here knows (or maybe I hallucinated the whole Eleven Different Animals thing)... Dean
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Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 14:49:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: Zinc Licorice Stick <trh1@keene.edu>
Subject: intro
Hi, my name is Tim Hulsizer and this is just a little letter of
introduction. I got acquainted with XTC's work through my job as a
college dj. I heard "My Bird Performs" and became an immediate fan.
Mainly, however, I subscribed to print out some of the info for my
brother. Also a dj, he is a ravenous fan of XTC and he owns all of their
albums (and some singles too). He'll do three flips when he finds out
about this. I got the list address from a list of all musical mailing
lists someone sent to me recently. Thanks for your time,
Tim H.
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mountain gorilla?"
-Dragon Warrior
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Date: Thu, 28 Apr 1994 16:24:22 -0500 (EST)
From: CANEVIT@utkvx.utcc.utk.edu
Subject: Bubblegum and DC Comics
Hey, gang!
Having heard and loved "Cherry in Your Tree," I am considering
starting on a quest for more bubblegum. Since the Lemon Dukes don't
have anything forthcoming (or do they? does anyone know?), I'd like
to know what songs you people consider to be the best or most definitive
tunes of this mini-musical genre. I am sort of too young to remember it--
that is, it was at its height right when I was young enough to like its
simplicity (I believe the Sweet's "Little Willie"(?) is one of the
earliest songs of my memory, but I haven't heard it in 20 or so years),
but too early in my cognitive development to remember anything about it.
How does bubblegum relate to glam? And, to make sure we're really
keeping this relevant to this list, what about "Cherry" makes it
bubblegum?
Another thread I would like to see discussed (and I doubt
if it would last long) is XTC's love for comics. In their songs (that
I know of) we have allusions to Sgt. Rock, the Justice League of
America, Supergirl (with lots of pre-Crisis nostalgia!), and Brainiac's
Daughter. Have I forgotten anything? Here's one of my main questions:
why are all the allusions to DC comics? My opinion is that DC was always
the "wonder and awe" company in contrast to Marvel's "angst and
vengeance" approach. Moreover, if any band in the world emphasized
wonder and awe more so than XTC, I'd like to get a copy of their
discography! (I exclude the Beatles, mind you, mostly because wonder and
awe are more the by-product of listening to them, whereas with XTC,
w&a are the subject matter *and* the result. Boy, I hope people know what
I mean here!) Anyway, it seems natural to me that XTC would concentrate
on DC comics for pretty much those reasons. Oh, and while we're one the
subject, what comics are strewn about in the "Grass" video? (I've only
seen it once, and I guess we can assume that the band had little to do
with the issues that got picked, but I would like to think that having
the comics there in the first place was in fact their idea.)
My other main question has to do with extending this DC centrism.
When I was a kid, I liked the character of the Martian Manhunter, whose
name in English was John Jones. But in Martian, it was J'onn J'onzz. For
some reason, I used to always read that as sounding like "Johns" rather
than the obvious "Jones." I won't admit how long it took me to realize the
truth! But I do wonder if *just maybe*, Andy always read it that way too,
and thus we have the source of the name of Sir John Johns of Dukes fame?
(That's more of's than I have ever used in a single sentence--sorry about
that.)
Finally, does anybody know how available comics were in Britain
when the band would have been mere lads? Is it safe to assume that DC
comics outsold the other American comics?
really curious,
Craig E. Canevit, who is hoping to God that he isn't the only one
interested in these topics. . . .
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: 29 Apr 94 10:29:51 EDT From: Wesley Wilson <WWILSON@forumbos.mhs.compuserve.com> Subject: XTC Remarks I've Overheard Let's start a new topic. How about "XTC Comments I've Overheard". Last summer, when I was working at a job placement out-center, "Generals and Majors" came on the radio in the word processing area. One person there said, "That's XTC. I just got their new album, 'Nonsuch.'" "Really?" was the reply from another person. "I didn't know they were still around." I guess we can thank Virgin/EMI for that bit of whimsy. And I'll never forget the quick review of "essential" punk records >from the late 70's that one must (have?) own(ed?) in order to qualify as hip. Said person in a notesfile classified XTC (and another band whose name escapes me) the following way: "Overliterate, overproduced pop with a stoopid voice in front of it." This actually made me smile. "Hey!" I thought. "I *love* that stoopid voice." Truth be told, I was disheartened to read that Andy was striving for a more "natural" sound to his voice (check out "Rook", for example...), but the s.v. makes a smashing return in the countervocals of "Cherry," n'est-ce pas? Anyway, with these thoughts I shall leave thee for today. Oh, if someone's willing to video dub any of the rarer XTC films (puppet show, etc.), let me know and prehaps we can work out a deal...? Yrs., Wes
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 29 Apr 1994 17:37:04 -0400 (EDT) From: "Jason C. Langley" <jlangley@nynexst.com> Subject: Demos&Bubblegum Steve Wilcox says: > Demo I most wish had been on an album: "The Troubles" (B-side of "The > Meeting Place") Me too. Seeing as it is on the b-side of "The Meeting Place", I assume Todd Rundgren didn't select it for _Skylarking_. I would also have liked to have heard "Young Cleopatra" and "Rip Van Reuben" given a full recording. Colin's unreleased demos, IMO, are pretty lackluster (excepting "The Good Things"). Melinda says: > Jason, I still don't know what specific song "Cherry" sounds like. Have > you figured it out yet? and then: > I had started to say I thought "Cherry" had more of a 60s-bubblegum > sound than a 70s-bubblegum sound, and then all of a sudden the chorus to > "Seasons In the Sun" popped into my head. Go ahead, sing the melody. You know, I sorta thought the same thing. It has that really catchy melody (verging on annoying), but like most bubble gum songs you can't forget it. I find melody and hooks to be a rare commodity in "Pop" music as of late. I picked up _Best of the Bubble Gum Years_ (on Buddah) the other day. It has "Green Tambourine" - Lemon Pipers, "Simon Says" - 1910 Fruitgum Co., and "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" - Ohio Express. I think "Cherry in your Tree" really fits in well with descriptions of bubblegum on the liner notes "While the target audience was young, there was an abundance of innuendo and double-entendre, sufficiently sugar-coated with the upbeat vocals and silly lyrics so that most casual listeners did not take it seriously". "Cherry in your Tree" reminds me of "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" and "Chewy, Chewy" by Ohio Express soundwise and subject wise, but not melody wise. which leads to Tim Connors saying: > I believe it's supposed to sound like the crunchy guitar > sound of various Chapman-Chinn bubble-glam-pop > numbers in the early '70s, e.g. Sweet's "Little Willy." > T-Rex might fall in that category though they're not a > Chapman-Chinn band. I'll buy that. I think the crunchy guitar sound started with Ohio Express, and continued on with Chapman-Chinn. Seeing as Andy was so much influenced by glam and the New York Dolls, I'd like to see a pseudo glam project. and then: > Garo Yellin, who plays cello on "Cherry," played with > Pere Ubu at the aforementioned concert. His cello had > some effects and treatments on it and was used (very I saw David Thomas (from Pere Ubu) play with Ira Kaplan (from Yo La Tengo) and a cello player a couple of years ago. He was excellent, I assume it must have been Garo Yellin, hmmm neat. The cello, to my mind fits in really well with pop music. Lyle Lovett has an excellent player (his name escapes me at the moment) who is really amazing live, as well as Jane Scarpantoni whose name I've seen on a lot of things. Enough for now Jason
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: Fri, 29 Apr 1994 17:49:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Jay Nelson <jnelson@cyberstore.ca> Subject: (none) Greetings XTC fans! I am new to the maillist - so "Hi!" and this is my story. I became aware of the list in the book "The Internet Yellow Pages" which to my delight had a specific listing for XTC under the "music" section. I have been a fan of the band for (embarrassment - I can't be that old!) 14 years now. Ever since I got a hold of a copy of "Drums and Wires." I couldn't believe how fresh and offbeat the music sounded after the typical "pop metal" sludge on the radio at the time. I have about half of their recordings. My favorites are the last two - pretty rare that a band will age so well. Anyways, I continue to believe that they produce some of the most intelligent, well-crafted pop music around. It will be interesting to find out the opinions of other fans - sometimes over the years I have wondered if there were others! Cheers, Jay N. (jnelson@cyerstore.ca)
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: 01 May 94 02:19:43 EDT From: Dave Franson <72277.311@compuserve.com> Subject: Various and sundry replies Hi all, SWilcox@computer.org cites "Mummer" as his least liked (!) XTC album, but he redeems himself by suggesting inclusion of "The Troubles" on an album. Yeah, I'd go all the way with "The Meeting Place" demos-- I'd love to see "Terrorism," "Let's Make A Den," and "Find the Fox" either completed, or in demo form, on CD. Steve redeems himself further by commending Monty Python, Brazil, and early Harlan Ellison to our attention. (What, Steve, no "Neuromancer"?) <MELINDA@delphi.com> again proffers Eno's "No Pussyfooting," and asks why we past and present Eno fans haven't taken up the thread. Well, "No Pussyfooting" is a Eno/Fripp collaboration which probably falls under the umbrella of "ambient music." I say "probably" because I haven't listened to it for 10 years or so. "No Pussyfooting," released in 1973, was followed by a similar Eno/Fripp collaboration, called "Evening Star." The latter was released in 1976. I believe I've seen both on CD. By the way, Eno/Fripp performed this stuff live for at least one performance, which was available as a boot in the late 70s (Paris?). I saw Fripp do his guitar-tape loop THANG back in '80 at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Enthralling. Ok, ok, this is the XTC list... Dave p.s. Dean Zemel, I know that you know that I know I owe you e-mail. Bear with me!
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Date: 01 May 94 02:21:38 EDT From: Dave Franson <72277.311@compuserve.com> Subject: Proposed list for box set Fellow XTC fanatics... A few digests ago I asked if anyone was excited as I was at the prospect of a new 2-CD XTC compilation, as mentioned in the latest "Little Express." No one warmed to my question, so I thought I'd fan the flames a bit and suggest a song list for such a compilation. The criteria I used for selection are: 1. Must be post "English Settlement," since "Waxworks" and "BeesWax" compiled XTC's output through that album. 2. Must not have appeared on "Rag'n Bone Buffet." 3. Must at least tip the hat towards the proposed compilation's working title, "The Best of the American Singles." 4. Must clock in at no more than about 150 minutes of music, figuring 75 minutes per CD. Unfortunately, I immediately invalidated (4) above, because I wasn't able to pare my list to fit the time constraints. This is further complicated by my lack of elapsed time notations for my proposed CD of b-sides and demos, titled "Caterpillars" below. Figuring 23 songs at a wishful 3.x minutes/song, my "Caterpillars" list clocks in at just under 75 minutes. But I'm still left with a "Butterflies" list that's twice as long as required. So whaddya think? Any suggestions on paring my list? Any tunes not here that you think are essential to a representative compilation? Any of my nominees that you think are entirely unnecessary? (No, you can't remove "Bungalow"!) I hope you think this is an interesting exercise. (Rather than thinking, "Jeez, that guy has WAY TOO MUCH TIME on his hands!) Butterflies ----------- Beating of Hearts 4.01 Wonderland 4.43 Great Fire 3.47 Funk Pop a Roll 3.01 Wake Up 4.40 This World Over 5.29 Reign of Blows 3.29 I Remember the Sun 3.08 Train Running Low on Soul Coal5.10 25 O'Clock 5.01 My Love Explodes 3.54 What in the World? 5.01 The Mole From the Ministry 5.50 Summer's Cauldron 3.15 Grass 3.05 1000 Umbrellas 3.44 Season Cycle 3.21 Dear God 3.36 Sacrificial Bonfire 3.46 Vanishing Girl 2.30 Little Lighthouse 4.24 Collideascope 3.21 You're My Drug 3.16 Braniac's Daughter 3.38 Garden of Earthly Delights 5.02 The Mayor of Simpleton 3.58 Poor Skeleton Steps Out 3.27 Merely a Man 3.26 Across This Antheap 4.49 Miniature Sun 3.49 Chalkhills and Children 4.59 My Bird Performs 3.51 Dear Madam Barnum 2.53 Humble Daisy 3.36 Holly Up On Poppy 3.04 Rook 3.45 That Wave 3.34 Then She Appeared 3.52 The Ugly Underneath 3.54 Bungalow 2.49 Caterpillars ------------ English Roundabout (Live) Terrorism Let's Make a Den Find the Fox The Troubles Living in a Haunted Heart The Good Things My Paint Heroes Skeletons Rip Van Ruben It's Snowing Angels Down a Peg Happy Families (original demo mix) Ra Ra for Red Rocking Horse Little Lighthouse (demo) When We Get to England Obsence Procession Goodbye Humanosaurus Goosey Goosey Blue Beret Difficult Age Everything This is the End Have fun (I did!) Dave
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Date: Sun, 01 May 1994 17:42:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: It's pony time! GET UP!! <MELINDA@delphi.com>
Subject: _XTC_In_Motion_
I bought a boot today called _XTC_In_Motion_, which is fairly
good, but not earth-shattering. The sound quality is not
unlistenable, but not that great, either (during "Cross Wires"
one side of the stereo goes out, but it comes back).
For completists, though, it's interesting, because there are
some live tracks I've not seen/heard before -- all the live shows
I have are from around 1979-81; this one is dated 1977, so it's
got stuff like "She's So Square".
There are 10 live tracks, and 7 tracks they're calling "demos", but
I'm not sure whether a couple of them were not just stuck on there
as being formerly rare (like "Wait Til Your Boat Comes Down")
because they don't sound that different from the record.
The high points, IMHO, are a cover of an old TV theme "Fireball
XL5" (this is really the reason I had to buy this boot), a demo
of "Officer Blue" that is truly strange (lyrics are from standpoint
of "even though I'm only 8 years old" instead of "even when I was
just" -- there's even a weird kid-sound to the vocal), an instrumental
song that became "Looking For Footprints".
There's also a photo in which Dave Gregory looks like a refugee
>from "Starsky and Hutch"...
Live Tracks
--------------------------
Radios In Motion
Cross Wires
Let's Have Fun [I have no idea what this is, but it's fun]
Fireball XL5
Science Fiction [sic]
I'm Bugged
Newtown Animal in a Furnished Cage [sic]
Hang Onto the Night [sic]
All Along the Watchtower
She's So Square
Demo Tracks
----------------------------
Making Plans for Nigel
Wait Til Your Boat Goes Down [not sure this is a demo]
10ft Tall [sic]
Officer Blue
Disco (Looking For Footprints)
Chain of Command
When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty (this sounds very like
the record, too, but slightly different, and Andy does
count it down at the beginning -- an outtake, maybe?)
Melinda
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
Date: Sun, 01 May 1994 20:54:46 -0500 (EST)
From: 00sagifford@leo.bsuvc.bsu.edu
Subject: Hi
Okay, so here's my message introducing myself, Steve Gifford. I can't
remember exactly how I first heard of XTC. Ummm...maybe it was one of those
late nights watching telly or something. It was just before Oranges and Lemons
I think...I saw them shortly after that on MTV singing "King For a Day" all
acoustic-like, and I was hooked. My fave song is probably (still) "Dear God".
(Can I help it?) Ummmm.....I'm planning on using "Big Day" in my wedding.
So here I am.
Steve
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] For all administrative issues, such as change of address, withdrawal from the list, fan club addresses, discography requests (last update 17 April), back issues, FAQ list, etc., send a message to the following address: <chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> The Chalkhills archives are available at "http://chalkhills.org/". The views expressed herein are those of the individual authors. All of the riches that shine will turn sour.
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2 May 1994 / Feedback