Chalkhills Digest Volume 1, Issue 408
Date: Sunday, 29 January 1995
Chalkhills Digest, Number 408
Sunday, 29 January 1995
Today's Topics:
XTC New Rare Bit
Producers: Froom or Parks?
Tribute
Rykodisc
None
Re: new label
Where to get demos...
Re: Chalkhills Digest #407
Re: Chalkhills Digest #407
Hapshash & The Coloured Coat
George Martin.
Re:potential producer <chalkhills@PRESTO.IG.COM>
BBC Radio 1
Reelly, Really XTC
New Album
Steer Me Anna!
XTC Demos CDs
CTDummies on Much
106 Across
Towers of London
12 Fingers?
Tiny Circus/Producers
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---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: REELGEORGE@aol.com Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 23:04:50 -0500 Subject: XTC New Rare Bit Greetings XTC Fans! George Gimarc here (Punk Diary '70-'79) letting you in on a real cool deal. I've got a box of "Adventure Club" CDs left. That's the acoustic sessions CD I did here in Dallas that has XTC doing Blue Beret. Yep! Also on the CD are unique songs from Lilac Time, Cranberries, Suede, Frank Black, His Name Is Alive, Jellyfish and many others. Cool art too. Here's the best bit- It's only $10 postpaid! Send money orders to Reel George Productions, PO Box 280173, Dallas, Texas 75228 I'm on AOL at this adress: REELGEORGE@AOL.COM Best fishes! George Gimarc
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 15:39:57 -0500
From: John Lorch <lorch@umbc.edu>
Subject: Producers: Froom or Parks?
Regarding the questions of who should produce the next XTC album;
I had a pretty strong reaction to the idea of Mitchell Froom getting the
job, but I recently had a change of heart. I was listening to the latest
Richard Thompson album, "Mirror Blue", which Froom produced, while I was
ironing my shirts the other day, and I was using headphones. That's a
nicely produced album, with lots of interesting sounds and creative use
of different instrumentation. I could see this type of production
working quite nicely with XTC.
On a different note, Van Dyke Parks would, I think, be a more
interesting choice. One of my favorite albums is the soundtrack to
"Popeye", which features songs written by the late lamented genius, Harry
Nilsson, and was produced by Parks. I think that album alone makes me
confident that the results of an XTC-Parks collaboration would be
artistically successful, although not necessarily commercially so. Parks
is pretty quirky, but I think his quirks match pretty nicely with the way
Andy P's quirks seem to be headed recently.
Just my $.02 worth.
John Lorch lorch@umbc.edu
International Student Advisor phone 410-455-2624
International Education Services, University of Maryland Baltimore County
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 95 15:27 CST From: lunner@mcs.com (Rich T) Subject: Tribute Hey fellow XTC fans. New to list and wanted to post that the Andy Hello CD is fantastic (as others on here have mentioned). Would be interested to hear from any other XTC fans in Chicago. Also, I was surfing around the They Might Be Giants newsgroup yesterday and read that TMBG is going to be on a XTC tribute CD. They were mentioned along with Joe Jackson as being on the CD. Has anybody else here heard of this tribute CD?? (Sorry if this is old news on here).
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 15:38:10 -0600 (CST) From: Martin Wagner <hepcats@eden.com> Subject: Rykodisc I sent e-mail to Ryko regarding the possibility of signing XTC and the guy wrote back "hmmm" and said he'd definitely pass the info along to A&R, though of course he couldn't promise anything. Said he'd personally love nothing better than to see XTC on Ryko. Hmmmm indeed. Martin
------------------------------ Date: 25 Jan 1995 16:43:00 -0500 From: "Russell Shaddox" <Russell_Shaddox@quickmail.cis.yale.edu> Subject: None Mail*Link(r) SMTP None curtiss@MindSpring.COM (Curtiss Hammock) writes in CH407: > If you must compare these people to something, perhaps a nice slime mould > would do, as they aren't too easily offended. Hey dude, MOULD RULES! Standin' on the edge o' the Hoover Dam ... What? _Slime_ Mould? Oh. Sorry. Sorry ... The Dixie Dregs used to do a song about record company execs called "Bloodsucking Leeches." I never did get the connection, since it was an instrumental. But hey, it sounded good. BTW -- Allan Toombs' sig quotes the Beach Boys -- "I keep looking for a place to fit in where I can speak my mind" -- which reminds me that as long as everyone's recommending things, "Pet Sounds" has to be up there. If only Brian Wilson had been able to maintain that level (without wigging out) ... I think Andy and Colin could easily be singing "I guess I just wasn't made for these times." Ryko's got my vote for new label, too (he said, adding his voice to the other thousand million people who already wrote in). Russell Shaddox Leh ... eheeyehzhuurrre ...
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 16:28:25 -0600 (CST) From: James Kosmicki <kosgcom@cccadm.cccneb.edu> Subject: Re: new label I know that this is all musing, but if XTC really is as hard of a sell as their reputation indicates, they need to sign up with a label that does two things: supports its bands over time and has deep pockets. Geffen might have been this type of label once, but their megasuccess with bands like Asia(at first) and then Guns and Roses have put them into that search for the elusive superstar. David Geffen's Asylum records was a haven for wonderful slow selling music back in the 70's. This leads to yet another possible label match: Elektra. I remember reading an article once about how 10+ years ago, Elektra purged their roster and kept only the artists that kept the money coming in or that they liked and wanted to support. (Note the last part there). Look at Elektra's roster now. Do you think that the Gipsy Kings sell a huge amount of records? Plus, Elektra does have TMBG, which indicates a tolerance for groups that experiment and are far from ordinary.
------------------------------ Date: Wed, 25 Jan 95 17:51:16 EST From: Jamie <PET101@UKCC.UKY.EDU> Subject: Where to get demos... There's a guy on the internet who deals in compact disc boots, and can be reached by mailing a message to COMPACTDISC@delphi.com.... Ask for a catalog...his latest one listed all five of the XTC 'demo' CD's, and they are $25 a piece.... l8r.
------------------------------ From: DocBebop@aol.com Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 19:01:53 -0500 Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #407 Some of y'all might know this already but... The XTC tribute talked about lo these many moons is going to be distributed stateside by KOCH Distributors, the same folks who handle Shanachie, Red House, Bar None, Enja and the Smithsonian Folkways recordings. I'm the buyer for a music store and my KOCH salesman was telling me that the tribute was one of the comming releases discussed at their national sales meeting. Soon! Soon! Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy! Garaud MacTaggart
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 1995 16:44:46 +1300 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Re: Chalkhills Digest #407 >In 405 frequent contributor and person of obvious taste James Dignan wrote: > >Sorry, James, but A&M dropped both Jackson and Hitchcock (at least in the >States) precisely for not being commercial. Joe is now on Virgin (and has >had even poorer sales than ever), and Robyn is to my knowledge without a >label, although Rhino is currently in the process of reissuing all of his >catalog. And his other reissues were done on... Ryko! Funny - that means that three of my favourite acts are now labelless - this same thread is going on on the Church list as I write. "Frequent Contributer" = Loudmouth, right? As to my taste, well shucks... >From: d.flach@topos.ruu.nl (Dirk Paul Flach) >Subject: Van Dyke Parks >caught some notes about Van Dyke Parks as a possible producer for a next XTC >album. At first I dind't really think seriously about this options, until I >realized he did the arrangements for a really beautiful violin-based track >on the latest Chills-CD. Anyone know which song I'm talking about? Forgot >the name (James Dignan should know I guess). Now I know for sure: Van Dyke :) I'm getting a reputation here... Water Wolves is the track you're referring to (and yes, I know Martin P well enough to say "Hi" to) >BTW, everyone should listen to the Chills: great stuff, too. Their latest >album (it's not so recent, though, anyone know of new stuff by them?) is >called Soft Bomb. I'm afraid I'm not only a Chalkhillian, but a Chillian, >too... Sdaly, they split up. And there are so many rumours about what Martin Phillipps is up to musically (the latest is a collaboration with Crowded House's Neil Finn, believe it or not) that I've given up trying to guess. There is a greatest hits package just released, though, with some tracks previously unavailable on CD (such as the gorgeous "Green Eyd Owl") >I thought Robyn Hitchcock fans on the list might be interested to know >that his first three albums (Black Snake Diamond Role, Gravy Deco [Groovy >Decoy or Groovy Decay], and I Often Dream of Trains) have been >re-released by Rhino records. And the mailing list's up and running again! (Thanks woj) fegmaniax-request@nsmx.rutgers.edu with subscribe in the message should get you there (there's also a digest form) >post script -- Does anyone know how old Andy, Colin, & Dave are? This >might give us an idea of how realistic it is to hope that they will put >out more than one more album. I think the portraits in the Nonsuch album gave their ages. Cheers all, James James Dignan, Department of Psychology, University of Otago. Ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk St., St. Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand pixelphone james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz / steam megaphone NZ 03-455-7807 * You talk to me as if from a distance * and I reply with impressions chosen from another time, time, time, * from another time (Brian Eno)
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 95 16:09:59 +0100 From: pete@lovelace.thi.informatik.uni-frankfurt.de (Peter Dyballa) Subject: Hapshash & The Coloured Coat Hello! Did you ever hear of them? ... probably not. Did you see them, or at least one of their albums? ... This is bad. Before christmas I got their first album titled `Featuring The Human Host And The Heavy Metal Kids' on CD and I found that the Dukes of Stratosphear covered this cover! `Psonic Psunspot' features as cover kind of a frame inside which's centre the sun shines. A curtain opens the view to the picture. The sun shines through clouds, an embryo is obscuring it partially. The colour is very yellow, it even seems that sun beams are pointing towards the frame. An angel is hovering over the sea, breaking greenly against some great pebbles and oriental ornaments on a wall, partially hidden by a carpet. You've seen it! Hapshash used the same concept before: a frame in plain black with a purple writing that goes around the corners (at least this CD looks like that). In the centre a sun is shining too, not so yellowish, more `Pale and Precious'. Nothing is hiding it, but a face of a hairless monk (from Tibet or Mongolia ?) seems to appear in the sun. The sun is a great soval pot. It bursts out of idealized clouds. Idealized beams go out of it, they are lighter then their vicinity. It remembers me of Japan's World War II war flag (red sun and areal shapes of red beams on white background). Those small kiddish angels from baroque and other angels with blue wings plus some japanese warriors or shephards (or paintings by Beardsley) in multi coloured coats (it's hard to discover the details on this small area) hover on the periphery of the picture. Some UFO's too ... You may find that's not enough and you're right! I did not mention the writing, the fonts used, yet. Both covers use almost the same kind of types: swinging, like calligraphy with a brush or a used quill. Hapshash uses red as their sunbeams while the Dukes chose yellow (or ochre) again. This writing is the most similar and obvious, but it has undergone some changes. In 1967 the letters looked sharp and dynamic (like the duo of the same name and the same time), but 20 years later even cars looked as softened as the writing done by the hand of Duc Sheldrake, whatever he/she is. Hapshash set their name and the album's name onto the lower half of the cover. Band name and title appear again in the upper half but now head foremost. On the back of `Psonic Psunspot' you can see three UFO's instead of angels. They seem to be same as those Hapshash used on their front and their back. Their back is a bit more different than their front in comparison with `Psonic Psunspot'. Again we see a black frame and in the centre a pale sun with the monk's face, but their idealized sunbeams, which are more visible, more emphasized, burst out of the clouds in transparent/white and yellow colour. The left and right halves are just mirrored, as the centrefold of `Psonic Psunspot' is. The colourful samurais now (having lost their colourful coats or shrouds) look merely like Alice in some wonderland, youth style women appear, a chinese wise man leaps towards his reflected image, UFO's again. At the bottom the steeple of an arab mosque is modelled as a silhouette. Please note the changing of the colours of water and foam on `Psonic Psunspot' which corresponds to similar chages on Hapshash's first LP! `Hapshash & The Coloured Coat' were founded by members of a group of graphic designers for posters and LP covers (for Cream ...). Michael English came from the underground paper ``International Times'' and owned a boutique in London (Hung on You). His partner Nigel Waymouth was a boutique owner in London too (Granny Takes A Trip). Later Guy Stevens joined in, a founder of (which?) Procol Harum and producer of R&B musicians at Island Records. Their first LP was released in 1967. It was merely an LSD trip (acid music) (The New Messiah Coming 1985), a bit psychedelic (Empires Of The Sun) with a tendency to the orient and far east (`Aoum' is track 4). Only Waymouth survived and found later Mike Batt and Tony McPhee, coming from The Groundhogs. They released a second album (Western Flier) which is re-released on CD too (I didn't buy it by now because it's more folk-rock and blues). I got my CD from a german mail order in W"urzburg (Recommended - No Man's Land). It's a Repertoire record REP 4404-WY and worth buying and listening, beside that fact that it's the origine of Psonic Psunspot's cover ... BTW, it wasn't my brother who discovered me XTC. I found them myself `Making Plans For Nigel' in a world that was football shaped. And it was my sister's brother (oh, is it me?) that made her conscious of XTC. Greetings Pete P.S.: Cherry Red Records re-released in 1992 a CD with very fine psychedelic recordings of ``The Misunderstood'' (CD BRED 32, entitled ``Before The Dream Faded'')(I got that one too shortly before christmas). This group came from Riverside in California. In a shopping mall they met a british disc jockey by the name of John Ravencroft. He made them go to London for more recording sessions and live performances. This disc jockey is now better known as John Peel ... On this CD you'll find the EP ``Colour Of Their Sound'' as recorded in London in 1966 and the EP ``Blue Day In Riverside'' recorded 1965 in Riverside. This latter work is more R&B, but the ``Colour Of Their Sound'' is really fabulous. They sound as good and inventive and pace making (or maybe better) as the 13th Floor Elevators. And this without jug!
------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Jan 95 11:51 EST From: Gustavo Machado <MACHADO+aMSLATLANTA%DMB&B@mcimail.com> Subject: George Martin. In response to your posting on Chalkhills #407: The Beatles' producer was George Martin. He's still alive and well, still producing whatever Beatles product is officially released. He labels himself as "the keeper of the flame" (which I agree with; he's getting kudos for his production job of "The Beatles Live At The BBC" last December). While he would be a GREAT XTC producer, two things may go against that: 1) He's near 70 now, and looking to retire as soon as he can; 2) I can't imagine his asking price for producing a new band, which I'm afraid he hasn't done in almost a decade (probably the McCartney soundtrack to "Give My Regards To Broad Street" was the last original material he produced). However, he keeps himself very busy with the previously mentioned Beatle re-releases, and is also embarked in a project with Pioneer Co. about sound engineering. Also, he directs Ray Conniff-style versions of his ex-pupils' music all over the world. Now, George producing Andy/Colin/Dave would be like a completion of the circle, the passing of the torch, wouldn't it? Sounds better and better every time... See ya. --Gustavo
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 11:10:36 +1300 From: james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (James Dignan) Subject: Re:potential producer <chalkhills@PRESTO.IG.COM> From: Ayanna Gaines <AYANNA@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU> >anyway, back to our regularly scheduled program and discussion. if he's still >alive (and i'm sure he is), how about the producer for the beatles (i've >forgotten his name, and i'm too sleepy to plumb the depths of my brain)? no >justification other than the fact that if he could cope with the original fab >four's quirks, then he should be able to work well with the swindon crowd. >then again, he may have become crotchedy over the years. just a thought. *George Martin* is alive and well, and from recent interviews isn't crotchetty at all, but I think he's pretty much retired. A shame. If he could organise four talents (and egos) as mercurial as John, Paul, George and Ringo's enough to get Sgt Pepper recorded on four-track (yes, count 'em, FOUR!), just think what he could do with our lads! James Today, for your listening pleasure: Wrong Way Up (Brian Eno & John Cale) James Dignan, Department of Psychology, University of Otago. Ya zhivu v' 50 Norfolk St., St. Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand pixelphone james.dignan@stonebow.otago.ac.nz / steam megaphone NZ 03-455-7807 * You talk to me as if from a distance * and I reply with impressions chosen from another time, time, time, * from another time (Brian Eno)
------------------------------ From: DAMIAN The Wonder Dog FOULGER <SPXDLF@CARDIFF.AC.UK> Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 09:53:33 GMT Subject: BBC Radio 1 Hello Everyone! I just had to let you all know that at 09:15 this morning (Friday 27th January) XTC was heard on BBC Radio 1. For those of you not living in Britain or having had no experience of our radio, Radio 1 is THE main popular radio station in Britain. It is broadcast ove the whole of Britain and players modern popular (chart) music and never have I heard XTC (except for five seconds of This Is Pop used as the title music to a show about 80's music). I was very surprised. All You Pretty Girls was played as a track from 1984 on Simon Mayo's Golden Hour. So perhaps XTC will gain popularity,..... or perhaps not. Dames TWD (Life is good in the greenhouse:XTC)
------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Jan 95 11:47:58 EST From: patty@gdb.org (Patty Haley) Subject: Reelly, Really XTC Hi everyone: All right, Relph, stop playing the tease: > Check out REAL TO REEL, the XTC Recording History: > > http://chalkhills.org/rrintro.html Cheez, I get all excited, click on various links on the page, Colin's name for example, and get thrown to the bottom of the page. This page is still under construction. I also clicked on the video page link and the video page has no listings. :-( Damon shares: > Now supposedly, there are two other CD's, but I have been unable to locate > them. They may not exist, but these five sure do. I found them in the > Village in NYC, thanks to a friend who trekked me through the city to seek > out XTC material that I have been unable to find here in Boston. > > Has anyone else come across these CD's? By the way, I paid about $23 > EACH for these things, so they are not cheap. Oh well. It's WORTH it, > isn't it? (I'm still not totally convinced). > > Some of the demos are pretty crappy sounding, evidently having been taken > from tapes that had been copied down God-knows-how-many-times. Thanks for passing along this information, Damon. I was also looking for these in Boston my last trip and couldn't find them. Now I'm glad I didn't as I'd have bought them. I haven't heard of any verification of the other CDs either. Kyle sez: > <<Digging for her sweet love and I can't waste time > <<Working down that candymine > > Ou... Mr. Partridge, so risque... I'm blushing ;-> I like the way that Andy sings about sex without ever resorting to the "Hey, baby, let's see your tits," lyrics level. And I *still* wholeheartedly believe that "Pink Thing" is not about his son but a certain, erm, appendage of his body that isn't his tongue. His lyrics remind me of that Andrew Marvel poem "To His Coy Mistress." He's a horny guy, but he's going to woo her convincingly--he wants her bigtime, but his frustration is eloquent. Still, "working down that candymine" reminds me of Prince. :-) (Oops, I mean the Artist Formerly Known as Prince.) Dirk Paul quizzes: > > BTW, everyone should listen to the Chills: great stuff, too. Their latest > album (it's not so recent, though, anyone know of new stuff by them?) is > called Soft Bomb. I'm afraid I'm not only a Chalkhillian, but a Chillian, > too... They've disbanded at least a year and a half ago. From David William Lawson: > Anyway a couple of issues back Patty Haley asked where you could get > "legitamate videos". Virgin released "Look Look" which has all the > singles 77-82 except Sgt Rock. I've only seen it on sale once so its > probably been deleted. The reason that Dave could be viewed as > "looking like a wank" is that in Respectable street video he has a > very unbecoming beard. Well, at least I know they existed. Thanks Dave. I can't imagine Dave Gregory with a beard. Hell, all that hair would probably make Andy too jealous these days. :-) Ayanna mentions: > anyway, back to our regularly scheduled program and discussion. > if he's still alive (and i'm sure he is), how about the producer for the > beatles (i've forgotten his name, and i'm too sleepy to plumb the depths of > my brain)? no justification other than the fact that if he could cope with > the original fab four's quirks, then he should be able to work well with the > swindon crowd. then again, he may have become crotchedy over the years. > just a thought. -- ayanna I would like to see a George Martin/XTC combination, but I wonder if King George would have the patience now that he's in his 70s to put up with Andy's shenanigans. Craig Farber asks: > post script -- Does anyone know how old Andy, Colin, & Dave are? This > might give us an idea of how realistic it is to hope that they will put > out more than one more album. Their ages are on the Nonsuch sleeve on the side of their pictures. Just add a couple of years. I don't think age really has anything to do with making records, though. Money and motivation sure do. XTC may be shunned in their own country (for the most part--no offense to the listmembers from the yookay), but over here they're loved. I think their fan base (wow, do I hate that term) is strong enough to keep them afloat for at least record sales. Once again, it is the no-touring policy that forces Dave and Colin to fetch cars for a living on the side. Seems to me that both gents are way talented enough so that they could keep plenty busy in various studios. It was nice to see Dave touring with Aimee Mann, but for Christmas' sake, Colin, get out there and *do* something! Dunno, maybe he's such a family man now that he can't bear to leave Swindon, but I'm sure that if he were to spread the word he were for hire he'd be snatched up by *some* smart musicians. He can sure write songs and play and sing. -Patty Catherine Wheel World Wide Web Home Page: http://gdbdoc.gdb.org/~patty/CW/CW_home_page.html "Your heart is a big box of paints." - You Know Who
------------------------------ From: Mikewheel@aol.com Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 16:18:33 -0500 Subject: New Album This is quoted from the XTC board on America OnLine: " I just got off the phone with Andy P and he sez that the band want to record their new album, but won't do it because it will tie them to Virgin for another few years. They want out of their contract and Virgin are being very difficult. Hope for the best. Two of the songs on the Hello CD are in the pile of songs for the next Lp (when it happens). Ryko HAS contacted the band as of yesterday and the lawyers are being called in to sort out the mess. George Gimarc" Mike Wheeler
------------------------------ From: Millard@eworld.com Date: Fri, 27 Jan 95 14:26:34 PST Subject: Steer Me Anna! Hi Folks, I'm new to Chalkhills and as such am taking a moment of your time to introduce myself. I've been a fan of XTC (and the Dukes, of course) since 1980, and during the journey have been lucky enough to get my brother, my best friend, and even my wife interested in XTC. I haven't had time to read all of the previous issues of Chalkhills, so forgive me if this has been covered before but I've got to ask: Why did Terry Chambers leave XTC? Thanks all, -Mark Millard
------------------------------ Date: 28 Jan 95 15:25:12 EST From: Steve Levenstein <70750.1117@compuserve.com> Subject: XTC Demos CDs Hi all, my wife just returned from Japan with a gift for me: three CDs titled "XTC Demos", "XTC Demos 4, Helium Kids tracks and covers", and "XTC Demos 5, The Big Express and various demos". All three are issued by the "EXTATIC" label. The 2 other CDs in the series are demo collections from Oranges & Lemons and Nonsuch, which my wife did not buy (this trip). I've only listened to "XTC Demos 5" so far, it sounds great and has some interesting cover art: Andy, Colin and Terry wearing space suits with Union Jack and XTC insignia, Colin and Terry having very long hair. Back of the CD case has the famous "moon footprint" with the letters X T C beside it, looking like they are impressed into the lunar surface. Here's the track line up: 1) Adrenalin, (2) Private Eye, (3) In Love with the Hurt, (4) Shark in the Pool, (5) Cafe, (6) Star Park, (7) Yabber, Yabber, Yabber, (8) Saturn Boy I, (9) Walkin' Across the Ceiling, (10) Saturn Boy II, (11) Purple Haze, (12) Community Worker Breakdown, (13) Whole Lotta Age. Tracks 11-13 are described as "XTC early demos", but I know them as some of the "Drunken Studio Sessions"!!!!!!! Too bad that "Shavin' Brush Boogie" was not included, but the sound quality is excellent, not a click or pop to be heard. I assume these CDs are bootlegs, but quite a nice packaging effort. Has anyone else seen these CDs in the Western Hemisphere? I'm thrilled and surprised by these discs, and I'll post more after I've heard the other two. adios, ---> Steve
------------------------------ Date: 28 Jan 95 15:32:39 EST From: Steve Levenstein <70750.1117@compuserve.com> Subject: CTDummies on Much Hello all, did any of you see the live-in-studio concert by Crash Test Dummies on Canada's "Much Music" TV a few days ago? There was a question & answer session with the studio audience, and someone asked Brad Roberts about his influences. Said Brad, "I personally worship the ground Andy Partridge walks on". He also mentioned that some bigwig connected with the film "Dumb & Dumber" saw CTD perform "Peter Pumpkinhead" live at a club, and asked them if they would do the song for the film's soundtrack. Toronto's CFNY has been playing the song alot lately. 'bye for now, ---> Steve
------------------------------
From: PhilKB@aol.com
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 21:21:18 -0500
Subject: 106 Across
Sunday New York Times crossword.(Jan.29)
106 Across---- " Oranges & Lemons " rock group
It is 3 letters. Anyone got a guess?
Phil Bradford
------------------------------ Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 16:39:36 -0800 From: mallard@uclink.berkeley.edu (Chong Hyun Byun) Subject: Towers of London Here's a question that's been lurking around in my mind for a while. I love "Towers", but I really have no idea what this song is about. Aside from the basic fact that it's about "some masonry", I'm drawing a blank. Are there some historical events that it's referring to? Or is it just a cool piece of musical art? Can anyone fill me in on this? All you people out there who have copies of Andy's Hello Recording club stuff are so lucky! I'm wondering if there is a benevolent soul out there who would be willing to make me a copy, and I would pay tape and shipping costs, or work out a trade if you're interested. Thanks all! Christie Byun mallard@uclink.berkeley.edu
------------------------------ From: Andisheh Nouraee <scotsman@wam.umd.edu> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 18:26:31 -0500 Subject: 12 Fingers? Dear Chalkhillians, Has anyone else noticed that Dave Gregory has 6 fingers on each hand? If you don't believe me, look at the drawing of him in the "Drums And Wireless" CD sleeve. That would seem to explain how he can play guitar, keyboards, and program the drum machine all at once. Bye, Andy
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 16:29:23 +0000
From: bt18@cityscape.co.uk (Allan Toombs)
Subject: Tiny Circus/Producers
First off thanks for answering a question which has been niggling me for
some time. You see the day I bought Nonsuch I also spotted an odd little
French compilation with a similar typographic style but I didn't pick it up
as I realised all the tracks were commercially available. My do I wish I had
now, but I was a bit brasic at the time. Anyway a quick visit to your Web
Site located it as 'The Tiny Circus Of Life' and the full track listing will
allow me to compile a cassette tape to replicate it, looks like an
interesting choice and order.
Going back a bit my awareness of XTC starts with 'This Is Pop', a
regular stand out on John Peel's show in the late seventies but I didn't
really click on them as an important group. Further damage was done by, I
think, the Old Grey Whistle test introducing them as 'clever clever
art-school rock' as I remember it. Anyway 'Ball And Chain', 'Making Plans
For Nigel', 'Generals And Majors', 'Sgt. Rock' and 'Towers Of London'
registered with me again and a TV documentary showing the recording of
'English Settlement' at the Manor wowed me. I also caught Andy being
interviewed on Radio One and explaining 'Melt The Guns' and 'No Thugs In Our
House' before they were played. Ditto for 'The Big Express' album a nice
promotional slot and a convincing interview from Andy.
What really turned me from general awareness of XTC to active
fanhood was the early issues of Q magazine plugging 'Skylarking' as a great
undervalued album. I can't resist claims like this as I've usually found
them worth checking out. This was true of 'Skylarking' in shovel-loads (even
with 'Dear God' replaced by 'Man Who..) and by the time I'd played it to
death 'Oranges and Lemons' came out. Now alot of my friends who rate
'Skylarking' didn't like O&L but I still rate it, I've all the CD singles
and started filling in my back catalogue collection with the likes of
'Mummer', 'English Settlement'(with 'Yacht Dance' and 'Leisure' restored to
the CD) and 'Rag'n'Bone Buffet'. To me 'Nonsuch' represents XTC's artistic
peak, standouts are 'Rook', 'Omnibus', 'Holly Up On Poppy' and I love
'Bungalow', even without reading it as an inditement of retirement. Maybe
it's a very English thing but I recognise that deep-seated wish to bow out
and live quietly in my own soul too. It's a British middleclass dream, like
running a country pub or a bistro restaurant, unattainable but much longed
for all the same. Watch 'One Foot In The Grave' for the caveat, I'll enjoy
the song wallowing in a morass of nostalgia, ennui and yearning for
peacefullness.
Finally IMHO the best thing that could happen to XTC is for one of
their songs to be a massive world wide hit after featuring in a movie, like
what 'Love Is All Around' did for Reg Presley and The Troggs. Then you'd
have Virgin knocking on their door. As for a producer, they probably don't
need one, certainly not some of the legends being proposed here, more of a
famous engineer is needed. How about Roger, afterall he's worked with the
Yardbirds? :-)
------------------------------ End of Chalkhills Digest #408 *****************************
Go back to Volume 1.
30 January 1995 / Feedback