XTC
Black Sea

			The Album The Songs Recording Info Reviews Discographical Info Tour Programme The Singles Art

BLACK SEA

Charting in the U.S. Top 50, XTC's fourth album emphasizes the band's social commentary. Including the alternative hit "Generals And Majors", it becomes a breakthrough album for the band in America.

Geffen CD Release 1991 includes three tracks not on original album: the eco-anthem "Smokeless Zone" (written by Moulding), and the plea-for-anger-and-rough-edges "Don't Lose Your Temper" and the breathy "The Somnambulist" (both written by Partridge).

[Geffen promotional literature, 1991]

Andy: “The band are becoming a slick-sounding, commando, trouble-shooting unit, ready to go anywhere on earth, songs written on the hoof, rehearsed in dressing room and slammed down here on our hardest album. The live machine captured with minimum trimmings.”

Andy: “Recorded at the height of touring mania. We were about as muscular sound-wise as we would ever be. It sounded like our live set, raucous and very tight and pumped up.”

Lyrics, Charts and More

1. Respectable Street
2. Generals and Majors
3. Living Through Another Cuba
4. Love at First Sight
5. Rocket From a Bottle
6. No Language in Our Lungs
7. Towers of London
8. Paper and Iron (Notes and Coins)
9. Burning With Optimism's Flames
10. Sgt. Rock (is Going to Help Me)
11. Travels in Nihilon

The CD reissues also include bonus tracks:

1. Smokeless Zone
2. Don't Lose Your Temper
3. The Somnambulist

Recording Information

Recorded at the Townhouse Studios, London, England, June-July 1980.
Produced by Steve Lillywhite. Engineered by Hugh Padgham.
Engineering by Nick Launay and Phil Vinnal.
Originally released on 12 September 1980 in the U.K.
Reached No. 16 on the U.K. album chart.
Reached No. 41 on the U.S. album chart.
Reached No. 1 on the New Zealand album chart.

Terry Chambers - Tama drums, Snyper Drum Synth and free form voice.
Dave Gregory - Guitars, synth, piano and the odd vox humana or two.
Colin Moulding - Sings his songs and plays his Epiphone Newport.
Andy Partridge - His own voice, a guitar he thinks he owns, a synth he's not sure who owns and other noises that could have been anybody's.

Some working titles for this album include Tigers in Tuneworld, Quartermasters, Hook, Line and Sinker, Ship of Fools, Work Under Pressure, and Terry & The Lovemen (hence the name of the band that plays on A Testimonial Dinner).

Singles

Generals And Majors	Towers of London	Sgt. Rock (is Going to Help Me)
Love at First Sight (Canada only)	Respectable Street (BBC version)

Art

Black Sea front cover	back cover of Black Sea LP	paper bag from original US Black Sea LP on RSO
UK Black Sea LP with black bag	UK Black Sea LP with paper bag outer sleeve	cover of the Japanese Black Sea LP
Black Sea picture CD	Black Sea Tour Programme	Black Sea tour poster
RSO and Virgin Records 1980 promo poster	Black Sea promo poster	text from “The Atlantic Road Show 1980, Release #10”
Black Sea promo badge (4cm)	Black Sea trade advertisement	Trade publication advertisement for Black Sea
Trade publication advertisement for Black Sea	Black Sea-era ads for Respectable Street and Sgt. Rock singles	Black Sea poster from Australia

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