XTC Reel by Real: XTC: Coat of Many Cupboards

Coat of Many Cupboards

A 4 CD, 60 TRACK GOLDMINE OF OUTTAKES, DEMO VERSIONS, HOME RECORDINGS, REHEARSAL EXTRACTS, ACOUSTIC VERSIONS, AND NEVER-BEFORE RELEASED LIVE TRACKS The Album The Songs The Essay Recording Info Reviews Discographical Info Art

XTC
"A Coat Of Many Cupboards"
4 CD boxset
Virgin Records
Released February 25th

Virgin Records are proud to announce the release of 'A Coat of Many Cupboards' - a very special 4 CD box set from classic British pop band XTC.

Following on from the huge success of the remastered XTC albums in 2001, this specially designed 4 CD Long Box offers fans a wealth of previously untapped musical gems - in fact the box itself is fitted with additional internal flaps to create the feeling of an impending voyage of discovery.

Put together with the help of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, 'A Coat Of Many Cupboards' features 60 tracks spanning XTC's entire output for Virgin Records. There are demo versions of most of their singles, a selection of Andy & Colin's favourite tracks with stories about each track in the booklet, rarities/unreleased tracks and a selection of previously unheard live tracks from performances around the world.

A fully illustrated 60 page booklet with a specially commissioned essay by Harrison Sherwood (XTC aficionado and lifelong fan) rounds off what is their most comprehensive career retrospective package. The perfect companion to 'Fossil Fuels'.

XTC hailed from Swindon to cultivate a legacy of highly original British pop born from their early punk/new wave roots in the late 70s. Their angular yet melodic songs, lead by distinctive jagged riffs boasted the catchiest of pop sensibilities which was then injected with an edginess by the darker overtones of astute and often political lyrics. Throughout their career, from the jerky earlier sound to the lushly arranged meticulous pop of their later albums, each new project marked a progression which spawned classic hits such as 'Making Plans for Nigel', 'Senses Working Overtime', 'Generals and Majors', and 'Mayor of Simpleton'.

[Virgin Records Press Release]

Astralwerks' Caroline Records division announces that they will be releasing the first ever retrospective box set from XTC, eclectically titled A COAT OF MANY CUPBOARDS on March 26, 2002. This 4 CD, 60 track box set covers XTC's 1978-1989 period. Covering tracks from their first 10 albums as well as the Dukes Of Stratosfear side project, this box set aptly displays why they are regarded as one of the most inventive pop bands to emerge from the punk/new wave explosion of the late '70s.

Compiled by XTC founder/songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, A COAT OF MANY CUPBOARDS is a goldmine of outtakes, demo versions, home recordings, rehearsal extracts, acoustic versions, and never-before released live tracks. Rather than following the tired box set formula of being merely an expanded greatest hits collection with rarities thrown in, 41 of the 60 tracks (nearly 70% of the box) have never before been released. In fact, what makes this box especially interesting is that the versions of the band's "greatest hits" are not the usually heard album or singles versions, but rather the never-before heard alternative or demo versions. These include the Mutt Lange produced version of "This Is Pop," Dave Gregory's home demo version of "Dear God," rehearsal recording of "Generals and Majors," the discarded single version of "Life Begins At The Hop," and the band's first ever demo recording of "Science Friction.

Shortly following the release of A COAT OF MANY CUPBOARDS, Caroline Records will be reissuing the first 10 XTC albums in digitally remastered form in due course.

Each release will be initially be issued a limited edition package replicating the cardboard packaging style of the original vinyl album releases. Most albums will feature additional tracks (none of which are duplicated on the box set).

[Caroline Records Press Release]

Lyrics, Charts and More

Disc One:

1. Science Friction (CBS demo)
2. Spinning Top (Live at Eric's in Liverpool)
3. Traffic Light Rock (live at Eric's in Liverpool)
4. Radios In Motion (White Music version)
5. Let's Have Fun (White Music out take)
6. Fireball XL5/Fireball dub (White Music out take)
7. Heatwave Mark 2 Deluxe (White Music out take)
8. This Is Pop (Single Version)
9. Are You Receiving Me? (Go 2 out take)
10. Things Fall To Bits (Go 2 out take)
11. Us Being Us (Go 2 out take)
12. Life Begins At The Hop (First rehearsal extract)
13. Life Begins At The Hop (First recording, unused)
14. Making Plans For Nigel (Demo from Swindon Town Hall)
15. Ten Feet Tall (Drums and Wires version)
16. Sleepyheads (Drums and Wires out take)

Disc Two:

1. Wanking Man (hidden track)
2. Meccanik Dancing (Live at the Marconi Club in Sydney)
3. Atom Medley: Into The Atom Age/Hang On To The Night/Neon Shuffle (Live at the Marconi Club in Sydney)
4. Life Begins At The Hop (Unused U.S. single recording)
5. Real By Reel (Unused single recording)
6. When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty (Unused single recording)
7. Helicopter (Unused single recording)
8. Towers of London (Rejected single recording)
9. Generals And Majors (Rehearsal tape)
10. No Language In Our Lungs (Black Sea version)
11. Sgt. Rock Is Going To Help Me (Black Sea version)
12. Paper And Iron (Live at The Lyceum in London)
13. Crowded Room (live at The Lyceum in London)
14. Senses Working Overtime (Early work tape)
15. Snowman (live at The Hammersmith Odeon in London)
16. Ball And Chain (Unused single recording)

Disc Three:

1. Shaving Brush Boogie (hidden track)
2. Punch And Judy (Unused single recording)
3. Fly On The Wall (English Settlement version)
4. Yacht Dance (Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC TV)
5. Jason And The Argonauts (English Settlement version)
6. Love On A Farmboys Wages (Home demo)
7. Wonderland (Home demo)
8. Ladybird (Mummer version)
9. All You Pretty Girls (Home demo)
10. Wake Up (Home demo)
11. The Everyday Story Of Smalltown (Big Express version)
12. Grass (Home demo)
13. Let's Make A Den (Home demo)
14. The Meeting Place (Home demo)
15. Dear God (Band demo)

Disc Four:

1. Brainiac's Daughter (Psonic Psunspot version)
2. Vanishing Girl (Psonic Psunspot version, revamped)
3. Terrorism (Home demo)
4. Find The Fox (Home demo)
5. Season Cycle (Skylarking version)
6. The Troubles (Home demo)
7. Mayor Of Simpleton (Early work tape)
8. King For a Day (Home demo)
9. Chalkhills and Children (Oranges & Lemons version)
10. The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead (Early home demo)
11. Omnibus (Nonsuch version)
12. The Disappointed (Home demo)
13. Bungalow (Nonsuch version)
14. Didn't Hurt A Bit (Nonsuch out take)
15. Books Are Burning (Live on The Late Show, BBC TV)

(To hear the hidden tracks, you need to use the rewind button («) before track 1; the hidden tracks appear in the negative time before the first track on Discs Two and Three.)

Recording Information

Collection of tracks from XTC's time at Virgin Records.
Released on 25 March 2002 in the U.K.

Art

XTC circa 1978	XTC circa 1978	XTC, circa 1980
XTC circa 1980	Barry Andrews and his clapped-out steam powered organ	Dave Gregory circa 1982
The Dukes of Stratosphear	The Dukes of Stratosphear	the loudest band in the world
unused White Music shots	XTC live, circa 1978	XTC live, circa 1978
XTC live, circa 1978	Rag & Bone Buffet photo	Rag & Bone Buffet photo
Rag & Bone Buffet photo	Oranges & Lemons-era promotional photo	Barry Andrews, circa 1978
Andy Partridge plays live	Andy Partridge plays live	English Settlement promo photo
Dave Gregory, Oranges & Lemons promo photo	Colin Moulding on thunderbroom	Colin Moulding circa 1978
Terry Chambers just 'its 'em	XTC on stage in 1978	XTC circa Drums and Wires
Mummer promo photo	“Dear God”, it's Andy Partridge also known as The Great Satan	Andy Partridge, in characteristic live posture
Colin Moulding in leather and bass	Barry Andrews in 3-D	Andy Partridge, barking like a seal
Colin Moulding, Mummer promo photo	Selections from the box set Coat of Many Cupboards promo CD	advertisement for Coat of Many Cupboards from MVC

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