XTC Reel by Real: XTC: The Big Express
Last update: 21 September 2013
The Big Express
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Andy: “If Mummer was a gentle chug through the countryside, then The Big Express is a loco derailing itself in the rusty goods yard. An altogether more industrial affair. Slashing electric guitars, sheets of steel bass and diesel oil drums. An iron opera, steam powered and brick encased.”
Andy: “Call me stupid, but these were good records. If you bastards don't want to buy 'em, what can I do? I had faith in my art.”

Lyrics, Charts and More

  1. Wake Up + (pics) (lyrics) (chords)
  2. All You Pretty Girls (pics) (lyrics) (chords) (interview)
  3. Shake You Donkey Up (lyrics) (chords)
  4. Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her + (pics) (lyrics) (chords) (interview)
  5. This World Over + (pics) (lyrics) (chords)
  6. The Everyday Story of Smalltown (lyrics) (chords) (interview)
  7. I Bought Myself a Liarbird (pics) (lyrics) (chords)
  8. Reign of Blows (Vote No Violence!) (lyrics) (chords)
  9. You're the Wish You Are I Had (lyrics) (chords) (interview)
  10. I Remember the Sun (lyrics) (chords)
  11. Train Running Low on Soul Coal (pics) (lyrics) (chords) (interview)

The CD also includes three bonus tracks:

Recording Information

Recorded at Crescent Studios, Bath, England, and Odyssey Sound, London, England, Spring 1984.
Produced by David Lord and XTC.
Engineered by David Lord with additional engineering by Glenn Tommey.
Mixed by Phil Thornalley and XTC at RAK Studios, London, England, July 1984.
Phil Thornalley was assisted by Matt Barry.
+ Mixed by David Lord and XTC.
Originally released on 15 October 1984 in the U.K.
Reached No. 38 on the U.K. album chart.
Reached No. 181 on the Billboard album chart in the U.S.A.

Andy Partridge - Vocals, Electric Guitars, Linn Drum and Harmonica
Colin Moulding - Vocals, Bass Guitars
David Gregory - Electric Guitars, Piano, Mellotron and Synthesisers
with the help of:
Peter Phipps - Drums
Stuart Gordon - Violin and Viola
Annie Huchrak - ‘Choir’ on ‘Wake Up’ (Arranged by David Lord)
Steve Saunders - Euphonium on ‘Seagulls’

Pete Phipps: “Really happy days...memorably filled with sweat, tears and huge amounts of laughter!”

Some working titles for this album were Shaking Skinheads, Hard Blue Rayhead, The Son of Hard Blue Rayhead, The Bastard Son of Hard Blue Rayhead, and finally Coalface.

Singles

#\#i#/#All You Pretty Girls#\#/i#/#

All You Pretty Girls

 #\#i#/#This World Over#\#/i#/#

This World Over

 #\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2492474" target="churl"#/##\#i#/#Wake Up#\#/i#/##\#/a#/#

Wake Up

Art

cover of the Caroline USA #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/# CD 2001 reissue

cover of the Caroline USA The Big Express CD 2001 reissue

 cover of the Virgin Canada #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/# cassette

cover of the Virgin Canada The Big Express cassette

 cover of the Geffen USA #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/# cassette

cover of the Geffen USA The Big Express cassette
lyrics from #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/# CD

lyrics from The Big Express CD

 band photo from #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/#

band photo from The Big Express

 A T-shirt for #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/#

A T-shirt for The Big Express
front cover of #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/# from The Philippines

front cover of The Big Express from The Philippines

 back cover of #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/# from The Philippines

back cover of The Big Express from The Philippines

 trade ad for #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/#

trade ad for The Big Express
trade ad for #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/# (slight return)

trade ad for The Big Express (slight return)

 #\#i#/#Limelight#\#/i#/#, XTC Discography 1977 - July 1985 issue

Limelight, XTC Discography 1977 - July 1985 issue

 Jon Drukman's "Train Running Low Buck" and autographed #\#i#/#The Big Express#\#/i#/# CD cover

Jon Drukman's "Train Running Low Buck" and autographed The Big Express CD cover
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