Generals and Majors

(Moulding)

#\#i#/#Generals And Majors#\#/i#/# UK single front cover

Generals And Majors UK single front cover

 Recordings
XTCfans interview with Colin Moulding
Art
Lyrics
Chords and Tablature
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Recordings

  1. Album version, 4'04.
    Released on Black Sea.
    Step (humming).

    Colin: “We had problems with the humming part of the song as well. We had to get somebody from the kitchen, a guy called Step, I think. The cook from the kitchen, and my, could he hum! [laughs] That part was all him.”

  2. Single edit, 3'41.
    Released on 9 August 1980 as a single in the U.K.
    Reached No. 32 on the U.K. singles chart.

  3. Promotional video, (using the single edit) 3'41.
    First broadcast date unknown.
    Released in 1982 on the Look Look video compilation.

    Colin: “One for all the military types - justify your manhood here, chaps. Partly inspired by a school mate's brother who was a mercenary in Angola and got killed. I'm sure it wasn't just for the money. I tried to introduce a little sarcasm and pomposity into it as well, so it wasn't too heavy going. In the style of ‘Oh What a Lovely War’.”
    Andy: “You were reluctant about this, weren't you?” Colin: “It was a half-finished song, really. It only came to life when Andy came up with the chorus - most of it was created in the studio.” Andy: “It's related to ‘Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines’.”

  4. Live version, 7'25.
    Medley with "Living Through Another Cuba".
    Recorded by the Manor Mobile on 12 October 1980 at the Lyceum, London, England.
    Recording engineer Chris Jenkins.
    Mixing engineer Steve Prestage.
    Released as a B-side to the Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me) 7" single in the U.K.
    PLAY VERY LOUD.

  5. Live version, 4'28.
    Released on BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert.
    Also available on Transistor Blast.

    Andy: “Bang! Into the formula one, furious fascist skank of ‘Generals and Majors’.”
  6. Rehearsal tape version.
    Recorded at Polygram Studios, Stanhope Place, London, in June 1980.
    Produced and engineered by Steve Lillywhite.
    Released on 25 March 2002 on Coat of Many Cupboards in the U.K.
    Andy Partridge - Guitar, Keyboard and Vocals
    Colin Moulding - Bass and Vocals
    Dave Gregory - Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals
    Terry Chambers - Drums

    Colin: “Think of Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, and you're almost there. The chap with the handlebar moustache, who lives up at the big house, is getting a bit stir crazy and thinks it's a good idea to bomb this that and the other and goes on television and says so. I pointed the fun stick for a brief moment at this gentlemen's club as things at the time between us and the Ruskies were getting a bit hairy and these guys, I thought, weren't helping matters. I think it's the nearest thing we did to a military march, albeit using rock instruments. If one sees it that way, I think it is quite adventurous. But we're still in the act of arranging parts when Mr Lillywhite turned on the tape, so for the musos, here's a chance to dissect the soup. I'm la-la-ing the main theme, in the hope that we'll eventually find someone that can whistle. Mr Lillywhite was particularly keen on the idea, as he had recorded the whistling, recently, on Mr Gabriel's ‘Games Without Frontiers’, only trouble is, there wasn't anyone who could whistle it with any strength. Enter monophonic synthesizer. Well, it was cheaper than Roger Whittaker. I vaguely remember some humming auditions at the Townhouse, where the cook got the job, but that is too fantastical for anyone to believe. (And what did I say about that ‘Pea Souping’ earlier [see ‘Sleepyheads’]. I rest my case.)”

    Andy: “A little late in the day as it may have seemed, the first thing we did on setting up at Polygram Studios was to play through, for Steve, all the songs we had for this album we were commencing. In that bunch was a new song of Colin's called ‘Generals And Majors’. The reason it doesn't sound very well worked out yet is because it isn't. I'm fumbling along like a beginner, looking for a part. Terry taps along, not having settled on his violent ‘pea soup, pea soup’ disco drumming yet. Colin searches for a style to sing it in, while I flounder behind him searching for the right harmonies. Really the only one who seems to know what he's doing from the off is Dave.

    “So embarrassed am I, by my unpreparedness I can be heard mumbling at the end, to Colin, ‘I got to work out another bit (guitar), it's clashing with your vocals terrible’. We got it together eventually.”

  7. 2017 stereo mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
  8. 2017 5.1 mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
  9. 2017 instrumental mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
  10. Live studio demo.
    Phonogram Studio recording.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
  11. TC&I live version.
    Performed by TC&I.
    Recorded live at Swindon Arts Centre.
    Released on TC&I: Naked Flames in the U.K.

[Thanks to R. Stevie Moore]

Art

#\#i#/#Generales y Mayores#\#/i#/# single cover

Generales y Mayores single cover

 Australian #\#i#/#Generals and Majors#\#/i#/# single

Australian Generals and Majors single

 Portuguese #\#i#/#Generals & Majors#\#/i#/# single with sticker

Portuguese Generals & Majors single with sticker
a newspaper advertisement for the #\#i#/#Generals and Majors#\#/i#/# single

a newspaper advertisement for the Generals and Majors single

 the #\#i#/#Generals and Majors#\#/i#/# centerfold

the Generals and Majors centerfold

 the green #\#i#/#Generals and Majors#\#/i#/# Australian single

the green Generals and Majors Australian single
the flipside of the #\#i#/#Generals and Majors#\#/i#/# Australian single

the flipside of the Generals and Majors Australian single

 poster advertising #\#i#/#Generals & Majors#\#/i#/# single

poster advertising Generals & Majors single

 #\#i#/#Generals and Majors#\#/i#/# Russian pirate flexi

Generals and Majors Russian pirate flexi
#\#a href="video/GeneralsAndMajors.mov" target="churl"#/#snippet of the promotional video for “Generals and Majors”#\#/a#/#

snippet of the promotional video for “Generals and Majors”

 #\#a href="http://youtu.be/LCW6Kte2o1A" target="churl"#/#“Generals and Majors” promotional video (featuring Richard Branson)#\#/a#/#

“Generals and Majors” promotional video (featuring Richard Branson)

 #\#i#/#Generales y Mayores#\#/i#/# single and promotional blurb

Generales y Mayores single and promotional blurb

Lyrics

Generals and Majors ah ah
they're never too far
from battlefields so glorious
out in a world of their own
They'll never come down
till once again victorious

Generals and Majors always
seem so unhappy 'less they got a war

Generals and Majors ah ah
like never before are tired of being actionless.

Calling Generals and Majors
Generals and Majors everywhere
Calling Generals and Majors
your World War III is drawing near

Generals and Majors ah ah
They're never too far
away from men who made the grade
out in a world of their own
They'll never come down
until the battle's lost or made

Generals and Majors ah ah
like never before, are tired of being in the shade.

© 1980 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

Chords and Tablature

Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2017 17:29:08 +0100
From: Florian Decros <flodecros (at) gmail dot com>
Subject: Bass tabs for Black Sea
Message-ID: <CAPtZtiMEot5AHL_+cxMcr+04FpjkfeJhrP8+8hK7B15ycOk_KA (at) mail dot gmail dot com>

Hi !
Here's the bass tablatures for the 11 (great) songs from the classic "Black Sea". A lot of repetitive bass lines, but also some tricky parts. Sorry if there's any mistakes, and I hope you'll enjoy those basslines as much as I do.
Cheers,
Florian.

Date: Wed, 07 Jul 2004 22:01:35 -0400
From: elizabeth & chris <binkwest (at) concentric dot net>
Subject: Generals and Majors
Message-ID: <40ECAAFF.5050201 (at) concentric dot net>


I have no idea how this has gone uncorrected all this time, but perhaps
XTC fans are not so obsessive as King Crimson fans.

The chorus? of Generals and _Majors_ has a _minor_ chord in it.
Thusly:

       |F           |Cm
Calling Generals and Majors

So that part would be |F |Cm |Bb |F | 2x.

Even the sung note on the first syllable of Majors is an Eb, which
clearly implies Cm instead of C.

c     d   c   F     f   eb  d
Call  ing Generals  and Maj ors

I hope this helps, or now I'll be the butt of some running joke.

Chris
Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 23:55:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: jon jon <sgt_rapist (at) yahoo dot com>
Subject: tab for your site
Message-ID: <20010427065501.69980.qmail (at) web11406 dot mail dot yahoo dot com>


#---------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the#
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#

XTC
Generals and Majors
by Collin Moulding

Here is the tab for the entire song, minus the whistling parts.
Questions, comments, corrections welcome at Sgt_Rapist (at) yahoo dot com

The song begins with Lead Guitar I
       F
       4/4
|----|-------------------|-------------------|
|----|-13----------------|-13----------------|
|----|----15-14-12-------|----15-14-12-------|
|----|-------------15----|-------------15----|
|-15-|----------------15-|----------------15-|
|----|-------------------|-------------------|


  C
|-------------------|-------------------12-13----|
|-13----------------|-------------13-15----------|
|----15-14-12-------|----12-14-15----------------|
|-------------15----|-15-------------------------|
|----------------15-|----------------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------------|


  Bb
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-13----------------|-13----------------|
|----15-14-12-------|----15-14-12-------|
|-------------15----|-------------15----|
|----------------15-|----------------15-|
|-------------------|-------------------|


  F
|-------------------|-------------------12-13----|
|-13----------------|-------------13-15----------|
|----15-14-12-------|----12-14-15----------------|
|-------------15----|-15-------------------------|
|----------------15-|----------------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------------|


Here's Lead Guitar II
  F
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|-------------0-2----|
|-1---0---------|-1---0---------|-1---0---------|-------0-1-3--------|
|-------3-1-0---|-------3-1-0---|-------3-1-0---|-0-1-3--------------|
|---1---------1-|---1---------1-|---1---------1-|--------------------|


  F
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|-------------0-2----|
|-1---0---------|-1---0---------|-1---0---------|-------0-1-3--------|
|-------3-1-0---|-------3-1-0---|-------3-1-0---|-0-1-3--------------|
|---1---------1-|---1---------1-|---1---------1-|--------------------|


The Bridge
  D                         Bb           C#
|-5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5-|-6--6--6--6-|-4--4--4--4----|
|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6----|
|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-6--6--6--6----|
|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-8--8--8--8-|-6--6--6--6----|
|-5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5-|-8--8--8--8-|-4--4--4--4----|
|-5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5-|-6--6--6--6-|-4--4--4--4----|


Lead Guitar II
  F
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|-------------0-2----|
|-1---0---------|-1---0---------|-1---0---------|-------0-1-3--------|
|-------3-1-0---|-------3-1-0---|-------3-1-0---|-0-1-3--------------|
|---1---------1-|---1---------1-|---1---------1-|--------------------|


  F
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|--------------------|
|---------------|---------------|---------------|-------------0-2----|
|-1---0---------|-1---0---------|-1---0---------|-------0-1-3--------|
|-------3-1-0---|-------3-1-0---|-------3-1-0---|-0-1-3--------------|
|---1---------1-|---1---------1-|---1---------1-|--------------------|


  F                   C
|----------|--------|--8-------|-------|
|-10-------|--------|--8-------|-------|
|-10-------|--------|--9-------|-------|
|-10-------|--------|-10-------|-------|
|--8-------|--------|-10-------|-------|
|--8-------|--------|--8-------|-------|


  Bb    F                            F      C      Bb    F
|-6-|-|---------------|------------|----|-|--8-|-|-6-|-|----|----------|
|-6-|-|-10-10-11-10-8-|-10-------8-|-10-|-|--8-|-|-6-|-|-10-|----------|
|-7-|-|-10------------|----10-10---|-10-|-|--9-|-|-7-|-|-10-|-2-0------|
|-8-|-|-10------------|------------|-10-|-|-10-|-|-8-|-|-10-|-----3----|
|-8-|-|--8------------|------------|--8-|-|-10-|-|-8-|-|--8-|----------|
|-6-|-|--8------------|------------|--8-|-|--8-|-|-6-|-|--8-|----------|


This is played over another Lead Guitar II section
  F
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-12-12-12-12----|
|-13-13-11-11-10-|-10-------10-11-|-13-13-11-11-10-|----------------|
|----------------|----12-12-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


  F
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-12-12-12-12----|
|-13-13-11-11-10-|-10-------10-11-|-13-13-11-11-10-|----------------|
|----------------|----12-12-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


  F
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-12-12-12-12----|
|-13-13-11-11-10-|-10-------10-11-|-13-13-11-11-10-|----------------|
|----------------|----12-12-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


  F
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-12-12-12-12----|
|-13-13-11-11-10-|-10-------10-11-|-13-13-11-11-10-|----------------|
|----------------|----12-12-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


Bridge
  D                         Bb           C#
|-5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5-|-6--6--6--6-|-4--4--4--4----|
|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-6--6--6--6-|-6--6--6--6----|
|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-6--6--6--6----|
|-7--7--7--7-|-7--7--7--7-|-8--8--8--8-|-6--6--6--6----|
|-5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5-|-8--8--8--8-|-4--4--4--4----|
|-5--5--5--5-|-5--5--5--5-|-6--6--6--6-|-4--4--4--4----|


  F
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-12-12-12-12----|
|-13-13-11-11-10-|-10-------10-11-|-13-13-11-11-10-|----------------|
|----------------|----12-12-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


  F
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-12-12-12-12----|
|-13-13-11-11-10-|-10-------10-11-|-13-13-11-11-10-|----------------|
|----------------|----12-12-------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|


  F                   C
|----------|--------|--8-------|----|
|-10-------|--------|--8-------|----|
|-10-------|--------|--9-------|----|
|-10-------|--------|-10-------|----|
|--8-------|--------|-10-------|----|
|--8-------|--------|--8-------|----|


  Bb    F                           F      C      Bb    F
|-6-|-|---------------|-----------|----|-|--8-|-|-6-|-|----|----|
|-6-|-|-10-11-10-8-10-|-----------|-10-|-|--8-|-|-6-|-|-10-|----|
|-7-|-|-10------------|-10----10--|-10-|-|--9-|-|-7-|-|-10-|----|
|-8-|-|-10------------|----10-----|-10-|-|-10-|-|-8-|-|-10-|----|
|-8-|-|--8------------|-----------|--8-|-|-10-|-|-8-|-|--8-|----|
|-6-|-|--8------------|-----------|--8-|-|--8-|-|-6-|-|--8-|----|


Here's the acoustic part
  F
|-------|-----------|-------|-------------|-------|--------------|
|-1-----|-----------|-1-----|-------------|-1-----|--------------|
|-----3-|-2---0-----|-----3-|-2---0-2-0-2-|-----3-|-2---0--------|
|---3---|---3-------|---3---|---3---------|---3---|---3----------|
|-------|-------3---|-------|-------------|-------|-------3------|
|-------|---------1-|-------|-------------|-------|---------1----|


                               F
|-------------|--------------|-------------------|
|-------------|--------------|-13----------------|
|-------------|--------------|----15-14-12-------|
|-1-1-2-2-----|--------------|-------------15----|
|---------3-3-|-1-1-3-1-0-15-|----------------15-|
|-------------|------------3-|--1----------------|


|-------------------|--------------------|-------------------12-13----|
|-13----------------|-13-----------------|-------------13-15----------|
|----15-14-12-------|----15-14-12--------|----12-14-15----------------|
|-------------15----|-------------15-----|-15-------------------------|
|----------------15-|----------------15--|----------------------------|
|-------------------|--------------------|----------------------------|

   F
|--------------------|-------------------|
|--13----------------|-13----------------|
|-----15-14-12-------|----15-14-12-------|
|--------------15----|-------------15----|
|-----------------15-|----------------15-|
|--------------------|-------------------|


  F
|-------------------|-------------------12-13----|
|-13----------------|-------------13-15----------|
|----15-14-12-------|----12-14-15----------------|
|-------------15----|-15-------------------------|
|----------------15-|----------------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------------|


  F
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-13----------------|-13----------------|
|----15-14-12-------|----15-14-12-------|
|-------------15----|-------------15----|
|----------------15-|----------------15-|
|-------------------|-------------------|


  C
|-------------------|-------------------12-13----|
|-13----------------|-------------13-15----------|
|----15-14-12-------|----12-14-15----------------|
|-------------15----|-15-------------------------|
|----------------15-|----------------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------------|


  Bb
|-------------------|-------------------|
|-13----------------|-13----------------|
|----15-14-12-------|----15-14-12-------|
|-------------15----|-------------15----|
|----------------15-|----------------15-|
|-------------------|-------------------|


  F
|-------------------|-------------------12-13----|
|-13----------------|-------------13-15----------|
|----15-14-12-------|----12-14-15----------------|
|-------------15----|-15-------------------------|
|----------------15-|----------------------------|
|-------------------|----------------------------|

Next comes some Andy Partridge rythym guitar, then back to Lead
Guitar I to end the song.

Sgt_Rapist (at) yahoo dot com
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 00:35:36 EST
From: ETABBA (at) aol dot com
Subject: Update to Generals and Majors
Message-ID: <7e.10118e62.27a3b828 (at) aol dot com>


I didn't like the way I ignored the timing and string changes so here's a new
tab:

    1       2       3       4       1       2       3       4
e   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
b   13  -   11  -   10  -   -   -   13  -   11  -   10  -   -   -
g   -   -   -   -   -   12  10  -   -   -   -   -   -   12  10  -
d   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
a   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
e   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -


    1       2       3       4       1       2       3       4
e   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   10  12  13
b   13  -   11  -   10  -   -   -   -   -   10  11  13  -   -   -
g   -   -   -   -   -   12  10  -   -   12  -   -   -   -   -   -
d   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
a   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -
e   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -

This puts it in F.

Ben
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 13:13:51 EDT
From: Ben Abbate <ETABBA (at) aol dot com>
Subject: Tablature
Message-ID: <f7.f2568f.26a498cf (at) aol dot com>


Hello there. Love the Chalkhills site. I was listening to Generals and Majors
today and came up with the tablature to the intro. It's not much but I
noticed there was nothing for this song on the tablature archives yet.

e--8--6--5--3--1--8--6--5--3--1--8--6--5--3--1--3--5--6--8--10--12--13

Ben
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