This is Pop?

(Partridge)

This is Pop? UK 7" single front cover

Recordings XTCfans interview with Andy Partridge Art Lyrics Chords and Tablature

Recordings

1. Album version, 2'38.
   Released on White Music.
2. Single version, 2'40.
   Recorded at Utopia and Wessex Studios, London, in February 1978.
   Produced by Robert John Lange.
   Engineered by Bill Price and/or Andy Jackson.
   Released in March 1978 as a single in the U.K.
   Andy Partridge: Guitar - Voice
   Colin Moulding: Bass - Voice
   Barry Andrews: Keyboards
   Terry Chambers: Merely Drums

   Andy: “Produced by the man who had no idea that he was going to end up as Mr Shania Twain, ‘Mutt’ Lange did a brilliant job. Virgin smelled a single in the languid album version on ‘White Music’, but suggested we re-record it, toughen it up, armour it for the arena. It was a shock working with Mutt. Our only two previous forays into the world of the professional studio had been shepherded gently by the easy going, no, saintly John Leckie, Mutt was a different man. Whereas John stepped back and in an invisible, uninvasive way, took aural photographs of what you did with your song, Mutt focused in on every sound, every curl, and cooked the groove out of us. We must have played this song well over fifty times, over and over and over. Until the cursing under our breath became louder than our guitars and drums. But he boiled a great take out of us. A zen process, when we stopped thinking about it, out it came, the perfect version.

   “This was recorded at Utopia Studios, Primrose Hill, London. A subterranean womb of a studio we would return to for ‘Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down’ and the U.S. single version of ‘Ten Feet Tall’. Vocals were all added later at Wessex Studios, London. A converted church, and haunt of The Clash.

   “As a quick footnote, I always imagined this as a piece of music playing in a moloko (milk) bar in ‘A Clockwork Orange.’”

3. Promotional video (for single version), 2'40.
   Distributed for broadcast in 1978.
   Released in 1982 on the Look Look video compilation.

   Andy: “In 1976 I read a tiny review of a group called The Sex Pistols and the journalist was looking for words to describe them and their music. I thought how stupid a lot of writers are, trying to find categories and names for things when surely if you're in a group to be popular and your music becomes popular then you are a pop group, making pop music. Despite what haughty, clever or elitist tags you are given or claim for yourself. If you don't want to get wet stay out of the pool.”

4. Live version.
   Recorded live 20 July 1979 at the Marconi Club, Sydney, for JJJ radio, Australia.
   Produced and engineered by Keith Walker.
   Released in October 1979 as a B-side to the Making Plans for Nigel 7" single in Australia.
   Andy Partridge - Guitar, Keyboard and Vocals
   Colin Moulding - Bass and Vocals
   Dave Gregory - Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals
   Terry Chambers - Drums
5. Live version, 2'49.
   Released on BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert.
   Also available on Transistor Blast.

   Andy: “Sorry about the sermonizing at the top of a very rocked up ‘This is Pop’.”

6. Live version.
   Recorded live 9 March 1978 at The Hippodrome, Golders Green, London, for Sight & Sound in Concert.
   Produced by Jeff Griffin for the BBC.
   Released on 16 November 1998 on Transistor Blast in the U.K.
7. Live version.
   Recorded live 10 December 1978 at Théâtre de l'Empire, Paris, France, for Chorus.
   Produced by Antoine de Caunes.
   Released on 5 October 2010 on Chorus and on Sur la scène du Théâtre de l'Empire à Paris - Chorus - 10/12/1978 in France.

[Thanks to R. Stevie Moore and Thierry Samzun]

Art

This is Pop? UK 7" single front cover	This is Pop? UK 7" single back cover	French This is Pop single
Italian This Is Pop single cover	“This is Pop?” promotional video from Look Look	“This is Pop”, from Revolver, UK TV, 1978

Lyrics

In a milk bar and feeling lost
Drinking sodas as cold as frost
Someone leans in my direction
Quizzing on my juke-box selection
What do you call that noise
That you put on?

This is pop
Yeah Yeah

This is!

On a walkway and moving fast
All I get is transistor blast
Someone leans in my direction
Quizzing on my station selection
What do you call that noise
That you put on?

This is pop
Yeah yeah

This is!

We come the wrong way
We come the long way
We play the songs much too loud

This is pop
Yeah yeah

Chords and Tablature

Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:41:02 -0400
From: jared (at) wgmd dot com
Subject: Chalkhills Guitar Tab Submission..
Message-ID: <20070423174102.cw7odwktthwgkw8o (at) webmail dot wgmd dot com>


John.. It's not perfect.. but, mayve someone can expand on it...

Jared Morris
WGMD Radio 92.7FM
Rehoboth Beach, DE
jared-morris.com
myversionofit.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------

This Is Pop... (White Music Version)

Well, I did the best I could in twenty minutes.. not perfect..
but, it gives you somewhere to start..
Where are all the early XTC tabs? Come on Guys..

Verse:


--0---0----0---0---------
--8---0---(3)--0---------
--8---8----4---4---------
--0---7----3---3---------
-------------------------
-------------------------

Bridge: What Do You Call That Noise...

C D, C D

Chorus: This Is Pop

G*    G    C    x3
This Is   Pop

G*    G    D9add6**
This IS   (x50500)

Break:

F#m D (x3) B


*here the bass is walking up from F# to G to D..
but the G barre still sounds better

**I make up chord names.

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