XTC: Live at Paradiso, 1982

  

Hey, here's a cool XTC live bootleg from near the end of their performing career that I neglected to post with the last set of stuff from Swindon's finest. Much more XTC HERE!

Let us know what you think of this period of XTC in the COMMENTS section (where you'll find the Live at Paradiso link).

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XTC: Transistor Blast (FOUR CD SET OF BBC SESSIONS!!)

(To see my 3rd list of Ten Amazing XTC Videos - 1981-1982 - please visit the The Big Takeover.



Okay, here's a mammoth offering for you XTC devotees: an out-of-print four CD box-set that compiled most (if not all) of XTC's BBC recordings. Some of this material has appeared here before but this is your chance to get this absolutely massive XTC infusion in one fell swoop! Much more XTC HERE!

Tracklist:

Studio Sessions
1-1         IntroVoice – John Peel 0:49    
1-2         Life Begins At The Hop     4:20    
1-3         Scarecrow People     4:13    
1-4         Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her     4:21    
1-5         Ten Feet Tall     2:54    
1-6         Garden Of Earthly Delights     5:34    
1-7         Runaways     4:41    
1-8         When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty     3:07    
1-9         I'm Bugged     3:35    
1-10         Another Satellite     4:21    
1-11         You're The Wish You Are I Had     3:24    
1-12         Crosswires     2:10    
1-13         Roads Girdle The Globe     5:03    

Studio Sessions
2-1         No Thugs In Our House     5:23    
2-2         One Of The Millions     4:26    
2-3         Real By Reel     3:49    
2-4         The Meeting Place     3:08    
2-5         Meccanic Dancing     2:36    
2-6         Poor Skeleton Steps Out     3:27    
2-7         Into The Atom Age     2:27    
2-8         The Rhythm     2:55    
2-9         This World Over     4:33    
2-10         Snowman     4:42    
2-11         Danceband     2:41    
2-12         Making Plans For Nigel     4:07    
2-13         Jason And The Argonauts     5:42


1978/79 Live In Concert Recordings
3-1         Radio's In Motion     3:21    
3-2         Crosswires     2:06    
3-3         Science Friction     3:34    
3-4         Statue Of Liberty     2:58    
3-5         The Rhythm     2:55    
3-6         I'll Set Myself On Fire     3:27    
3-7         Newtown Animal In A Furnished Cage     1:55    
3-8         All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)  5:58    
3-9         Beatown     3:24    
3-10         This Is Pop     2:37    
3-11         Danceband     2:49    
3-12         Neon Shuffle     4:33

Live In Concert Hammersmith Palais 22.12.80
4-1         Life Begins At The Hop     3:55    
4-2         Burning With Optimism's Flames     4:29    
4-3         Love At First Sight     3:03    
4-4         Respectable Street     3:52    
4-5         No Language In Our Lungs     4:58    
4-6         This Is Pop     2:49    
4-7         Scissor Man     4:58    
4-8         Towers Of London     5:13    
4-9         Battery Brides     7:21    
4-10         Living Through Another Cuba     3:29    
4-11         Generals And Majors     4:47    
4-12         Making Plans For Nigel     4:21    
4-13         Are You Receiving Me?


CD1 and CD2 contain studio-recordings made for & transmitted on various radio shows (recorded/transmitted) by the BBC:
• John Peel Show: 1-12 (20.6.77/24.6.77); 1-9, 2-7, 2-11 (21.9.77/26.9.77); 2-5, 2-8 (13.11.78/23.11.78); 1-1, 1-5, 1-13, 2-3 (8.10.79/15.10.79).
• Kid Jensen Show: 1-2, 1-8, 2-12 (21.5.79/31.5.79); 1-7, 2-1, 2-10, 2-13 (14.1.82/25.1.82).
• Bruno Brookes Show Oct. 1984: 1-4, 1-11, 2-9 (-/19-22.11.84).
• Sunday Live: 1-1, 2-4 (-/22.2.87).
• Richard Skinner Show: 1-3, 2-6 (16.3.89/5.4.89).
• Andy Kershaw Show: 1-6, 2-2 (16.3.89/11.6.89).

CD3 contains recordings from two live performances in 1978 and 1979:
• recorded for Sight & Sound In Concert at The Hippodrome, Golders Green, London (9.3.78): 3-1, 3-2, 3-4, 3-6 to 3-8, 3-10 to 3-12.
• recorded for In Concert at Paris Theatre, London (17.1.78): 3-3, 3-5, 3-9.

CD4 was entirely recorded for In Concert at Hammersmith Odeon (22.12.80).

Okay MRML readers, this is a pretty massive offering. So please let us know what you think of this collection in the COMMENTS section (where you'll find ALL FOUR Transistor Blast links).

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XTC: Fab Foursome in Philly - FM broadcast (1981)

(To see my 2nd list of Ten Amazing XTC Videos - 1979-1980 - please visit the The Big Takeover.


XTC are one heavily bootlegged band, despite their brief tenure as a touring band. Therefore much thanks is owed to their HIGHLY dedicated fan-base for their preservation work.





Of this bootleg Discogs say, "Recorded live in Philadelphia, ostensibly 1979, actually recorded at Emerald City, Cherry Hill, NJ, April 17, 1981, from FM broadcast in 1981."

A note on programming: As I am trying to keep series a little shorter and the blog's focus a little less narrow, I'm going to spread out my final three or so XTC posts (including a real whopper!!) over the next few weeks. If that 's an irritant, a blessing or a non-issue please let me know, as this is an attempt to respond to my readers' comments.

What's your favourite XTC bootleg? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the link for the Fab Foursome in Philly CD).

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967968

XTC: 5 Senses 12" EP (1981)

Of this LONG out-of-print 12", XTC WIki says, "XTC's 5 Senses EP is a Canadian-only EP released on September 18, 1981 on Virgin Records/Polygram Records. It is a collection of five non-album tracks. It also contains the rare (only rare because it was not a big seller) UK single "Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down". Andy Partridge gave the Canadian record company the title for this EP, and was subsequently inspired to write the song "Senses Working Overtime" shortly thereafter." . (For more XTC on MRML go HERE.)

 1   "Smokeless Zone" 3:50 (Colin Moulding)
 2  "Officer Blue" 2:40 (Colin Moulding)
 3  "Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down" 4:21(Andy Partridge)
 4   "Don't Lose Your Temper" 2:33 (Andy Partridge)
 5   "Strange Tales, Strange Tails" 2:18 (Andy Partridge)

 

So does XTC have some amazing B-sides or what? Let us know what you think in the COMMENTS section, which is where you'll find the 5 Senses link.

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XTC: The Rhythm - FM broadcast (1980)

God this band was GREAT live. That Valium withdrawal-fuelled nervous breakdown of Andy Partridge in 1982 deprived the world of some amazing shows. (For more on XTC go HERE.)

XTC - live at the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, Michigan
January 22, 1980 - broadcast on WUTF FM - D



What do you think of XTC as live act? Le us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the link for The Rythm CD).

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967968967968

XTC: Beeswax (Some B-sides) LP

When I went on an XTC vinyl-buying tear back in '88 this was one purchase that I adored. It seemed odd to me for a band whose every album contains some filler (at least by many people's standards) could have such a rock-solid collection of B-sides. Of course, when I bought all the CD re-issues on Virgin, I expected to find "Tissue Tigers" and "Heaven is Paved With Broken Glass" restored to their proper place but NOOOOO - you have to buy Rag and Bone Buffet just to get those tracks and others you can't find anywhere! Fuck! Virgin needs to do double XTC re-issues that work like the new Buzzcocks (B-sides, Peel sessions, demos, radio concerts) ones do.

A1         She's So Square        
A2         Dance Band        
A3         Hang Onto The Night        
A4         Heatwave        
A5         Instant Tunes    
A6         Pulsing Pulsing        
A7         Don't Lose Your Temper        
B1         Smokeless Zone        
B2         The Somnambulist        
B3         Blame The Weather        
B4         Tissue Tigers        
B5         Punch And Judy        
B6         Heaven Is Paved With Broken Glass

So do all XTC albums have filler on them? Let us know what you think in the COMMENTS section, which is where you'll find the Waxworks link.)

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XTC: BBC Radio Live Concert (1980)

The bounty of out-of-print XTC rarities will run dry but not at any time soon - enjoy this BBC concert from 1980 and keep your great COMMENTS coming!





Recorded 22nd December 1980 at the Hammersmith Palais, London

Tracklist
1         Life Begins At The Hop     3:55    
2         Burning With Optimism's Flame     4:24    
3         Love At First Sight     3:10    
4         Respectable Street     3:51    
5         No Language In Our Lungs     4:59    
6         This Is Pop     2:49    
7         Scissors Man     4:49    
8         Towers Of London     5:23    
9         Battery Brides     7:18    
10         Living Through Another Cuba     3:29    
11         Generals And Majors     4:28    
12         Making Plans For Nigel     4:29    
13         Are You Receiving Me?

So do you want to hear more rare XTC, MRML readers?  If so, let us know in the COMMENTS section (where you'll find the BBC Live link).

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XTC: All Along the Watchtower

(To see my list of Ten Amazing XTC Videos please visit the The Big Takeover.)

For a band who are notorious for being almost too English for their own good, XTC's early work has strong American influences. You can hear the art-funk sound of  NYC's Talking Heads, the herky-jerky rock-deconstruction of Akron's Devo plus of the very few artists XTC ever covered one would be Californian Captain Beefheart (on the B-side of "The Mayor of Simpleton" single) and of course America's most towering song-writer, Bob Dylan*.

The band's version of the oft-butchered, "All Along the Watchtower" employs some of  the electric fury of Hendrix's version and some the harmonica wail of Dylan's original acoustic one but to it all they bring an incredible nervous energy and a love of odd dynamics that makes it sound like no one else's version of the song.





For more on XTC go HERE.

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*(And yes, their cover "All Along the Watchtower" on their debut album is preceded by a paean to the "Statute of Liberty".)

XTC: Rainbow Drops and Finger Pops

"Malking Plans for Nigel" from XTC's 1979 album "Drums and Wires" is one of the defining songs of the new wave era for me, alongside The Police's "Can't Stand Losing You", Split Enz's "I See Red", Squeeze's  "Misadventure" and Joe Jackson's "I'm the Man". These relentlessly up-tempo songs with choppy guitar, catchy choruses, conspicuous keyboards and deliberate quirkiness did much to fuck up my taste in music forever.

Rainbow Drops & Finger Pops - Live at the Rainbow Theatre, London, UK, 1979-09-17 is another lavish XTC bootleg - worth getting just for the packaging alone never mind the kinetic live performance from the band near their peak:





01 Beatown
02 Real By Reel
03 The Rhythm
04 Roads Girdle The Globe
05 Science Friction
06 Life Begins At the Hop
07 Helicopter
08 Battery brides
09 Making Plans For Nigel
10 Scissor Man
11 Instant Tunes
12 Outside World
13 Life Is Good In The Greenhouse
14 Crowded Room
15 Radios In Motion
16 Are You Receiving Me?
17 Set Myself On Fire
18 Meccanik Dancing
19 This Is Pop
20 Dance Band
21 Statue Of Liberty

Love or hate the designation, what are your defining 'new wave' songs? Le us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the link for Rainbow Drops and Finger Pops CD).

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XTC: 3D CD (1977)

Your COMMENTS - have demanded more XTC and be ready for the deluge. This offering is one of the more loving bootlegs you'll ever see (check out the promo poster!) and consists of live material and demos from 1977 (and 1978). More to come...



I'm looking forward to this series but of course I'm pretty sure by XTC Fans standards (those who buy muti-volume of Partridge's home demos) I'm a real lightweight. I only own the first five albums on CD, my once substantial XTC vinyl collection got sold years ago and while I've owned Oranges & Lemons and Nonsuch they too were purged plus I once tortured a guy I worked with when he wore his XTC shirt by saying, "Hey, I hear they're coming to town." (now that's just mean, I know). While I do believe that they are one of the very few graduates of the class of '77 who never had a dire period (some may beg to differ), my interest in their newer (i.e. pre-break-up) material has waned. Though, it should be noted, my favourite XTC fan did make me listen to Apple Venus Vol. 1, which I found pleasant if overly long and little too quiet for its own good.)

XTC
3D Compact Disc

Live in Birmingham & Liverpool 1977 + Early Demos, Helium Kidz and Go 2 out-takes

   Live at Rebecca's, Birmingham 17/11/77:
01 Hang Onto the Night
02 Crosswires
03 Let's Have Fun
04 Radios in Motion
05 I'm Bugged
06 New Town Animal in a Furnished Cage
07 Into the Atom Age
08 All Along the Watchtower
09 She's So Square
10 Do What You Do
   Live at Eric's, Liverpool 26/11/77
11 Dance Band
12 Science Friction
13 Neon Shuffle
14 Traffic Light Rock
   Helium Kidz Demos:
15 Yabber Yabber Yabber
16 Neon Shuffle
   XTC Demos:
17 Refridgeration Blues
18 Quicksilver
19 Saturn Boy
   Go 2 out-takes:
20 Cheap Perfume
(21 Things Fall to Bits) officially released on the Coat of many cupboards box set.
22 I Overheard
23 bonus interview: “What do you remember of 1977?”

So what XTC albums do you own? Are you gonna get more? Le us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the link for 3D CD).

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XTC: BBC Sessions (Drums and Wireless)

“We would trundle down to the BBC Studios in London with our little amplifiers and, in a day, recreate more-or-less-live versions of four songs. You would play the track, get maybe one overdub and then sing it, so they were basically shoot-from-the-hip versions.”

 Andy Partridge

So I raved about one of my early encounters with XTC (though "Making Plans for Nigel" got strong radio play in Canada) and their ineffably wondrous single "Senses Working Overtime" HERE yesterday. Today, however, I can begin unleashing the out-of-print goodies on Swindon's finest (only?) rock n' roll misfits. . (For more on XTC go HERE.)



Drums and Wireless contains immediate versions of songs from all over the XTC catalog. It includes a variety of sessions from 1979-1989, all mixed up to ensure you can hear the consistency of Partridge and Moulding's song-writing.


Tracklist
1         Opening Speech     0:48    
2         No Thugs In Our House     5:24    
3         Runaways     4:42    
4         You're The Wish (You Are) I Had     3:26    
5         Poor Skeleton Steps Out     3:26    
6         Crosswires     2:10    
7         Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her     4:21    
8         Real By Reel     3:48    
9         Into The Atom Age     2:27    
10         Meccanik Dancing     2:35    
11         Ten Feet Tall     2:55    
12         Scarecrow People     4:11    
13         I'm Bugged     3:34    
14         Dance Band     2:41    
15         Jason And The Argonauts     5:42    
16         One Of The Millions     4:25    
17         Roads Girdle The Globe

Track 6 recorded 20/6/77
First broadcast on the John Peel Show 24/6/77
Tracks 9, 13 and 14 recorded 21/9/77
First broadcast on the John Peel Show 26/9/77
Track 10 recorded 13/11/78
First broadcast on the John Peel Show 23/11/78
Tracks 1, 8, 11 and 17 recorded 8/10/79
First broadcast on the John Peel Show 15/10/79
Tracks 2, 3, and 15 recorded 14/1/82
First broadcast on the David Jensen Show 25/1/82
Tracks 4 and 7 recorded 11/10/84
First broadcast on the Bruno Brookes Show 20/11/84
Tracks 5 and 12 recorded 16/3/89
First broadcast on the Richard Skinner Show 5/4/89
Track 16 recorded 16/3/89
First broadcast on the Andy Kershaw Show 11/6/89

So do you want to hear more rare XTC, MRML readers?  If so, let us know in the COMMENTS section (where you'll find the BBC Radio Sessions link).

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Songs We Can't Forget: XTC's Senses Working Overtime:

The physical impact of this song has never left me, the blow it delivered has left red, raised scars on my psyche that are still tender to the touch to this day.

It's the spring of 1982 and I'm all of twelve years old, sitting on the concrete steps of my junior high school. I'm all alone at this moment but that's okay because amongst the group of older kids a few feet away from me someone has a battery-powered radio. The radio's owner fiddles with the static until the sound of an acoustic guitar being rocket-propelled by a crashing drum and bass begins ricocheting around the concrete overhang before being flung out towards the cool blue sky. The dial fiddling stops. Muttered conversation resumes but I'm all hearing, leaning forward like Matt Murdoch perched on a gargoyle high above Hell's Kitchen.

Weaned as I was on folk music, I tune first into that hard-strummed acoustic, then as a lyric devotee I listen to the explosion of words and images but of course it's the chorus with its persuasive count-in ("And I've got 1-2-3-4-5 - senses working overtime") that leaves me struck dumb. I stay still in my sun-lit corner as the song races from fever pitch to fever pitch - it is a song about a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown - till the the song ends and the DJ says,  "that was the new XTC song, "Senses Working Overtime". I file that information in my brain, not knowing that it will take up residence there and never leave.

I like to think every music fan has such a never-to-be-forgotten moment, whether it came from Duke Ellington, Willie Nelson, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Radiohead. Hell, if it came to you while listening to Mandy Moore, I say treasure that fucking instant because there's only a too-brief window in a person's life where some piece of music can reach past intellect, experience, fear and social conditioning and just punch your lights out. Believe me when I say that I still hear songs that hit me on a purely visceral level and that music can still be transcendental but moments where the doors of possibilities are battered down and the sun shines enough to warm your face but not enough to burn belong to an earlier, more formative times.

What's your song you can't forget? Tell us about it in the COMMENTS section.