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XTC

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XTC

XTC were a new wave rock band from Swindon, England, led by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding and active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" (1979) and "Senses Working Overtime" (1982). Despite their three-decade career, XTC were a performing and touring band for only six of those years: they retired from live performance in 1982. For the remaining twenty-three years of their existence XTC were a studio-based project involving session players around a nucleus of Partridge, Moulding and Dave Gregory. The band are perhaps better known for long-standing critical acclaim rather than commercial success. (read more on wikipedia)

Links To Peel 

Peel discovered the group when the band sent him a poster for a gig in London and demos of their material. According to Andy Partridge on an interview with the John Peel Centre, Peel attended their gig in London and liked the band so much, that he invited them for a session, despite the group not having a record deal. After the session was played, different record companies tried to sign them on, which at the end was succeeded by Virgin in 1977. In 1978, XTC released a dub EP called "Go+" as a freebie included with some of the copies of their second LP "Go 2". Peel appreciated the experimental nature of the work, going as far as on saying on the 06 October 1978 show that he thought he was going to end up listening to it more than the album itself and, thus, featured it in his tracklists. However, on one instance, a funny moment occurred when Peel played one of the tracks at the wrong speed and instead of three minutes of dub, it ended up as seven with Partridge singing in a very turgid voice. The band did four sessions for Peel and also performed the Pickin' The Blues intro on 15 October 1979 with Partridge impersonating Peel with his voice and intro of made up artists performing on the show. During that session the band recorded a version of the song "Scissor Man" from their third album "Drums and Wires" which eventually ended up on the doublepack edition of the single "Towers of London" with special thanks to Peel on the label of the vinyl.

Sessions

"Crosswires" from session #1, all tracks from session #2 except for "Heathwave Mark 2", "Mecanik Dancing" from session #3 and all tracks from session #4 except for "Scissor Man" available on "Drums And Wireless - BBC Radio Sessions 77 - 89 " (1994, CD, Nighttracks). All of the tracks above plus "The Rhythm" from session #3 also available on "Transistors Blast" (1998, 4 CD, TVT Records). "Scissor Man" from session #4 first appeared in 1980 on the doublepack edition of the single "Towers of London" and later re-released on "Rag & Bone Buffet" (1990, Virgin). "Science Friction" from session #1 available on "Movement: BBC Radio 1 Peel Sessions 1977-1979" (2xCD, EMI, 2011).

1. Recorded: 1977-06-20. Broadcast: 24 June 1977. Repeated: 20 July 1977, 29 August 1977, 11 October 1977, 04 September 1980

  • She's So Square / Crosswires / Radios In Motion / Science Friction

2. Recorded: 1977-09-21. Broadcast: 26 September 1977. Repeated: 28 October 1977, 17 February 1978

  • Into The Atom Age / Heatwave Mark 2 / I'm Bugged / Dance Band

3. Recorded: 1978-11-13. Broadcast: 20 November 1978. Repeated: 18 December 1978, 17 January 1979

  • Meccanik Dancing / The Rhythm / New Town Animal In A Furnished Cage / Super Tuff

4. Recorded: 1979-10-08. Broadcast: 15 October 1979. Repeated: 20 November 1979, 22 April 1980

  • Opening Signature Tune And Speech / Scissor Man / Roads Girdle The Globe / Ten Feet Tall / Real By Reel

Other Shows Played

X_is_for..._XTC

X is for... XTC

Andy Partridge of XTC being interviewed by the John Peel Centre

1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1992
1994
  • 28 October 1994: Intro / No Thugs In Our House (LP - Drums & Wireless) Nighttracks
1996
1998
  • 01 December 1998: Intro / Life Begins At The Hop (LP - Translator Blast: The Best Of The BBC Sessions) Cooking Vinyl 
1999
Others

See Also

External Links

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