Chalkhills, Number 256

                  Monday, 4 January 1993
Today's Topics:
         The Compact XTC (The Singles, 1978-1985)
                   Looking for a Single
                   XTC and The Prisoner
       New XTC information from Shigemasa Fujimoto
                       non-rebuttal
                  Rolling Stone 1/21/93
                      Odds and Ends?
                  The Laughing Prisoner
                 Re: Meat Beat Manifesto

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Date: Tue, 29 Dec 92 11:24:24 PST
From: Wes Wilson @PKO3 - 223-3413  29-Dec-1992 1411 <wilson@pharos.enet.dec.com>
Subject: The Compact XTC (The Singles, 1978-1985)

I vote Yes to someone who inquired about whether to get The Compact XTC:
The Singles, 1978-1985. But, try to get the Japanese version of this
since it sounds way better, and has the lyrics (which are not always
correct, but are always interesting).

One idiosyncracy of the Japanese version is that it has the album
version of "Senses Working Overtime," including the line about
busses skidding on black ice.

I like the kover artwork, with its multikolored klaustrophobik klown.
A perfect representation of the band's early days.

Call Sound City in Portland, OR to get the Japanese version (by the
way, through this place you could also get the UK, German, or Canadian
version, I believe). Their number is (503) 654-2196, and they take
money orders, checks, or MC/VISA. I've always enjoyed dealing with
them, but they aren't cheap. But, if you see yourself becoming
an XTC fanatic, go for it!

- - - - -

Fans of XTC's early material (White Music) should, if possible,
check out this recommendation from me: the name of the band is
The Yachts and they made two albums (S.O.S. and Without Radar).
I don't think these are available except on vinyl. Their first,
S.O.S., is EXCELLENT. Came out in 1979 and has 12 songs, all
quite catchy and full of that party organ sound. They play it
straighter than XTC by a mile, but still VERY good stuff. Henry
Priestman is the keyboardist. Lots of funny little turns in the
music.

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From: ppetto@ncoast.org (Peter Petto)
Subject: Looking for a Single
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 15:52:11 -0500 (EST)

I seem to recall a report here about a CD single of "Dear Madame
Barnum" (and that it contained the song "Rip van Reuben"?) -- does it
really exist? and if so, can someone tell me where it might be found?

Also, could someone remind me what the two songs were on the
XTC/Reflex flexi-disc?

I'd relish any and all advice. (Thanks!)

---
Peter Petto          |       ppetto@ncoast.org
Bay Village, Ohio    |    73125.617@compuserve.com

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Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 21:57:34 GMT
From: Toby Howard <toby@computer-science.manchester.ac.uk>
Subject: XTC and The Prisoner

To be broadcast on Friday 1 Jan, on Channel 4 (UK):

        _The Laughing Prisoner_: Jools Holland enters the weird world
        of Portmerion in Wales with Patrick McGoohan, Terence Alexander,
        Stephen Fry, Siouxie and the Banshees, XTC and Magnum.

"Huh?" I hear you ask. Precisely. I'll report further.

Toby

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Date: Wed, 30 Dec 92 14:49:45 PST
From: "John M. Relph" <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: New XTC information from Shigemasa Fujimoto

Happy New Year folks,

  I just received a letter from Shigemasa Fujimoto, the author of the
Wonderland XTC Discography (extraordinaire).  In this letter he lists a
number of new and possibly interesting XTC goodies.

  There are a lot of Nonsvch singles, most of which we've seen, but the
most interesting is a CD single that was apparently included in the
first 2,500 French Nonsvch CDs.  This free single is entitled
_Gribouillage_, and includes demo versions of "Peter Pumkinhead", "My
Bird Performs", "Dear Madam Barnum", "Humble Daisy", and "Smartest
Monkeys".  Two new demos!  It came in a digipak sleeve with a poster.
Has anybody in France (or elsewhere) seen "Gribouillage"?  (Obligatory
selfish question: can anybody get me one?)

  Also, some news on Clark Datcheler's (sp?) album.  Virgin apparently
shelved the release of his album _Raindance_, although catalog numbers
were assigned (LP/CT/CD V/TCV/CDV 2622).  Virgin Japan released the
album, however, in July 1990, and it's available only as a CD (VJCP-29).
Shigemasa took the liberty of sending me a tape with two songs from the
CD, "Drowning My Sorrows" and "Heart of Hearts", on which Dave Gregory
plays guitar and acoustic guitar, respectively.

  Shigemasa also tells me that he met Andy Partridge at the opening of
the new Virgin Megastore in Tokyo (?), and that a full report on the
meeting should be included in the next issue of The Little Express.
(Check the Chalkhills FAQ, recent XTC albums, or send a message to
<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org> for subscription information.)

  Shigemasa also sent me information about and music by Peter Blegvad,
but that's better discussed in a different forum.

  Peace,

        -- John

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From: melinda@world.std.com (Melinda M Hale)
Subject: non-rebuttal
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 93 11:05:52 EST

Al, you're right.  If someone spends $15 of their hard-earned, then they
should be allowed to be annoyed if not satisfied. I agree.

I'm not sure I agree about blunt generalities, though.  Seems to me, it
just allows more pigeonholing and more spouting off from professional
music journalists/critics who may be more interested in writing clever
copy than in giving an accurate description of the music.  To paraphrase
Andy: "thou shalt be called `quirky'."  I read a blip about them the other
day from a 1981 magazine and guess what word it used to describe XTC?
It's gotta get old using the same damn word for more than 10 years.

Melinda

Oh, while I'm at it...Tobin, you're not going to become Manson, are you? :-D

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Subject: Rolling Stone 1/21/93
From: phaedrus@unkaphaed.gbdata.com (James Hartman, Sysop)
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 93 03:22:43 GMT
Organization: Unka Phaed's UUCP Thingy, Houston, TX

Got the new Rolling Stone and noticed two XTC bits of possible interest...

(1)  In the letters column, Rich Horton says he prefers XTC, REM, and Da
to Garth Brooks and country (R/S 644 had an opinion column by Anthony DeCurtis
on why many older rock fans are turning country).  Horton goes on to say that
he's sick of the idiocy that currently passes for the alternative music
scene.  Guess XTC have fallen out of the definition of "alternative"...

(2)  An article by Steve Futterman talks about the reissuing of some vintage
BBC Radio 1 concerts from the _In_Concert_ series.  "Among the initial
standouts in the series are a 1980 concert by XTC - a band that no longer
performs live - taped at London's Hammersmith Palais..."  To the right is a
red square (presumably the album art) with "xtc live in concert 1980" written
on it.  The albums are being released on the Windsong label in the UK
(distributed by RIOR, Reachout International Records, in the USA).

I can vouch for the quality of one of the discs in the BBC Radio 1 series.
I picked up the Ultravox concert CD (recorded in 1981).  The sound quality was
great, although the disc runs just under 40 minutes and cost me around $25 US.
(The sound quality was, er, broadcast quality, which is what I wound up doing
with it.  Giggle.)  Overall, I was impressed with the disc, because it came
with some real liner notes and a couple of pictures of the band.  I hope the
XTC disc has a similar package.

For those who are dying to know, other discs in the series include Caravan,
Steve Hillage, UFO, Hawkwind, Thin Lizzy, Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order,
John Martyn, Kevin Ayers, Nazereth, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Wishbone
Ash, Robin Trower, Family, Q-Tips, Racing Cars, Amon Duul II, Penetration
and the Ruts, Incredible String Band, Pretenders, and Mission UK, along with
planned releases from Split Enz, Mott the Hoople, and Soft Machine.

Sounds like the lads from Swindon are in good company.
--
phaedrus@unkaphaed.gbdata.com (James Hartman, Sysop)
Unka Phaed's UUCP Thingy, Houston, TX, (713) 481-3763
1200/2400/9600/14400 v.32bis/v.42bis

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From: schrey@vfl.paramax.com
Subject: Odds and Ends?
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 93 13:42:10 EST

  My brother says that while browsing in a small CD store in
  Providence, RI, he found an XTC collection of demo's and one-shot's
  called _Odds_and_Ends_.  Is he crazy?  What can anyone tell me
  about this disc?  He is under orders to purchase it if he sees
  it again.

       TIM
--
 Timothy M. Schreyer                         schrey@vfl.paramax.com
 Software Technology R&D                     (215) 648-2475
 Paramax Systems Corporation                 FAX: (215) 648-2288
 PO Box 517, Paoli, PA 19301

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Date: Mon, 4 Jan 93 11:08:04 GMT
From: Toby Howard <toby@computer-science.manchester.ac.uk>
Subject: The Laughing Prisoner

The programme was from 1987, a spoof written by Stephen Fry and Jools
Holland. Not terribly good. The XTC bit was the band miming to 'The man who
sailed around his soul', filmed in Portmerion. Andy looked utterly bored. I
think it was Ian Gregory on drums. Sorry not to be able to report anything
more exciting!

Toby

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Subject: Re: Meat Beat Manifesto
From: Desi The Three-Armed Wonder Comic <jondr@sco.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 93 12:38:56 PST

BHOCKING@delphi.com writes:

>Has anyone else seen the new issue of Details magazine, (January 1993).  In
>the music section of this issue is an article about Meat Beat Manifesto, a
>band that, I must confess, that I've never heard from.

MBM are one of my all time favorite groups.  I own almost everything
they've ever done and I've seen them live 4 times.

>A little bit later the article talks about the earlier version of the band,
>which was called Perennial Divide.  The article continues;
>
>"In the meantime he, (Jack Dangers, leader of the band), started messing
>around with tapes and formed a group called Perennial Divide with a taciturn
>guitarist called Johnny Stphens, who remains his Meat Beat musical partner to
>this day.  The two of them even went across town, knocked on XTC singer
>Andy Partridge's door, and persuaded him to produce one of their records. But
>Perrenial Divide never got anywhere."

The Andy Partridge-produced track is called "Beehead" and I've got it
on a compilation album called "Bark."  Perennial Divide (and early
MBM) were signed to a label called Sweatbox which is (or was) rather
tiny and never had the best distribution.  Beehead is a pretty cool
track - very dissonant and jagged.  Best reference points are early
XTC, Captain Beefheart and maybe Stump.  There are two or three 12"
singles from Perennial Divide (one of them is Beehead) and a full
album called Purge.  I think Beehead is also on Purge.

Jon Drukman (God's personal DJ)                 uunet!sco!jondr   jondr@sco.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What's wrong with you?  What's wrong with everybody in this CRAZY PLACE???

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---

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5 January 1993 / Feedback