Chalkhills, Number 28

                   Monday, 29 May 1989
Today's Topics:
                      Press Release
                    Re: Chalkhills #24
                 XTC on WXRT-FM (Chicago)
               ATTENTION: LA AREA XTC FANS
                      XTC in Houston
                          (none)
            Instead of Wagner and Mendelssohn?

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Date: Thu, 25 May 1989 23:31:44 PDT
From: John M. Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: Press Release

Can you believe this?

    XTC -- _Oranges and Lemons_ LP

    Journey now to the `garden of earthly delights,' where the
    `Mayor of Simpleton,' elected `King for a day,' screams,
    `Here comes president Kill again!'"  `The loving' Mayor
    opens the coach door and the `poor skeleton steps out.'
    He greets `one of the milions' of his adoring subjects.
    One of the `Scarecrow People' raises his hand to the
    almighty Mayor and decrees, "I may be `merely a man,' but
    my music shall last after these `cynical days!'  It will
    jump with leaps and bounds `across this antheap.'  I shall
    rid the world of boring and mindless music!"  A young
    child, upon hearing such promises, shrieks, "`Hold me my
    daddy!'"  Suddenly a giant rubber ball falls from blue
    sky, a huge `pink thing,' glowing like a `miniature sun!!'
    All the land was bestowed with the glowing warmth of
    music!  New music!  This land of `chalkhills and children'
    became abundant with trees sprouting ripe, plump oranges
    and lemons, all because of the brilliance shone from one
    bright source -- the XTC of life itself!!!  This is no
    tall tale.  Listen for yourself.

    The Contemporary Music Dept. -- Remember, variety is the spice of life!
    Warner Bros. Records.

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Date: Thu, 25 May 1989 23:44:47 PDT
From: John M. Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: Re: Chalkhills #24

toby <toby@hce.computer-science.manchester.ac.uk> asks:
>I'm new to XTC. What is `Dukes'? There's been a lot of references about it.

If you have the _Skylarking_ album, the liner notes say "Thanks to The
Dukes of Stratosphear for loaning us their guitars."  The Dukes are an
obscure English psychadelic band.  They put out one EP, _25 O'clock_,
and one LP, _Psonic Psunspot_, and then they broke up.  Both the EP and
the LP are also contained on one CD, _Chips from the Chocolate
Fireball_.  Great stuff.  John Bob says "Check it out".  :-)

>And while I'm here :-), why is Oranges and Lemons called that?

Andy Partridge says:

    The working title for the album is _Oranges and Lemons_, but
    I don't think anyone in power likes it, they all think it's
    rather twee; but all three of us quite like it, which is a
    rare occasion.  Maybe it's not whizzy and show business
    enough; the combination of those words are more traditional,
    and I don't think anyone knows the nursery rhyme over here
    [in the U.S.].  To me, the phrase associates with songs that
    last forever.  Another title suggestion was "Frown Turned
    Upside Down"; I'm sure we'll come up with something that
    ties up the whole package.

Here's the nursery rhyme in question:

    Oranges and Lemons,
    Say the bells of St. Clement's.
    Halfpence and farthings,
    Say the bells of St. Martin's.
    When will you pay me?
    Say the bells of Old Bailey.
    When I grow rich,
    Say the bells of Shoreditch.
    When will that be?
    Say the bells of Stepney.
    I'm sure I don't know,
    Says the great Bell of Bow.

	-- John

P.S.  The Dukes are XTC in disguise.

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Date: Fri, 26 May 89 09:04:44 CDT
From: oconnor!keaton!jtl@oddjob.uchicago.edu (Joe Lynn)
Subject: XTC on WXRT-FM (Chicago)

On Monday the 22nd, Andy, Colin, and Dave were live in the studios of
WXRT radio in Chicago  (Andy: "Actually, we're 'XTC-Mania': we're the
touring version of XTC").   The guys were charming as ever, with Andy
acting as the spokesman for the group (mostly).

The live performances were great;  Andy was particularly thankful to the
station for giving him a stool with rollers on it, so he could just
push back and "fade meself out" at the end of a song.

Some highlights:

	-  Scarecrow People

	-  Medley: Great Fire/Dear God/Big Day  (Andy changed "and the Devil
			too" to "ol' Jimmy Swaggart too")

	-  Blue Beret (Andy: "I keep some songs under the cat tray;  he adds
			a few dots here and there that I find helpful.")

	-  Medley: Senses Working Overtime/Grass/Love On A Farmboys Wages
			(Andy: "The first line is completely erroneous; it
			alludes to the fact that there are dairy products
			floating in the atmosphere." Also, the bridge between
			"Senses" and "Grass" gave me that same chill that
			the "Summer's Cauldron" segue gives me-- and this
			was without studio tricks!  Also: Andy forgot one
			line in "Farmboy's", and at the end of the medley
			said, "If you know the missing line, send it in on
			the back of a fifty dollar bill and you'll win a
			night of illicit sex with Dave Gregory."
			Dave: "Oh, no, you can't...")

	-  King For A Day

	-  Mayor Of Simpleton  (Andy:  "You're all about to be witnesses
			to the murder of "The Mayor Of Simpleton."  Despite
			the self-deprecating reference, the song sounded
			great.)

In all, it was a great performance.  In fact, there are friends of mine
who never really knew of XTC (except through me) who heard this show, and
walked away humming at least on of the above songs.

I have this show on tape, so if anyone is interested in a swap,
please reply by e-mail.

----

Joe Lynn
UUCP: ...oddjob.uchicago.edu!oconnor!jtl

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Subject: ATTENTION: LA AREA XTC FANS
Date: Fri, 26 May 89 13:32:33 PST
From: Mark Stewart <mstewart@venera.isi.edu>

Someone just told me that XTC will be at the TOWER RECORDS
in HOLLYWOOD on Monday the 29th of May @ 2:00pm. I don't know
if they will be doing some acoustic stuff or just signing
rekkids and saying hello. For more info call TOWER (sorry,
aint got their # but, hey, they're listed).
                                               Count

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Date: Fri, 26 May 89 23:24:57 CDT
From: GJJ5315@star.tamu.edu
Subject: XTC in Houston

Well I was driving back to Texas A&M from my hometown (300 miles away) and
I heard XTC on the album rock station in Houston, 101 FM KLOL. Andy seemed
tired, and they played only "King for a Day" and "Mayor of Simpleton".
HO HUM!! I was not majorly thrilled.  Suddenly about 200 miles later, there
they are on 104.1 FM in Houston, and God WHAT A SHOW!  Too bad the kiddies
that listen to that pop 40 station couldn't fully appreciate it.  They
started with "Scarecrow People" (which blew me away), and then a medley
of songs:  "Senses W O", "Grass", and "Love on a Farmboys Wages".  What
absolutely cracked me up was that Andy was absolutely bubbling, and the
DJ couldn't control him!  He made a comment concerning Dear God that "if
that song sticks in your nose, I'm sorry that you have such a narrow mind...
the only thing up OUR noses is our fingers". When asked about their drummers
he replied "they just spontaneously combust...Spinal Tap got that bit from us."
Finally after a few crotch puns, the DJ told him to tone it down, that "this
is a family show".  I just about died.  Those guys were so much fun.  It is
too bad that they went to a Sound Warehouse chain to promote their records,
instead of an alternative record store where they would be appreciated.

If ANYBODY has that show on tape I WANT IT!!!!  Name your price
(within reason).
Gary Jedlicka

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Date: Sun, 28 May 89 17:56:05 EDT
From: Mike Godfrey <migod@csri.toronto.edu>
Subject: Instead of Wagner and Mendelssohn?

Submitted to rec.music.misc:

In article <14800037@m.cs.uiuc.edu> schwager@m.cs.uiuc.edu writes:
>>[What songs would go well on a wedding tape?]

In article <May.25.16.49.05.1989.17841@PRESTO.IG.COM>
relph@PRESTO.IG.COM.UUCP (John M. Relph) writes:
>"Earn Enough for Us" and "Big Day" by XTC (from _Skylarking_).

Other XTC songs to consider:

	"JUMPING in Gomorrah" (I put this on *my* wedding tape)
	"New Town Animal in a Furnished Cage"
	"Making Plans for Nigel" (If your name happens to be Nigel...)
	"Ball and Chain"
	"All of a Sudden (It's Too Late)"
	"Pink Thing"

Mike Godfrey
migod@csri.toronto.edu

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