XTC Reel by Real: XTC: White Music
Last update: 3 August 2024
White Music
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WHITE MUSIC

A cult classic of raw punk pop, XTC's debut album charts in the U.K. Top 30. An off-kilter homage to the confection that is pop (i.e., "white") music, the album jumps with virtually live-in-the-studio energy.

Geffen CD Release 1991 includes seven tracks not on original album: the alien-ated "Science Friction", stuck-in-67 "She's So Square", darkly romantic "Hang On To The Night", and pogo-ish "Traffic Light Rock" (written by Partridge), and the girl-loves-a-tan "Heatwave", frothy "Dance Band", and pop culture koan "Instant Tunes" (written by Moulding). "Science Friction" appeared previously on album only on Waxworks: Some Singles 1977-1982, released on Geffen 1984 on LP/Cassette only.

[Geffen promotional literature, 1991]

Andy: “Four years' worth of songs saved up and recorded (virtually) live in one short burst. Noisy, arrogant, stark, triangular and desperate for your attention. Four young snots dismantling pop!”
Andy: “Naïve, charming, desperate. Borrowed voices: a soupçon of Buddy Holly with a dollop of Steve Harley and a seal bark to get through crappy PAs.”

Lyrics, Charts and More

  1. Radios in Motion (pics) (lyrics) (interview)
  2. X Wires (pics) (lyrics)
  3. This is Pop (pics) (lyrics) (chords) (interview)
  4. Do What You Do (lyrics)
  5. Statue of Liberty (pics) (lyrics) (chords) (interview)
  6. All Along the Watchtower (pics) (chords) (interview)
  7. Atom Age (pics) (lyrics) (interview)
  8. Set Myself on Fire (lyrics)
  9. I'm Bugged (pics) (lyrics)
  10. New Town Animal (lyrics) (chords)
  11. Spinning Top (lyrics)
  12. Neon Shuffle (pics) (lyrics) (interview)

The CD reissues also feature the following bonus tracks:

  1. Science Friction (pics) (lyrics) (interview)
  2. She's So Square (pics) (lyrics)
  3. Dance Band (pics) (lyrics)
  4. Hang On To The Night (lyrics)
  5. Heatwave (pics) (lyrics)
  6. Traffic Light Rock (pics) (lyrics)
  7. Instant Tunes (lyrics) (chords)

Recording Information

Recorded at The Manor, Oxfordshire, England.
Mixed at The Manor and Advision.
Produced and engineered by John Leckie.
Tapes worked by Alan "Jaffa" Douglas.
Originally released on 20 January 1978 in the U.K.
Reached Top 20 on the U.K. album chart.

Andy Partridge - guitar & voice
Colin Moulding - bass & voice
Barry Andrews - steam piano & clapped out organs
Terry Chambers - just drums

A working title for this album was Black Music, but this name was rejected by Virgin as it was thought the title might suggest a blues or soul album.

Andy: “In case you ever wondered, it's a can of Heineken that's airbrushed out of Barry's hand on the cover of the WHITE MUSIC album.”

Singles

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2176478" target="churl"#/##\#i#/#3D-EP#\#/i#/##\#/a#/#

3D-EP

#\#i#/#Science Friction#\#/i#/#

Science Friction

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2539212" target="churl"#/##\#i#/#Statue of Liberty#\#/i#/##\#/a#/#

Statue of Liberty

#\#i#/#This is Pop?#\#/i#/#

This is Pop?

   

Art

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2726528" target="churl"#/#front cover of the Virgin UK LP of #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/##\#/a#/#

front cover of the Virgin UK LP of White Music

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=3342378" target="churl"#/#UK #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP back cover#\#/a#/#

UK White Music LP back cover

front cover of the Italian LP release of #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/#

front cover of the Italian LP release of White Music

detail of lettering from Spain #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP

detail of lettering from Spain White Music LP

cover of the Virgin International USA #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# cassette

cover of the Virgin International USA White Music cassette

cover of the Epic USA #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# cassette

cover of the Epic USA White Music cassette

cover of the Geffen USA #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# cassette

cover of the Geffen USA White Music cassette

#\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# cassette (USA)

White Music cassette (USA)

#\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP from Greece

White Music LP from Greece

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2081262" target="churl"#/#front cover of the Japanese CD of #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/##\#/a#/#

front cover of the Japanese CD of White Music

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2081508" target="churl"#/#back cover of the Japanese CD of #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/##\#/a#/#

back cover of the Japanese CD of White Music

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4055475" target="churl"#/#Japanese #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP back cover#\#/a#/#

Japanese White Music LP back cover

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4054295" target="churl"#/#Japanese #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP obi#\#/a#/#

Japanese White Music LP obi

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4054304" target="churl"#/#Japanese #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP front cover with obi#\#/a#/#

Japanese White Music LP front cover with obi

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4055462" target="churl"#/#Japanese #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP insert, side A#\#/a#/#

Japanese White Music LP insert, side A

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4055463" target="churl"#/#Japanese #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP insert, side B#\#/a#/#

Japanese White Music LP insert, side B

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4054308" target="churl"#/#Japanese #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP label, side A#\#/a#/#

Japanese White Music LP label, side A

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4054309" target="churl"#/#Japanese #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# LP label, side B#\#/a#/#

Japanese White Music LP label, side B

#\#a href="http://www.majhost.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=2191760" target="churl"#/#photo from liner notes of UK #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# CD#\#/a#/#

photo from liner notes of UK White Music CD

photo from back cover of #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# CD insert

photo from back cover of White Music CD insert

Side One of the Virgin International USA #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# cassette tape

Side One of the Virgin International USA White Music cassette tape

Side Two of the Virgin International USA #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# cassette tape

Side Two of the Virgin International USA White Music cassette tape

unused #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# shots

unused White Music shots

XTC circa 1978

XTC circa 1978

original #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# promotional poster

original White Music promotional poster

Japanese advertisement for #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/#

Japanese advertisement for White Music

#\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# promo banner/poster

White Music promo banner/poster

cover of the #\#i#/#1+1#\#/i#/# double cassette of #\#i#/#White Music#\#/i#/# and #\#i#/#Go 2#\#/i#/#

cover of the 1+1 double cassette of White Music and Go 2

   

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