Smokeless Zone

(Moulding)

Recordings Art Annotated Lyrics Chords and Tablature

Recordings

1. Single version, 3'53.
   Produced by Steve Lillywhite.
   Engineered by Hugh Padgham.
   Recorded during sessions for Black Sea.
   Released on 9 August 1980 as the A-side to the bonus single included with the Generals and Majors doublepack 7" single in the U.K.
   Also available as a bonus track on compact disc and Blu-ray reissues of Black Sea.
2. 2017 stereo mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
3. 2017 5.1 mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
4. 2017 instrumental mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.
5. Unfinished rough.
   Phonogram Studio recording.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Black Sea on 17 November 2017 in the U.K.

Art

[THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

Lyrics

Notes

James Dignan: “A smokeless zone is a region of an inner city in England where the smog and pollution is so bad that by-laws have been introduced to ban open fires and large chimneys. So living in a smokeless zone is living in a polluted inner city. In this case, an area so polluted that respiratory problems have set in, so penicillin is needed.”

Brian Carter: “Your definition of a ‘smokeless zone’ is accurate but out of date. There hasn't been smog in the UK for at least 50 years.”

I'm living in my smokeless zone
My house is not a happy home
I got to do something 'for I kick the bucket
I'm living in this smokeless zone
I clean my dusty window sills
Everything I grow it kills
I don't want to stay in this street any longer
living in this smokeless zone
Englands green, once so pleasant land
living on a time bomb yeah
The whole damn place is going to turn to sand
Bah bah
I cough upon my wheezy chest
my penicillin does its best
There's only one cure for an unhealthy body
get out of this smokeless zone

Chords and Tablature

Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 17:09:52 +0100
From: Jordi Ibáñez Llauradó <lohagoporelmessenger (at) hotmail dot com>
Subject: xtc songs
Message-ID: <BAY113-F11D978375E7EAC7A754B66DA390 (at) phx dot gbl>


OK, my first posting. please be gentle. i just want to say that
that's been done with no keyboard or organ at hand, so i can't
be more precise about the chords. that's why here you'll only
find the basic chords: it's up to you, people that can write,
read and dissect chords, to finish this work. so here it goes,
all the songs in the XTC catalogue that hadn't been tabbed in
this great site, from "black sea" to "nonsuch". you won't find
anything from "mummer" because the whole album has already been
"chorded" in this site.

don't expect any riffs or arpeggios, BTW. that's as far as my
skills go...

maybe i should be ashamed to post something like this (so
incomplete, wrong and childish) but it's just for the sake of
people who just want to strum XTC songs and sing and don't care
much if this is a sus4, added or other bollocks chord (and i must
point that i am one of those who really care, so i'm willing to
read all kinds of comments and corrections). please, john relph,
erase every transcription of mine as soon as a proper tab of each
song made by any other XTC fan who's more trained on guitar than me
comes to your mail.

songs like "the somnambulist" or "seagulls..." were meant to be
played on keyboards and sound terrible on guitar. beware!


SMOKELESS ZONE
verse: F-C-G and then C-D
chorus ("england's..."): Cm-G and then A-D

--
hope that will be useful for somebody.
merry Xmas!
feedback welcome at jordiibanez (at) mixmail dot com
                 or lohagoporelmessenger (at) hotmail dot com

Go back to XTC Reel by Real.