The Meeting Place

(Moulding)

The Meeting Place front cover

Recordings XTCfans interview with Colin Moulding Art Lyrics Chords and Tablature

Recordings

1. Album version, 3'12.
   Released on Skylarking.
   Released on 2 February 1987 as a single in the U.K.
2. Promotional video, 3'12?.
   Not commercially released.

   Andy: “The rhythm track is taken from a soundtrack of industrial sound effects.” Dave: “It starts with the sound of a local factory hooter in Swindon. They were closing factories down, and I thought it might be a nice tribute to the old town.”

3. Single version.
   The 12" single was backed with the first of the XTC Home Demos: "Terrorism", "Let's Make a Den", "Find the Fox", and "The Troubles".

   Andy: “The four tracks that make up the B side of this record are demos of songs that were never recorded in the studio for various reasons. Producers preference, group preference, no time, lyrics not quite rght, etc, whatever. They were recorded at the respective writers homes on four track cassette machines and later, cleaned and ‘tarted up a bit’ at Crescent Studios, Bath, for pressing to vinyl. We thought that you might be interested to hear them as normally, nobody outside of the group or record company would ever be exposed to these ‘rough sketches’.”

4. BBC version.
   Recorded ‘live’ for “The Sunday Show” on 22 February 1987.
   Produced by Martin Colley and Jonathon Russle.
   Engineered by Fred Kay.
   Released on 16 November 1998 on Transistor Blast in the U.K.
5. Demo version.
   Recorded in the front bedroom, No. 2 Dolphin Cottages, Wanborough, in January 1985.
   Engineered by Colin Moulding.
   Mixed by XTC.
   Released on 25 March 2002 on Coat of Many Cupboards in the U.K.
   Also released on the reissue of Skylarking on 14 October 2016 in the U.K.
   Colin Moulding - All instruments and Vocals

   Colin: “Everyone knows that odd time of day that we call lunchbreak. Odd because of the feeling one gets at about half past one, when one teeters on the brink of deciding whether to go back to work or not. Maybe you're enjoying the company you're with, perhaps a girl you're fond of. Or is it the sheer devilment of being out of bounds after hours? You first come across this feeling when you're a schoolboy and the bell has gone for afternoon lessons. It was such a feeling that prompted this song. The sauciness came later when the song needed to build, but it has a basis in reality. I used to meet a girl for lunch once upon a time, who was mad on The Stones and funnily enough the track she used to play quite often was called ‘Factory Girl’, a song which I believe contains the same feeling I've been describing. I think I'd better stop there.”

   Andy: “I must say I'm quietly stunned. In listening to this odds and ends, kitchen drawer of a collection, I've come to the conclusion that there's so much Swindon in so many of these songs, it's scary. The cosseting ‘Listen with Mother’ cadence of the guitar fondly doffs its broken old hat just enough at Syd Barrett's ‘Scarecrow’ to evoke both, but copy neither. The epicentre of this illicit teenage love bomb is still the Penhill council estate. Marooned atop a gentle mound at the north of Swindon, but washed on all sides by lush farmland, throwing its pebbledash and abandoned car greyness into even sharper relief.”

6. 2016 stereo mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Skylarking on 14 October 2016 in the U.K.
7. 2016 5.1 mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Skylarking on 14 October 2016 in the U.K.
8. 2016 instrumental mix.
   Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
   Released on the reissue of Skylarking on 14 October 2016 in the U.K.
9. TC&I live version.
   Performed by TC&I.
   Recorded live at Swindon Arts Centre.
   Released on TC&I: Naked Flames in the U.K.
10. Dolby Atmos mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of Skylarking on 27 September 2024 in the U.K.
11. Dolby Atmos instrumental mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the reissue of Skylarking on 27 September 2024 in the U.K.

[Thanks to R. Stevie Moore]

Art

front cover of The Meeting Place 12" single	back cover of The Meeting Place 12" single	The Meeting Place 7-inch clear vinyl single
a promotional counter stand for The Meeting Place single release	“The Meeting Place” lip-sync from The Tube, 1987

Lyrics

Meet you in the secret place
Scuffling in the dirt I wait
Whistle will blow, whistle will blow,
Share a joke the laugh's on me
But when I get you on your own we'll see
Someone might hear, someone might hear
You're a working girl now
You've got money of your own
Hmmm The meeting place
Hmmm The meeting place
Strolling under grimey skies
Machines that make you kiss in time
Smoke on your breath, smoke on your breath
Chimney never looked so good
    Never looked the way it should
From lying in the bracken wood
Coat on the ground, coat on the ground
Take a walk down the lane
We'll be late back again
Hmmm The meeting place
Hmmm The meeting place

© 1987 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

Chords and Tablature

Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2017 14:33:31 +0200
From: Florian Decros <flodecros (at) gmail dot com>
Subject: Bass tabs of "Skylarking"
Message-ID: <CAPtZtiPs1nY1yeFCibNRa75qhzrX8U_JhcbCUurHrPpGN_p=XA (at) mail dot gmail dot com>

Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 14:09:30 -0700
From: hbmus047 (at) email dot csun dot edu (Ian Dahlberg)
Subject: The Meeting Place TAB
Message-Id: <199609282110.OAA06789 (at) sgi dot sgi dot com>


THE MEETING PLACE

Here are the basic chunks for the tune.  You can piece them together easily
once you recognize them.

Please note the "open E" tuning

Repeat as necessary

E----------------------------------------|
B----------------------------------------|
G#-------0-----1-0--------0-----1-0------|
E----0-------2-----2----------2-----2----|
B----------0----------------0------------|
E---------------------0------------------|
     +   .   .   .    +   .   .   .

   Mmmm...
E----3----------------5---------------|
B----3----------------5---------------|
G#---3----------------5---------------|
E----3----------------5---------------|
B----3----------------5---------------|
E----3----------------2---------------|
     +   .   .   .    +   .   .   .   +

E----------------------------------------|
B----------------------------------------|
G#-------0-----1-0--------0-----1-0------|
E----0-------2-----2----------2-----2----|
B----------0----------------0------------|
E---------------------0------------------|
     +   .   .   .    +   .   .   .

E---11---9---11-------11---9---11-------|
B-----10--10-----12-----10---10----12---|
G#-------------10--10------------10--10-|  (keyboard part)
E---------------------------------------|
B---------------------------------------|
E---------------------------------------|
     +   .   .   .    +    .   .   .

E----9-----------7-------------9-----------|
B----11-------11-9-------------11-------11-|
G#---10----10----8-------------10----10----|    (keyboard part)
E----9--9--------7------7------9--9--------|
B----11----------9-------------11----------|
E----9-----------7-------------9-----------|
     +      .     .     .      +     .     .

  Do do do do    do do do  the meeting place
(barre 5th fret)
E----5-5-5-5-----5-5-5-5-------------7-------------|
B----7-5-5-5-----7-5-5-5-----5-------7-------------|
G#---7-5-7-5-----7-5-7-5---5-5---5---7-------------|
E----5-5-7-5-----5-5-7-5---5-----5---7-------------|
B------------------------------------7-------------|
E------------------------------------7-------------|
     +   .   .   .   +   .   .   .   +

                                Enjoy!   Bye

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