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Skylarking
''Skylarking'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 27 October 1986 on Virgin Records. Produced by American musician Todd Rundgren, it is a loose concept album about a nonspecific cycle, such as a day, a year, the seasons, or a life. The title refers to a type of bird (skylark), as well as the Royal Navy term "skylarking", which means "fooling around". It became one of XTC's best-known albums and is generally regarded as their finest work. Like XTC's previous Dukes of Stratosphear side project, ''Skylarking'' was heavily influenced by the music of the 1960s. Most of its recording was at Rundgren's Utopia Sound Studio in Woodstock, New York. Rundgren played a large role in the album's sound design and drum programming, providing the band with orchestral arrangements and an assortment of gear. However, the sessions were fraught with tension, especially between Rundgren and bandleader Andy Partridge, and numerous disagreements arose over drum patterns, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dear God (XTC Song)
"Dear God" is a song by the English rock band XTC that was first released as a non-album single with the A-side "Grass". Written by Andy Partridge, the song lyrics grapple with the existence of God and the problem of evil. Partridge was inspired by a series of books with the same title, which Partridge viewed as exploitative of children. The song was originally intended for the album ''Skylarking'', but left off due to concerns from Partridge and Virgin Records. After college radio DJs across America picked up the song, US distributor Geffen Records recalled and re-pressed ''Skylarking'' with the track included. Partridge was dissatisfied with "Dear God" as he felt the lyrics were not representative of his views on religion, which was partly the reason it was left off ''Skylarking''. The song's anti-religious message ultimately provoked some violent reactions. In the US, one radio station received a bomb threat, and in another incident, a student forced their school to play the so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Dukes Of Stratosphear
The Dukes of Stratosphear were an English rock music, rock band formed in 1984 by Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Dave Gregory (musician), Dave Gregory, and Ian Gregory. Modelled after psychedelic pop groups from the 1960s, the Dukes were initially publicised by Virgin Records as a mysterious new act, but were actually an XTC spin-off band. They recorded only two albums: ''25 O'Clock'' (1985) and ''Psonic Psunspot'' (1987). In the UK, the records outsold XTC's then-current albums ''The Big Express'' (1984) and ''Skylarking'' (1986). Partridge envisioned the Dukes as an amalgamation of "your favourite bands from 1967." He and Dave Gregory conceived the project in 1979, and in December 1984 the band found the opportunity to spend a few days recording what would become ''25 O'Clock''. Three rules were set for its production: songs must follow the conventions of 1967 and 1968 psychedelia, no more than two takes allowed, and use vintage equipment wherever possible. After reuniting f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
25 O'Clock
''25 O'Clock'' is the debut record by English rock band the Dukes of Stratosphear and the eighth studio album by XTC, released on April Fools Day 1985 through Virgin Records. It was publicised as a long-lost collection of recordings by a late 1960s group, but actually consisted of new tracks recorded by Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, and Dave Gregory (musician), Dave Gregory of XTC with Gregory's brother Ian. The project was conceived by Partridge as a one-off excursion into 1960s-style psychedelic music. Three rules were set during its recording: songs must follow the conventions of 1967 and 1968 psychedelia, no more than two takes allowed, and use vintage equipment wherever possible. Virgin gave the group £5,000 and a two-week deadline for the sessions, in which the members adopted pseudonyms and dressed themselves in clothing of the era. Only six tracks were recorded due to time constraints. Upon its release in the UK, ''25 O'Clock'' sold twice as many copies as XTC's then-l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia. He is known for his sophisticated and often unorthodox music, his occasionally lavish stage shows, and his later experiments with interactive entertainment. He also produced music videos and was an early adopter and promoter of various computer technologies, such as using the Internet as a means of music distribution in the late 1990s. A native of Philadelphia, Rundgren began his professional career in the mid 1960s, forming the psychedelic band Nazz in 1967. Two years later, he left Nazz to pursue a solo career and immediately scored his first US top 40 hit with "We Gotta Get You a Woman" (1970). His best-known songs include "Hello It's Me" and " I Saw the Light" from ''Something/Anything?'' (1972), which get frequent air time on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grass (XTC Song)
"Grass" is a song written by Colin Moulding of the English rock band XTC, released as the lead single from their 1986 album ''Skylarking''. It reached number 100 on the UK Singles Chart. Background "Grass" is sometimes mistaken to be about cannabis, but was actually written about even fields a parkland in Swindon. Moulding composed it on an open E-tuned guitar and found its harmonic changes by playing the chord shapes of Thunderclap Newman's "Something in the Air" (1969). The mixing of violin and guitar was an idea lifted from John Lennon's " How Do You Sleep?" (1971). ''Skylarking'' producer Todd Rundgren added a tiple to the blend. Moulding originally sang the song with a deeper voice. He said Rundgren voiced concern that the effect was too close to "a molester", and so Moulding "did the Bowie thing and added an octave above it". On ''Skylarking'', the track bookends "Summer's Cauldron" with a reprise of its "insect chorus". Personnel XTC * Dave Gregory * Colin Moulding * A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Big Express
''The Big Express'' is the seventh studio album by English rock band XTC, released on 15 October 1984 by Virgin Records. It is an autobiographical concept album inspired by the band's hometown of Swindon and its railway system, the Swindon Works. In comparison to its predecessor ''Mummer'' (1983), which had a modest, pastoral approach to production, the album features a bright, uptempo sound marked by studio experimentation and denser arrangements, setting a template that they further developed on subsequent albums. XTC produced the album with Crescent Studios owner David Lord on a budget exceeding £75,000 (equivalent to £ in ). Like ''Mummer'', the Glitter Band's Pete Phipps was hired as a session drummer for the band. They continued extending their use of exotic colors, incorporating instruments such as LinnDrum, euphonium, and E-mu Emulator for the first time in their work. Much of the album showcased the band's psychedelic influences through its reliance on Mellotro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andy Partridge
Andrew John Partridge (born 11 November 1953) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer who founded the rock music, rock band XTC. He and Colin Moulding each acted as a songwriter and frontman for XTC, with Partridge writing and singing about two-thirds of the group's material. While the band were a formative punk rock, punk group, Partridge's music drew heavily from 1960s songwriters, and his style gradually shifted to more traditional pop music, pop, often with pastoral themes. The band's only UK top 10 hit, "Senses Working Overtime" (1982), was written by Partridge. Partridge is sometimes regarded as the "godfather" of Britpop. Since the 1980s, he has worked, written with, or produced for many other recording artists—efforts which include collaborative albums with Peter Blegvad, Harold Budd and Robyn Hitchcock. From 2002 to 2006, Partridge's APE House record label released several volumes of his demo (music), demos and songs as part of the ''Fuzzy War ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Meeting Place (song)
"The Meeting Place" is a song written by Colin Moulding of the English rock band XTC, released on their 1986 album ''Skylarking''. It was the second single issued from the album and reached number 100 on the UK Singles Chart. Background "The Meeting Place" is built on a "circular" guitar motif that reminded Moulding of the children's programme ''Toytown''. He characterised it as "a childish, nursery-rhyme, bell-like, small town riff. As if you were looking down on Toytown, and it was me in the landscape, meeting my wife beside the factory or something, in our teens." The industrial noises at the beginning were samples sequenced on a Fairlight, one of which was the sound of the Swindon Works hooter, which was used as a signal for its workers. Swindon Works closed within a year of the song's recording. Among influences on the song, Moulding cited Syd Barrett, the Rolling Stones' " Factory Girl" (1968), and Billie Jo Spears' Blanket on the Ground" (1975). Promotional video The Chann ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Psonic Psunspot
''Psonic Psunspot'' is the second album by English rock band the Dukes of Stratosphear, released in 1987. Also counted as XTC's tenth studio album, it is a follow-up to ''25 O'Clock'' (1985). In 2002, the website ''Pitchfork'' listed the album at 66 on their "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s", calling the songs "a surreal rock-opera of opaque, hallucinogenic wonder". Music Some of its tracks were rejected XTC songs ("Shiny Cage", "Little Lighthouse", and "You're My Drug"). Like the previous album ''25 O'Clock'', this album is inspired by 1960s psychedelia. Release The album was released in its original form on vinyl and cassette, accompanied with the "You're A Good Man Albert Brown" single and the promotional-only "Vanishing Girl" single. A simultaneous CD release entitled ''Chips from the Chocolate Fireball'' incorporated all of the tracks from ''25 O'Clock'' and ''Psonic Psunspot'' with different packaging. Later, a remastered and expanded version of ''Psonic Psunspot'' was rel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the database was first made available on the Internet in 1994. AllMusic is owned by RhythmOne. History AllMusic was launched as ''All Music Guide'' by Michael Erlewine, a "compulsive archivist, noted astrologer, Buddhist scholar and musician". He became interested in using computers for his astrological work in the mid-1970s and founded a software company, Matrix, in 1977. In the early 1990s, as CDs replaced LPs as the dominant format for recorded music, Erlewine purchased what he thought was a CD of early recordings by Little Richard. After buying it he discovered it was a "flaccid latter-day rehash". Frustrated with the labeling, he researched using metadata to create a music guide. In 1990, in Big Rapids, Michigan, he founded ''All Music Guide' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terry Chambers
Terry Peter Chambers (born 18 July 1955) is an English drummer who was a member of the band XTC from 1972 to 1982 and the popular Australian-New Zealand group Dragon between 1983-5. He appears on all of XTC's albums between ''White Music'' (1978) and ''Mummer'' (1983). Biography Chambers was born in Swindon, Wiltshire. He originally wanted to learn to play the piano, but his parents could not afford to buy one. So instead he saved money from his Saturday job, stacking shelves at the local grocers, and at the age of 14 bought his first drum kit. Chambers played on XTC's '' 3D - EP'', ''White Music'', ''Go 2'', ''Drums and Wires'', ''Black Sea'', ''English Settlement'', and many live recordings, until his departure from the band during the 1982 sessions for ''Mummer''. On ''Mummer'' he played on "Beating of Hearts", "Wonderland" and the B-side "Toys". Chambers' reasons for leaving the band included the band's decision to stop touring and performing live, as well his own plans wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid digital subscribers. It also is a producer of popular podcasts such as '' The Daily''. Founded in 1851 by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones, it was initially published by Raymond, Jones & Company. The ''Times'' has won 132 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any newspaper, and has long been regarded as a national " newspaper of record". For print it is ranked 18th in the world by circulation and 3rd in the U.S. The paper is owned by the New York Times Company, which is publicly traded. It has been governed by the Sulzberger family since 1896, through a dual-class share structure after its shares became publicly traded. A. G. Sulzberger, the paper's publisher and the company's chairman, is the fifth generation of the family to head the pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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