XTC

General music discussion.
Chairman Ralph
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Re: XTC

Post by Chairman Ralph »

It is unbelievable really. He is one of the great songwriters and when you look at the ridiculous amount of money people with a fraction of his talent are making nowadays but I guess he would say himself he didn’t do it for the money.
Well, they also suffered from crappy management and a diabolical record deal that was stacked against them, two factors that have hobbled many lesser and major bands. This clipping sums up their situation aptly enough:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ente ... 71947.html
Inflated a bit. A fluke college hit with Dear God (originally a b-side) gave them a bit of traction but they were never big sellers.
Then again, there's the Trouser Press interview from late '82 or early '83, in which Andy claims that 95 percent of their fan mail came from the States. If that's true, the groundswell for those sales, however modest, had to be building quite awhile before then.

I suspect the Dukes Of Stratosphear albums had something to do with it, too, because those did coincide with the whole psych revival/Paisley Underground bug that bit the States around that time -- and that was a good four years before "Dear God." At any rate, the Americans definitely kept XTC alive, at a time when their future seemed uncertain, at best.

Marky Dread
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Re: XTC

Post by Marky Dread »

Chairman Ralph wrote:
28 Sep 2018, 4:59pm
It is unbelievable really. He is one of the great songwriters and when you look at the ridiculous amount of money people with a fraction of his talent are making nowadays but I guess he would say himself he didn’t do it for the money.
Well, they also suffered from crappy management and a diabolical record deal that was stacked against them, two factors that have hobbled many lesser and major bands. This clipping sums up their situation aptly enough:

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ente ... 71947.html
Inflated a bit. A fluke college hit with Dear God (originally a b-side) gave them a bit of traction but they were never big sellers.
Then again, there's the Trouser Press interview from late '82 or early '83, in which Andy claims that 95 percent of their fan mail came from the States. If that's true, the groundswell for those sales, however modest, had to be building quite awhile before then.

I suspect the Dukes Of Stratosphear albums had something to do with it, too, because those did coincide with the whole psych revival/Paisley Underground bug that bit the States around that time -- and that was a good four years before "Dear God." At any rate, the Americans definitely kept XTC alive, at a time when their future seemed uncertain, at best.
I doubt the Dukes were the real reason, the band were happy at not being XTC at the time. The 25 O'clock album did out sell the previous album The Big Express. The Skylarking album in the US did feature Dear God as it had become a college radio hit. XTC were much more an album band than a singles band here in the UK with 10 top 40 albums and 6 top 40 singles. I think XTC always had a very assured fan base here in the UK who were interested in the bands quality and attitude to producing different sounds. It's really no surprise to me that the general public were ambivalent to the band after their initial run of new wave singles.
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revbob
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Re: XTC

Post by revbob »

In the end (and I realize this different for everyone) I think most good music is largely overlooked and/or undiscovered by the masses. Its the odd bands like The Clash, Who, Beatles, Stones that manage to get some broad appeal. And even then in many cases it can be specific songs/albums that have that mass acceptance. I also find many people aren't all that interested in hearing music they aren't already familiar with or that they haven't been introduced to by some familiar conduit.

Marky Dread
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Re: XTC

Post by Marky Dread »

revbob wrote:
29 Sep 2018, 11:02am
In the end (and I realize this different for everyone) I think most good music is largely overlooked and/or undiscovered by the masses. Its the odd bands like The Clash, Who, Beatles, Stones that manage to get some broad appeal. And even then in many cases it can be specific songs/albums that have that mass acceptance. I also find many people aren't all that interested in hearing music they aren't already familiar with or that they haven't been introduced to by some familiar conduit.
Yes I think there is two very different sets of ears when it comes to listening. The casual listener who is happy with whatever is currently charting and on the radio almost disposable music and the other who is more serious and in for the long haul.
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Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

revbob
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Re: XTC

Post by revbob »

Marky Dread wrote:
29 Sep 2018, 12:57pm
revbob wrote:
29 Sep 2018, 11:02am
In the end (and I realize this different for everyone) I think most good music is largely overlooked and/or undiscovered by the masses. Its the odd bands like The Clash, Who, Beatles, Stones that manage to get some broad appeal. And even then in many cases it can be specific songs/albums that have that mass acceptance. I also find many people aren't all that interested in hearing music they aren't already familiar with or that they haven't been introduced to by some familiar conduit.
Yes I think there is two very different sets of ears when it comes to listening. The casual listener who is happy with whatever is currently charting and on the radio almost disposable music and the other who is more serious and in for the long haul.
Yes, and disposable is a term that Ill use a lot. Both. Terms of how some people listen or consume music and in terms of some types of music. Maybe I'm not being fair but I see Britney Spears for instance as disposable music and its created for fans of disposable music. Its like the difference between fast food and a proper meal. And Ill use that analogy for people who will tout album sales as a sole measure of greatness. McDonalds has sold billions of their burgers but no way in hell are they the best or even one of the best burgers.

Heston
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Re: XTC

Post by Heston »

There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Marky Dread
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Re: XTC

Post by Marky Dread »

Heston wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 12:42pm
This is funny...

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2018/1 ... dge-sleep/
Poor old Andy those fans (wankers) should be be more appreciative that he lives in Respectable Street and gently lullaby him to sleep at night with a rendition of The Dukes Pale and Precious.
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Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

101Walterton
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Re: XTC

Post by 101Walterton »

Marky Dread wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 12:50pm
Heston wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 12:42pm
This is funny...

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2018/1 ... dge-sleep/
Poor old Andy those fans (wankers) should be be more appreciative that he lives in Respectable Street and gently lullaby him to sleep at night with a rendition of The Dukes Pale and Precious.
I never realised it wasn’t his song I thought he wrilote everything.

Marky Dread
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Re: XTC

Post by Marky Dread »

101Walterton wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 2:00pm
Marky Dread wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 12:50pm
Heston wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 12:42pm
This is funny...

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2018/1 ... dge-sleep/
Poor old Andy those fans (wankers) should be be more appreciative that he lives in Respectable Street and gently lullaby him to sleep at night with a rendition of The Dukes Pale and Precious.
I never realised it wasn’t his song I thought he wrilote everything.
No Moulding wrote a few of the singles.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Silent Majority
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Re: XTC

Post by Silent Majority »

Marky Dread wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 2:09pm
101Walterton wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 2:00pm
Marky Dread wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 12:50pm
Heston wrote:
15 Oct 2018, 12:42pm
This is funny...

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2018/1 ... dge-sleep/
Poor old Andy those fans (wankers) should be be more appreciative that he lives in Respectable Street and gently lullaby him to sleep at night with a rendition of The Dukes Pale and Precious.
I never realised it wasn’t his song I thought he wrilote everything.
No Moulding wrote a few of the singles.
I can see the difference in the more traditional structure of that to something that seems more strange and unusual melodically, like the pinball tune of Generals and Majors.
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tepista
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Re: XTC

Post by tepista »

I watched the rockumentary yesterday, wife an I both liked it. I never bought an album past English Settlement.
We reach the parts other combos cannot reach
We beach the beachheads other armies cannot beach
We speak the tongues other mouths cannot speak

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