XTC - Swindon's most successful band | SwindonWeb xtc registered trademark. Looking Back to 1979 35 years on from Making Plans for Nigel, we celebrate Swindon's greatest-ever band, XTC - WATCH VIDEOS Drums and Wires: released 17 August 1979 Looking through our SwindonWeb archives recently we stumbled across a date that will bring back memories for many of you who enjoyed the late Punk era of the 1970s. It was in August 1979 that arguably Swindon's greatest-ever band, XTC, released their first commercially succesful album, Drums and Wires, and then reached the UK Top 20 (in the days when you needed to sell a million singles to reach the top 10!) - and Top of the Pops - for the first time that September with the hit single 'Making Plans for Nigel'.

Cutting edge Released by Richard Branson on the Virgin label and produced by Grammy-winner Steve Lillywhite - famous for his collaborations with U2 and The Rolling Stones to name but a few - it was the first time XTC, Andy Partridge et al, became a force to be reckoned with in the new wave music scene. Esquire magazine even puts Making Plans for Nigel in their top three of Virgin's Best 12 Singles from the past 40 years, behind only Mike Oldfield 'Tubular Bells Part One' and Sex Pistols 'God Save the Queen'. Not bad for a band that started in Penhill! Swindon's most successful band Most Swindon people are probably unaware of the international reputation of the town's most successful pop group. XTC made a name for themselves with a their own brand of 'new wave' music, played against the punk 'revolution' of the late 1970s.

(l to r) Andy Partridge (vocals and guitar), Colin Moulding (bass), Dave Gregory (guitar) and Terry Chambers (drums) They briefly enjoyed national stardom as first Making Plans For Nigel and then Senses Working Overtime even earned them a place on Top of the Pops. But while the majority of the other bands from the era have slipped into obscurity, XTC retain a large following worldwide - and especially in America - and are renowned both for their inventive music and their determination to follow their artistic rather than their commercial instincts. Single: Majors and Generals 1982 featuring Richard Branson Following a period when they effectively took strike action to free themselves from a contract with Richard Branson's Virgin Records, XTC's returned briefly to the music scene in 1998 with their album, Apple Venus Volume 1, and their last album to date, Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2), released in 2001. Their fans will wait in vain to see the group in concert, though, as a serious attack of stagefright some years ago convinced group leader Andy Partridge that it was time to turn his back on touring.

Penhill roots Partridge was born on the island of Malta on 11 November 1953 where his father, a sailor, was stationed. The family eventually returned to Swindon and lived at Penhill where Andy, inspired by The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night and The Monkees, set up Radio Anglo, 'broadcasting' records out of his bedroom window. He slowly turned to making his own music, but with little success and it was while playing with a group called Clark Kent, at Headlands School, that Partridge first met Colin Moulding, who was also from Penhill. Original line up: XTC in 1978, just after signing for Virgin Records (bottom left is Barry Andrews, who left the band in 1979 to be replaced by Dave Gregory) Bass player Moulding was born in the front room of his grandmother's house at 2 Hinton Street, Gorse Hill on 17 August 1955, just over a month after Terry Chambers was born at the Cheriton Nursing Home in Westlecott Road. Chambers, a promising footballer until he had an unsuccessful trial with Swindon Town, was to become XTC's drummer.

Partridge, Moulding and Chambers were eventually brought together - along with Andy's friend, Dave Cartner - in the spring of 1973 when they called themselves Star Park. They played their first gig at Swindon College as support to Thin Lizzy and shortly afterwards changed their name to The Helium Kidz. They also recruited a new vocalist called Steve Hutchins. The Helium Kidz had to wait two years for any nationwide exposure and it came in the form of a small feature in the New Musical Express, but it didn't change their luck and in the summer of 1975 they opted for a change of name instead. The inspiration was a Jimmy Durante film, of all things, in which the New York comic was searching for a lost chord. Having found it he cried: "Dat's it. I'm in XTC." It struck a chord with Partridge too, who thought it epitomised their incisive, witty style. Partridge also became the band's lead vocalist at this time, replacing Steve Hutchins.

Punk era Success was still a long way off for XTC and they had to wait for punk, which exploded at the end of 1976, before they got the boost they wanted. XTC never were a punk band, but they were outrageous enough to suit the mood. The only problem was a sudden lack of a keyboard player - recent recruit Jon Perkins having left to join another band. Andy then spotted a notice in John Holmes' organ shop in Faringdon Road, saying simply: "Keyboard player seeks band". And so it was that Barry Andrews joined the band. Born in London, Andrews had moved to Park North at the age of seven and was a high achiever at school. But he had played in several rock bands before XTC was to provide him with a first taste of success. By January 1977 it was clear to the band that they were on the verge of something big. Bouyed up by the new wave movement that had suddenly boosted their reputation, they were even confident enough to turn down a recording contract with CBS, holding out, instead, to sign with Virgin in August 1977.

In many ways their first record epitomised the XTC story over the next 20 years. The 3D EP (featuring Science Friction) was acclaimed by the critics and loved by XTC's now large following in Britain, but it failed to make an impression on the chart. Getting noticed: XTC second-ever single Statue of Liberty was banned by the BBC for the line "And in my fantasy I sail beneath your skirt." Next came Statue of Liberty, a song banned by the BBC because it contained the line "And in my fantasy I sail beneath your skirt." That flopped too, but their debut album, White Music, did make the top 40 and the follow-up, called Go 2, got to number 21. It was now 1979 and XTC looked set for bigger things, despite the loss of Barry Andrews whose departure was mostly due to a personality clash with Partridge. Another Swindonian, Dave Gregory (born on 21 September, 1952 at the same nursing home in Westlecott Road where Terry Chambers had been born) restored the group to a foursome.

A new single, Life Begins at the Hop, secured a single week in the single charts (at number 54) and even a spot on Top of the Pops, but most of all it signalled a change from the brash, loud, XTC of before. They were now leaning towards pop and were much more accessible - a fact proved beyond doubt by the next single. Making Plans For Nigel was written by Colin Moulding and looked set to provide the group with a top ten hit, but it peaked at number 17. The new album, Drums and Wires, was also a success, but a follow-up single, Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down, was too far removed from the mainstream of pop and it flopped badly. XTC still had commercial pop songs up their sleeves and the album Black Sea was well received. But the best was still to come as the band reached their commerical peak at the start of 1982. The single Senses Working Overtime made it to number 10 while the new album, English Settlement, got to number five and enjoyed worldwide success. Much more importantly, it was an artistic watershed for XTC, as Partridge realised, even before it was released.

"Until English Settlement," he said, "I'd felt like a child in a sweet shop wanting to try a bit of everything, but only being allowed to choose licorice allsorts. I'd broken free." In fact, the opposite was true. Partridge suffered a breakdown, was unable to tour and far from cashing in on the success of English Settlement, Partridge became a recluse and XTC ran into debt. They were rescued from disaster by a renegotiated contract with Virgin which tied them to a further six albums. But there were still problems. Drummer Terry Chambers left the band and emigrated to Australia and the remaining threesome failed to sustain the impetous of Black Sea and English Settlement. The albums Mummer and The Big Express both floundered despite a measure of support from the critics. Yet there was no stemming the creative output of the band, nor their tongue-in-cheek alter ego. As The Dukes of Stratosphear they were to produce two albums which brilliantly parodied the psychedelic Sixties. The next album, though, showed that it was impossible to predict how XTC's output would be received.

Skylarking, considered by many fans to be a good example of the raw originality of the band, flopped in Britain yet sold a quarter of a million in the United States. Meanwhile, Dear God, relegated to a B-side on this side of the Atlantic, became a cult hit in America despite controversial anti-Christianity lyrics which ruffled a few feathers. The Americans also liked the next album, Oranges and Lemons - which British fans clearly did not - and they even looked set for a major breakthrough following some high-profile TV appearances. In King for a Day - which was written by Moulding - they had the single that many thought capable of doing it, but with Partridge still refusing to play live, the moment was gone. It was 1989 and it would be three more years before XTC produced a new album. 90s turmoil Nonsuch, again well received in certain quarters, not surprisingly failed to deliver the commercial success that had always eluded the band.

And it looked increasingly likely that Nonsuch would be their swansong as XTC effectively withdrew their labour for seven long years in an ultimately successful bid to finally free themselves from a contract with Virgin who for years had appeared at odds with what Partridge was trying to achieve for the band. After severing their links with Virgin they eventually released an album under the Cooking Vinyl label. A track from the album, I'd Like That, was also been released as a single. But despite the lack of new work, the intervening years have not been short of incident for XTC. A succession of illnesses, divorce and financial problems have dogged Partridge. And when XTC finally got back into the studio an argument over recording fees almost scuppered things again. The departure of long-time guitarist Dave Gregory just as things seemed to be settling down, leaving XTC as effectively a duet rather than a group. On 22 February 1999, the partnership of Partridge and Moulding released Apple Venus Volume 1. Volume 1: critically acclaimed An album with an acoustic-orchestral sound, which was well received by critics and by XTC's still huge following of dedicated fans worldwide.

Their last album to date being a follow up in 2001 - the Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2). As far as Swindon is concerned, Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding still live close by, even though Partridge, at least, has enjoyed a love-hate relationship with the town. The XTC frontman, whose daughter is now forging a career in music, remaining largely unnoticed by the people here except for the few who recognise him, most notably for his round glasses and 'unusual' headgear. In truth, though, Swindon ought to be proud of them - and certainly prouder than they appear. During their music-making days, they made hundreds of references to everyday life in Swindon in their work and they have repeatedly harked back to their roots in one way or another. The front cover of English Settlement features the unmistakable outline of the white horse at Uffington, on The Big Express the band are seen on the footplate of a Swindon-built locomotive. But in the view of the style of music and Partridge's much-publicised anxiety attacks, it is very unlikely that XTC will ever play live again.

Chris Twomey, author of the band's "definitive biography", called XTC: Chalkhills and Children, summed it all up rather well. He wrote: "After 15 years of making records, XTC remain an enigma: they don't tour, they have few hits, they refuse to conform to the rudiments of the music industry, yet perversely that industry still recognises them as a rare and precious commodity.

They invoke a respect - in some a passion - that would dwarf many artists selling ten times the volume of records." (Numbers shown are the highest chart placings) 44 Life Begins At The Hop [1979] 17 Making Plans For Nigel [1979] 32 Generals And Majors / Don't Lose Your Temper [1980] 31 Towers Of London [1980] 16 Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me) [1981] 10 Senses Working Overtime [1982] 58 Ball And Chain [1982] 50 Love On A Farmboy's Wages [1983] 55 All You Pretty Girls [1984] 46 Mayor Of Simpleton [1989] 33 The Disappointed [1992] 71 The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead [1992] RELATED CONTENT Chalkhills: Reel by Real: XTC: "Making Plans for Nigel" Released on 14 September 1979 as a single in the U.K. Reached No.

17 on the U.K. singles chart. Reached Top 20 on the Canadian singles chart. Vera and Charlie's son played Bass and sang. Eileen and Peter's son played Drums. Margaret and Roy's son played Guitar and sang. Vera and John's son played Guitar and sang. Marie and Geoffrey Lillywhite's son Steve produced it. Ursula and Charlie Padgham's son Hugh engineered it. Helen and Ronnie Chamber's son George operated the tape recorder. Colin: “Partly biographical, this one. My dad prompted me to write it. He wanted a University future for me and was very overpowering in trying to persuade me to get my haircut and stay on at school. It got to the point where he almost tried to drag me down the barber's shop by my hair. As it happens, the whole thing got decided by my headmaster who expelled me for keeping it long. My dad was a bit cut up, I think. I know the song tells of a slightly different situation but it all boils down to the same thing - parental domination. Looking back, I think he saw playing with ‘Andy Partridge's mob’ as a bad influence on me.

I think now he's proud of me, although he would never let on, he's that sort of bloke.” Promotional video, edit (using the album version). Recorded 10 July 1979, London. Directed by Russell Mulcahy. First broadcast date unknown. Released in 1982 on the Look Look video compilation. Andy: “People comment on the rhythm and how inventive it was, but it's just a normal pattern played on the wrong drums. I've got to say I was lividly jealous of [Colin] at that point because he just couldn't put a foot wrong.” Colin: “It's nice to see a song taken into a nation's consciousness. I saw a headline about Nigel Lawson. . .” Andy: “That's it, you're HP sauce at last.” Live version, 4'29. Also available on Transistor Blast . Andy: “Before you've got time to wipe the green brain jelly from the windscreen, you've swerved into encoresville and Terry's Voodoo Tom Toms light the fuse on a high octane ‘Making Plans for Nigel’.” BBC version. Recorded 21 May 1979 at BBC Studios.

Produced by Bill Aitken and Nick Gomm. First broadcast 31 May 1979 on the Kid Jensen Show. Released on 16 November 1998 on Transistor Blast in the U.K. Demo (Swindon Town Hall 2) version. Recorded at Redbrick Studios, Swindon Town Hall, in March 1979. Produced by XTC. Engineered by Steve Warren. Released on 25 March 2002 on Coat of Many Cupboards in the U.K. Also released on the Blu-ray reissue of Drums and Wires on 27 October 2014 in the U.K. Is this the same version as on XTC Demos 1 - Demos ? Colin Moulding - Bass and Vocals Andy Partridge - Guitar, Keyboard and Vocals Dave Gregory - Guitar, Piano and Vocals Terry Chambers - Drums Colin: “ ‘Nigel's’ the song that won't go away and I suppose in some circles it's what we'll always be known for.

What you've got here is the carpet and egg box version, recorded in the cellar of Swindon Town Hall way back, when I used a push-bike and was a whole lot nicer (apologies Dylan Thomas). “I'm jealous of the song really, and that it connected with people to such an extent, which in a way I've been unable to do since. Like Kirsty MacColl and her ‘Chip Shop’ song and perhaps Squeeze's ‘Cool For Cats’ I think we're in a similar boat. Well certainly in the UK anyway and then there's tradesmen who call at the house to do jobs for you. They see the paraphernalia of music lying around and a face that they vaguely recognise and then the game begins..... ‘Don't tell me, it's you, ain't it. I know your record... it's... it's...’. A bizarre game of ‘I'll name that tune, but wait for you to tell me what it is’ goes on while water is running through your ceiling. Shit what can I say.

I'm immensely proud of it, but damn it.” Andy: “Colin was turning them out thick and fast at this point, he'd taken to songwriting like a duck to orange sauce. Now this one was definitely a single. A local songer/singwriter Dave James, had set up a tiny four track studio in a basement store room of Swindon Town Hall, which he called Redbrick Studio, and it looked just the place to record our demos. In a cubic cell about 8 feet by 8 feet, and lined with egg boxes, we would record some twenty odd songs or ideas for songs, over the coming months. The only reverb we had was a very twittery Vesta Fire spring to give the sounds a sense of depth. Heard at its jitteriest on my Mr Punch doo doo vocal hook. Finally, I must confess, Devo's upside down drum rhythm for ‘Satisfaction’ was an influence for Terry and myself to concoct this happy voodoo tumble. I really wanted to be a drummer.” Live video version. Recorded live 18 November 1979 at Théâtre de l'Empire, Paris, France, for Chorus.

Produced by Antoine de Caunes. Ex. 3 A FUTURE IN BRITISH STEEL 1979 was a good year for XTC: Dave Gregory replaced Andrews, the splendid Drums And Wires was released and Moulding's wonderful Making Plans For Nigel gave the band their biggest hit to date. Legend has it that, upon hearing the references to themselves in not totally glowing terms, British Steel took a poll of all of their employees named Nigel to find out if they were actually happy! We've condensed four bars into two here so doubling the length of time on each chord will get you there, as will observing the staccato dots and the slides that mark each change. Date: Sun, 16 Jul 1995 14:37:05 -0400 From: AngryYngMn (at) aol dot com Subject: Making Plans for Nigel (chords) For all whom are interested, I think I've come up with the "Making Plans For Nigel" chord scheme...it took me a full afternoon to figure it out.

If anyone lives in the eastern US and has put up with this heat (Yeow, 102 degrees in NYC!) you'll understand why I sat down to do this. My house has working A/C. It's pretty hard to explain the chord changes unless you play it to the song (try that, it would help immensely.) But the way I'm doing it, if I group two chords together, that would constitute one measure. Those are the chords as best as I can figure it, it's up to you to place them correctly. And I play *KEYBOARD* not guitar, so this was done at the pianner.

Verse goes like this: Gadd2-G Emadd4-Em Bm7-Bm6 Bm7-Bm6 We're only making plans for Nigel We only want what's best for him We're only making plans for Nigel Nigel just needs this helping hand Am G And if young Nigel says he's happy G/F He must be happy Em7 He must be happy D He must be happy in his work <solo> G Em Bdim-Bm Bdim-Bm We're only making plans for Nigel He has a future in a British steel We're only making plans for Nigel Nigel's whole future is as good as sealed And if young Nigel says he's happy He must be happy He must be happy in his work E Nigel isn't outspoken C But he likes to speak G6 D/G G And he loves to be spoken to F? C G Nigel is happy in his work <verse> <solo 2x> There. Enjoy! Feel free to add suggestions...I'll try to do a few more songs soon.

(If i have time) - Ira Lieman (AngryYngMn (at) aol dot com) XTC, Making Plans For Nigel (1979) | Circles Of Life The 143 best songs in the world XTC, Making Plans For Nigel (1979) Posted on Title: Making Plans For Nigel Description: single; album track, Drums and Wires Label: Virgin Release date: 1979 First heard: 1979 Not yet proficient, I was nonetheless convinced around the turn of the decade that drums were my instrument. The components of rhythm caught my ear in the music I listened to and seeing a drummer hunched over a kit caught my eye. Although the desire to mime playing the guitar is instinctive to all of us, learning notes and chords never really had any pull for me. Whereas hitting things … I can’t source it, but I definitely saw some kind of documentary or even news item about XTC around this time, and it showed the band in the studio: four young blokes in shirts from Swindon called Andy, Colin, Dave and Terry.

I was instantly taken by Terry – Terry Chambers – whose inventive proficiency was mesmerising at a time when I had only the vaguest idea of how a drum kit might be assembled around a drummer. I can only think that the band must have been laying down their Black Sea album in the summer of 1980 in London’s Townhouse Studios, which had the famous “stone room” for an exceptional live drum sound. I was already a fan of the band from Top Of The Pops, but had only belatedly taken their previous LP, Drums and Wires, out of the record library, and taped it. The connection I’d formed with Chambers gave me extra purchase with their sound. And if ever a pop song is beat-driven, it’s Making Plans For Nigel. It opens the album with that mighty Chambers rhythm, treated by Steve Lilywhite to give it a space-age resonance as it rumbles almost musically around the available space from the floor tom through the mounted toms, a luxuriously sucked hi-hat attracting attention away from the featherlight snare. It’s BIG without being caps-lock.

In my imagination it goes unaccompanied on forever before Dave Gregory’s sci-fi guitar and Colin Moulding’s underfloor bass come in, but in reality it’s only a bar. Such is the impression it makes. The single came in a limited-edition board-game sleeve, which I never owned, and neither did anyone I know. I found one, already sold, on eBay, but there’s no photo of it unfolded. It adds to the myth of a single that was much more inventive and content-led than most New Wave of that time, its arrangement spare and meticulous, the punctuating canine yelp “Oh-woo” adding abandon to the social comment and the ker-ash! of Chambers’ cymbals close to the sound of breaking glass, which I love. Written by Colin Moulding, it speaks of jobs for life, the dying days of British industry, the allure of conformism, and parental control.

Nigel, so acutely named for that era, is “not outspoken”, but he “loves to speak and he loves to be spoken to.” He is ordinary, he is normal, he is no agitator or subversive, and yet, as his Mum and Dad coo over the fact that “if young Nigel says he’s happy, he must be happy in his world,” we suspect the worst. (The Undertones would subsequently create their own Nigels – Jimmy, Terry, Kevin – achieving similar pathos through Beano comedy.) But we never hear from Nigel. We have no idea what goes on in his world (a line bent into a tragic lament by Andy Partridge, and curved away in cold echo by Lilywhite). Steeped in studio drama, Nigel is a song in the saddest key of life, a Play For Today in which the titular character has no lines. Does he have “a future in British Steel”? Does British Steel have a future in British Steel? This is pop to turn over in your brain long after the needle’s come off the record. Life may begin at the hop, but it ends in a future that’s as good as sealed.

The other songs on Drums and Wires are much more choppy and perverse and staccato. I liked them, but I was truly moved by Nigel and didn’t feel that way again until the end of Side Two, and another epic studio sweep, the closer Complicated Game. Its infinite echo chamber finds Partridge tearing his heart out and raging against the dying of the light (“I said, God, it really doesn’t matter where you put your world/Someone else will come along and move it/And it’s always been the same/It’s just a complicated game”). Because of the fabled sleeve of Nigel, I linked the two bookends together, Nigel’s parents’ “helping hand” perhaps touching fingertips with Partridge’s powerless God in mockery of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam. In the creation of Nigel, the complicated game was life, the universe and everything. Not bad for four young blokes in shirts from Swindon called Andy, Colin, Dave and Terry playing guitars, drums and wires on the Goldhawk Road.

Following Partridge’s dramatic breakdown and the band’s withdrawal from touring (which saw the gig-hungry Chambers bail out), the studio-only XTC found sanctification by connoisseurs of intelligent, pastoral pop and English folkedelia. Gravitas was theirs. I can’t claim to have kept up with their every move, but enjoyed Oranges and Lemons at the end of the decade which incidentally saw British Steel privatised, and wished them well. The compilation Fossil Fuel in 1996 cemented my appreciation, although it was hearing Nigel again that made me happiest in my work. I was assembling and hitting my own secondhand drum kit by 1981, but never as elegantly as Terry did. Share this: XTC - Arts and Entertainment biography XTC Category : Arts and Entertainment Last modified : 2012-04-02 XTC were a New Wave pop band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005.

The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" (1979) and "Senses Working Overtime" (1982), but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical (rather than commercial) success. XTC was one of the smartest -- and catchiest -- British pop bands to emerge from the punk and new wave explosion of the late '70s. From the tense, jerky riffs of their early singles to the lushly arranged, meticulous pop of their later albums, XTC's music has always been driven by the hook-laden songwriting of guitarist Andy Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding. While popular success has eluded them in both Britain and America, the group has developed a devoted cult following in both countries that remains loyal over two decades after their first records. Partridge, Moulding, and drummer Terry Chambers formed the first version of the band around 1976, calling themselves Star Park. As punk rock took off in 1977, the group changed their name to Helium Kidz and added keyboardist Barry Andrews.

After being turned down by CBS Records, the band changed their name to XTC and secured a record contract with Virgin; they released their first EP, 3-D, in October of 1977. White Music, the band's first full-length album, was recorded in a week and released by the end of the year. Critics praised the angular yet melodic pop, and the album reached number 38 in the U.K. charts. However, none of the singles released from the album charted (including "This Is Pop"), nor did "Are You Receiving Me?," the teaser single for their second album, Go 2 (1978). After returning from a brief U.S. tour, Andrews quit the band; he would eventually form the League of Gentlemen with Robert Fripp, as well as pursue a solo career.

Guitarist David Gregory was added to the lineup after Andrews' departure and the group recorded their first charting single, "Life Begins at the Hop." XTC released their third album, the calmer, more pop-oriented Drums and Wires, that summer; the record climbed to number 37 on the charts, thanks to the hit single "Making Plans for Nigel." While Drums and Wires began to climb the U.S. charts, Partridge released his first solo album early in 1980; outside of the band's devoted fans, the record appeared without much fanfare. XTC continued to smooth out their edges on 1980's Black Sea, bringing in elements of mid-'60s Beatles and Kinks to their guitar-driven pop; thanks to the singles "Generals and Majors" and "Towers of London," it was the group's most successful American album, peaking at number 41 while reaching number 16 on the British charts. Released the following year, English Settlement featured more complex arrangements, as well as more intellectual lyrics, particularly from Andy Partridge.

Nevertheless, the album was XTC's biggest success in the U.K., reaching number five on the album charts and launching the Top Ten single, "Senses Working Overtime." While on tour in March of 1982, Partridge collapsed while on-stage, suffering from exhaustion. Less than a month later, he collapsed again with a stomach ulcer. The band canceled the tour shortly after his second collapse, prompting Chambers to leave the group. In November, Partridge announced that XTC would never play live again, concentrating on recording instead; he also blamed his collapses on intense stage fright. As the band completed their new album, a compilation called Waxworks -- Some Singles (1977-1982) was released at the end of the year. Mummer, the first album the studio-bound XTC recorded, appeared in the summer of 1983; former Glitter Band member Pete Phipps recorded the drum tracks for the record. XTC refused to tour for the record, which caused some tension between the band and Virgin, and was presumably the reason why "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" didn't make it past number 50 on the charts.

Recording under the name the Three Wise Men, the group released the holiday single "Thanks for Christmas" at the end of the year. Released in the fall of 1984, The Big Express essentially followed the same pattern as Mummer, yet it charted higher in the U.K. XTC released a psychedelic parody album, 25 O'Clock, under the name the Dukes of Stratosphear in 1985. After a difficult recording session with producer Todd Rundgren, the pastoral Skylarking appeared in the fall of 1986. Upon its release the album was hailed as a masterwork by critics, even though the band were claiming they were unsatisfied with the production. Skylarking was a bigger hit in the U.S. than it was in the U.K., spending over six months on the charts and peaking at number 70. XTC recorded another Dukes of Stratosphear album, Psonic Psunspot, in 1987; the two Stratosphear albums were collected on one disc the following year.

Oranges and Lemons (1989) reworked the psychedelia of the Stratosphear side-project, leaving out much of the loopy humor and replacing it with a Ray Davies-inspired nostalgia. The album was a minor hit in both Britain and America, reaching number 28 and number 44, respectively; "Mayor of Simpleton" became XTC's only charting U.S. single, reaching number 72 while peaking at number 46 on the British charts. Three years later, the group released Nonsuch, an album that recalled both Pet Sounds and Revolver. Like every XTC record, its critical acclaim was greater than its sales -- the album dropped out of the British charts after two weeks. In America, Nonsuch was more successful, reaching number 97 and staying on the charts for 11 weeks. Years of internal difficulties and label battles kept the group from releasing any new material for much of the decade, however, and not until 1999 did the next XTC album, Apple Venus, Pt. 1, finally appear. Wasp Star (Apple Venus, Pt. 2) followed in mid-2000.

XTC's lack of commercial success isn't because their music isn't accessible -- their bright, occasionally melancholy, melodies flow with more grace than most bands -- it has more to do with the group constantly being out of step with the times. However, the band has left behind a remarkably rich and varied series of albums that make a convincing argument that XTC is the great lost pop band. The band's next record, Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) was the guitar-heavy collection Gregory would have preferred. Partridge and Moulding then released instrumental and demo versions of the two Apple Venus albums. In October 2005, the two original albums and the demo versions of the albums were reissued together in the four-CD Apple Box collection. Having left Virgin, relations between XTC and their former label improved and Andy Partridge released a series of albums of demos of his songs (mainly from the Virgin years) under the title of Fuzzy Warbles beginning in 2002, on a new label imprint APE. Colin Moulding declined to contribute his demos to the series. The Fuzzy Warbles series eventually included eight volumes along with a bonus CD, Hinges.

A four-CD compilation—Coat of Many Cupboards—spanning the band's time with Virgin, was also released in 2002. The 2005 inclusion in Apple Box of the first new XTC tracks in five years ("Spiral", written by Partridge and "Say It", by Moulding), offered hope that the band might continue. These songs were available to purchasers of the box set in digital format only, with the use of a special download code. A follow-up internet-only single, Moulding's "Where Do The Ordinary People Go?", was issued in December. However, in November 2006, Partridge told several interviewers that Moulding no longer had any interest in writing, performing or even listening to music. Partridge has said he would not continue XTC without Moulding, and that therefore he has been forced to regard XTC "in the past tense," with no likelihood of a new project unless Moulding should have a change of heart.

On 30 July 2008, Partridge summed up the status of the band on the news website Swindon Advertiser, in his "Ask Andy" column: "Yes I believe my musical partnership with Colin Moulding has come to an end. For reasons too personal and varied to go into here, but we had a good run as they say and produced some real good work. No, I won't be working with him in the future." In a December 2008 internet radio interview on RundgrenRadio.com, Moulding resurfaced to confirm his recent disillusionment with music, but revealed that he was thinking of working on solo material. His given reasons for the break-up were financial discord, disagreement over the extent of the Fuzzy Warbles project, and a "change in mindset" on Partridge's part, but he stated that they were again communicating directly by email. Discography: XTC - [176 Songs] [ 15 Albums ] XTC were a new wave rock band from Swindon, England, led by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding and active between 1976 and 2005. ...

More XTC were a new wave rock band from Swindon, England, led by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding and active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" (1979) and "Senses Working Overtime" (1982). Despite their three-decade career, XTC were a performing and touring band for only six of those years: they retired from live performance in 1982 due to Partridge's crippling stage fright. For the remaining twenty-three years of their existence XTC were a studio-based project involving session players around a nucleus of Partridge, Moulding and Dave Gregory. The band are perhaps better known for long-standing critical acclaim rather than commercial success. Hide XTC Lyrics – Lyricszoo XTC Lyrics Follow XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972 and active until 2006. Led by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, their music ranged from tense, jerky riffs to lushly arranged, meticulous pop.

After emerging from the late 1970s punk and new wave explosion, the band failed to maintain popular success in the UK and US, partly because their music was generally out of step with the times. They nevertheless amassed a devoted cult following. Under the name Star Park, the group began as a trio with drummer Terry Chambers, then changing their name to Helium Kidz. As the punk movement took off, they settled on the name XTC, debuting on Virgin Records in 1977. In 1982, the group stopped concert touring and became a studio-based project centred on Partridge, Moulding, and guitarist Dave Gregory with various session musicians. A spin-off group, the Dukes of Stratosphear, was invented as an outlet for the band's excursions into 1960s psychedelic music. For most of the 1990s, XTC were mired by record label difficulties. The band ceased activity following the disintegration of Partridge and Moulding's creative partnership. XTC's only records that placed within the UK top 20 were the singles "Making Plans for Nigel" (1979), "Sgt.

Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" (1980) and "Senses Working Overtime" (1982), as well as the albums Black Sea (1980) and English Settlement (1982). In the US, they're also known for the songs "Dear God" (1986) and "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" (1992), while "Mayor of Simpleton" (1989) was their only US single to chart. Skylarking (1986) is considered one of the greatest albums of the 1980s by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. rock alternative rock punk british post-punk new wave england classic pop and rock xtc pop/rock Albums Xtc: 'making Plans For Nigel', Top Of The Pops 1979 - Free PDF Plans Y Xtc: 'making Plans For Nigel', Top Of The Pops 1979 Free PDF plans for xtc: 'making plans for nigel', top of the pops 1979 and easy free woodworking projects.

Discover thousands of images about xtc: 'making plans for nigel', top of the pops 1979. The best way to begin your hobby or small business in building furniture, woodworking and xtc: 'making plans for nigel', top of the pops 1979. Woodworking Projects & Plans for "Xtc: 'making Plans For Nigel', Top Of The Pops 1979": Punk Britannia At The Bbc [27]. Joy Division - She's Lost Control (something Else 1979) Punk Britannia At The BBCAll Credits to musky03 for capturing, authouring and sharing[01]. Dr Feelgood - Roxette (OGWT 1975)[02]. The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do (TOTP 1977)[03]. The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (TOTP 1977)[04]. Generation X - Your Generation (TOTP 1977)[05]. The Adverts - Gary G...

Xtc - Making Plans For Nigel (video) XTC - Making Plans For Nigel 1979Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might oth... Punk Britannia At The Bbc [11]. The Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap (totp 1978) Punk Britannia At The BBCAll Credits to musky03 for capturing, authouring and sharing[01]. Dr Feelgood - Roxette (OGWT 1975)[02]. The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do (TOTP 1977)[03]. The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (TOTP 1977)[04]. Generation X - Your Generation (TOTP 1977)[05]. The Adverts - Gary G... Punk Britannia At The Bbc [10].

The Lurkers- I Don't Need To Tell Her (totp 1978) Punk Britannia At The BBCAll Credits to musky03 for capturing, authouring and sharing[01]. Dr Feelgood - Roxette (OGWT 1975)[02]. The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do (TOTP 1977)[03]. The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (TOTP 1977)[04]. Generation X - Your Generation (TOTP 1977)[05]. The Adverts - Gary G... Punk Britannia At The Bbc [30]. Stiff Little Fingers - At The Edge (totp 1980) Punk Britannia At The BBCAll Credits to musky03 for capturing, authouring and sharing[01]. Dr Feelgood - Roxette (OGWT 1975)[02]. The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do (TOTP 1977)[03]. The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (TOTP 1977)[04].

Generation X - Your Generation (TOTP 1977)[05]. The Adverts - Gary G... Punk Britannia At The Bbc [04]. Generation X - Your Generation (totp 1977) Punk Britannia At The BBCAll Credits to musky03 for capturing, authouring and sharing[01]. Dr Feelgood - Roxette (OGWT 1975)[02]. The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do (TOTP 1977)[03]. The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (TOTP 1977)[04]. Generation X - Your Generation (TOTP 1977)[05]. The Adverts - Gary G... Punk Britannia At The Bbc [09]. Magazine - Shot By Both Sides (totp 1978) Punk Britannia At The BBCAll Credits to musky03 for capturing, authouring and sharing[01]. Dr Feelgood - Roxette (OGWT 1975)[02]. The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do (TOTP 1977)[03].

The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (TOTP 1977)[04]. Generation X - Your Generation (TOTP 1977)[05]. The Adverts - Gary G... Xtc-making Plans For Nigel #258. XTC-Making Plans For Nigel #258... Headlights - Making Plans For Nigel An Indie Pop cover version of XTC's 1979 classic from the album "Drums and Wires... Punk Britannia At The Bbc [25]. Public Image Ltd - Death Disco (totp 1979) Punk Britannia At The BBCAll Credits to musky03 for capturing, authouring and sharing[01]. Dr Feelgood - Roxette (OGWT 1975)[02]. The Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do (TOTP 1977)[03]. The Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant (TOTP 1977)[04]. Generation X - Your Generation (TOTP 1977)[05]. The Adverts - Gary G...

Xtc- Making Plans For Nigel- Live At The Locarno, Bristol Uk May 13th 1979 XTC - Live at the Locarno, Bristol UK May 13th 1979 The concert is filmed and some of its broadcast on Tune In's XTC special episode on Swindon Viewpoint cable TV in midi November... Xtc - Making Plans For Nigel (1979) (hq) Some rare high quality footage of the classic "Making Plans For Nigel" by "XTC" from 1979.( Often wonder what happened to poor Nigel after they were daft enough to get him a job in British Steel during the Thatcher era. poor bugger. )... Xtc- Making Plans For Nigel- Live At The Locarno, Bristol Uk May 13th 1979 XTC - Live at the Locarno, Bristol UK May 13th 1979 The concert is filmed and some of its broadcast on Tune In's XTC special episode on Swindon Viewpoint cable TV in midi November...

Adrian Edmondson's take on XTC classic (From Swindon Advertiser) Adrian Edmondson's take on XTC classic Adrian Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds 4 comments IN 1979, when the UK new wave music scene was arguably at its most creative period, XTC made an impression on the pop charts with Making Plans For Nigel. The song by the Swindon band ticked all the punk boxes: spiky guitar riffs, pounding drums, a hint of anger and lyrics about disaffected youth (“We’re only making plans for Nigel, he has his future in a British steel”). Thirty-one years on and Colin Moulding’s song has been re-recorded – with the guitars and drums replaced by mandolin, pipes and fiddle. The reason for the transformation is that Making Plans For Nigel sits proudly on a list of familiar tracks on By Hook Or By Crook, the new album by Adrian Edmondson and the Bad Shepherds, who have made a name for themselves in the past couple of years by reworking largely punk classics on folk instruments.

The result is songs such as Down In The Tube Station At Midnight, London Calling, Anarchy In The UK and now Making Plans For Nigel as you’ve never heard them before. “I just choose songs I like and then have a go at them,” said Adrian, when asked why he selected Nigel for the album. “I try to arrange them, to get them to sound truthful. Then I get Troy (Donockley, a Bad Shepherd and Uilleann pipes, cittern and whistle wizard) on board and change them again.” This, of course, is the same Adrian Edmondson who has been making us laugh for more than 30 years as a comedian and writer, working on such shows as The Young Ones and The Comic Strip Presents. But music has always been a passion, discovering punk as a teenager and then folk later in life when he woke up one morning with a hangover and discovered he had somehow acquired a mandolin. Tinkering with that instrument eventually led to the formation of The Bad Shepherds, and that unique punk/folk fusion, laying down unforgettable versions of songs by the likes of The Sex Pistols, The Undertones, The Clash and The Jam.

Making Plans For Nigel has been in the Bad Shepherds’ “ball park” for some time and Adrian is delighted to have worked it into the live set. “It had its first outing in Yeovil the other week,” he said. “It went down well – it’s a cracker. It’s quite a spirited version.” As accomplished and fun as the albums are, it’s on stage that the Bad Shepherds come into their own. Their UK tour will see them on the road until the end of October – they will have played 100 gigs since April by then – and Swindon fans may like to catch them in Stroud tonight, Bristol tomorrow or Reading on October 24 (the support act, incidentally, is Ella Edmondson, an accomplished singer/songwriter who is the daughter of Adrian and his comedy star wife Jennifer Saunders). And the mix of punk certainly goes down well with audiences – the one that packed out the 12 Bar in Swindon to see the Bad Shepherds a year ago certainly appreciated the gig. So, plans for the future? “I don’t really plan anything much – never have really,” said Adrian.

“My prime motive is to have fun, and I’m having fun and so we are booking stuff next year. “But we are not a novelty act. It’s hard to get over the fact that we do not think of ourselves as a novelty band. Troy and Andy (Dinan, the third Bad Shepherd) are extraordinary musicians and we do it because we like doing it. The whole thing about punk was that it was DIY, and it’s the same with folk. Nothing is written down. They are very similar in that way. “A lot of songs we do are either protest songs or story songs, or social commentary, which is what Making Plans For Nigel is, I suppose.” XTC biography, birth date, birth place and pictures Email Print XTC were a New Wave pop band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" (1979) and "Senses Working Overtime" (1982), but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical (rather than commercial) success.

XTC was one of the smartest -- and catchiest -- British pop bands to emerge from the punk and new wave explosion of the late '70s. From the tense, jerky riffs of their early singles to the lushly arranged, meticulous pop of their later albums, XTC's music has always been driven by the hook-laden songwriting of guitarist Andy Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding. While popular success has eluded them in both Britain and America, the group has developed a devoted cult following in both countries that remains loyal over two decades after their first records. Partridge, Moulding, and drummer Terry Chambers formed the first version of the band around 1976, calling themselves Star Park. As punk rock took off in 1977, the group changed their name to Helium Kidz and added keyboardist Barry Andrews. After being turned down by CBS Records, the band changed their name to XTC and secured a record contract with Virgin; they released their first EP, 3-D, in October of 1977. White Music, the band's first full-length album, was recorded in a week and released by the end of the year.

Critics praised the angular yet melodic pop, and the album reached number 38 in the U.K. charts. However, none of the singles released from the album charted (including "This Is Pop"), nor did "Are You Receiving Me?," the teaser single for their second album, Go 2 (1978). After returning from a brief U.S. tour, Andrews quit the band; he would eventually form the League of Gentlemen with Robert Fripp, as well as pursue a solo career. Guitarist David Gregory was added to the lineup after Andrews' departure and the group recorded their first charting single, "Life Begins at the Hop." XTC released their third album, the calmer, more pop-oriented Drums and Wires, that summer; the record climbed to number 37 on the charts, thanks to the hit single "Making Plans for Nigel." While Drums and Wires began to climb the U.S. charts, Partridge released his first solo album early in 1980; outside of the band's devoted fans, the record appeared without much fanfare.

XTC continued to smooth out their edges on 1980's Black Sea, bringing in elements of mid-'60s Beatles and Kinks to their guitar-driven pop; thanks to the singles "Generals and Majors" and "Towers of London," it was the group's most successful American album, peaking at number 41 while reaching number 16 on the British charts. Released the following year, English Settlement featured more complex arrangements, as well as more intellectual lyrics, particularly from Andy Partridge. Nevertheless, the album was XTC's biggest success in the U.K., reaching number five on the album charts and launching the Top Ten single, "Senses Working Overtime." While on tour in March of 1982, Partridge collapsed while on-stage, suffering from exhaustion. Less than a month later, he collapsed again with a stomach ulcer. The band canceled the tour shortly after his second collapse, prompting Chambers to leave the group. In November, Partridge announced that XTC would never play live again, concentrating on recording instead; he also blamed his collapses on intense stage fright.

As the band completed their new album, a compilation called Waxworks -- Some Singles (1977-1982) was released at the end of the year. Mummer, the first album the studio-bound XTC recorded, appeared in the summer of 1983; former Glitter Band member Pete Phipps recorded the drum tracks for the record. XTC refused to tour for the record, which caused some tension between the band and Virgin, and was presumably the reason why "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" didn't make it past number 50 on the charts. Recording under the name the Three Wise Men, the group released the holiday single "Thanks for Christmas" at the end of the year. Released in the fall of 1984, The Big Express essentially followed the same pattern as Mummer, yet it charted higher in the U.K. XTC released a psychedelic parody album, 25 O'Clock, under the name the Dukes of Stratosphear in 1985. After a difficult recording session with producer Todd Rundgren, the pastoral Skylarking appeared in the fall of 1986.

Upon its release the album was hailed as a masterwork by critics, even though the band were claiming they were unsatisfied with the production. Skylarking was a bigger hit in the U.S. than it was in the U.K., spending over six months on the charts and peaking at number 70. XTC recorded another Dukes of Stratosphear album, Psonic Psunspot, in 1987; the two Stratosphear albums were collected on one disc the following year. Oranges and Lemons (1989) reworked the psychedelia of the Stratosphear side-project, leaving out much of the loopy humor and replacing it with a Ray Davies-inspired nostalgia. The album was a minor hit in both Britain and America, reaching number 28 and number 44, respectively; "Mayor of Simpleton" became XTC's only charting U.S. single, reaching number 72 while peaking at number 46 on the British charts. Three years later, the group released Nonsuch, an album that recalled both Pet Sounds and Revolver.

Like every XTC record, its critical acclaim was greater than its sales -- the album dropped out of the British charts after two weeks. In America, Nonsuch was more successful, reaching number 97 and staying on the charts for 11 weeks. Years of internal difficulties and label battles kept the group from releasing any new material for much of the decade, however, and not until 1999 did the next XTC album, Apple Venus, Pt. 1, finally appear. Wasp Star (Apple Venus, Pt. 2) followed in mid-2000. XTC's lack of commercial success isn't because their music isn't accessible -- their bright, occasionally melancholy, melodies flow with more grace than most bands -- it has more to do with the group constantly being out of step with the times. However, the band has left behind a remarkably rich and varied series of albums that make a convincing argument that XTC is the great lost pop band. The band's next record, Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) was the guitar-heavy collection Gregory would have preferred. Partridge and Moulding then released instrumental and demo versions of the two Apple Venus albums.

In October 2005, the two original albums and the demo versions of the albums were reissued together in the four-CD Apple Box collection. Having left Virgin, relations between XTC and their former label improved and Andy Partridge released a series of albums of demos of his songs (mainly from the Virgin years) under the title of Fuzzy Warbles beginning in 2002, on a new label imprint APE. Colin Moulding declined to contribute his demos to the series. The Fuzzy Warbles series eventually included eight volumes along with a bonus CD, Hinges. A four-CD compilation—Coat of Many Cupboards—spanning the band's time with Virgin, was also released in 2002. The 2005 inclusion in Apple Box of the first new XTC tracks in five years ("Spiral", written by Partridge and "Say It", by Moulding), offered hope that the band might continue. These songs were available to purchasers of the box set in digital format only, with the use of a special download code. A follow-up internet-only single, Moulding's "Where Do The Ordinary People Go?", was issued in December.

However, in November 2006, Partridge told several interviewers that Moulding no longer had any interest in writing, performing or even listening to music. Partridge has said he would not continue XTC without Moulding, and that therefore he has been forced to regard XTC "in the past tense," with no likelihood of a new project unless Moulding should have a change of heart. On 30 July 2008, Partridge summed up the status of the band on the news website Swindon Advertiser, in his "Ask Andy" column: "Yes I believe my musical partnership with Colin Moulding has come to an end. For reasons too personal and varied to go into here, but we had a good run as they say and produced some real good work. No, I won't be working with him in the future." In a December 2008 internet radio interview on RundgrenRadio.com, Moulding resurfaced to confirm his recent disillusionment with music, but revealed that he was thinking of working on solo material.

His given reasons for the break-up were financial discord, disagreement over the extent of the Fuzzy Warbles project, and a "change in mindset" on Partridge's part, but he stated that they were again communicating directly by email. Discography:

Question: Which Swindon pop group were 'Making Plans for Nigel' in 1979?
Answer: XTC