sandbox XTC thread

What does "please be upstanding for the Mayor of SImpleton" mean? Is it a play on some British phrase?

I always took it as a fancy way of saying "please stand up", nothing more.

I'm not sure but hearing a Muzak version of "mayor of simpleton" when I was working as a Santa photographer at the mall remains a truly memorable moment of my life.

What does "please be upstanding for the Mayor of SImpleton" mean? Is it a play on some British phrase?

Don't you use that phrase in America? For instance, in a court of law when the judge enters, or proposing a toast at a formal dinner, or indeed when introducing distinguished guests at a formal dinner (e.g. mayors). OK, LOL Britishes.

cf. the Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs" : "You look like a fine, upstanding young man, I think you'll do. So I took off my hat and said, 'Imagine that, huh: me workin' for you.'"

Tesla changed it to "fine, outstanding young man" in their version.

First band from Canada, second from Sacramento.

Anyone into Andy's "Fuzzy Warbles" demos? I mean I love the guy but I don't know if I can stomach 8 discs worth of demos from the guy, though something tells me there's a bunch of great stuff hidden in there. Rag & Bone Buffet is one of my favorite releases by the group believe it or not. All those English Settlement B-sides were amazing and generally better than what made the actual album!

Fuzzy Warbles is great. there's plenty of throwaways/junk/experiments but also a ton of fully-completed songs that are easily top-shelf material - Shipped Trapped in the Ice, Young Marrieds, Dame Fortune, Young Cleopatra, The Art Song, Wonder Annual, When We Get to England, Visit to the Doctor, Cherry in Your Tree, It's Snowing Angels, I'm Unbecome, Candymine, Where is Your Heart?, This is the End

Ship Trapped in the Ice, I mean

Fuzzy Warbles is my go-to XTC fix these days. I'd much rather hear the demos for stuff from "Mummer" than the album itself! And so, so many jewels lost in the vaults for years. I think there was a listing on the real ILM of the previously unreleased tracks, those are worth compiling at the very least.

Mummer is definitely great for the first three tracks!

I think you can divide a lot of the Fuzzy Warbles stuff into three categories:

- demos of already released songs. some of which are pretty different/interesting (skiffle version of Dear God lol), some sound like shit, others sound incredibly close to the released version
- new/unreleased material. a lot of which is really really good
- non-song/experiment sort of stuff. ranges from pointless to compellingly odd

- non-song/experiment sort of stuff. ranges from pointless to compellingly odd

Like "The Laugh Track"!

yeah the Robert Smith impression is funny. also the one where he does Beefheart (is that a different track maybe?)

I only have Volume 1, "That Wag" was pretty funny in a typically condescending Andy Partridge way

- new/unreleased material. a lot of which is really really good

There's something like 60-80 of these, and the vast majority are up there with the best he's ever created.

eh I don't think the ratio is quite THAT high. there's only (lol) 150 tracks on all 8 volumes

I made a playlist of all the good original (i.e. not on properly released albums) material that contains 66 songs. I made another with just the full numbers (i.e. no 'Motorcycle Landscape') that contains 43 songs.

ymmv

yeah I just mean I don't think it's all solid gold. Zonked Right Out on Life for ex. is fairly worthless.

Definitely bags of crap in there, but one person's worthless is another's worthful. I quite like Zonked for what it is, as well as stuff like Song for Wes Long that most people wouldn't listen to more than once.

I got the "Fuzzy Warbles" entire box for stupidly cheap off ebay a few years ago (I had to double-check the seller "This isn't the "Box only plus two CDs is it?" but yeah.)..

Anyways, the last volume is clearly 'running low' and the first is "saving some for later", but if you pick any of the 'middle' volumes, you will find them uniformly great!

you should post that playlist

I wish I had that box!

I have been watching xtc vids ––– for the first time wtf, why did I not look these up years ago. And many are really good! This is my fave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-XjEB3dvOg

This one has Riichards Branson??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCW6Kte2o1A

There's a documentary of them recording "Towers of London" at The Manor. RBranson sort-of gatecrashes it being wacky and that. And, as a 'break', the vid for G&M is in the middle, clearly recorded the same day (the video, that is)///

colin's entrance in the generals&majors video is the best

Does Andy Partridge hate Branson/Virgin now? (xp)

always did. Doubt it's changed.

I know andy hates the vast majority of their videos but I find most of them hilarious

Andy hates the vast majority of everything.

btw the box set is indeed gorgeous.

Andy hates the vast majority of everything.

lol - he does like masturbation tho! so it's kind of a wash.

He is the #1 guy for writing songs on
RECORD COMPANY FUCKS EVERYONE OVER

ESP ANDY PARTRIDGE

yeah there's like a whole album's worth right? Ship Trapped in the Ice is so good

"but I can only see this wreck/with the aid of a drink and a mirror" line gets me every time

Liarbird is my favorite of that theme!

I guess since there is a gag order on them actually talking about the deets of their contract he had to say I hate you in a song.

lol

Pretty much. In Song Stories, Liarbird is (iirc) the only song of 150-odd that's not discussed.