On this day in 1999, the band released the single EASTER THEATRE. The song was taken from the band's penultimate studio album, Apple Venus Volume 1. #XTCmusic

The Dukes of Stratosphear - The Mole From The Ministry, taken from the 25 O'Clock EP released on this day in 1985. #XTCmusic #Dukesmusic

Psychedelic cover of the 25 O'clock EP by The Dukes of Stratosphear.

TIME... ! 41 years ago today saw the release of the 25 O'clock EP by The Dukes of Stratosphear! From the six original tracks, which is your favourite? (mine's Your Gold Dress) #XTCmusic #DukesMusic

Thanks for putting it on and getting a few of us around our phones/tablets for some chat about #XTCmusic

Details for the next XTC Listening Party. Includes image of Black Sea cover and a stormy seat background. Text reads: XTC Listening Party. Wed 29 April 9PM (BST). Black Sea (1980). CD / Vinyl / Tidal / iTunes / Spotify. Tracklisting - Respectable Street - Generals and Majors - Living Through Another Cuba - Love At First Sight - Rocket From A Bottle - No Language In Our Lungs - Towers of London - Paper and Iron (Notes and Coins) - Burning With Optimism's Flame - Sgt Rock (Is Going To Help Me) - Travels In Nihilon - Smokeless Zone - Don't Lose Your Temper - The Somnambulist. #XTCmusic."

Huge thank you to everyone who joined in tonight. This week has been an awful one for my family so it's been nice to have something positive to focus on this evening. The next party will be on Wed 29 April 9pm (BST) as we listen along to 1980's Black Sea album. Hope you can make it. #XTCmusic

Limelight: one of my all-time favourite XTC b-sides. #XTCmusic

Much as though I love John Leckie and his contributions to #XTCmusic, there’s no doubt that Steve Lillywhite and Hugh Padgham really helped the band express themselves better at this time in their career.
Leckie would have his revenge with the Dukes of Stratosphear though

A photo of some of the editions of the XTC fanzine, Limelight. Take from the XTC Bumper Book of Fun For Boys And Girls (sadly now out of print).

And finally... LIMELIGHT from which the XTC fanzine, launched in 1982, got its name.
www.xtclimelight.com... #XTCmusic

Cheekily reposting this. Recorded a couple of weeks ago with Terry talking about the Drums and Wires era. #XTCmusic

Newspaper clipping from Burton Daily Mail, Sat 15 Sept 1979. Text reads: "Always an inventive group XTC have suffered from the inaccessibility of their music - until now. The latest album, Drums and Wires (Virgin) is a gem. The lyrics of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding retain their challenging intelligence while the music has a much more ready appeal - demonstrated in the single Making Plans For Nigel. In the album package is a free single - two previously unreleased tracks - and a word sheet of all the songs XTC has ever brought out. The extras should not be needed to sell Drums and Wires."

CHAIN OF COMMAND This was a free single included with the original release of Drums and Wires. #XTCmusic

Reached no.54 in the UK charts but deserved higher, I reckon. #XTCmusic

'Partridge overdubbed the flange-affected guitar solo without hearing the backing track using two Marshall amplifiers at maximum volume. As with the vocals, it was performed in one take'. COMPLICATED GAME #XTCMusic

The cover sleeve for the single. Red text on blue background with a photo of the band in the centre at an angle.

The first of three bonus tracks on various reissues of the album. LIFE BEGINS AT THE HOP was released as a single on 14 April 1979. Colin Moulding remarked that this was the "first song of mine ever to make the A side of a single, and a bit special to me as a result." #XTCmusic

'Moulding held an electric razor against the microphone to provide the track's continuous buzzing sound.'
COMPLICATED GAME #XTCMusic

'The "Tom" and "Joe" in its lyric refer to Tom Robinson and Joe Strummer, names which Partridge found by opening a random page of the NME'. COMPLICATED GAME #XTCMusic

Steve Lillywhite's contribution to this has maybe been superceded by all the Wilson acclaim. It doesn't sound remotely of its time. #XTCmusic

Newspaper photo of XTC with the caption "The Heights of XTC", taken from the Nottingham Evening Post - Fri 7 Sept 1979.

Ending the original album tracklist is COMPLICATED GAME - the song recently featured in the 2019 sci-fi psychological thriller, Vivarium. You can also hear a demo of the song on the Fuzzy Warbles, Vol 1 album from 2002. #XTCmusic

The front cover of the Take Away / The Lure of Salvage dub album. Features a pool full of hot water bottles (apparently) in the shape of Jayne Mansfield.

SCISSOR MAN features an extended Dub outro. Several songs from Drums and Wires were given the Dub treatment and released the following year on the Take Away / The Lure of Salvage album, produced by John Leckie. #XTCmusic

Outside World was the B-side to Making Plans For Nigel in Canada. Brilliant song live. #XTCmusic

As the songs moved away from the fast pace Colin Moulding’s playing became more expressive and melodic
#XTCmusic

Did Colin give himself the best bass lines? Fine if he did.
THAT IS THE WAY #XTCmusic

A two-page spread from the Popartery book by Andy Partridge and Andrew Swainson. The left page is green with text about the song Outside World. On the right is a painting by Andy Partridge of grassland and trees. In the background is a close-up of someone's ear. In the foreground are six swans swimming around a round target board. Above that is planet earth, which also sits atop the earlobe like an earring.

OUTSIDE WORLD Pictured is the illustration for the song by Andy Partridge which you can find in the rather marvellous 'Popartery' book, available from Burning Shed #XTCmusic burningshed.com/andy...

That Is The Way: I've not heard the "Original Pitch" version from the new Atmos 5.1 mix. Any feedback? #XTCmusic

That Is The Way #XTCmusic is an absolute sonic treat. Hat tip to Hugh Padgham for the engineering in this album, stunning hardly does it justice

Black and white photo of Dick Cuthell

THAT IS THE WAY was the first time the band had included a session musician. Playing fugelhorn was Dick Cuthell who has worked with, amongst others, The Specials, Eurythmics, and The Pogues. en.wikipedia.org/wik... #XTCmusic

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Smash Hits Singels Reviews Sep 1979

Andy Partridge from #XTCmusic once reviewed the singles for Smash Hits in 1979. I think he might have been wrong on that Buggles one though...

Millions by #XTCmusic is the highlight of Drums & Wires for me. Guitar interplay, Moulding’s fluid bass and TC laying down a light but tight beat.
Signed copy of album obtained at their Edinburgh gig that year

Agreed. Real by Reel was a highlight of the EXTC set when I saw them last year. #XTCmusic

Black and white photo of XTC standing in front of a funfair stall, laughing and smiling. Melbourne, Australia, July 1979. Photo by Philip Morris. Taken from the Eleven Different Animals - XTC Words And Music To The Singles book.

MILLIONS The guitar part on this track originated on the Barry Andrews-penned song, Things Fall To Bits which you can hear on the Coat of Many Cupboards compilation album. #XTCmusic