Well, except for The Rain Parade, of course.

This is some wonderful-ass news. Now if the Feelies would hurry it up with their reissues, I can totally rock out like I'm an infant again!

for my money, those 2 albums got played more at my house, FAR MORE, than anything XTC ever put out

great stuff, curious about the unreleased songs

You're a Good Man, Subby.

The Red Curtain approves.

My senses are working overtime to understand that headline.

If only Sergeant Rock were here to help me.

I'm excited.

/will buy

never heard of 'em, but i love 60s psych, so maybe i'll check them out.

Dear God.

Three Wise Men turn up on Virgin, not Mary, but Records

"On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree ... "

Yes, Virgin enters into the festive spirit with this seasonal offering, 'Thanks for Christmas' by The Three Wise Men. The song was penned by well-known writing team Kaspar/Melchior/Balthazar, the Far East's answer to Holland/Dozier/Holland. Production was by The Three Wise Men and the Good Lord himself. (released Nov 21st Virgin VS642)

Not surprisingly, the release hits the decks shrouded in mystery, intrigue and much speculation. The 'What's On In Bethlehem'-style sleeve may well proclaim 'The Three Wise Men', but this non-de-plume cunningly conceals the identity of one of Virgin's top pop groups! Not that we're telling you which band. Could it be Culture Club, Human League, Heaven 17, China Crisis or even Slapp Happy? Over to you! Just good clean Virgin fun to keep you guessing right into the New Year. It's certainly countdown to Christmas party time. Cheers!

November 10th 1983

i wore the grooves off of 25 o'clock and psonic psunspot. their knockoff psych rock is better than 70% of anything out there. for my money, "vanishing girl" is one of the best pop songs out there and "my love explodes" is sheer ejaculatory genius.

Awesome! I'm a huge early XTC fan, and loved the Dukes stuff too. Very exciting.

I suppose this is cool, but you can get it off of almost any torrent tracker in FLAC so...

Subby,

I don't know, but put the clock back on the wall and we'll see.

and speaking of that... put the clock back on the wall (popsies)

That is the most obscene abomination of a song, that I... I...
That is trash, that is dirt, that is filth.
What possessed you to write such a disgusting, degeneratized song as that?
And I'm complimenting you by even considering it a song.

/Chips From the Chocolate Fireball FTW

I'd Like That! Hope I can Earn Enough for Us to pick it up and won't be one of The Disappointed...

Maybe if enough people buy it, Colin will get a royalty check and rethink his decision to remove music from his life. Dude doesn't even listen to music anymore, according to Andy.

Boris S. Wort: That is the most obscene abomination of a song, that I... I...
That is trash, that is dirt, that is filth.
What possessed you to write such a disgusting, degeneratized song as that?
And I'm complimenting you by even considering it a song.

/Chips From the Chocolate Fireball FTW

best song ending evar!

chips from the chocolate fireball is the greatest record of all time. theres no telling what the extras will be, ive got most(maybe all)of andys demo stuff from back then and theres about a billion songs that didnt make it to any record.

I am the mole from the ministry, so I'm really getting a kick from this thread....

I love XTC. I really do.

I tried to like Dukes of Stratosphear....I tried really hard. But I failed.

I listened to the LP of theirs in a record shop. it was interesting, and catchy in places, but i felt didn't warrent the $10 for it, used.

later on I was kicking myself because it was gone the next time i was there.

but i am definately going to pick these new re-issues up.

Take Away/Lure Of Salvage anyone??

Particularly 'Forgotten language of light'.

Yummy.

Yeehaw!
The album wasn't near as good as the EP, but the EP was about a perfect slice o' wax as it is possible to have.

and Take Away is quite fun. Original sleeves are rockin' too.

After Fuzzy warbles, there's ANYTHING of Andy's left unreleased?

Of course half of Andy's unreleased material is better than half the stuff that made it to record. Ship trapped in the ice? Rip Van Reuben? Blue Beret? My Train Is Coming? How do you not put those songs on an album?!


And for that matter, when it came time to re-release Skylarking in the US with "Dear God" on it, why was the sublime Mermaid Smiled taken off and Sacrificial Bonfire left on?

/I need to let it go. Just let it go.

AdolfOliverPanties: Maybe if enough people buy it, Colin will get a royalty check and rethink his decision to remove music from his life. Dude doesn't even listen to music anymore, according to Andy.

More than anything I'd love Andy to get over himself and play some farking concerts with Col and Dave before all of a sudden it's too late.

I love XTC. The Black Sea, Oranges and Lemons, The Big Express. I already own the Dukes. Its OK with me. Wish these guys would come up with new stuff again. Been a long time.

For those of you jonesing for new XTC stuff, check out Field Music. They're a bit less electrified, less amped up, but it's good stuff, especially if you live on a respectable street.

Cool- I just found a bunch of Dukes of Stratosphear videos on youtube.

Gangway Fathead: AdolfOliverPanties: Maybe if enough people buy it, Colin will get a royalty check and rethink his decision to remove music from his life. Dude doesn't even listen to music anymore, according to Andy.

More than anything I'd love Andy to get over himself and play some farking concerts with Col and Dave before all of a sudden it's too late.

Amen to that! Cmon Andy! Brian Wilson got over it!

XTC/Dukes are my drug.

priestrape: I love XTC. I really do.

I tried to like Dukes of Stratosphear....I tried really hard. But I failed.

yes you really did. xtc is one of my fav bands ever but the dukes is the best thing they ever did easily.

Gangway Fathead: Of course half of Andy's unreleased material is better than half the stuff that made it to record. Ship trapped in the ice? Rip Van Reuben? Blue Beret? My Train Is Coming? How do you not put those songs on an album?!

this. how about 'blue overall' or anything from mummer being turned into dukes songs?

Wow, I remember that coming out when I was working at my first radio station. Loved it. Really looking forward to this.

You're a good man Albert Brown.

Boris S. Wort: That is the most obscene abomination of a song, that I... I...
That is trash, that is dirt, that is filth.
What possessed you to write such a disgusting, degeneratized song as that?
And I'm complimenting you by even considering it a song.

/Chips From the Chocolate Fireball FTW

Curse you Red Barrel, I came here to post this. You forgot the [fake Woody Allen accent] [/Allen] markers.

"You're My Drug" + "Little Lighthouse" = flashbacks

It...was...the...Dukes...it...was...the...Dukes...

This is serious good news. I've had "Earn enough for us" in my head EVERY MORNING as I wake up for two solid weeks now and I'm still not sick of it.

/the song was just there one morning, I swear

Gangway Fathead:

"More than anything I'd love Andy to get over himself and play some farking concerts with Col and Dave before all of a sudden it's too late."

According to Andy, Colin's the holdout. Colin reportedly doesn't want anything to do with Andy or XTC, or making music in general. Sad, really. I love XTC & the "Dukes". Just listened to the "Black Sea" LP last night, in fact. Its impossibly great stuff.

And "Chips From The Chocolate Fireball" is a fun, terrific record.

Dr.Zom: It...was...the...Dukes...it...was...the...Dukes...

This is serious good news. I've had "Earn enough for us" in my head EVERY MORNING as I wake up for two solid weeks now and I'm still not sick of it.

/the song was just there one morning, I swear

I now HATE HATE HATE you. Now you've done it.

/But if you're gonna have an Everlasting Earworm, it's not too bad a song to have...


"Some people hear voices in their heads. Me, I hear a piano. Not so bad, you think? Let me tell you about 'Chopsticks Week...' "
-- Dan Thompson