Re: XTC (Drums and Wires)

[Greg Earle <earle@jplopto.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>]

>> There is also at least one single (Life Begins at the Hop, perhaps?)
>> that's on the US version of an LP but not on the UK.
>Actually, I've seen at least three versions of "Drums and Wires", and have two.

There's a fourth (see below)

>There is the original US version, the butchered Epic US version, and two
>different British versions.
>The songs that vary are:
>  Life Begins at the Hop  (not on British versions, I think)

Yes.

>  Making Plans For Nigel  (I think this is on all but the fucking Epic/CBS
>			   version...I couldn't find this song at all until
>			   "Waxworks" came out.)
>  Day In, Day Out	  (Obscure song on one British version.)

On all UK pressings that I'm aware of.

>I think one British version may not have "Ten Feet Tall" but I could be
>totally bogus here, yunnerstan.

Not mine; it's on it.

>Just how rare is "Go +" anyway?  I heard for years that it was impossible to
>get, and then two copies showed up at Poo Bah about a year ago.  Well worth

News to me; after the initial batch of `Go2' I've never seen one since.  You
got lucky.

>Shall we try to make a list of what XTC songs contributed to each track?  Some
>are fairly obvious, like, (dig back into memory) the drum/synth track to
>"Helicopter" for "The Rotary".  But where does "Cairo" come from?.

Don't have time to re-listen to Drums & Wires, but the key is in the bass
line that accompanies the `... and she go Up Up Up' etc.

One of the pleasures/problems with being old is that you're around when all
these nostaligic records first came out.  My copy of `Drums & Wires' (cat. #
V 2129, I think) came with a free single (sticker still on the front cover),
with `Limelight/Chain Of Command' (cat. # VDJ 30).  I don't know if these
made it onto `Beeswax', since I didn't need to buy `Beeswax'.

Other goodies I have are the `Making Plans For Nigel' 7" (with the first 2
Homo Safari series on the flip), and both the 7" singles of `Towers Of
London' and `Generals and Majors', each containing a free single.  I've
quite a few other XTC singles from that period, but those are the most
interesting (also, `Towers of London' came in a plastic bag with blue
building silhouettes on it; and `Sgt. Rock' came in a poster sleeve.
Then there's the Colin Moulding solo `Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen' under
his `The Colonel' moniker, etc. etc. etc. ...

	- Greg