Senses Working Overtime – The innocents can all sleep safely #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #XTC #ManfredMann #Spacehog #JoeJackson #MandyMoore #Marillion

There was nothing pretentious about XTC. They were never comfortable with being defined as post punk or new wave. They emerged from a glam-rock influence and were heavily inspired by ‘60s groups like the Beatles, The Monkees, The Kinks, Manfred Mann and the Small Faces. They just wanted to be a pop band that performed with an energy that made people take notice. Here is a summation by Andy Partridge, XTC’s vocalist and frontman.

I really didn’t like the phrase ‘punk’—it just seemed kind of demeaning. I didn’t like new wave either, because that was already the phrase used for French cinema of a certain period. [Our music was] blatantly just pop music. We were a new pop group. That’s all.”

Andy Partridge

In other words when you listened to XTC your senses were heightened. That is the perfect way to introduce today’s feature song ‘Senses Working Overtime’.

In many ways XTC was a product of their environment. The core of the band came from Swindon in southwest England, where Partridge concluded that the community was comprised entirely of people who lived with physical, mental or emotional defects. He was being tongue in cheek, of course. Just mildly self-deprecating in order to sell the band’s rambunctious style. XTC’s band name was determined after a series of other monikers that existed in their glam rock days. Once they discovered the raw power of the New York Dolls they opted for something more direct. They took a cue from a quote by Jimmy Durante who stated “that’s it! I’m in ecstasy,” upon discovering ‘the lost (or perfect complimentary) chord’. The band opted for the short form because it had a profound appearance in print. Short, and to the point. Just like their delivery. They had a swagger. By 1977, many bands of the era found themselves enthralled by the Sex Pistols, but Andy Partridge, bassist, Colin Moulding, keyboard player Barry Andrews and drummer Terry Chambers were not impressed. They felt they lacked substance. They strived for more.

That sort of spurred me on – watching this stuff that I thought was rather average.”

Andy Partridge

That desire to exceed expectations is exactly what caught the attention of famous BBC DJ John Peel who asked them to appear on his BBC Radio 1 show after seeing them live. This paved the way for offers from a handful of record labels. They ultimately opted to sign with Virgin Records.

Their first two albums were recorded at Abbey Road studios and following the release of their second album ‘Go 2’, Barry Andrews left the band due to creative differences. This opened the door for their Swindon mate Dave Gregory to join. Ironically, Gregory was considered for a spot in the band in their early days, but he was deemed to be too good. In a 1990 interview, Andy Partridge recalled his days as a teenager in Swindon, watching a talented kid performing around town, adapting a unique blend of sounds that combined Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Donegan.

 Sort of acid-skiffle. I thought, ‘Ah, one day I’ll play guitar!’ But I didn’t think I would be in the same band as this kid on the stage.”^[

Andy Partridge

It was this incarnation of XTC that took off. In 1979 they released ‘Drums and Wires’ which offered a more guitar-based sound. The interplay between Partridge and Gregory was immediate and it came through on the band’s first major hit ‘Making Plans for Nigel’; a song written by Colin Moulding. This will take you back. So fresh, even today.

The ultimate recording was a true band collaboration. They took Moulding’s lyrics and initial vision and adapted his creation to fit the band’s unique sound. Here is a great quote from Colin Moulding

I didn’t know where it came from. That phrase popped into my head, and one line followed another. Before I knew it, I’d written three parts of the song, and the rest of it just kind of fell in line probably a day or two later. … When I was about 16, my father wanted me to stay on in school. But by that time, I really didn’t want to do anything other than music, I think. … So, in a way, is it autobiographical? Well, a little bit. I knew somebody called Nigel at school. But I think that, when you write songs, it’s a lot of things all wrapped up, like in your dreams. Your dreams are kind of bits and pieces of all the walks of life you’ve been in.”

Colin Moulding

‘Drums and Wires’ was produced by Steve Lillywhite who was a rising star in his own right. He would go on to be a highly sought-after producer, associated with such acts as Simple Minds, the Psychedelic Furs, Talking Heads, Dave Matthews Band, U2 and the Rolling Stones just to name a few.

XTC followed ‘Drums and Wires’ with ‘Black Sea’ which was also produced by Lillywhite. It received critical acclaim and represented a solid commercial response through songs like ‘Generals and Majors’.

All of the positive attention was a double-edged sword for XTC. They were enjoying the benefits of their commercial success, and they resided on the precipice of stardom. Things progressed when XTC was invited to be the opening act for the Police on their world tour for ‘Ghost in the Machine’ in 1981. Unfortunately, at this very same time Andy Partridge’s mental health was beginning to decline. He requested that the band discontinue touring in order to simply focus on recording. Virgin Records were adamantly opposed to this idea, and it existed as a major wedge between the band and the label, but it allowed Partridge to maintain a semblance of stability. The result was the release of their 1982 album, ‘English Settlement’. The lead single was today’s feature ‘Senses Working Overtime’ written by Andy Partridge where he offers his perception on everything that was going on around him.

Hey, hey, the clouds are away
There’s straw for the donkeys
And the innocents can all sleep safely
All sleep safely

My, my, sun is pie
There’s fodder for the cannons
And the guilty ones can all sleep safely
All sleep safely

And all the world is football-shaped
It’s just for me to kick in space
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
And I’ve got one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in
I’ve got one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime
Trying to taste the difference ‘tween a lemon and a lime
Pain and pleasure and the church bells softly chime

Hey hey, night fights day
There’s food for the thinkers
And the innocents can all live slowly
All live slowly

My, my, the sky will cry
Jewels for the thirsty
And the guilty one’s can all die slowly
All die slowly

And all the world is biscuit-shaped
It’s just for me to feed my face
And I can see, hear, smell, touch, taste
And I’ve got one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in
I’ve got one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime
Trying to taste the difference ‘tween a lemon and a lime
Pain and pleasure and the church bells softly chime

And birds might fall from black skies (woo-woo)
And bullies might give you black eyes (woo-woo)
But to me they’re very, very beautiful
(England’s glory)
Beautiful
(A striking beauty)

And all the world is football-shaped
It’s just for me to kick in space
And I could see, hear, smell, touch, taste
And I’ve got one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in
I’ve got one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime
Trying to tell the difference ‘tween the goods and grime
Turds and treasure and there’s one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime
Trying to take this all in
I’ve got one, two, three, four, five

Senses working overtime
Trying to taste the difference ‘tween a lemon and a lime
Pain and pleasure and the church bells softly chime”

Andy Partridge

In addition to this song being moderately therapeutic for Andy Partridge, it was an homage to one of his earliest musical influences. Here is Manfred Mann and their 1964 song ‘5-4-3-2-1’.

Despite the promise of XTC’s first four releases and the enormous popularity they were generating through their live presentation, the internal issues the band were facing became too much to overcome. The decision by Partridge to stop touring was only the beginning. Corruption was discovered within the band management and Virgin Records responded to the band’s non-touring disclaimer by refusing to promote them in any way. XTC was essentially on an island and their world became shrouded in litigation for the better part of two decades.

[Because of our] bad record deal and a corrupt manager, life was a bit of a nightmare … When I said we don’t want to play live anymore, they [Virgin] completely stopped [promoting us] … We ran on negative equity for 20 years.”

Andy Partridge

An unfortunate consequence of this situation was the dissolution of the musical partnership of the band members. While each of them remain musically active, it is shocking to note that during their 20 year association with Virgin Records they never saw a penny of publishing royalties for their library of music. One more reason why Virgin Records founder, Richard Branson can disappear into a black hole.

Let’s move on to some covers of ‘Senses Working Overtime’. Through the years XTC has enjoyed a devout following as a result of their innovative sound and approach to their craft. Several artists have paid tribute.

This is Space Hog from the 1995 tribute album called ‘A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC’.

One of XTC’s biggest fans was Joe Jackson. Here is a scaled down piano version. Jackson is a very important artist of the ‘80s era. His talent would not be out of place in any period of music.

‘Senses Working Overtime’ and the music of XTC transcends genres for sure.  Here is Mandy Moore offering her take on the ‘80s hit. If you scroll through the comments, you will note a mixed reaction. One guy said “After listening to this, I wish I only had four senses”. Ouch! Easy people.

Here is an interesting live version that showcases XTC guitarist Dave Gregory with Marillion. I share this version for a couple of reasons. As you watch, you can definitely feel the love for Gregory and the XTC hit, but stemming from that, I have often felt Marillion does not get the credit they deserve for a lengthy career and a very distinct sound reminiscent of Peter Gabriel era Genesis.

All of this brings me back to the point that music is the soundtrack of our lives. As I worked through this post, I was reminded of the intriguing library of work created by XTC. It all came out during my formative years as a listener. The true testament to this piece and my gravitation to it both then, and now is, XTC was not necessarily in my immediate range of musical interest. Somehow the music spoke to me then, and it still does now. This is the sign of a good band. With XTC, good is an understatement. I hope you enjoyed this trip through the past.