XTC's best middle eights: Great Fire to Season Cycle

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of XTC’s landmark album Apple Venus Volume I, producer Haydn Bendall talks to What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast about the fraught recording sessions that nonetheless resulted in such majestic songs as River of Orchids, Easter Theatre and Greenman.

“The songs were fabulous,” he says. “I loved the songs.”

Fellow producer Guy Sigsworth joins Mark Fisher to ask the questions.

• The Real Numbers 
• Haydn Bendall 
• Guy Sigsworth 

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com 

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

In this month’s episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast we hear from Jason Repantis who works as a manager at the Universal Music Group archives. It was his job to dig out the original tapes of The Big Express for the recent Steven Wilson 5.1 Atmos remix – as well as to locate the original recordings of the 3D EP which has just been released in limited-edition vinyl. Jon Jacques and Mark Fisher ask the questions.

We also join Todd Bernhardt to pay tribute to Wes Long, creator of the Optimism’s Flames website, who died much too soon on 6 December 2023.

Music comes courtesy  of Michael Casey.

Optimism’s Flames website

Wes Long obituary

3D EP at Burning Shed

The Big Express remix at Burning Shed: 

Something Left Worth Saving by Michael Casey and Junglefish

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Peter Pumpkinhead proclaims that "Any kind of love is alright" and gets nailed to a chunk of wood for saying so. What does that tell us about XTC's attitude to love and human relationships? In particular, how welcoming does this heterosexual band seem to those who aren't heterosexual themselves?

This episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast looks at XTC from an LGBTQI+ perspective. Guest host Darryl Bullock is joined by Keeley Moss, Tim Kendrick and Soizic De St John Rosse to talk about everything from The Loving to Towers of London.

Music by Tim Pike and Slowrush.

Darryl Bullock 

Keeley 

2025 XTC Fans Festival, Friday 20–Sunday 22 June 2025 

Slowrush

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Steven Wilson has returned to XTC's 1984 masterpiece and given it not only a stunning 5.1 surround remix but also, for the first time with XTC, a Dolby Atmos mix. Released on 29 September 2023, The Big Express comes complete with a two-disc digipack sleeve and 16-page booklet.

Mark Reed, Mark Smotroff, Jon Jacques, David White and Steve Cox have enjoyed an early preview of the new mixes. They share their excitement on What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast.

Music courtesy of Nigel Collyer

The Big Express available from Burning Shed

Thanks to Julie Blore-Bizot of L-Acoustics for her help.

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com 

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Chris Braide, one of the most successful songwriters of his generation, talks to What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast about his collaborations with Andy Partridge, including Goodbye to You (Sister Shame) on Celestial Songs, the latest album by the Downes Braide Association, and the six-track Queen of the Planet Wow! EP expected out in 2024.

Chris Braide

Music courtesy of Chris Carry

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com 

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

As Steve Conte releases his Fourth of July single, the guitarist and singer talks about writing songs with his XTC hero, joining the New York Dolls and playing on stage with Chuck Berry. He also gives tantalising pointers to his forthcoming album of co-writes with Andy Partridge.

This episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast also includes comments from Andy Partridge himself, plus sad news about Ian C Stewart.

Music courtesy of Don Kerr and Communism.

Steve Conte

Limited edition Fourth of July on 7" blue vinyl

Communism

XTC fan tribute compilations by the late Ian C Stewart:

https://archive.org/details/TheXtcFansTribute-Skylacking

https://archive.org/details/TheXtcFansTribute-ObsceneCollection

https://archive.org/details/TheXtcFansTribute-BeastsIveSeen/

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com 

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Andy Partridge and Stu Rowe have been working together  since the recording of Monstrance in 2006. Andy then produced Jen Olive's album Warm Robot in 2009 and Stu produced Jen's album The Breaks in 2013. Somewhere in between all that they laid down a series of  improvisatory ideas that have become The 3 Clubmen EP.

In this third episode, XTC's Andy Partridge talks about the unexpected joys of collaboration, the secret origins of Meccanik Dancing and his latest songwriting partnerships.

The 3 Clubmen EP is released 30 June 2023 and available from Burning Shed

The 3 Clubmen

Stu Rowe 

Jen Olive

Andy Partridge's Ape House on Burning Shed 

Music courtesy of Mario Rodríguez Centeno, from La Jvnta 

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com 

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Ten years ago Stu Rowe, Jen Olive and XTC's Andy Partridge started working on material which, after all these years, is finally – and gloriously seeing the light of day. To celebrate the arrival of The 3 Clubmen, we're talking to each of the brilliant musicians in turn.

This week, Jen Olive talks about the genesis of the 3 Clubmen EP as well as working with Andy Partridge on her album Warm Robot and with Stu Rowe on The Breaks.

The 3 Clubmen EP is released 30 June 2023 and available from Burning Shed https://burningshed.com/the-3-clubmen_the-3-clubmen-ep_cd

• The 3 Clubmen https://www.facebook.com/the3clubmen
• Stu Rowe https://www.facebook.com/stu.rowe.3
• Jen Olive https://www.facebook.com/jen.olive.5
• Andy Partridge's Ape House on Burning Shed https://burningshed.com/store/ape

Music courtesy of Mark Sander and Cone of Silence whose album Sixty-Grit Sandpaper and Other Delights can be streamed on major platforms including Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/2NScWtLyNgLkSzsOddYCCC

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com 

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

It's the music we've been awaiting for a decade – and now it's out! Stu Rowe, Jen Olive and Andy Partridge have gone public with The 3 Clubmen and their very wonderful eponymous four-track EP is released at the end of June. But with three such gifted musicians to choose from, what's a humble podcaster to do?

There can be only one answer: three weekly podcasts!

In the first episode, Stu Rowe talks about working with XTC's Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers, Barry Andrews and Dave Gregory, as well as Jen Olive and most musicians in Swindon.

The 3 Clubmen EP is released 30 June 2023 and available from Burning Shed https://burningshed.com/the-3-clubmen_the-3-clubmen-ep_cd

• The 3 Clubmen https://www.facebook.com/the3clubmen
• Stu Rowe https://www.facebook.com/stu.rowe.3
• Jen Olive https://www.facebook.com/jen.olive.5
• Andy Partridge's Ape House on Burning Shed https://burningshed.com/store/ape 
• Music courtesy of Joel Bell https://soundcloud.com/joel-bell-4/sets/limelight-fuzzy-warbles-for-mark-f

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com 

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Oh we do like to be beside the B-sides. In this month’s episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, Mia Rankin, Ashley LeCron, Crawford Blair and Mark Fisher pick their favourite non-album songs , ranging from She's So Square to The World Is Full of Angry Young Men.

Music provided by Jeff Nicholson.

The episode was inspired by Mia’s ranking of all XTC B-sides on her Dead Letter Offices substack

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com 

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.