343 Hello XTC - Life Begins at the Hop

Chart  entered :  12  May  1979

Chart  peak : 54

Number  of  hits  : 12

These  guys  were  one  of  the  more  idiosyncratic  groups  to  qualify  , seeming  to  attract  as  many  fierce  detractors  as  loyal  fans.

The  group  began  in   Swindon  in  1972  when  Colin  Moulding  ( born  1955 )  a  self-taught  bass  player  and  Terry  Chambers  ( born  1955 )  a  drummer  asked  Andy  Partridge  ( born  1953 )  to  play  guitar  and  sing  with  them. The  group  christened  themselves  The  Helium  Kidz  and  played  locally  with  a  repertoire  based  on  glam  and  the  New  York  Dolls  for  the  next  few  years. They  appeared  on  local  television  as  an  up  and  coming  but  unsigned  band. In  1976  they  added  classically  trained  keyboardist  Barry  Andrews  to  their  line  up  and  soon  after  changed  their  name  to  XTC.

In  1977  they  signed  to  Virgin  and  that  October  released  their  first  single  "Science  Friction "  though  for  reasons  still  obscure  the  seven  inch  version  was  pulled  almost  immediately   and  the  12  inch  version  was  marketed  as  the  "3-D  EP"  despite  only  featuring  two  tracks. Though  infused  with  the  aggression  of  punk  "Science  Friction"  shows  they  were  already  pulling  in  a  different  direction  with  a  quirky  tale  of  a  teenage  boy's  overactive  imagination   underpinned  by  Barry's  frantic  keyboards. There's  a  decent  tune  there  too  but  it's  masked  by  Andy's  unlovely  singing  with  its  exaggerated  sneers  and  hiccups  , always  a  bit  of  a  hump  to  get  over  when  listening  to  their  music.

The  follow  up  single  in  January  1978  ,  "Statue  of  Liberty" ,is  less  frenetic, using  reggae  rhythms  to  propel  a song  detailing  a  tourist's  appreciation  of  the  icon. It  was  the  victim  of  one  of  the  Beeb's  sillier  bans, for  the  line  "I  sail  beneath  your  skirt". The  album  "White  Music"  followed  hot  on  its  heels, an  assured  debut  showcasing  their  angular  energetic   pop  with  quirky  lyrics  although  the  six  minute  cod-reggae  version  of  "All  Along  The  Watchtower  "  is  something  of  a  mis-step. It  reached  number  38.

It  also  includes  the  next  single  which  really  got  some  critics'  backs  up. "This  Is  Pop"  seems  to  have  been  regarded  as  some  sort  of  manifesto  , attracting  furious  denunciation  of  their  effrontery  and  denial  of  their  credentials.  In  reality  it's  a  rather  throwaway  song  about  defending  your  listening  choices  with  a  defiant  stomping  chorus , not  their  best  single  by  any  means  but  not  deserving  all  the  vitriol.

With  Colin  and  Barry  contributing  more  material  the  band  left  the  next  single  "Are  You  Receiving  Me ? "  off   the  next  album  " Go  2"   with  the  records  being  released  just  a  week  apart  in  the  autumn  of  1978. "Are  You  Receiving  Me ? "  is  a  relatively  superficial  song  about  miscommunication  that  hammers  home  its  one  good  hook  in  a  crudely  effective  fashion. "Go  2"  is  an  uneven  collection  that  sounds  rushed  in  places  but  has  some  good  moments  like  "Meccanik  Dancing"  a  sardonic  take  on  the  disco  scene  and  Barry's  sparse, reggae-flavoured   "Super-Tuff"  where  his  geezer-ish  vocals  are  used  effectively  ( the  less  said  about  his  other  track  "My  Weapon"  the  better ).   Nevertheless  the  album  improved  on  its  predecessor's  showing  by  reaching  number  21.

During  the  tour  for  the  album  Barry , unhappy  at  the  rejection  of  some  of  his  songs  decided  to  leave. After  a  couple  of  interesting  but  unsuccessful  solo  singles  he  had  a  brief  spell  with  Robert  Fripp's  League  of  Gentlemen  before  forming  the  over-cerebral  white  funk  outfit  Shriekback. They  eventually  had  a  minor  hit  in  1984  with  "Hand  On  My  Heart"  but  that  was  as  good  as  it  got  for  him  and  he's  earned  a  living  at  sculpture  and  furniture  making.

After  some  discussion,  during  which  Thomas  Dolby  was  apparently  mooted  as  a  new  keyboard  player,  they  decided to  take  on  a  new  guitarist  instead. He  was  Dave  Gregory  (born  1952 )  a  long-time  friend  of  Andy's.

"Life  Begins  At  The  Hop"  was  the  first  time  one  of  Colin's  songs  was  released  as  a  single  and  helped  establish  him  as  the  Macca / Matlock  radio-friendly  figure  in  the  band. The  song  is  an  affectionate  tribute  to  provincial  youth  club  discos  with  some  wry  observations  - "back  next  week  with  another  ridiculous  tie-knot " . It  unfolds  around  an  unrelenting  sledgehammer  beat  from  Terry  with  an  abundance  of  interesting  guitar  sounds, often  giving  a  sinister  edge  to  the  song,   where  Andrews  had  previously  supplied  the  texture. The  guitar  solo  in  the  middle  sounds  like  the  instrument's  been  completely  detuned. The  single  also  initiated  the  sardonic  backing  vocals   (the  whoo-whoos  and  la-la-la's  )  which  became  a  prominent  feature  of  their  next  few  singles.