XTC - Generals and Majors
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- Promo for the "Generals and Majors" single. Apparently this was shot at the last minute after a meeting with Richard Branson, hence all the shots of him goofing around, and also the band's presence in the grounds of his manor! All very peculiar.
As John Lydon once said, everything's "ho ho chortle chortle" with Branson, isn't it? Jolly japes.
XTC were totally incapable of producing a bad piece of music. I have the English Settlement album, it's just stunning. Thank you XTC
Paul Gardiner What about Travels in Nihilon?
Yeah,you're right
TiN is a great song, dk. Another RUclipsr suggested that TiN is Andy's "Tomorrow Never Knows."
Travels in Nihilon is awesome... wtf are you even talking about? Now, "Church of Women" sucks, but by the time that came out, XTC had already compiled a most impressive catalog. I'll give 'em a Mulligan.
you're spelling is atrocious, it should read capable and not incapable.
The drumming is so good that he steals the show!
Terry Chambers. When asked about his drumming he put it simply: "I just hit 'em!"
Terry Chambers constantly keeping time,well said.
I've been listening to a lot of XTC again just lately. I was a big fan in the 80's and 90's, but I'm the sort of person that likes to listen to as much new (or new to me) music as I can. So I don't often go back to listening to stuff I've previously listened to a lot when I was younger. One thing has stood out to me though, that I wasn't that tuned into when these records were first released.Terry Chambers has to be one of the most underrated drummers ever! He's amazing on practically every track he recorded with XTC. He definitely doesn't receive the credit he deserves.
Yes he's brilliant, I think Partridge and Moulding had ideas for drum patterns when the songs were being constructed
My arms hurt from air drumming to this brilliant song, which I've loved for all 38 years of its existence. God bless my mum for purchasing Black Sea and playing it on her humble stereo system when I was a young lad of 13.
I love Xtc...
And it's so funny to see Richard Branson as one of the generals
plod Well he was their "modern Major General" sort of........didn't he sign them to Virgin Records? Didn't they end up "not being friends" with him?
Sure. But it was the first time I had seen it.
I didn't know!
The last minute were all the instruments come together - superb
As a young hard rocker..... I bought this at random on a music store shelf in the mid 90's....... needless to say, it opened doors for me musically and mentally.
Still sounding fresh as a daisy and as relevant as ever.
SO RIGHT
It still sounds new
Colin really had a knack for catchy pop songs!
Kelly Moon Yep Partridge is an amazing songwriter also but Moulding wrote a whole bunch of their hits.
'76 to '84, so much diversity in music. Truly the greatest period of popular British music
Agree the period 1980 plus and minus 3 years
I think the advent of MTV in 79 really catapulted songs during a 5yr period from what I experienced - we were watching it whenever home.
I always loved this song...
I listened to XTC all the time when i was little and still do today. It makes me happy to know there are others who like them as much as i do.
"...seem so unhappy 'less they've got a war..."
Best line because it is so totally fucking cheeky. I have loved this album for sooOOoOoooOooOOoo long.
The harmonies in this are epic. Beach Boys quality...
The slow mo castle bounce during the slow part(breakdown) is SO stunning both visually and audibly. The slow part is just excellent all around no matter what you see while listening!
The 80's what at time for great music
70's 80's
SGT.Rock never had a promo made for it which was a pity, The TOTP clip & a live version is all there is out there !!
I used to listen to Skylarking a lot (on a cassette!) quite a bit. I know this song is from a different album but seeing this vid has brought back some memories. Thanks for posting.
Haven't heard this for age's, nice one!!
An absolutely brilliant song from a brilliant XTC album (Black Sea).
Black Sea is the best - but they are all so great -
Ah, the memories. Loved this song. Only KROQ in So Cal played this and no one else seemed to enjoy these guys' music as much as I.... Thanks for this.
Holy shit, I haven't heard this for years. I love this song. Thanks for uploading.
Found an old record in my dads collection, I played it and really loved it^^
This song is featured on the soundtrack to the US punk-rock film 'Times Square' (1980) which is where I first heard it. My band played it... for a short period. But somehow I knew of XTC from before then
Jonnie Comet No it wasn't..the song on Times Square was Take This Town.
XTC are about as perfect as a band can get, everything they’ve ever released is solid gold.
Very relevant even more today...
Richard Branson ziplining into a dirty pond with a huge smile on his face? Brilliant.
I heard this song on Sound Opinions, loving what little XTC I've listened to.
This was the first XTC song I ever heard, and the one that got me hooked when I was in high school, listening to the local college radio stations (WRAS and WREK - woohoo!)
When I listened to XTC in high school I loved it, never really knew how heavy and just plain fricken awesome they were!
My all time fav...❤❤❤❤❤
the drum licks right at the end are insane
English Settlement is my favorite album ever.
Love this to pieces. As a former army type, this one went down very well...
What a great pop song.
found black sea in mint con ....so fab what a top class tune from xtc....and i found it in a tip in southampton .
omg searching my memory for old music and remembered these guys - they were awesome! Thanks for posting! PS- Yo Michael Ranieri you still have my XTC album! :-(
brings me right back to 1980 this does. brilliant song from a brilliant band. they provided an essential soundtrack in the early 80s for anyone growing up in the UK at that time.
I forgot how brilliant this band was. I found something really cool I had lost for 30 years.
@dragonfoe You're welcome. By the way, Andy was interviewed just before that last concert where he waled off stage. You can look it up on RUclips, Just search "XTC Paris". It shows from the soundcheck to the interview to footage of them playing until Andy walked off stage.
The audio quality is amazing.
It is indeed.
I was lucky enough to see them live in 1980 in Detroit opening for The Police
Got the vinyl single, still have it & LOVE it
One of the very best pop songs ever !
One of the best of the 80's. I loved this album and I'll buy it again when I get the money. That could be never, though. I love being poor, it keeps you humble.....or humiliated.
one of the most underrated bands ever. right there with simple minds
One of my favourite bands ...... spent some years in sunny Wiltshire, saw them live umpteen times, quality.
lucky!
Yep!
love the userpic
great guitar riffs from andy and dave, so badly missed. nobody has come close to writing songs as good as this , pity they never realised how well loved their music is.
Both guys totally snapped the headstocks off their guitars in that bouncy castle, didn't they?
LOOOOOOVE this song, BTW
I recall hearing this on CKLW out of Canada years ago, when they still played music. They had a tremendous format in the days when radio meant something...At least we have RUclips-but not while driving! Thanks for this!
Saw them twice, on one occasion I had the same blue shirt, red tie and bus driver trousers on as the bass player, they was fantastic to watch, excellent music...
Walter George I saw XTC open for The Police on their Zenyatta Mondatta tour in 1980 at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. Wish I could remember it more.
Saw that same tour in the not-sold-out gym at my college in CA. Incredible show all around, I remember it like it was yesterday we were so ridiculously stoked to get our tickets... Black Sea had been out only a few months. and we were blasting it in the dorms.. Music was so freaking alive back then...
DAMN! I'm jealous of you guys!
The video was shot a Richard Branson's Virgin Studio 'The Manor' in Shipton -on- Chirwell, Oxfordshire. XTC recorded most of their tracks there.
i love how the whole time andys just in the background like, yeah go ahead colin
brilliant song that has stood the test of time
Shown last year on Top of the Pops on BBC4 that was from the year 19890.
This music video by XTC is very important in the evolution of the British Music Video.
The Generals and Majors Music Video was one of the first British Music Videos made that had a complete story board made to show what would been seen in the music video and was one of the first made that had an historic British theme running in the music video.
The artistry of the British Music Video is just coming in vogue/fashion although these are (as you can see from this music video) are still very experimental days in the evolution of the British Music Video.
XTC were (lIke Queen in this moment of time) were one of the most experimental bands in the recording studio. I mean you can hear these examples very clearly in this recording.
XTC were so experimental in the recording that (Like the Beatles) they gave a huge part of their career in not touring but experimenting more with sound recording techniques in the recording studio.
This though, did their career no harm.
They were (and still are) regarded as one of the finest Pop and Rock bands the United kingdom has ever produced.
i love XTC. i love british music, period. it's the best music on the planet.
Yet they don't seem to get the recognition they deserve on both sides of the Atlantic. I am an American and they were one of my favorite bands in the 80s and were successful here in the States too.
This was always right up there as just about my favourite XTC song. It only made number 32 in September 1980 - very under-rated! They had 3 top 20 hits in the UK; Making Plans For Nigel (number 17 in October and November 1979),Sergeant Rock is Going to Help Me (number 16 in February 1981) and Senses Working Overtime (number 10 in February 1982).
My fave XTC song-punchy, incredibly melodic in a non-obvious way-and the lyrics as true now as ever ! Genius.
fantastic music,so creative-where are they now-we need them more than ever!
April 2020: Here reliving my teen years. Thanks guys.... brilliant.
The group xtc was a very clever band that saw the world at that time for what it was. God bless you mr. Moulding and mr. Partidige.
This is truly freakin' epic. XTC was one of the greatest "thinking man's" pop bands of all time.
Yes a fantastic song that still sounds fresh today
Vastly underrated band. I’d almost forgotten this one 😍
Twelve months ago, It was very nice that there wasn't a comment about about people disliking this video; It's nice when things are peaceful and folks get along despite their differences.
I love this song so hard…
PERFECT song..for these times...sadly.....
2 lead singers, both great. Timeless music, I like it as much now as I did in 1982.
Mayor of Simpleton - a tie for bestest songs of XTC - love them both though! Do "younger" kids know about this incredible band? I hope so! Class act!
Excellent music, intelligent and talented (a sadly lacking trait in contemporary radio waves) made you tap your feet while your heart and mind were given food for thought and feelings. Well done for posting this, cheers alex
Perhaps the BEST pop song ever written.
Every element is brilliant.
...an all-time FAVE! XTC is awesome and always will be! Wahi'
The most effective melody ever written.
I always thought it was Andy singing this! Those two
sound very alike. 5000 stars.
I didn't find XTC, they found me! Thank you XTC.
This song brings back me so many good memories of my high school years, almost makes wanna cry 😢
I remember they used to play this on WXRT in Chicago back then they played GOOD music. Not the crap they got on now. At any rate, I recorded this on cassette and in '79 my first year in college when to Mexico City during winter break to visit my cousins and introduced them to this song. They liked it. Will always remind me of my college years and my December trips to Mexico.
+Jose Schmoe Just by coincidence, XRT is playing this as I write this comment. I remembered that Richard Branson is in the video as one of the "generals" and came here to show my wife.
I agree that XRT hasn't been the same for years. CBS kept their hands off the station for while, but these days it's mostly a Classic Rock station that doesn't take a lot of chances. Even "Saturday Morning Flashback" plays the safe, well-known tracks.
+Breakfast Tiffany's yes I have to agree with joseph lynn's comments above stating XRT is now a classic rock station. It's The Drive (
+Jose Schmoe Grew up in the western suburbs -- XRT was my station when I was down there from 84 to 96. First time I heard Jimi Hendrix "Machinegun" I was listening to XRT and cruising down Clark with some of my friends heading to the Metro on a summer night. There were so many tunes I heard on XRT first, they are hard to keep track of. No Terri Hemmert in Minneapolis, Milwaukee or Grand Rapids. A lot of garbage and a few gems.
I grew up in Hoffman Estates listening to WXRT. I was fortunate enough to see XTC open for The Police at the Aragon Ballroom back in 1980. I remember thinking XTC blew away The Police and they were going to be the bigger band.
Interesting you should mention Grand Rapids!,Michigan!.. I first heard XRT in GR..in around 1980..I had just bought my first nice stereo..that had a Marantz. 2238 receiver..and first nite messing with it..picked up XRT..180 miles away!..They were playing Graham Parkers..a song off...Squeezing out Sparks..really jumped out..compared to the GARBAGE other stations were throwing out there!
Love xtc xxxxx
Do they know that I love them with all my heart.
Great tune from a great decade!
XTC is such a good band and not enough people know about them. I'm 18 and I've been listening to them with my dad since I was born!
i was very young ,when this song on the radio, miss those times
One of my faves by this band. Think they had fun making the vid.
Certainly is!
He owned The Manor recording studio in Oxfordshire, where the XTC album Black Sea was recorded, and where this video was also filmed. He was apparently just 'on site' the day the crew were to film the video, hence his presence.
I just absolutely love this track how can yu not
"Instant tunes", the b side single with "are you recieving me" also worth checking out. Talented guys not appreciated as much as they should be.
Great band!!
Its a real shame they stopped touring - I would love to see them!
As relevant today as it was in 1980.
Love this tune! XTC rocks!
yes. One of my favorite videos, and my 5 year old son is digging it now...
XTC are still brill- haven´t seen this video either
(only took 20 odd years-well better late than never)
thanks for posting
The guitar work is absolutely amazing!!!
25 years ago(!?) a co-worker, Xavier lent me this album and I was hooked. The album however died in his hot car after I returned it. Although I never saw XTC live, I was able to see two other bands that I thought were equally brilliant-The Las, and Jellyfish.
One of the great British pop bands of the 80s. What happened to them all? Saw them live in Sydney Aust back then and they were great. So much fun......
Love the Drums on this track ! It really puts power into such a great song!
Love them since I'd left school in the 8 o's still do to day awsome
beverley sposito I love XTC even more now. So does my ten year old.
It was good to be young and into music back then. So much truly good stuff!
This must be what being British is all about. I like it.
Thank you, Songpop.
Forgot how much I love this band. Thanks!
BY FAR MY FAVORITE TUNE BY XTC! THERE BEST EVER!
Too funny, my cat just went berserk from the whistling. I'm gonna play it again! 😾
Great times - great music! What happened along the way. Rock on XTC!!
I love the middle acoustic and the bouncy castle too.
¡Excelente tema de XTC!
Excellent track from XTC!