@@jtdavis62 100% on point. Too clever for the masses. I take solace from the fact that I loved them as an 8 year old in 1979 when, 'Making Plans For Nigel,' rocked up in the charts. This sounds like something Pulp might have done in the mid 90's.
I don't understand about them being ahead... it was a good new wave group, there's nothing more. There were many like that, they were very good! But they were nothing different, yes, they were among the first, perhaps they were ahead in 1977-1978... but not in 1981.
I love this track, and can clearly remember buying it on 7" single when i was 11. I read that Andy Partridge hates it.... no idea why, its a classic... great guitar riffs, powerful drumming and tongue in cheek lyrics... Awesome!
Its amazing to think this song is 42 years old and still sounds so modern and the band are dressed modern. Its like someone in 1981 listening to a song recorded in 1939 and sayings it sounds modern, I'm not sure if that ever happened.
XTC were definitely a blokes band (more appealing to us blokes as they weren’t a bunch of pretty boys) I’m 53 now and can’t get enough of them, while all the other great bands grabbed the limelight, they peacefully meandered along in the background, a surety of their brilliance.
I turned 11 years old in January of 81 when I bought this. Was "Generals and Majors" and " Oh no, not another Cuba!" on the B~side? Triple A! no throwaways!
If they were sick and tired of playing live I can only imagine how they felt about playback, and as I understand it they didn´t like the idea of making videos either. They see themselves as a recording band and indeed they do that with greatness.
The cancellers of 2023 would be after this song to remove it, if it came out today! It isn't the most enlightened lyric ever written by AP. But it is great fun.
For many years, artists scientists, philosophers and theologians alike have been asking some of lifes greatest questions, such as "What is the meaning of life?", "Is there a God?". But even then one question stands above all, one that still has yet to be answered. That question being "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?"
1:40 It's not "Chips from the Chocolate Orange" it's "Chips From The Chocolate Fireball". Perhaps someone mixed up the title with the XTC album "Oranges and Lemons".
bought this for 50p in a asian shop that sold ex jukebox records no middle in 7inch single if you remember you'll understand .the b side is an ep over7half minutes which i fell in love with generals and majors happy memories
Grace Scrimgeour Exactly. it's taking the Mick. It reminds me of "Dreadlock Holiday", which isn't racist, but is 10cc taking the Mick out of the tourist.
I'm beginning to wonder what on earth the "Doot doo doot doot do whee oooh" part is supposed to mean; What is it supposed to be similar to - A girl talking? I don't know!
I interpret it as their vocal imitation of a trumpet fanfare, such as were used in military charges of the 19th & 20th centuries. Like reveille, only announcing an attack. Not so much a thing anymore, but you can still hear them in period films...
Probably. Various trumpet flares were used to give battlefield commands to cavalry to ensure everyone could hear them over the sound of cannon fire, musketry, and their own hooves. I may be wrong but this sounds like it could be meant as an approximation of the flare meaning charge.
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1981 - what I'd give to be back there now. Superb song and a great year for music.
This band have consistently blown my mind since 1979 when I was 10.
I'm with you! I was 8 at the time. Didn't we have discerning taste in music?! lol :)
XTC were so far ahead of their time, if this was released today, it would still be ahead of it's time! Outstanding.
You'd never get away with some of those lyrics, mind haha. In fact he received some small oppobrium the first time around apparently.
They were always way too clever for mass consumption.
@@jtdavis62 100% on point. Too clever for the masses. I take solace from the fact that I loved them as an 8 year old in 1979 when, 'Making Plans For Nigel,' rocked up in the charts. This sounds like something Pulp might have done in the mid 90's.
@@liverpoolscottish6430 except it’s 100000000 times better than anything by ‘P*lp’.
I don't understand about them being ahead... it was a good new wave group, there's nothing more. There were many like that, they were very good! But they were nothing different, yes, they were among the first, perhaps they were ahead in 1977-1978... but not in 1981.
I love this track, and can clearly remember buying it on 7" single when i was 11. I read that Andy Partridge hates it.... no idea why, its a classic... great guitar riffs, powerful drumming and tongue in cheek lyrics... Awesome!
saw an xtc tribute with the original drummer in last night .. superb
When xtc were in their pomp, I largely overlooked them. Then, 40 years later, I played a few tracks, and was hooked.
Skylarking produced by Todd Rundgren is a Classic.
XTC record it’s funny to watch Todd on RUclips about those sessions
I LUV XTC❤ I only discovered XTC in 2022😂 Better late than never😊
Its amazing to think this song is 42 years old and still sounds so modern and the band are dressed modern. Its like someone in 1981 listening to a song recorded in 1939 and sayings it sounds modern, I'm not sure if that ever happened.
@JamJam0189 I like it.
Christ what a fucking great band.
XTC were definitely a blokes band (more appealing to us blokes as they weren’t a bunch of pretty boys) I’m 53 now and can’t get enough of them, while all the other great bands grabbed the limelight, they peacefully meandered along in the background, a surety of their brilliance.
Robert Shettle Plenty of women like them too!
Robert Shettle l concur sir.
I loved XTC then and I still do now, not a blokes band at all
Man, this is some serious rhythm n' blues😁
They were too cool to care about anything but making good music.
I’m a swindonian and love these boys to bits ❤
Still a gem lead singer is a great bloke and they are all decent guys amazing songs
Brilliant! Never tire of hear this track... the track which started my love of XTC :)))))
I listen to this probably once a month,as I have done for years..as I age it sounds better than ever..
The 80's were Magic. ....
"Chips from the Chocolate Orange" by "The Dukes of Stratosfear"??
Wish people would do their research...
It trips me out that both you and your father are successful artists. Good genes I guess.
Great song and awesome band!
A band that could do everything and also reproduce live brilliantly - rare then and still rare - proper musicians
XTC- By far the best pop band in existence(sorry beatles, not even close). Potentially one of the best bands of all time period.
Saw this as a kid 7 years old amazing band great songs
Superb band XTC - Ahead of their time.
OMG I fell in love with Andy after seeing this vid in '81, still a huge fan now xx
I turned 11 years old in January of 81 when I bought this. Was "Generals and Majors" and " Oh no, not another Cuba!" on the B~side? Triple A! no throwaways!
now't wrong with a bit of classic XTC. epic bass line.
Haven't heard this since I was 12, I always thought he was singing 'Help the girl of mine, kick her in the spine'
One of the best pop bands ever created
GREAT SONG GREAT GROUP
弦楽器、鍵盤、管楽器まで演奏するMr.グレゴリーのマルチな才能に敬服した。
Loved this as a 15yr old. Yeah I had taste back then!
Cracking bass lines. Sort of music I’d want on my juke box in a good old boozer
How come Andy, Terry & Colin don't get their names at the top of the screen?
ade ransome What about Dave he used to be lead singer after all
Well crafted song. Reminds me a lil like small faces or kinks. Up there anyway!
😁
Brilliant 😊
great band, great songs, they deserved more attention, perhaps their music is too intelligent for the masses
Brings back shit loads of good memories. 👍👏
If they were sick and tired of playing live I can only imagine how they felt about playback, and as I understand it they didn´t like the idea of making videos either. They see themselves as a recording band and indeed they do that with greatness.
The cancellers of 2023 would be after this song to remove it, if it came out today! It isn't the most enlightened lyric ever written by AP. But it is great fun.
man i love this song. rock on srg
still a class track ! Well ahead of their time ... still sound fresh
Dave looks like he's about to swing through the windows into some foreign embassy. he looks tough as hell.
For many years, artists scientists, philosophers and theologians alike have been asking some of lifes greatest questions, such as "What is the meaning of life?", "Is there a God?". But even then one question stands above all, one that still has yet to be answered. That question being "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?"
Why haven’t we seen a DC Comics Sargent Rock movie? Catchy chorus by the way.
I Looove this track, thanks for posting wiggy.
1:40 It's not "Chips from the Chocolate Orange" it's "Chips From The Chocolate Fireball". Perhaps someone mixed up the title with the XTC album "Oranges and Lemons".
Chips from Terry's Chocolate Orange? As in 'Chambers'.
Great band remember them well swindons finest
I had this on my record player at the age of 12 :)
+zoinx4444 I remember well that my sister had this tune too.....never played it though.
Big deal. Some people heard XTC while in mom's womb. What's the deal with "I heard it before you did"?
zoinx4444 same.. 🙂
Andy Partridge is the greatest ever mimer to a track played on TOTP.
Brilliant
Xtc music was very Blur imo. Love it.
Even this sounds better than a lot of today's bullock's music and that's a fact
bought this for 50p in a asian shop that sold ex jukebox records no middle in 7inch single if you remember you'll understand .the b side is an ep over7half minutes which i fell in love with generals and majors happy memories
Love Terry's outfit on this one!
Terry Chambers makes me chuckle in this video.
Terry is the MVP here - the drum pattern coupled with the hat is what it’s all about
hes touring now with extc a xtc tribute band saw em wednesday .... superb
I was 9! When remember this :) x
Ah memories....
I can't believe some people think this is sexist. It's clearly irony, and a critique of stupid ideals of masculinity and domination.
Grace Scrimgeour Exactly. it's taking the Mick. It reminds me of "Dreadlock Holiday", which isn't racist, but is 10cc taking the Mick out of the tourist.
Just liberals desperate to be heard. Good, clever song, nothing offensive about it.
"sexism, sexist" are as stupid terms as "AfricanAmericans"
Bloody Snowflakes!
I cant believe people think its like genesis
love it i was 14 it was all care free back then:)
Swindon lads near where I live
Damon Albarn at 13 was taking serious notes....
Sgt Rock was a DC Comics character. Great Song!
I am *really* bad at XTC lyrics.
Is the first line of this "I'm in lip-sync"? No, because Andy isn't... ;)
"I'm enlisting".
Thank you!
Pint of lager please maryyyyyy
Right you are my love
N Class 468 I just watched this for the first time and heard this 10 minutes in!I’ve been an XTC fan since the early 80’s.
How come Dave didn't give us a Trombone solo? It was sitting right there. He must have changed his mind.
Seargant Rock is going to help XTC conquer the world - if there's any justice.
@wedrinkmountaindew .....wrong. try 'River of Orchids' and 'Easter Theatre' in 2000. Not shooting for perfect pop at all. Just perfection.
Never heard it. Very cool.
Gibbo Firebird! cool guitar band and song
so clever /lyric's spot on
Must have been tough playing without cymbals, lads 😂 Guess the label advanced you enough money by Skylarking to buy some of those!
I agree.
and really an awesome band, btw.
I love this cool song. It is so funny.
Two errors in that short fact box midway through. Is it really so difficult for the Beeb to do its research?
It was the 80's, the Internet hadn't been invented yet.
XTC - fuckin' love 'em.
@LIVERPOOLSCOTTISH You are so right.
Go Buddy Go...
❤ it
This band came from Swindon - the most rock'n'roll town in Britain...
Billie Piper?
I read that the guitar Andy played for this video was stolen.
Off the Black Sea LP excellent
Ah XTC, a local band. For me anyway..
+An English Cartman Swindon
same. I live in Gloucestershire .
These guys were so RIPPED OFF ...! I'm not kidding when I say their contract derailed them
@chrisleicester Thanks, equally smart-arse ;-)
Hah, TotP2 researcher got it wrong. It's 'Chips from the Chocolate Fireball'
cheers mate. In future I will try not to be such a youtube tw@ too ;-)
Colin Moulding one of the great bass players. Could give McCartney a run for his money
tell em, joe!
Does this McCartney fella have a first name I don’t think ive heard that name before no ones better than Colin
My first record that I bought !
There's Andy at his "snotty Andiest " Love it.
Andy's in his prime here!
Swindon's finest!!!!
The ONLY good thing to ever come out of Swindon...
Alastair West Apart from Don Rogers.😜
@@jimmyjam4371 AWESOME
Chips from the Chocolate *Orange*?
Fireball, I think you'll find...
Heavy innuendo.
@carveriscool I suspect that Fatty Clarkson doesn't realise it's ironic?
Great song, lucky their music is much better than their playback mimicking.
fuckin love this song very catchy :D
Sergeant's stripes - Sgt Rock
Why is the name "Dave" In the top left?
dave's not here, man.
It's the name of a cable tv channel in the UK
it's not cable, it's a free to air digital channel, usually available via set top boxes or now they have televisions with freeview built in
I'm beginning to wonder what on earth the "Doot doo doot doot do whee oooh" part is supposed to mean; What is it supposed to be similar to - A girl talking? I don't know!
I interpret it as their vocal imitation of a trumpet fanfare, such as were used in military charges of the 19th & 20th centuries. Like reveille, only announcing an attack. Not so much a thing anymore, but you can still hear them in period films...
Probably. Various trumpet flares were used to give battlefield commands to cavalry to ensure everyone could hear them over the sound of cannon fire, musketry, and their own hooves. I may be wrong but this sounds like it could be meant as an approximation of the flare meaning charge.
Do you think Sgt rock was pals with major tom?
TheGodParticle yes, and some Generals and Majors 😃
The other guitarist isn't Dave Gregory. Who is he?
Were XTC too clever for their own good? Can't help thinking a lot of their stuff just went over people's heads.