THE DUKES OF STRATOSPEAR 25 O'Clock New Wave 1985 LP VIRGIN ITA orig WOW 1 XTC
€
25
$
29
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Description
THIS IS THE ITALIAN ORIGINAL PRESSING on VIRGIN label. SINGLE COVER The cover is in VG+ condition, normal wear and without any major deterioration, BUT light discolouration on bottom spine/corners, left spine fully readable; for details see photos. The vinyl is in EX/NM condition [barely played] and plays wonderfully.
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THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR
In 1985, the British pop band XTC recorded an EP of affectionate parodies of '60s psychedelia and guitar pop called 25 O'Clock. Instead of releasing the EP under their own name, they released the record under a new moniker: the Dukes of Stratosphear. Working with producer John Leckie, all three members of the group adopted pseudonyms -- Andy Partridge was Sir John Johns, Colin Moulding was the Red Curtain, and David Gregory was Lord Cornelius Plum. For this one project, Gregory's brother Ian joined the band under the name E.I.E.I. Owen. The EP was released without mention of XTC's name anywhere on the record, and the group members claimed they had nothing to do with the project. Two years after the appearance of 25 O'Clock, the Dukes of Stratosphear released a full album, Psonic Psunspot. By the time Psonic Psunspot appeared in 1987, XTC had begun to admit in interviews that they were indeed the Dukes of Stratosphear.
"25 O'CLOCK"
tracklisting: please, for tracklist see pictures
1985 MLP VIRGIN RECORDS WOW 1
MADE IN ITALY ORIGINAL PRESSING
SINGLE SLEEVE
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode: none
Label Code: none
LABEL: VIRGIN - 'TWO-VIRGINS' GREEN/RED LABEL - BLACK TEXT
Catalog on cover: WOW 1
Catalog on label: WOW 1 WOW 1-A / WOW 1 WOW 1-B
Matrix / Runout (Side A, Stamped & Etched): WOW-1-A 17-4-85 I∆ MM.
Matrix / Runout (Side B, Stamped & Etched): WOW-1-B 17-4-85 I∆ MM.
On labels: rim text "Riservati.......Made in Italy"
S.I.A.E.(boxed)
Produced by John Leckie, Swami Anand Nagara & The Dukes
Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd
℗ 1985 Virgin Records Ltd © 1987 Virgin Records Ltd
Rights Society: SIAE (printed on both sides and stamped on Side A)
Back Cover: Tracklist + Credits
℗ 1985 Virgin Records Limited © 1987 Virgin Records Limited
Virgin Dischi Srl Milano
grading
RECORD EX/NM but (please, read above description)
SLEEVE VG+ but (please, see pictures and read above description)
XTC spent the first half of the '80s dropping out of the new wave rat race in favor of cultivating an eccentric English garden. It was a move that mirrored the Kinks ignoring psychedelia for songs about subdivisions and afternoon tea, but when XTC decided to cut loose, they did so by adopting alter egos to create a riotous tribute to the very psychedelia the Kinks shunned. They turned into the Dukes of Stratosphear and cut the EP 25 O'Clock, a brilliant, clever distillation of the sounds of 1967, filled with knowing allusions and outright thievery from psychedelic classics both popular and well-known. For those well-versed in '60s rock, it's irresistible to draw parallels to the Beatles, the Yardbirds, the Move, and Pink Floyd, but 25 O'Clock practically begs listeners to connect the dots through its swirling kaleidoscope of phased tapes, fuzz guitars, murmured voices, and burbling Mellotrons -- and that's not even taking into account lyrical allusions, like how "Bike Ride to the Moon" twists around Tomorrow's "My White Bicycle." All this makes 25 O'Clock something closer to pop art than mere homage, but what makes it enduring -- even strangely timeless -- pop music is how XTC's reinvigorated creativity extends far beyond the mere form to the songs themselves. The six songs on the EP are XTC at their very best, their braininess tempered by the discipline of writing six songs that could have been legitimately seen as forgotten gems from the late '60s (which indeed this EP was initially presented as upon its April Fools Day release in 1985). Although there is certainly considerable pleasure in peeling back the layers of the production to puzzle out the references or simply revel in its sound, what is striking about 25 O'Clock is how joyous and immediate it feels, a trait it shares with the very best pop music -- which it certainly is...(AllMusic)
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