Drums and Wires

Drums and Wires
Studio album by XTC
Released	17 August 1979
Recorded	June–July 1979 at The Town House, London
Genre	New Wave
Length	46:57
Label	Virgin Records
Producer	Steve Lillywhite
XTC chronology
Go 2 (1978) Drums and Wires (1979) Black Sea (1980)
Singles from Drums and Wires
"Making Plans for Nigel" Released: September 1979

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	A−
Rolling Stone	(favourable)

Drums and Wires is the third studio album by the British band XTC, released on 17 August 1979. It reached No. 34 on the UK album chart, and No. 176 on the U.S. Billboard album charts. It contained the successful single "Making Plans for Nigel", which was released on 14 September 1979, and reached No. 17 on the UK singles chart. It also contained the original recording of "Ten Feet Tall", a re-recorded version of which was released in March 1980 in the U.S. only, as their first U.S. single, designed to coincide with the band's first American tour. Certain versions of the album also include "Life Begins at the Hop", which was released on 27 April 1979, and reached No. 44 on the UK singles chart.

The album was rated #38 on Pitchfork Media's The Top Albums of the 1970s list.

"Making Plans for Nigel" has been covered by Primus on their EP Miscellaneous Debris, by Robbie Williams on his single Old Before I Die, and The Rembrandts on the tribute album A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC.

Track listing

All songs written by Andy Partridge, except where noted.

This album was originally released with at least six different track listings in various parts of the world. Some versions contained a two/three-song 7" single in addition to the 11 or 12 song album. One version moved all of Colin Moulding's songs to side one. The initial US release featured the single version of "Ten Feet Tall". Another version of the LP contained 14 songs.

The original UK LP release contained the following tracks:

Side One

1. "Making Plans for Nigel" (Colin Moulding) – 4:13
2. "Helicopter" – 3:54
3. "Day in Day Out" (Moulding) – 3:46
4. "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty" – 3:20
5. "Ten Feet Tall" (Moulding) – 3:12
6. "Roads Girdle the Globe" – 5:11

Side Two

1. "Real by Reel" – 3:46
2. "Millions" – 5:37
3. "That is the Way" (Moulding) – 2:56
4. "Outside World" – 2:40
5. "Scissor Man" – 3:59
6. "Complicated Game" – 4:53

The first 20,000 copies of the LP had a free 7" single, "Chain Of Command"/"Limelight" (Moulding). The song "Life Begins at the Hop" (Moulding), released as a 7" single before the original LP's release, appears on other versions of the album, either as a substitution, a bonus single, or bonus tracks on CD releases.

UK (and Canadian) vinyl editions came with an insert featuring lyrics to all the songs on Drums and Wires as well as XTC's previous albums GO2 and White Music. But what isn't listed is which album the songs came from.

Drums and Wires [2001 remastered]

1. "Making Plans for Nigel" - 4:13
2. "Helicopter" - 3:54
3. "Day in Day Out" - 3:08
4. "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty" - 3:22
5. "Ten Feet Tall" - 3:16
6. "Roads Girdle the Globe" - 4:50
7. "Real by Reel" - 3:47
8. "Millions" - 5:39
9. "That is the Way" - 2:56
10. "Outside World" - 2:41
11. "Scissor Man" - 4:00
12. "Complicated Game" - 5:04
13. "Life Begins at the Hop" - 3:49
14. "Chain of Command" - 2:33
15. "Limelight" - 2:26

The reissue CD was digitally remastered by Ian Cooper at Metropolis Mastering.

Personnel

• Andy Partridge - vocals, guitars, synthesizers
• Colin Moulding - vocals, bass
• Dave Gregory - guitars, keyboards, background vocals
• Terry Chambers - drums, percussion, background vocals
• Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Dave Gregory, Terry Chambers, Steve Warren, Hugh Padgham, Al Clark, Jumbo Van Reinen - Vernon Yard Male Voice Choir on "Roads Girdle the Globe"
• Dick Cuthell - trumpet on "That Is the Way"
• Steve Lillywhite - producer
• Hugh Padgham - engineer