The Dukes Of Stratosphear ( XTC ) 25 O'CLOCK 1985 Virgin Records WOW 1 UK VG+/NM
$
28
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Description
“25 O'Clock” is the debut record by English rock band the Dukes of Stratosphear and the eighth studio album by XTC, released on April Fools Day 1985 through Virgin Records. It was publicized as a long-lost collection of recordings by a late 1960s group, but actually consisted of new tracks recorded by Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, and Dave Gregory of XTC with Gregory's brother Ian.
The project was conceived by Partridge as a one-off excursion into 1960s-style psychedelic music. Three rules were set during its recording: songs must follow the conventions of 1967 and 1968 psychedelia, no more than two takes allowed, and use vintage equipment wherever possible. Virgin gave the group £5,000 and a two-week deadline for the sessions, in which the members adopted pseudonyms and dressed themselves in clothing of the era. Only six tracks were recorded due to time constraints.
Upon its release in the UK, “25 O'Clock” sold twice as many copies as XTC's then-latest album “The Big Express” (1984), even before the Dukes' identity was made public. One single was issued, "The Mole from the Ministry", which was an improvised-in-the-studio Beatles pastiche. “25 O'Clock” was followed up in 1987 with the LP Psonic Psunspot, which contained the outtake "Have You Seen Jackie?". Another outtake, "Big Day", was reworked for XTC's 1986 album “Skylarking”.
Up for grabs here is an original UK pressing from 1987. Overall, the vinyl is in Very Good Plus [VG+] condition. There are some marks - I noted some on the last track on side two, but a test play confirmed that none of them affect playback. The cover is in Near MInt [NM] condition, as is the original inner sleeve. Further notes below:
Notes
Captured gently at Chapel Lane Studios, Hereford.
Manufactured in the UK
℗ 1985 Virgin Records Ltd
© 1985 Virgin Records Ltd
Barcode and Other Identifiers
· Matrix / Runout (Label side A): WOW 1-A
· Matrix / Runout (Label side B): WOW 1-B
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 1): WOW 1 A-1U-1- 1 1 < TO BE TAKEN TWICE DALI TOWNHOUSE
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 1): TOWNHOUSE WOW 1 B-2U-1- 1 1 2 I CAN SEE FOUR MOLES
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 2): WOW 1 A-2U-1- 1⇀1 TO BE TAKEN TWICE DALI TOWNHOUSE
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 2): WOW 1 B-2U-1- 1⇀1 I CAN SEE FOUR MOLES TOWNHOUSE
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 3): WOW 1 A-2U-1- 1 -X1 TO BE TAKEN TWICE DALI TOWNHOUSE
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 3): WOW 1 B-1U-1- 1 .X1 I CAN SEE FOUR MOLES... TOWNHOUSE
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 4): WOW 1 A-1U-1- 1⇀ TO BE TAKEN TWICE DALI TOWNHOUSE
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 4): WOW 1 B-2U-1- 1⇀ I CAN SEE FOUR MOLES TOWNHOUSE
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side A, variant 5): WOW 1 A-1U-1- 1- 1 1 < TO BE TAKEN TWICE DALI TOWNHOUSE
· Matrix / Runout (Runout side B, variant 5): TOWNHOUSE WOW 1 B-2U-1- 1-1 0 I CAN SEE FOUR MOLES
ENJOY!
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