Album details

Name: Nonsuch

First released: 01/04/1992

Working Title(s): Infant Elephant; Wonder Annual; Balloon; The Last Balloon; and Milk.

Version 1

Track Listing:

Side: B		1		The Disappointed		03:28
				Andy Partridge

Releases

Notes

Virgin UK, Germany, and Italy issued Nonsuch on vinyl in limited quantities. The album was also released on cassette tape in several countries; side A of the cassette tape version contains the tracks on sides A and B of the vinyl version and side B contains the tracks on sides C and D of the vinyl version.

Version 2

Track Listing:

		5		The Disappointed		03:28
				Andy Partridge

Releases

Notes

In most countries, the CD version of Nonsuch initially came in a "special limited edition gold etched CD case" (the term used in UK adverts) and the disc itself features a picture of the Nonsuch palace drawn in gold on a scarlet background.

Some copies of the first American edition included an insert with a Geffen Records XTC CD back catalogue that has comments from Andy on each album.

The latest Japanese edition (TOCP-65720) is one of the "XTC Original Paper Sleeve Collection" series. The disc label adopts the original LP's design, the Nonsuch palace. It also includes a paper sleeve for "record one" and a gatefold insert for "record two."

UK Singles

Recording Data:

Produced by Gus Dudgeon. Engineered by Barry Hammond. Mixed by Nick Davis, assisted by Simon 'Lord Brewer' Dawson. Recorded at Chipping Norton Recording Studios, Oxfordshire, England, July-October 1991. Mixed at Rockfield, Monmouth, Wales, November-December 1991. Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk, New York.

Musicians: Andy Partridge - lead & backing vocals, electric guitar (solo on "Books Are Burning"), acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambourine, percussion, shaker, keyboard programming, and bell tree. Colin Moulding - lead & backing vocals, bass guitar, and electric & acoustic guitars. Dave Gregory - electric guitar (solo on "Crocodile," "That Wave," and "Books Are Burning"), electric 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, synthesisers, Hammond organ, backing vocals, and church bell. Dave Mattacks - drums, tambourine, amphibious, drum & sitar samples, shaker, and percussion. Gus Dudgeon - tambourine on "Rook," percussion on "That Wave," and chorus on "Books Are Burning." Guy Barker - flugelhorns on "The Disappointed" and "Rook" and trumpet on "My Bird Performs" (solo), "Rook," and "Omnibus." Florence Lovegrove - viola on "The Smartest Monkeys," "The Disappointed," and "Wrapped in Grey." Rose Hull - cello on "The Disappointed," "Rook," and "Wrapped in Grey." Stuart Gordon - violin on "Wrapped in Grey." Gina Griffin - violin on "Wrapped in Grey." Neville Farmer - "ringmaster" on "Dear Madam Barnum" and chorus on "Books Are Burning."

String and brass arrangements by Dave Gregory, except "Rook" and "Omnibus" by Andy Partridge and "War Dance" by Colin Moulding. Strings on "The Disappointed" arranged by Andy Partridge and Dave Gregory.

Trivia:

"The Disappointed" was originally written for Terry Hall (ex-Specials, Fun Boy Three, Colourfield, etc.). The song was nominated for an Ivor Numero award in the Best Song category.

A working title for "Holly Up on Poppy" was "Holly High on Poppy."

"Then She Appeared" (by The Golden -- yet another pseudonym) and another song called "It's Snowing Angels" (by Choc Cigar Chief Champion) were originally intended for a give-away flexi disc for the British music magazine Strange Things Are Happening. Although the DAT masters of the songs, which were recorded solo by Andy in the Shed and did not feature The Dukes, were indeed supplied to the magazine before it folded, it seems that no flexis were actually pressed up.

"War Dance" dates from the The Big Express era and was re-recorded for Nonsuch in a radically revamped from.

CDs and 7" singles of "Wrapped in Grey" (with "Bungalow") were manufactured but shelved before release.

It is said that Andy and Colin prepared 32-35 songs for the album.

Apart from those that appeared on the album, songs written, demoed, rehearsed, and/or recorded around the Nonsuch days include:
"Always Winter [but] Never Christmas" (demo version released on Window Box);
"Car Out of Control"* (unreleased);
"Didn't Hurt A Bit"* (demo version released on "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" single; partially re-recorded version appeared on the compilation Coat of Many Cupboards);
"Down a Peg"* (demo version released on "Pumpkinhead" B-side);
"Goodbye Humanosaurus" (demo version released on The Bull with the Golden Guts);
"Goosey Goosey" (demo version released on The Bull with the Golden Guts);
"It's Snowing Angels" (demo version released on Window Box);
"I'm the Man Who Murdered Love" (re-recorded and released on Wasp Star);
"Life Is Always" (unreleased);
"Playground" (re-recorded and released on Wasp Star);
"Rip Van Ruben [Reuben]" (demo version released on Window Box);
"Where Did All the Ordinary People Go?"* (unreleased);
"Wonder Annual" (unreleased); and
"You and the Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful" (re-recorded and released on Wasp Star).
All songs written by Andy Partridge and *Colin Moulding.

Search again?