Singles detailsMaking Plans for Nigel (Colin Moulding) a) Making Plans for Nigel* / Bushman President (Homo Safari Series No.2); Pulsing Pulsing
Notes This was the first single from the album Drums and Wires. "Bushman President" and "Pulsing Pulsing" were previously unreleased. In Britain, the first 20,000 copies were issued wrapped in an approximately 19-1/2-inch square "Companion Games" sleeve, complete with a cardboard insert that had a spinner and cut-out figures of Nigel and his parents as playing pieces on it. The record was available with at least three variations on the label colour: grey with a white line across it, grey, and the green/red that was Virgin's standard label design at the time. German and Dutch copies shared the sleeve and the disc, both made in Germany presumably, but you can tell in which country the record was distributed from the labels, which say either "GEMA" or "Stemra," the acronyms for the copyright agencies in Germany and Holland, respectively. The German version has the copyright notice in German as well. The misspelt "Buschman" can be found on both German and Dutch labels. b) Making Plans for Nigel* [edit] / Are You Receiving Me? (live); This Is Pop? (live) Australia: 7", Virgin/Festival, K-7668, 10/1979 [no p/s] Notes "Nigel" is not even 4 minutes long here, although 4.18 is printed on the label. The tracks on side B are previously unreleased live recordings. Note the intro to "Battery Brides" heard after "This Is Pop?" The same two live tracks also appear on the Japanese edition of "Nigel" (see below), and three tracks from the same concert are used for the Canadian "Love at First Sight" single. c) Making Plans for Nigel* / Outside World Canada: 7", Virgin/PolyGram, VS 1106, 21/1/1980 [no p/s] Notes "Outside World" is from the Drums and Wires album. This was the first XTC single release in Canada. d) Making Plans for Nigel* / Life Begins at the Hop* France: 7", Virgin/Polydor, 2097 823, 1979 [different p/s] Note The cover design is based on the original singles' front cover art, i.e., "Nigel" on the front and "Hop" on the back.. e) Making Plans for Nigel* / This Is Pop? (live); Are You Receiving Me? (live) Japan: 7", Virgin/Victor, VIP-2792, 12/1979 [different cover b/w lyrics] Notes The tracks on side B are the same as on side B of the Australian "Nigel" single, only in reverse order (in reality these songs were not performed live in the order given on either single). The sleeve design is based on the Drums and Wires cover, supplemented by photos of the four members. The back cover includes a picture of the Drums and Wires cover with a track listing. f) Making Plans for Nigel* / This Is Pop? [single version]; Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!) USA: 7", Virgin/Atlantic, VA 67009, 6/1980 [different p/s] Notes "This Is Pop?" is the single version as R. J. Lange is credited on the label, and not the one from the White Music album as it says on the sleeve. Note that this was XTC's second single released in the States, after "Ten Feet Tall." g) Making Plans for Nigel* (stereo) / Making Plans for Nigel* (mono) USA: 7", Virgin/Atlantic, VA 67009, 6/1980 [promo; p/s] Notes The promotional issue of the above. It has the same catalogue number and sleeve as the commercial issue. h) Making Plans for Nigel* / Senses Working Overtime [edit] UK: 7", Old Gold, OG 9819, 11/1988 (reissue) [different p/s] Notes Two hit songs on one disc from an established reissue label. "Senses Working Overtime" is from the album English Settlement. The picture on the front cover is from the wrong period it includes Barry Andrews. Recording Data "Making Plans for Nigel," "Bushman President," "Pulsing Pulsing," and "Outside World" produced by Steve Lillywhite. Recorded during the Drums and Wires sessions. The live versions of "Are You Receiving Me?" and "This Is Pop?" recorded at the Marconi Club in Sydney, Australia, 20 July 1979. Mixed by Keith Walker. "Life Begins at the Hop" produced by Steve Lillywhite as a single. "This Is Pop?" produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange as a single. "Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!)" produced by John Leckie. Recorded during the Go 2 sessions. "Senses Working Overtime" produced by Hugh Padgham and XTC. Recorded during the English Settlement sessions. The cover says: "Vera and Charlie's son played Bass and sang. Eileen and Peter's son played Drums. Margaret and Roy's son played Guitar and sang. Vera and John's son played Guitar and sang. Marie and Geoffrey Lillywhite's son Steve produced it. Ursula and Charlie Padgham's son Hugh engineered it. Helen and Ronnie Chambers' son George operated the tape recorder." Songs composed by *Colin Moulding and Andy Partridge. A promotional film was made for "Making Plans for Nigel." Trivia On "Pulsing Pulsing" a semi-acoustic guitar was recorded using a microphone, without plugging in an amplifier. With "Making Plans for Nigel" reaching the Top 20 in the British singles charts, the band appeared on Top of the Pops twice. May also be found on the album Drums and Wires May also be found on the album Eighties Goldies (comp.) May also be found on the album Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-92 (comp.) May also be found on the album Upsy Daisy Assortment: The Sweetest Hits (comp.) May also be found on the album The Greatest (comp.)
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