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Pop Rock

Swindon, Virgin, 1977

XTC

Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding and drummer Terry Chambers played together in Swindon from 1972, as Star Park and then the Helium Kidz, before settling on XTC in 1975. Virgin signed them in 1977 after a Radio 1 session, and Dave Gregory joined on guitar in 1979. Steve Lillywhite and Hugh Padgham worked on Drums and Wires and Black Sea. In March 1982 Partridge walked off stage at a Paris show broadcast live, the American tour was cancelled, and XTC never toured again. They became a studio band, with Todd Rundgren producing Skylarking in 1986. As the Dukes of Stratosphear they also made records posing as a 1960s psychedelic band. In 1993 they went on strike against Virgin, came back with Apple Venus in 1999, and by 2006 Partridge said XTC was in the past tense.

Witton Gilbert, County Durham

Prefab Sprout

Paddy McAloon and his brother Martin started a band in 1977 in Witton Gilbert, County Durham, and called it Prefab Sprout from 1978. Wendy Smith joined on vocals in 1982. Keith Armstrong heard them in the Newcastle HMV shop he managed and signed them to his Kitchenware label. Their first album, Swoon, was recorded in Edinburgh for £5,000 in 1984. Thomas Dolby produced Steve McQueen in 1985, which came out in America as Two Wheels Good, and Protest Songs, recorded that year, was held back until 1989. Stevie Wonder and Pete Townshend guested on From Langley Park to Memphis in 1988, and their 1990 album was up for a Brit Award. Failing sight and hearing later made it hard for Paddy to work with others, and on Crimson/Red in 2013 he played everything himself.

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