25 O'Clock

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25 O'Clock
25 O'Clock cover
EP by The Dukes of Stratosphear
Released 1 April 1985
Recorded December, 1984
Chapel Lane Studios, Hereford, England,
Genre Pop rock
Length
Label Virgin Records
Producer(s) Swami John Leckie and The Dukes
Professional reviews
The Dukes of Stratosphear chronology
25 O'Clock
(1985)
Psonic Psunspot
(1987)


25 O'Clock is a mini-album which was the first release of The Dukes of Stratosphear (a side project of the members of XTC), and was also the title song from that release. Joined by XTC member Dave Gregory's brother Ian on drums, the Dukes indulged in the stylistic tropes of 1960s psychedelia, particularly the British variety.

Released on April Fools Day, 1985, the mini-album was a tongue in cheek homage to the heyday of psychedelic rock. Several of the tracks were made to sound like individual bands (like the Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd sound of "Bike Ride to the Moon"). Others were simply a pastiche of the styles of the period as a whole.

The band issued a single and made a promotional film for "The Mole from the Ministry" (a song that owes a great deal to The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus").

The material on the 25 O'Clock mini-album (including the "hidden message" at the end of side two) was merged with the 1987 album Psonic Psunspot for release as Chips from the Chocolate Fireball — An Anthology on CD, simultaneous with Psonic Psunspot's vinyl release.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Sir John Johns, except where noted.

[edit] Side A

  1. "25 O'Clock"
  2. "Bike Ride to the Moon"
  3. "My Love Explodes"

[edit] Side B

  1. "What in the World??..." (The Red Curtain)
  2. "Your Gold Dress"
  3. "The Mole from the Ministry"

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Credits

[edit] Other versions

On the tribute album A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC, They Might Be Giants contributed a cover version of "25 O'Clock".

A demo version of "25 O'Clock" appears on the Andy Partridge rarities collection Fuzzy Warbles Volume 2.


XTC
Andy Partridge | Colin Moulding
Dave Gregory | Terry Chambers | Barry Andrews
Discography

Studio albums White Music (1978) | Go 2 (1978) | Drums and Wires (1979) | Black Sea (1980) | English Settlement (1982) | Mummer (1983) | The Big Express (1984) | Skylarking (1986) | Oranges and Lemons (1989) | Nonsuch (1992) | Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999) | Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (2000)

The Dukes of Stratosphear releases: 25 O'Clock (1985) | Psonic Psunspot (1987) | Chips from the Chocolate Fireball (1987)

Compilations, instrumentals, demos, live and tribute albums: Take Away / The Lure of Salvage (1980) | Waxworks: Some Singles 1977-1982 (1982) | Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977-1982 (1982) | The Compact XTC (1987) | Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 78-80 (1990) | Rag and Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers (1990) | BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert (1992) | Drums and Wireless: BBC Radio Sessions 77-89 (1994) | A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC (1995) | Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-92 (1996) | Upsy Daisy Assortment (1997) | Transistor Blast: The Best of the BBC Sessions (1998) | Homespun (1999) | Homegrown (2001) | Coat of Many Cupboards (2002) | Instruvenus (2002) | Waspstrumental (2002) | Apple Box 2005

Fuzzy Warbles albums: Fuzzy Warbles Volume 1 (2002) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 2 (2002) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 3 (2003) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 4 | (2003) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 5 (2004) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 6 (2004) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 7 (2006) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 8 (2006) | Hinges (2006)

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