Here's a new something that wasn't really mentioned much on the old forum, XTC's backing vocals and their harmonies.

I think they're amazing. They're miles ahead of any comtemporaires in this department, imo. Lush, textured, layered, melodic counterpoint, they often add a rich dimension to these songs that most other artists probably can't even begin to comprehend. A lot of times its the backing vocals that give these songs that magical "wow" factor for me. I think this is an area where the Beatles and Beach Boys influences are very evident, obviously. But as they do with most things in their songs, XTC manage to take those dynamics and revamp them into something that sounds innovative and modern. Something they liked to do a lot of is double the vocal melody an octave lower, as in Human Alchemy, Earn Enough For Us and Books Are Burning.

Stand-out harmonies for me are:
Beating Of Hearts
Me And The Wind
Jump
Crocodile
Humble Daisy
Poor Skeleton Steps Out
My Bird Performs

Stand-out backing vocals:
The Wheel And The Maypole
Season Cycle
Knuckle Down (those little falsetto "Do-Do-Doo"s and whatever that grinding, froggy vocal line underneath it all is)
The Everyday Story Of Smalltown
Holly Partridge in Playground
Those fantastically weird and wooly outro scats in Human Alchemy and Melt The Guns are sublime musical experiences. First glimpsed in All Along The Watchtower. Amazingly creative, they took those songs to a new level of musical invention. Brazenly daring you to face the new music, and on its own terms.

Who else current is in this same league, anyone?

good point......the baba err on Radios in Motion is such a big part of the song it would sound flat as a pancake under an elephants arse without it now

i think i first noticed the harmony thing on Heatwave you could tell they were really using them to colour that track

backing vocals and harmonys always have been a huge part of XTC yet another dimension that sets them apart from the rest


the band with the best ever harmonys IMHO though is the Roches....three sisters in perfect harmony who used to record some wonderful songs....
My Sick Mind,Sex is for Children and the Hammond Song....magic!

Nice thread Chrestus and you make a very good point indeed.............perhaps only us over 30's appreciate them!
Having said that Pugwash do some very lovely harmonies......layered and XTC ish and I like the harmonies that McFly do too, they remind me of the Beatles in their young days.

I couldn’t agree more, chrestus. I’m a total sucker for lush backing vox arrangements. It’s what sets XTC (and the Beatles and 10cc and the Beach Boys and Yes and Peter Gabriel and Bowie and others) apart from the crowd.

And whenever I listen to groups that favor stripped-down arrangements (i.e., Decemberists), I want to call them and offer to produce their records. And in the studio, I’d make them add a whole bunch of backing vox, and they’d be all “Hey man, you work for us, you can’t make us do that,” and I’d be like “Fine, then I quit. Go ahead and sound like fucking amateurs, you pricks.”

Also, I'd like to recognize "Humble Daisy."

It's very true, Chrestus, my fine fellow - few artists can touch XTC in the B Vox department.
The harmonies of 'The Beech Avenue Boys' on the very fine 'Skylarking' are a case in point, but it's the backing vocals on 'Nonsuch' that do it for me, album-wise.
As far as individual tracks are concerned, I'd have to mention the 'doot 'n' doos' at the end of 'Stupidly Happy', and, OF COURSE, those luscious harmonies all over 'Easter Theatre'. YUMMY!

One of the most amazing examples is also one of the smallest, but when it comes into the song, it just hits the spot. It's the second bridge ( middle eight, call it what you will) in 'The Disappointed' , the first being a plain melody. It's a piece of utter magic, not only as a harmony, but as a counterpoint to the first bridge, it builds a dramatic feel to the song that is the mark of peerless songwriting. Five stars.

What I like is how Andy & Colin (& Dave) use their voices in harmony as colors on a palate, some harmony sections being (say) all Andy, others with Colin added, and then others using all three of them. "Season Cycle" is a classic example.

Another XTC song I like the backing vocals on is Mayor of Simpleton. Also, you mustn't forget Chalkhills and Children.

Love the back vox on Mayor also! Especially the ending... very clever IMO.
Also love the genteel vox on Humble Daisy.

I strongly suggest all Forummers go right now and put on 'Knights in Shining Karma'....delectable harmonies, and conforming to the strategy of building a song's passion and power by only introducing harmony appropriately. Wunderbar!

back when theFW 8 came out I was surprised at how many people were saying that they preferred Andy's demo version of "I don't want to be here" -- When they come in, Colin's backing vocals on the finished version MAKE that song!

Oh why won't Colin come back? Having tried to sing backing vocals & drum at the same time (you try it to Sgt. Rock LOL!), I now fully appreciate both Andy's & Colin's vocal capabilities. They just work SO well together!