Drums and Wires is the third studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by the British band XTC

XTC

XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...

, released on 17 August 1979. It reached No. 34 on the UK album chart, and No. 176 on the U.S. Billboard album charts. It contained the successful single "Making Plans for Nigel", which was released on 14 September 1979, and reached No. 17 on the UK singles chart. It also contained the original recording of "Ten Feet Tall", a re-recorded version of which was released in March 1980 in the U.S. only, as their first U.S. single, designed to coincide with the band's first American tour. Certain versions of the album also include "Life Begins at the Hop

Life Begins at the Hop

"Life Begins at the Hop" is a single by XTC released in 1979. Their fifth single, it was the first indication of a change in their late-seventies sound from urgent post-punk to power pop. As their sound changed, so too did their line-up as keyboardist Barry Andrews was replaced by second guitarist...

", which was released on 27 April 1979, and reached No. 44 on the UK singles chart.

The album was rated #38 on Pitchfork Media's The Top Albums of the 1970s list.

Track listing

All songs written by Andy Partridge

Andy Partridge

Andrew John "Andy" Partridge is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has been known as Sir John Johns and Melchior and rose to fame as a founding member, guitarist and chief songwriter of the pop/new wave band, XTC. He lives in Swindon, Wiltshire, where he was raised.Partridge also...

, except where noted.

This album was originally released with at least six different track listings in various parts of the world. Some versions contained a two/three-song 7" single in addition to the 11 or 12 song album. One version moved all of Colin Moulding's songs to side one. The initial US release featured the single version of "Ten Feet Tall". Another version of the LP contained 14 songs.

The original UK LP release contained the following tracks:

Side One

1. "Making Plans for Nigel" (Colin Moulding
   Colin Moulding
   Colin Ivor Moulding is a bassist, songwriter and vocalist. He is a founding member of the band XTC. Though less prolific than bandmate Andy Partridge, Moulding wrote many of the group's most popular songs, including their first three UK hit singles: "Life Begins At The Hop", "Making Plans For...
   
   ) – 4:13
2. "Helicopter" – 3:54
3. "Day in Day Out" (Moulding) – 3:46
4. "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty" – 3:20
5. "Ten Feet Tall" (Moulding) – 3:12
6. "Roads Girdle the Globe" – 5:11

Side Two

1. "Real by Reel" – 3:46
2. "Millions" – 5:37
3. "That is the Way" (Moulding) – 2:56
4. "Outside World" – 2:40
5. "Scissor Man" – 3:59
6. "Complicated Game" – 4:53

The first 20,000 copies of the LP had a free 7" single, "Chain Of Command"/"Limelight" (Moulding). The song "Life Begins at the Hop

Life Begins at the Hop

"Life Begins at the Hop" is a single by XTC released in 1979. Their fifth single, it was the first indication of a change in their late-seventies sound from urgent post-punk to power pop. As their sound changed, so too did their line-up as keyboardist Barry Andrews was replaced by second guitarist...

" (Moulding), released as a 7" single before the original LP's release, appears on other versions of the album, either as a substitution, a bonus single, or bonus tracks on CD releases.

UK (and Canadian) vinyl editions came with an insert featuring lyrics to all the songs on Drums and Wires as well as XTC's previous albums GO2 and
White Music. But what isn't listed is which album the songs came from.24.68.45.25 (talk)

Drums and Wires [2001 remastered]

1. "Making Plans for Nigel" - 4:13
2. "Helicopter" - 3:54
3. "Day in Day Out" - 3:08
4. "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty" - 3:22
5. "Ten Feet Tall" - 3:16
6. "Roads Girdle the Globe" - 4:50
7. "Real by Reel" - 3:47
8. "Millions" - 5:39
9. "That is the Way" - 2:56
10. "Outside World" - 2:41
11. "Scissor Man" - 4:00
12. "Complicated Game" - 5:04
13. "Life Begins at the Hop" - 3:49
14. "Chain of Command" - 2:33
15. "Limelight" - 2:26

The reissue CD was digitally remastered by Ian Cooper at Metropolis Mastering.

Personnel

• Andy Partridge
  Andy Partridge
  Andrew John "Andy" Partridge is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has been known as Sir John Johns and Melchior and rose to fame as a founding member, guitarist and chief songwriter of the pop/new wave band, XTC. He lives in Swindon, Wiltshire, where he was raised.Partridge also...
  
   - vocals, guitars, synthesizers
• Colin Moulding
  Colin Moulding
  Colin Ivor Moulding is a bassist, songwriter and vocalist. He is a founding member of the band XTC. Though less prolific than bandmate Andy Partridge, Moulding wrote many of the group's most popular songs, including their first three UK hit singles: "Life Begins At The Hop", "Making Plans For...
  
   - vocals, bass
• Dave Gregory - guitars, keyboards, background vocals
• Terry Chambers
  Terry Chambers
  Terry Chambers is an English drummer and was a founding member of XTC, appearing on all studio and live albums until his departure during the 1982 sessions for Mummer, on which he played on "Beating of Hearts", "Wonderland" and a B-side, "Toys".He moved to his wife's native Australia, drumming...
  
   - drums, percussion, background vocals
• Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Dave Gregory, Terry Chambers, Steve Warren, Hugh Padgham, Al Clark, Jumbo Van Reinen - Vernon Yard Male Voice Choir on "Roads Girdle the Globe"
• Dick Cuthell
  Dick Cuthell
  Dick Cuthell is a British musician and record producer. He plays flugelhorn, cornet, and trumpet, amongst a range of other brass instruments, including tenor horn and valve trombone. Cuthell is best known for his work with The Specials and Rico Rodriguez. He also collaborated with bands such as...
  
   - trumpet
  Trumpet
  The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
  
   on "That Is the Way"
• Steve Lillywhite
  Steve Lillywhite
  Steve Lillywhite is an English Grammy Award winning record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited for working on over 500 records and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dave Matthews Band, U2, Peter Gabriel,...
  
   - producer
• Hugh Padgham
  Hugh Padgham
  Hugh Padgham is a British record producer. He has won many awards, including four Grammys, with Producer of the Year and Engineer of the Year. A 1992 poll in Mix magazine voted him one of the world's Top Ten Most Influential Producers....
  
  - engineer