A Coat Of Many Cupboards

Virgin Records are proud to announce the release of 'A Coat of Many Cupboards' - a very special 4 CD box set from classic British pop band XTC.

Following on from the huge success of the remastered XTC albums in 2001, this specially designed 4 CD Long Box offers fans a wealth of previously untapped musical gems - in fact the box itself is fitted with additional internal flaps to create the feeling of an impending voyage of discovery.

Put together with the help of Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, 'A Coat Of Many Cupboards' features 60 tracks spanning XTC's entire output for Virgin Records. There are demo versions of most of their singles, a selection of Andy & Colin's favourite tracks with stories about each track in the booklet, rarities/unreleased tracks and a selection of previously unheard live tracks from performances around the world.

A fully illustrated 60 page booklet with a specially commissioned essay by Harrison Sherwood (XTC aficionado and lifelong fan) rounds off what is their most comprehensive career retrospective package. The perfect companion to 'Fossil Fuels'.

XTC hailed from Swindon to cultivate a legacy of highly original British pop born from their early punk/new wave roots in the late 70s. Their angular yet melodic songs, lead by distinctive jagged riffs boasted the catchiest of pop sensibilities which was then injected with an edginess by the darker overtones of astute and often political lyrics. Throughout their career, from the jerky earlier sound to the lushly arranged meticulous pop of their later albums, each new project marked a progression which spawned classic hits such as 'Making Plans for Nigel', 'Senses Working Overtime', 'Generals and Majors', and 'Mayor of Simpleton'.

Disc One
Science Friction - CBS demo
Spinning Top - Live at Erics in Liverpool
Traffic Light Rock - Live at Erics Liverpool
Radios In Motion - White Music version
Lets Have Fun - White Music out take
Fireball XL5/Fireball dub - White Music out take
Heatwave Mark 2 Deluxe - White music out take
This Is Pop - Single Version
Are You Receiving Me - Go 2 out take
Things Fall To Bits - Go 2 out take
Us Being Us - Go 2 out take
Life Begins At The Hop - First rehearsal extract
Life Begins At The Hop - first recording, unused
Making Plans For Nigel - Demo from Swindon Town Hall
Ten Feet Tall - Drums and Wires version
Sleepyheads - Drums and Wires out take

Disc Two
Meccanik Dancing - Live At Sidneys Marconi Club
Atom medley - Into The Atom Age/Hang On To The Night/Neon Shuffle - Live at Sidneys Marconi Club
Life Begins At The Hop - unused U.S single recording
Real By Reel - unused single recording
When You’re Near Me I Have Difficulty - Unused single recording
Helicopter - Unused single recording
Towers of London - Rejected single recording
Generals And Majors - Rehearsal tape
No Language In Our lungs - Black Sea version
Sgt. Rock Is Going To Help Me - Black Sea version
Paper And Iron - Live at The Lyceum, London
Crowded Room - Live at The Lyceum, London
Senses Working Overtime - Early work tape
Snowman - Live at The Hammersmith Odeon, London
Ball And Chain - Unused single recording
Disc Three
Punch And Judy - unused single recording
Fly On The Wall - English Settlement version
Yacht Dance - Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test, BBC TV
Jason And The Argonauts - English Settlement version
Love On A Farmboys Wages - Home demo
Wonderland - Home demo
Ladybird - Mummer version
All You Pretty Girls - Home demo
Wake Up - Home demo
The Everyday Story Of Smalltown - Big Express version
Grass - Home demo
Lets Make A Den - Home demo
The Meeting Place - Home demo
Dear God - Band demo
Disc Four
Brainiacs Daughter - Psonic Psunspot version
Vanishing Girl - Psonic Psunspot version
Terrorism - Home demo
Find The Fox - Home demo
Season Cycle - Skylarking version
The Troubles - Home demo
Mayor Of Simpleton - Early work tape
King For A Day - Home demo
Chalkhills And Children - Oranges And Lemons version
The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead - Early home demo
Omnibus - Nonsuch version
The Disappointed - Home demo
Bungalow - Nonsuch version
Didn''t Hurt A Bit - Nonsuch out take
Books Are Burning - Live on The Late Show BBC TV

USA Release information. Including info on US release of the Virgin remastered albums.

UK Release information:

XTC
A Coat Of Many Cupboards
4 CD boxset
Virgin Records
Released March 25th