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The Big Express “If Mummer was a gentle chug through the countryside, then The Big Express is a loco derailing itself in the rusty goods yard. An altogether more industrial affair. Slashing electric guitars, sheets of steel bass and diesel oil drums. An iron opera, steam powered and brick encased.” ~ Andy Partridge All the black and white images are original photos taken during recording at Crescent Studios... Mark Fisher of the Limelight fanzine mailed me a box of photos. Big Thanks! |
Recorded at
Crescent Studios, Bath, England, 1984. |
Phil Thornalley, Matt Barry and XTC mixed The Big Express at: RAK Studios, London, England, July 1984. RAK Recording Studios were created in 1976 by legendary record producer Mickie Most who sympathetically converted an imposing Victorian schoolhouse and church hall into a state-of-the-art recording studio complex with full residential facilities. Accommodation can be provided for up to ten people with full catering facilities on site. Any more than ten guests can be accommodated inlocal hotels at |
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favorable rates. RAK Recording Studios are situated just north of Regents Park in one of London's most prized neighborhoods, with the restaurants, pubs, and shops of St.Johns Wood, but a stone's throw away, as well as quick and easy access to London's West End with its theatres, museums, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Facilities include 3 ground level recording studios all with natural daylight - so it never feels like midnight at midday. Studio 1 and Studio 2 have API desks (the only fully |
functional, working API desks in Great Britain, and Studio 3 has an SSL desk, thus fusing traditional and contemporary technology within an inspiring and creative environment. For many years the recording studios were the production facility of the hugely successful RAK record label. Today, RAK Recording Studios is used by some of the most outstanding artists in the music business. The staff are relaxed and professional, and totally committed to the realization of your project's full potential. (All RAK text was gently culled from the offical webspace of the RAK studios in London, England) |
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RAK RECORDING STUDIOS The album was produced by David Lord & XTC, and was engineered by Lord and Glenn Tommey. The Big Express was released in the UK on the 15th of October and climbed to number 38 on their charts. |
The Musicians: Andy Partridge - Vocals, Electric Guitars,
Linn Drum and Harmonica |
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Production: David Lord and XTC. Engineering: David Lord & Glenn Tommey. Originally released on 15 October 1984 in the U.K. & reached as high as #38. |
The Big Express featured these classic XTC tracks: Wake Up + Bonus tracks which appeared on the CD: Red Brick Dream |
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Additional
original photos from the Optimism's Flames collection, provided by Mark
Fisher. |
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