Andy Partridge - XTC's Secret Chords Revealed [Part 4]
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- čas přidán 1. 08. 2024
- Legendary songwriter Andy Partridge corrects the XTC tribute bands and music analysts who sometimes get XTC songs wrong.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Introduction
0:37 The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead
3:28 Earn Enough For Us
4:21 Respectable Street
6:08 Roads Girdle The Globe
11:10 Books Are Burning
15:00 Millions - Hudba
![XTC The Big Express - The Alternate Guitar Tunings [Part 3]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/v4pvzJQQJ40/mqdefault.jpg)
![XTC The Big Express - The Alternate Guitar Tunings [Part 3]](/img/tr.png)
![XTC's Andy Partridge - How I Write Songs [Part 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sZzhjgQqCJI/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank god Andy didn’t know what chords he was playing otherwise we’d never have gotten all his wonderful songs ,he literally played by his own rules absolutely love it 😃
Andy is one of those players that essentially is making up most of his chords as he goes, but he has a talent for being able to intuit that it’s going to work, and the gift of an artistic voice to channel it through. After watching this, I feel a LOT better about my complete inability to find where to even BEGIN when trying to figure out most of his songs. He is playing almost entirely by his own rules and the guitar lessons all the rest of us took need not apply thank you. He’s just purely an artist.
@@stevegunning1806 figure of speech us atheist can slip up from time to time 🤣 dear god is one of my all time favourite songs ✌️
Roads Girdle the Globe was FASCINATING. Andy Partridge is a jazz pianist who got trapped in the body of a guitarist this lifetime around.
It didn’t even look like he was playing a guitar during that bit! Is anyone going to tab these out? - went by a bit fast for me
I have played that song over and over and neither Andy or Dave recall or mention the maj7 6 9 chord on "or am I FAST" which I swear spells up from f#, a,b and e.
...gorgeous! And of course brilliant
I think it's one of the best songs ever. So powerful!
Well said
Colin’s bass is amazing. No space is lost in XTC songs.
The ultimate Andy interview - hands down.
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“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
― Terry Pratchett
So true!
I love this interview series!
I'm no guitar expert but just seeing Andy so energised is enough to put joy in my heart. His songs resonate so deeply with me and these interviews have gone a long way towards explaining why that is so.
YES! Same here!!
This was literally the best interview of Andy. It allows me to see just how brilliant he is and why I am just an old guy wanking on a guitar. He hears emotions that I don’t immediately in chords. And those emotions become visions for the story. Pure genius.
As a huge fan of both Brazilian music and XTC (and being a guitarist), I've always loved those kinds of open-string voicings which are common in both. In many ways Andy reminds me of the great Brazilian guitarist/composer Guinga- he's so intuitive and writes perfect-gem melodies, but his knack for unconventional but brilliant harmony really sets him apart from his peers. What a gift these interviews are! Thanks!
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the way he comes up with these chords in a way that sounds and feels natural is just beyond my wits.
I've spent years dissecting all these guitar parts and this gift of sharing from Andy is incredible. The little victories of the parts I got right and the ah HA moments of THATS HOW THEY DO IT are the reason I continue to mine the vast amount of gems to be gleaned from the music of XTC. It's informed so much of my playing and writing. Thank you x 100.
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what a lovely guy. So humble for one who has achieved so much. And Andy was great too.
I needed this video 40 years ago. What a gift from Andy!
Fakt: Andy Partridge ist einer der größten Songwriter in der Geschichte der Musik. So viele fantastische Songs, so viele fantastische Songideen, so ein extrem hohes musikalisches Niveau, es ist einfach nur unglaublich. PS: Die Songs von Colin sind natürlich ebenfalls absolut brilliant. Ich sage nur I remember the Sun…
"It's so easy, kids, once you know..." Fun to watch Andy play...and I'd swear anyone else could be sitting there, playing the same chords, but with Andy, it's so CLEARLY Andy. Magnificent!
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Absolutely brilliant interview. I could watch Andy break down his songs all day, such a genius of a song writer!
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MORE, please!! English Settlement would also be my desert island album, fwiw. "People will always be tempted to wipe their feet on anything with 'welcome' written on it."
Chanan............. what a gift your channel is!
I've never seen a conversation with Andy quite like this. He's so comfortable and so open -- he was having fun and learning just as you were! I couldn't stop giggling towards the end here where you were "telling him what he's doing" :)
His process is so intuitive -- he's unbound by theory or "The Rules" of "Pop Songwriting", yet his palette is extremely refined and diverse. The output ends up being very much Its Own Thing, but it still works marvelously.
While I reach for Nonsuch a bit more often, I would have to agree that English Settlement is the definitive XTC masterpiece. I have a soft spot for The Big Express as well........ Mummer too.
I have trouble saying consistent on the "Desert Island Disc" topic, but the answer I often come up with is 10cc's How Dare You. Or maybe Sheet Music. That blend of what I call "the sublime and the ridiculous" really works for me, and I think it's fair to say there's more than a hint of that blend in Andy's songwriting as well. Obviously there in droves in the Zappa oeuvre!
Thank you again Chanan, and a huge thanks to Andy as well.
Take care,
--jeff
It's because he respects Chanan and allows him in...
Thank you Jeff and I'm sure Andy would be thankful for your comments too.
I was going to post a comment, but couldn't quite get down my thoughts on how awesome this series of 4 videos is... but you kinda did it for me, Jeff. Thank you. And it would have to be Sheet Music for me... fantastic album.
Gotta hope Andy makes a return visit :-)
@@stevepower1372 How gorgeous is Old Wild Men?
Dear Chanan and Andy, thank you so much for sharing this conversation. I appreciate that CZcams videos are not the same as face-to-face discussions, and that you two don’t know me from a bar of soap. But there is something quite amazing about hearing you both speak about musical ideas and experiences that resonate with me. I am sure that I am not alone in feeling a kind of “kinship in music“ with you both. To achieve that feeling requires a special combination of talented and “aware“ discussants, and then audience of viewers who are in the right “zone“ to connect. I also think it requires a real generosity of musical spirit, and that comes through so strongly in this interview series, and other interviews that you have conducted of late Chanan. Andy, thank you so much for not just creating (or perhaps _discovering_) so much wonderful music, but also for your willingness to share the joys of your creations and discoveries like this. It’s abundantly obvious to me why are you are on Chanan’s hit list, along with other pioneering guitarists and musical luminaries, and it demonstrates very clearly, that music is more than a “sport“ or competition, even though there are musicians whose athleticism Is intertwined with their creativity and discovery. One closing thought: I wonder whether you would ever consider writing an “XTC song book“ that gives an account of the unique and wonderful guitar and musical gems that stud all the treasures you have gifted us? Good wishes to you both 🎉
How nice! Thank you very much and I'm sure Andy would be pleased with your generous words.
Brazilian wax.....😆😆😆😆😆😆! Leave it up to him to still have that quick witted sense of humor. This video was absolutely fantastic...thank you, thank you!
Please, please, we need much more of this interview. It's glorious.
So much joy and intelligence coming from Andy and his guitar. ❤
Andy is such an underrated genius and doesn't get nearly enough credit. This interview does him justice and was fascinating. Great interview Chanan. Look forward to seeing more.
I've listened to a LOT of XTC interviews. This is now hands down my favorite. That was so interesting. And Chanan, you are a gifted interviewer and some sort of musical genius; you I am just discovering but will learn more from, thank you both.
Andy is divinely inspired. His seemingly bottomless catalog of chords helps it along. He seems utterly trancelike when he's composing.What a dreamer! The fact that he doesn't always know what he's playing is testament to that.
I just can't say enough how much I have enjoyed this interview. Thanks to the both of you. What a meeting of hearts and minds. XTC has long been one of my top ten desert island bands and now I need to check out Chanan Hanspal!
Just started watching this treat. oh, how I am hoping, hoping, hoping, that the opening chords to “hold me my daddy“ might be revealed🤞
music can reflect the personality of the artist. Dark quirky yet reflective of the mood.
Andy is such a modest human. What an artist.
And also very charming: Andy playing a humble brand of guitar...
Best interview series with a musician I’ve ever seen. Of course, I’m a big A.P./XTC but still, the host was prepared and well versed in the artist’s work and the artist was in a generous mood and seemed genuinely happy to open up in a very detailed and intimate way. I hope there will be more with Andy. I also enjoyed the conversation with Dave Gregory. Thank you!
So glad the mystery chord of Respectsble Street has finally been revealed. I’ve tried figuring that chord out for years and nothing ever sounded quite correct. Amazing interviews, great job!
Just so blown away by this! I can't stop watching/listening!
Respectable street!🔥☄️🔥 That opening riff is the most awesome sounding combination of notes. Makes me want to drive really fast🏎️
Guys a fuggin genius
Absolutely love this! Such an interesting interview. Hearing one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century talk about one of the most important elements of a good song: great chords. Awesome.
And the thing that really blew my mind: Mentioning the lydian thing! I have an obsession with lydian, it transports me into another world. Andy obviously also does, some of his greatest epics are lydian: Jason & the Argonauts (as mentioned), Complicated Game, the end of Across This Antheap etc.
I'm amazed at the fact he didn't seem to be really aware of this, maybe he's just being modest...
I discovered XTC 40 years ago. What a mervellous band, Andy is a genious, and XTC deserved more success. Thank you for these great videos.
Nothing can be more beautiful than to be appreciated for what you are good at.. I believe Andy was genuinely surprised and touched by your admiration and your ability to explain some of the musical nuances of his song righting style that we love so much. Keep up the good work. It is greatly appreciated.
You did it, Chanan! Thank you so much for this. Nirvana for music lovers!
I've been an XTC fan since 1982. This video is incredible!
Best interview series ever. It just is.
Looking forward to hearing this...same regarding Dave's interview too
This is frigging gold. Thank you, Chanan, AND ANDY, SO MUCH!
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I absolutely loved this series. Absolutely riveting! Thank you for such a great feature. Andy, we miss you on your soapbox too. Never be ashamed of stepping up there. Regardless, as a songwriter and composer, I continue to be inspired by your genius and understanding how you approach music with your ears and your taste, not being dictated by theory or training. It demonstrates that beautifully complex work can come from tapping in to the universe vs. some crusty professor's rules. You inspired me to write like my younger years again. Well done, Chanan. More please!
Really enjoyed this series, Chanan. I live near Andy. Many years ago ( just before he flew to America to record Sky Larking) Andy kindly invited me into his house to give me a critique of a song I’d written and recorded - he gave me really helpful production advice - I’m just writing this to honour that kindness, gifted then. A brilliant creative.
Fantastic Chanan - great questions and I love how you don't interrupt Andy either!
Chanan's the best!
I bought the 3d EP for 39 p many years ago in Motherwell,because I liked the cover and it was in the bargain bin,played it and was hooked,bought every record that followed,still a favourite band.
Well, after seeing all 4 parts in a row, I must say thank you Chanan. What a great moment with Andy, I am so obsessed with XTC's music! Thanks thanks thanks !
Dear Andy,,,,l knicked the Brazil chord from you some 40 years ago...been stepping on it ever since.Cheers from the Colonies. Thank you for everything you do.your art has been deeply dear over my playing and writing.
This is so great. Thank you.
This is great,far better than looking at shapes in a chord book.
Just caught this series. Good to see Andy up and about sharing his secrets. Chanan did a great job bringing his amazing technical knowledge.
This brings up a lot of feelings because I’ve missed his voice so much. Thank you for setting the table for a fascinating conversation about song construction. Andy laid it all out there. May this inspire a new generation of pop magicians.
I was fortunate to see XTc live a couple of times. 1979 and 1980. The energy was unreal. Watching them play songs from Drums and Wires and black sea was such a privilege.
Oranges and Lemons is my desert island disk. Still my all time favorite album. May I also suggest that Andy Partridge and Dave Gregory are possibly the best rhythm guitar tag team in rock and roll? With some furious phrases and sections handed off to one another and back and then sometimes they're both in the ring beating up on you at once!
Same here! Either Oranges & Lemons, or Spilt Milk by Jellyfish.
This is much appreciated Mr.Chanan!
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I was a college sophomore when English Settlement was released. It lived on my turntable for that entire year. The argument between my roommates and I wasn't over what music to play, but who had to get up and make XTC happen
Best interview of Andy I’ve seen in my life!
Standing O to you, gracious, musically erudite sir!! 🫡
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
XTC - one of my favorite bands EVER!
Andy’s fave telecaster is a Japanese Squire. So it makes sense he knows value fur money playing a Harley Benton here.
amazing interview series!!! XTC fans are rejoicing! thank you and Andy!
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A truly unique series of interviews,I feel privileged to have watched them.
You could easily believe Andy has a collection of magic guitars,ones that access chords and sounds not available anywhere else.
It's magic alright, but it comes from Andy's fearless approach to all things musical, and that relentless endeavour for excellence that is characteristic of every XTC album.
I think if Andy could have chosen an interviewer it would be Chanal, the combined knowledge and understanding makes for terrific viewing.
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Andy is my hero. He's a really smart guy who knows nothing of music theory and harmony. He calls G# as Ab on E7 secondary dominant first inversion. Etc. It's all ear, and we're all better off for it. Awesome vid.
Damn right - it’s not about what musical theory labels Andy doesn’t know but what he can do with those chords and his exploratory musical mind. His ear is pretty phenomenal too.
The algorithm brought me here and I'm pleased! Andy is always so fascinating to listen to and this was a great interview. Really enjoyed the conversation and the way you listen respectfully as well as point out things Andy wasn't aware of. Off to check out the other parts!
Acoustically, "Roads Girdle the Globe" is reminiscent of Captain Beefheart.
This is wonderful.
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I'm not a guitarist myself and only really know XTC's hits like Making Plans for Nigel which I loved and bought at that time. I somehow fell across this series with Andy Chanan and I have got to say what a fantastic insight into Andy's thinking and personality. I think the mutual respect you had for each other was great and also the way you let Andy talk without interrupting all the time - like a lot of interviewers seem to do - is a credit to you. Many thanks and all the best to yourself and Andy.
the townsend g let's call it people also miss when playing making plans for nigel. i've gone through the trouble of slaving over dave's chord stabs (the whole song, actually...) on that song, and regular shapes just don't have 'the sound.' for those interested he plays:
single notes e to g 355055 x2
g to e x7998x x2
*e* to b (not a to b!) x2443x x2
a to b x2443x x2
a to g and repeat
in most live clips dave seems to play an open g first, followed by the townsend g, but i'm not confident whether we get that in the studio version; later in the song he seems to change the chords completely. the chorus and bridge are also different from all tabs i've seen, and there's a solo buried in the mix at the end no one seems to notice -- dave never played it live -- which i can't be arsed transcribing. my 'master plan' is to cover each xtc album 50 years on, but i'll likely put out some stuff earlier.
Thank you soooo much for this!
While Nonsuch remains one of my all time favourite albums, I’m going to dive back into the XTC catalogue this week.
Andy should periodically host a podcast on creative writing of music
Thank you for this incredible interview. Exquisite. Someone had to do it. Wow
Very good, thanks. Love XTC music.
The magician reveals his secrets! I don't know much about music theory, but as a listener, I really enjoy how XTC wrote songs that contained elements of conventional melodic rock or power pop, but then they threw in some unexpected chord or an oddball voicing that put their unique stamp on the music. Great interview, Chanan!
Thank you so much for this serie of videos with Andy Partridge, as an early fan & musician as well I knew that every song of XTC was always kinda tricky, so I never really tried to learn these beautiful songs, but now we have the little secrets, & it sounds so much better when you have the REAL stuff, now my guitar is tuned in EMaj, & for me the world is not over yet !!! Greetings from Britanny-France mate, can't wait for the next season with Andy, & I hope that your channel will get bigger & bigger 'cause you really deserve that !!!
I love these 3 uploads. They are absolutely wonderful. Thank you.
Beautiful arrangement and performance, Channan. One of my favourite XTC songs and lends itself so well to solo guitar. Thank you that was amazing!
I love these discussions. You get the intuitive side from Andy and the analytical side from Chanan. And you both genuinely seemed to be enjoying yourselves. Thanks for sharing this.
Kudos to you, Chanan. This whole series has been really great. There was a lot of great interaction on Partridge's Twitter account before he shut it down a few years back, and following that unfortunate episode it always feels great to see him re-connect with the outside world and to see him feel appreciated. XTC deserved a better fate.
This whole series of videos with Andy has been delightful. Thank you both.
This is a great interview series, I am enjoying all the parts of it with Andy and Andy is so humble about his guitar playing, I’m a life long fan and I have realized I play guitar the same way as Andy, generally I find what sounds good and has emotional connection, but I’m not technical at all, when people start talking numbers and things like that, I really tune out, now I’m not near as a great of a guitar player as Andy, but it’s built my confidence to watch this video knowing that I play similar to how he plays music and thanks for supporting the various ways people play too Chanan and validating them, I enjoy your channel very much.
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What a great video. 😎
Boy am I enjoying these! Love Andy's genuine enthusiasm and humility. He's proud of his work, and what sane human can blame him? There are XTC songs that I'd put right up there in the top .001% of pop music, that rarefied air inhabited by fabs, etc. I'm weird. My two favorite musical acts of all time are XTC and NRBQ, both of whom came very close to Beatles level quality at times but also did so much more in their ways. XTC is probably more harmonically advanced, but NRBQ had a certain unhinged musicianship thing (rockabilly with a dollop of 60's pop and a dash of Thelonius Monk). New to the channel but I'd welcome any NRBQ content! Thanks!
Never heard of NRBQ, I thought this was the initials of a band I'd heard of, but no! Will have to check them out. My two favourite bands are, funnily enough, XTC and Van Halen. Both use amazing chords, and backing vocals!
@@cleverbobby They are obscure, though musicians used to rave about them (the bass player was in that Chuck Berry Keith Richards concert/movie thing). Start with the Peek-a-boo album if you do decide to try. It's a best of that's got a high concentration of great stuff and well sequenced with great sound. Not at all similar to VH, but you already know that.
This was awesome! I hope there are more of this with Andy, he is just great and I could listen to him talk about his music all day. He is a genius to me.
Wonderful. Eagerly looking forward to the next Andy interview Chanan and whoever else graces your channel. As a fellow Cardiffian, tidy job :)
Thanks Jonny.
He’s delightful!
Fantastic stuff. Thank you for doing this Chanan. I thoroughly enjoyed all four parts.
That whole series was just a delight! Thank you both so much!
Wow, I love these short videos with Andy. His genius and passion shines through. Thank you for sharing Chanan.
Fascinating interview. thank you for sharing. i learned so much about so many songs i have loved for so long
Just stumbled across these videos of you talking to Andy. What a gift! Thankyou so much - and get Andy back again soon!
Im with you on 'English Settlement' Chanan - the crowning glory of their output IMO. This series has made my week - thank you both 🙏🏻👍🏻 (Dukes and/or Wing Beat Fantastic are my votes for future consideration 😊) consideration 😊
Brilliant. A big thank you to you both.
The whole interview (all three parts) was fantastic. I'm a HUGE Zappa fan...BUT...I am also a HUGE XTC fan.
And I know I'm not alonen in that strange combination of interests.
Mike Keneally is also a HUGE fan of XTC and Zappa.
And Chanan is a HUGE fan of XTC... and Zappa.
I would have a hard time with only one album on a desert Island. I probably wouldn't listen to anything.
BUT...if I just so HAPPENED to omly have English Settelment...I wouldn't complain.
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I just looked at The XTC France back stage video from 1982..😎😁😁😁
It was either the first or second time I ever spoke with Andy, but in the middle of 1985 I was asking him about his production work on the just-released Peter Blegvad's "The Naked Shakespeare" album, as well as him discussing some of the tracks XTC was in the middle of recording for The Big Express. I distinctly recall him saying that he got the idea for open E tuning from Blegvad himself, who had used it on several of the songs on that album.
Thank you so much for the video Chanan; the beloved Mr. Partridge is an unsung genius imho, love the man, XTC, Dukes etc and always a pleasure to listen and watch him talk about his music, playing and techniques. More please.
I got very emotional by this. Thank you very much!
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What a fabulous treat this interview is for us XTC fans, especially those who among us who wield an axe. So many great insights into the XTC song repertoire, including lyrics, melodies, rhythms, and of course, chords. Chanan has a wonderful interviewer’s ability to listen closely and intervene only when necessary, otherwise let Andy talk and demonstrate his genius. I’m recommending this to all my XTC fan friends.
The F11 at the end of Andy's guitar part, just before the chorus of Roads Girdle the Globe (9:20 mins) is bonkers; not least of which is that Dave is playing Fmaj7 third inversion at the exact same point. Wonderful.
At least it *could* be F11, I hear scale tones 1, 6, 9, 5, (8)-is there a B flat over the F?
Probably one of the best possible songwriting masterclasses! Absolutely fascinating, kudos on the interviewing
The slamming car door chord
"Going from Einstein to a chimp". - LOVE it. Great interview.
Awesome you guys!! Cheers!