"I still think XTC are one of the best bands ever," says Hugh Padgham – and he should know: he's worked with everyone from David Bowie to Brian Wilson, Kate Bush and The Police. Having enjoyed his earliest successes as sound engineer on Drums and Wires and Black Sea, and co-producer on English Settlement, he says XTC continue to hold a special place in his heart.

 

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Black Sea on 12 September 2020, Padgham joins guitarist Dave Gregory for a special 90-minute edition of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast. They talk about the clanking anvils of Towers of London, the one-note solo of Love at First Sight and the slow-build tension of No Language in Our Lungs. "We were always thinking progressively and pushing ourselves," says Gregory.

 

Questions about this landmark album come from Mark Fisher, David White and Mark Reed, with additional commentary from David Yazbek. 

 

Further reading in The XTC Bumper Book of Fun for Boys and Girls and What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from https://www.xtclimelight.com 

 

If you've enjoyed the XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher