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<v Speaker 1>Check out this clip from a recent episode of book

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<v Speaker 1>Don Rock.

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<v Speaker 2>Alfredo Marciano is the author of XDC Skylarking, A Life

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<v Speaker 2>in a Day, the making of a pop classic. Heading

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<v Speaker 2>into the album, Virgin Records essentially gave XDC an ultimatum

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<v Speaker 2>find a new direction or work with an American producer

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<v Speaker 2>who could help the band in the US. How much

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<v Speaker 2>pressure did that situation placed on the group And do

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<v Speaker 2>you think Skylarking would have been a completely different album

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<v Speaker 2>had those commercial pressures not existed.

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<v Speaker 3>I think so, because as I remember, I think it's

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<v Speaker 3>Dave Gregory. Gregory that says that until the point XDC

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<v Speaker 3>used to have quite a free hand in choosing the

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<v Speaker 3>producers and choosing and the sounds of their records. When

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<v Speaker 3>they were confronting with Todd Ranger with a very you know,

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<v Speaker 3>quite strong personality, they have to face a man whether

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<v Speaker 3>a real clear idea of what he wanted the record

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<v Speaker 3>to sound like, and this, ah, you know, pushed to

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<v Speaker 3>give way to a strong personality clash between him and

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<v Speaker 3>at the Partridge with the more you know, uh strong

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<v Speaker 3>willed musician in in XDC and also the main composer

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<v Speaker 3>and so yes, of course, the mark of Todd Drangren

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<v Speaker 3>is very much present in in this record. I think

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<v Speaker 3>it would be it could have been a very very

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<v Speaker 3>different record if it's another producer had been chosen to

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<v Speaker 3>work on it instead of instead of Todd Drungren. Uh.

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<v Speaker 3>This is even at the Partridge now recognizes this, recognizes

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<v Speaker 3>that that thought made sometimes the very very clever decisions

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<v Speaker 3>and put he left a very strong mark on the record.

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<v Speaker 3>But it was for a good cause. It was for

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<v Speaker 3>a good goal.

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<v Speaker 1>Chapter three paints a vivid picture of XDC arriving in

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<v Speaker 1>Woodstock and finding Runggren's rustic Utopia Studios. Several accounts described

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<v Speaker 1>the studio as somewhat chaotic, mouse nests in the chamberlain,

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<v Speaker 1>equipment scattered around, and a less than glamorous set up.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Rundgren even arrived, the band spent days rehearsing and

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<v Speaker 1>preparing songs. What were Runggren's first impressions of XTC and

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<v Speaker 1>the material that they brought with him, And how quickly

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<v Speaker 1>did it become clear that his vision for the album

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<v Speaker 1>might differ from theirs.

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<v Speaker 3>When Todd listened to the demos, he had already an

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<v Speaker 3>idea of the sequence of the songs. And how to

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<v Speaker 3>put them in the record, which one to select to

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<v Speaker 3>pick up and which one to discard. And that was

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<v Speaker 3>a big shock and a big surprise for Portridge in particular,

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<v Speaker 3>that was used to a totally different way of working,

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<v Speaker 3>to scatter ideas around, to have maybe twenty twenty five

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<v Speaker 3>thirty songs and then let them develop naturally organically, and

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<v Speaker 3>after that choosing the best ones instead. Todd from the

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<v Speaker 3>very beginning said no, this is the thirteen fourteen song

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<v Speaker 3>that we are we're going to use. So this is

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<v Speaker 3>the sequence of the songs. Just put them on tape

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<v Speaker 3>in the right with the right sounds and with the

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<v Speaker 3>right arrangements and with the right performance. So a big

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<v Speaker 3>shock for for them and for for Puntries particularly. There's

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<v Speaker 3>another thing that happened. They were not used to. They

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<v Speaker 3>didn't begin to to work with the tramp with the drummer.

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<v Speaker 3>They started the recording the record without the drummer, so

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<v Speaker 3>they have to use the click tracks. And it was

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<v Speaker 3>quite you know, this this place and this come forth

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<v Speaker 3>in for them. Just after they went to San Francisco,

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<v Speaker 3>Prairie Prince put the drum tracks on the songs.

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<v Speaker 1>Don't miss the full conversation available wherever you listen to

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<v Speaker 1>your podcasts.