Mummer (album)

Mummer
Studio album by XTC
Released	30 August 1983
Recorded	September–December 1982 at The Manor, Oxfordshire, and Genetic Studios, Berkshire, England
Genre	New wave, pop rock
Length	41:43 (original release) 66:44 (CD reissue)
Label	Virgin Records
Producer	Steve Nye, XTC Bob Sargeant
XTC chronology
English Settlement (1982) Mummer (1983) The Big Express (1984)
Singles from Mummer
"Great Fire" Released: April 1983 "Wonderland" Released: June 1983 "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" Released: September 1983

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Q	[2]
Robert Christgau	B− [3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
Smash Hits	9/10[5]

Mummer is the sixth studio album by the English band XTC, released on 30 August 1983. It reached No. 51 on the UK album chart and No. 145 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.

It spawned three UK singles; "Great Fire" (released 22 April 1983), "Wonderland" (released 24 June 1983) and "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" (released 19 September 1983 and reached No. 50 on the UK singles chart).

The album was delayed many months by Virgin Records. It was originally supposed to be released by Epic Records on 26 May 1983 in the U.S.A. (it even had a catalog number: BFE 38516), but the label thought it was too acoustic and pastoral for American audiences. It was finally issued in the U.S. by Geffen Records (who subsequently issued all of XTC's Virgin releases) in February 1984. "Wonderland" was the only single issued by Geffen from the album.

The only promotional public appearance made by the band for this album was in late 1983 when they appeared on the BBC-TV show Pebble Mill At One where they lip-synced to "Love on a Farmboy's Wages". A promotional video was made for the "Wonderland" single. Five more videos were also made in July 1983 for the television documentary program Play At Home.

This was the final album that Terry Chambers appeared on with XTC, as he quit the group during the recording sessions.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Andy Partridge, except where noted.

UK LP: V 2264

Side A
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Beating of Hearts"		3:56
2.	"Wonderland"	Colin Moulding	4:50
3.	"Love on a Farmboy's Wages"		3:58
4.	"Great Fire"		3:47
5.	"Deliver Us from the Elements"	Moulding	4:36

Side B
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Human Alchemy"		5:11
2.	"Ladybird"		4:32
3.	"In Loving Memory of a Name"	Moulding	3:16
4.	"Me and the Wind"		4:17
5.	"Funk Pop a Roll"		3:14

2001 Remastered CD: CDVX 2264

Side A
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Beating of Hearts"		3:56
2.	"Wonderland"	Colin Moulding	4:50
3.	"Love on a Farmboy's Wages"		3:58
4.	"Great Fire"		3:47
5.	"Deliver Us from the Elements"	Moulding	4:36
6.	"Human Alchemy"		5:11
7.	"Ladybird"		4:32
8.	"In Loving Memory of a Name"	Moulding	3:16
9.	"Me and the Wind"		4:17
10.	"Funk Pop a Roll"		3:14
11.	"Frost Circus"		3:53
12.	"Jump"		4:39
13.	"Toys"		4:20
14.	"Gold"		3:33
15.	"Procession Towards Learning Land"		3:46
16.	"Desert Island"		4:52

Personnel

• Andy Partridge - vocals, guitar
• Colin Moulding - vocals, bass
• Dave Gregory - vocals, guitar, keyboard, piano
• Terry Chambers - drums on "Beating of Hearts", "Wonderland" and the bonus track "Toys"

with:

• Peter Phipps - drums on all tracks except "Beating of Hearts", "Wonderland", and "Toys"
• Steve Nye - mini-korg on "Wonderland", mellotron on "Elements"
• Gavin Wright and Nigel Warren-Green - strings on "Great Fire"

Album sleeve photography by Gavin Cochrane.

References

1. Woodstra, Chris. "Review: XTC - Mummer". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
2. Sinclair, David. "Review: XTC - Mummer". Q (Bauer Media Group). Retrieved 19 June 2011.
3. Christgau, Robert. "Review: XTC - Mummer". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
4. Considine, J.D. "Review: XTC - Mummer". Rolling Stone (Jann Wenner). Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
5. Black, Johnny. "Albums". Smash Hits (15 September – 28 September 1983): 21.