Respectable Street
1981 single by XTC
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"Respectable Street" is a song written by Andy Partridge of XTC, released as the opening track on their 1980 album Black Sea. According to Partridge, the song is about English streets[4] and "the hypocrisy of living in a so-called respectable neighborhood. It's all talk behind twitching curtains. It's all Alan Bennett land."[5] In another interview Partridge reveals that Respectable Street was based on a real street Bowood Road in Swindon, which was diagonally opposite the flat above a shop on Kingshill Road where he was living at the time he wrote it.[6] Discounting the Canada-only "Love at First Sight", it was the fourth and last single issued from the LP. BBC Radio banned the song because of its references to abortion and a "Sony Entertainment Centre".[7]
| "Respectable Street" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by XTC | ||||
| from the album Black Sea | ||||
| Released | 13 March 1981[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Studio | Townhouse Studios, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter | Andy Partridge | |||
| Producer | Steve Lillywhite | |||
| XTC singles chronology | ||||
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Legacy
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Music journalist John Harris highlighted "Respectable Street" as "one of the most evocative items in Partridge's oeuvre."[4] In 1996, critic Jack Rabid praised its "sardonic crack" and wrote "am I the only one who's noticed that super-fans Blur have ripped this song off three times already???!!!!"[8]
In 1982, it was the only song XTC performed at a televised gig simulcast in Paris, which became one of the last live performances of their career. Partridge experienced a panic attack mid-performance and walked off the stage.[5]
It is the first XTC recording in which Dave Gregory contributed his keyboard playing.[9]
Personnel
Variations
- Original album version - Black Sea (1980)
- Single remix (1981) - Rag and Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers
- Live versions
- BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert (1982, recorded November 1980)
- Urgh! A Music War (1981)
- Home demo, live studio demo, and instrumental versions released on 2017 expanded edition of Black Sea
