Album Information
The album produced a minor hit, "The Mayor of Simpleton", the only XTC song ever to hit the US Hot 100 charts. The album was a commercial success, reaching the charts in both the US and Britain. "The Mayor of Simpleton" video, which resembled the opening credits of a The Avengers-type TV show, also saw significant airplay on MTV, especially on the alternative music show "120 Minutes."
The album produced three hit singles: "The Mayor of Simpleton" - reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 46 on the UK singles chart. "King for a Day" which reached No. 10 on the US alternative / modern rock charts and "The Loving" which was released in August 1989 in the UK. The album reached No. 1 on the US college / alternative album chart, No. 44 on the US Billboard Top 100 chart and No. 28 on the UK album chart.
To promote the album and appease the stage-shy Andy Partridge the band went on a two-week acoustic radio-station tour of the US, on which they performed a few songs from the album and a few medleys of earlier hits. The tour commenced on 15 May 1989 in Boston and ended on 31 May 1989 at Eastern Sound Studios in Toronto before a live studio audience of two hundred people.
Also of note: "King For a Day," which the band performed on Late Night with David Letterman on 30 June 1989; "Pink Thing," which was a classic XTC double-entendre; "Chalkhills and Children," which lead singer Andy Partridge considers one of his favorite compositions.
The album cover, designed by Yellow Submarine artist Heinz Edelman, is directly inspired by a 1965 WOR-FM 98.7 radio advert poster by Milton Glaser.
Read more about this topic: Oranges & Lemons (album)
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