Regarded by many as an influential figure in the history of cassette culture and DIY recording, Martin Newell has been an integral part of the British music scene since the 1970s, and his music career spans over six decades. He’s been produced by XTC’s Andy Partridge, and written for the likes of Captain Sensible of The Damned. Though it would be wrong to call him an "unknown", he has never been directly in the limelight. This film brings to light the amazing career and life work of the artist, who, on top of being the most published contemporary British poet as well as an established gardener, continues to record and release music today.
A journey into the world of one of Britain's best-loved and most influential bands of modern times, XTC. Through a mixture of animation, archive and specially-shot sequences, the film explores the minds of principle songwriters, Partridge and Moulding.
The Road to Oranges & Lemons is a promotional short for the 1989 release of Oranges & Lemons. It features Andy, Colin, and Dave documenting and spoofing XTC's career from its formation and meeting with Barry Andrews, to recording its albums, to the "Dear God" controversy, and finally to Oranges & Lemons. The three make use of toys, pictures, and briefly a potato, to represent (and poke fun at) the different people XTC meets, as well as background sound effects and backdrops to represent different locations.
A documentary on the recording of the song "Towers of London" and a brief behind-the-scenes look at the making of the "Generals and Majors" video. Recorded at Richard Branson's mansion, August 1980.