The Turbulent Journey Behind XTC’s ‘Skylarking’: Insights from Todd Rundgren
“I frequently enough find myself in the role of a problem solver,” Todd Rundgren reflects on his experiences as a producer. “I usually get called in when things are in disarray.”
This pattern is all too familiar for Rundgren,who has navigated the complexities of commercially successful bands grappling with internal strife adn external pressures. In 1986, he faced a significant challenge when he took on the production of XTC’s Skylarking.
The English band, consisting of guitarist Andy Partridge, bassist Colin Moulding, and multi-instrumentalist Dave Gregory, was experiencing a downturn in their commercial success. Their last two albums had flopped in the U.S. market, and Partridge’s aversion to touring meant that neither the band nor their label, Virgin Records, was reaping financial rewards.
From Virgin’s perspective, the issue was clear: the band’s sound was perceived as too quintessentially British. Rundgren’s mission was to reframe that identity into something more palatable for the American audience.
He recalls a similar situation from his past when he produced Grand Funk railroad’s iconic album We’re an American Band in 1973, which also dealt with the struggle for critical acclaim despite commercial success.
“The label representative warned, ‘If they don’t achieve success with this new record, we’ll have to drop them.’ I thoght that would be a disaster.”
– Todd Rundgren
“They weren’t receiving the respect they deserved,” Rundgren explains. “While they had achieved commercial success, they were largely absent from AM radio playlists, and critics were relentless. They needed a significant shift, and that’s where my expertise came in-I would assess the situation and ensure necessary changes were implemented.”
“The Skylarking project mirrored that scenario,” he continues.”However, many of XTC’s challenges stemmed from their reluctance to perform live. Without touring to promote their music, they needed to find a way to gain radio airplay.”
“But their radio presence was dwindling, partly due to their sound and how they approached their music,” he adds. “The label representative warned, ‘If they don’t find success with this new album-and if they continue to spend excessively on recordings without touring-we’ll have to let them go.’”
“As a fan,I thought that would be a tragedy.”
Rundgren was brought on board because XTC’s label believed the band needed a fresh perspective. After compiling a list of American producers, guitarist Dave Gregory advocated strongly for Rundgren.
“I reminded andy that Todd had produced one of his favorite albums by the New York Dolls,” Gregory recalled, referring to the band’s self-titled debut from 1973. “With no better options available, he agreed.”
Recording commenced at Rundgren’s Utopia Sound Studios in Woodstock, New York. It quickly became apparent to him that XTC’s identity as a studio-only band was not just a limitation; it fundamentally influenced their creative process.
“As they never toured, their entire musical existence revolved around the studio,” Rundgren notes. ”This led Andy to want to endlessly refine a single record, as once it was completed, the excitement faded. He would return home,be alone,and never revisit that music again.”
“Andy would be content to work indefinitely on one record. Once it was finished, the fun was over.”
– Todd Rundgren
What coudl have been a creative advantage in a different context turned into a pressure cooker surroundings. Rundgren and Partridge frequently clashed over song selections and arrangements. Where Partridge envisioned a distorted electric guitar solo, Rundgren suggested mandolins. When Partridge requested yet another vocal take, Rundgren urged him to move forward.
As Partridge recounted, Rundgren’s approach was, “You can spend a few hours tinkering with[[[[the track]your way if you want. I’m heading to my house. When you realize it doesn’t work your way, give me a call, and we’ll record it my way.”
The tension permeated the band. Moulding later reflected that Partridge was “so frustrated that he was taking it out on me a bit.”
Eventually, the strain reached a breaking point.
“Colin left the band in the midst of recording,” Rundgren recalls. “He eventually returned to complete the project.”
“Thus, we produced Skylarking under considerable duress.”
By the time they began mixing the tracks, fatigue had set in, and the band decided they were ready to depart.
“We managed to mix three songs before they declared, ‘Alright, you finish it. We’re homesick. We’re going home.’ This was unprecedented for them-abandoning a project before the mixing was complete.”
“It was the character woven into the album that ultimately became its strength.”
– Colin Moulding
“As soon as Andy returned home, he disparaged the album to anyone who would listen. No one had heard the record yet,but he was claiming,’It’s the worst record we’ve ever made,blah blah blah blah blah.’ He was ready to throw in the towel at that point.”
“And the rest, as they say, is history.”
Indeed, upon its release in 1986, Skylarking became a critically acclaimed success.Its success was not solely attributed to its songwriting, although that was certainly a strong point. Rundgren’s sometimes ornate, psychedelic production delivered the radio-friendly sound that XTC’s label desired while preserving the band’s unique English character.
“It may have lacked the polish of some of our previous recordings,” Moulding reflected later, “but it was the character embedded in the album that became its strength.”
Ironically, the album’s breakthrough moment came from a track that was not initially included. XTC first promoted Skylarking with a video for “Dear God,” a song that was absent from the original pressings. Once it gained traction on MTV, it was added to subsequent editions of the album, replacing “Mermaid Smiled.”
Skylarking ultimately sold around 250,000 copies in the U.S. and spent 29 weeks on the billboard 200, peaking at No. 70-XTC’s best performance on the American charts since 1982’s English Settlement.
Much of this success, Rundgren suggests, can be attributed to vision and control.
“What I took away from this experience was, first and foremost, the immense talent of Dave Gregory-both in his playing and his overall musical insight,” he shares. “He crafted the orchestral arrangement for ‘1000 Umbrellas,’ which is arguably the best arrangement on the album, even though I handled all the other charts.”
“I still keep in touch with Dave. I performed a couple of shows in England last November and caught up with him while I was there. I see him whenever I’m in his area. We still have a great relationship, and he remains the sensible one. He shares stories about the other members and the chaos that ensued.”
“And now it truly seems official: XTC is no more.”
