Generals and Majors explained

Generals and Majors
Cover:Generals and Majors.jpg
Type:single
Artist:XTC
Album:Black Sea
B-Side:Don't Lose Your Temper
Released:August 1980
Recorded:1980
Genre:
Length:4:05
Label:Virgin
Producer:Steve Lillywhite
Prev Title:Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down
Prev Year:1980
Next Title:Towers of London
Next Year:1980

"Generals and Majors" is a song written by Colin Moulding of the English rock band XTC, released as the first single from their 1980 album Black Sea. Moulding accordingly wrote the song as a satirical take on the phrase "oh, what a lovely war".[2] The song charted in the UK single chart at No. 32 and No. 104 on the US singles chart, while reaching No. 28 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart. It was the first XTC single to chart in the U.S., and it also had chart success in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The track was initially released as a double 7" single with a gatefold sleeve, limited to 15,000 copies.[3] The additional record featured Moulding's "Smokeless Zone" and Partridge's "The Somnambulist".

Music video

The music video shows the band playing servers and a group of men in military uniforms; one of them is Richard Branson, driving a Go-kart and jumping on a bouncy castle. According to Andy Partridge, Branson appeared "because he's a complete publicity hog. He decided he was gonna turn up and keep suggesting that he be in the video. That is the worst video ever made by man."[4]

Personnel

XTC

Charts

Chart (1980)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 24
Canadian Single Chart[6] 92
New Zealand Single Chart[7] 16
UK Singles Chart[8] 32
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100[9] 104
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks28

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Schabe. Patrick. The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul. PopMatters. 27 October 2006. 1980's Black Sea sold well on the album charts on the strength of its solid post-punk tracks, including "Respectable Street", "Towers of London", and "Generals and Majors"..
  2. Web site: Bernhardt. Todd. Song of the Week -- Colin's take. Chalkhills. 29 December 2008.
  3. Web site: Chalkhills: XTC Discography: Singles and EPs. Chalkhills.org. 31 December 2017.
  4. Pierson. Pat. Permanent Bliss: The Immutable Pleasures of XTC. Filter. September 2007.
  5. Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book. St Ives, NSW. 1993. 0-646-11917-6 .
  6. Web site: Results - RPM - Library and Archives Canada. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 31 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20131215001513/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=ccntousk30frf6h4jsn237nm12&q1=xtc&q2=Top+Singles&interval=36&x=49&y=16. 15 December 2013. dead.
  7. Web site: charts.nz - New Zealand charts portal. Steffen. Hung. charts.nz. 31 December 2017.
  8. Web site: XTC - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company. Officialcharts.com. 31 December 2017.
  9. Web site: XTC - Biography, Albums, Streaming Links. AllMusic. 31 December 2017.