The Dukes of Stratosphear

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The Dukes of Stratosphear
L-R: The Red Curtain, Lord Cornelius Plum, Sir John Johns, E.I.E.I. Owen
L-R: The Red Curtain, Lord Cornelius Plum, Sir John Johns, E.I.E.I. Owen
Background information
Origin UK
Genre(s) Neo-Psychedelia
Years active 1984 to 1987
Label(s) Virgin
Associated
acts
XTC
Former members
The Red Curtain
Lord Cornelius Plum
Sir John Johns
E.I.E.I. Owen

The Dukes of Stratosphear was a pseudonym used by the British rock band XTC in the late 1980s. The band released two albums, 25 O'Clock (1985) and Psonic Psunspot (1987), which drew upon influences of 1960s psychedelic music such as the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and the Pretty Things. The two albums were released on a single CD under the title Chips from the Chocolate Fireball: An Anthology simultaneous with the release of the second vinyl album.

In the credits to the Skylarking album, XTC thanked the Dukes of Stratosphear for the loan of their guitars.

The Dukes of Stratosphear reformed in 2003 to record the track "Open A Can (Of Human Beans)" for the MS Society charity compilation album The Wish List. The track was later included on Andy Partridges' album Fuzzy Warbles Volume 7 (2006).

[edit] Members

The pseudonymous personnel included:

  • Sir John Johns (Andy Partridge) - singing, guitar, brain buds
  • The Red Curtain (Colin Moulding) - electric bass, song stuff
  • Lord Cornelius Plum (Dave Gregory) - mellotron, piano, organ, fuzz-tone guitar
  • E.I.E.I. Owen (Ian Gregory) - drum set

[edit] Trivia

It seems that hearing Nick Nicely's "Hilly Fields (1982)" inspired Andy Partridge et al. to form The Dukes of Stratosphear.

[edit] Discography


XTC
Andy Partridge | Colin Moulding
Dave Gregory | Terry Chambers | Barry Andrews
Discography

Studio albums White Music (1978) | Go 2 (1978) | Drums and Wires (1979) | Black Sea (1980) | English Settlement (1982) | Mummer (1983) | The Big Express (1984) | Skylarking (1986) | Oranges and Lemons (1989) | Nonsuch (1992) | Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999) | Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2) (2000)

The Dukes of Stratosphear releases: 25 O'Clock (1985) | Psonic Psunspot (1987) | Chips from the Chocolate Fireball (1987)

Compilations, instrumentals, demos, live and tribute albums: Take Away / The Lure of Salvage (1980) | Waxworks: Some Singles 1977-1982 (1982) | Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977-1982 (1982) | The Compact XTC (1987) | Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 78-80 (1990) | Rag and Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers (1990) | BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert (1992) | Drums and Wireless: BBC Radio Sessions 77-89 (1994) | A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC (1995) | Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-92 (1996) | Upsy Daisy Assortment (1997) | Transistor Blast: The Best of the BBC Sessions (1998) | Homespun (1999) | Homegrown (2001) | Coat of Many Cupboards (2002) | Instruvenus (2002) | Waspstrumental (2002) | Apple Box 2005

Fuzzy Warbles albums: Fuzzy Warbles Volume 1 (2002) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 2 (2002) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 3 (2003) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 4 | (2003) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 5 (2004) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 6 (2004) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 7 (2006) | Fuzzy Warbles Volume 8 (2006) | Hinges (2006)

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