Senses Working Overtime

"Senses Working Overtime"
"Senses Working Overtime"
Single by XTC
from the album English Settlement
Released	8 January 1982
Recorded	1981
Studio	The Manor, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire, England
Genre	New wave; progressive pop;
Length	4:53 (album version); 4:34 (single version); 3:32 (early tape version);
Label	Virgin
Songwriter	Andy Partridge
Producers	Hugh Padgham, XTC
XTC singles chronology
Audio sample
	file; help;
Audio video
	"Senses Working Overtime" on YouTube

"Senses Working Overtime" is a song written by Andy Partridge of the English rock band XTC, released as the lead single from their 1982 album English Settlement. He based the song on Manfred Mann's "5-4-3-2-1" (1964).^[3] The album and single became the highest-charting records XTC would ever have in the UK, peaking at number five and number 10, respectively.^[4]^[5]

At the suggestion of its director, the song's music video was filmed at double-speed and then slowed down, to make the musicians appear "more graceful". Partridge recalled: "That one was done really quickly, in Shepperton Studios while we were rehearsing for the English Settlement tour. And so that's us rehearsing. ... [The half-speed idea has] been used a hell of a lot since then, but I think we were the first ones to do it."^[6]

Track listing

"Senses Working Overtime" (Andy Partridge)
"Blame the Weather" (Colin Moulding)
"Tissue Tigers (The Arguers)" (Partridge)

On the 12" release, "Egyptian Solution (Thebes in a Box) (Homo Safari #3)" (Partridge) was added to the A-side as track 2; the B-side comprised "Blame the Weather" and "Tissue Tigers" on both 7" and 12".

Personnel

XTC

Terry Chambers – drums, drum synthesiser
Dave Gregory – electric 12–string guitar, percussion
Colin Moulding – fretless bass, backing vocals
Andy Partridge – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[7]	12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[8]	31
Ireland (IRMA)^[9]	15
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[10]	34
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[11]	37
UK Singles (Official Charts)^[12]	10

Year-end charts

Chart (1982)	Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[13]	97

Notable cover versions

1995: Spacehog, A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC

References

↑ "Mandy Says". Spin. Vol. 19, no. 11. November 2003. p. 28. ISSN 0006-2510.
↑ Hughes, Rob (18 August 2016). "Andy Partridge: The Big Interview". Prog. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
↑ Partridge, Andy; Bernhardt, Todd (2016). Complicated Game: Inside the Songs of XTC. Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-908279-78-1.
↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "XTC". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
↑ Ingham, Chris (March 1999). "XTC - 'Til Death Do Us Part". Mojo.
↑ Bernhardt, Todd (11 December 2006). "Andy discusses 'Senses Working Overtime'". Chalkhills.
↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 344. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
↑ "XTC – Senses Working Overtime" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know > Search results for 'XTC' (from irishcharts.ie)". Fireball Media, via Imgur.com. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
↑ "XTC – Senses Working Overtime" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
↑ "XTC – Senses Working Overtime". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
↑ "Official Singles Chart on 2/5/1982 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
↑ "Kent Music Report No 445 – 3 January 1983 > National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report, via Imgur.com. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

External links

"Senses Working Overtime" on Chalkhills

[1] "Mandy Says". Spin. Vol. 19, no. 11. November 2003. p. 28. ISSN 0006-2510.

[2] Hughes, Rob (18 August 2016). "Andy Partridge: The Big Interview". Prog. Retrieved 17 November 2018.

[3] Partridge, Andy; Bernhardt, Todd (2016). Complicated Game: Inside the Songs of XTC. Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-908279-78-1.

[XTCAMbio-4] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "XTC". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2017.

[Mojo1999-5] Ingham, Chris (March 1999). "XTC - 'Til Death Do Us Part". Mojo.

[6] Bernhardt, Todd (11 December 2006). "Andy discusses 'Senses Working Overtime'". Chalkhills.

[7] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 344. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[sc_Flanders_XTC-8] "XTC – Senses Working Overtime" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

[9] "The Irish Charts - All there is to know > Search results for 'XTC' (from irishcharts.ie)". Fireball Media, via Imgur.com. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

[sc_Dutch100_XTC-10] "XTC – Senses Working Overtime" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

[sc_New_Zealand_XTC-11] "XTC – Senses Working Overtime". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

[sc_UK_-12] "Official Singles Chart on 2/5/1982 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

[13] "Kent Music Report No 445 – 3 January 1983 > National Top 100 Singles for 1982". Kent Music Report, via Imgur.com. Retrieved 1 January 2020.

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v t e XTC
Andy Partridge Colin Moulding Terry Chambers Barry Andrews Dave Gregory
Studio albums	White Music Go 2 Drums and Wires Black Sea English Settlement Mummer The Big Express 25 O'Clock Skylarking Psonic Psunspot Oranges & Lemons Nonsuch Apple Venus Volume 1 Wasp Star (Apple Venus Volume 2)
Compilations	Waxworks: Some Singles 1977–1982 Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977–1982 The Compact XTC Chips from the Chocolate Fireball Explode Together: The Dub Experiments 78-80 Rag and Bone Buffet: Rare Cuts and Leftovers Drums and Wireless: BBC Radio Sessions 77–89 Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977–92 Upsy Daisy Assortment Transistor Blast: The Best of the BBC Sessions Coat of Many Cupboards Apple Box Psurroundabout Ride
Other albums	3D EP Homespun Homegrown Waspstrumental
Singles	"Statue of Liberty" "This Is Pop?" "Life Begins at the Hop" "Making Plans for Nigel" "Generals and Majors" "Towers of London" "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)" "Respectable Street" "Senses Working Overtime" "Ball and Chain" "Wonderland" "Love on a Farmboy's Wages" "Thanks for Christmas" "All You Pretty Girls" "This World Over" "Wake Up" "Grass" "The Meeting Place" "Dear God" "Mayor of Simpleton" "King for a Day" "The Disappointed" "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead" "Easter Theatre"
Other songs	"Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her" "Garden of Earthly Delights" "Wrapped in Grey"
Related media	A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC Fuzzy Warbles 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Great Aspirations The Greatest Living Englishman Take Away / The Lure of Salvage Through the Hill XTC: This Is Pop Planet England
Other topics	Discography The Dukes of Stratosphear Ian Reid Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her (band)

v t e Mandy Moore
Discography Awards and nominations
Studio albums	So Real (I Wanna Be with You) Mandy Moore Coverage Wild Hope Amanda Leigh Silver Landings In Real Life
Compilation albums	The Best of Mandy Moore Candy
Singles	"Candy" "Walk Me Home" "I Wanna Be with You" "So Real" "In My Pocket" "Crush" "Cry" "Have a Little Faith in Me" "Drop the Pilot" "Senses Working Overtime" "Extraordinary" "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week" "When I Wasn't Watching"
Other songs	"I See the Light" "Someday We'll Know" "Stupid Cupid" "When Will My Life Begin?" "I've Got a Dream"
Category