XTC AVENGERS

Happy weekend Spy Vibers! Our recent exploration of Prisoner-themed videos by the band XTC was so fun, I though you might enjoy another installment. The group recorded Mayor of Simpleton in 1988 and it was released as a single in January 1989 by Virgin Records. It appeared again one month later on the LP, Oranges & Lemons. Andy Partridge was stepping away slightly from the 60s/Beatles vibe of Skylarking and 25 O'Clock (Dukes of Stratosphear project) on the new album and Mayor of Simpleton stood out as a great bit of contemporary pop. For the video, however, XTC went all retro! Mining fashion, accessaries, and typeface from the Honor Blackman era of The Avengers, they wove together a great homage to Cathy Gale, John Steed, and Swinging London. Enjoy! Related posts: Prisoner XTC, Prisoner XTC 2, Prisoner Supergrass. Have you heard Spy Vibe's new radio spot on Cocktail Nation? More info HERE.

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview:Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, Trina Robbins Interview, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review, David McCallum novel, Andre Courreges R.I.P., Who's Talking on Spy Vibe, UFO Blu-ray, Avengers Pop Art 

PRISONER XTC 2

Artists have continued to mine the rich tapestry of 1960s pop culture through the decades in order to pay homage to their heroes and to borrow elements of sixties design and conventions. With its pop art sensibility and radical message, it's no surprise Patrick McGoohan's The Prisoner is often referenced. In my last post we looked at the XTC music video for The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul, which was filmed in Portmeirion, the show's location. I absolutely love Wales and Portmeirion, and have had the good fortune to visit a number of times and stay in the Village. Even for non-fans of The Prisoner, the design, layout, and grounds of the place are so wonderfully surreal and charming! Rick Davy at The Unmutual site put an additional Portmeirion video on my radar recently. XTC also filmed The Meeting Place there in 1986, though this time the footage was mostly limited to the band miming in Battery Square outside Number 6's Round House. But keep your eyes peeled for the Dome in a few over-the-shoulder shots- a great illustration of just how close the two buildings are in real life! This video was produced by Channel 4's The Tube and presented here by the late Paula Yates, who often co-presented with Jools Holland (a major Prisoner and Portmeirion fan). Enjoy! Related posts: My Photographs of The Village 2015 and 2016, DC Fontana Prisoner video, Jaz Wiseman Interview, My London photos Filming The Prisoner, The Prisoner audio drama review by Alan Hayes, Set Countdown- The Prisoner, Prisoner/Capt. Scarlet Debut, Brian Gorman Interview, Eric Milval Book.  

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview:Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, Trina Robbins Interview, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review, David McCallum novel, Andre Courreges R.I.P., Who's Talking on Spy Vibe, UFO Blu-ray, Avengers Pop Art Interview, Fergus Fleming Interview, Avengers: Alan Hayes Interview, Jaz Wiseman Interview, Diana Rigg BFI Interview, Casino Royale Interview: Mike Richardson, Lost Diana Rigg Interview, Honor Blackman at 90, UNCLE School.

PRISONER XTC

A warm thanks goes out to Jaz Wiseman for putting the band, XTC, back on my radar. I was a huge fan of their albums Black Sea, Dukes of the Stratosphere, Skylarking, and Oranges and Lemons back in the day. In fact, the latter two were some of the few records in my life that I played in constant repeat upon their release. The music of XTC and Andy Partridge had a great appeal for me, due in part to their catchy melodies, smart lyrics, and occasional Beatles vibe. I didn't see so many music videos during that era, however. After college I moved back to northern Japan, where I had spent time in school on a study-abroad program. Although I was still an avid record hunter on weekends, my TV exposure was pretty limited to episodes of Lupin the III in Japanese. Cue Jaz Wiseman. Jazz recently posted an XTC video for The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul in a forum we belong to. I was so pleasantly surprised to not only see an XTC video, but to see the whole Channel 4 Tube production was an homage to The Prisoner. The band filmed the piece at the Gothic Pavilion in Portmeirion in Wales! While XTC mimed the tune, a trio (the men sporting Prisoner jackets), performed a bit of modern dance worthy of 1960s television- all intercut with original Prisoner footage of Patrick McGoohan outside the Round House. In short, it's a blast! Check it out below. Watch for more XTC videos with Spy appeal here on Spy Vibe. Enjoy! Related posts: My Photographs of The Village 2015 and 2016, DC Fontana Prisoner video, Jaz Wiseman Interview, My London photos Filming The Prisoner, The Prisoner audio drama review by Alan Hayes, Set Countdown- The Prisoner, Prisoner/Capt. Scarlet Debut.