Senses Working Overtime

"Senses Working Overtime"
Single by XTC
from the album English Settlement
ReleasedJanuary 1982
Recorded1981
StudioThe Manor, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire, England
Genre
Length
  • 4:53 (album version)
  • 4:34 (single version)
  • 3:32 (early tape version)
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Andy Partridge
Producer(s)Hugh Padgham, XTC
XTC singles chronology
"Respectable Street"
(1981) 		"Senses Working Overtime"
(1982) 		"Ball and Chain"
(1982)
Official audio
"Senses Working Overtime" on YouTube
Audio sample

"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

  1. "Senses Working Overtime" (Andy Partridge)
  2. "Blame the Weather" (Colin Moulding)
  3. "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

Charts

Mandy Moore version

"Senses Working Overtime"
Single by Mandy Moore
from the album Coverage
ReleasedFebruary 10, 2004
Length4:08
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Andy Partridge
Producer(s)John Fields
Mandy Moore singles chronology
"Drop the Pilot"
(2003) 		"Senses Working Overtime"
(2004) 		"Extraordinary"
(2007)
Audio
"Senses Working Overtime" on YouTube

"Senses Working Overtime" was the third single released from Moore's third studio album Coverage (2003) as its opening track. It was written by Andy Partridge and produced by John Fields.

The song was included on Moore’s first greatest hits album The Best of Mandy Moore (2004).

Other versions

References

  1. ^ Hughes, Rob (18 August 2016). "Andy Partridge: The Big Interview". Prog. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Mandy Says". Spin. Vol. 19, no. 11. November 2003. p. 28. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. ^ Partridge, Andy; Bernhardt, Todd (2016). Complicated Game: Inside the Songs of XTC. Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-908279-78-1.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "XTC". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  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.
  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.
  10. ^ "XTC – Senses Working Overtime" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  11. ^ "XTC – Senses Working Overtime". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Official Singles Chart 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.