"Senses Working Overtime" is a song written by

Andy Partridge Andrew John Partridge (born 11 November 1953) is an English guitarist, singer-songwriter and record producer best known for co-founding the band XTC. He and Colin Moulding each acted as a songwriter and frontman for XTC, with Partridge writing a ...

of the English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (vocals, guitars) and Colin Moulding (vocals, bass), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing ...

, released as the lead single from their 1982 album ''

English Settlement ''English Settlement'' is the fifth studio album and first double album by the English rock band XTC, released 12 February 1982 on Virgin Records. It marked a turn towards the more pastoral pop songs that would dominate later XTC releases, wi ...

''. He based the song on

Manfred Mann Manfred Mann were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. They were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann (musician), Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The group had two l ...

's "

5-4-3-2-1 "5-4-3-2-1" is a 1964 song by British band Manfred Mann, written by the group's eponymous keyboardist Manfred Mann along with Mike Hugg and Paul Jones. Released as a single on 10 January 1964, the track peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Char ...

" (1964). The album and single became the highest-charting records XTC would ever have in the UK, peaking at number five and number 10, respectively. 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 Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of Pinewood Group, the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not ...

while we were rehearsing for the ''English Settlement'' tour. And so that's us rehearsing. ... he half-speed idea hasbeen used a hell of a lot since then, but I think we were the first ones to do it."

Track listing

#"Senses Working Overtime" (

) #"Blame the Weather" (

Colin Moulding Colin Ivor Moulding (born 17 August 1955) is an English bassist, singer, and songwriter who was one of the core members of the rock band XTC. Moulding wrote their first three charting UK singles: " Life Begins at the Hop" (1979), " Making Plans f ...

) #"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 Terry Peter Chambers (born 18 July 1955) is an English drummer who was a member of the band XTC from 1972 to 1982 and the popular Australian–New Zealand group Dragon between 1983 and 1985. He appears on all of XTC's albums between '' White Mu ...

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

, drum synthesiser * Dave Gregory – electric 12–string guitar,

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

–

fretless bass A fretless bass is an electric bass guitar whose neck lacks frets and thus is smooth like traditional string instruments, and like the neck of an acoustic double bass. While the fretless bass is played in all styles of music, it is most common in ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

–

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

and

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Mandy Moore version

"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 ''The Best of Mandy Moore '' is the first greatest hits album from American singer Mandy Moore, released on November 16, 2004, by Epic Records. The compilation includes tracks from her first three studio albums as well as '' I Wanna Be with You'' ...

'' (2004).

Other versions

* 1995:

Spacehog Spacehog is an English-American alternative rock band, formed in 1994 in New York City by four British men who were living in the city (lead vocalist and bassist Royston Langdon, rhythm guitarist Anthony Langdon, drummer Jonny Cragg and lead g ...

, '' A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs of XTC''

References

External links

* {{authority control 1982 singles 2004 singles XTC songs Mandy Moore songs Songs written by Andy Partridge 1982 songs Song recordings produced by Hugh Padgham Epic Records singles Virgin Records singles Progressive pop songs