Meccanik Dancing (Oh We Go!)

(Partridge)

#\#i#/#Go 2#\#/i#/#

Go 2

Recordings
XTCfans interview with Andy Partridge
Art
Lyrics
Chords and Tablature
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Recordings

This song is also known as "Meccanic Dancing".

  1. Album version, 2'35.
    Released on Go 2.
  2. BBC version (Peel Session), 2'35.
    Recorded 13 November 1978 at BBC Studio Maida Vale 4.
    Produced by Tony Wilson. Engineered by Dave Dade.
    First broadcast 23 November 1978 on the John Peel Show, BBC Radio 1.
    Released on 5 October 1994 on Drums and Wireless in the U.K.
    Also available on Transistor Blast.
    Andy Partridge - vocals and guitar
    Colin Moulding - vocals and bass guitar
    Barry Andrews - keyboards
    Terry Chambers - drums
    Andy: “A song about kids in England going to dance halls. People would get very drunk and then attempt to dance like robots to stuff like Kraftwerk.”
  3. Live version.
    Recorded live 20 July 1979 at the Marconi Club, Sydney, for JJJ radio, Australia.
    Engineered by Keith Walker.
    Mixed by XTC.
    Released on 25 March 2002 on Coat of Many Cupboards in the U.K.
    Andy Partridge - Guitar, Keyboard and Vocals
    Colin Moulding - Bass and Vocals
    Dave Gregory - Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals
    Terry Chambers - Drums
    Andy: “Our first trip down under and jet lag hell. After a twenty three hour flight, then, on arriving in Sydney, being kept awake all that day to do press and radio interviews culminating in falling asleep live on air (between records) on Triple J, the next evening's gig with rented gear, at the Marconi Club, seemed like a night off. I felt a little sorry for Dave Gregory as ‘The Prince Phillip of Pop’ was finding it tough fitting into the Doc Martens of a recently departed Barry Andrews. Live anyway, Dave was obliged to play the older material with at least a nod in Barry's sonic direction, trussing him up between a Korg (monophonic) keyboard and guitar duties. Despite this, the lag and unfamiliar amps and drums, we turn loose a pretty hairy rendition of this Go 2 opener.”
  4. Live video version.
    Recorded live 10 December 1978 at Théâtre de l'Empire, Paris, France, for Chorus.
    Produced by Antoine de Caunes.
    Released in October 2010 on Sur la scène du Théâtre de l'Empire à Paris - Chorus - 10/12/1978 in France.

[Thanks to R. Stevie Moore]


Art

[THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]


Lyrics

Woolworth beauty
Factory beau
Arm in arm
They must go
To the church of dance with the light on low

Meccanic dancing oh we go
Can't wait until the weekend comes
I want to be with all my chums

Alcohol is an easy key
Helps you unwind
And dance with me
To a disco trot from Germany

I'm standing in front of this girl
I'm under a flourescent light
I've had a few beers inside me
I feel like a giant tonight

© 1979 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.


Chords and Tablature

Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 09:23:47 -0800 (PST)
From: "Brian" <brian (at) ysib dot com>
Subject: XTC bass tabs
Message-ID: <61033.24.16.235.236.1130693027.squirrel (at) bigonezero dot net>


Hello,

I wrote out some XTC bass tabs last night and thought you might want to
use them for your site.  The tabs were done completely by me and I give
permission for them to be reposted anywhere as long as credit is given,
etc. etc. etc....

Thanks, and keep up the good work with your site.

- Brian

------

XTC
"Meccanic Dancing"
tabbed by Brian Rogers (brian (at) ysib dot com)

4 string bass, standard tuning

Intro (0:02)

G|--------------------|
D|--------------------|
A|--------3--2--1--0--|
E|--------------------|

Pre-verse 1 (0:04)

G|----------------------|-----------------------|
D|-----1----0---0-1-----|------1----0---0-1-----|
A|----------------------|-----------------------|
E|1------------------1--|--------------------1--|

G|---------------------|------------------------|
D|----1----0---0-1-----|------1---1-------------|
A|---------------------|------------3--2--1--0--|
E|------------------1--|------------------------|

(play twice)

Verse 1 (0:18)

G|----------------------|-----------------------|
D|-----1----0---0-1-----|------1----0---0-1-----|
A|----------------------|-----------------------|
E|1------------------1--|--------------------1--|

G|---------------------|---------------------|
D|----1----0---0-1-----|----1----0---0-1-----|
A|---------------------|---------------------|
E|------------------1--|------------------1--|

G|------------------------|
D|---1--0--1-----1--0--1--|
A|------------------------|
E|1-----------1-----------|

Chorus 1 (0:28)

G|-----------------------| }
D|-----------------------| } (x 4)
A|---2--3--4----5--4--3--| }
E|3----------------------| }

Post-chorus 1 (0:36)

G|--------------------|--------------------| }
D|--------------------|--------------------| } (x 2)
A|3----3----2----2----|1----1----2----2----| }
E|--------------------|--------------------| }

Pre-verse 2 (0:44)
(same as Pre-verse 1)

Verse 2 (0:58)
(same as Verse 1)

Chorus 2 (1:08)
(same as Chorus 1)

Post-chorus 2 (1:15)

G|--------------------|--------------------| }
D|--------------------|--------------------| } (x 2)
A|3----3----2----2----|1----1----2----2----| }
E|--------------------|--------------------| }

G|--------------------|----------------------| }
D|--------------------|----------------------| } (x 2)
A|5----5----4----4----|--3----3----4----4----| }
E|--------------------|----------------------| }

G|------------------------|------------------------| }
D|------------------------|------------------------| } (x 2)
A|5--5--5--5--4--4--4--4--|3--3--3--3--4--4--4--4--| }
E|------------------------|------------------------| }

G|------------------------| }
D|------------------------| } (x 4)
A|3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--| }
E|------------------------| }

Verse 3 (1:45)
(same as Verse 1)

Chorus 3 (1:55)
(same as Chorus 1)

Post-chorus 3 (2:03)
(same as Post-chorus 1)

Chorus 4 (2:10)
(no bass)

Post-chorus 4 (2:18)

G|--------------------|--------------------| }
D|--------------------|--------------------| } (x 2)
A|3----3----2----2----|1----1----2----2----| }
E|--------------------|--------------------| }

G|------------------------|------------------------|
D|------------------------|------------------------|
A|3--3--3--3--2--2--2--2--|1--1--1--1--2--2--2--2--|
E|------------------------|------------------------|

G|------------------------| }
D|------------------------| } (x 2)
A|3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--| }
E|------------------------| }

G|----|
D|----|
A|3---|
E|----|

Guitar & Bass (UK)
May 2005

Generally Major: Colin Moulding Workshop
by Gareth Morgan

Ex. 2

MECCANIK GROOVING
Meccanik Dancing opened Go 2 and our exercise gives you a good flavour of the verse groove. If you look closely and fiddle with the phrasing a bit you'll get something akin to Elvis Costello's Pump It Up, so maybe both Bruce Thomas (see workshop in issue 16/1) and Moulding had sampled the delights of both The Everly Brothers and Richard Hell... stranger things have happened. Other than marking the end of Andrews' tenure, Go 2 is also notable as the album where Moulding the stylist really emerges.


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