3 O'Clock in the Afternoon

Lore & Background

In the 1980s, XTC underwent a gradual transition in their sound and image. After frontman Andy Partridge suffered a panic attack before a concert, the band ceased touring. In 1984, they released The Big Express, which sold poorly. During a routine meeting in early 1986, Virgin Records executives threatened to drop the band if their next album failed to sell more than 70,000 units. Given a list of American producers, the only name they recognized was Todd Rundgren. Rundgren offered to handle the album's entire recording for a lump sum of $150,000. The sessions were fraught with tension, especially between Rundgren and Partridge, with disagreements over drum patterns, song selections, and other details.

Reader's Guide

Skylarking was heavily influenced by the psychedelic music of the 1960s. Most of the album was recorded at Rundgren's Utopia Sound Studio in Woodstock, New York, with some work undertaken in San Francisco at the Tubes' studio. Tubes drummer Prairie Prince drummed on the album. Upon release, Skylarking was met with indifference in the UK, peaking at number 90. In the US, 'Dear God' became a college radio hit, propelling the album to number 70. The album has been included on '100 greatest albums of the 1980s' lists by Rolling Stone (in 1989) and Pitchfork (in 2002). In 2010, a wiring error made during mastering was corrected on subsequent remasters. In 2016, an expanded reissue was released with demos, outtakes, and new mixes by Steven Wilson. In 2024, Wilson mixed the album in Dolby Atmos.

Did You Know?

• Producer Todd Rundgren played a large role in the album's sound design and drum programming, providing orchestral arrangements and equipment.
• The track 'Dear God' was the subject of controversy in the US, inspiring angry phone calls to radio stations and at least one bomb threat.