Edinburgh, XTC and “Making Plans for Nigel”

I spent a few days in our capital city earlier this week and presumed I would write about that trip here, but to be honest I’ve written about trips to Edinburgh quite a few times already and also about get-togethers with the ex-flatmates from Aberdeen days (which this was) so I won’t bore you too much. Suffice to say it was an excellent trip and a few things were experienced for the first time such as: being locked in an Escape Room; a tour of Gladstone’s Land (a very old house on the Royal Mile owned by the National Trust for Scotland); and, an exploration of all the curious monuments built at the top of Calton Hill. In the 19th century, Edinburgh was envisioned as the ‘Athens of the North’ and a version of the Parthenon was begun in 1822. The project was ambitious, aiming to commemorate those who fell in the Napoleonic Wars, but was left unfinished due to lack of funds.

The National Monument, Gladstone’s Land and The Secret Lab Escape Room

Despite being with two scientists, we were very bad at solving the puzzles within the cells needed to escape the secret lab, and had to be let out after an hour. The kind of thing you get better at with practice we were told, but quite pricey, so I might just put it down to a fun experience.

But this is a music blog so did anything pique my interest when in Edinburgh? As expected the rest of our party were not particularly bothered by my renewed interest in what’s happening in the charts nowadays, but wherever we went to eat there was always a mixtape (no doubt of the digital variety) playing, and a game of “name that tune” began. Everyone knows about this place so of course the pressure was on for me to identify whatever was playing first. I was most impressed by Mr WIAA however who straight out of the traps got this 1979 song by McFadden & Whitehead, Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now. The restaurant must have gauged that its patrons were of a certain age as the next song up was another from 1979, Making Plans For Nigel by XTC, and yes, I did get that one first. I hadn’t thought about them or their song for some time, so resolved to do some research when I got home.

The song marked XTC’s commercial breakthrough and spent 11 weeks on the UK Singles Chart peaking at No. 17. The song’s writer was bassist Colin Moulding who said, “When I was about 16, my father wanted me to stay on in school. But by that time, I really didn’t want to do anything other than music… , so in a way, is it autobiographical? Well, a little bit. I knew somebody called Nigel at school and I think that, when you write songs, it’s a lot of things all wrapped up.”

XTC formed in Swindon in 1972 fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding. The band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in a variety of styles. Andy Partridge credited John Peel as responsible for getting them a recording contract after asking them to record a session for his show. Andy, who wrote the majority of XTC’s songs, was the group’s frontman and de facto leader. He drove the band’s image, designed many of their record sleeves, and handled most of their interviews. The band were noted for their “Englishness”, their songs from the same school of small town English songwriting invented by Ray Davies of the Kinks, and followed by the Jam, the Specials and mid 1990s Britpop. 

So, “What’s It All About?” – I just never know where my blog posts are going to end up and after writing about my trip to Edinburgh, I doubt if many of my readers would have thought it would be a potted history of XTC. The link was of course that their song became an earworm (which Martin at New Amusements calls, “couplets lodged in my hippocampus with the tenacity of bathroom sealant sticking anywhere you don’t want it to go” – very good) for the rest of the trip.

As for making plans for our children, DD seems to be sorted, now happily doing what we always knew she would be good at despite the fact she rebelled against it heavily 10 years ago. One ex-flatmate has two children who are similarly sorted and she is also now a granny whereas the other ex-flatmate didn’t have any children but is an auntie and honorary auntie to many. None of them are called Nigel.

Until next time…

Making Plans For Nigel Lyrics
(Song by Colin Moulding)

We’re only making plans for Nigel
We only want what’s best for him
We’re only making plans for Nigel
Nigel just needs this helping hand

And if young Nigel says he’s happy
He must be happy
He must be happy in his work

We’re only making plans for Nigel
He has his future in a British steel
We’re only making plans for Nigel
Nigel’s whole future is as good as sealed

And if young Nigel says he’s happy
He must be happy
He must be happy in his work

Nigel is not outspoken
But he likes to speak
And loves to be spoken to
Nigel is happy in his work