BARRY ANDREWS
Born: Lambeth, South London, 1956
Clapped out organist Barry Andrews left XTC in 1978, complaining that his songs were being rejected by band-mates Colin Moulding and Andy Partridge. Only two of the ace organist's tunes ('Super Tuff', 'My Weapon') were recorded by XTC; all the others were deemed unfit. Which is all very surprising, because those songs were great and the Town And Country EP is a dead ringer for early XTC, suiting all the adjectives applied to that band: quirky new wave/punk with witty lyrics, a catchy tune, a somewhat skewiff sense of melody, and even quite a bit of hollerin'. Very entertaining.
In 1980 he recorded a follow-up single, Rossmore Road (NW1). Although it featured guests such as Steve New (Rich Kids), Patti Palladin (Snatch), Robert Fripp, Richard Wernham (of The Motors) and others, this also flopped. Virgin promptly reissued it with a new B-Side, 'Pages Of My Love', this B-Side credited to Restaurant for Dogs.
Subsequent endeavours include solo albums, brainy scientist stuff (including what his website describes as a 'a metaphysical theme park in virtual space', art and furniture making), a lengthy stint leading Shriekback, a shorter stint in Robert Fripp's League Of Gentlemen, and guesting on Iggy Pop's Soldier album.
DISCOGRAPHY
Subsequent studio albums: Haunted Box Of Switches (2003), Contaminated Pop (2019).
Singles / Albums
| Town And Country (7", 1979) |
Rossmore Road (NW1) (7", 1980) |
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Extraneous Items |
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| ...And If I Refuse? Songs 1979-81 (CDR, 2002) |
Lost Pop Songs 78-80 (CD, 2018) |
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Various Artists
Off The Cuff UK LP 1981 (Polydor/101): Pages Of My Love / Mice [as Barry Andrews Restaurant For Dogs]
