XTC - Happy Families (1988)

The third volume of my XTC trilogy collects the b-sides of singles released between 1982 and 1988, a couple of songs from film soundtracks ('Take This Town' was also on the 'Times Square' soundtrack), and to round things off we have Partridge's hilarious 'History Of Rock 'n' Roll'. In 1986 the band released the stand-alone single 'Dear God' in preparation for their 'Skylarking' album, and when it was a surprise hit it was decided to add the song to future pressings, meaning that another song had to be sacrificed, and so 'Mermaid Smiled' was removed to make way. Depending on which pressing of 'Skylarking' you have you'll be missing one of these songs so I've included both of them here. You now also have the complete 'Homo Safari' series, comprising:
    'Homo Safari'
    'Bushman President (No. 2 in the Homo Safari series)'
    'Egyptian Solution (No. 3 in the Homo Safari series)'
    'Mantis On Parole' (No. 4 in the Homo Safari series)'
    'Frost Circus (No. 5 in the Homo Safari series)'
    'Procession Towards Learning Land (No. 6 in the Homo Safari series)'
XTC continued to release singles and albums throughout the 90's so I will be posting a fourth album in this trilogy to mop up all the songs that I couldn't fit on these three.      

Track listing

01 Over Rusty Water (b-side of 'No Thugs In Our House' 1982)
02 Jump (b-side of 'All You Pretty Girls' 1984)
03 Desert Island (b-side of 'Love On A Farmboy's Wages' 1983)
04 Toys (b-side of 'Love On A Farmboy's Wages' 1983)
05 Washaway (b-side of 'All You Pretty Girls' 1984)
06 Red Brick Dream (b-side of 'All You Pretty Girls' 12" single 1984)
07 Blue Overall (b-side of 'This World Over' 1984)
08 Take This Town (b-side of 'Wake Up' 1985)
09 Mantis On Parole (b-side of Wake Up' 1985)
10 Dear God (singe 1986)
11 Extrovert (b-side of 'Grass' 1986)
12 Mermaid Smiled (removed from 'Skylarking' second pressings)
13 Happy Families (from the soundtrack of 'She's Having A Baby' 1988)
14 History Of Rock 'n' Roll