Mayor of Simpleton

A cover of a great song by XTC by another great artist
Boulder Colorado, March 27th, 2003
Created with tovid.io

[@johnmavroudis2054]

When one brilliant artist covers another brilliant artist it should sound as brilliant as this.

[@WarrenCromartie2]

Cool version of a wonderful uplifting song. Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding are two of our finest, but most overlooked songwriters.

[@krisscanlon4051]

Essentially peers from that same fun Brit new wavy period I long for in my middle years

[@trogers00100]

Jackson and XTC .... two of my all time favorites

[@lovemrj4ever]

Yeh me toooooo

[@jasperchance3382]

What a great time those late '70's were, add Police, Cure, Elvis Costello, Talking heads and some others, never gonna happen again

[@krollpeter]

This is so good, I would not mind an entire Joe Jackson play XTC album.

[@DogDoc1991]

I never mind anything Joe Jackson plays. Ever. One of my all time favorites.

[@danbrockettDOP]

Hear, hear! Joe is incredible as are XTC. He did Statue of Liberty when I saw him in NYC at Town Hall a few years ago. He knows that the best covers are interpretations like this one, superb.

[@smaisey]

An XTC / Joe Jackson match up can only be a good thing

[@jerkerjansson]

Ten Feet Tall. Would like to hear that one.

[@krollpeter]

@@jerkerjansson It would fit him perfect.

[@victorhawkins3461]

To hear someone I've loved since his first album cover someone else I've loved since their first album is stunning. As I sit here with tears welling up over how good this combination truly is, I'd like to thank you for making an otherwise quite "regular" Thursday morning a bit more tolerable.

[@krobinson5992]

I was thinking the same. His voice gave me chills( the good kind). That xtc album was one of the first that I bought as a teen. Still love it. 😁

[@HarryFlashman.]

A bit OTT Victor. It's very good - let's leave it at that!

[@victorhawkins3461]

@@HarryFlashman. "One man's ceiling is another man's floor..." Paul Simon

[@alexkatsanos8475]

So great! Isn’t Andy back performing?

[@gaskellr44]

@@HarryFlashman. You should be a Fireman, they are good at putting out fires too lol.

[@ianmackintosh3095]

Joe Jackson and XTC a brilliant combination

[@TonyLovell]

If Fountains of Wayne could be added in ... bliss

[@kelvinwilson9217]

Joe Jackson is unique and to take this track and did what he did is wondeful.

[@buxvan]

Crikey, 2 of my favourite artists. Brilliant. Don’t know who I like best. JJ or XTC.

[@DogDoc1991]

Fabulous. Love Joe Jackson and love XTC and love that Joe did this so nicely.

[@beeragainsthumanity1420]

Upstandingly great cover.

[@buxvan]

Same here. Love em both.

[@desert.mantis]

What a great tribute to Andy Partridge. Way to go, Joe! Thanks for this upload, plod.

[@charlesperez9976]

That was magnificent. Partridge is indeed one of the great songwriters ever!

[@sjf1981]

I love how he makes It his own. JJ and Andy P. So much raw talent

[@vurite]

Joe Jackson is great and has great taste...cool!

[@Lunatic4Bizcas]

I love Joe Jackson and XTC as well. Both absolute treasures of British Music.

[@lesliegooch7565]

A beautiful cover of a great song.

[@ArbeiterInnenlieder]

Please be upstanding!

[@lovemrj4ever]

Yes!!! Yes

[@oscarsanchez8601]

That sound of the pain and that voice. And the song he chooses to cover.Just WOW!!!

[@montysloungetv]

imagine these two together

[@jimlal1467]

how totally cool! I was there. He pulled out some sheet music, sat down and played it beautifully.

[@SmashedBottleMan]

Oranges and Lemons is a brilliant album and Joe's cover is wonderful.

[@richardlafontaine5049]

THIS IS GOLD!

[@lotsofhats3224]

Wow. Thanks for finding that and sharing a great moment in musical history. Two of my favorite songwriters! Thank you again.

[@sareyners9038]

"profound stagefright" I never would've thought that since Andy seems so extroverted, jovial and carefree.

[@beeragainsthumanity1420]

He actually had a nervous breakdown back in the day.

[@davebartholome2924]

Yeah, “stage fright” was what was said publicly. He was hooked on some pills, his wife flushed them, he tried to go cold turkey, freaked out on stage (there’s a KZbin video of him just walking off in the middle of a song-on which he was singing the lead!). The whole ordeal seems to have traumatized him, and he never wanted to return to live playing. Which is a damn shame-XTC could have been a lot bigger than they were. But at the time of their “big break” (almost) in America, when the time would have been right to do a long tour, he wouldn’t do it. He did agree to appear on David Letterman, but he stayed in the background as they played one of Colin Moulding’s songs (“King For A Day”), which Colin of course sang. (It’s also on KZbin.) Then of course they got into the legal battle with Geffen Records in the 90s, which effectively killed off whatever momentum they had going for them.

[@richybatty234]

Partridge ( along with the rest of the band ) was basically just worked into the ground by greedy and corrupt management . This , coupled with his sudden withdrawal from taking Valium from a young age , basically seemed to just tip him over the edge . Shame really .

[@jamoncure]

How cool is this!!! WOW. Thank you SO MUCH for posting it, really enjoyed! JJ & XTC ❤❤

[@pandorski35000]

Love both bands and personns, such a great tune

[@robertoc2485]

Wow this is fantastic! Thanks for posting ,🤟👍❤️

[@lincoslam]

Simply awesome.

[@gaylasmith5279]

So glad that I came across this! Joe Jackson doing a cover of my favourite XTC song. Pure bliss. Just about the finest lyrics ever written sung brilliantly by Mr. Jackson. Thank you profoundly for posting!

[@dss2856]

Goddam. This is fantastic!!

[@WhyTheHorseface]

Thanks so much for posting this!

[@Skylarking00]

Joe covers my two favorite bands post-Beatles, Steely Dan and XTC. Very nice.

[@jayernst2799]

Outstanding!!

[@pinkyndebrain4578]

That was so beautiful.

[@j1thom]

Wonderfull.

[@showbiz3848]

getting chills.

[@jasperchance3382]

Not only is Joe a great composer and songwriter with few peers, he also has great taste in music.

[@meerkat7406]

Terrific!!!

[@showbiz3848]

Legends.... WOWZER

[@tommonk7651]

Great artist! Great song! Great cover!

[@lovemrj4ever]

Yes Yes and Yes!!!!

[@hailmaryrecordings8255]

😢☮️ Fantastic ...

[@michaeljayes2836]

Love it .

[@TheJcburke68]

Fantastic cover!

[@TheThaggs]

A great Pop song is a wonderful thing. Hearing this version made me think of Jules Shear and If She Knew What She Wants. Another one.

[@vincentcarrot]

W H A T Never knew this existed. Thanks!

[@michaeljayes2836]

Not a easy song to perform live, but Joe carries it off wonderfully

[@jerkerjansson]

Wow. Two of my teenage favorite acts together like this. Dancing around feeling like 15 and writing my first pop songs. Pathetic old fart! But happy. And that piano!

[@Svatopluk]

Excellent!

[@randysallade9468]

Put a huge Joe Jackson stamp on that version, well done!

[@powerpopaholic876]

The piano is played with some sensitivity - so appropriate to the lyrics. Vocals are GREAT !

[@LanciaD50]

Wonderful

[@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879]

Holy shit. Perfection

[@nadgepulphy7696]

THANK YOU ! ! !

[@Mike-sr3ir]

👍👍

[@pERRYsTRONGdotcom]

Love.

[@AlbertoGarcia-lj8xd]

Dos grandes: Joe & XTC

[@gazfunk]

I always thought XTC and the Joe Jackson Band had a similar sound in that late 70s era. Great cover.

[@thepollyannasociety]

Yes. 💗

[@user-io3th6lo9t]

Joe Jackson has been in New York so long that he doesn't even sound British anymore.

[@GreatBowlsAfire]

is this a dream???!!!! :O

[@sheldonwheaton881]

Still sound great, Mr. Jackson! Jumping' Jive!🗿

[@raytune42]

A treasure

[@michaelrck]

Great cover. By the way...anybody else think Joe looks like an older Jack Wilde?

[@ericjudges7856]

Amazing

[@paulm8269]

WOW

[@cuttingsedge2]

Stunning cover!!

[@beeragainsthumanity1420]

Upstanding...

[@DanstykMusic]

Nice. Thanks.

[@montysloungetv]

would andy protest because he worked with todd

[@triskellmanofmusix9142]

Maybe this cover is better than the original version, and gods only know than i'm a great XTC fan and love everything they've done (almost the same for Joe)

[@kenmuellers1469]

WIN WIN.

[@lusciousbee4831]

Well done.. AP is proud, I'm sure... :)

[@SeanRainey]

The other great artist is JOE JACKSON and he's awesome.

[@daniellima1412]

Great version.

[@Rjhs001]

JJ/XTC...what's not to like?

[@powerpopaholic876]

Joe just may get an award as 'national treasure'. :) :) Would be well-deserved.

[@youbetyourwrasse]

[@user-kd9dg3mh8j]

初秋、しびれたぜ！ジョー！

[@joebrewer4529]

Too bad they didn't do a duet version of that

[@Kentonbass]

I wanted to play along on bass but it's a half-step down. : (

[@TheClownlager]

Tune down half a step.

[@chrisorsten]

Its probably an easier key to play it on piano.

[@GrizrazRex]

Learn to transpose on the fly, and you'll never be hurting for a gig. What I see right now is a lame excuse.

[@frankgilligan3555]

Switching from guitar to keyboards, I suddenly understood the beauty of "flat" keys. Sooooo much easier!

[@geoffjoffy]

Joe's version is better.

[@danielscannell8588]

There’s something about this stripped down, slightly slower version of this song that works better than the original. It’s almost as if a song about a simple man should be performed… simply?