Sunlight, raindrops, and melody all swirl through XTC’s ‘Skylarking,’ a record that feels like a living calendar. Produced by Todd Rundgren, the album blooms with psychedelic pop textures and lyrical warmth, moving through the cycles of love, growth, and reflection. Though its beginnings were complicated, its outcome glows with musical color and imagination. Over time, ‘Skylarking’ became a beloved classic, celebrated for its detail, cohesion, and fearless creativity.
1. Todd Rundgren mapped out the entire concept
Before the first session began, Todd Rundgren listened to over 20 demos and designed the album’s concept himself. He sequenced the songs to flow like the cycle of a single life – birth, youth, love, loss, and renewal. The structure was so strong that XTC kept his order almost entirely unchanged on the final release.
2. ‘Dear God’ transformed the album’s fate
“Dear God” was initially left off the first pressing of Skylarking because Virgin Records worried about length and controversy. But college radio DJs in the U.S. began playing it nonstop, and Geffen Records soon reissued the album with the song included. It climbed to #37 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and helped Skylarking spend 29 weeks on the Billboard 200, peaking at #70. The song’s questioning of religion sparked national debate, leading to angry letters, one bomb threat at a Florida station, and even a student in New York forcing his school to broadcast it. Despite that chaos, the track became one of XTC’s defining songs, praised for its honesty, artistry, and courage.
3. The recording used only three reels of tape
Rundgren kept the sessions lean at Utopia Sound Studios in Woodstock, New York. The band recorded the entire album on just three reels of tape – one for each album side and one for extras. This minimalist approach gave the music a spontaneous energy that matched its natural, cyclical theme.
4. Prairie Prince gave the songs their living rhythm
Rundgren brought in Prairie Prince of The Tubes to add live drums to replace programmed percussion. His expressive playing lifted the songs’ flow and feeling, giving Skylarking the organic pulse that turned it from a technical record into a living, breathing work of art.
5. The album’s original artwork shocked record stores
Andy Partridge originally planned a cover using photographs of human bodies adorned with flowers, but record stores refused to carry it. He replaced it with a reworked image from artist Hans Erni that became instantly recognizable. The final design matched the music’s elegance and the theme of nature’s endless renewal.