"The Disappointed" (also typeset as "The Diſappointed") is a song written by Andy Partridge of the English rock band XTC and released as the lead single from their 1992 album, Nonsuch. According to Partridge: the lyrics are about people who have been turned down romantically and come together to form an organisation "of the disappointed."[4] It was originally inspired by Argentina's Mothers of the Disappeared.[5] The music video was directed by a relative of Ranulph Fiennes.[4] A home demo of the song was later released on Coat of Many Cupboards (2002).
| "The Disappointed" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by XTC | ||||
| from the album Nonsuch | ||||
| B-side | "The Smartest Monkeys" | |||
| Released | 23 March 1992[1] | |||
| Length | 3:23[2] | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Andy Partridge | |||
| Producer(s) | Gus Dudgeon[3] | |||
| XTC singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
editColin Larkin says the song, "could just as easily have acted as a personal epitaph."[6] The Rough Guide describes the song as, "soaringly melodic."[7] The single reached No. 33 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 32 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and No. 68 on the Dutch Single Top 100. In 1993, the song was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award.[4][5][6]
Charts
edit| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[8] | 32 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[9] | 68 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 33 |
References
edit- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 21 March 1992. p. 19.
- ^ "Nonsuch", AllMusic.com
- ^ Gregory, Andy; ed. (2002). The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002, p.146. Psychology Press. ISBN 9781857431612.
- ^ a b c Bernhardt, Todd (4 October 2009). "Andy discusses 'The Disappointed'". Chalkhills. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- ^ a b Rachel, Daniel (2014). The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters, p.203. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9781466865211.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin; ed. (1995). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music [Vol. 6]: Threepenny Opera-Z.Z. Top, p.. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 9781561591763. See also: ISBN 9780753501597 and ISBN 9780857125958.
- ^ Buckley, Jonathan; Ellingham, Mark; Lewis, Justin; Furmanovsky, Jill; eds. (1996). Rock: The Rough Guide, unknown page. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781858282015.
- ^ "XTC – The Disappointed". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "XTC – The Disappointed" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 January 2018.