Mummer (album)

Mummer is the sixth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released on 30 August 1983 on Virgin Records. It was the first XTC album to be recorded following the band's retirement from live performance in 1982. The album's title and artwork refers to a Mummers' play, in which the identity of the players is hidden. A working title considered for the album was Fruits Fallen From God's Garden.

Frontman Andy Partridge, who at the time was recovering from a nervous breakdown, embraced the idea of the band becoming a purely studio-based act, which resulted in a new burst of productivity. Drummer Terry Chambers, who preferred performing live, struggled to adapt and quit the group after recording only two tracks and a B-side, with Pete Phipps replacing him for the remaining sessions.

Virgin Records were concerned by the album's lack of potential singles, and urged the band to rework the material several times, which delayed its release by several months. Mummer eventually appeared in August 1983, reaching No. 51 on the UK albums chart and No. 145 on the U.S. Billboard albums chart. It spawned three UK singles: "Great Fire", "Wonderland" and "Love on a Farmboy's Wages", the latter of which reached No. 50 on the UK singles chart.

Following the band's retirement from touring in 1982, frontman Andy Partridge and his wife Marianne vacated their rent-free flat at King's Hill Road and moved to an Edwardian home in Swindon's Old Town, while bassist/songwriter Colin Moulding spent more time with his family.

Partridge became reclusive, later stating, "I didn't want anyone connected with the outside world seeing me. I felt trapped like a monkey on a barrel organ. Everything I did was some sort of performance." Partridge resumed hypnotherapy sessions and began composing a series of new songs in his back garden, later commenting, "I was in a strange frame of mind but I couldn't stop these songs tumbling out".

A string of debts in the wake of the band's cancelled American tour led to a contract renegotiation with Virgin Records, wherein the band agreed to provide six more albums and a "best of" compilation, in return for which Virgin would alter their contract and lend the band an advance to cover all outstanding debts. Additionally, the band negotiated to take control of their own finances going forward, with any money owed by Virgin going into a deposit account, where they would pay themselves a monthly wage of £650.

Drummer Terry Chambers, who now lived in Australia with girlfriend Donna and new son Kai, reluctantly moved back to Swindon to prepare for the new album's sessions.

The band recruited Steve Nye to produce Mummer, after Partridge became enamored with his work on Japan's Tin Drum (1981). Band member Dave Gregory later opined that "Japan was a very different group from us. They were keyboard driven. [Tin Drum] was a very beautiful record, but Steve wasn't right for us."