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The Dukes of Stratosphear was a pseudonym used by the British rock band XTC in the mid to late 1980s, concurrently with XTC*s continued musical activities. The project was intended as a homage to 1960s pop and psychedelic music by groups such as The Beatles, The Byrds, The Kinks, The Beach Boys, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd and The Pretty Things.
Chips from the Chocolate Fireball: An Anthology is a CD-only compilation album from XTC which was released under the pseudonym The Dukes of Stratosphear. It includes both their 1985 mini-album 25 O*Clock and the Psonic Psunspot album from 1987.
It was re-released as a part of the XTC reissue series in 2001 with songwriters Sir John Johns and The Red Curtain credited under their real names.

Personnel

* Sir John Johns - vocals, guitar
* The Red Curtain - vocals, bass
* Lord Cornelius Plum - mellotron, piano, organ, fuzz-tone guitar
* E.I.E.I. Owen - drum set

Credits

* Produced by John Leckie and the Dukes

The band released two records under this pseudonym, the mini-album 25 O*Clock (1985), and the full-length album Psonic Psunspot (1987). The two releases were compiled onto a single CD under the title Chips from the Chocolate Fireball: An Anthology, which was released simultaneously with the vinyl issue of Psonic Psunspot. The Dukes were also mentioned in the credits of XTC*s 1986 album Skylarking, where they were thanked for the loan of their guitars.
The band briefly reformed in 2003, to record the track “Open A Can (Of Human Beans)” for the MS Society charity compilation album The Wish List.
On 20 April 2009 both records were released on CD for the first time in their own right - along with demo recordings, bonus tracks and brand new sleeve notes from the band. These editions are credited to “XTC as The Dukes of Stratosphear” and were released on Andy Partridge*s Ape House record label (they are also the first XTC recordings that Virgin Records have relinquished the rights to).
Members
The pseudonymous personnel included:

* Sir John Johns (Andy Partridge) - singing, guitar, brain buds
* The Red Curtain (Colin Moulding) - electric bass, song stuff
* Lord Cornelius Plum (Dave Gregory) - mellotron, piano, organ, fuzz-tone guitar
* E.I.E.I. Owen (Ian Gregory) - drum set
Both 25 O*Clock and Psonic Psunspot were produced by John Leckie, whose adopted pseudonym was Swami Anand Nagara.

�In 1985, the British pop band XTC recorded an EP of affectionate parodies of �60s psychedelia and guitar-pop called 25 O�Clock. Instead of releasing the EP under their own name, they released the record under the name the Dukes of Stratosphear. Working with producer John Leckie, all three members of the group adopted pseudonyms � Andy Partridge was Sir John Johns, Colin Moulding was the Red Curtain and David Gregory was Lord Cornelius Plum. For this one project Gregory�s brother Ian joined the band under the name Ian E.I.E.I. Owen. The EP was released without mention of XTC�s name anywhere on the record, and the group claimed they had nothing to do with the project.
Two years after the appearance of 25 O�Clock, the Dukes of Stratosphear released a full album, Psonic Psunspot. By the time Psonic Psunspot appeared in 1987, XTC were beginning to admit in interviews that they were indeed the Dukes of Stratosphear. Later in 1987, both the EP and album were released on a single compact disc, Chips from the Chocolate Fireball.�
I haven*t heard a heavily 60s-influenced album as fun as The Coral since The Dukes Of Stratosphere*s 1985 album 25 O* Clock. Unlike XTC*s alter-ego, however, The Coral are not an established group of geezers taking a break from their “serious” albums. Instead, they*re a bunch of 19-21 year-olds who are desperately serious. Their honest-to-goodness rock *n* roll spirit is utterly convincing when most bands would only come across as genre tourists. The Coral*s secret weapon is frontman James Skelly, one of the better new voices in rock, whose powerful pipes recall The Animals* Eric Burdon, The Original Sins* J.T. and The La*s Lee Mayers. Coming from the seaside village of Hoylake, it*s appropriate that they start off with the sea shanty “Spanish Main,” — “We*ve set sail again!/We*re heading for the Spanish Main!” — setting out to pillage and cherrypick the best aspects of music that peaked twenty years before they were born. “Shadows Fall” is a reggae waltz that recalls Lee Perry*s obsession with spaghetti westerns, while “Dreaming Of You” is a flawless moment of teenage lust Merseybeat. “Simon Diamond” is another highlight, a psychedelic story rich with bizarre imagery, swooping harmonies and odd time signatures. “Skeleton Key” continues the mariner imagery, re-imagining Captain Beefheart*s Magic Band circa 1967 as coked-up pirates. “Wild Fire” is only slightly less crazed, adding a tinge of melancholy to The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. “Waiting For The Heartaches” grows with repeated listens — here Skelly sounding like Ian McCulloch as a mod soulman. The closest thing to a misstep is “Bad Man,” which oddly sounds like David Lee Roth. Nevertheless, it*s all great fun. Pillaging the Nuggets collections is not the most original idea, yet somehow, miraculously, The Coral make it all sound fresh and exciting again. Best stop wondering why or how, and just enjoy for now.
�During the mid-*80s, XTC developed a deep fascination with *60s psychedelia that manifested itself on their late-1986 masterpiece Skylarking. While Skylarking was filled with lush pop reminiscent of the Beatles and Beach Boys, it was generally a sober affair, since they decided to leave many of the lighter songs off the album for B-sides and future albums. During this time, they decided to develop their alter egos of the Dukes of Stratosphear, a way to let all of their infatuation with psychedelia flourish. Both the EP 25 O*Clock and the full-length Psonic Psunspot, collected on the single-disc Chips From the Chocolate Fireball, capture the sound of *60s psychedelia remarkably well. All of the sonic details, from the fuzz guitars to the cavernous echoes and sound effects, are in place, as are the self-consciously trippy lyrics. But what makes the Dukes of Stratosphear far more than a comedy band are the songs, which happen to be some of the best pure pop tunes XTC ever wrote: “My Love Explodes” has a tense, spiraling guitar line and melody, “Little Lighthouse” and “You*re My Drug” are wonderful pastiches, “The Mole From the Ministry” is a devilish homage to “I Am the Walrus” and Bowie, and the group rarely wrote a song as infectious as the bright, jangling “Vanishing Girl.” Despite the clever craftsmanship, XTC has never sounded so carefree or effortless, been quite as immediately catchy or consistent — Chips From the Chocolate Fireball is too good to be overlooked as a side-project folly, because it truly is some of the best music XTC ever made. And, coincidentally, it*s some of the best psychedelic pop ever recorded as well.�


Tracklist:

01 - 25 O*Clock
02 - Bike Ride To The Moon
03 - My Love Explodes
04 - What In The World??…
05 - Your Gold Dress
06 - The Mole From The Ministry
07 - Vanishing Girl
08 - Have You Seen Jackie?
09 - Little Lighthouse
10 - You*re A Good Man Albert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel)
11 - Collideascope
12 - You*re My Drug
13 - Shiny Cage
14 - Brainiac*s Daughter
15 - The Affiliated
16 - Pale And Precious


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