Black Sea is the fourth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 12 September 1980 on Virgin Records.

Like Drums and Wires, Black Sea was recorded at Virgin's Town House studio in London with producer Steve Lillywhite and engineer Hugh Padgham.

After their manager complained, frontman Andy Partridge devised Black Sea as a reference to his emotional state while composing the album.

[9] Bassist Colin Moulding's dissatisfaction with XTC's "quirky" reputation inspired the group to take a more accessible approach with the album.

"[10] Lead single "Making Plans for Nigel" went further to propel the band's popularity, with every date of their proceeding UK tour sold-out.

[11] Frontman Andy Partridge sensed that he was losing the band's leadership, partly due to Moulding providing all of their charting singles to date and the resultant favouritism attracted from their label Virgin Records.

"[15] To follow "Nigel", the band recorded Partridge's "Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down" with production by Phil Wainman of Bay City Rollers fame.

[14] Between late 1979 and early 1980, the members spent a significant amount of time on tour, making stops in Japan, Britain, mainland Europe and the United States, while also writing the songs that would form Black Sea.

[16] The group played gigs almost six nights a week for two months, an arrangement that Partridge said turned him into a "vegetable" and made him believe he "cracked up in a minor sort of way.

[6] Meanwhile, he released the side LP Take Away / The Lure of Salvage, Gregory played on Peter Gabriel's Melt, whilst Moulding and Chambers recorded singles under the moniker "the Colonel" with producer Mick Glossop.

[17] As with Drums and Wires, Black Sea was recorded at Virgin's The Town House studio in London with producer Steve Lillywhite and engineer Hugh Padgham.

[23] Black Sea was recorded in six weeks, longer than Drums and Wires, during which time the band resided on an upper floor of the studio.

Once the song was finished, he realised that there "couldn't be any other nation I'm talking about" besides England, and appended an old-fashioned Noël Coward-style intro that was then repurposed for the bridge section.

The song was Moulding's attempt at a composition with one chord, inspired by the Beatles' "Doctor Robert" and "Paperback Writer", while the guitar riff was supplied by Partridge.

"[19] At the beginning of the recording, Lillywhite is heard saying "take-a-hundred-and-three", followed by the same phrase echoed by Chambers and Partridge, who are imitating the voice of Ian Reid.

[30] Black Sea was ultimately chosen to fit the nautical theme and to express the feelings of claustrophobia that Partridge felt at the time.

[31] Released on 12 September 1980, Black Sea sold moderately,[30] with 7 weeks spent on the UK album charts and a number 16 peak.

[32] Virgin's marketing department found Black Sea difficult to promote, and so publicity campaigns were split between "serious" national media, the independent music press, and schoolgirl-oriented magazines.

[35] "Towers of London" was initially the lead single, but after filming the video, Virgin changed plans and decided to issue "Generals and Majors" first.

In response, Virgin owner Richard Branson rented war uniforms and organized a makeshift video featuring himself, his friends and the band.

[38] Todd Rundgren attended a date in Chicago, and Robert Stigwood met XTC backstage at The Ritz in New York, telling them they were the most exciting live band he had seen since the Who.

[14] The night after John Lennon was killed, XTC played a gig at Liverpool, where they performed both "Towers of London" and "Rain" in tribute to the Beatles.

"[2] In Musician, Roy Trakin wrote of XTC as among "the new English art rock" and praised Black Sea's successful fusion of "Partridge's love of rhythm and Moulding's affinity for melody ...

[42] Jeff Tamarkin of CMJ New Music Report described the album as a refinement on Drums and Wires with "superb production, musicianship and writing", although he expressed disappointment towards the lack of Moulding songs.

He predicted the band would "find itself with an even wider audience, because there's plenty here to satisfy even the most timid radio programmer and borderline rock dance club DJ.

[48] Oregano Rathbone of Record Collector wrote that Black Sea was arguably "the sweet spot in XTC's imperial phase as a perma-touring four-piece experimental pop group.

[54] In 1996, critic Jack Rabid praised the "sardonic crack" of "Respectable Street" and wrote "am I the only one who's noticed that super-fans Blur have ripped this song off three times already???!!!!