tiger bay

Saint Etienne elevated their sampledelic sound with lush orchestration and acoustic strings to create the whistful dance ruminations and panoramic electronic folk of this emotional excursion.  Even with the critical and commercial success of 'Foxbase Alpha' and 'So Tough', the trio had had enough of the hassles that went into that sound:   "It was costing us more to clear samples than it was to actually record the album.  There was a lot of dialogue on 'S0 Tough' and it was very difficult to get the permissions. We then entered a phase of not using samples, partly to make things more interesting for ourselves...almost all of the melodies were based in traditional folk songs. Aside from bonecrunching techno we were listening to Pentangle and Fairport Convention at the time, and we wanted to create something like a latterday 'Liege And Lief'. We even rented a middle-of-nowhere cottage in the Forest 0f Dean to write it, checked the visitors' book, and discovered the last person who had stayed there was Bill Drummond."

 'Tiger Bay' features Sarah Cracknell on vocals, snowboard, and as scaremonger; Bob Stanley on keyboards, wulfren, and Scouse wit; Pete Wiggs on keyboards, space blue rinse, and as saucy git;  with Ian Catt on keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, and bodlondeb; David Whitaker on orchestral arrangements; Shara Nelson providing vocals for 'On the Shore'; Stephen Duffy on guest vocals on 'Western Wind'; Debsey on backing vocals on 'Former Lover' and 'Pale Movie'; Siobhan Brookes on backing vocals on 'Hug My Soul' and 'Pale Movie'; Mick Bund on guitar on 'Marble Lions'; Ian Davies on flamemco guitar on 'Pale Movie'; Mike Patton on guitar on 'Former Lover' and mandolin for 'On the Shore'; Kate St John on oboe for 'On the Shore'; Spencer Smith on drums on 'Hug My Soul'. 

Stanley says:   "'Tiger Bay' was supposed to be an album of modern folk songs done in twentieth century styles like techno and dub. So we wrote most of it in the Forest Of Dean. We went into the country to get our heads together. We wanted to do loads of songs about death, so we bought the local papers to get some real stories, and there was nothing. Then the week after we moved, they discovered the bodies in Cromwell Road!"

'Tiger Bay' charted at thirty-one in Sweden and eight in the UK.  It has been released in several different versions with different tracks and album covers. 










http://www.saintetienne.com/





http://www.youtube.com/user/SaintEtienneVEVO












"Urban Clearway"  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCVEXNW3pqA




"He's on the Phone"  
 It went to forty in Sweden, thirty-three on the US dance club play chart, and eleven in the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmoZan0Qo6A








"I Buy American Records"  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYXPlxiOmwQ




"Hug My Soul"  
 It went to forty on the US dance club play chart and thirty-two in the UK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovgaMmtfC0U




"Like a Motorway"  
Barely broke the UK top fifty. 
Bob: Number Forty-Seven with a bullet. The Americans tried to get us to change the title to Like A Freeway! Can you believe it? We said, Autobahn was a hit all around the world, fuck off.
 Pete: Yeah, [it was supposed to be a Shangri-Las style death song.] Or Ring A Ring O’ Roses. Folk songs about death and destruction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP4Pxpu4W2k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFNPCsTN-Co




"Grovely Road"  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bIOSY467TI






"Pale Movie"  
 It went to twenty-eight in the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIGPwFhfAlI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_cX7oIQAgQ





"Hate Your Drug"  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f2ramW_icI





"Marble Lions"  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdBbR-01rw8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46FCicXL6eo







"Western Wind"/"Tankerville"/"Western Wind" (combined)





"The Boy Scouts of America"  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b7fA-np60Q





"I Was Born on Christmas Day"  
a duet between Sarah Cracknell and Tim Burgess, the lead singer of the Charlatans.  It went to thirty-one in the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAMTq6rNivM










'Tiger Bay' 
full album:




All tracks written by Stanley and Wiggs; except where indicated.

1. "Urban Clearway"   3:58
2. "Former Lover"   3:49
3. "Hug My Soul" Batson, Cracknell, Male 4:15
4. "Like a Motorway"   5:42
5. "On the Shore"   4:06
6. "Marble Lions" Cracknell, Bund 4:35
7. "Pale Movie"   3:52
8. "Cool Kids of Death"   5:49
9. "Western Wind" Traditional, arranged by Stanley, Wiggs 1:33
10. "Tankerville"   4:01
11. "Western Wind" Traditional, arranged by Stanley, Wiggs 1:37
12. "The Boy Scouts of America"

good humor

Saint Etienne found an organic new sound for the sophisticated retro dance grooves of this confessional pop confection.  After the commercial disappointment of 'Tiger Bay' the band felt the need to regroup.  Bob Stanley says:    "We got ahead of ourselves a bit. We should have done something more commercial...The only obvious thing we could've done was to release a follow-up to 'He's on the Phone'.   It was our biggest hit, and we didn't release another single for two and a half years. [Laughing] A bit stupid!"

'Good Humor' was recorded over two weeks at Tambourine Studios, Malmo, Sweden with the Cardigans' producer Tore Johansson.  The sessions featured Sarah Cracknell on vocals, cowbells, and Flying A; Bob Stanley on synthesisers, Rapmaster 2000, and Esquilax; and Pete Wiggs on synthesisers, and Tube Rotosphere; with Sven Andersson on saxophone; Ian Catt on pre-production; Debsey on backing vocals; Tore Johansson on production, bass guitar, string arrangements, harmonica, and klangspiel; Gerard Johnson on pre-production, piano, vibraphone, keyboards; Rasmus Kihlberg on drums; Mats Larsson on piano embellishments on 'Woodcabin'; Jens Lindgård on trombone; Petter Lindgård on trumpet; and Jez Williams on guitar.  

Cracknell says:   "We've always used computers and tapes in the past, but we've got a live band for this one. It's got a lot of soul. Quite upbeat, jazzy and funky. We're tired of people calling us 'kitsch' and 'twee' ...  You do get a different feeling from your atmosphere. When we record away [from home], we usually rent a flat and all live together and we're very focused ... When it came to 'Good Humor', that’s when we started working together. And we work really well as a team. 'Cause there’s no egos in our group. There’s no drummer, guitarist, bass player, blah blah, everyone just sticks in and out and plays different things. There’s no strict roles for each person. So with each song, I could write a bass line or I could write anything, really. It leaves a lot more scope for getting involved."

Stanley considers:   "We're conceptual in as much as we want each album to sound like a complete album, I suppose. I think, hopefully we managed that...I've always thought it was a positive for us that we aren't an organic group with five members, where the bassist wants to do his song on the album or whatever. We've been able to chop and change our sound whenever we wanted. You know, because we're not proper musicians. I read an interview with Justice the other day, and they were talking about, 'It's not about playing instruments, it's about having ideas', and I think that's obviously pretty much what we think as well. Having the right ideas is a different matter [laughs] ... A lot of it has to do with the production. The same reason we chose Tore is that we wanted to work with someone who was capable of making something that was quite minimal and clean-sounding yet expansive at the same time."

'Good Humor' went to seventy-five in Japan, fifty-one in Sweden, eighteen in the UK, and eleven in Norway.  








http://www.saintetienne.com/
http://www.saintetienne.com/music/good-humor/

http://www.saintetienne.com/music/good-humor-de/







"Wood Cabin" – 4:07
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pBaIK3EIjk






"Sylvie" – 4:48
went to number twelve in the UK.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0NZMUAxrpA









"Mr. Donut" – 3:34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96SJakIIVEg







"Lose That Girl" – 4:03
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OU09V5C-K0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5Y_mt6nsKA




"The Bad Photographer" – 4:14
hit number twenty-seven in the UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Akv82uAukg




"Postman" – 3:46
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGfDtw2F1ag




"Erica America" – 4:02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LayKtk-e1Z4








'Good Humor' 
full album:



01. Woodcabin - 00:00
02. Sylvie - 04:08
03. Split Screen - 08:57
04. Mr. Donut - 12:21
05. Goodnight Jack - 15:55
06. Lose That Girl - 20:32
07. The Bad Photographer - 24:36
08. Been So Long - 28:51
09. Postman - 32:24
10. Erica America - 36:11
11. Dutch TV - 40:13




'Fairfax High' was included as a bonus disk with early pressings of the album.  

so tough

Saint Etienne achieved their greatest success with the cut and paste travelogue, diverse musical textures, and kitchy dialogue of this cerebral and stylish dancefloor manifesto. 'So Tough' was released more than a year after their debut 'Foxbase Alpha'.   The sessions featured Bob Stanley on Prophet 5, Roland Jupiter, handclaps, and spriguns of tolgus; Pete Wiggs on Rogue Moog, emax sampler, basso profundo, and polk salad; and Sarah Cracknell on vocals, Sri Lanka, and macca keyring; with Ian Catt on guitar, keyboard programming, and whistling jack; Q-Tee doing a vocal on "Calico"; and Cajun Queen playing bass guitar on "Calico". Stanley reveals:    "The main thing was, we had always used Ian Catt's studio but he and his sleeping partner had split everything down the middle. They even shared a car – I can't imagine why – but Ian kept the car, and the other bloke got all of the studio. Anyway, we ended up recording it at a place called RMS, which was right next to Selhurst Park. And it smelt of alsatians! One was called Diesel. It was an old hippy studio, so that was weird, recording a whole album in a place we weren't used to...It ended up sounding so British [because] we couldn't clear any of the bloody American samples, because American lawyers are such bastards...When Ian rebuilt the studio, he got a bigger desk, and from that point on, I wasn't as hands on. The first album was done on an eight track, which was a piece of cake to get your head around. We were throwing reverbs and echoes on and knew how to operate it...This time we'd give him ideas but were more reliant on Ian to do it. So that made quite a difference. Not in a bad way, but we could try to be more adventurous and test his engineering ability. There is tons more reverb and echo on So Tough than the first album, it's ridiculous. It sounds like it was recorded at the bottom of a well!...I really like it. I think because the first album had done quite well, we were confident it would do OK. We thought: 'We are going to have proper hits and be on Top Of The Pops.' We were quite cocky. We thought we were good enough to do that."

The songs are punctuated by snippits of sampled dialogue from films. Stanley explains:     "That was because, like with the first album, we really liked the Monkees' 'Head' soundtrack and 'The Who Sell Out'. A lot of the hip hop records out at the time had sort of skits between the tracks. They were all clips of dialogue that we liked. It's funny, it ended up sounding so British – and the only reason for that was that we couldn't clear any of the bloody American samples, because American lawyers are such bastards. The first album we got away with it by not asking anyone, the second, because Warner Bros were putting it out in America, we had to clear absolutely everything – including the Rush sample. They were nice, but they were Canadian – maybe it's easier for them. It wasn't intentional, but it cemented out perceived Englishness ... Maybe we were being too clever for our own good, because people kept saying we sounded like the Beach Boys. So we thought we'd be transparent and nick one of their album titles. Then, the NMEsaid, they've nicked the title off the Pet Shop Boys's So Hard. We thought, we're wasting our time here."

'So Tough' became their highest charting album, peaking at number seven on the UK album chart. Cracknell considers:    "Although the reviews always say 'quintessentially British', there are always references to other places in other countries. They're all imaginary really, because most of the places we write about we've never been to. So yeah, it's more of a travelogue. I think we felt that out of all our albums, 'So Tough' was the most travelogue."










http://www.saintetienne.com/



http://www.myspace.com/saintetienne/music/albums/so-tough-bonus-track-15218743



http://www.rhapsody.com/#album/Alb.32750217?&_suid=136241110667108818104742617741






"Mario's Cafe"



"Calico"








"Avenue" Stanley: "That was us thinking that we were going to make a seven-minute single that would blow people's minds. That was the aim, anyway. I can't actually imagine doing that now, we were very cocky." The single went to number forty in the UK. 








"You're in a Bad Way" made it to number twelve in the UK.









"Conchita Martinez"







"Join Our Club" was released as a single almost a year before the album. 

"Archway People"







'So Tough' 
full album:




All songs written and composed by Stanley, Wiggs; except where indicated. 

1. "Mario's Cafe"     4:38
2. "Railway Jam"     4:14
3. "Date With Spelman"     0:18
4. "Calico"   Stanley, Wiggs, Mais 5:12
5. "Avenue"   Catt, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs 7:40
6. "You're in a Bad Way" Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs 2:43
7. "Memo to Pricey"     0:23
8. "Hobart Paving" 5:03
9. "Leafhound"     4:05
10. "Clock Milk"     0:14
11. "Conchita Martinez"     4:02
12. "No Rainbows for Me"     3:56
13. "Here Come Clown Feet"     0:22
14. "Junk the Morgue"     5:12
15. "Who Do You Think You Are?"    3:52
16. "Chicken Soup"     0:33
17. "Join Our Club"          3:22

join our club / people get real

Saint Etienne put out the pop perfection call to arms of this double-a single as a stopgap between their first and second albums. 'People Get Real' was originally titled 'Kenny Get Real' about Kenny Thomas, a boxer who became a soul singer.  It was not considered commercial enough for their label; so the band came up with 'Join Our Club'.  'People Get Real' was eventually added to the US release of their debut 'Foxbase Alpha' and a version of 'Join Our Club' would end up on the US release of the followup 'So Tough'.  

http://www.saintetienne.com/





Bob Stanley recalls the genesis of 'Join Our Club': "Forced into recording ultra-commercial a-side by slave-driving corporate record company. It was supposed to be a bit tongue-in-cheek. It was supposed to be quite funny. But it was written up as 'elitist'! I mean, considering it was called 'Join Our Club', for God's sake!" Sarah Cracknell thinks: "It sounded terrible when it came out. That's a remixed version on 'Too Young To Die'." Bob says: "I remember driving through Kilburn, and hearing it on The Evening Session, and all I could hear on the car-radio was Sarah singing with this hi-hat going TSSS! TSSS! TSSS! I thought, 'Oh no, we've lost it.'"  Pete Wiggs jokes: "We lost it. And never regained it." 

(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
Join our club! 
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
Don't you worry`bout a thing.  
Teen spirit is the '90s scene! 
I know you want to hold my hand, 
I know you're going to love my band, yeah! 

Join our club!  
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 
Join our club!  
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 

You should call us up tonight. 
Our time, everything's alright. 
There's gonna be a storm quite soon, 
Get ready `cause we're coming through, yeah! 

Join our club!  
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 
Join our club!  
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 
(Do you believe in magic?)  
(Do you believe in magic?) 

Slip on your pink fur coat, bring your rude pictures, put on your teenage head - this is a love thing! 
We all want to kiss the sky; join our club, we're going to try! 

Join our club! 
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 
Join our club! 
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 
Join our club! 
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 
Join our club! 
(bup bup ba-da bup bup ba-da-da) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 
(Do you believe in magic?) 
(Do you believe in magic?)  
(Do you believe in magic?) 




About 'People Get Real', Bob says: "It's about the way that when people stick to a certain kind of music, like acid jazz, or soul, they're considered 'authentic' and real. People being really po-faced about stuff getting taken seriously, whereas, if you don't take yourselves too seriously, everyone takes that at face value and thinks you're superficial.  Like the Doors, who everyone thinks are great, but they're absolutely preposterous, total shit - and then you think of the Lovin' Spoonful, who were far more imaginative and wrote way more inventive songs, and they're regarded as some kind of comedy group! If you go for this ridiculous 'authenticity' thing, you're allowed to get away with anything." 
Pete considers:  "That Jamiroquai song where he goes "sex-ee / lay-dee" - if we'd written that, we'd have been chased down the street!"   Bob quips:  "...By sexy ladies! People would've come up to us and said, 'I think I'm gonna squeeze ya.'"

(Get on the floor and look real sexy!)

Saw you, and when I saw you 

I thought "This is real, this is real!"  

Kissed you, and when I kissed you, 

I whispered "Forever,  forever!" 

I love the way, I love the way you move 

I love the way, I love the way you move 

Just lose yourself, lose yourself in circles of sound. 

People get real, people get real, people get real! 

Knowing the way the way we are feeling 

You told me that we'd turn clean, we turned clean. 

Talking, taking advantage. 

The other side of your dreams of your dreams. 

Don't tell me this is precious! 

Don't tell me this is soulful! 

Well you have to be, have to be kidding me on! 

People get real, people get real, people get real! 

So don't stop, don't stop believing, 

No and don't stop, don't stop believing, 

Just keep on, keep on, keep on believing it's here. 

People get real, people get real, people get real!

foxbase alpha

Nothing could stop this band named after a French football team when they released the bittersweet sparkling sampladelic dance nostalgia of their debut album. Saint Etienne was the brainchild of childhood friends and music writers Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They originally wanted to use lots of different singers; but after working with Sarah Cracknell, they decided to make her a permanent part of the group. The music mixes ambient house rhythms with girl-group vocals stylings from the sixties and borrows liberally from such eclectic sources as dialogue from David Mamet's 'House of Games' and sports announcements in French. 'Foxbase Alpha' made it to number thirty four on the British album chart and made London swing again.






http://www.saintetienne.com/

'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' is a cover of the song by Neil Young, sung by Moira Lambert. It reached number one on the US dance play chart and number four on the US dance sales chart.

"When you were young and on your own,

How did it feel to be alone?

I was always thinking, games that I was playing,

Trying to make the best of my time."

'Nothing Can Stop Us Now' samples Dusty Springfield's 'I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face' It went to number one on the US dance play chart; but only fifteen on the dance sales chart. After Stanley and Wiggs worked with Sarah Cracknell on this track, they decided to make her a permanent part of the band.

"[sung:] I've heard some people say.

[spoken:] Yeah, nothing can stop us now. I've heard people say that a man who needs a woman is weak,

[sung:] So wrong, oh so wrong.

[spoken:] but they're so wrong, because nobody can hide from love.

[sung:] Do, do you want to know?

[spoken:] Do you want to know, do you want to know something else that's true?

[sung:] It's true, it's true, the touch of your hand, oh.

[spoken:] Just the touch of your hand, and I know we can make it."

The band's second single 'Kiss and Make Up' is a cover of the song by the Field Mice. This version features vocals by Donna Savage of Dead Famous People.

"Without beforehand thinking,

Sometimes I say things.

I could never hate you."

It was re-recorded with vocals by Sarah Cracknell for the US release of 'Foxbase Alpha'.











'Carnt Sleep' borrows the bassline from reggae producer Glen Brown's Youthman Riddim from his 'Melodica International'. The misspelling of can't is a reference to the Happy Mondays' album 'Squirrel & G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile'.

"You know the hurt's so deep that I can't sleep or eat,

And what I'm hoping for is to feel your kisses sweet.

If we could just talk things might be a little more clear.

I really need the chance to explain the way I feel. "

This version of 'Spring' is from 'Foxbase Beta' which was remixed from the original multi-tracks by Richard X.










'She's The One' samples the Four Tops's 'I'm In A Different World'.

"She's the girl who thinks nothing of

Breaking up two people in love.

In this world of ups and downs."

'Like the Swallow / Dilworth's Theme'

"Oh babe, I know you've gone.

I won't be sad alone

'cause the song that you left me

has the sweetest refrain."

'Foxbase Alpha' 
full album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6URiNDEQA-s

01. This Is Radio Etienne - 00:00

02. Only Love Can Break Your Heart - 00:44

03. Wilson - 05:14

04. Carnt Sleep - 07:14

05. Girl VII - 11:55

06. Spring - 15:43

07. She's The One - 19:27

08. People Get Real - 22:36

09. Stoned To Say the Least - 27:21

10. Nothing Can Stop Us - 35:04

11. Etienne Gonna Die - 39:25

12. London Belongs to Me - 40:57

13. Kiss and Make Up - 44:55

14. Like The Swallow - 50:09

15. Dilworth's Theme - 57:50

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTTI0sF7CWwGphxxXHexQqxRUIHWTXm29