saint etienne

that's the chap.

"Mr. and Mrs. J Somers..." That too?

that too i'm guessing. would love to hear a copy. the Richard X 'Beta' mix of 'Wilson' has different samples too; "I don't understand dear!" etc

There *was* one for sale.

(burp)

oh you!

haha awesome

ha excellent do please rip it to YouTube or some such..

I am now listening to Foxbase Alpha and it is so delightful. I love this album so much.

I pulled out So Tough this morning. It was so fun. Will probably play side 2 when I get home from work.

foxbase alpha getting what looks to be a nice vinyl reissue (as opposed to the chintzy one that came out a couple years ago on Plain.)

“And now ladies and gentlemen, what you’ve been waiting for!”

Finally we can bring you news on the 25th anniversary re-issues for ‘Foxbase Alpha’.

It’s hard to believe that a quarter of a century has passed since our debut album first appeared in record shops and we hope you’ll like what we we have lined up to celebrate this special anniversary.

First up…..

- a single disc vinyl re-issue -

An exact replica of the original Heavenly pressing from 1991 - resplendent with full colour inner sleeve and a digital download code for the music. Available to purchase from all good record shops and via the Saint Etienne webshop (link below) - for immediate shipping - from 5pm UK time this Thursday 27th October.

- ‘Special Edition’ Box Set -

Limited to just 2000 copies worldwide the box includes:

• The original album remastered and cut onto two twelve inch 45rpm discs for higher fidelity, housed in an exclusive gatefold version of the original sleeve.
• ‘Remains Of The Day’, an exclusive album that gathers together ten rare 'Foxbase Alpha'-era recordings from the period most of which are appearing on vinyl for the first time.
• An exclusive one-sided 7” featuring the original, previously unreleased version of ‘Kiss And Make Up’, featuring ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ singer Moira Lambert.
• A perfect bound, 12" square, 28 page book featuring many unseen photographs and artefacts from the era, plus a new interview with Bob Stanley by the Guardian's Michael Hann.
• Three 10”x 8” black and white portraits of the group.
• A perforated sheet of Foxbase Alpha trading cards.
• Exact reproductions of the original album press release and biography.
• A digital download code for all of the music.

All items included in the box are exclusive and won’t be available elsewhere.

The box set can be pre-ordered at £50 (plus postage) from the Saint Etienne webshop (link below) from 5pm GMT this Thursday 27th October. Please move quickly as we’re expecting these to sell fast*.

Due to lead times we have been advised that this item will not leave the factory until December 14th. We are doing all we can to bring that date forward so we can ship orders in time for Christmas but there is a strong possibility that orders will not ship until the first week or so in January. We’re sorry for this but wanted to ensure the contents of the box were the best quality possible.

buried at the end of the Facebook update:

We’re recording a brand new album at the moment and will be bringing you news on that very soon. We’re also planning a couple of Christmas bashes so stay tuned via all the usual places!!

Lots of love,
Bob, Pete and Sarah xxx

They've also said they're going to be reissuing all their other albums on vinyl too as they weren't happy with those Plain reissues. Looking forward to filling in a few gaps in my collection.

Very excited about a new album! The vinyl box looks nice, but I already have, um... three different editions already.

yeah much as this looks nice etc part of me is already wondering what they might line up for its 30th anniversary

I got more into FBA recently, as I had got on the bus for "So Tough" and found everyone's feelings for FBA were the same as mine for ST/YNAMOHTSA.

I got FBB, and found I liked it more than FBA, I did wonder if they'd do "So Tougher" but I guess not.

that richard x remix of Girl VII is all-time deathless yoga flame 4ever

This didn't seem to be a perfectly planned reissue. I did the interview with Bob on a Monday night at the end of Sept. On the Thursday, their manager emailed me saying they needed to copy by the following Tuesday at the latest. Which, given that I was flying to Georgia and back within that timeframe for work, presented some logistical issues. So it's only a Q&A. However, I am pleased to say that it should be the only ever set of Saint Etienne sleevenotes ever to mention Judas Priest. My payment for it is that Bob and missus will buy me and my wife a curry.

What was wrong with the Plain re-issues?

they were 'virtually bootlegs' that 'did not use the master tapes'

or so they said.

"My payment for it is that Bob and missus will buy me and my wife a curry."

This is the start of a rocky road ...

"yeah much as this looks nice etc part of me is already wondering what they might line up for its 30th anniversary"

I must admit this has set me off wondering if I've ever been pleased with a box set (with novelty things rather than just a handy collection of albums) ... I don't think I have been.

correct me if i'm wrong but i think Plain is one of those vinyl companies that simply takes what is basically the CD version of the original release and presses them to vinyl. also iirc their pressing of Tiger Bay was just the pressing of the U.S. CD release, including the alternate takes of Hug My Soul and Like a Motorway. which i think hints at where they're coming from.

The previous box for the album had that Match Day CDR of football songs on it and I admit I would enjoy giving that an ear...

I think that one was an 'if you're very very lucky' edition.

i.e. Yeah, me neither.

I don't know much Saint Etienne besides Fox-Base Alpha, "Avenue", Good Humor and the sick remix of El Perro Del Mar's "Walk On By". Which album should I go to next?

So Tough
Finisterre
Words and Music

We Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone is pretty strong. I'd pick So Tough, then A Mess of Help.

Can't really go wrong with 'So Tough'.

Parts of all the other records are fine too. 'Tiger Bay' has a couple of Underworld-assisted tracks that are fantastic, especially "Like a Motorway".

Still think one of their finest moments is this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pBaIK3EIjk

I assembled a best-of a few days ago.

my first one was Good Humor, which feels like a stylistic outlier in their catalog but at the time was for me very eye-opening, and it remains an important record in my life. It's not necessarily my favorite release of theirs, I'd probably put the first three + Words and Music above it now. But I like its dry-sounding yet warmhearted Euro pop.

Would be fun to poll their b-sides and non-album tracks... so many amazing songs. Archway People, Madeleine, Clark Co. Record Fair, Star, Burnt Out Car, Hate Your Drug...

Controversial (?) :
https://noisey.vice.com/en_ca/article/rank-your-records-saint-etienne-bob-stanley

Not controversial. Just wrong.

good humor is my fav record of theirs also

Surprised "Fox base Alpha"is so low down, but then again I prefer the "Fox base Beta' remix version so hey hey (wtm)..

Foxbase and So Tough being so low is really surprising to see. I'm disappointed he put Sound Of Water so high up, that's their only below average album for me.

his take makes sense, though I disagree.

top tier: foxbase, so tough, tiger bay, good humor, fairfax high, mess of help, continental
middle tier: finisterre, turnpike house, words and music, fairy tales
bottom tier: sound of water

I'd have put Tiger Bay up higher, but reading that I can see why..

Oh, and "I love to paint" has been good to me..

All kinds of wrong. I'd more or less flip his ranking

My order would currently be..

1. So Tough
2. Foxbase Alpha
3. Tales From Turnpike House
4. Words & Music
5. Tiger Bay
6. Good Humor
7. Finisterre
8. Sound Of Water

Foxbase Alpha
So Tough
*you need a mess of help to stand alone*
Tiger Bay
Good Humor
Sound of Water
Words and Music
Finistere
Tales from Turnpike
--

One of the odd things about that was we went to clear the samples we put in between tracks, and it was almost impossible to clear any American samples. The only thing we could was Rush let us use the sample from "The Spirit of Radio." They were very kind and said, "We can't imagine why you'd want to ruin your very beautiful song with a horrible guitar sound."

wow I've been working my way thru their entire discography and "Sound of Water" is GREAT, I think I like it more than "Good Humor"?

also ugh there are so so so many overlapping compilations! At this point the 2nd discs on all the Deluxe Editions are prob the definitive way to go, no?

Good Humour isn't a favorite. I also prefer SOW and – better – Finisterre.

Sound of water is amazing!!

Yeah Stevie, the deluxe editions mop everything up pretty nicely

I don't think fan club discs "I love to paint" and "built on sand" were incorporated, though

looks like they're about to re-release all the deluxe editions, too. which is good because they're getting expensive in the secondhand market.

oh thank god

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jun/07/saint-etienne-10-of-the-best