London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne

Greatest hits album by Saint Etienne

Released

16 February 2009

Recorded

1990–2009

Genre

Indie pop
House
Ambient house
Synthpop
Electronica

Length

2:31:21

Label

Heavenly Records – HVNLP69

Producer

Saint Etienne, Various

Saint Etienne chronology

Boxette
(2008)

London Conversations
(2008)

A Glimpse of Stocking
(2010)

Singles from London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne

"Burnt Out Car"
Released: 22 September 2008 (2008-09-22)
"Method of Modern Love"
Released: 9 February 2009 (2009-02-09)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
BBC	(Favorable)^[2]
Drowned in Sound	(8/10)^[3]
The Guardian	^[4]
Pitchfork Media	(8.8/10)^[5]

London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne is a compilation album by Saint Etienne. It was released as a deluxe 2CD/DVD set (packaged in a hardback book), standard 2-CD set and on double 12" vinyl. It features the 2008 Xenomania Mix of "Burnt Out Car", the Richard X mix of "This Is Tomorrow" and "Method of Modern Love". The compilation features a selection of their regular A-sides on the first disc, while disc two includes various further A-sides, B-sides, non-singles and album tracks.

Originally due for release in November 2008 following the re-release of "Burnt Out Car," the set was delayed several times as a result of manufacturing issues as well as the introductory single's low chart position. In addition, a planned single-disc edition (featuring solely the first disc of the set) was cancelled. The set ultimately came out in February 2009 following the release of the newly recorded Richard X collaboration "Method of Modern Love." Some early-run copies of the 2CD edition are available, though, omitting "Method of Modern Love." The single-disc edition was eventually issued alongside remastered single-disc editions the rest of the band's catalogue in 2011, following the release of deluxe editions of most of their albums.

In its week of release the compilation charted at #79 in the UK,^[6] missing out on the Top 75 in part due to a surge in older albums following the Brit Awards.

Track listing

CD/DVD: Heavenly / HVNLP69CDSE

Disc one (CD)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (Featuring Moira Lambert)	Young	4:32
2.	"Nothing Can Stop Us"	Stanley, Wiggs	4:22
3.	"Join Our Club" (2001 Remix)	Stanley, Wiggs	3:18
4.	"Avenue" (Radio Edit)	Catt, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:50
5.	"You're in a Bad Way" (Single Version)	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:03
6.	"Hobart Paving" (Single Version)	Stanley, Wiggs	4:50
7.	"Who Do You Think You Are"	Dyer, Scott	3:50
8.	"Pale Movie"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:46
9.	"Like a Motorway" (Radio Edit)	Stanley, Wiggs	3:43
10.	"Hug My Soul" (Radio Edit)	Batson, Cracknell, Male	3:55
11.	"He's on the Phone" (Radio Edit) (Featuring Etienne Daho)	Cracknell, Daho, Stanley, Wiggs	4:09
12.	"Sylvie" (Single Version)	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	4:02
13.	"Heart Failed (In The Back of a Taxi)"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:39
14.	"Action" (Radio Edit)	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Higgins, Powell, Coler	3:51
15.	"A Good Thing"	Cracknell, Oakley, Waterfield	4:02
16.	"Side Streets"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	2:57
17.	"Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania Mix)	Stanley, Wiggs	3:41
18.	"Method of Modern Love" (this track is missing from some 2CD editions)	Robinson, X, Prime	4:20
19.	"This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X Version)	Annie, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:28

Disc two (CD)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Kiss and Make Up" (US Version)	Wratten, Hiscock	5:14
2.	"Filthy" (Featuring Q-Tee)	Stanley, Wiggs, Mais	5:35
3.	"Spring"	Stanley, Wiggs	3:44
4.	"People Get Real"	Stanley, Wiggs	4:45
5.	"Mario's Cafe"	Stanley, Wiggs	4:31
6.	"Goodnight Jack"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	4:22
7.	"The Bad Photographer"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	4:00
8.	"Lose That Girl"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	4:05
9.	"Lover Plays the Bass"	Stanley, Wiggs	4:16
10.	"How We Used to Live"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	8:51
11.	"Boy Is Crying" (Single Mix)	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:39
12.	"Finisterre"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:45
13.	"Soft Like Me"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, George	4:26
14.	"Shower Scene"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Higgins, Powell, Coler	4:22
15.	"Stars Above Us"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Xenomania	3:26
16.	"Teenage Winter"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	5:53
17.	"I Was Born on Christmas Day" (Featuring Tim Burgess)	Catt, Stanley, Wiggs	3:11

Disc three - Videos (DVD)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Director	Length
1.	"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (Featuring Moira Lambert) (Original B&W Version)	Young	David Lodge, Nick Bray
2.	"Kiss and Make Up" (Featuring Donna Savage)	Wratten, Hiscock	Marquis Films
3.	"Nothing Can Stop Us"	Stanley, Wiggs	Hiro Nakano
4.	"Avenue"	Catt, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	Paul Kelly
5.	"You're in a Bad Way"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	Paul Kelly
6.	"Hobart Paving"	Stanley, Wiggs	Paul Kelly
7.	"Who Do You Think You Are"	Dyer, Scott	Paul Kelly
8.	"I Was Born on Christmas Day" (Featuring Tim Burgess)	Catt, Stanley, Wiggs	James Fry
9.	"Pale Movie"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	James Fry
10.	"Like a Motorway"	Stanley, Wiggs	Paul Kelly
11.	"Hug My Soul"	Batson, Cracknell, Male	Paul Wells
12.	"He's on the Phone" (Featuring Etienne Daho)	Cracknell, Daho, Stanley, Wiggs	Paul Kelly
13.	"Sylvie"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	Bjorn Lindgren
14.	"The Bad Photographer"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	Bjorn Lindgren
15.	"How We Used to Live"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	Mikey Tomkins
16.	"Heart Failed (In The Back of a Taxi)"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	Mikey Tomkins
17.	"Action"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Higgins, Powell, Coler	Kieran Evans, Paul Kelly
18.	"Side Streets"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	Paul Kelly

LP: Heavenly / HVNLP69

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (Featuring Moira Lambert)	Young	4:32
2.	"Nothing Can Stop Us"	Stanley, Wiggs	4:22
3.	"Join Our Club" (2001 Remix)	Stanley, Wiggs	3:18
4.	"Avenue" (Radio Edit)	Catt, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:50

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"You're in a Bad Way" (Single Version)	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:03
6.	"Hobart Paving" (Single Version)	Stanley, Wiggs	4:50
7.	"Who Do You Think You Are"	Dyer, Scott	3:50
8.	"Pale Movie"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:46
9.	"Like a Motorway" (Radio Edit)	Stanley, Wiggs	3:43
10.	"Hug My Soul" (Radio Edit)	Batson, Cracknell, Male	3:55

Side three
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
11.	"He's on the Phone" (Radio Edit) (Featuring Etienne Daho)	Cracknell, Daho, Stanley, Wiggs	4:09
12.	"Sylvie" (Single Version)	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	4:02
13.	"Heart Failed (In The Back of a Taxi)"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:39
14.	"Action" (Radio Edit)	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Higgins, Powell, Coler	3:51

Side four
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
15.	"A Good Thing"	Cracknell, Oakley, Waterfield	4:02
16.	"Side Streets"	Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	2:57
17.	"Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania Mix)	Stanley, Wiggs	3:41
18.	"This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X Version)	Annie, Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs	3:28

B-Sides

from "Burnt Out Car"

"River"
"Night Vision"
"Destroy The Building"
"Burnt Out Car" (Mark Brown Remix Edit)
"Burnt Out Car" (Mark Brown Remix)
"Burnt Out Car" (Demo)

from Method of Modern Love

"Method of Modern Love" (Radio Edit)
"This Is Tomorrow" (Original Version)
"Method of Modern Love" (Cola Boy Remix)
"Method of Modern Love" (Richard X Join Our Clique Mix)
"Method of Modern Love" (A cappella version)
"Method of Modern Love" (Heartbreak Remix)

Chart positions

Chart (2009)	Peak position
UK Albums Chart^[6]	79

References

↑ Allmusic review
↑ BBC review
↑ Drowned in Sound review
↑ The Guardian review
↑ Pitchfork Media review
↑ 6.0 6.1 "UK Chartlog - 1994–2010 DJ S – The System Of Life". zobbel.de. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

"play.com". Play.com listings. Retrieved 8 February 2009.

Saint Etienne

Sarah Cracknell Bob Stanley Pete Wiggs Gerard Johnson Ian Catt

Studio albums	Foxbase Alpha So Tough Tiger Bay Good Humor Sound of Water Finisterre Tales from Turnpike House Words and Music by Saint Etienne

Soundtracks	The Misadventures of Saint Etienne What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?

Compilations	You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone Fairy Tales from Saint Etienne Too Young to Die – The Singles Casino Classics Continental Fairfax High Interlude Smash the System: Singles and More Travel Edition 1990–2005 London Conversations

Fanclub compilations	I Love to Paint Built on Sand Asleep at the Wheels of Steel Nice Price Boxette A Glimpse of Stocking

EPs	Xmas 93 Reserection Places to Visit Up the Wooden Hills

Singles	"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" "Kiss and Make Up" "Nothing Can Stop Us" "Join Our Club" "Avenue" "You're in a Bad Way" "Hobart Paving" "Who Do You Think You Are" "Pale Movie" "Like a Motorway" "Hug My Soul" "He's on the Phone" "Sylvie" "The Bad Photographer" "How We Used to Live" "Tell Me Why (The Riddle)" "Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)" "Boy is Crying" "Action" "Shower Scene" "Soft Like Me" "Stars Above Us" "A Good Thing" "Stars Above Us" "Burnt Out Car" "Method of Modern Love" "Tonight" "I've Got Your Music"

Related articles	Discography List of songs recorded by Saint Etienne AS Saint-Étienne Heavenly Records Creation Records Sub Pop Mantra Records Sanctuary Records