London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne

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
  1. "Burnt Out Car"
    Released: 22 September 2008
  2. "Method of Modern Love"
    Released: 9 February 2009
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. TitleWriter(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. TitleWriter(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. TitleWriter(s)Director Length
1. "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (Featuring Moira Lambert) (Original B&W Version)YoungDavid Lodge, Nick Bray  
2. "Kiss and Make Up" (Featuring Donna Savage)Wratten, HiscockMarquis Films  
3. "Nothing Can Stop Us"  Stanley, WiggsHiro Nakano  
4. "Avenue"  Catt, Cracknell, Stanley, WiggsPaul Kelly  
5. "You're in a Bad Way"  Cracknell, Stanley, WiggsPaul Kelly  
6. "Hobart Paving"  Stanley, WiggsPaul Kelly  
7. "Who Do You Think You Are"  Dyer, ScottPaul Kelly  
8. "I Was Born on Christmas Day" (Featuring Tim Burgess)Catt, Stanley, WiggsJames Fry  
9. "Pale Movie"  Cracknell, Stanley, WiggsJames Fry  
10. "Like a Motorway"  Stanley, WiggsPaul Kelly  
11. "Hug My Soul"  Batson, Cracknell, MalePaul Wells  
12. "He's on the Phone" (Featuring Etienne Daho)Cracknell, Daho, Stanley, WiggsPaul Kelly  
13. "Sylvie"  Cracknell, Stanley, WiggsBjorn Lindgren  
14. "The Bad Photographer"  Cracknell, Stanley, WiggsBjorn Lindgren  
15. "How We Used to Live"  Cracknell, Stanley, WiggsMikey Tomkins  
16. "Heart Failed (In The Back of a Taxi)"  Cracknell, Stanley, WiggsMikey Tomkins  
17. "Action"  Cracknell, Stanley, Wiggs, Higgins, Powell, ColerKieran Evans, Paul Kelly  
18. "Side Streets"  Cracknell, Stanley, WiggsPaul Kelly  

LP: Heavenly / HVNLP69

Side one
No. TitleWriter(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. TitleWriter(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. TitleWriter(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. TitleWriter(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"
from Method of Modern Love

Chart positions

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

References

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