Rock Feedback has published the first part of an interview with Pete Wiggs (Saint Etienne) today. An interesting detail: when the journalist met him in the pub for the interview, Pete was with ex-Xenomania Nick Coler. This is the part where Pete Wiggs talks about Xenomania:
Rock Feedback: Going back to Xenomania, there’s some history there?
Pete Wiggs: Yes, the first thing he (Brian Higgins) did was ‘He’s on the Phone’, as part of Motiv8, and they did a great mix of it, well, they made the song really, so there’s been some history, also on Finisterre there’s Xenomania input so yes, it’s been good for us.
We met Nick [Coler] at Xenomania, when working on Tales From Turnpike House. Some of it was recorded there, 3 or 4 songs, the rest was with Ian Catt in Coulsdon, which is where loads of our stuff is recorded. Both Bob and I grew up in Croydon, and I’ve known Bob since I was approximately one.
Did you find yourself in one of their song-writing rooms? Yes, Pete, Bob ad Sarah had a year of song writing there, and some of those songs ended up with us, and others with Xenomania,
Such as?
A Gabriella Cilmi track, not the big one [laughs] the follow up to that, (2008’s ‘Save the Lies’).
In the interview, Pete Wiggs also talks about the next Saint Etienne album. He says: «It’s probably going to be more of a hotchpotch than a unified concept; we’re writing with different people, it might even be a double album.». Another former Xenomania member, Tim Powell, has already announced that he's working on Saint Etienne's new album.
The new expanded versions of Saint Etienne's Tales From Turnpike House (2005) and Good Humour(1998) are out this week. Both albums now have an extra disc of original b-sides and unreleased material.
Tales From Turnpike House features two tracks co-written and produced by Xenomania: "Lightning Strikes Twice" and "Stars Above Us". One of the b-sides, "Got A Job"/"Gotta Jump" was also produced by the team. The original version of the album included a bonus EP of children's music, wich had a song co-written by Xenomania called "Let's Build A Zoo". That EP is, however, absent from this reissue.
Disc 1 Sun In My Morning / Milk Bottle Symphony / Lightning Strikes Twice / Slow Down At The Castle / A Good Thing / Side Streets / Last Orders For Gary Stead / Stars Above Us / Relocate / Birdman Of EC1 / Teenage Winter / Goodnight
Disc 2
Murder In E Minor / Take Me Home (On A Pushbike) * / Another Cup Of Coffee * (Mike & The Mechanics cover) / School Run * / You Can Judge A Book By It's Cover / Who Pays The Rent * / Woodhenge * / Got A Job / Must Be More * / Holiday Song * / The Leyton Art Inferno / Missing Persons Bureau / Inside The Hive * / Aqualad * / Book Norton / Quiet Essex
Disc 1
Wood Cabin / Sylvie / Split Screen / Mr Donut / Goodnight Jack / Lose That Girl / The Bad Photographer / Been So Long / Postman / Erica America / Dutch TV
Disc 2
Hill Street Connection / Hit the Brakes / Madeleine / Swim Swan Swim / 4.35 In The Morning / Clark Co. Record Fair / Zipcode / My Name Is Vlaovic / Afraid To Go Home / La La La / Do You Love Me * / Cat Nap / Jack Lemmon / Constantly / The Emidisc Theme / 4.35 In The Morning (original version)
The expanded and re-mastered versions of the Saint Etienne albumsTales From Turnpike House (2005) and Good Humour (1998) will be out on October 4th 2010. Both albums will be re-released as Deluxe Editions featuring the original album, an extra disc of original B-sides and unreleased material.
These are the final pair of original Saint Etienne albums to be given the deluxe re-issue treatment. The set will be rounded out in Spring 2011 with the release of the remix compilation Casino Classics.
Tales From Turnpike House, the band's most recent studio album, included two tracks co-written and produced by Xenomania: "Lightning Strikes Twice" and "Stars Above Us". One of the b-sides, "Got A Job"/"Gotta Jump" was also produced by Xenomania. The reissue will feature a second CD of rarities, with sleeve-notes penned by author Travis Elborough and Turner Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller.
Disc 1 Sun In My Morning / Milk Bottle Symphony / Lightning Strikes Twice / Slow Down At The Castle / A Good Thing / Side Streets / Last Orders For Gary Stead / Stars Above Us / Relocate / Birdman Of EC1 / Teenage Winter / Goodnight
Disc 2
Murder In E Minor / Take Me Home (On A Pushbike) * / Another Cup Of Coffee * (Mike & The Mechanics cover) / School Run * / You Can Judge A Book By It's Cover / Who Pays The Rent * / Woodhenge * / Got A Job / Must Be More * / Holiday Song * / The Leyton Art Inferno / Missing Persons Bureau / Inside The Hive * / Aqualad * / Book Norton / Quiet Essex
Disc 1
Wood Cabin / Sylvie / Split Screen / Mr Donut / Goodnight Jack / Lose That Girl / The Bad Photographer / Been So Long / Postman / Erica America / Dutch TV
Disc 2
Hill Street Connection / Hit the Brakes / Madeleine / Swim Swan Swim / 4.35 In The Morning / Clark Co. Record Fair / Zipcode / My Name Is Vlaovic / Afraid To Go Home / La La La / Do You Love Me * / Cat Nap / Jack Lemmon / Constantly / The Emidisc Theme / 4.35 In The Morning (original version)
Saint Etienne have announced that the deluxe editions of Good Humor (1998) and Tales From Turnpike House (2005) are set for release on October 4th. Both albums will be re-released with an extra disc of b-sides, rare tracks and unreleased material.
Tales From Turnpike House is a concept album about life in a block of flats in Islington, London. It features two tracks co-written and produced by Xenomania ("Lightning Strikes Twice" and "Stars Above Us"). One of the b-sides, "Got A Job"/"Gotta Jump" was also produced by Xenomania.
The albums are the latest in an on-going Saint Etienne re-issue series that has so far seen the release of Finisterre, Tiger Bay, Foxbase Alpha, Continental, So Tough and The Sound Of Water.
Saint Etienne have also announced that they have started writing their new album.
The expanded and re-mastered versions of the Saint Etienne albums Finisterre (2002) and Tiger Bay (1994) are out now. Both albums have been re-released as Deluxe Editions featuring the original album, extensive sleeve-notes and an extra disc of session tracks and b-sides. A limited-edition version of Finisterre featuring a DVD of the film of the same name is also available.
Finisterre was Saint Etienne's sixth studio album and was originally released in 2002. The album was a love/hate letter to London and included two songs co-written by Xenomania: "Shower Scene" and the nu-disco call-to-arms single "Action". There were also four songs produced by Mr. Joshua, which is believed to be an alias of Brian Higgins and Nick Coler ("Action", "Soft Like Me", "New Thing" "Shower Scene").
The deluxe edition now comes with a second disc of 17 tracks and includes an expanded booklet featuring extensive sleevenotes by Jude Rogers. Buy it here.
Originally released in 1994, Tiger Bay was Saint Etienne's third album and their second Top 10 album. It took the group into a new place by mixing traditional folk melodies with modern electronica. They worked with Underworld, Shara Nelson, Stephen Duffy, arranger David Whitaker, and Birmingham neo-dubsters Original Rockers.
This deluxe edition contains a second disc with seven previously unheard bonus tracks and an expanded booklet featuring extensive sleevenotes from the band's original PR Robin Turner. Buy it here.
The albums are the latest in an on-going Saint Etienne re-issue series that has so far seen the release of Foxbase Alpha, Continental, So Tough and The Sound Of Water.
The expanded and remastered versions of Saint Etienne's Tiger Bay (1994) and Finisterre (2002) will be released on May 4th 2010. Both albums will be re-released as Deluxe Editions featuring the original album, an extra disc of session tracks, b-sides and extensive sleeve notes.
The first 1000 copies of Finisterre will be issued as a triple disc that includes one disc featuring the original album (remastered), a second with original b-sides and unreleased material, and a third disc (DVD) of the Finisterre film.
Finisterre (2002) includes two songs co-written by Xenomania ("Action" and "Shower Scene") and four songs produced by Mr. Joshua, which is believed to be an alias of Brian Higgins and Nick Coler ("Action", "Soft Like Me", "New Thing" "Shower Scene").
These are the tracklists:
TIGER BAY
CD 1 (original album) 1. Urban Clearway 2. Former Lover 3. Hug My Soul 4. Like A Motorway 5. On The Shore 6. Marble Lions 7. Pale Movie 8. Cool Kids Of Death 9. Western Wind / Tankerville 10. The Boy Scouts Of America
CD2 1. Urban Clearway (demo)* 2. Black Horse Latitude* 3. I Buy American Records 4. Hate Your Drug 5. You Know I’ll Miss You When I’m Gone 6. Sushi Rider 7. Hug My Soul (demo)* 8. The Wedding Of Stacy Dorning* 9. Deborah’s French Feast* 10. Western Wind (demo)* 11. Pale Movie (demo)* 12. La Poupee Qui Fait Non (no no no) 13. Highgate Road Incident 14. My Christmas Prayer 15. I Was Born On Christmas Day
FINISTERRE
CD1 (original album) 1. Action 2. Amateur 3. Language Lab 4. Soft Like Me 5. Summer Isle 6. Stop And Think It Over 7. Shower Scene 8. The Way We Live Now 9. New Thing 10. B92 11. The More You Know 12. Finisterre
CD2 1. Primrose Hill 2. Anderson Unbound 3. Seven Summers 4. Gimp Crisis 5. Abby, I Hardly Know You 6. So Mystified* 7. White Dress* 8. Time And Tide 9. Shock Corridor 10. Stop And Think It Over (Kid Loco mix)* 11. Mountain Rain 12. Queen Of Polythene 13. Ballade De Saint Etienne 14. Stevie 15. Get It Together Again 16. Fascination 17. There There My Brigadier*
* previously un-released. The non-demo tracks are brand new recordings.
The albums are the latest in an on-going Saint Etienne re-issue series that has so far seen the release of Foxbase Alpha, Continental, So Tough and The Sound Of Water. They also recently released Foxbase Beta, a re-working of their debut album by Richard X.
Earlier this year, Bob Stanley from Saint Etienne said that he would offer a unique Saint Etienne CD to everyone who would help him fill the holes in his "Now That's What I Call Music!" CD collection.
The collection is now complete, and Bob has sent a special Saint Etienne EP called "Now 4" to everyone who's tracked down the missing NOW CDs.
The EP is signed and limited to 72 copies and includes 4 tracks: "Gotta Jump" (an unreleased mix of the Xenomania-produced "Got A Job"), "Back To 95", "Like A Motorway" and the Matt Dixon/Simon Li mix of "Soft Like Me".
Here's the tracklist with liner notes written by Bob Stanley:
1) Gotta Jump (Xenomania/Cracknell/Stanley/Wiggs) 2005 / 3.02 "This ended up as the b side of Side Streets - except it was the wrong mix (a demo) and had the wrong title (bad phone line). So here is the finished Xenomania recording for the first time. An attempt to get inside the mind of a snotty teenager, dozens of whom lurked in the Xenomania foyer, sniggering when we walked in"
Listen to "Gotta Jump":
2) Back to '95 (Quinones/Stanley/Wiggs) 1995 / 6.46 "The start of 1995 was soundtracked by Baby D's Let Me Be Your Fantasy and N Trance's Set You Free, which promised a year of top atmos-breakbeat pop. It didn't quite materialise, but we were so enthused that we recorded this tribute to the modern world with Vanessa from Espiritu. It's hard to imagine the tempo changes working, in retrospect, but I wish we'd pressed a few white labels. Within five years, there was a club in London called Back to '95. So it wasn't just us, then. Sadly - or wisely - we didn't have a crack at UK Garage in 2000, much as we loved Re Rewind, Sweet Like Chocolate, Flowers etc."
3) Like a Motorway [Japanese Version] (Stanley/Wiggs) 1994 / 5.47 "It seemed like a good idea, for our Japanese tour of December '94, to press a one track CD to give away at the shows. What better than to sing in Japanese? France Gall did it, after all. It was pointed out to us, by the means of blanket silence, that our hosts might think we were poking fun. So it was shelved, sweet but entirely useless."
4) Soft Like Me [Li Dixon Red Corner Remix] (Cracknell/Stanley/Wiggs/George) 2002 / 7.52 "When Soft Like Me was given an appropriately soft release by Mantra, the 12" was scrapped. Which meant no home for this mix of our potentially advert-soundtracking, Home Counties G-Funk classic. Matt Dixon has since become a major cog in Xenomania's smooth machinery. His ambition is to produce a duet between Kimberley Walsh and Fernando Torres."
Saint Etienne will be reissuing their entire back catalogue, with each original album featuring a bonus CD of b-sides, rare tracks and unreleased material. First up are Foxbase Alpha (1991) and Continental (1997), both released on May 18th.
Continental was a Japanese-only compilation of Saint Etienne's non-album singles, cover versions and new material, recorded in 1996-97. It featured "He's On The Phone", Saint Etienne's biggest hit single, as well as the Balearico (Brian Higgins & Matt Gray) remix of "Burnt Out Car" and the Brian Higgins-produced cover of "Stormtrooper in Drag".
The album now receives its first ever release outside of Japan and has been remastered and expanded to 2 discs, including four previously unreleased tracks. The release is packaged in the luxurious Deluxe Edition style and comes with a booklet packed with brand new sleeve notes, images and memorabilia.
Following on from these inaugural re-issues will be So Tough and Sound of Water in the summer, Tiger Bay and Finisterre in the autumn, and Good Humour and Tales From Turnpike House in early 2010, along with all of their remixes on Casino Classics.
Continental's tracklist: CD1 - Original Album Shad Times Burnt Out Car Sometimes In Winter Winter Melody Public Info Film The Process He's On The Phone Stormtrooper In Drag Star Down By The Sea The Sea Lonesome Angel
CD2 - Bonus Material Accident Is It True? Where Did Our Love Go (demo) * Groveley Road How I Learned To Love The Bomb Postal Interlude * Cant Stop Now Under Her Spell * Saturday Remixed Suburban Autumn Lieutenant We Could Have It All (demo) * Lover Plays The Bass Home (demo) Burnt Out Car (demo)
Sarah Cracknell (from Saint Etienne) told Planet Sound that she's "surprised" that Franz Ferdinand were unable to work with Xenomania:
«We've never had any trouble with Xenomania. Maybe Franz weren't willing to let themselves go enough. I can't speak for them, but I'm surprised it couldn't have worked out.»
London Conversations: The Best Of Saint Etienne hits stores in the UK today. It's the band's fifth anthology, marking the start of a campaign to remaster and reissue their entire back catalogue.
The Quietus reviewed the compilation today, saying that it is «a comprehensive history of a band that believes in the art of pop»:
«From the baggy-meets-Balearic sound of 1991's debut 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' through incursions into Northern Soul and Techno, via proto-Britpop, to recent collaborations with the Xenomania hit factory, Saint Etienne have always produced a carefully crafted dialogue between a nostalgic delight in (and archivist's knowledge of) pop culture's golden age(s), and thoroughly modern production.»
London Conversations comes in three different formats:
1) 2xCD + DVD housed in a Booklet format 2) 2XCD 3) 2XLP
The expanded edition includes an extra disc with all the band's videos. The DVD is housed in an exclusive book-shaped package with exclusive artwork and sleeve notes by music journalist Jon Savage.
Find out more about the formats and tracklists here.
Neil Tennant posted a couple of pictures of "Xenomania people" on Pet Shop Boys' official site. On the afternoon of November 22nd, the band were recording backing vocals and taking pictures:
That's Bob Stanley on the second picture, on the far left.
Jessie Malakouti has also been spending some time at Xenomania headquarters. Recently she posted a couple of pictures on her MySpace. That's Jason Resch (left) and Neil Tennant and Jessie, sharing headphones:
And here's Jessie with a happy-looking Brian Higgins, at Girls Aloud's birthday party, in Knightsbridge:
--- Gabriella Cilmi has taken six ARIA Awards on the back of her debut album, Lessons To Be Learned, and the single "Sweet About Me". She received ARIA Awards in the categories of:
BEST FEMALE ARTIST (beating Kylie Minogue) BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST – SINGLE (Sweet About Me) BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST – ALBUM (Lessons to be Learned) BEST POP RELEASE (Lessons to be Learned) HIGHEST SELLING SINGLE (Sweet About Me) SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Sweet About Me)
--- Alesha's new album, titled The Alesha Show, features eight Xenomania songs.
--- Annie's Don't Stop will only be released early next year. From Annie's MySpace blog:
The album will not be out until beginning of next year.Well..I feel really bad about this,I know you..ve been waiting for this for long,and it was suppose to be out this month. Hm..what can I say,I..m a typical scandinavian perfectionist, and have had these other songs that I thought were just too good too not be on the album so I put my foot down and made my label put the record back to next year...I promise its going to be worth the wait! Its the prerogative of every woman to be late!' So...I..m actually back in studio.Been working with Paul Epworth on a couple of songs,and I think it..s gonne be really good!!!!! So I..m working really really hard to make the best album there is.-)
--- Saint Etienne's London Conversations has also been delayed. It is now set for a January 2009 release.
--- Girls Aloud will release the new single "The Promise" as a download on October 19th, and on CD and 7'' vinyl on October 20th. A limited edition picture disc will be available exclusively through Girls Aloud's official website, featuring a live performance of "Girl Overboard" as the b-side. The album Out of Control is set to be released on November 10.
--- London Conversations: The Best Of Saint Etienne (a.k.a. "the greatest greatest hits of 2008"), is out on October 13th.
--- Gabriella Cilmi's new single will be "Sanctuary". It will be out on November 10th. The formats and tracklist should be announced soon.
--- “The Boy Does Nothing” is the first single to be taken from Alesha Dixon's forthcoming album The Alesha Show, which comes out on November 17th. The single is released on November 10th.
The new version of "Burnt Out Car" is now available to buy in stores. "Burnt Out Car 2008" [also known as "Burnt Out Car (Xenomania mix)"] is Saint Etienne's first single in three years.
It's out on a limited 7" and two CDs, one with b-sides and the other with Mark Brown's mix and his radio edit. The song is a "Xenomania-dusted version" of Saint Etienne's 1995 withdrawn single. It will precede the release of London Conversations: The Best Of Saint Etienne, which has been put back to 13th October due to complications over the packaging.
Reviews:
-- «The opening synthage of Burnt Out Car 2008 implies a great big homosexual disco anthem is imminent, yet thankfully it just stops short of reaching such lows heights. Xenomania hint towards the long-forgotten golden millisecond they provided for Dannii Minogue’s career, but all in all, add sweet FA to the first edition.» The Sloppy Dog
-- «This is an old song made to sound like a new song by Xenomania, although when we say 'new' we should point out that it does have a STRONG scent of 1998 about it. No worry, however, because 'Burnt Out Car' is a jolly little number and will launch Saint Etienne's newest Greatest Hits compilation with 'great aplomb'.» Popjustice
-- «It’s no He’s on the Phone, but what is? He’s on the Phone of course. Not this though. It’s as lovely as you’d expect though from such a lush group of chilled dance purveyors. As pleasant for a chill-out as for a dance floor filler. 6.710» Experimental Music Love
-- «Sounds great, a bit more chipper and sonically detailed than the version on Travel Edition, which was a bit minimalist. A bit more drums too, I’d say. Now, will someone please sell the single via digital download in the States?» Ack Phhht!
-- «(...) the new single, Burnt Out Car, is a re-doing of a ‘lost’ single from the 90s. It’s cheery, catchy and may be just the way in for a new generation of electronic pop lovers to catch the Saint Etienne vibe.» Liverpool Echo
-- «While the new version has all the hallmarks of the Xenomania Euro Hi NRG sound they have been known for, it is not cheesy. The production is lush and very fluid. Sarah Cracknell's vocals float over the track and are almost hypnotic in some places. This mix sounds like it could have been done in the 90's, but it doesn't sound dated. This is a great update.» Sweet MuZik
Tracklisting:
CD1: 1. Burnt Out Car - Xenomania Mix 2. Night Vision 3. Destroy The Building
CD2: 1. Burnt Out Car - Xenomania Mix 2. Burnt Out Car - Mark Brown Remix Edit 3. Burnt Out Car - Mark Brown Remix
7" vinyl: 1. Burnt Out Car - Xenomania Mix 2. River
Sarah Cracknell and Bob Stanley from Saint Etienne were on BBC Radio 2 last Thursday to talk about the band's new compilation and single. "Burnt Out Car 2008" was played, and you can have a listen below. Please note that the sound quality is far from perfect, as it is a radio rip, but you can buy the song in all its physical and digital glory on September 22nd.
Brian Higgins' collaborations with Saint Etienne began on the Motiv8 remixes of "Hug My Soul", in 1994, and "He's On The Phone", in 1995. "He's On The Phone" became one of the band's biggest hits, reaching the #11 position on the UK singles chart. Back then, Brian Higgins was only working as a "production assistant" with Steve Rodway. Now, Higgins leads the Xenomania powerhouse.
On an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley said, in a very tongue-in-cheek manner: «He was an engineer back then. So his success now is entirely down to us». Their relationship has endured until today, with Bob Stanley working part-time as an A&R at Xenomania, and Sarah Cracknell and Pete Wiggs contributing as freelance writers. Gabriella Cilmi's latest single, "Save The Lies", is an example of that collaboration.
Xenomania have also re-remixed Saint Etienne's "lost single" "Burnt Out Car", which, according to the article, is released on September 22. The album London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne follows on September 29.
--- "Burnt Out Car 2008" release date: The onlinestores that have the 7'' single available for pre-order seem to believe that it will be released on September 8. But Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley wrote two different posts today on the band's MySpace blog, each with a different release date (September 22nd and 15th). The most likely date is however September 15, as Bob added that the single will be out a day after Heavenly's 18th birthday party (St. Etienne headline on September 14). You can listen to a 30-second clip of "Burnt Out Car 2008" on BBC 6 Music and vote for it to gain some airplay.
--- Annie was in in London for a few days working on two new songs and an intro, to be added to the album Don't Stop.
--- Gabriella Cilmi's version of "Fly Me To The Moon" (produced by Xenomania, one of the b-sides of her new single "Save The Lies") is the soundtrack of ITV2's ad campaign. Cilmi also stars in the promo.
--- Female vocalists wanted for Xenomania label:
- Female Vocalist, 15–22 years -- Great voice, great looks - Female Vocalist, 16-22 years -- Blonde, under 5’5” to join a new girl band
For more information contact info@jaynecollinscasting.com
Gabriella Cilmi's new single in the UK, "Save The Lies (Good To Me)", gets its official release as a maxi-CD today. Also available to buy are two digital EP bundles, one with remixes and the other with cover versions of Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" and of the old standard "Fly Me To The Moon" (which has been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Tony Bennett, among others).
The new radio version of "Save The Lies (Good To Me)" includes extra layers of vocals and synths. The song was written by Gabriella Cilmi, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Bob Bradley (who was previously responsible for the opening bass riff on Sugababes' "Red Dress") and Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs.
The single has been receiving mixed reviews. While some praise her attitude, enthusiasm and varied sonic styles, others have criticized the song's "cheap faux-feminist ‘empowering’ lyric" and Gabriella's similarities to the singer Anastacia, "notably in her contralto voice and noisy growl":
-- Teletext Planet Sound: «The Aussie sounds lean, mean and keen to show you a good time. Combining Sugababes production values with a tune that echoes Kylie & Robbie's Kids, it's pop with attitude.» 8/10 -- Manchester Evening News: «It's got hit running through it like a stick of rock. Shameless hussy.» 3/5 -- Digital Spy: «She may only be a whippersnapper, but Cilmi is already displaying the chameleon-like quality that every popstar needs.»
These are the formats and track lists of the single:
CD-Single 1. Save The Lies (Good To Me) – radio edit 2. Sweet About Me – Live Version 3. Cry Me A River – Live Version 4. Fly Me To the Moon
Digital downloads - EP1 (buy on iTunes) 1 Save The Lies (Good To Me) - radio edit 2 Save The Lies (Good To Me) - Kinky Roland mix 3 Save The Lies (Good To Me) - Mason vocal mix 4 Save The Lies (Good To Me) - Mason Dub mix 5 Save The Lies (Good To Me) - Out Of Office club mix 6 Save The Lies (Good To Me) - Out Of Office dub mix
Digital downloads - EP2 (buy on iTunes) 1. Save The Lies (Good To Me) – radio edit 2. Sweet About Me – Live Version 3. Cry Me A River – Live Version 4. Fly Me To the Moon
Saint Etienne's new single premiered on BBC London radio on August 6th. "Burnt Out Car 2008" is a version re-remixed by Xenomania, which doesn't sound too dissimilar from the old Balearico remix. It was featured last Thursday on Popjustice as "song of the day" with a 30-second clip and a small write-up:
«This is an old song made to sound like a new song by Xenomania, although when we say 'new' we should point out that it does have a STRONG scent of 1998 about it.
No worry, however, because 'Burnt Out Car' is a jolly little number and will launch Saint Etienne's newest Greatest Hits compilation with 'great aplomb'.»
Last Monday Popjustice dubbed Saint Etienne's new compilation as "the greatest greatest hits album of 2008", with a picture of the CD out on a rooftop in London (stars above it, cars below it, etc.): "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll have a little dance. What else could you want in a pop album?".
London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne is due out in the UK on September 29. It will be available in a single-disc condensed format, a double album and a 2CD+DVD boxed set with all of their music videos and a book-shaped package which contains exclusive artwork and sleeve notes by journalist Jon Savage.
Two new singles are set to be released from the compilation. The first of those, coming out on September 8th on CD and vinyl formats, is an update of "Burnt Out Car" produced by Xenomania (the 7'' vinyl is now available for pre-order). The second will be "This Is Tomorrow", a collaboration with Annie and Richard X.
This is a quick rundown of what's coming up in the world of Xenomania, with upcoming projects, collaborations and releases.
On part one: three bands (Girls Aloud, Saint Etienne, Pet Shop Boys), a female singer/songwriter (Jessie Malakouti) and two male singer/songwriters (Ultra, Alex Vargas). Part two will feature three well-known (around these parts, anyway) female singers plus a new female singer/songwriter, a new girl band and a new band with boys.
-- GIRLS ALOUD --
A new Girls Aloud album is on the works, with Xenomania on board once again. The girls began recording a few weeks ago.
-- JESSIE MALAKOUTI -- Jessie Malakouti is a 20-year-old American singer/songwriter, professional dancer and actress. She's part of the Xenomania team.
In 2005 Jessie formed the band Shut Up Stella. Last year they went to Xenomania's home in Kent to work on their album. However, they were dropped by their label and the album was never released. Jessie quit the band and all the members moved on to their separate projects.
Earlier this year, Jessie began documenting the process of recording her solo album on her MySpace blog and YouTube channel. In March she met up with Brian Higgins and Miranda Cooper in New York and later she traveled to Xenomania's headquarters.
Her debut album Pretty And Gritty is likely to feature some Xenomania-produced songs. Her work as a writer/lyricist is also likely to appear on a few of Xenomania's upcoming projects.
-- ALEX VARGAS -- Alex Vargas Jr. is a singer/songwriter. Two years ago he released a 4-track EP and he has recently been working with Xenomania on his debut album. Here's what has been said about him:
x. «Extraordinarily versatile, Alex is as confident and comfortable singing acoustic love songs as he is rocking out with shimmering rock n roll anthems. Currently working on his debut album, Alex's excitement is practically tangible.»
x. «(...) a new singer who sounds like the next big thing (...). Considering there is always a market for rock-y music. He's got it all - looks, talent and extremely strong songs. "Diamonds In The Dirt" just sounds like a surefire worldwide hit. Which is what it deserves at least.»
Saint Etienne's new single will be a Xenomania-produced re-make of "Burnt Out Car". It will precede the release of London Conversations: The Best Of Saint Etienne, which is already available for pre-order (UK only, though). Both the album and "Burnt Out Car 2008" are set for a September release.
-- ULTRA -- Ultra (real name Justin) is a British MC/singer. Four years ago, Xenomania began working with him as a "development act". Last year, Ultra revealed on his MySpace that he had teamed up with Brian Higgins for the debut album Ultrasound, which should be released later this year/earlier next year.
-- PET SHOP BOYS -- Back in May the Pet Shop Boys announced that they were working with Xenomania. "One, two or more" songs from the collaboration should feature on their upcoming album, which is planned to be released in early 2009.
Xenomania is a songwriting and production house based in Kent, England. It was founded by songwriter and producer Brian Higgins.
Since 1996, Xenomania have written, produced and remixed tracks for a string of successful artists including Girls Aloud, Pet Shop Boys, Sugababes, Dannii and Kylie Minogue, Saint Etienne, Cher, Gabriella Cilmi and many others.
