London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne

London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne is a compilation album by the English electronic music group Saint Etienne. It was released as a single CD, a 2CD set, a deluxe 2CD/DVD set (packaged in a hardback book), and a 2LP vinyl set. 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.

London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
Greatest hits album by
Saint Etienne
Released16 February 2009 (2009-02-16)
Recorded1990–2009
Genre
Length2:31:21
LabelHeavenly Records – HVNLP69
ProducerSaint Etienne, Various
Saint Etienne chronology
Boxette
(2008)		 London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
(2009)		 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
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
BBC(Favorable)[2]
Drowned in Sound(8/10)[3]
The Guardian[4]
Pitchfork Media(8.8/10)[5]

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 only 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
Standard edition (HVNLP69CD) / Deluxe edition CD1 (HVNLP69CDDE / HVNLP69CDSE)
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (feat. Moira Lambert)Neil YoungFoxbase Alpha, 19914:32
2."Nothing Can Stop Us"
Foxbase Alpha4:22
3."Join Our Club" (2001 remix)
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
So Tough (US edition), 1993[lower-alpha 1]3:18
4."Avenue" (radio edit)
So Tough[lower-alpha 2]3:50
5."You're in a Bad Way" (single version)
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
So Tough[lower-alpha 3]3:03
6."Hobart Paving" (single version)
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
So Tough[lower-alpha 3]4:50
7."Who Do You Think You Are"
  • Des Dyer
  • Clive Scott
You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone, 1993[lower-alpha 4]3:50
8."Pale Movie"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Tiger Bay, 19943:46
9."Like a Motorway" (radio edit)
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Tiger Bay[lower-alpha 3]3:43
10."Hug My Soul" (radio edit)
  • Guy Batson
  • Cracknell
  • Johnny Male
Tiger Bay[lower-alpha 3]3:55
11."He's on the Phone" (radio edit – feat. Étienne Daho)
  • Cracknell
  • Daho
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Too Young to Die, 1995[lower-alpha 5]4:09
12."Sylvie" (single version)
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Good Humor, 1998[lower-alpha 5]4:02
13."Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Sound of Water, 20003:39
14."Action" (radio edit)
Finisterre, 2002[lower-alpha 6]3:51
15."A Good Thing"
  • Cracknell
  • Lawrence Oakley
  • Mark Waterfield
Tales from Turnpike House, 20054:02
16."Side Streets"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Tales from Turnpike House2:57
17."Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania mix)
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Continental, 1997[lower-alpha 7]3:41
18."Method of Modern Love[lower-alpha 8]"
New recording4:20
19."This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X version)
  • Annie
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
New recording3:28
Deluxe edition CD2
No.TitleWriter(s)Original albumLength
1."Kiss and Make Up" (US version)
  • Bobby Wratten
  • Michael Hiscock
Foxbase Alpha (US edition, 1992)5:14
2."Filthy" (feat. Q-Tee)
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
  • Tatiana Mais
You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone[lower-alpha 9]5:35
3."Spring"
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Foxbase Alpha3:44
4."People Get Real"
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Foxbase Alpha (US edition)[lower-alpha 10]4:45
5."Mario's Cafe"
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
So Tough4:31
6."Goodnight Jack"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Good Humor4:22
7."The Bad Photographer"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Good Humor4:00
8."Lose That Girl"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Good Humor4:05
9."Lover Plays the Bass"
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Non-album single, 1999[lower-alpha 11]4:16
10."How We Used to Live"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Sound of Water8:51
11."Boy Is Crying" (single mix)
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Sound of Water[lower-alpha 6]3:39
12."Finisterre" (edit)
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Finisterre[lower-alpha 6]3:45
13."Soft Like Me" (feat. Wildflower)
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
  • Vanessa George
Finisterre4:26
14."Shower Scene"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
  • Higgins
  • Powell
  • Coler
Finisterre4:22
15."Stars Above Us"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
  • Xenomania
Tales from Turnpike House3:26
16."Teenage Winter"
  • Cracknell
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Tales from Turnpike House5:53
17."I Was Born on Christmas Day" (feat. Tim Burgess)
  • Catt
  • Stanley
  • Wiggs
Xmas 93 EP, 1993[lower-alpha 12]3:11

DVD
DVD (HVNLP69CDSE)
No.TitleDirector(s)Length
1."Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (feat. Moira Lambert – original b&w version)
  • David Lodge
  • Nick Bray
 
2."Kiss and Make Up" (feat. Donna Savage)Marquis Films 
3."Nothing Can Stop Us"Hiro Nakano 
4."Avenue"Paul Kelly 
5."You're in a Bad Way"Paul Kelly 
6."Hobart Paving"Kelly 
7."Who Do You Think You Are"Kelly 
8."I Was Born on Christmas Day" (feat. Tim Burgess)James Fry 
9."Pale Movie"Fry 
10."Like a Motorway"Kelly 
11."Hug My Soul"Paul Wells 
12."He's on the Phone" (feat. Étienne Daho)Kelly 
13."Sylvie"Bjorn Lindgren 
14."The Bad Photographer"Lindgren 
15."How We Used to Live"Mikey Tomkins 
16."Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)"Tomkins 
17."Action"
 
18."Side Streets"Kelly 

LP
Side one (HVNLP69)
No.TitleLength
1."Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (feat. Moira Lambert)4:32
2."Nothing Can Stop Us"4:22
3."Join Our Club" (2001 remix)3:18
4."Avenue" (radio edit)3:50
Side two
No.TitleLength
5."You're in a Bad Way" (single version)3:03
6."Hobart Paving" (single version)4:50
7."Who Do You Think You Are"3:50
8."Pale Movie"3:46
9."Like a Motorway" (radio edit)3:43
10."Hug My Soul" (radio edit)3:55
Side three
No.TitleLength
11."He's on the Phone" (radio edit – feat. Étienne Daho)4:09
12."Sylvie" (single version)4:02
13."Heart Failed (In The Back of a Taxi)"3:39
14."Action" (radio edit)3:51
Side four
No.TitleLength
15."A Good Thing"4:02
16."Side Streets"2:57
17."Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania mix)3:41
18."This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X version)3:28

Notes
  1. 2001 remix first appeared on Smash the System: Singles and More, 2001.
  2. First album appearance of the radio edit was Smash the System: Singles 1990–99, 2005.
  3. First album appearance of the single version was Too Young to Die.
  4. First released as a non-album single, 1993.
  5. First album appearance of the radio edit was Smash the System: Singles and More.
  6. First album appearance of the radio edit.
  7. First album appearance of the Xenomania remix.
  8. Omitted from some 2CD editions.
  9. First released as the B-side of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", 1990.
  10. First released as a non-album single; first UK album appearance was You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone.
  11. Later included on reissues of Continental.
  12. First album appearance was Too Young to Die; later included on A Glimpse of Stocking.

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" (Heartbreaks remix)

Charts
Chart performance for London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
Chart (2009) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] 96
UK Albums (OCC)[8] 79

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. BBC review
  3. "Drowned in Sound review". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
  4. "CD: Pop review: St Etienne, London Conversations". The Guardian. 14 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  5. Pitchfork Media review Archived 10 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "UK Chartlog - 1994–2010 DJ S – The System Of Life". zobbel.de. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  7. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  8. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  • "play.com". Play.com listings. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
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