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Saint Etienne's two decades of pop | Saint Etienne's two decades of pop |
(about 8 hours later) | |
Saint Etienne are Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs By Mark Savage BBC News entertainment reporter | |
When I first meet Saint Etienne, it's a balmy September day and glamorous singer Sarah Cracknell has just taken her youngest son to school for the first time. | When I first meet Saint Etienne, it's a balmy September day and glamorous singer Sarah Cracknell has just taken her youngest son to school for the first time. |
"One of my friends has already phoned me up in tears," she says. "So I'm glad I've got an interview to distract me." | "One of my friends has already phoned me up in tears," she says. "So I'm glad I've got an interview to distract me." |
Our chat has been arranged to discuss the group's greatest hits CD, London Conversations, which catalogues their evolution from indie dance pioneers to elder statesmen of British pop. | Our chat has been arranged to discuss the group's greatest hits CD, London Conversations, which catalogues their evolution from indie dance pioneers to elder statesmen of British pop. |
"You don't really ever revisit your old stuff, so when I heard this compilation I was quite proud," says Cracknell.Cracknell was originally supposed to be one of several guest vocalists | "You don't really ever revisit your old stuff, so when I heard this compilation I was quite proud," says Cracknell.Cracknell was originally supposed to be one of several guest vocalists |
"I puffed out my chest a bit and thought, 'that's a good body of work'." | "I puffed out my chest a bit and thought, 'that's a good body of work'." |
It is however the band's fifth anthology (songwriter Bob Stanley admits this is "slightly embarrassing"). | It is however the band's fifth anthology (songwriter Bob Stanley admits this is "slightly embarrassing"). |
But it marks the start of a campaign to remaster and reissue their entire back catalogue. | But it marks the start of a campaign to remaster and reissue their entire back catalogue. |
Yet, a couple of weeks later a fault at the pressing plant destroys the first batch of CDs and the album's launch is delayed until now. | Yet, a couple of weeks later a fault at the pressing plant destroys the first batch of CDs and the album's launch is delayed until now. |
The incident is oddly fitting for a band who have never quite managed to crack the top 10 despite 20 years of chart success. | The incident is oddly fitting for a band who have never quite managed to crack the top 10 despite 20 years of chart success. |
Stanley says Saint Etienne's position as perennial pop also-rans has "served us quite well". | Stanley says Saint Etienne's position as perennial pop also-rans has "served us quite well". |
"If we'd had a big push from a major label, we'd either have got too big for our boots or sunk without trace," he reflects. | "If we'd had a big push from a major label, we'd either have got too big for our boots or sunk without trace," he reflects. |
London loves | London loves |
The upside of the pressing plant mix-up is that it allowed the band to steal a few weeks of studio time with pop maestro Richard X (Sugababes, MIA, Pet Shop Boys) to record new single Methods Of Modern Love. | The upside of the pressing plant mix-up is that it allowed the band to steal a few weeks of studio time with pop maestro Richard X (Sugababes, MIA, Pet Shop Boys) to record new single Methods Of Modern Love. |
With Cracknell's vapour trail vocals and a beat that is crunchier than the credit crisis, the disco-pop gem sits comfortably alongside past hits such as Join Our Club and You're In A Bad Way. | With Cracknell's vapour trail vocals and a beat that is crunchier than the credit crisis, the disco-pop gem sits comfortably alongside past hits such as Join Our Club and You're In A Bad Way. |
Their music is a broad church - pop, dance, folk, rap, happy, sad, epic, orchestral, euphoric, melancholy, kitsch and camp. | Their music is a broad church - pop, dance, folk, rap, happy, sad, epic, orchestral, euphoric, melancholy, kitsch and camp. |
Kylie Minogue and David Essex have both worked with the trio | Kylie Minogue and David Essex have both worked with the trio |
Oddly, they were once lumped in with Britpop - a scene Stanley dismisses as "bitchy, cocainey and unpleasant". | Oddly, they were once lumped in with Britpop - a scene Stanley dismisses as "bitchy, cocainey and unpleasant". |
While Blur and Pulp spent the 1990s sneering at British culture, Saint Etienne were busy writing wistful love letters to the UK's tenements, tube stations, milk floats and motorways. | While Blur and Pulp spent the 1990s sneering at British culture, Saint Etienne were busy writing wistful love letters to the UK's tenements, tube stations, milk floats and motorways. |
This led to the popular perception of the group as a London band, something Stanley says "used to bother us quite a lot". | This led to the popular perception of the group as a London band, something Stanley says "used to bother us quite a lot". |
"I think we were slightly unfairly pigeonholed," adds Cracknell. "But there are probably more London references in our music than anything else. | "I think we were slightly unfairly pigeonholed," adds Cracknell. "But there are probably more London references in our music than anything else. |
"And maybe my voice sounds has something to do with it. I pronounce quite well. A bit like Sandie Shaw." | "And maybe my voice sounds has something to do with it. I pronounce quite well. A bit like Sandie Shaw." |
The singer grew up in the "very posh" outskirts of Windsor and says the capital was "like a magnet". | The singer grew up in the "very posh" outskirts of Windsor and says the capital was "like a magnet". |
"As soon as I was old enough to get on a train with my friends, we would come up to Kensington Market and King's Road and Portobello Market. | "As soon as I was old enough to get on a train with my friends, we would come up to Kensington Market and King's Road and Portobello Market. |
"It's my favourite city in the world - there's always some subculture that's going on, creating something new and exciting." | "It's my favourite city in the world - there's always some subculture that's going on, creating something new and exciting." |
We would be the ideal band to do a soundtrack for the Olympics Sarah Cracknell St Etienne 'may pen Olympic song' | We would be the ideal band to do a soundtrack for the Olympics Sarah Cracknell St Etienne 'may pen Olympic song' |
Saint Etienne started as an "imaginary band" - a nom de plume for Stanley and third member Pete Wiggs when they were DJing and making compilation tapes for friends. | Saint Etienne started as an "imaginary band" - a nom de plume for Stanley and third member Pete Wiggs when they were DJing and making compilation tapes for friends. |
"It was imaginary because we couldn't play any instruments," laughs Stanley. | "It was imaginary because we couldn't play any instruments," laughs Stanley. |
"With the advent of sampling, it meant that they could go and make a record," Cracknell explains. | "With the advent of sampling, it meant that they could go and make a record," Cracknell explains. |
She was introduced to the duo by Stanley's girlfriend, initially to sing on the playfully Gallic Nothing Can Stop Us - but she ended up sticking around for two decades. | She was introduced to the duo by Stanley's girlfriend, initially to sing on the playfully Gallic Nothing Can Stop Us - but she ended up sticking around for two decades. |
Her lyrics have a keen eye for domestic detail, which was influenced by her father's job as first assistant director to Stanley Kubrick. | Her lyrics have a keen eye for domestic detail, which was influenced by her father's job as first assistant director to Stanley Kubrick. |
"I was often allowed to go off to very exotic locations," she reminisces. | "I was often allowed to go off to very exotic locations," she reminisces. |
"Doing things like Bond films in New Orleans and Jamaica - that was quite exciting. And it really has influenced me. | "Doing things like Bond films in New Orleans and Jamaica - that was quite exciting. And it really has influenced me. |
"There's a huge atmosphere that goes along with film sets. There's a smell, a sound - everything about them. I'm quite romantic, quite nostalgic about the whole thing." | "There's a huge atmosphere that goes along with film sets. There's a smell, a sound - everything about them. I'm quite romantic, quite nostalgic about the whole thing." |
Saint Etienne have themselves branched out into cinema, making a clutch of films about London. Stanley, meanwhile, moonlights as a music journalist and A&R manager. | Saint Etienne have themselves branched out into cinema, making a clutch of films about London. Stanley, meanwhile, moonlights as a music journalist and A&R manager. |
The proliferation of activities has slowed the band's musical output over the last couple of years, but they confess to having started "leisurely" sessions for a new album.The group were named after a French football team | The proliferation of activities has slowed the band's musical output over the last couple of years, but they confess to having started "leisurely" sessions for a new album.The group were named after a French football team |
"Pete and Sarah have kids and we all live in different towns now so we can't just pop round to each other's houses now and jam," explains Stanley. | "Pete and Sarah have kids and we all live in different towns now so we can't just pop round to each other's houses now and jam," explains Stanley. |
"Not that we ever did." | "Not that we ever did." |
There is "no point" in releasing new material before 2010, he adds, because of the band's reissue campaign. | There is "no point" in releasing new material before 2010, he adds, because of the band's reissue campaign. |
In the meantime, commemorative concerts are planned to coincide with the re-releases - and the band hint they may play each album in its entirety. | In the meantime, commemorative concerts are planned to coincide with the re-releases - and the band hint they may play each album in its entirety. |
The concerts (in London) will only re-emphasise Saint Etienne's position as national treasures, an achievement that embarrasses them in a fittingly English way. | The concerts (in London) will only re-emphasise Saint Etienne's position as national treasures, an achievement that embarrasses them in a fittingly English way. |
"It's very flattering," says Stanley. "When you start out, that's what you want - you want songs to lodge in people's minds." | "It's very flattering," says Stanley. "When you start out, that's what you want - you want songs to lodge in people's minds." |
"It's nice to be considered a British institution," Cracknell contemplates. "But it makes me feel quite old." | "It's nice to be considered a British institution," Cracknell contemplates. "But it makes me feel quite old." |
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