With Saint Etienne all set to bring the early '90s nostalgia of their Foxbase Alpha to the stage next week, the dance pop trio have laid out the details of a rather ambitious reissue campaign. In the coming months, the London outfit will begin re-releasing their entire back catalogue as deluxe double-disc editions, which will include each original album and a bonus CD of B-sides, rare tracks and unreleased material.
On May 18, Saint Etienne will put out the first two releases of the campaign: the band's 1991 debut, Foxbase Alpha, and their 1997 rarities/odds-and-sods collection, Continental, which has previously only been available in Japan. Along with all relevant B-sides and rarities, each deluxified packaged will come in "shiny plastic wallets, with plenty of unseen photos and memorabilia from the period," say the band.
As for Foxbase Alpha's previously unreleased tracks, there is "Sally Space" (which the group describe as "pretty good, but oddly entirely forgotten by all three of us"), "Chase HQ" ("as premiered on Resonance FM a couple of weeks back"), and "The Reckoning" ("full spy mode instrumental"). And for Continental, the unheard extras will include "Where Did Our Love Go" ("lost somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic according to this high-powered melancholic dancer"), "We Could Have It All" ("celebrating the magic of teamwork") and "Under Her Spell" ("jagged electro love song").
There are also plans to release a limited edition version of Foxbase Alpha sometime in July, with pre-orders starting later this month at the band's website. According to Saint Etienne, each of the 1,000 copies will feature a six-inch tall model of a Subbuteo player in the classic green and white Saint Etienne strip, a reprint of the original album poster, four unique Foxbase badges (or pins) and a CD of the remastered double disc album, all of which will come in "a beautifully designed, vintage Etienne-green presentation box."
After these releases, the band plan to give the same deluxe treatment to So Tough (1993) and Sound of Water (2000) this summer, Tiger Bay (1994) and Finisterre (2002) in autumn, and Good Humour (1998) and Tales from Turnpike House (2005) in early 2010.
Here are the upcoming dates for the Don't Look Back-styled Foxbase Alpha shows, where the band will play the record in its entirety, as well as the tracklistings for the first two reissues:
Tour dates:
5/13 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
5/14 Sheffield, England - Leadmill
5/15 London, England - Bloomsbury Ballroom
5/16 London, England - Bloosmbury Ballroom
Foxbase Alpha tracklisting:
CD1 - Original Album
1. "This Is Radio Etienne"
2. "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
3. "Wilson"
4. "Carnt Sleep"
5. "Girl VII"
6. "Spring"
7. "She's The One"
8. "Stoned To Say The Least"
9. "Nothing Can Stop Us Now"
10. "Etienne Gonna Die"
11. "London Belongs To Me"
12. "Like The Swallow"
13. "Dilworth's Theme"
CD2 - Bonus Material
1. "Kiss & Make Up" (12" Version)
2. "Filthy"
3. "Chase HQ" *
4. "Sally Space" *
5. "The Reckoning" *
6. "Speedwell"
7. "Parliament Hill"
8. "People Get Real"
9. "Sweet Pea" *
10. "Winter In America" *
11. "Fake 88"
12. "Studio Kinda Filthy"
13. "Kiss And Make Up" (Sarah Version)
14. "Sky's Dead"
Continental tracklisting:
CD1 - Original Album
1. "Shad Times"
2. "Burnt Out Car"
3. "Sometimes In Winter"
4. "Winter Melody"
5. "Public Info Film"
6. "The Process"
7. "He's On The Phone"
8. "Stormtrooper In Drag"
9. "Star"
10. "Down By The Sea"
11. "The Sea"
12. "Lonesome"
13. "Angel"
CD2 - Bonus Material
1. "Accident"
2. "Is It True?"
3. "Where Did Our Love Go" (Demo)*
4. "Groveley Road"
5. "How I Learned To Love The Bomb"
6. "Postal Interlude" *
7. "Cant Stop Now"
8. "Under Her Spell" *
9. "Saturday Remixed"
10. "Suburban Autumn Lieutenant"
11. "We Could Have It All" (Demo) *
12. "Lover Plays The Bass"
13. "Home" (Demo)
14. "Burnt Out Car" (Demo)
* previously unreleased
On May 18, Saint Etienne will put out the first two releases of the campaign: the band's 1991 debut, Foxbase Alpha, and their 1997 rarities/odds-and-sods collection, Continental, which has previously only been available in Japan. Along with all relevant B-sides and rarities, each deluxified packaged will come in "shiny plastic wallets, with plenty of unseen photos and memorabilia from the period," say the band.
As for Foxbase Alpha's previously unreleased tracks, there is "Sally Space" (which the group describe as "pretty good, but oddly entirely forgotten by all three of us"), "Chase HQ" ("as premiered on Resonance FM a couple of weeks back"), and "The Reckoning" ("full spy mode instrumental"). And for Continental, the unheard extras will include "Where Did Our Love Go" ("lost somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic according to this high-powered melancholic dancer"), "We Could Have It All" ("celebrating the magic of teamwork") and "Under Her Spell" ("jagged electro love song").
There are also plans to release a limited edition version of Foxbase Alpha sometime in July, with pre-orders starting later this month at the band's website. According to Saint Etienne, each of the 1,000 copies will feature a six-inch tall model of a Subbuteo player in the classic green and white Saint Etienne strip, a reprint of the original album poster, four unique Foxbase badges (or pins) and a CD of the remastered double disc album, all of which will come in "a beautifully designed, vintage Etienne-green presentation box."
After these releases, the band plan to give the same deluxe treatment to So Tough (1993) and Sound of Water (2000) this summer, Tiger Bay (1994) and Finisterre (2002) in autumn, and Good Humour (1998) and Tales from Turnpike House (2005) in early 2010.
Here are the upcoming dates for the Don't Look Back-styled Foxbase Alpha shows, where the band will play the record in its entirety, as well as the tracklistings for the first two reissues:
Tour dates:
5/13 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
5/14 Sheffield, England - Leadmill
5/15 London, England - Bloomsbury Ballroom
5/16 London, England - Bloosmbury Ballroom
Foxbase Alpha tracklisting:
CD1 - Original Album
1. "This Is Radio Etienne"
2. "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
3. "Wilson"
4. "Carnt Sleep"
5. "Girl VII"
6. "Spring"
7. "She's The One"
8. "Stoned To Say The Least"
9. "Nothing Can Stop Us Now"
10. "Etienne Gonna Die"
11. "London Belongs To Me"
12. "Like The Swallow"
13. "Dilworth's Theme"
CD2 - Bonus Material
1. "Kiss & Make Up" (12" Version)
2. "Filthy"
3. "Chase HQ" *
4. "Sally Space" *
5. "The Reckoning" *
6. "Speedwell"
7. "Parliament Hill"
8. "People Get Real"
9. "Sweet Pea" *
10. "Winter In America" *
11. "Fake 88"
12. "Studio Kinda Filthy"
13. "Kiss And Make Up" (Sarah Version)
14. "Sky's Dead"
Continental tracklisting:
CD1 - Original Album
1. "Shad Times"
2. "Burnt Out Car"
3. "Sometimes In Winter"
4. "Winter Melody"
5. "Public Info Film"
6. "The Process"
7. "He's On The Phone"
8. "Stormtrooper In Drag"
9. "Star"
10. "Down By The Sea"
11. "The Sea"
12. "Lonesome"
13. "Angel"
CD2 - Bonus Material
1. "Accident"
2. "Is It True?"
3. "Where Did Our Love Go" (Demo)*
4. "Groveley Road"
5. "How I Learned To Love The Bomb"
6. "Postal Interlude" *
7. "Cant Stop Now"
8. "Under Her Spell" *
9. "Saturday Remixed"
10. "Suburban Autumn Lieutenant"
11. "We Could Have It All" (Demo) *
12. "Lover Plays The Bass"
13. "Home" (Demo)
14. "Burnt Out Car" (Demo)
* previously unreleased
