Song of the Day: ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ by Saint Etienne

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Saint Etienne's first single, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." I remember I was driving through my West L.A. neighborhood in my convertible VW Rabbit when I first heard it on KROQ and being blown away, like I'd never heard anything that sounded like this before. That 4/4 arrangement and piano-bass-drum-section -- a dance cover of an old Neil Young song my brother Bill used to play in basement in Detroit. Who could come up with something so good and so completely unexpected? 

I immediately headed over to MobyDisc on Wilshire Boulevard to see if they had it -- and sure enough there was a copy of "Foxbase Alpha" in the used bin, the perfect price for a recent college grad making $23,500 a year as a research assistant at a newspaper. I was immediately taken by the entire album -- albeit confused why the vocalist on "Only Love" was different from the glamorous blonde pictured on the back cover (The booklet said Moira Lambert sings "Only Love").  

Fans would later figure out that Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs had envisioned Saint Etienne to be a collective, with guest singers (Donna Savage sang their second single, "Kiss and Make Up"), before hitting off so well with Sarah Cracknell (who sang the group's third single, "Nothing Can Stop Us Now") that they decided to keep her around for good. And thank God they did! 

The band would go on to become one of my all-time favorites, whom I've seen in concert more than any other and shelled out more money for re-releases, maxi singles and the lot. 

Although Sarah always sings "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" at their shows, the band has never done a proper recording with her at the mic -- which they did do for "Kiss and Make Up" for inclusion on the U.S. release of the album. They've always had plenty of tricks up its sleeve, so here's hoping my idea is a farewell gift to come. 

If they can make a new video with Sarah in it, they can make a new version of the song!

Bob Stanley:

Today marks exactly 35 years since the release of our first single on 28th May 1990. It's so long ago it feels like the days before electricity. I can still remember clear as day working in Ian Catt's bedroom studio after six -- after six! We hardly ever did that again! -- with Harvey Williams playing that ground-shaking bassline and Ian splicing the quarter inch tape. Getting a finished copy felt like we’d built a bridge, then crossed it.

Pete Wiggs:

When the elements of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" came together it genuinely felt like some kind of magic had taken place, it had been a dream to make a record and this sounded like one.

Note: "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" ranks fifth on my list of covers that are better than the originals. See the other four HERE.

Ironically, the singer Moira Lambert refused to appear in the original video so Lucy Gillie from early '90s pop trio Golden stepped in to mime the vocals! 

Celina Nash, one of Gillie's bandmate, was the woman featured on "Foxbase Alpha" cover. 

Read why Bob Stanley thinks it's their worst album HERE.

Saint Elsewhere

 

Well, I've got good news and bad news on the Saint Etienne front. The good news is a sleuthy friend got a copy of the band's new album, "The Night," a day before its release and sent it to me as an early Christmas present. (Thanks, Jimmy!)

The bad news is that, as I feared, it's another one of the trio's atmospheric bullshit efforts, as I refer to them. (To be clear: They're perfectly lovely background music, they're just not real Saint Etienne albums.) 

Like 2021's "I've Been Trying to Tell You," which another superfan described as the band's first real bomb -- "should have just been a fan club freebie if that" -- "The Night" is again mainly just meditation music with Sarah talking or whispering over it, with an occasional greater effort. (Is it even worth a trip to the studio just to do that?) 

But as my Saintly BFF and I went on to say, our adoration lives on.

He texted: 

But I'm still hardcore. I just went to Sweden just to visit their studio for "Good Humor" ...

To which I replied: 

We went to Finisterre [on our honeymoon]. And yesterday I sent "Goodnight Jack" to my mom's 70-year-old cousin who drove a Mercury Capri in the 1970s, so I hear ya.

He then wrote: 

"Milk Bottle Symphony" breaks my heart because my mother's maiden name is Doris Brown. "Tales From the Turnpike" and "Words and Music" were both very underrated. "Tonight"  might be my favorite song by them. And damn it, if I wasn't a day late I'd be in the "I've Got Your Music" video. Fuck. I missed the deadline. My video would have been great. Standing in front of Fairfax High (Virginia) with my favorite album ["So Tough"].

Fans were invited to contribute to this delightful 2012 video

Me: 

I remember that. You'd have been a welcome addition! 

Here's hoping they have one more classic up their sleeves.

UPDATE: Go figure. The band shared a bunch of reviews that love the album for all the reasons I do not.

Song of the Day: 'I Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You' by Saint Etienne

Thanks for your holiday-adjacent song ideas on Friday. Today's pick is a little gem producer Tommy LiPuma commissioned Margo Guryan to write in 1967 for Claudine Longet, aka the onetime Mrs. Andy Williams who later became a tabloid sensation after shooting and killing her Olympic skier boyfriend (Spider Sabich) in 1976. (Apparently she didn't intend to spend Christmas without him -- and certainly wasn't going to let him spend it with another woman.) With her high-priced lawyers and higher-priced connections, she spent a mere 30 days in jail. I first learned about the tune when Saint Etienne covered it for one of their Christmas fanclub albums, "A Glimpse of Stocking." Ms. Guryan died the day before Thanksgiving at 84 -- and you can read her fascinating NYT obit HERE, which details her circuitous road to acclaim.

Hear Claudine's version HERE -- which reminds of the band Ivy -- and Margo's original demo of her composition HERE, which was finally released in 2014.

Song of the Day: 'Her Winter Coat' by Saint Etienne

 

From Saint Etienne's latest holiday collection, which are never quite on par with their album-grade material but always interesting. 

Song of the Day: 'Saturday Boy' by Saint Etienne

Only now came across this 2019 single -- issued for Record Store Day -- when reading about Saint Etienne's upcoming film and soundtrack, "I've Been Trying to Tell You." "Saturday Boy" is said to be an outtake from the band's 2017 LP, "Home Counties," that wasn't mixed in time for the final cut, although it doesn't really sound like it belonged on the album anyway. 

In addition to a trailer for the film -- watch HERE -- the band also released the first song from the soundtrack. 

While "Pond House" is pleasant enough to listen to, the only vocals are a few-word sample from Natalie Imbruglia's "Beauty on the Fire," which I hope isn't indicative of what the rest of the album will be like. The band's first film soundtrack, "The Misadventures of Saint Etienne," was a full-throated and splendid affair but this has me fearing something more atmospheric/instrumental, like their 2006 soundtrack for "What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?"

Song of the Day: 'Hearts Are for Breaking' by Sarah Cracknell

Talk about good genes!

Have been on a bit of a Sarah Cracknell bender since seeing Saint Etienne at Bowery Ballroom. Did you know she comes from an showbiz family -- father Derek was Stanley Kubrick's first assistant director and mom Julie (Samuel) was a '60s film and TV actress -- and has recorded three-ish solo albums? This is one of my favorite songs from her 2015 release, "Red Kite."

Song of the Day: 'It's All Gone Horribly Wrong' by Saint Etienne

I don't really want to be part of this society anymore ... even the smart people are stupid now.

It's all gone horribly wrong ...

I don't doubt this woman's positions are more in line with mine than the establishment Democrat she seeks to unseat. But how can progressives like Cynthia Nixon endorse a candidate who has admittedly lied about her birthplace, her immigration experience and her college graduation?

Songs of the Day: 'The Bad Photographer'/'Wood Cabin' by Saint Etienne

Had a hoot seeing Saint Etienne last night on their 20th anniversary "Good Humor" tour. The trio was in fine form along with a full band and Dolly Mixture legend Debsey Wykes on backing vocals, cow bell and plasticwin instruments. The concert was extra special because I had seen the band at the same venue with my friend Ken when they first toured to promote the album in 1998, shortly after we had moved to the city from D.C. and now I was seeing them 20 years later with my guy, who first got into Saint Etienne with that very album. 

For those seeing them on the rest of the tour, fear not: They do "Good Humor" in its entirety then disappear for a lengthy period of time ... so lengthy, in fact, that a lot of the audience left. (The lights even came on briefly, which is the cue to exit.) But they do eventually come back out for another set of hits and assorted album tracks. (They even debuted a new song!)

As superfans may know, the two bonus CDs they announced would be sold at the show were delayed at the manufacturer, so they are selling them for $30 (cash only) at the merchandise table in the form of an I.O.U.Music. Hard to pick a favorite moment from the evening -- the music, the company, the beer on a hot summer night -- but Damian has always loved "Wood Cabin" and "The Bad Photographer," which he included on a mix CD he made me when we were courting, so they're my co-songs of the day!

View this post on Instagram

#SaintEtienne was MAGNIFICENT last nite! Happy 20th #GoodHumor 💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤 #WoodCabin @saintetienneofficial @boweryballroom @smonden_ @usul17

A post shared by Julian Ledezma (@mawi31) on Sep 6, 2018 at 8:37am PDT

Remains of the Day (06/08)

Brooklyn Vegan: I went to this concert at the Bowery Ballroom in 1998 and I will be back on Sept. 5!

Matthew's Island of Misfit Toys: Did you say you were into silver daddies?

Boy Culture: Anthony Boudain commits suicide at 61

NYT: If you’re asking, ‘Am I gay? Lesbian? Bi? Trans? Queer?’ Here’s a start

Towleroad: Meet the latest hunk to stick his foot in his mouth about the gays

Washington Blade: N.H. governor signs two pro-LGBT bills

Bammer47: What does the idea of the "gay community" mean to you?

Hunk du Jour: Meet the beard-next-door

The Film Experience: It’s a sad truth that the closest thing we’ve gotten to Toni Collette starring in a screen musical is "Muriel’s Wedding"

The Gay Almanac: Happy belated birthday to fellow Gemini Sandra Bernhard

Gothamist: Finally a list of the 11 best tater tots in NYC

The Randy Report: New Randy Rainbow parody: "Commander Of Cheese"

The Daily News: 5 tasty ways to celebrate Pride month in New York City

Homorazzi: Thomas Knights to feature sexy American boys for 2019 Red Hot calendar

NYT: Is early ’90s nostalgia running amok or what?

Dlisted: Who is May's hot slut of the month?

BosGuy: A furry Friday you won't soon forget

It's Either Sadness or Euphoria: "I've never been on a cruise, and to be honest, I've stayed away because of all of the horror stories I've seen in the media -- the loss of power and water, the fires, the tipping over, the massively contagious viruses that spread among passengers and crew, and pirates."

Hot Cat of the Day: Read what this little critter and nine of its siblings did Down Under

Page 1 Roundup (06/08)

The Daily News: The detention and imminent deportation by immigration agents of Pablo Villavicencio is an exclamation point on federal policies so aggressive, so indiscriminate, so cruel, so wasteful, so contrary to human decency that they insult the basic American values Donald Trump purports to uphold

Man dies after jumping in front of Queens F train

New York Post: Restaurant workers: Boycott Army base that called ICE on pizza delivery guy

‘Poo jogger’ out of corporate gig after residents make big stink

The Associated Press: Mom gets life, boyfriend gets death for killing boy they thought was gay

Dlisted: Kate Spade's husband releases a statement about her suicide

Towleroad: More disturbing anecdotal evidence of the emboldenment of homophobes

The New York Times: Anger flares up as Group of 7 heads to Quebec

Citing no evidence, Trump claims abandoning Iran deal has already curbed Tehran’s bad behavior

The Washington Post: Trump deals yet another blow to the Affordable Care Act so he can pretend like it wasn't working

The Wall Street Journal: A Smithsonian museum struggles to find space for the world’s stuff

Saint Etienne Are Sweet but Short at the Bowery Ballroom

Can't overstate what a blast Damian and I had at the Saint Etienne show Monday night at Bowery Ballroom, the same place where I first saw the synth trio live 19 years ago with my friend Ken shortly after moving to New York City. ("Good Humor" and "Celebrity Skin" were my NYC move albums!) Unlike their last tour back in 2012 (when they played Webster Hall), they brought a full band and backing vocalist -- none other than Debsey Wykes of Dolly Mixture fame, who sang co-lead on "Who Do You Think You Are?" back in 1993 -- so had a fuller sound, complete with violins and wind instruments. 

Now with most bands I have a strong wish list of songs I want to hear, But with Saint Etienne, I'm pretty much ecstatic with their performing any of the 400-plus tracks they've recorded since 1990. (If they came out and did "The Misadventures of Saint Etienne" from start to finish I'd swoon!) 

Sarah Cracknell was in usual fine form, with her trademark blond locks and minimal movement and intermittent boa. 

 Bob Stanley, left, and Pete Wiggs too were very "Bob and Pete" -- steering as far away from the spotlight as possible (literally standing in the back) as they methodically played their synthesizers still seemingly in awe of how much people still adore everything they come up with. 

Although they could do no wrong in my book, they cooked up an impressive set list that included their first three singles -- including the two Sarah hadn't been the vocalist on (always great to hear her take on "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "Kiss and Make Up") -- five songs from their brilliant new LP, "Home Counties," plus favorite singles and a low-key "Threw It All Away" during the encore. I was beaming the whole night, especially thrilled to hear "Like a Motorway" and "Whyteleafe," which was Damian's and my U.K. theme song.) Sarah introduced "Dive" as kind of being their new single, noting that it was No. 1 on the vinyl singles chart. ("I think that means it's sold three copies," she joked.) Not counting the obnoxious trio who Fraggle-Rocked their way directly in front of us midway through the show -- this was a rare occasion that I made a point of being up front, so Damian discreetly used "sharp elbows" to scare the shortest of them off, and her giant friends got the hint and moved behind me -- the only disappointment was that they came on 54 minutes late. Now a middle-aged band starting at 9:54 instead of 9 p.m. might sound like standard operating procedure, until you remember that New York City has this ridiculous "music curfew" that requires concerts to stop at 11 p.m. As a result, the band had to scrap a handful of songs that they had played the previous night in Boston, all of which would have been greatly appreciated by the sellout crowd that waited five years to see them live again. Until we meet again, Sarah, Bob and Pete, I will continue to look for YouTube clips of the missing pieces of our night in heaven, including a mashup of "Pale Movie" and "I've Got Your Music," "Split Screen," "Stop and Think It Over" (my FAVORITE song on "Finisterre," goddamnit!) and "You're in a Bad Way," which I kind of was when the lights came up so quickly!

UPDATE:

Forgot to mention that the opening act -- a duo called Pavo Pavo that appears to have been a five-piece at one time -- was delightful. They may look like a "Portlandia" sketch (by way of Brooklyn). But Eliza Bagg's angelic voice and utter lack of stage presence is adorable, and Oliver Hill seems like a consummate pro. Their ethereal pop ditties were the perfect way to ease us into the night. Learn more HERE.

Song of the Day: 'Growth of Raindrops' by Warm Digits (featuring Sarah Cracknell)

Saw Saint Etienne last night at Bowery Ballroom. (Review TK.) Until then, enjoy singer Sarah Cracknell's latest contribution -- a spunky track with the U.K. duo Warm Digits.

Song of the Day: 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' by Saint Etienne

Am headed into an unprecedented period of musical bliss this weekend. First I'm seeing Brian Wilson (and friends) perform "Pet Sounds" in its entirety at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday, celebrating the classic album's 50th birthday. And then on Monday I am seeing Saint Etienne -- who love the Beach Boys as much as I do -- at Bowery Ballroom on Monday. Not unlike peanut butter and chocolate, I can't think of two things that go together better -- listen for yourself:

Song of the Day: 'London Like a Distant Sun' by Saint Etienne

Great new b-side from the CD single of Saint Etienne's latest, "Dive." ("Home Counties" is my favorite LP of 2017!) Am seeing the trio at Bowery Ballroom on Monday -- who else is going?

Download HERE.

Song of the Day: 'Dive' by Saint Etienne

A little surprised this is the latest single off Saint Etienne's superb "Home Counties" LP -- "Out of My Mind" would have been my pick -- but I'll look forward to the bonus tracks that come with the release nonetheless. 

Song of the Day: 'Unopened Fan Mail' by Saint Etienne

Here's my favorite song of the trio's new LP, "Home Counties." Coincidentally, my favorite album track by Blondie is called "Fan Mail." 

For Damian.

Song of the Day: 'Kiss and Make Up' by Saint Etienne (featuring Donna Savage)

Today is the release of Saint Etienne's new LP, "Home Counties." While I take that in, here's the band's second single from all the way back in 1990, recorded right before they realized Sarah Cracknell was the girl for them. Moira Lambert sang on the first demo of "Kiss and Make Up," but the band liked her take of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" better, so released that as single one. They then got Donna Savage to re-record this Field Mice song to great effect and released it as the follow-up. (Lambert's very different spin on "Kiss and Make Up" can be heard as a bonus track on "Foxbase Beta," and Cracknell's version on the U.S. and deluxe reissue of "Foxbase Alpha.") Cracknell sang lead on single three, "Nothing Can Stop Us," and the rest is history, as they say. 

Song of the Day: 'Wood Cabin' by Saint Etienne

Was on a "Good Humor"/"Fairfax High" bender over the weekend in anticipation of Saint Etienne's new LP, due out next week. Already bought concert tickets, too!

Song of the Day: 'Heather' by Saint Etienne

Here's one from the first album in five years by Saint Etienne, one of my bands from the past whose current work still continues to excite me. ("Words and Music by Saint Etienne" was my favorite album of 2012.) To support their latest comeback, the British trio will tour select cities in the U.S. this fall, including two dates in NYC (I've already for me tix for Bowery Ballroom!). 

Song of the Day: 'You're in a Bad Way' by Saint Etienne

Current mood.