Saint Etienne Deluxe Editions En Route

Foxbase Alpha and Continental due May 18 in expanded formats.

By Fred Mills

With Britain's Saint Etienne set to resurrect their early ‘90s classic Foxbase Alpha for the concert stage next week, Bob, Pete and Sarah disclosed this morning details of the upcoming Deluxe Edition for the album. There's also to be a similar treatment for 1997's Continental, a rarities/odds-and-sods collection previously available only as a Japanese import. Both will be available starting May 18, and there's to be a limited edition of Foxbase Alpha as well arriving in July.

According to the band, "[The reissues[ are 2cd sets, in shiny plastic wallets, with plenty of unseen photos and memorabilia from the period. As well as the relevant b-sides, and various alternate takes, each will include a clutch of unreleased songs."

Foxbase Alpha will include the previously unheard tracks "Sally Space" (described 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")

For Continental, new extras will be "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").

And of that limited Foxbase? "It's coming out in a gorgeous limited edition of 1,000 set - as seen in the Guardian! Thanks to the international piracy problem (we're not kidding) it will ship in July, but can be pre-ordered during May. We'll offer a link via the official Saint Etienne site first, and it will be available to international buyers. So what do you get? A 6" tall model of a Subbuteo player in the classic green and white Saint Etienne strip; a reprint of the original album poster; 4 unique Foxbase badges (or pins); a cd of the remastered double disc album. It all comes in a beautifully designed, vintage Etienne-green presentation box. It's truly lovely - we've seen one! Something for your children, and your children's children, to go gooey-eyed over, before they tear the box to bits and pull the player's head off."

Well, all right then! Nothing like going gooey-eyed where Saint Etienne is concerned.

Next in the pipeline will be deluxe reissues of So Tough (from 1993) and Sound of Water (released in 2000, during the band's tenure on Sub Pop here in the States), and the band promises details are coming soon "but we've been rather shocked and surprised by how many forgotten relics are lurking in various cupboards and cellars" so presumably those are still being brainstormed.

Foxbase Alpha Tracklisting:

Disc: 1

1. This Is Radio Etienne - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

2. Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Saint Etienne

3. Wilson - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

4. Carnt Sleep - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

5. Girl VII - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

6. Spring - Saint Etienne

7. She's The One - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

8. Stoned To Say The Least - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

9. Nothing Can Stop Us - Saint Etienne

10. Etienne Gonna Die - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

11. London Belongs To Me - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

12. Like The Swallow - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

13. Dilworth's Theme - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

Disc: 2

1. Kiss And Make Up - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

2. Filthy - Saint Etienne

3. Chase HQ - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

4. Sally Space - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

5. The Reckoning - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

6. Speedwell - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

7. Parliament Hill - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Ian Catt, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs

8. People Get Real - Saint Etienne

9. Sweet Pea - Saint Etienne

10. Winter In America - Saint Etienne

11. Fake 88 - Saint Etienne

12. Studio Kinda Filthy - Saint Etienne

13. Kiss And Make Up - Saint Etienne

14. Sky's Dead - Saint Etienne

Continental Tracklisting:

Disc: 1

1. Shad Thames - Saint Etienne, Gerard Johnson

2. Burnt Out Car - Saint Etienne, Mat Gray

3. Sometimes In Winter - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt

4. Winter Melody - Saint Etienne, The Psychonauts

5. Public Information Film - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt

6. The Process - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt

7. He's On The Phone - Saint Etienne

8. Stormtrooper In Drag - Brian Higgins, Saint Etienne

9. Star - Ian Catt, Saint Etienne

10. Down By The Sea - Saint Etienne, Gerard Johnson

11. The Sea - Mike Bolton, Saint Etienne

12. Lonesome - Ian Catt, Saint Etienne

13. Angel - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt, Broadcast

Disc: 2

1. Accident - Saint Etienne

2. Is It True - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt

3. Where Did Our Love Go - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt

4. Groveley Road - Ian Catt, Saint Etienne

5. How I Learned To Love The Bomb - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt

6. Postal Interlude - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt

7. Can't Stop Now - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Mark Waterfield

8. Under Her Spell - Saint Etienne, Sarah Cracknell, Mark Waterfield

9. Saturday - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt, Fugu

10. Suburban Autumn Lieutenant - Saint Etienne, Ian Catt

11. We Could Have It All - Saint Etienne, Gerard Johnson

12. Lover Plays The Bass - Saint Etienne

13. Home - Guy Batson, Saint Etienne

14. Burnt Out Car - Saint Etienne