London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne

London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
Greatest hits album by Saint Etienne
Released	16 February 2009
Recorded	1990–2009
Genre	Indie pop ; house ; synth-pop ; electronic ; trip hop ;
Length	2:31:21
Label	Heavenly Records – HVNLP69
Producer	Saint Etienne, Various
Saint Etienne chronology
Singles from London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
	"Burnt Out Car"; Released: 22 September 2008; "Method of Modern Love"; Released: 9 February 2009;

Last updated March 26, 2025

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
BBC	(Favorable)^[2]
Drowned in Sound	(8/10)^[3]
The Guardian	^[4]
Pitchfork Media	(8.8/10)^[5]

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 2-CD 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.

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.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
1.	"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" (feat. Moira Lambert)	Neil Young	Foxbase Alpha , 1991	4:32
2.	"Nothing Can Stop Us"	Bob Stanley Pete Wiggs	Foxbase Alpha	4:22
3.	"Join Our Club" (2001 remix)	Stanley Wiggs	So Tough (US edition), 1993^[a]	3:18
4.	"Avenue" (radio edit)	Ian Catt Sarah Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	So Tough^[b]	3:50
5.	"You're in a Bad Way" (single version)	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	So Tough^[c]	3:03
6.	"Hobart Paving" (single version)	Stanley Wiggs	So Tough^[c]	4:50
7.	"Who Do You Think You Are"	Des Dyer Clive Scott	You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone , 1993^[d]	3:50
8.	"Pale Movie"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Tiger Bay , 1994	3:46
9.	"Like a Motorway" (radio edit)	Stanley Wiggs	Tiger Bay^[c]	3:43
10.	"Hug My Soul" (radio edit)	Guy Batson Cracknell Johnny Male	Tiger Bay^[c]	3:55
11.	"He's on the Phone" (radio edit – feat. Étienne Daho)	Cracknell Daho Stanley Wiggs	Too Young to Die , 1995^[e]	4:09
12.	"Sylvie" (single version)	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Good Humor , 1998^[e]	4:02
13.	"Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Sound of Water , 2000	3:39
14.	"Action" (radio edit)	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs Brian Higgins Tim Powell Nick Coler	Finisterre , 2002^[f]	3:51
15.	"A Good Thing"	Cracknell Lawrence Oakley Mark Waterfield	Tales from Turnpike House , 2005	4:02
16.	"Side Streets"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Tales from Turnpike House	2:57
17.	"Burnt Out Car" (Xenomania mix)	Stanley Wiggs	Continental , 1997^[g]	3:41
18.	"Method of Modern Love ^[h]"	Hannah Robinson Richard X Matt Prime	New recording	4:20
19.	"This Is Tomorrow" (Richard X version)	Annie Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	New recording	3:28

Deluxe edition CD2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original album	Length
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^[i]	5:35
3.	"Spring"	Stanley Wiggs	Foxbase Alpha	3:44
4.	"People Get Real"	Stanley Wiggs	Foxbase Alpha (US edition)^[j]	4:45
5.	"Mario's Cafe"	Stanley Wiggs	So Tough	4:31
6.	"Goodnight Jack"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Good Humor	4:22
7.	"The Bad Photographer"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Good Humor	4:00
8.	"Lose That Girl"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Good Humor	4:05
9.	"Lover Plays the Bass"	Stanley Wiggs	Non-album single, 1999^[k]	4:16
10.	"How We Used to Live"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Sound of Water	8:51
11.	"Boy Is Crying" (single mix)	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Sound of Water^[f]	3:39
12.	"Finisterre" (edit)	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Finisterre^[f]	3:45
13.	"Soft Like Me" (feat. Wildflower)	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs Vanessa George	Finisterre	4:26
14.	"Shower Scene"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs Higgins Powell Coler	Finisterre	4:22
15.	"Stars Above Us"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs Xenomania	Tales from Turnpike House	3:26
16.	"Teenage Winter"	Cracknell Stanley Wiggs	Tales from Turnpike House	5:53
17.	"I Was Born on Christmas Day" (feat. Tim Burgess)	Catt Stanley Wiggs	Xmas 93 EP, 1993^[l]	3:11

DVD

DVD (HVNLP69CDSE)
No.	Title	Director(s)
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"	Kieran Evans Kelly
18.	"Side Streets"	Kelly

LP

Side one (HVNLP69)
No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
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

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

↑ AllMusic review
↑ BBC review
↑ "Drowned in Sound review". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
↑ "CD: Pop review: St Etienne, London Conversations". The Guardian . 14 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
↑ Pitchfork Media review Archived 10 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
↑ "UK Chartlog – 1994–2010 DJ S – The System Of Life". zobbel.de. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
↑ "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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[7] 2001 remix first appeared on Smash the System: Singles and More , 2001.

[8] First album appearance of the radio edit was Smash the System: Singles 1990–99, 2005.

[young-9] 1 2 3 4 First album appearance of the single version was Too Young to Die.

[10] First released as a non-album single, 1993.

[smash-11] 1 2 First album appearance of the radio edit was Smash the System: Singles and More.

[edit-12] 1 2 3 First album appearance of the radio edit.

[13] First album appearance of the Xenomania remix.

[14] Omitted from some 2CD editions.

[15] First released as the B-side of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", 1990.

[16] First released as a non-album single; first UK album appearance was You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone.

[17] Later included on reissues of Continental.

[18] First album appearance was Too Young to Die; later included on A Glimpse of Stocking.

[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

[ChartlogUK-S-6] "UK Chartlog – 1994–2010 DJ S – The System Of Life". zobbel.de. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

[ac_Scotland_-19] "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 February 2022.

[ac_UK2_-20] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 February 2022.

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v t e Saint Etienne
Sarah Cracknell Bob Stanley Pete Wiggs Gerard Johnson Ian Catt
Studio albums	Foxbase Alpha So Tough Tiger Bay Good Humor Sound of Water Finisterre Tales from Turnpike House Words and Music by Saint Etienne Home Counties I've Been Trying to Tell You
Soundtrack albums	The Misadventures of Saint Etienne What Have You Done Today Mervyn Day?
Compilation albums	You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone Fairy Tales from Saint Etienne Too Young to Die: Singles 1990–1995 Casino Classics Continental Interlude Smash the System: Singles and More Travel Edition 1990–2005 London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne
Extended plays	Reserection Places to Visit
Singles	"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" "Kiss and Make Up" "Nothing Can Stop Us" "Join Our Club" "Avenue" "You're in a Bad Way" "Hobart Paving" "Who Do You Think You Are" "Xmas 93" "Pale Movie" "Like a Motorway" "Hug My Soul" "He's on the Phone" "Sylvie" "The Bad Photographer" "Tell Me Why (The Riddle)" "Shower Scene" "A Good Thing" "Stars Above Us" "Burnt Out Car" "Method of Modern Love"
Related articles	Discography List of songs recorded by Saint Etienne Debsey Wykes