Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh

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Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh
Sparktoaflame.gif
Greatest hits album by
Chris de Burgh
Released23 October 1989 [1]
RecordedRamport and Scorpio Studios
Genre Rock
Length67:58 (68:38 German)
Label A&M
Producer Chris de Burgh, Rupert Hine, Roy Thomas Baker, Robin Geoffrey Cable, Paul Hardiman and others
Chris de Burgh chronology
Flying Colours
(1988)		Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh
(1989)		 High on Emotion: Live from Dublin
(1990)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]

Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh is the third compilation album by Chris de Burgh, released by A&M Records in 1989. The album was released largely to capitalise on the resurgence of de Burgh's career after the smash hit of "The Lady in Red" three years earlier. As a result, most of the tracks are drawn from his 1980s albums The Getaway, Man on the Line, Into the Light, and Flying Colours. Only "Spanish Train" and "A Spaceman Came Travelling" come from de Burgh's early output from the 1970s.

Contents

The collection also includes a pairing of the songs "Borderline" and "Say Goodbye to It All" — originally from two different albums — which together tell a story arc of a conscientious objector fleeing to be with his lover.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chris de Burgh.

UK release
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."This Waiting Heart"previously unreleased4:08
2."Don't Pay the Ferryman" The Getaway (1982)3:24
3."Much More Than This" Man on the Line (1984)2:55
4."Sailing Away" Flying Colours (1988)4:58
5."The Lady in Red" Into the Light (1986)4:17
6."Borderline"The Getaway (1982)4:33
7."Say Goodbye to It All"Into the Light (1986)5:04
8."Spanish Train" Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)4:47
9."Ship to Shore"The Getaway (1982)3:47
10."Missing You"Flying Colours (1988)4:06
11."Fatal Hesitation"Into the Light (1986)4:14
12."Diamond in the Dark"previously unreleased3:29
13."Tender Hands"Flying Colours (1988)4:28
14."A Spaceman Came Travelling" (*)Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)5:10
15."Where Peaceful Waters Flow"The Getaway (1982)3:53
16."High on Emotion"Man on the Line (1984)4:24
US/Canada release
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."This Waiting Heart"previously unreleased4:08
2."Don't Pay the Ferryman" The Getaway (1982)3:24
3."Much More Than This" Man on the Line (1984)2:55
4."Sailing Away" Flying Colours (1988)4:58
5."The Lady in Red" Into the Light (1986)4:17
6."Borderline"The Getaway (1982)4:33
7."Say Goodbye to It All"Into the Light (1986)5:04
8."Spanish Train" Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)4:47
9."Patricia the Stripper"Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)3:30
10."Ship to Shore"The Getaway (1982)3:47
11."Missing You"Flying Colours (1988)4:06
12."Diamond in the Dark"previously unreleased3:29
13."Tender Hands"Flying Colours (1988)4:28
14."A Spaceman Came Travelling" (*)Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)5:10
15."Where Peaceful Waters Flow"The Getaway (1982)3:53
16."High on Emotion"Man on the Line (1984)4:24
German/Australasian release
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."This Waiting Heart"previously unreleased4:08
2."Don't Pay the Ferryman" The Getaway (1982)3:24
3."Fire on the Water" Into the Light (1986)4:28
4."Sailing Away" Flying Colours (1988)4:58
5."The Lady in Red"Into the Light (1986)4:17
6."Borderline"The Getaway (1982)4:33
7."Say Goodbye to It All"Into the Light (1986)5:04
8."One Word (Straight to the Heart)"Into the Light (1986)4:16
9."A Spaceman Came Travelling" (*) Spanish Train and Other Stories (1975)5:10
10."Ship to Shore"The Getaway (1982)3:47
11."Missing You"Flying Colours (1988)4:06
12."Diamond in the Dark"previously unreleased3:29
13."Tender Hands"Flying Colours (1988)4:28
14."The Getaway"The Getaway (1982)3:52
15."Where Peaceful Waters Flow"The Getaway (1982)3:53
16."High on Emotion"Man on the Line (1984)4:24

Charts

Chart (1989)Peak
position
UK Albums Chart4
Swiss Albums Chart3

Sales and certifications

Certifications for Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria) [3] Gold25,000*
Canada (Music Canada) [4] Gold50,000^
Germany (BVMI) [5] Platinum500,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [6] Platinum50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [7] 2× Platinum600,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "BPI".
  2. ↑ DeGagne, Mike. Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh at AllMusic. Retrieved November 14, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Austrian album certifications – Chris De Burgh – Spark to a Flame" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Chris De Burgh – Spark to a Flame". Music Canada . Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Chris De Burgh; 'Spark to a Flame')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Spark to a Flame')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "British album certifications – Chris De Burgh – Spark to a Flame". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 22 July 2022.
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