Tales from Turnpike House

Infobox Album |
Name = Tales from Turnpike House
Type = Album
Artist = Saint Etienne


Released = 13 June, 2005 (UK)
24 January, 2006 (U.S.)
Recorded = 2005
Genre = Synthpop Alternative rock House
Length = 44:11
Label = Sanctuary (UK)
Savoy Jazz (U.S.)
Producer = Saint Etienne
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kbzyxdjb5ola link]
*"The Guardian" Rating|5|5 [http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,11712,1502810,00.html link]
*Amazon (Favourable) [http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/music/B0009F6712/reviews link]
*Pitchfork Media (7.8/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/21535/Saint_Etienne_Tales_From_Turnpike_House link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/saintetienne/albums/album/9192910/review/9249073/tales_from_turnpike_house link]
*Stylus Magazine {A-) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/saint-etienne/tales-from-turnpike-house.htm link] |
Last album = "Travel Edition 1990-2005"
(2004)
This album = "Tales From Turnpike House"
(2005)
Next album = "Nice Price" (2006)

Tales from Turnpike House is an album by British pop group Saint Etienne. It was released 13 June, 2005 on Sanctuary Records, preceded by a single for the album track "Side Streets" on 6 June. The album features productions from Xenomania and a guest vocal from 1970s pop star David Essex. In the United States, the album was released in 2006 by Savoy Jazz.

It is a concept album about life in a block of flats in Islington, London.

Initial quantities of the UK release came with a bonus EP of children's music entitled "Up the Wooden Hills". The band felt that music for young children under seven was fed into unexceptional pop music, and wanted to make music that children and parents could enjoy together.

2-disc editions of the U.S. release included instead the "Savoy Nu Groove Sampler", containing six tracks from various Savoy Jazz releases, including "Side Streets" from the album itself.

Track listing

UK release

# "Sun in My Morning" – 2:41
# "Milk Bottle Symphony" – 4:03
# "Lightning Strikes Twice" – 3:45
# "Slow Down at the Castle" – 4:42
# "A Good Thing" – 4:00
# "Side Streets" – 2:56
# "Last Orders for Gary Stead" – 4:28
# "Stars Above Us" – 3:24
# "Relocate" – 3:09
# "Bird Man of EC1" – 2:47
# "Teenage Winter" – 5:45
# "Goodnight" – 2:31

Up the Wooden Hills

# "You Can Count On Me" – 3:58
# "Barnyard Brou Ha Ha" – 0:59
# "Let's Build a Zoo" – 2:34
# "Excitation" – 2:12
# "Bedfordshire" – 3:58
# "Night Owl" – 2:05

Japan bonus tracks

The Japan release inserts two B-sides from the "Side Streets" single in the middle of the track listing.

6. "The Leyton Art Inferno"
7. "Got a Job"

U.S. release

The U.S. release rearranged the track listing considerably, adding some songs while removing others. "I'm Falling" is a B-side from the second single, "A Good Thing".

# "Side Streets" – 2:56
# "A Good Thing" – 4:00
# "Sun in My Morning" – 2:41
# "Milk Bottle Symphony" – 4:03
# "Dream Lover" – 3:32
# "Lightning Strikes Twice" – 3:45
# "Slow Down at the Castle" – 4:42
# "Oh My" – 4:02
# "Last Orders for Gary Stead" – 4:28
# "I'm Falling" – 4:22
# "Stars Above Us" – 3:24
# "Teenage Winter" – 5:45
# "Goodnight" – 2:31

Singles

* "Side Streets" (6 June 2005)
* "A Good Thing" (31 October 2005)
* "Stars Above Us" (Released as "Dance Remixes Vol. 1" - U.S. only EP) (February 28 2006)

Personnel

Saint Etienne are:

* Pete Wiggs
* Bob Stanley
* Sarah Cracknell

with

*David Essex - additional vocals
*Shawn Lee - Help
*Hugh McDowell - Help
*Tony Rivers & Anthony Rivers - Vocal arrangements and all male harmony vocals.

Miscellanea

This is the second Saint Etienne album to feature David Essex. "So Tough" samples dialogue by him from the film "That'll Be the Day".

The song "A Good Thing" was featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 Pedro Almodóvar film "Volver".

Turnpike House is a high rise block in the London Borough of Islington, in an area of (ex)-council blocks between fashionable Clerkenwell and Upper Street [http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=531906&y=182704&z=1&sv=531906,182704&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf link]