Nothing can stop Balearic DJ Steve KIW from falling for Saint Etienne’s acid house-flecked pop…

At their best, Saint Etienne are as whimsical as Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and as knowing as Blur, nodding and winking, celebrating a green and pleasant land without ever crossing the line into flag-shagging. If The Kinks were the ‘Village Green Preservation Society’, Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs and Sarah Cracknell are the Campaign for Real Ale twinned with the Acid House Cycling Club – children of a time when teenagers spent evenings in their bedrooms reading Smash Hits before heading to the Ritzy.

And they’ve never strayed too far from clubland. ‘Foxbase Alpha’ gave us the Balearic vibes of ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ and a nod towards house with ‘Stoned to Say the Least’. Remixes from the then up-and-comers Pete Heller and Andrew Weatherall came armed with cheeky samples and “the confidence of ignorance”. Aphex Twin, Masters at Work and Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy were among those who followed, each adding their magic to Saint Etienne’s wonderful catalogue.

Forty years have passed since their first recording, ‘We Survived’, inspired by Paul Hardcastle’s ‘19’ and sampling Ken Livingstone lambasting Margaret Thatcher. The song only made it on to vinyl in 2015 but it represents Saint Etienne’s career perfectly, showing how they’re happy to borrow from the moment and mould in their own image. Now Stanley, Wiggs and Cracknell are going out on their own terms, having done far more than merely survive.

In fact, their past couple of albums have been their strongest for years and picking favourites isn’t easy but, like the Platini-era football side from whom they took their name, this Saint Etienne starting 11 of their best dancefloor moments cannot be ignored.

‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’ (A Mix of Two Halves, Andrew Weatherall/Masters at Work Dub) 1990/1991

A classic, obviously. But although a debate could be had about whose is the best mix, Andrew Weatherall’s is undoubtedly the most loved (“The DJ eases a spliff from his lyrical lips and smilingly orders cease”). Weatherall took the typical 12-inch song structure - with the vocal coming first - and flipped it on its head with a ‘version’ comprising a lolloping break, a melody-humming harmonica and samples of Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and then added Moira Lambert’s vocal in what conventionally would be part two. 

Meanwhile, over in the US Warner Bros commissioned Masters at Work. ‘Little’ Louie Vega and Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez turned in a handful of ace mixes, and none were bigger or better than their dub. 

‘Kiss and Make Up’ (Midsummer Madness Mix, Pete Heller) 1990 

‘Kiss…’ is another Saint Etienne track that benefited from Boy’s Own participation. Bocca Juniors’ Pete Heller’s remixes, emphasising every instrument and new phase, and bringing the beats to the front, gave the track a new direction and made it a worthy successor to Terry Farley’s mix of Primal Scream’s Come Together (which Heller had engineered). The rather downbeat indie-esque vocals are handled by Donna Savage – keeping with Bob Stanley’s plan (before Sarah Cracknell joined) to record each song with different singers – but everything around them shines, especially the occasional piano lines. ‍

‘Filthy’/‘Studio Kinda Filthy’ 1991 

Echoing the grittier sound of acts such as Massive Attack and The Sindecut, this was the edgiest of the band’s early releases. It’s so raw that it’s easy to imagine the needle collecting crap as the record spins. Q-Tee’s effortless rap cuts through a lo-fi production that hinges upon a grimy drum loop, a deep, deep bassline, a heavily sampled guitar riff (Afrique’s ‘House of the Rising Funk’) and some vibraphone, allowing Saint Etienne to make the jump from indie-pop pretenders to hip hop. There is barely a hook, let alone a chorus, yet it stands up against anything from Bristol, particularly in its dub form. Q-Tee returned to the fold for the excellent ‘Calico’, a worthy sequel. 

Cola Boy: ‘7 Ways to Love’ (white label mix) 1991 

Should this count? And is it worthy of inclusion? A resounding yes. Stanley and Wiggs gave it away, and Cola Boy remain a one-hit wonder, but this is a perfect time capsule record: an E anthem, euphoric, real hands-in-the-air stuff, horns blaring, everyone reaching for the lasers. And, clearly, Saint Etienne agree: they’ve reclaimed it and added new remixes for a 2025 audience.

‘Speedwell’ (Flying Mix, Dean Thatcher) 1991 

Flying Records’ Dean Thatcher made use of Weatherall and Heller’s templates, resulting in a slice of Balearic brilliance. With their breathless beeps, a vocal stolen from Sandee’s ‘Notice Me’, a rolling break and some proper Italo-style piano – so very 1991 – either of Thatcher’s mixes could be the sister tune to ‘Only Love…’. His Project Mix is tougher, with a heavier breakbeat, but it was the Flying Mix that proved popular. It should have been a classic, but it was overshadowed by its illustrious predecessors. It’s time for the Balearic crew to dig it out again.

‘Nothing Can Stop Us’ (Ken/Lou Dub, Masters at Work) 1992

As the MAW remix of ‘Only Love…’ put Saint Etienne in all the right boxes, it made sense for Warners to turn to them again – and with the ‘Ken/Lou Dub’ they delivered another banger. Cracknell, now a permanent member of the band, kicks things off and as her stammering intro gives way, MAW do their thing, introducing tough beats, organ keys and twinkling keys. Nothing can stop them indeed.

‘Like a Motorway’ (Chekhov Warp Mix, The Dust Brothers) 1994 

The 12-inch is possibly the best remix package of Saint Etienne’s career, comprising the original song, plus remixes from an up-and-coming David Holmes, Autechre and a dub by some other new kids, The Dust Brothers. With its familiar Jungle Brothers sample, big beats, bleeping bass and rolling breaks, their dub remains a high point for all concerned, yet someone, somewhere opted to leave Tom Rowlands’ and Ed Simons vocal on the promo. Ridiculous. Along with ‘Hobart Paving’, ‘Like a Motorway’ marks the apogee of Saint Etienne’s songwriting and the Dust Brothers’ vocal mix is death disco at its best. More refined than the big beats of the south, and more restrained than the anthems that were dominating elsewhere, it is an absolute stormer.

‘4:35am in the Morning’ (Talkin’ Blues Mix, Kid Loco) 1998

Having flirted with commercial remixes in the mid 90s, Saint Etienne returned to the artists who would retain the essence of their sound for their brief spell on Creation. A sample of Minnie Riperton’s ‘Les Fleur’ – or something very close – sets the tone for this beautifully sung trip hop track. With his trademark rolling beats, an offbeat triangle and some subtle trumpets, Kid Loco captures the dawn vibes perfectly. A couple of years later, when Saint Etienne were fleetingly signed to Mantra, fellow trip hopper Aim remixed the epic ‘How We Used to Live’ and his mixes are equally essential.

‘Sylvie’ (Friday Night Boiler Mix, Saint Etienne versus Faze Action) 1998

Faze Action gave Saint Etienne a pair of straight up nu-disco-flavoured smashers, very much in the style of the Lee brothers’ acclaimed ‘In the Trees’. Of the two it’s the Friday Night Boiler Mix that rocks hardest. Almost jazz-funk in places, and very house, it has aged exceptionally well: the synth lines, scratchy guitar riff, rolling rhythms and smooth bassline settle into an incessant groove. Nuphonic had – still has – a distinct sound, which this record encapsulates.

‘Dive’ (Colorama & Shawn Lee Remix) 2017

‘Dive’ is simply a brilliant upbeat pop song completed by one of Saint Etienne’s happiest choruses and set to a house-tempo bossa nova rhythm. It was handed to Greg Wilson and Derek Kaye for remixing, but the pick of the bunch is by the song’s producer, Shawn Lee, and co-writer, Carwyn ‘Colorama’ Ellis. Their commercially minded disco track is a monster that, while not among Saint Etienne’s better-known releases, sits alongside ‘He’s on the Phone’ and ‘Join Our Club’ as a pop-tastic gem. An instrumental mix by Matt Berry hits the spot too.

‘Alone Together’ (Hove Lawns Sunset Remix, Pete Wiggs) 2025

Pete Wiggs can often be spotted walking near Hove beach, which, as locals know, is blessed with incredible sunsets. Maybe it’s not Ibiza, but with the pebbles glistening, the low tides, paddle boarders drifting across the horizon and a mix of yoga mums and joggers pootling along the seafront, it’s easy to believe that a gorgeous south coast evening inspired this mix. This isn’t one for the dancefloors – it’s one for the beach.

Super Sub

‘Pond House’ 2021

The band didn’t release any singles from 2021’s sample-dominated album ‘I’ve Been Trying to Tell You’, so the tracks didn’t reach the audience they deserved. By utilising Samantha Mumba, Honeyz and – ahem! – The Lighthouse Family, and focusing on compositions rather than songs, the set divided opinion among diehard fans but is beloved by those of a Balearic disposition. Despite, or perhaps because of, Pete Wiggs’s creative use of a Natalie Imbruglia sample, ‘Pond House’ is the best song. Indeed it’s right up there with their very best, period. No remixes were necessary; it’s just perfect as it is.

‍

Read our interview with Saint Etienne here

This article first appeared in issue eight of Disco Pogo.

‍