Ben Watt announced on Twitter that there will be a new Everything but the Girl album next spring!
Happy days. I love EBTG in all their manifestations but probably my favourite is their late period pre-dance phase. Here’s the opening track from probably my favourite album, though they are all excellent.
And yes, sharp eared ones, that’s Danny Thompson on bass.
Jolly good news. Though I prefer walking wounded to amplified heart. And Eden. Always Eden.
Eden indeed.
Instead of “they are all excellent”, you could have said you like each and every one..
Thanks for the ear worm…
Eden for me too. Every song is great. Plus I really like the album cover. One of those album covers that seems to suit the music.
As regards the solo albums, I’m a little fonder of Ben’s than Tracey’s. ‘Some Things Don’t Matter’ is one of my all-time favourite songs. It has an absolutely brilliant alto sax solo, lovely lyrics and a title that I very frequently find myself thinking when people get all het up over unimportant stuff.
Love Not Money was always my fav but I got right back into them around the time of Walking Wounded too. Some lovely singles throughout their whole career though.
Blimey, that *is* news.
They started to release the EBTG albums on reasonably-priced half-speed-mastered-at-Abbey-Road vinyl. Did the last three, then Eden, then stopped. I hope this encourages them to finish the rest, and Tracey’s solo albums – Love and Its Opposite on LP goes for an absolute stink.
Yes – two very talented individuals. Ben and Tracey are both excellent prose writers, I think. “Romany and Tom” and “Another Planet” are two of my favourite books written by musicians.
As for Everything But The Girl and their solo material, I really like the early stuff, with my top four being:
1. A Distant Shore (Tracey solo)
2. Idlewild
3. Love Not Money
4. Eden
Not so keen on the later, more dance-oriented material.
Why? I dunno. That’s just how I roll. duco don’t dance. Hah!
That’s a pity.
That is exciting news. I wonder which “version” they will reintroduce, or wil they encompass the even more varieds of their solo output. Eden and Walking Wounded are perhaps as extreme a difference in the oeuvre of anyone, except maybe Miles Davis, comparing Touch of Blue with the Brew. Retirement getting a bit dull with the now empty nest, Trace?
“Touch of Blue”? I don’t know that one. Do you mean Kind of Blue, retro?
Kind of…… I knew I should have stuck with Blue to Brew for the full alliterative.
From Bird to Bitches works well.
I quite like From Birth to Magus.
Perhaps this helps to explain Tracey’s prolonged absence from the pages of the Staggers.
Yes she announced a ‘sabbatical’ from the column back in the Spring – which means hopefully she will return to it in due course.
Probabaly Idlewild is the one for me. I also really like their versions of Alison, Love is Strange, Tougher than the Rest and Time after Time on the Covers EP which morphed into the Acoustic album.
Great news – I also really like that album. Just hope it’s more back to a predominantly acoustic style and not too much in the ‘Missing’ direction.
Given Tracey’s aversion to not just touring, but standing up in front of an audience, it seems unlikely they will go out on the road to promote it. Or just play a couple of selected gigs in larger cities.
However, I wonder if Ben would ever consider going out with a stand-in singer, to take Tracey’s place and perform the new material?
That is certainly a radical suggestion, Carl. Everything But the Girl Without the Girl. I can’t really see it happening.
What a shame she is so averse to singing in public.
Stupendous singer. Fine band.
Eden and Walking Wounded are great favourites of mine but they are consistently excellent.
I think EBTG without TT is a nonstarter. She is completely irreplicable and certainly one of our most distinctive and affecting singers. I would love to see them (mind you when I did in the early 90s they were nothing special) maybe in a small club (last time was Hammy Odeon which was just too big though it was full).
Well if they tour, I shall go. But both times I saw them they were not life changingly brilliant – just a good night out.
First time around Eden they only had enough songs for a short set, and had to repeat some for the encore. (also Ben had a really bad haircut so wore a hat).
Second time was in Manchester probably during one of their last tours.
So for me, a record band rather than a live band. But boy, what records!
(I love Record – Tracey’s last solo record. A Distant Shore and Eden both also have a lot of personal meaning for me. Ah, how relationships soak into the music, and music soaks into relationships).
Yes of course I’ll go too!
I am mid-composing a post about my thoughts on their albums and how they track my own journey but ran out of time today. “Baby the stars shine bright” was particularly well timed. 😢
I was greatly cheered by this news. Their respective solo careers have been impressive and I’m looking forward to hearing what they’ve cooked up together.
I’m really cheered by the news as well. It’s heartwarming how a simple reminder of something held really dear brings so much pleasure isn’t it. Saw them live a couple of times, in smaller venues. I hope they play live this time around-maybe TT might commit to it now the kids have grown up perhaps? I bet she doesn’t though.
While we’re talking about solo albums, isn’t TT’s Christmas album from around a decade ago fabulous? Some great originals and some non-fussy arrangements of imaginative covers. I dig it out every late November. Superb stuff.
Yes it is, it’s a perfect Christmas album. I make myself wait until December though.
Me too, Mrs. T gave it to me for Christmas when it came out and now I always play it on Christmas Eve and Christmas night. Just gorgeous. Obviously I never used the wrapping paper or cards!
Idlewild for me. The production hasn’t held up but the songs have.
I have a Tracey Thorn story. She was doing one of those Word in Your ear evenings in Islington. I arrived a bit late and she was standing in the corridor waiting to go into the packed room, blocking the entrance. I said “Budge up, she’s on in a minute’ and she laughed and said “You can have my seat.” True story.
I once wished Tracey Thorne a happy birthday on Twitter and mentioned that A Distant Shore was superb. Within a minute she replied “Thanks x.” It made my day.
You’re all wrong. I want a follow up to Baby The Stars Shine Bright. Their best album by far.
First tune out today. A one-shot video with some very impressive choregraphy.
Lots of wub-wub. It’s a long way from Each & Every One
Comes as a standard cd or with a bluray which has an Atmos mix of the album. No live dates though it seems.