Saint Etienne are one of those groups I would describe as too obscure to be a household name but too popular to be obscure. Their chart record more or less reflects this description. They've had 15 Top 40 hits across a 14 year period, but the only Top 10 they've managed was as featured artist on a Paul Van Dyk record.
For those who are familiar with Saint Etienne they would likely be familiar with their Top 40 debut "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and their debut album "Foxbase Alpha". However "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" only made number 39 and "Foxbase Alpha" had no further Top 40 hits on it.
They fared better with their non-album double a-side "Join Our Club/People Get Real" which made number 21. Then came this their 3rd Top 40 hit which was the lead single from their upcoming album "So Tough".
Given the low charting positions of Saint Etienne singles, this is by no means one of their obscure records. You are just as likely to know this as you would their next single "You're In A Bad Way" which made number 12 the following year.
This single is notably more mellow than your average Saint Etienne hit. Maybe the record buying public weren't ready for it yet. It could also be the reason why their next mellow single "Hobart Paving" was released as a double a-side with the more upbeat "Who Do You Think You Are?".
The Top 40 career of Saint Etienne is seemingly over but the group carry on. It's members do lots of other things apart from Saint Etienne though, particularly Bob Stanley who's arguably better known as a music critic than a Saint Etienne member these days.
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