Soup (The Housemartins and The Beautiful South album)
Encyclopedia
Soup is an album released in November 2007 by The Housemartins
and The Beautiful South
on Mercury Records
. It is in effect a greatest hits album for both of the bands, the first seven tracks bracketed together as "The Housemartins Condensed" and the remaining fifteen as "The Cream of The Beautiful South". All twenty two songs were released as singles by the bands and the track listing runs in chronological order by year of song release from 1985's "Flag Day" to 2003s "Just A Few Things That I Ain't".
and Dave Hemingway
formed The Beautiful South upon the former's breakup in 1988. The Beautiful South therefore were seen as the next guise of The Housemartins. Both bands had already had two greatest hits albums, The Housemartins in 1988 (Now That's What I Call Quite Good
) and 2004 (The Best of The Housemartins) and The Beautiful South in 1994 (Carry on up the Charts
) and 2001 (Solid Bronze).
The sleeve of the album contains an introduction to it and a brief history of the band by long term friend and fan of the bands, journalist
and radio DJ Stuart Maconie
. It also contains artwork from throughout the bands careers and gives the names of all the members of both bands throughout their duration.
declared "the early work shows them as being a jewel in our pop heritage."
Cream of The Beautiful South
The Housemartins
The Housemartins were an English indie pop band that was active in the 1980s. Many of the Housemartins' lyrics were a mixture of Marxist politics and Christianity, reflecting singer Paul Heaton's beliefs at the time .-Formation:The band was formed in late 1983 by Paul Heaton and...
and The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South
The Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
on Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. It is in effect a greatest hits album for both of the bands, the first seven tracks bracketed together as "The Housemartins Condensed" and the remaining fifteen as "The Cream of The Beautiful South". All twenty two songs were released as singles by the bands and the track listing runs in chronological order by year of song release from 1985's "Flag Day" to 2003s "Just A Few Things That I Ain't".
Background
The album came into being as two of The Housemartins, Paul HeatonPaul Heaton
Paul David Heaton is an English singer-songwriter. He was a member of The Housemartins, who disbanded in 1988, and a member of The Beautiful South, who disbanded in 2007. He is currently pursuing a solo career....
and Dave Hemingway
Dave Hemingway
Dave Hemingway , is a British musician and songwriter, and was a lead vocalist for the Hull-based band The Beautiful South until they disbanded in 2007...
formed The Beautiful South upon the former's breakup in 1988. The Beautiful South therefore were seen as the next guise of The Housemartins. Both bands had already had two greatest hits albums, The Housemartins in 1988 (Now That's What I Call Quite Good
Now That's What I Call Quite Good
Now That's What I Call Quite Good was the post-breakup greatest hits album from The Housemartins. It was released in 1988. As well as singles, the compilation includes various album tracks, B-sides and radio session recordings...
) and 2004 (The Best of The Housemartins) and The Beautiful South in 1994 (Carry on up the Charts
Carry on up the Charts
Carry On up the Charts: The Best of The Beautiful South is The Beautiful South's fifth album and first greatest hits collection.It was released in the same year as the Miaow album, with the album's only single, "One Last Love Song", was released in October 1994, only two months after "Prettiest...
) and 2001 (Solid Bronze).
The sleeve of the album contains an introduction to it and a brief history of the band by long term friend and fan of the bands, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and radio DJ Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of of pop music and popular culture. He is currently a presenter on BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week , alongside Mark Radcliffe, called the Radcliffe...
. It also contains artwork from throughout the bands careers and gives the names of all the members of both bands throughout their duration.
Reception
A BBC review of the album stated "Often misunderstood and overlooked by the barometer of cool, Heaton and his minions have beavered away nevertheless and become two of the finest exponents of pop Britain has ever had" whilst the Manchester Evening NewsManchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
declared "the early work shows them as being a jewel in our pop heritage."
Track listing
The Housemartins Condensed- "Flag Day"
- "Happy HourHappy Hour (The Housemartins song)"Happy Hour" is a 1986 single by The Housemartins. It was the third single from the album London 0 Hull 4 and reached number three in the UK Singles Chart....
" - "Think For A Minute"
- "Caravan of LoveCaravan of Love"Caravan of Love" is a 1985 R&B hit originally recorded by Isley-Jasper-Isley, the second half of The Isley Brothers' 3 + 3 lineup of the 1970s.-Isley-Jasper-Isley version:...
" - "Five Get Over Excited"
- "Me And The Farmer"
- "Build"
Cream of The Beautiful South
- "Song For WhoeverSong For Whoever"Song for Whoever" is a song by The Beautiful South, written by band members Paul Heaton and David Rotheray. The first and highest-charting single from their debut album, Welcome to the Beautiful South, it peaked at number 2 in the UK charts in 1989...
" - "You Keep It All InYou Keep It All In"You Keep It All In" is the second single to be taken from The Beautiful South's debut album Welcome to the Beautiful South. It reached number eight in the UK Singles Chart in September 1989. "You Keep It All In" was also a hit on United States alternative rock radio, and the single peaked at #19...
" - "I'll Sail This Ship AloneI'll Sail This Ship Alone"I'll Sail This Ship Alone" was the third and final single to be taken from The Beautiful South's debut album Welcome to the Beautiful South. The single reached a low #31 in December 1989 compared to the band's first two singles "Song For Whoever" and "You Keep It All In", both of which made the...
" - "A Little TimeA Little Time"A Little Time" is a song by The Beautiful South, and is the band's only single to reach number 1. It consists of a duet featuring vocalists Dave Hemingway and Briana Corrigan.The single was the first to be released from the Choke album...
" - "Old Red Eyes Is Back"
- "36D36D36D is a song written by Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray and performed by The Beautiful South. The song was originally found on the album 0898 Beautiful South and later appeared on two greatest hits compilations, 1994's Carry on up the Charts and 2007's Soup. As a single it reached #46 in the UK...
" - "Good As Gold (Stupid As Mud)"
- "Everybody's Talkin'"
- "Prettiest Eyes"
- "One Last Love Song"
- "Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)Rotterdam (song)"Rotterdam " is a song by The Beautiful South, taken from their Blue Is the Colour album of 1996.It features Jacqui Abbott on lead vocals and reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, where it was resident for nine weeks....
" - "Don't Marry HerDon't Marry Her"Don't Marry Her" is a song by The Beautiful South, which was the opening track from their album "Blue is the Colour". Vocalist Jacqui Abbott begs a man to run away with her from the woman he is going to marry, and attempts to sway him by describing what she thinks married life with the other...
" - "Perfect 10Perfect 10 (single)"Perfect 10" is a song by The Beautiful South, released in 1998. It reached number two in the UK charts. The song also appeared on their album Quench....
" - "How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?How Long's A Tear Take To Dry?"How Long's a Tear Take to Dry?" is a single by British pop group The Beautiful South from their album "Quench". It was written by Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray. The lyrics, which take the form of a conversation between two reconciling lovers, are noted for a reference to the TARDIS from Doctor Who...
" - "Just A Few Things That I Ain't"