The Beautiful Lie is the fourth album by British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 Ed Harcourt

Ed Harcourt

Ed Harcourt is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released five studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, Here Be Monsters, was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Prize...

, released in 2006. Ed's wife, Gita Harcourt, plays violin throughout the album and sings vocals on "Braille," and The Magic Numbers

The Magic Numbers

The Magic Numbers are an English pop rock band comprising two pairs of brothers and sisters from Greenford. The group was formed in 2002, releasing their critically acclaimed debut album titled The Magic Numbers on 13 June 2005...

 guest as backing vocalists on "Revolution in the Heart." Ed was dropped by Astralwerks Records/EMI

EMI

The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

 in the US, the label which released his previous three albums. The album finally got a US release via Dovecote Records

Dovecote Records

Dovecote Records is a New York based record label which releases primarily indie rock music. It is run by its founder, Carter Matschullat and is distributed by Redeye Distribution in the US.-Artists and projects:...

 on June 3, 2008, nearly 2 years after its original release.

Track listing

1. "Whirlwind in D Minor" – 3:57
2. "Visit from the Dead Dog" – 3:01
3. "You Only Call Me When You're Drunk" – 4:27
4. "The Last Cigarette" – 3:30
5. "Shadowboxing" – 3:20
6. "Late Night Partner" – 4:36
7. "Revolution in the Heart" – 4:20
8. "Until Tomorrow Then" – 3:56
9. "Scatterbraine" – 2:46
10. "Rain on the Pretty Ones" – 4:18
11. "The Pristine Claw" – 3:19
12. "I Am the Drug" – 3:31
13. "Braille" – 5:31
14. "Good Friends Are Hard to Find" – 3:52

UK iTunes-only bonus track

15. "Little Miss Secretive" – 3:24

Singles

• "Visit from the Dead Dog" (May 29, 2006)
  • CD b/w: "The Distance Between"
  • 7" vinyl #1 b/w: "Minotaur"
  • Amber-colored 7" vinyl #2 b/w: "Blondes, Brunettes and Redheads"
• "Revolution in the Heart" (October 23, 2006)
  • Digital download only. B-side: "Surreal Killer"
• "Until Tomorrow Then" (August 19, 2008)
  • Music video single only.

Personnel

1. "Whirlwind in D Minor"
   • Ed Harcourt - Piano, Spanish guitar, electric guitar, bass, music box, vocals
   • B.J. Cole - Pedal steel
   • Dimitri Tikovoi - Drums
2. "Visit from the Dead Dog"
   • Ed Harcourt - Piano, bass, synth strings, Hammond organ, vocals
   • Graham Coxon - Guitar
   • Jari Haapalainen - Drums
   • Hadrian Garrard - Trumpet
   • Leo Abrahams - Guitar
3. "You Only Call Me When You're Drunk"
   • Ed Harcourt - Piano, bass, bells, vocals
   • Jari Haapalainen - Drums
   • Hadrian Garrard - Trumpet
   • Leo Abrahams
     Leo Abrahams
     Leo Abrahams is a British musician, composer, and producer. He has collaborated with a multitude of professional musicians, including Brian Eno, Imogen Heap, Jarvis Cocker, Carl Barât, and Paul Simon. After attending the Royal Academy of Music in England, he started his musical career by touring as...
     
     - Guitar
   • Fiona Brice - String arrangement
   • Violin - Gillon Cameron, Sally Jackson, Ellie Stanford, Gita Harcourt, Jess Murphy, Rosie Langley
   • Viola - Amy Stanford, Louise Hogan
   • Cello - Laura Anstee, Jonny Byers
4. "The Last Cigarette"
   • Ed Harcourt - Guitar, vocals
   • Gita Harcourt - Violin
5. "Shadowboxing"
   • Ed Harcourt - Guitar, bass, organ, vocals
   • Jari Haapalainen - Drums, shaker
6. "Late Night Partner"
   • Ed Harcourt - Piano, vocals
   • Johan Berthling - String arrangement
   • Violin - Lars Warnstad, George Kentros, Anna Rodell, Lisa Rydell
   • Cello - Anna Wallgren, Leo Svensson
7. "Revolution in the Heart"
   • Ed Harcourt - Piano, bass, casiotone, SK1, vocals
   • Jeremy Stacey - Drums
   • Jari Haapalainen - Drums
   • Michele Stodart - Backing vocals
   • Romeo Stodart - Backing vocals
   • Sean Gannon - Backing vocals
   • Angela Gannon - Backing vocals
   • Leo Abrahams - Guitars
8. "Until Tomorrow Then"
   • Ed Harcourt - Optigan, piano, vocals
   • Jari Haapalainen - Drums
   • Gita Harcourt - Backing vocals
   • Hadrian Garrard - Trumpet
9. "Scatterbraine"
   • Ed Harcourt - Piano, bass, organ, vocals
   • Jari Haapalainen - Drums
   • Johan Berthling - String arrangement
   • Violin - Lars Warnstad, George Kentros, Anna Rodell, Lisa Rydell
   • Cello - Anna Wallgren, Leo Svensson
10. "Rain on the Pretty Ones"
    • Ed Harcourt - Piano, vocals
    • Leo Abrahams - Guitar
    • Ellekari Larsson - Backing Vocals
    • Ane Brun - Backing Vocals
    • Jenny Wilson - Backing Vocals
    • Nina Kinert - Backing Vocals
    • Anja Bigrell - Backing Vocals
    • Amy Langley - String arrangement
    • Gita Harcourt - String arrangement
    • Violin - Gillon Cameron, Sally Jackson, Ellie Stanford, Gita Harcourt, Jess Murphy, Rosie Langley
    • Viola - Amy Stanford, Louise Hogan
    • Cello - Laura Anstee, Jonny Byers
11. "The Pristine Claw"
    • Ed Harcourt - Guitar, vocals
    • Leo Abrahams - Guitar
    • Johan Berthling - Woodwind arrangement
    • Thomas Bodin - Oboe
12. "I Am the Drug"
    • Ed Harcourt - Piano, bass, vocals
    • Jari Haapalainen - Drums
    • Leo Abrahams - Guitars
    • Fiona Brice - String arrangement
    • Violin - Gillon Cameron, Sally Jackson, Ellie Stanford, Gita Harcourt, Jess Murphy, Rosie Langley
    • Viola - Amy Stanford, Louise Hogan
    • Cello - Laura Anstee, Jonny Byers
13. "Braille"
    • Ed Harcourt - Guitar, piano, vocals
    • Gita Harcourt - Vocals
    • Leo Abrahams - Baritone guitar, guitar treatments
    • Jari Haapalainen - Percussion
14. "Good Friends Are Hard to Find"
    • Ed Harcourt - Piano, vocals
    • Hadrian Garrard - Trumpet
    • Leo Abrahams - String arrangement
    • Violin - Gillon Cameron, Sally Jackson, Ellie Stanford, Gita Harcourt, Jess Murphy, Rosie Langley
    • Viola - Amy Stanford, Louise Hogan
    • Cello - Laura Anstee, Jonny Byers