Sarah Cracknell
Encyclopedia
Sarah Cracknell is an English
pop
singer who fronts the band Saint Etienne
and is known for her light, smooth singing voice. She is the daughter of Stanley Kubrick
's first assistant director Derek Cracknell.
sang on their initial 1990 single "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and Donna Savage was heard on the follow-up single "Kiss and Make Up," Cracknell lent her vocals to "Nothing Can Stop Us" and ended up doing the rest of the singing on their debut album Foxbase Alpha
. Cracknell has been Saint Etienne's permanent vocalist since then.
Preceded by the single "Anymore" in 1996, Cracknell released a solo album, Lipslide
, in May 1997. Originally released in the UK only by Gut Records
, the album featured dance, indie and pop tunes and received good reviews from critics, although it was not a big seller (Cracknell has in interviews placed some of the blame for this on lack of proper promotion by Gut). The UK version of the album is now out of print
.
Lipslide finally surfaced in the U.S. three years later, when Instinct Records
released it in February 2000. With completely different cover art, the original album's tracklisting was also modified: five tracks were removed and four new songs plus a remix
were added. Months later, Instinct released the Kelly's Locker EP
, which contained the five tracks originally removed from the UK version of Lipslide, along with two previously unreleased songs and a new remix.
Cracknell was Spiller
's first choice for the vocals of his number-one hit "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
" in 2000, but never got to record the song. She has recorded tracks with various artists such as David Holmes
("Anymore", "Gone"), Xploding Plastix
("Sunset Spirals"), Cheapglue ("You've Just Won Me Over") and Paul Van Dyk
.
Sarah has recorded a duet "I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten" (formerly by Dusty Springfield) with Marc Almond
for his album Stardom Road, released June 2007.
In December 2007, BBC radio began playing "The Journey Continues" by Mark Brown featuring Sarah Cracknell. The song consists of extensive samples from a composition by Elena Kats-Chernin
entitled Eliza's Aria
, well known to UK TV viewers as the music from the computer-animated 'For the Journey' commercials for Lloyds TSB bank. The single was released on February 2008 on Positiva. The song peaked at #11 in the UK after being released.
Cracknell collaborated with French pop star Etienne Daho
several times. She co-wrote and sang back-up vocals on "Les passagers" from his 1996 album Eden, and also co-wrote "Le premier jour" which was released as a single from his greatest hits compilation Singles. With Saint Etienne, they collaborated together on the Reserection EP. Saint Etienne's single "He's on the Phone" (which featured both Cracknell and Daho) was actually an English-language adaptation of Daho's French-language 1984 single "Weekend à Rome".
(joint MD of Heavenly Recordings) in Kensington and Chelsea
, London
on 5 December 2004. They have two children, both born in Westminster
, London
: Spencer Michael (born 2001) and Sam Dion (born 2004).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer who fronts the band Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne (band)
Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
and is known for her light, smooth singing voice. She is the daughter of Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's first assistant director Derek Cracknell.
Career
Saint Etienne was originally to be an indie/dance act featuring various vocalists. After Moira LambertMoira Lambert
Moira Lambert is a UK recording artist.She has collaborated with St Etienne on the Neil Young cover "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" . Polygram gave her a publishing deal and UK independent label Big Cat Records signed Moira as a teenager...
sang on their initial 1990 single "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and Donna Savage was heard on the follow-up single "Kiss and Make Up," Cracknell lent her vocals to "Nothing Can Stop Us" and ended up doing the rest of the singing on their debut album Foxbase Alpha
Foxbase Alpha
- CD: Warner / 9-26793-2 :2009 release- CD: Heavenly / HVNLP1CDDE :- Credits :The liner notes list the album's personnel as follows:* Sarah Cracknell - vocals.* Bob Stanley - Roland Jupiter 4, Korg M1, tambourine...
. Cracknell has been Saint Etienne's permanent vocalist since then.
Preceded by the single "Anymore" in 1996, Cracknell released a solo album, Lipslide
Lipslide
Lipslide is the debut solo album from Saint Etienne lead singer Sarah Cracknell. The album was co-produced by Cracknell and a variety of producers and released in the UK by Gut Records in 1997. Upon its release Lipslide earned favorable reviews from music critics, although it was not a commercial...
, in May 1997. Originally released in the UK only by Gut Records
Gut Records
The Gut Group was an independent record label, based in Maida Vale in London, in the United Kingdom.Formally introduced in 1991, Gut Recordings was founded by Guy Holmes, who had been Head of Promotions at Island Records...
, the album featured dance, indie and pop tunes and received good reviews from critics, although it was not a big seller (Cracknell has in interviews placed some of the blame for this on lack of proper promotion by Gut). The UK version of the album is now out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
.
Lipslide finally surfaced in the U.S. three years later, when Instinct Records
Instinct Records
Instinct Records is a New York City electronic-music record label that first gained prominence in 1990. It is best-known for releasing much of Moby's early work. The label has several sublabels, which include Evolver, Instinct Ambient, Kickin Records USA, Liquid Music, Shadow Records, and Sonic...
released it in February 2000. With completely different cover art, the original album's tracklisting was also modified: five tracks were removed and four new songs plus a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
were added. Months later, Instinct released the Kelly's Locker EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, which contained the five tracks originally removed from the UK version of Lipslide, along with two previously unreleased songs and a new remix.
Cracknell was Spiller
Spiller
Cristiano Spiller is an Italian DJ.He had a #1 hit in the UK, Italy, Australia and other countries with the hit single, "Groovejet ", featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released in 2000...
's first choice for the vocals of his number-one hit "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)
"Groovejet " is a single by Spiller, featuring vocals by British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The single was released in August 2000 by Positiva Records. It peaked at #1 in the UK, New Zealand, Ireland and Australia, as well as charting at number three on the American Hot Dance Chart...
" in 2000, but never got to record the song. She has recorded tracks with various artists such as David Holmes
David Holmes (musician)
David Holmes is a Northern Irish DJ, musician and composer.-Career:Holmes began djing in Belfast from the age of 15. His first hit was the song "DeNiro", with Ashley Beedle, in 1992. In the early to mid 1990s he ran two club nights in the Belfast Art College known as Sugar Sweet and Shake Yer Brain...
("Anymore", "Gone"), Xploding Plastix
Xploding Plastix
Xploding Plastix is a Norwegian two-man band playing Electrofunk/Big beat music with elements of jazz. Jens Petter Nilsen and Hallvard Wennersberg Hagen formed the group in early 1999, and submitted their first demotape in 2000...
("Sunset Spirals"), Cheapglue ("You've Just Won Me Over") and Paul Van Dyk
Paul van Dyk
Matthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
.
Sarah has recorded a duet "I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten" (formerly by Dusty Springfield) with Marc Almond
Marc Almond
Marc Almond is an English singer-songwriter and musician, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell...
for his album Stardom Road, released June 2007.
In December 2007, BBC radio began playing "The Journey Continues" by Mark Brown featuring Sarah Cracknell. The song consists of extensive samples from a composition by Elena Kats-Chernin
Elena Kats-Chernin
Elena Kats-Chernin is an Australian composer.Elena Kats-Chernin was born in Tashkent , and migrated to Australia in 1975.-Europe:...
entitled Eliza's Aria
Eliza's Aria
Eliza's Aria is a classical aria from the ballet Wild Swans, composed by Elena Kats-Chernin. The piece was first recorded by soprano Jane Sheldon and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and released on the ABC Classics label. This recording was subsequently used in the 2007 Lloyds TSB "For the...
, well known to UK TV viewers as the music from the computer-animated 'For the Journey' commercials for Lloyds TSB bank. The single was released on February 2008 on Positiva. The song peaked at #11 in the UK after being released.
Cracknell collaborated with French pop star Etienne Daho
Étienne Daho
Étienne Daho is a French singer, songwriter and record producer who has released a number of synth-driven and rock-surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.- Career :...
several times. She co-wrote and sang back-up vocals on "Les passagers" from his 1996 album Eden, and also co-wrote "Le premier jour" which was released as a single from his greatest hits compilation Singles. With Saint Etienne, they collaborated together on the Reserection EP. Saint Etienne's single "He's on the Phone" (which featured both Cracknell and Daho) was actually an English-language adaptation of Daho's French-language 1984 single "Weekend à Rome".
Personal life
Cracknell married Martin KellyMartin Kelly (Heavenly)
Martin Kelly has been a musician, music manager, record label boss, music publisher and author. Best known as Jeff Barrett's partner at Heavenly Recordings, a British independent record label run by the pair between 1993-2009.-Early years:Kelly was born in Cyprus, the son of an RAF Squadron...
(joint MD of Heavenly Recordings) in Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 5 December 2004. They have two children, both born in Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
: Spencer Michael (born 2001) and Sam Dion (born 2004).
Singles
- "Love Is All You Need" / "Coastal Town"
- "Coastal Town" (12 inch single)
- "Anymore" (2 X CD single) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#39 - "Goldie"
- "Desert Baby"
- "The Journey Continues" (Mark Brown featuring Sarah Cracknell)
Other appearances
- Red Hot + Rhapsody w/ Kid Loco The Man I Love (Belleville Lovers mix)
- Tokyo To London (w/ Hideki Kaji)
- We Are Icerink compilation; or Denim Novelty Rock Supermarket;
- w/ Lawrence from Felt Supermarket (edit); Supermarket (Mad Q mix); Supermarket (Ray Keith mix)
- The 6ths Hyacinths & Thistles Kissing Things
- Cheap Glue Sexy Horses You Just Won Me Over (duet)
- Funky Monkey Join Us In Tomorrow Tomorrow's Girl; or 7” Tomorrow's Girl (edit)
- Etienne Daho Singles French live bonus CD He's On The Phone; Week-End A Rome (medley)
- Etienne Daho Eden Les Passages
- Xploding Plastix Sunset Spirals; Sunset Spirals (rune lindbæk remix); Sunset Spirals (sternklang papers and pins remix); Sunset Spirals (take 2)
- Marc Almond Stardom Road I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten
- Akasha The Last Weekend
- Mark Brown feat. Sarah Cracknell - The Journey Continues (2008) UK#11. Features a sample of Elena Kats-CherninElena Kats-CherninElena Kats-Chernin is an Australian composer.Elena Kats-Chernin was born in Tashkent , and migrated to Australia in 1975.-Europe:...
's vocals from the aria of the ballet Wild Swans, for which Kats-Chernin composed the music. Featured on her 2006 album, also called Wild Swans, it was popularised by a Lloyds TSBLloyds TSBLloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
advertising campaign.