Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week (which must be the equivalent of being in Plato’s cave) you will have realised that the Olympics are taking part at the moment. And rather fun they are too, even if you have no sporting ability whatsoever like me (and/or your football team have got the new season off to a bad start).

It’s the taking part that counts is a 26 track Olympic compilation, 26 bands, 26 exclusive themes, one for each of the 26 Olympic sports. Each time team GB wins a medal (and we’ve done, y’know, quite well so far) that sporting theme will be a FREE download for a day over at wiaiwya for a day. Artists involved include Saint Etienne, White Town, and Darren Hayman.

This is the latest one, from Saint Etienne:

Find out more here.

Today’s two Christmas related tracks have been posted before, but I thought I would give them another airing.

The rather fine -and increasingly, I feel, rather underrated – Saint Etienne had a minor hit with this track which also featured Tim Burgess on shared lead vocals, back in 1993. It still does the rounds today. 1993 had been a rather good year for the Etienne, with several hits, and their awesome second album So Tough. 1994 would see the release of Tiger Bay from Saint Etienne, and Burgess and The Charlatans releasing Up To Our Hips*.

Saint Etienne featuring Tim Burgess -‘I Was Born On Christmas Day.’ mp3

This track appears on the very rare, and not available in the shops Saint Etienne Christmas album A Glimpse Of Stocking (ooo-er missus, etc etc). This can be streamed, at least in part via Spotify.

Saint Etienne -’21st Century Christmas.’ mp3

Seriously, do yourself a favour and get your hands on as much Saint Etienne as you can. If you only get two albums, then So Tough and Foxbase Alpha, but really, go get far more.

*Both great albums, however, the media became fixated on Blur and Oasis, which would reach fever pitch in 1995.

Saint Etienne have done a number of Christmas tunes over the years. They made the top 40 in 1993 with Tim Burgess (of The Charlatans, or Charlatans UK if you’re from North America) with their song ‘I Was Born On Christmas Day’ and a track called ’21st Century Christmas’ has been doing the rounds for a number of years, too.

Saint Etienne -‘I Was Born On Christmas Day (featuring Tim Burgess).’ mp3

Saint Etienne -’21st Century Christmas.’ mp3

This year, they have done a Christmas album entitled A Glimpse Of Stocking, which amongst other songs, apparently has a cover of the Doors ‘Wintertime Love’ from Waiting For The Sun (haven’t played that album in years, but I do remember loving it when I was fifteen).

This will apparently only be available for this year from their website and at their Christmas shows, so get cracking!

They have made this available as another free download.

Saint Etienne -‘No Cure For The Common Christmas.’ mp3

The snow has returned with a vengeance to Edinburgh., now settling on the ice and snow that hadn’t properly gone from before. Worrying at the best of times, and even less for for Mrs. 17 Seconds who has to negotiate this six and a half months pregnant…

I’m not quite sure where or when…but even though they continue to make great records to this day, Saint Etienne no longer seem to get the due that they deserve. Like the title says, when the nineties revival comes, it would be nice to think that they get their deserved recognition, over and above the likes of the Gallagher brothers, Billy Corgan and Eddie Vedder.

The first track here was a single -which made it onto Top Of The Pops and features vocals from tin Burgess of The Charlatans (Charlatans Uk for anyone from North America). I know next to nothing about the second track; any info gratefully received etc..

Saint Etienne -‘I Was Born On Christmas Day.’ mp3

Saint Etienne -’21st Century Christmas.’ mp3

And if you don’t already own Foxbase Alpha, So Tough and Sound Of Water…do something about it.