Title : Songs for the Front Row

Release date : 05/11/2001

Highest chart position : 16

Track

Title

More Info

1

The Riverboat Song

“Our first hit thanks to a memorable riff and Chris Evans. A live favourite but almost impossible to dance to.”

2

The Day We Caught The Train

“I wrote this song in Steve’s flat in Moseley the same afternoon as ‘One for the Road’. I think it was ‘93. One of our Best singles and a live anthem....oh oh la la”

3

One For The Road

“When a fan of ours died in a car crash abroad his sister asked if the lyrics could appear on his headstone. It shocked us to realise how much our music now meant to people”

4

The Circle

“I think of this as one of my best songs and is written in response to the strength found from being in a band. A nice moment for me was hearing Paul Weller’s recording.”

5

You’ve got it Bad

“Our first top 10. This will always remind us of supporting Oasis at Inglestone Beach in Scotland, in front of an incredible crowd.”

6

Hundred Mile High City

“Our most exciting singles and the song we usually kick of our show with. In the Video I got to drive a Citroen DS and stand on a Ready Steady Go podium, which is nice.”

7

Better Day

“This song is written about the Band’s optimism well before ‘Riverboat’. All of us are mentioned, our manager Chris Cradock gets a nod and the middle eight was meant for Paul Weller.”

8

Travellers Tune

“And all through our lives we’ll sail through suns and moons to bring you our Traveller’s Tunes and to say...Minstrels are we.”

9

Get Blown Away

“The words evoke a very happy childhood spent on Sandbanks beach, Dorset, Although not a single, the song became a live favourite.”

10

It's A Beautiful Thing

“This record featured P.P. Arnold and the video hideous fur coats. From now on I'll be hitting the top notes on my own.”

11

Profit In Peace

“The title comes from Oscar’s lexicon of homespun truths, the rest was written as an eye witness account of the news of the day and today and tomorrow.”

12

So Low

“One of the many drinking songs, So Low is again a flag flier for strength in numbers.”

13

July

“This is the oldest song on the album, written before ‘The Day we caught the Train’. It was coupled with ‘I am the News’ and chosen as the theme tune for a TV show about a bunch of cockneys.”

14

Up On The Downside

“Like ‘Riverboat’ ‘You’ve got it Bad’ ‘100’ and the ‘News’ this was written over the riff, in fact I just copied it. It reminds me of a great day out in a car”

15

Mechanical Wonder

“I wrote this walking the dog down the Grand Union Canal and it yearns for a time before the roar of the M40, it is not about machinery in the making of music & I hope it will be sung in 20 years time.”

16

Huckleberry Grove

“From our B-sides album this is a beautiful tune with biographical lyrics. It also features a great trombone from Rico.”

17

Robin Hood (Live)

Recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in February 1997.  “A Song born from a night of space navigation, this seems to be one of your favourites at our shows...thanks for the singing. In memory of Mark.”

18

Crazy Lowdown Ways

“Our latest single, with a great B-side, and a homage to the music hall style that we love far too much, remember treat your body as a temple......I would.”