Idlewild (Everything but the Girl album)

Idlewild is the fourth studio album by British musical duo Everything but the Girl. It was released on 29 February 1988 by Blanco y Negro Records and Sire Records.

Idlewild
Studio album by Everything but the Girl
Released	29 February 1988
Recorded	Autumn 1987
Studio	Livingston Recording Studios, London
Genre	Sophisti-pop[1]
Length	45:17
Label	Blanco y Negro Sire
Producer	Ben Watt
Everything but the Girl chronology
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright (1986) Idlewild (1988) The Language of Life (1990)
Singles from Idlewild
"These Early Days" Released: 1988 "I Always Was Your Girl" Released: 1988 "I Don't Want to Talk About It" Released: 1988 "Love Is Here Where I Live" Released: 1989

The album was reissued in 2012 as a remastered two-disc deluxe set by Edsel Records.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Mojo	[4]
Pitchfork	6.4/10[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10[7]

Idlewild was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[8]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"I Don't Want to Talk About It"	Danny Whitten	4:17
2.	"Love Is Here Where I Live"	Tracey Thorn Ben Watt	3:55
3.	"These Early Days"	Thorn	3:50
4.	"I Always Was Your Girl"	Thorn Watt	4:00
5.	"Oxford Street"	Thorn	3:21
6.	"The Night I Heard Caruso Sing"	Watt	2:55
7.	"Goodbye Sunday"	Thorn Watt	4:00
8.	"Shadow on a Harvest Moon"	Thorn	3:38
9.	"Blue Moon Rose"	Thorn Watt	3:37
10.	"Tears All Over Town"	Watt	4:35
11.	"Lonesome for a Place I Know"	Thorn Watt	4:02
12.	"Apron Strings"	Thorn Watt	3:07

2012 Edsel Records reissue

Disc 1

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Love Is Here Where I Live"	Thorn Watt	3:55
2.	"These Early Days"	Thorn	3:50
3.	"I Always Was Your Girl"	Thorn Watt	4:00
4.	"Oxford Street"	Thorn	3:21
5.	"The Night I Heard Caruso Sing"	Watt	2:55
6.	"Goodbye Sunday"	Thorn Watt	4:00
7.	"Shadow on a Harvest Moon"	Thorn	3:38
8.	"Blue Moon Rose"	Thorn Watt	3:37
9.	"Tears All Over Town"	Watt	4:35
10.	"Lonesome for a Place I Know"	Thorn Watt	4:02
11.	"Apron Strings"	Thorn Watt	3:07

Disc 2

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Dyed in the Grain"	Watt	5:07
2.	"No Place Like Home"	Paul Overstreet	4:26
3.	"Another Day, Another Dollar"	Thorn	3:28
4.	"Hang Out the Flags"	Thorn Watt	3:21
5.	"Home from Home"	Thorn	3:06
6.	"I Don't Want to Talk About It"	Whitten	4:17
7.	"I Don't Want to Talk About It" (instrumental)	Whitten	3:01
8.	"Living on Honeycomb"	Thorn	2:32
9.	"How About Me?"	Irving Berlin	2:46
10.	"These Early Days" (Dave Bascombe remix)	Thorn	3:28
11.	"Love Is Here Where I Live" (home demo, 1987)	Thorn Watt	3:38
12.	"I Always Was Your Girl" (home demo, 1987)	Thorn Watt	3:22
13.	"Tears All Over Town" (home demo, 1987)	Watt	3:28
14.	"Apron Strings" (home demo, 1987)	Thorn Watt	3:10
15.	"Oxford Street" (home demo, 1987)	Thorn	3:32
16.	"Lonesome for a Place I Know" (home demo, 1987)	Thorn Watt	3:00
17.	"Always Remember (These Early Days)" (home demo, 1987)	Thorn	3:23
18.	"Apron Strings" (alternative film version, 1987)	Thorn Watt	3:00

Personnel

Everything but the Girl

• Tracey Thorn – vocals
• Ben Watt – vocals, guitar

Additional musicians

• Ian Fraser – tenor saxophone
• Steve Pearce – bass
• Damon Butcher – piano, synthesizer
• James McMillan – trumpet
• Chucho Merchán – bass on "Lonesome for a Place I Know"
• Peter King – alto saxophone

Technical

• Jerry Boys – engineering

Additionally, Geoff Travis, Lindy Morrison and James McMillan are thanked in the liner notes.

Charts

Chart (1988)	Peak position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[9]	38
UK Albums (OCC)[10]	13

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[11]	Gold	100,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Top 15 Sophisti-Pop Albums". 20 August 2018.
2. Ruhlmann, William. "Idlewild – Everything But the Girl". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
4. "Everything But the Girl: Idlewild". Mojo. p. 101. This was an album of mature, blue-eyed electronic soul, albeit one where the folk and jazz which scented earlier work still perfumed the air. Missing or empty |url= (help)
5. Harvell, Jess (9 July 2012). "Everything But the Girl: Reissues". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
6. Sarig, Roni (2004). "Everything but the Girl". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 288–89. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
7. Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
8. Dimery, Robert, ed. (2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
9. "Charts.nz – Everything but the Girl – Idlewild". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
10. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
11. "British album certifications – Everything but the Girl – Idlewild". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 23 March 2018. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Idlewild in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.