Some Other Sucker's Parade

Some Other Sucker's Parade is the fifth studio album by Del Amitri, released on 24 June 1997. It reached number 6 in the UK Albums Chart.

Some Other Sucker's Parade
Studio album by Del Amitri
Released	24 June 1997
Recorded	November 1996-January 1997
Studio	The Chapel; Parkgate Studios
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	50:13
Label	A&M
Producer	Mark Freegard
Del Amitri chronology
Twisted (1995) Some Other Sucker's Parade (1997) Can You Do Me Good? (2002)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[2]

History

The album's recording was characterised by changes in personnel. Drummer Ashley Soan had joined the band soon after the release of Twisted (1995), and following their 1995 US tour the group parted company with guitarist David Cummings, who left to become a television scriptwriter. Jon McLoughlin was drafted in to replace him, and would co-write Some Other Sucker's Parade's title track with Justin Currie. Both Soan and McLoughlin left soon after the album's recording.

Intended to communicate the band's live sound, the album deliberately used few studio effects in favour of a "raw" feel. "Absolutely as few overdubs as possible," confirmed Iain Harvie in an October 1997 interview with Guitarist magazine.[3] "Probably about 80 per cent of the songs on this record don't have overdubs, apart from the vocals obviously, with all the harmonies, and maybe the guitar solo if there was a really dreadful mistake in the middle that we just couldn't live with. Wherever possible, we recorded with our live format of bass, drums, two guitars and keyboards for most of the songs."

Track listing

1. "Not Where It's At" (Justin Currie) – 3:39
2. "Some Other Sucker's Parade" (Currie, Jon McLoughlin) – 3:08
3. "Won't Make It Better" (Currie, Iain Harvie) – 3:59
4. "What I Think She Sees" (Currie) – 2:59
5. "Medicine" (Currie) – 2:50
6. "High Times" (Currie, Harvie) – 4:26
7. "Mother Nature's Writing" (Currie, Harvie) – 3:50
8. "No Family Man" (Currie) – 2:54
9. "Cruel Light Of Day" (Currie) – 3:13
10. "Funny Way To Win" (Currie, Harvie) – 3:36
11. "Through All That Nothing" (Currie, Harvie) – 3:55
12. "Life Is Full" (Currie) – 3:22
13. "Lucky Guy" (Currie, Harvie) – 4:54
14. "Make It Always Be Too Late" (Currie) – 3:22

Bonus tracks:

• "Paper Thin" (Currie) – 3:30 (Australian and Japanese releases)
• "Sleep Instead Of Teardrops" (Currie) – 4:31 (Australian and Japanese releases)

Personnel

• Justin Currie – vocals, bass
• Iain Harvie – guitar, bass on "Medicine" and "Life Is Full"
• Jon McLoughlin – guitar
• Andy Alston – keyboard
• Ashley Soan – drums, percussion
• The London Session Orchestra – strings on "Some Other Sucker's Parade" and "What I Think She Sees"
• Jamie Seyberth – whistle on "Funny Way To Win"
• Will Malone – string arrangements on "Some Other Sucker's Parade" and "What I Think She Sees", brass arrangement on "Make It Always Be Too Late"

Other Media

"Life is Full" is played over the end credits of the 1998 film Sweet Revenge.

Singles

Not Where It's At Released: June 1997 (in two versions) B-sides: Version One: "Sleep Instead Of Teardops" "A Grimace Not A Smile" (Justin Currie, Iain Harvie, Andy Alston, Jon McLoughlin) "Low Friends In High Places" (Currie, Harvie) Version Two: "Sleep Instead Of Teardops" "Spare Pair Of Laces" "Before The Evening Steals The Afternoon" Chart positions: # 21 (UK)

Medicine Scheduled for release: 8 September 1997 (in three versions). Withdrawn – reportedly at the band's request – for fear that the song's lyrics were seen as insensitive in light of the recent death of Diana, Princess of Wales. B-sides: Version One: "Driving With The Brakes On [Live]" "Move Away Jimmy Blue [Live]" (Currie, Harvie) "The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere [Live]" Version Two: "Roll To Me [Live]" "Here And Now [Live]" (Currie, Harvie) "Hatful Of Rain [Live]" (Currie, Harvie, Mick Slaven) Version Three: "Some Other Sucker's Parade [Live]" (Currie, McLoughlin) "Always The Last To Know [Live]" "Stone Cold Sober [Live]"

Some Other Sucker's Parade Released: November 1997 (in three versions) B-sides: Version One: "Driving With The Brakes On [Live]" "Move Away Jimmy Blue [Live]" (Currie, Harvie) "The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere [Live]" Version Two: "Some Other Sucker's Parade [No Strings Version]" (Currie, McLoughlin) "Roll To Me [Live]" "Here And Now [Live]" (Currie, Harvie) "Hatful Of Rain [Live]" (Currie, Harvie, Slaven) Version Three: "Some Other Sucker's Parade [Live]" (Currie, McLoughlin) "Always The Last To Know [Live]" "Stone Cold Sober [Live]" Chart positions: # 46 (UK)

Sleep Instead Of Teardrops Released: November 1997 (in Australia only) B-sides: "Driving With The Brakes On [Live]" "Move Away Jimmy Blue [Live]" (Currie, Harvie) "The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere [Live]" Chart positions: unknown

• All singles released on A&M Records.
• All B-sides written by Justin Currie unless specified.

External links

• Official Del Amitri homepage

Notes

1. Allmusic review
2. Entertainment Weekly review
3. Official Del Amitri website Archived 25 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine, which cites interview with Iain Harvie and Justin Currie (title unknown) (October, 1997), Guitarist magazine.