The Two Ring Circus
The Two-Ring Circus | ||||
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Compilation album (remixes and live recordings) by Erasure | ||||
Released | 7 December 1987 (1987-12-07)[1] | |||
Recorded | 1985–1987 | |||
Genre | Synth-pop | |||
Length | 73:37 | |||
Label | Mute (UK) – LSTUMM35 Sire (US) – 25667 | |||
Producer |
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Erasure chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Two Ring Circus is a remix album by English synth-pop duo Erasure that served as a companion piece to their second album The Circus. It was released in 1987 on Mute Records in the UK and Sire Records in the US.
Composition
The vinyl version of The Two Ring Circus was released as a double 12" album playing at 45rpm, featuring six previously unreleased remixes and three re-recordings. The CD and cassette editions feature an additional seven live bonus tracks billed as "The Touring Circus".
The first six tracks are all new remixes of songs that had already appeared on their second album The Circus. The next three tracks are re-recordings of two songs from The Circus and one song from the band's debut album Wonderland featuring orchestral arrangements by Andrew Poppy. None of these nine tracks have appeared again on any subsequent Erasure releases or reissues.
The seven "Touring Circus" bonus live tracks on the CD and cassette mainly feature songs from Erasure's first two albums. The last track, a live version of "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" was their first remake of an ABBA song, foreshadowing a concept that would later provide them with a number-one in the UK in 1992 with the Abba-esque EP.
All seven of the CD and cassette live bonus tracks were recorded in Hamburg and were previously featured on the triple 12" single release for "The Circus". There was a further live song per 12" not featured on this album. All ten of these live tracks (plus an 11th originally featured on the "Victim of Love" CD single) are featured on disc 2 of the EBX 2 box-set.
The US editions of the CD and cassette also include an additional remix in the form of an edited version of a previously released remix.
Commercial performance
UK chart rules at the time made The Two Ring Circus ineligible to chart.[citation needed] It became their second release to briefly slip into the US Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 186.[citation needed]
Track listing
UK version (L STUMM 35)
- "Sometimes" (Erasure and Flood Mix)
- "It Doesn't Have to Be" (Mix by Pascal Gabriel)
- "Victim of Love" (Little Louie Vega Mix)
- "Leave Me to Bleed" (Vince Clarke and Eric Radcliffe Mix)
- "Hideaway" (Little Louie Vega Mix)
- "Don't Dance" (Daniel Miller and Flood Mix)
- "If I Could" (Orchestral Arr. & Thanks to Andrew Poppy)
- "Spiralling" (Orchestral Arr. & Thanks to Andrew Poppy)
- "My Heart... So Blue" (Orchestral Arr. & Thanks to Andrew Poppy)
"The Touring Circus" (Bonus tracks on the cassette (LC STUMM 35) and CD (CDL STUMM 35)
- "Victim of Love" (live)
- "The Circus" (live)
- "Spiralling" (live)
- "Sometimes" (live)
- "Oh L'amour" (live)
- "Who Needs Love (Like That)" (live)
- "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (live)
US Cassette and CD
25667-4 / 25667-4
- "Sometimes" (Erasure and Flood Mix)
- "It Doesn't Have to Be" (Mix by Pascal Gabriel)
- "Victim of Love" (Little Louie Vega Mix)
- "Leave Me to Bleed" (Vince Clarke and Eric Radcliffe Mix)
- "Hideaway" (Little Louie Vega Mix)
- "Don't Dance" (Daniel Miller and Flood Mix)
- "The Circus" (Dave Powell Mix)
- "If I Could" (Orchestral Arr. & Thanks to Andrew Poppy)
- "Spiralling" (Orchestral Arr. & Thanks to Andrew Poppy)
- "My Heart... So Blue" (Orchestral Arr. & Thanks to Andrew Poppy)
- "Victim of Love" (live)
- "Spiralling" (live)
- "Sometimes" (live)
- "Oh L'amour" (live)
- "Who Needs Love (Like That)" (live)
- "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (live)
Release history
Country | Date |
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United Kingdom | 16 November 1987 (1987-11-16) |
United States | 1 December 1987 (1987-12-01) |
Chart performance
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
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Argentine Albums (CAPIF)[3] | 13 |
U.S. Billboard 200[4] | 186 |
References
- ^ Andy Strickland, ed. (5 December 1987). "Index". Record Mirror. p. 6. ISSN 0144-5804.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ "Top 20 Albumes – Argentina" (PDF). Pelo (in Spanish). No. 353. May 1991. p. 16.
- ^ https://www.billboard.com/artist/erasure/chart-history/billboard-200
- v
- t
- e
- Andy Bell
- Vince Clarke
- Wonderland
- The Circus
- The Innocents
- Wild!
- Chorus
- I Say I Say I Say
- Erasure
- Cowboy
- Loveboat
- Other People's Songs
- Nightbird
- Union Street
- Light at the End of the World
- Tomorrow's World
- Snow Globe
- The Violet Flame
- World Be Gone
- The Neon
- Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)
- Acoustic Live
- Live at the Royal Albert Hall
- World Be Live
- The Two Ring Circus
- Pop! The First 20 Hits
- Hits! The Very Best of Erasure
- Pop! Remixed
- Total Pop! The First 40 Hits
- Pop2! The Second 20 Hits
- 10 Great Songs
- Always: The Very Best of Erasure
- Crackers International
- Am I Right? EP
- Abba-esque
- I Love Saturday EP
- Rain: Plus
- Moon and the Sky: Plus
- Boy EP
- Storm Chaser
- Pop! Remixed
- Erasure.Club
- Phantom Bride EP
- "Who Needs Love Like That"
- "Heavenly Action"
- "Oh L'amour"
- "Sometimes"
- "It Doesn't Have to Be"
- "Victim of Love"
- "The Circus"
- "Ship of Fools"
- "Chains of Love"
- "A Little Respect"
- "Stop!"
- "Drama!"
- "You Surround Me"
- "Blue Savannah"
- "Star"
- "Chorus"
- "Love to Hate You"
- "Am I Right?"
- "Breath of Life"
- "Take a Chance on Me"
- "Always"
- "Run to the Sun"
- "I Love Saturday"
- "Stay with Me"
- "Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer's Day)"
- "Rock Me Gently"
- "In My Arms"
- "Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me"
- "Rain"
- "Freedom"
- "Moon & the Sky"
- "Solsbury Hill"
- "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)"
- "Breathe"
- "Don't Say You Love Me"
- "Here I Go Impossible Again" / "All This Time Still Falling Out of Love"
- "Boy"
- "I Could Fall in Love with You"
- "Sunday Girl"
- "Storm in a Teacup"
- "Phantom Bride"
- "When I Start To (Break It All Down)"
- "Be with You"
- "Fill Us with Fire"
- "Gaudete"
- "Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling)"
- "Nerves of Steel"
- "Fallen Angel"
- Live at the Seaside
- Innocents
- Wild!
- Abba-esque
- Pop! The First 20 Hits
- Hits! the Videos
- The Erasure Show – Live in Cologne
- Live at the Royal Albert Hall