Tag Archives: Max Spiers

The Divine Comedy: Office Politics

On June 7, 2019, “Divine Comedy” label released “Office Politics”, the twelfth Divine Comedy (The) studio album. It was recorded 2017 – 2019, and was produced by Neil Hannon.

Personnel:

  • Neil Hannon – vocals, guitar, piano, artwork
  • Richard Pryce – bass
  • Max Spiers – oboe
  • David Pyatt – French horn
  • John Ryan – French horn
  • Richard Edwards – trombone
  • Mark Templeton – trombone
  • Owen Slade – tuba
  • Martin Robertson – clarinet
  • Richard Skinner – bassoon
  • Andrew Skeet – conductor, orchestration
  • Natalia Bonner – violin
  • Gillon Cameron – violin
  • Richard George – violin
  • Patrick Kiernan – violin
  • Alison Dods – violin
  • Lucy Wilkins – violin
  • Reiad Chibah – viola
  • Bruce White – viola
  • Ian Burdge – cello
  • Chris Worsey – cello
  • Caroline Dale – cello
  • Warren Zielinski – cello
  • Jake Jackson – engineer
  • Ber Quinn – engineer
  • Kevin Callanan – assistant engineer
  • Tom Leach – assistant engineer
  • John Prestage – assistant engineer
  • Frank Arkwright – mastering
  • Matthew Cooper – artwork
  • Ben Meadows – photography
  • Lucy Whalley – orchestra contractor

Track listing:

All tracks by Neil Hannon, except where noted.

All tracks are written by Neil Hannon, except where noted.

  1. Queuejumper
  2. Office Politics
  3. Norman and Norma
  4. Absolutely Obsolete
  5. Internal Machines
  6. You’ll Never Work in This Town Again – Neil Hannon, Marion Sunshine, Obdulio Morales, Julio Blanco Leonard
  7. Psychological Evaluation
  8. The Synthesiser Service Centre Super Summer Sale – Neil Hannon, Tosh Flood, Ian Watson, Andrew Skeet, Simon Little, Tim Weller
  9. The Life and the Soul of the Party
  10. A Feather in Your Cap
  11. I’m Stranger Here
  12. Dark Days Are Here Again
  13. Phillip and Steve’s Furniture Removal Company
  14. Opportunity’ Knox
  15. After the Lord Mayor’s Show
  16. When the Working Day Is Gone

The Divine Comedy: A Short Album about Love

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On February 10, 1997, “Setanta” label released “A Short Album about Love”, the fifth Divine Comedy album. It was recorded in October 1996 at the “Shepherd’s Bush Empire” in London.

Personnel:

  • Neil Hannon – vocals, guitar
  • Ivor Talbot – guitar
  • Joby Talbot – piano, orchestral arrangements
  • Stuart “Pinkie” Bates – Hammond organ
  • Bryan Mills – bass guitar
  • Miguel Barradas – drums

The Brunel Ensemble:

  • Simon Baggs – violin, orchestra leader
  • Lisa Betteridge, Kate Birchall, Krista Juanita Caspersz, Emily Davis, Benjamin Harte, Mary Martin, Timothy Myall, Benjamin Nabarro, Juliet Warden – violins
  • Yannick Dondelinger, Zoe Lake, Jong On Lau, John Murphy – violas
  • Betsy Taylor, Robbie Jacobs, Douncan Moulton – celli
  • Peter Devlin, Philip Dawson – double bass
  • Max Spiers – oboe
  • Charlotte Glasson – saxophone, flute
  • Matthew Gunner – horn
  • Simon Jones – trumpet
  • Adam Howard – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Jane Butterfield – trombone
  • Robert Farrer – percussion
  • Christopher Austin – conductor

Track listing:

All tracks by Neil Hannon except where noted.

  1. In Pursuit of Happiness
  2. Everybody Knows (Except You)
  3. Someone
  4. If…
  5. If I Were You (I’d Be Through with Me)
  6. Timewatching
  7. I’m All You Need
  8. Motorway to Damascus
  9. Love Is Lighter Than Air – Stephin Merritt
  10. Birds of Paradise Farm
  11. Make It Easy on Yourself – Burt Bacharach, Hal David