On the Ropes is the debut album by British electronic music duo Mint Royale, released in 1999 on the Faith & Hope label.
In June 2001, a new version of the album was published for the U.S. market by MCA Records, featuring a different cover (with a close-up photo of a pinball machine) and a different track list. The two versions of "Shake Me" present in the original album were removed, and three new songs were added: two exclusive songs, as well as "Show Me", which would later appear in Mint Royale's subsequent album Dancehall Places (2002).
Track listing
UK version All songs were written by Chris Baker and Neil Claxton, except where noted. "From Rusholme with Love" (Baker, Claxton, John Mayer) – 5:08 "Don't Falter" featuring Lauren Laverne (Baker, Claxton, Laverne) – 4:12 "Interlude 1" – 0:37 "Take It Easy" – 3:49 "Because I'm Worth It" – 5:56 "Shake Me (Original)" (Baker, Claxton, Kenny Young) – 4:12 "Diagonal Girl" – 4:48 "Rock and Roll Bar" featuring Julia Baker – 4:35 "Space Farm" – 5:28 "Deadbeat" (Baker, Claxton, Cocker, Stainton) – 4:52 "Lonely Girl" featuring Debbie Newman (Baker, Claxton, Croft) – 4:24 "Interlude 2" – 0:43 "Shake Me (vocal edit)" (Baker, Claxton, Young) – 4:10
US version "From Rusholme with Love" – 5:08 "Don't Falter" featuring Lauren Laverne – 4:12 "Show Me" featuring Pos – 3:43 "Interlude 1" – 0:37 "Because I'm Worth It" – 5:56 "Take It Easy" – 3:49 "Kenny's Last Dance" (U.S. exclusive) – 4:13 "Trickshot" (U.S. exclusive) – 5:01 "Diagonal Girl" – 4:48 "Rock and Roll Bar" featuring Julia Baker – 4:19 "Space Farm" – 5:28 "Deadbeat" – 4:52 "Interlude 2" – 0:43 "Lonely Girl" – 4:24
Personnel Mint Royale Neil Claxton – production, keyboards, guitar, brass, organ, programming Chris Baker – bass, production
Additional musicians Julia Baker – vocals Amul Batra – tabla Dave Diamond – guitar Gail Hebson – vocals Lauren Laverne – vocals Debbie Newman – vocals Victor Smalls – drums & percussion Richard Woolgar – guitar
References