Albums · Studio album

Sing to God

Cardiacs

Release date11 June 1996

Year1996

LabelAlphabet Business Concern

Formats & catalogue

2xCDALPH DCD 022

CDALPH CD 022

2xLPALPH DLP 022

CDALPH CD 023 Part 1

CDALPH CD 024 Part 2

Overview

Sing to God is Cardiacs’ fourth studio album and the most expansive record in their catalogue. Across nearly ninety minutes, it pushes the band’s orchestral pop, psychedelic rock, progressive punk and studio experimentation to an almost overwhelming scale. Dense arrangements, sudden stylistic collisions, euphoric melodies and moments of startling tenderness sit beside some of the group’s most abrasive and structurally ambitious music. Long regarded by listeners as Cardiacs’ defining achievement, it is frequently described as the point at which Tim Smith’s production and compositional language reached their fullest expression.

Tracklist

88:48

01
Eden on the Air2:21
Side Volume 1Written by Tim Smith
02
Eat It Up Worms Hero2:33
Side Volume 1Written by Tim Smith, Bob Leith
03
Dog-Like Sparky4:53
Side Volume 1Written by Tim Smith
04
Fiery Gun Hand5:13
Side Volume 1Written by Tim Smith
05
Insect Hoofs on Lassie3:00
Side Volume 1Written by Tim Smith
06
Fairy Mary Mag3:44
Side Volume 1Written by Tim Smith
07
Bellyeye4:09
Side Volume 1Written by Tim Smith
08
A Horse's Tail3:47
Side Volume 1Written by Jon Poole
09
Manhoo4:59
Side Volume 1Written by Jon Poole, Tim Smith
10
Wireless8:22
Side Volume 1Written by Tim Smith, Dawn StapleContains the spoken story ‘Peril on the Sea’ by Dawn Staple.
11
Dirty Boy8:54
Side Volume 2Written by Tim Smith, Bob Leith
12
Billion0:41
Side Volume 2Written by Tim SmithWritten by Tim Smith when he was thirteen.
13
Odd Even3:18
Side Volume 2Written by Tim Smith
14
Bell Stinks1:19
Side Volume 2Written by Jon Poole
15
Bell Clinks2:54
Side Volume 2Written by Jon Poole
16
Flap Off You Beak3:44
Side Volume 2Written by Tim Smith
17
Quiet as a Mouse1:28
Side Volume 2
18
Angleworm Angel2:24
Side Volume 2Written by Jon Poole
19
Red Fire Coming Out from His Gills2:14
Side Volume 2Written by Tim Smith
20
No Gold3:31
Side Volume 2Written by Tim Smith
21
Nurses Whispering Verses9:53
Side Volume 2Written by Tim Smith, Bob LeithA new recording of a song previously issued on Toy World and The Seaside.
22
Foundling5:27
Side Volume 2Written by Tim SmithFollowed after a short silence by the brief Alphabet Business Concern chimes.

Line-up

16 credited

Tim Smith

guitar · keyboards · vocals

Producer and string quartet arranger.

Jim Smith

bass · vocals

Also contributed uncredited engineering.

Jon Poole

guitar · keyboards · vocals

Contributed complete songs, riffs and arrangements throughout the album.

Bob Leith

drums · vocals

His first Cardiacs studio album; also contributed lyrics.

Sarah Smith

vocals · saxophones

Claire Lemmon

vocals

Natalie Box

violins

Jane Kypriandis

scissors

Performed the cutting sounds heard on ‘Wireless’.

Mark Barratt

trumpets

Chris Brierly

string quartet

Catherine Morgan

string quartet

Mark Pharaoh

string quartet

Robert Woodard

string quartet

David Murder

orchestral arrangements · orchestrations · orchestra

Orchestral arrangements on ‘Fiery Gun Hand’ and at the end of ‘Wireless’.

Dawn Staple

spoken word

Writer and reader of the ‘Peril on the Sea’ story used in ‘Wireless’.

Cardiacs

television organ

Archive notes

The title came from a hymn book owned by William D. Drake; Tim Smith explained that the religious language was used as imagery rather than as a statement of belief.
The original double-CD edition was limited to 3,000 copies and was later split into Sing to God – Part One and Sing to God – Part Two.
The album was first issued on vinyl as a heavyweight double LP on 7 July 2014, with previously unseen photographs and each band member’s face used on a centre label.
The cover’s floating, wide-eyed band portraits were influenced by the unsettling fairytale atmosphere of the film The Night of the Hunter.
‘A Horse's Tail’ was the first Cardiacs song written without any involvement from Tim Smith.
Planned singles for ‘Bell Clinks’ and ‘Dirty Boy’ were never released.
The album was famously awarded 0/10 by Vox on release, but was later widely reassessed and is now often regarded as Cardiacs’ masterpiece.
The album was added to Cardiacs’ Bandcamp page on 6 March 2018 and later appeared on other streaming services.

Recording & credits

Recording

Recorded at: Apollo 8 Studios, London · Sally Birthday House Studios · Jim and Jane's house
Recording dates: Spring–winter 1995

Production

Produced by: Tim Smith
Engineered by: Jim Smith
String quartet arrangements: Tim Smith
Riffs and arrangements: Tim Smith, Jon Poole

Artwork

Photography: Matt Anker
Image manipulation: Phil at Murray Weaver

Sing to God

Singles from this album

Bellyeye

Manhoo

Odd Even

Tracklist

Line-up

Tim Smith

Jim Smith

Jon Poole

Bob Leith

Sarah Smith

Claire Lemmon

Natalie Box

Jane Kypriandis

Mark Barratt

Chris Brierly

Catherine Morgan

Mark Pharaoh

Robert Woodard

David Murder

Dawn Staple

Cardiacs

Archive notes

Recording & credits

Recording

Production

Artwork