The Rolls Royce of Compilations

June 21, 2015 10:32 PM

After reading about the DJ-Kicks series earlier tonight I thought it would be appropriate to talk about a related series: Late Night Tales and its predecessor Another Late Night.

A series of artist curated compilation albums released since 2001 on the UK independent record label Night Time Stories Ltd., both series' were started by the author A. W. Wilde. The tracks on the albums are selected and mixed by a diverse selection of artists asked by Late Night Tales to create the ultimate late night mix. Many of the albums end with a story track, read by famous English performers including Benedict Cumberbatch, Will Self, Brian Blessed and Patrick Moore. With the exception of Jamiroquai, Air and Bill Brewster's contributions, each release includes a cover version recorded by the artist(s). The series has been met with critical acclaim, with GQ Magazine praising Late Night Tales as "The Rolls Royce of compilations".

The compilations sound good, have a wide range of artists, are beautifully packaged and have some striking photography.


Another Late Night: Fila Brazillia. Released: 19 February 2001. Singles: Nature Boy (Nat King Cole cover version) Tracklist

Another Late Night: Howie B. Released: 24 July 2001. Singles: Under The Boardwalk (The Drifters cover version). Tracklist

Another Late Night: Rae & Christian. Released: 1 March 2001. Singles: Flashlight (Parliament cover version) Tracklist

Another Late Night: Zero 7. Released: 18 February 2002. Singles: Truth And Rights (Johnny Osbourne cover version). Tracklist

Another Late Night: Groove Armada. Released: 3 June 2002. Singles: Fly Me To The Moon (Frank Sinatra cover version). Tracklist

Another Late Night: Tommy Guerrero. Released: 23 September 2002. Singles: Come Together (The Beatles cover version). Tracklist

Another Late Night: Kid Loco. Released: 10 February 2003. Singles:Paralysed (Gang Of Four cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Nightmares on Wax. Released: 12 May 2003. Singles: Brothers On The Slide (Cymande cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Sly & Robbie
Released: 14 July 2003. Singles: La Isla Bonita (Madonna cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Jamiroquai Released: 10 November 2003. Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Turin Brakes
Released: 16 February 2004. Singles: Moonlight Mile (The Rolling Stones cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Four Tet. Released: 4 October 2004. Singles: Castles Made Of Sand (Jimi Hendrix cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: The Flaming Lips. Released: 7 March 2005. Singles: Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Belle & Sebastian. Released: 27 February 2006. Singles: Casaco Marron (Trio Esperanca cover version) .Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Air. Released: 11 September 2006. Tracklist

Late Night Tales: David Shrigley aka Shrigley Forced to Speak with Others. Released: 23 October 2006. Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Nouvelle Vague. Released: 5 February 2007. Singles: Come on Eileen (Dexys Midnight Runners cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Lindstrøm. Released: 9 July 2007. Singles: Let It Happen (Vangelis cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Fatboy Slim. Released: 15 October 2007. Singles: Radioactivity (Kraftwerk cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Groove Armada. Released: 10 March 2008. Singles: Are Friends Electric (Gary Numan cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Matt Helders, from the Arctic Monkeys. Released: 27 October 2008. Singles: Matt Helders - Dreamer (feat Nesreen Shah) + Alex Turner - A Choice Of Three (Spoken Word). Tracklist

Late Night Tales - The Cover Versions. Promo CD included for free with online orders from the Late Night Tales web shop for a limited period.
Included several cover versions featured on the Late Night Tales compilation albums. Came in a clear plastic sleeve. Released: 2009

Late Night Tales: The Cinematic Orchestra. Released: 5 April 2010. Singles: Talking About Freedom feat Fontella Bass (Fontella Bass cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Snow Patrol. Released: September 28, 2009. Singles: New Sensation (INXS cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Midlake. Released: 28 March 2011. Singles: Am I Going Insane (Black Sabbath cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Trentemøller. Released: 30 May 2011. Singles: Blue Hotel (Chris Isaak cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: MGMT. Released: 3 October 2011. Singles: All We Ever Wanted Was Everything (Bauhaus cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Belle and Sebastian Vol. II. Released: 26 March 2012. Singles: Crash (The Primitives cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Music For Pleasure. Artist: Tom Findlay. Released: 11 June 2012. Singles: How Long (Ace cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Metronomy. Released: 3 September 2012. Singles: Hypnose (Jean Michel Jarre cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Friendly Fires. Released: 5 November 2012. Singles: Why Don't You Answer? (Eberhard Schoener + Sting cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales Presents After Dark. Artist: Bill Brewster. Released: 5 May 2013. Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Röyksopp. Released: 14 June 2013. Singles: Ice Machine (Depeche Mode cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Bonobo. Released: 17 November 2013. Get Thy Bearings (Donovan cover version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Django Django. Released: 11 May 2014. Singles: Porpoise Song (Exclusive Monkees Cover Version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales Presents After Dark: Nightshift. Artist: Bill Brewster. Released: 6 July 2014. Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Franz Ferdinand. Released: 15 September 2014. Singles: Leaving My Old Life Behind (Exclusive Jonathan Halper Cover Version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales presents Automatic Soul. Artist: Tom Findlay. Released: 3 November 2014. Singles: Don't Look Any Further (Exclusive Cover Version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales: Jon Hopkins. Released: 2 March 2015. Singles: I Remember (Exclusive Cover Version). Tracklist

Late Night Tales presents After Dark: Nocturne. Artist: Bill Brewster. Released: 11 May 2015. Tracklist

posted by ashbury (7 comments total)

Oooooooo! Nice work. If anyone can source the Late Night Tales: At the movies Redux that was only available on the USB that came with the entire collection recently that would be amazing.
The first 'At The Movies' is in constant rotation in my ears.
posted by HarveyDenture at 11:21 PM on June 21, 2015

Is it this, by chance?
posted by ashbury at 11:31 PM on June 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Hah, this was another series I twas thinking about posting, particularly because the artists and bands are more diverse, so the mixes are more varied. Before I realized that the final story track was a mark of the series, I was seriously thrown for a loop when I heard Benedict Cumberbatch talking after the mix was done.
posted by filthy light thief at 7:24 AM on June 22, 2015

Another excellent post. Cheers to you & flt.
posted by shortfuse at 8:39 AM on June 22, 2015

I have a mini Late Night Tales thingy done by Gary Numan in April 2010 that disappeared mysteriously from their website soon after I downloaded it and it is the most played track in my iTunes library. I have a few other mixes from here that I like too, but that one is by far my favourite.
posted by shelleycat at 9:24 AM on June 22, 2015

Actually, I'm wrong, it was from December 2009. Either way, I've never been able to find it online again so I have more than one backup of my version.
posted by shelleycat at 9:29 AM on June 22, 2015

!
posted by Going To Maine at 11:20 AM on June 22, 2015