Crackers International
Crackers International is a Christmas EP released by Erasure in 1988, in between the albums "The Innocents" and "Wild!". It reached number-one in Denmark and Argentina and number 2 in the United Kingdom and Ireland. History. The EP appeared in several different versions. The original UK release by Mute Records consisted of four original, self-produced tracks. In the UK, where at the time EPs were eligible for the singles chart, it became one of Erasure's most successful releases, matching the number two peak of 1986's "Sometimes". It was promoted with a simple music video  for the lead track "Stop!", showing Clarke and Bell performing the song on a stage surrounded by "stop", "no entry", "give way" and similar road signs. In the U.S., "Crackers International" was still considered an EP, although two remixes were added (bringing the track list count to six) when Sire Records released it. In the U.S., where EPs chart on the "Billboard" 200, it hit number seventy-three. The song "Stop!" was also released as its own stand-alone single in the U.S., just barely making an appearance on the "Billboard" Hot 100 (number 97). On the U.S. Hot Dance  Music/Club Play chart "Stop!" / "Knocking on Your Door" peaked at number four as a double-sided entry. Additionally, a version of the EP was released in the UK by Mute Records in a very limited-edition, seasonal pressing, titled "Crackers International Part 2". Released originally in 12" vinyl with extended versions of "Stop!" and "Knocking on Your Door", both remixed by Mark Saunders, it also added the Christmas standard "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". It was subsequently released as a compact disc containing the original 7" versions of "Stop!" and "Knocking on Your Door" (also of note is the  fact that there were two different versions of the single mix of "Stop!", one with a fade, and a slightly longer one with a 'cold' ending). Sire Records commissioned some mixes for the song by Justin Strauss, who previously had remixed "A Little Respect" for the U.S. market, but the mixes remain unreleased. This versions can be found on the Soundcloud page of Justin Strauss. Twenty-five years after "Crackers International", in 2013, Erasure would finally release a proper Christmas album, titled "Snow Globe". Critical reception. Ned Raggett from AllMusic called "Stop!" brilliant, noting the "infectious energy" of the song . Chris Gerard from "Metro Weekly" commented, "Opening with a whirring burst of synthesizer, "Stop!" goes right into a manic and irresistible dance beat completely with a chorus designed for singing along. "Stop!" is 3:02 of pure energy, a sure bet to fill the dance-floor during any '80s night. "Stop!" is a synth-pop classic." Darren Lee from "The Quietus" noted "the pouting disco throb" of the song, stating that it is one of "the most gloriously effervescent pop anthems ever recorded."