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The Songs of Distant Earth
Released on November 14th, 1994
Tracklist
Side one
01. In the Beginning
02. Let There Be Light
03. Supernova
04. Magella
05. First Landing
06. Oceania
07. Only Time Will Tell
08. Prayer for the Earth
09. Lament for Atlantis
01. In the Beginning
02. Let There Be Light
03. Supernova
04. Magella
05. First Landing
06. Oceania
07. Only Time Will Tell
08. Prayer for the Earth
09. Lament for Atlantis
Side two
10. The Chamber
11. Hibernaculum
12. Tubular World
13. The Shining Ones
14. Crystal Clear
15. The Sunken Forest
16. Ascension
17. A New Beginning
10. The Chamber
11. Hibernaculum
12. Tubular World
13. The Shining Ones
14. Crystal Clear
15. The Sunken Forest
16. Ascension
17. A New Beginning
The Songs of Distant Earth is the 16th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1994 by Warner Music. It is based on Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel The Songs of Distant Earth.
Release details
The album was released as a CD and, shortly afterwards, as an Enhanced CD of which two versions were made. Both versions' initial pressings featured an image of a Manta flying in front of a planet on the front cover. The cover image was changed to one of a suited man holding a glowing orb with manta rays flying overhead. The second pressing of the enhanced CD (shown at right) contains slightly more multimedia content, including the full version of the "Let There Be Light" video. The CD audio content is the same on all versions of the album. It was also released as a vinyl LP, which has become a rare item.
The enhanced CD content, for Apple Macintosh Power PC computers only, was rendered on Silicon Graphics computers and used Apple's QuickTime II technology. The re-release back cover lists the "CD ROM Track" as track 000 (where all tracks have a three-digit number), and a length of 0:00. Produced in 1994 it was an early example of Enhanced CD content.
The enhanced CD content, for Apple Macintosh Power PC computers only, was rendered on Silicon Graphics computers and used Apple's QuickTime II technology. The re-release back cover lists the "CD ROM Track" as track 000 (where all tracks have a three-digit number), and a length of 0:00. Produced in 1994 it was an early example of Enhanced CD content.
Inspiration
The then Chairman of Warner, Rob Dickins, suggested to Oldfield that he should produce an album based on Clarke's novel, The Songs of Distant Earth.
Clarke and Oldfield
The LP cover and CD booklet of the album features a foreword by Arthur C. Clarke about the evolution of The Songs of Distant Earth from short story to novel. It ends with the following about the album:
“Since the finale of the novel is a musical concert, I was delighted when
Mike Oldfield told me that he wished to compose a suite inspired by it.
I was particularly impressed by the music he wrote for The Killing Fields
and now, having played the CD-ROM of The Songs of Distant Earth,
I feel he has lived up to my expectations.
Welcome back into space, Mike: there's still lots of room out here.”
— Arthur C. Clarke
Mike Oldfield told me that he wished to compose a suite inspired by it.
I was particularly impressed by the music he wrote for The Killing Fields
and now, having played the CD-ROM of The Songs of Distant Earth,
I feel he has lived up to my expectations.
Welcome back into space, Mike: there's still lots of room out here.”
— Arthur C. Clarke
This was not the first time that Oldfield's music had been connected with the books of Arthur C. Clarke. Prior to The Songs of Distant Earth, Oldfield released Tubular Bells II, which featured a track called "Sentinel" — the title of a short story written by Arthur C. Clarke that later evolved into 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). A track from Tubular Bells II is called "Sunjammer". The Arthur C. Clarke short story, The Wind from the Sun, had the working title of "Sunjammer".
Personnel
• Gregg Jackman – Assistant engineer
• Steve MacMillan –Assistant engineer
• Tom Newman – Assistant engineer
• Richard Barrie – Technical engineer
• Eric Cadieux – Additional programming
• Mark Rutherford – Additional rhythm loops and programming
• Sugar 'J' – Additional rhythm loops
• Pandit Dinesh – Tablas
• Molly Oldfield – Keyboards
• Cori Josias – Vocalist
• Ella Harper – Vocalist
• Nils-Aslak Valkeapää - Vocalist & composer (performs his joik, dubbed as "Prayer for the Earth" on the album)
• David Nickless – Vocalist
• Roame – Vocalist
• Members of 'Veulam Consort' – Vocalists
• The Tallis Scholars – Vocalists
• Mike Joseph – Self hypnosis tape
• Vahine Taihara – Tubuai Choir
• Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders reading from the Book of Genesis while orbiting the Moon on Christmas Eve, 1968.
• Steve MacMillan –Assistant engineer
• Tom Newman – Assistant engineer
• Richard Barrie – Technical engineer
• Eric Cadieux – Additional programming
• Mark Rutherford – Additional rhythm loops and programming
• Sugar 'J' – Additional rhythm loops
• Pandit Dinesh – Tablas
• Molly Oldfield – Keyboards
• Cori Josias – Vocalist
• Ella Harper – Vocalist
• Nils-Aslak Valkeapää - Vocalist & composer (performs his joik, dubbed as "Prayer for the Earth" on the album)
• David Nickless – Vocalist
• Roame – Vocalist
• Members of 'Veulam Consort' – Vocalists
• The Tallis Scholars – Vocalists
• Mike Joseph – Self hypnosis tape
• Vahine Taihara – Tubuai Choir
• Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders reading from the Book of Genesis while orbiting the Moon on Christmas Eve, 1968.
wikipedia