The Songs of Distant Earth (album): Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=SeptemberJanuary 20132024}}

{{AlbumMusic ratings

|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{AllmusicAllMusic|class=album|id=r210781|title=''The Songs of Distant Earth'' review}}</ref>

'''''The Songs of Distant Earth''''' is the sixteenth studio album by English musician, songwriter and producer [[Mike Oldfield]], released on 21 November 1994 by [[Warner Music|WEA]]. It is a [[concept album]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/mike-oldfield-recording-songs-distant-earth |title=Mike Oldfield: Recording Songs Of Distant Earth |publisher=soundonsound.com |access-date=20 Jan 2022}}</ref> based on the 1986 science fiction novel ''[[The Songs of Distant Earth]]'' by [[Arthur C. Clarke]].<ref name="Notes">{{cite web |url=http://tubular.net/discography/TubularBellsII.shtml |title=Notes about ''Tubular Bells II'' |publisher=Tubular.net |accessdateaccess-date=15 May 2008}}</ref> The album reached No. 24 on the [[UK Albums Chart]].

In 1993, Oldfield completed his [[Tubular Bells II 20th Anniversary Tour|1992–1993 tour]] to promote his previous album, ''[[Tubular Bells II]]'' (1992), his first concert tour since 1984. The album was his first of the initial three that he was contracted to produce for Warner Music UK, following his signing to the label in 1992.{{sfn|Oldfield|2008|p=248}} When Oldfield was ready to record a follow-up, label chairman [[Rob Dickins]] suggested that he make a [[concept album]] based on the 1986 science fiction novel ''[[The Songs of Distant Earth]]'' by [[Arthur C. Clarke]].{{sfn|Oldfield|2008|p=244}} Oldfield deemed the story not one of Clarke's best, "but it had lots of atmosphere" and started to think of musical ideas on travelling through space and landing on another world and the events that take place on it.{{sfn|Oldfield|2008|p=244}} The title of the book particularly attracted Oldfield, calling it "intrinsically musical, a natural starting point".<ref name=WEAPR2>{{cite web|url=https://tubular.net/articles/1994_xxb/Promotional-blurb-for-The-Songs-of-Distant-Earth|title=Promotional blurb for 'The Songs of Distant Earth'|year=1994|publisher=WEA|accessdateaccess-date=3 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=IACT95>{{cite web|url=https://tubular.net/articles/1995_02c/Totally-Tubular|title=Totally Tubular|first=Charlie|last=Salem|date=February 1995|work=Internet and Comms Today|accessdateaccess-date=4 February 2020}}</ref> Oldfield travelledvisited Clarke in [[Sri Lanka]], where Clarke was living, to discuss the possibility and found out he was a fan of his soundtrack to the 1984 film ''[[The Killing Fields (film)|The Killing Fields]]'' and felt "delighted" about the album. Clarke was given a copy of ''Tubular Bells II'' for listening; he was impressed enough and agreed to collaborate.<ref name=WEAPR>{{cite web|url=https://tubular.net/articles/1994_xx/Prerelease-promotional-blurb-for-The-Songs-of-Distant-Earth|title=Pre-release promotional blurb for 'The Songs of Distant Earth'|year=1994|publisher=WEA|accessdateaccess-date=3 February 2020}}</ref>

Oldfield deliberately avoided to retell the story in the same sequence as the book and optedchose to have the album follow the novel's plot "loosely".<ref name=WEAPR2/> The storyIt detailsrecounts the destruction of Earth in the year 3600 after the Sun goes [[nova]], for which the planet has 1,600 years to prepare, and sendssending spaceships to nearby planetary systems.<ref name=IACT95/> The album took longer for Oldfield to complete than he had initially planned, becausein thepart album'sbecause sciencehe fictionconsidered conceptsome limitedof thehis type ofusual instruments he could use. This was the case with his 12-string andincluding acoustic guitars that he usually played, which he thought sounded- too "Earth-bound" for the album.setting, Insteadopting he hadinstead to create a "new vocabulary" of sounds in the studio.<ref name=WEAPR2/> This led Oldfield feltto he widenedbroaden his soundrepertoire asand a resultappeal, departingand fromresulted thein Celtican andalbum folk-oriented music thatwhichhe became known for and write songs that would appeal across multiple generations.<ref name=WEAPR2/> Looking back on the album, Oldfield classedit as "very [[Ambient music|ambient]]".<ref name=SOS95>{{cite web|url=https://tubular.net/articles/1995_02/Tubular-Worlds|title=Tubular Worlds|date=February 1995|work=Sound on Sound|first=Paul|last=White|accessdateaccess-date=3 February 2020}}</ref>

Oldfield faced difficulty in writing music to the story at first and needed some "in between space" to help visualise it. This was alleviated when he received a copy of the 1993 graphic adventure puzzle game ''[[Myst]]'' for the PC and was impressed with the graphics, which greatly influenced his decision to have 3D computer-generated video accompany the music for the album on the [[Enhanced CD]] format, combining features of a standard CD with CD-ROM content. The result was graphics that Oldfield had in his mind while writing the music.<ref name=BB94>{{cite webmagazine|url=https://tubular.net/articles/1994_11/Oldfield-Pioneers-Music/Cyberspace-Border|title=Oldfield Pioneers Music/Cyberspace Border|workmagazine=Billboard|date=5 November 1994|first=Marilyn A.|last=Gillen|accessdateaccess-date=3 February 2020}}</ref> Oldfield felt contemporary music at the time of recording lacked any real excitement, but felt the reverse as he worked on the interactive technology. This, and his interest in ''Myst'', sparked his wish to make his own game that helped the player on their own [[spiritual development]].<ref name=IACT95/> While composing for the CD-ROM Oldfield had trouble adapting a theme by [[Jean Sibelius]] for it, which turned into a rage where be "banged out a theme. Like a sort of miracle, it worked!"<ref name=IACT95/>

The CD-ROM allows users to travel through a futuristic city onboardon board a spaceship and towards a central control system, inside of which houses a musical tower. The user must answer a musical puzzle which provides a series of options that trigger a different song on the album.<ref name=IACT95/>

The album was released in the UK on 21 November 1994. It went to No. 24 on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and reached gold certification by the [[British Phonographic Industry]]. Its US release followed in January 1995 on [[Reprise Records]].<ref name=BB94/><ref name=PR94>{{cite web|url=https://tubular.net/articles/1994_11b/The-Songs-Of-Distant-Earth-Press-Release|title=The Songs Of Distant Earth Press Release|publisher=WEA|date=30 November 1994|accessdateaccess-date=3 February 2020}}</ref>

The enhanced CD content, for [[Apple Macintosh]] [[PowerPC]] computers only, was rendered on [[Silicon Graphics]] computers and used [[Apple Inc.|Apple's]] [[QuickTime]] II technology.<ref name="CD-text">{{cite AV media |title=The Songs of Distant Earth (Mike Oldfield CD cover) |date=1994 |publisher=[[Warner Music]] UK Ltd |id =4509-98581-1}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov02/articles/mikeoldfield.asp |title=Mike Oldfield |magazine=[[Sound on Sound]] |date=November 2002 |accessdateaccess-date=21 May 2011}}</ref>

Oldfield used [[Logic Pro|Emagic Logic Audio]] for sequencing and [[Pro Tools]] hardware for the recording of the album using a combination of tape and hard drive recording.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://tubular.net/articles/1995_02/Tubular-Worlds |title=Tubular Worlds |author=Paul White |magazine=Sound on Sound |date=February 1995 |accessdateaccess-date=8 February 2015}}</ref>

*[[Eric CadieuxCaudieux]] – additional programming

*Members of [[Verulam School|Verulam Consort]] – vocals

*"Vahine Taihara" by [[Tubuai]] Choir

*Mike Joseph – [[self hypnosis]] tape on "Crystal Clear"

*[[Simon Fowler (photographer)|Simon Fowler]] – portrait photography

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Mike Oldfield|title=The Songs Of Distant Earth|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=1997|certyear=1998|certref=<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |date=September 2005 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/pd758fesp2w7i7f/Spanish+Certifications+for+1996-1999.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=Spanishes |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=[[Sociedad General de Autores y Editores|Fundación Autor/SGAE]] |page=940 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |accessdateaccess-date=20 June 2019}}</ref>}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Mike Oldfield|title=The Songs of Distant Earth|award=Gold|certyear=1995|relyear=1994|accessdateaccess-date=2 May 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Worldwide|nocert=true|salesamount=750,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gw8EAAAAMBAJ&q=mike+oldfield+japan+billboard&pg=PA62|title=Who Is Selling Where|date=17 February 1996|magazine=Billboard|accessdateaccess-date=2 May 2019}}</ref>}}

{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

*{{cite book|last=Oldfield|first=Mike|authorlinkauthor-link=Mike Oldfield|title=[[Changeling - Autobiography of Mike Oldfield]]|year=2008|publisher=Virgin Books|isbn=978-0-753-51307-1|ref=harv}}

* {{AllmusicAllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000176298}}

[[Category:OuterSongs spaceabout themedouter songsspace|*]]