"Islands" is a song by English musician Mike Oldfield, featuring Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler on vocals. It features on Oldfield's 1987 album of the same name. It was written by Oldfield, who co-produced the track with Tom Newman and Alan Shacklock. The track was released as a single in September 1987 by Virgin Records.
| "Islands" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| SinglebyMike Oldfield featuring Bonnie Tyler | ||||
| from the album Islands | ||||
| Released | 14 September 1987 (1987-09-14) | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 5:35 (album version) 4:20 (single version) | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Mike Oldfield | |||
| Producer(s) |
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| Mike Oldfield singles chronology | ||||
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English musician Mike Oldfield described "Islands" as "the high spot" of its parent album. In early 1987, he left his partner and children, and had moved to Megève in France. Oldfield wrote "Islands" during that time, while feeling "lonely, isolated and cut off". After struggling with the vocals, he invited Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler to record it, describing her performance as "spine-tingling, exactly the way it was supposed to be".[1]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Mike DeGagne opined that Tyler's vocal "lifts the title track higher than any other cut [on the album]".[2]
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Spain (AFYVE)[5] | 22 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[6] | 22 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 100 |
| West Germany (GfK Entertainment Charts)[8] | 41 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of the Islands album.[9]
Recording
Management
Personnel
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