Islands (Mike Oldfield album)
Islands | ||||
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Mike Oldfield chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from Islands | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [3] |
Islands is the 11th album by Mike Oldfield, released on 28 September 1987 by Virgin in the UK.[4] Guest singers on the album are Bonnie Tyler, Kevin Ayers, Anita Hegerland, Max Bacon, and Jim Price. A different track list and cover was used for the American edition.
Music videos, producers and singers
Islands was also released as a full-length
The album boasts the largest number of co-producers out of all of Oldfield's work; production was handled by
Album artwork
The UK front cover artwork was of a tropical island, and hidden in the surrounding sea is a large number of hand shapes. The hand images are based on a still frame from the
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
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Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[5] | 10 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[6] | 71 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] | 9 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[8] | 9 |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[9] | 4 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] | 12 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[11] | 4 |
UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 29 |
US Albums Billboard | 138 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1988) | Position |
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German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[13] | 75 |
The major single in Europe was the title track, "Islands", which was sung by Bonnie Tyler. In the United States, "Magic Touch" was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts in early 1988.
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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France ( SNEP)[14]
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Gold | 100,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[15] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[16] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[17] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Gold | 100,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Track listing
All tracks composed by Mike Oldfield.
1987 UK release Side one
Side two
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Original 1988 US release Side one
Side two
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Personnel
- Mike Oldfield - guitars, Danelectro Electric sitar guitar on Flying Start, bass, keyboards, percussion, vocals
- Micky Moody - electric guitars
- Rick Fenn - acoustic and electric guitars
- Phil Spalding - bass
- Mickey Simmonds - keyboards
- Anita Hegerland – vocals (on "The Wind Chimes", "North Point", "The Time Has Come", "When the Night's on Fire")
- Bonnie Tyler – vocals (on "Islands")
- Kevin Ayers – vocals (on "Flying Start")
- Max Bacon – vocals (on "Magic Touch" [1988 US Issue]; backing vocals on "Islands")
- Jim Price – vocals (on "Magic Touch" [1987 UK Issue])
- Mervyn Spence - (backing vocals on "Magic Touch")
- Raf Ravenscroft – saxophone (on "Islands")
- Andy Mackay - saxophone, oboe
- Björn J:son Lindh – flute (on "The Wind Chimes")
- Simon Phillips – drums (on "The Wind Chimes")
- Pierre Moerlen - drums, vibes
- Tony Beard - drums
- Benoit Moerlen- vibes, percussion
Singles
Four singles were released from the album, two of which were released in 1987, "
"Flying Start"
"Flying Start" | ||||
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Single by Mike Oldfield with Kevin Ayers | ||||
from the album Islands | ||||
Released | 1 February 1988[19] | |||
Genre | Progressive rock, pop rock | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mike Oldfield | |||
Producer(s) | Mike Oldfield Simon Phillips (co-producer on B-side) | |||
Mike Oldfield singles chronology | ||||
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"Flying Start" was released as the third single from Islands on 1 February 1988.
Unusually for an Oldfield 12-inch at that time, the extended duration was achieved simply by a short introductory instrumental that bears no musical relation to the rest of the song and is separated from it by a short pause; the song itself is identical to the album and 7-inch versions. Prior to this, Oldfield had usually extended his songs for their 12-inch versions by incorporating an extra verse and/or instrumental section within the main body of the track. The 12-inch version has since appeared on the 2006 compilation album, The Platinum Collection.
A different version of the song produced by Colin Fairley was also released on Kevin Ayers' own album Falling Up in February 1988.[19]
Track listing
- 7-inch
- "Flying Start" – 3:37
- "The Wind Chimes" (Excerpt from part 2) – 3:58
- 12 inch
- "Flying Start" (Extended version) – 4:50
- "The Wind Chimes" (Excerpt from part 2) – 3:58
References
- ^ Oldfield 2008, p. 238.
- ISBN 978-0-86241-541-9.
- AllMusic. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ^ "British album certifications – Mike Oldfield – Islands". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Mike Oldfield – Islands" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mike Oldfield – Islands" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Mike Oldfield – Islands". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ISBN 978-84-8048-866-2.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Mike Oldfield – Islands". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Mike Oldfield – Islands". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ^ October 1987/7502/ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- GfK Entertainment(in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "French album certifications – Mike Oldfield – Islands" (in French). InfoDisc. Select MIKE OLDFIELD and click OK.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Mike Oldfield; 'Islands')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ISBN 8480486392, retrieved 3 May 2019
- Music and Media. American Radio History Archive. 26 December 1987. p. 46. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Mike Oldfield – Islands". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9780991984060. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ^ "Mike Oldfield - Islands Press Kit". Tubular.net. 24 September 1987. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
- ^ "Islands - Mike Oldfield Discography". Tubular.net. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
Sources
- Oldfield, Mike (2008). ISBN 978-0-753-51307-1.
External links
- Mike Oldfield Discography – Islands at Tubular.net
- Islands lyrics at Tubular.net