Heaven's Open (song)

Last updated
"Heaven's Open"
Heavens Open single (Mike Oldfield).jpg
Single by Mike Oldfield
from the album Heaven's Open
ReleasedJanuary 1991 (1991-01)
Recorded1990
Genre
Length4:31
Label Virgin Records
Songwriter(s) Michael Oldfield
Producer(s) Thom Newman
Mike Oldfield singles chronology
"Etude"
(1990)
"Heaven's Open"
(1991)
"Gimme Back"
(1991)

"Heaven's Open" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1991 (see 1991 in music). It was the lead single from the album of the same name. The various formats were backed by a mix of the A-side which featured a melodic guitar line not included in the album version, along with two excerpts from Amarok , Oldfield's previous album. [1]

Contents

Oldfield was credited as "Michael" on this release, while producer and long-term collaborator Tom Newman was listed as "Thom Newman". This is also from the last of Oldfield's albums with Virgin Records.

Demo version

The song that became "Heaven's Open", was originally an early version of "Man in the Rain", planned for Oldfield's Islands album, with vocals by Barry Palmer. To get a 'loose' feel to the song, Oldfield encouraged the musicians to have a few drinks; this version however was deemed as too loose and not used. [2]

Oldfield performed the vocals himself on the final version. [3]

Music video

The music video is available on the Elements – The Best of Mike Oldfield and is part cartoon and part live action. Oldfield sings, plays guitar and looks into a crystal ball. Oldfield plays a PRS Artist Custom in the video. The animated content is sourced from a film called Album by Croatian film company called Zagreb Film.

Track listing

  1. "Heaven's Open" – 4:31
  2. "Amarok" (excerpt I) – 3:09
  3. "Heaven's Open" (12" mix) – 4:33
  4. "Amarok" (excerpt V) – 2:29

Related Research Articles

Mike Oldfield British musician and multi-instrumentalist

Michael Gordon Oldfield is a British musician, songwriter, and producer best known for his debut studio album Tubular Bells (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success and propelled him to worldwide fame. Though primarily a guitarist, Oldfield plays a range of instruments, which includes keyboards, percussion, and vocals. He has adopted a range of musical styles throughout his career, including progressive rock, world, folk, classical, electronic, ambient, and new age music.

<i>Tubular Bells</i> 1973 album by Mike Oldfield

Tubular Bells is the debut studio album by English musician Mike Oldfield, released on 25 May 1973 as the first album on Virgin Records. Oldfield, who was 19 years old when it was recorded, played almost all the instruments on the mostly instrumental album.

<i>Tubular Bells II</i> 1992 studio album by Mike Oldfield

Tubular Bells II is the fifteenth studio album by English guitarist and songwriter Mike Oldfield. It was released on 31 August 1992 by Warner Music UK and is the successor to his debut album Tubular Bells (1973). After his contract with Virgin Records ended at the end of 1991, Oldfield signed with Warner and started work on a sequel to Tubular Bells. In 1998, Oldfield released Tubular Bells III.

<i>Ommadawn</i> 1975 studio album by Mike Oldfield

Ommadawn is the third studio album by English musician, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 25 October 1975 on Virgin Records.

<i>Platinum</i> (Mike Oldfield album) 1979 studio album by Mike Oldfield

Platinum is the fifth studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 23 November 1979 on Virgin Records. It was Oldfield's first album to include shorter songs and music written by others. A modified version of the album was released in the United States and Canada and titled Airborn.

<i>Amarok</i> (Mike Oldfield album) 1990 studio album by Mike Oldfield

Amarok is the thirteenth studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released in May 1990 by Virgin Records. Oldfield originally conceived it as an "angry protest album", showcasing his musical technique. It is presented as a single sixty-minute track of continuous, uninterrupted but constantly changing music.

<i>Islands</i> (Mike Oldfield album) 1987 studio album by Mike Oldfield

Islands is the 11th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1987 by Virgin. 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.

<i>Heavens Open</i> 1991 album by Michael Oldfield

Heaven's Open is the 14th record album performed by Mike Oldfield, released in 1991. It was his last album on Virgin, and also the only album he released under the name Michael Oldfield, instead of Mike Oldfield. The producer of the album, Tom Newman's name is also spelled out in a similar manner, as Thom Newman.

<i>Elements – The Best of Mike Oldfield</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Mike Oldfield

Elements – The Best of Mike Oldfield is a compilation album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1993 by Virgin Records.

<i>Earth Moving</i> 1989 album by Mike Oldfield

Earth Moving is the 12th record album by British musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1989. Unlike Oldfield's albums released prior to Earth Moving, the album contains no instrumental tracks.

Thomas Dennis Newman is an English record producer and musician. In 1970 he began working with Richard Branson and helped to found The Manor Studio in Oxford for the nascent Virgin Records. There, he produced the recording of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells.

Guilty (Mike Oldfield song)

"Guilty" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1979 on Virgin Records. It reached number 22 in the UK Singles Chart. It is notable for being Oldfield's first obvious attempt to capitalise on a current musical trend, in this case disco/dance music. The UK 12" edition was originally issued on pale blue vinyl.

In Dulci Jubilo / On Horseback

"In Dulci Jubilo/On Horseback" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1975. The festive song features an instrumental version of a Christmas carol, "In dulci jubilo", as well as the final song from Oldfield's Ommadawn album, "On Horseback".

Gimme Back

"Gimme Back" is a single by musician Michael Oldfield. It is from the album Heaven's Open. It was only released in Germany in 1991. Oldfield performs vocals himself.

Innocent (Mike Oldfield song)

"Innocent" is a single by British musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1989. It is from the album Earth Moving and features vocals from Anita Hegerland.

Magic Touch (Mike Oldfield song)

"Magic Touch" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1988. It is from the album Islands.

Shadow on the Wall (song)

"Shadow on the Wall" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1983 by Virgin Records. English rock singer Roger Chapman performs vocals on the song and it is taken from Oldfield's Crises album. The song was a hit single especially in Germanic countries.

Mike Oldfields Single

"Mike Oldfield's Single" is the debut single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1974. The A-side is a variation of one of the themes from Oldfield's 1973 debut album, Tubular Bells, and was made in response to an American single containing an excerpt from Tubular Bells which Oldfield did not authorise. After its use in the box office success The Exorcist, "Tubular Bells" reached #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

<i>The Platinum Collection</i> (Mike Oldfield album) 2006 greatest hits album by Mike Oldfield

The Platinum Collection is a 2006 Virgin Records compilation album written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield. It contains most of Oldfield's best known work, and some rare mixes of songs that had previously only been available as B-sides to singles.

<i>Man on the Rocks</i> 2014 studio album by Mike Oldfield

Man on the Rocks is the twenty-fifth studio album by British musician Mike Oldfield, released on 3 March 2014 on the Virgin EMI label. The album is Oldfield's second full album of exclusively songs with no long or instrumental pieces, the first being 1989's Earth Moving.

References

  1. "Singles". Amadian. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  2. "Rare Tracks". Ommadawn. Archived from the original on 2006-02-11. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
  3. Mike Oldfield (2 August 2012), Two Sides Sleeve Notes, Mercury Records, retrieved 3 January 2015