"Offshore" | ||||
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Single by Chicane | ||||
from the album Far from the Maddening Crowds | ||||
B-side | "Disco Citizens Remix" | |||
Released | 9 December 1996 [1] | |||
Studio | Modena One (United Kingdom) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 6:58 (original)
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Label | Xtravaganza | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Chicane singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
"Offshore" is a song by English electronic music producer Chicane, released on 9 December 1996 by Xtravaganza as the lead single from his debut album, Far from the Maddening Crowds (1997). The song reached number five in the United States on Billboard 's Dance Club Play chart, number 12 in Ireland and number 14 in the United Kingdom. A bootleg by Australian DJ Anthony Pappa was given an official release in 1997 titled "Offshore '97". This version peaked at number 17 in the UK.
"Offshore" is a lush, multi-layered, early Trance track, the original of which features sweeping synth chords and a reflective balearic theme, elements of which are reminiscent of the Tangerine Dream track, "Love on a Real Train". The main synth-hook which gives "Offshore" its uplifting breakdown however is based on Don Henley's 1985 hit, "The Boys of Summer". [2]
A reviewer from Music Week described 'Offshore' as "Dreamhouse with real excitement." [3] Brad Beatnik from the RM Dance Update praised the track and rated it five out of five, writing, "A monstrously huge trancey house tune, this one goes on for ever, coasting on waves of lush sounds. [...] The original is the sort of dreamy track Jose Padilla would kill to include on his Cafe Del Mar albums. An absolute stunner." [4] David Sinclair from The Times said, "Eerie techno track you can dance and chill to simultaneously." [5]
The accompanying music video for "Offshore" was directed by Julien Berton. [6]
In 2018, Mixmag ranked 'Offshore' among "The 15 Best Mid-90s Trance Tracks", noting that it was "providing some much needed respite from England's summer heartbreak at the European Championships. The producer has proven to be a deft hand at crafting trance anthems and 'Offshore' is a prime example. The best bit occurs when the urgent 4x4 beat flows into soft breaks, a technique he also deploys in his 1999 corker 'Saltwater'." [7]
Weekly charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United Kingdom (BPI) [20] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Offshore '97" | ||||
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Single by Chicane with Power Circle | ||||
from the album Far from the Maddening Crowds | ||||
B-side | "Red Skies" | |||
Released | 1 September 1997 | |||
Length | 3:52 | |||
Label | Xtravaganza | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Chicanesingles chronology | ||||
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"Offshore" was re-released on 1 September 1997 as "Offshore '97". A bootleg was created by Australian DJ Anthony Pappa who made a mashup of "Offshore (Disco Citizens Mix)" with the vocals from the Power Circle song "A Little Love, a Little Life". Originally a bootleg (mixed by Dave Seaman on Renaissance: The Mix Collection Part 4) it was turned into an official release, credited to "Chicane with Power Circle". The song peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart.
The vocalist was Louise Burton, wife of Daniel Mays. "Offshore '97 (Anthony Pappa Bootleg Mix)" also appeared on Far from the Maddening Crowds.
In 2022, Armin van Buuren & AVIRA create the remake "Offshore" with Chicane in album compilation "A State Of Trance 2022". [25]
Nicholas Bracegirdle, known professionally as Chicane, is an English musician, DJ, composer, songwriter, and record producer. Among his works are singles "Offshore", an Ibiza trance anthem included in many compilations in both chill-out and dance versions; "Saltwater", which featured vocals by Clannad member Máire Brennan, and the UK number-one hit "Don't Give Up", featuring vocals by Bryan Adams, which also became a top ten hit on singles charts across Europe and Australia.
"Discothèque" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track on their 1997 album, Pop, and was released as its lead single on 3 February 1997 by Island Records. The song exhibits influences from electronic dance music, characteristic of the band's musical direction in the 1990s. The music video, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, was set inside of a mirrorball and featured the band members dressed as members of the disco group the Village People.
Far from the Maddening Crowds is the debut studio album by British electronic music artist Chicane, released on 20 October 1997 through Xtravaganza Recordings. It is highly regarded as a seminal release in the trance music community, and was highly sought after, having been shelved for licensing issues, until its re-release on 18 October 2007. The album includes Chicane's debut single, "Offshore", as well as other singles "Sunstroke", "Lost You Somewhere" and "Red Skies". The album charted in the UK on release, peaking at number 49.
Grace was a 1990s British dance music act, consisting of the DJs Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne and the jazz singer Dominique Atkins. The group's first single, "Not Over Yet", had lead and backing vocals by the original frontwoman Patti Low. Atkins recorded her own lead vocals for "Not Over Yet" when it was included as the first track on the group's only album If I Could Fly.
"I Feel Love" is a song by the American singer Donna Summer. Produced and co-written by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, it was recorded for Summer's fifth studio album, I Remember Yesterday (1977). The album concept was to have each track evoke a different musical decade; for "I Feel Love", the team aimed to create a futuristic mood, employing a Moog synthesizer.
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", also written "Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy", is a song by British singer Rod Stewart from his ninth studio album, Blondes Have More Fun (1978). It was written by Stewart, Carmine Appice, and Duane Hitchings, though it incorporates the melody from the song "Taj Mahal" by Jorge Ben Jor and the string arrangement from the song "(If You Want My Love) Put Something Down On It" by Bobby Womack.
"Silence" is a song by Canadian electronic music group Delerium featuring Canadian singer and co-writer Sarah McLachlan, first released as a single in May 1999. Over the years, its remixes have been hailed as one of the greatest trance songs of all time, over two decades after its initial release. The Tiësto remix of the song was voted by Mixmag readers as the 12th-greatest dance record of all time.
"Stoned in Love" is a dance track by Chicane, with vocals performed by famed pop singer Tom Jones. It was released as a physical single on 24 April 2006. The song was later included on Chicane's third studio album, Somersault (2007), as well as Tom Jones' 2006 compilation Greatest Hits: The Platinum Edition.
"Saltwater" is a song by English musician Chicane featuring the vocals of Irish singer Máire Brennan. The track uses parts of Clannad's 1982 hit "Theme from Harry's Game" with both re-recorded and newly written lyrics.
Anthony Pappa is an Australian DJ and electronic music producer from Melbourne.
"Don't Give Up" is a song by British electronic music artist Chicane featuring vocals from Canadian singer Bryan Adams. The track was released on 6 March 2000 as the second single from Chicane's second studio album, Behind the Sun (2000). "Don't Give Up" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart and became a popular dance track in clubs across Europe and North America.
"Get into You" is a song written by Mike Percy and Tim Lever for Australian singer, songwriter and actress Dannii Minogue's second album, Get into You (1993). It was produced by Lever & Percy and received a mixed reception from music critics. Released as the fifth single in the second quarter of 1994, it reached the top forty in the United Kingdom. Along with the single "This Is It", the song was chosen to be released in Canada and the US.
"D.I.S.C.O." is a song by the French band Ottawan, written by Daniel Vangarde and Jean Kluger and produced by Daniel Vangarde. Ottawan originally recorded it in French.
"Something Goin' On (In Your Soul)" is a song by American record producer Todd Terry featuring American singers Martha Wash and Jocelyn Brown on vocals. It was released as the second single from Terry's debut album, Ready for a New Day (1997). The song peaked within the top 5 in both Italy and the UK, peaking at number four and five. It also reached number-one on the UK Dance Singles Chart and the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart. The original song title was shortened to "Something Goin’ On" upon its release as a single, even though the full title was listed on the album.
"People Hold On" is a song by British band Coldcut and singer-songwriter Lisa Stansfield, released as the first single from the band's debut album, What's That Noise? (1989). It was written by Matt Black, Jonathan More and Stansfield, and produced by Coldcut. The song received positive reviews from music critics and became a commercial success. It was released as a single on 13 March 1989 by label Ahead of Our Time and reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the US Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song was remixed by Blaze, Juan Atkins, Dimitri from Paris, Mark Saunders, Eric Kupper, Tyrone Perkins and Masters at Work. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Big TV!.
The discography of British electronic musician Chicane consists of nine studio albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays and forty singles. His debut single, "Offshore" reached number fourteen in the United Kingdom and number five on the United States dance chart in 1996. The subsequent debut album, Far from the Maddening Crowds, peaked at number forty-nine in the UK.
"Sunstroke" is a song by British electronic music artist Chicane. The song was released on 2 June 1997 as the second single from his debut studio album, Far from the Maddening Crowds (1997). Upon release, the song entered the UK Singles Chart on 14 June 1997 at number 21, the next week it dropped 24 places to number 45, by week 3 the song dropped to number 71. Like "Offshore", "Sunstroke" is heavily based on the track, "Love on a Real Train" by Tangerine Dream. The Disco Citizens "On the Train" mix is a reference to this.
"Love on the Run" is a song by English electronic dance music artist Chicane featuring Northern Irish singer Peter Cunnah. It was released on 24 February 2003 in the United Kingdom, intended to be the lead single from the album Easy to Assemble, which was never released. Co-written with Brian Higgins of Xenomania, the song reached number thirty-three in the UK.
"Closer than Close" is a song by American musician Rosie Gaines, a former singer in Prince's band the New Power Generation. After being released in 1995 as a track on her fifth album by the same name (1995), bootlegs of garage mixes started appearing. Thus started a two-year mission by Glaswegian house and garage indie Big Bang Records to release the track properly in 1997. It peaked at number four in the UK and number six on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Closer than Close" is Gaines' most successful song to date, and widely considered as a club classic.
Easy to Assemble is an unreleased studio album by British electronic music artist Chicane. The album would have been the third studio album in his main discography and the proper follow-up to 2000's Behind the Sun.