"Pictures in the Dark" | ||||
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Single by Mike Oldfield | ||||
Released | 25 November 1985 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1985 | |||
Genre | Pop/Rock | |||
Length | 5:54 | |||
Label | Virgin Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mike Oldfield | |||
Producer(s) | Mike Oldfield | |||
Mike Oldfield singles chronology | ||||
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"Pictures in the Dark" is a song by Mike Oldfield released as a single mainly in Europe in 1985 (see 1985 in music). Singers on this single includes his girlfriend at the time, Anita Hegerland, Barry Palmer and well-known Welsh choirboy Aled Jones.
Since the song was not connected to an album it was rare until it was released on compilation albums such as Collection in 2002 and The Platinum Collection in 2006.
A music video was released for this single and Anita Hegerland and Aled Jones both appear in the video, but Barry Palmer does not; his vocals are mimed by Oldfield. The video includes many computer graphics. The video was available on The Wind Chimes (VHS and Laserdisc) and is also on the DVD version of Elements – The Best of Mike Oldfield.
Chart (1985) | Peak position |
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Austrian Singles Chart | 3 |
German Singles Chart | 4 |
Swiss Singles Chart | 5 |
UK Singles Chart | 50 |
Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English former musician, songwriter and producer best known for his debut studio album Tubular Bells (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a guitarist, Oldfield played a range of instruments, which includes keyboards and percussion, as well as vocals. He had adopted a range of musical styles throughout his career, including progressive rock, world, folk, classical, electronic, ambient and new age music.
Aled Jones, is a Welsh singer, radio and television presenter, and actor. As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of "Walking in the Air", which reached the UK top five. Since then he has worked in television with the BBC and ITV, and on radio.
Crises is the eighth studio album by English musician and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 27 May 1983 on Virgin Records. Oldfield started recording the album towards the end of his 1982 tour supporting his previous record, Five Miles Out. It marked a continuation of Oldfield's experimentation with more accessible music which began in the late 1970s; side one contains the 20-minute "Crises" and side two contains a collection of shorter songs which feature vocalists Maggie Reilly, Jon Anderson, and Roger Chapman. Oldfield produced Crises with drummer Simon Phillips, who also plays on the album.
"Moonlight Shadow" is a song written and performed by English multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield, released as a single in May 1983 by Virgin Records, and included on his eighth album, Crises, of the same year. The vocals were performed by Scottish vocalist Maggie Reilly, who had collaborated with Mike Oldfield since 1980. It is Oldfield's most successful single, reaching number one on numerous charts around Europe.
Discovery is the ninth studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 25 June 1984 on Virgin Records. It comprises a number of pop songs, most notably the single "To France", as well as the instrumental "The Lake".
Islands is the 11th album by Mike Oldfield, released on 28 September 1987 by Virgin in the UK. 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.
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.
Gaudete is a sacred Christmas carol, thought to have been composed in the 16th century. It was published in Piae Cantiones, a collection of Finnish/Swedish sacred songs published in 1582. No music is given for the verses, but the standard tune comes from older liturgical books.*
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.
Anita Hegerland is Norway's biggest selling solo artist. She is a singer, most known for her childhood career in Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, and subsequent vocal contributions to Mike Oldfield's work, among others. She is one of Norway's best-selling female artists in history. In 1971, she was, along with Michael Jackson, one of the world's best-selling child singers.
Barry Palmer is an English singer. He was a replacement for singer Helmut Köllen in the German band Triumvirat in 1976, and appeared on the albums Old Loves Die Hard and Pompeii in 1977. He later joined Mike Oldfield on his Discovery album in 1984, sharing vocals with Maggie Reilly. He has also released two solo albums.
"Heaven's Open" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1991. 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.
"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.
"Tricks of the Light" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield released in 1984 and is from the Virgin Records album Discovery. Maggie Reilly and Barry Palmer perform vocals for this song.
"Crime of Passion" is a non-album single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1984 on Virgin Records. The song features Barry Palmer performing vocals.
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.
Elements - The Best of Mike Oldfield is a video collection by Mike Oldfield released in October 1993. It was released by Virgin Records on VHS and LaserDisc. A DVD edition of the video release, including additional extras, was produced in 2004.
"The Time Has Come" is a song by multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield. It appeared on his 1987 album Islands and was released as the second single from that album.
La golondrina is a song written in 1862 by Mexican physician Narciso Serradell Sevilla (1843–1910), who at the time was exiled to France due to the French intervention in Mexico.
The 1984 Suite is a remix compilation album by the British musician, Mike Oldfield released on 29 January 2016 by Mercury/Virgin EMI. The compilation pulls together tracks from his two 1984 studio albums; Discovery and The Killing Fields. The album is available as part of the Discovery deluxe edition or as a standalone vinyl LP but not as a standalone CD. It has also been released in 5.1 Surround Sound as part of the Discovery deluxe set.