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Topic: Pictures in the Dark< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
dazzler Offline




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Posts: 103
Joined: June 2009
Posted: Feb. 26 2017, 17:55

Is Pictures in the Dark a Discovery leftover or the start of the Islands suite? It was released in 1985 and the clip ended up on The Wind Chimes video. When I listen to the 12" version I hear at least 4 voices. There are ofcourse Anita Hegerland and Aled Jones. And in the end we hear caveman Mike shouting the title. But in the "lost in my dreams" section I can hear Barry Palmer. He almost whispers that catchfrase and I think you can hear him also in the first couple of chorusses singing the title. I don't know if he is doing the counting as well?

So here is my theory. Pictures in the Dark was built up from a Discovery session demo. Mike changed the Maggie Reilly vocals with the Anita Hegerland ones. But he kept some of the Barry Palmer lines. And he brought in Aled Jones for the higher pitched phrases. Legend, but especially The Trap sound as if they were built up with some leftover pieces of The Killing Fields soundtrack.

I think there was too much time between Pictures in the Dark and the Islands single to justify the idea that Mike had already a new album in mind when he was working on Pictures. I think Shine was the single that announced a new album, but because it didn't ring a bell in the charts and the video production of The Wind Chimes took more time than expected, Mike dropped the song from the album. But then again... I could be wrong.
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First_Excursion Offline




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Joined: Aug. 2012
Posted: Mar. 14 2017, 02:50

Quote (dazzler @ Feb. 26 2017, 17:55)
...in the end we hear caveman Mike shouting the title. But in the "lost in my dreams" section I can hear Barry Palmer. He almost whispers that catchfrase and I think you can hear him also in the first couple of chorusses singing the title. I don't know if he is doing the counting as well?

I think all the adult male voices are Barry Palmer. I have a suspicion that Mike hired Barry because their voices have a similar timbre; that Mike hoped people would think it was him singing. Barry is a tenor though which Mike is not.

Worked on you? :p Anyone please feel free to correct me on this if I'm wrong.

Pretty certain it's Anita doing the counting.
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larstangmark Offline




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Posts: 1759
Joined: Mar. 2005
Posted: Mar. 15 2017, 04:03

There's a Barry Palmer interview on this site where Barry says he recorded all the vocals for Pictures in the Dark but that they were later replaced by other singers.

I still wonder what this song (and the whole Islands album) would have sounded like with Maggie singing.

I'm not saying Anita is a bad singer, but I think everything she sings on ends up sounding like Abba.


--------------
"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
Mark E Smith
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