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




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Posted: May 15 2006, 23:14

I heard Pictures in the Dark for the first time tonight. I wanted to cry. I can't believe how beautiful this song is. The harmony, the way Mike just bursts out at the end, anyone else a fan of this song?

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Man From The Moon Offline




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Posted: May 16 2006, 05:11

I like it very much. Cooperation of all these voices is really great.
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emac Offline




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Posted: May 16 2006, 06:45

Erm, Mike is in the video but I believe that it was Barry Palmer who actually sung those bits.....
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ImAFoolAndImLaughing Offline




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Posted: May 16 2006, 06:48

One of my favourites, too! Hadn't heard it for years before I heard the extended version on The Platinum Collection - I can't get it outta my head now - the contrast between those voices, Aled Jones squeaking his way through the bridge, and such perfect lyrics (I'm not a fan of a lot of Mike's lyrics, I have to admit - some of them are a bit corny, but with PITD he got em spot-on) :)

Tony :)


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"I was in this prematurely air conditioned supermarket and there were these bathing caps you could buy that had these kind of Fourth of July plumes on them that were red and yellow and blue and I wasn't tempted to buy one but I was reminded of the fact that I had been avoiding the beach."
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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: May 16 2006, 07:54

Quote (emac @ May 16 2006, 06:45)
Erm, Mike is in the video but I believe that it was Barry Palmer who actually sung those bits.....

I think all that's left of Barry's singing is the backing vocals. The parts that Mike sings (with lots of "feeling") in the video does sound like Mike to my ears.
I think the following (from interview with Barry Palmer 1997) supports my theory:

"On 'Pictures in the Dark' I sung all the parts at the beginning and Aled Jones doing some small parts, but Mike changed the production and my part was putting down and down... so I was left with only a small part. It was a bit of a dissapointment, because I thought it was good - but that's the way he works, he wants the best for his song and often uses 4 or 5 singers to do the job and you have to get the record to see who is on it."

But then again I can't be sure...

By the way it's a great track, but I think there are better singles from that era (Crime of Passion, Mistake). It's got a great arrangement, but I could live without that boy soprano!


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emac Offline




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Posted: May 17 2006, 06:36

Yes I think your probably right, The voice at the end sounds a little crude for Barry. It does sound just like Mike.
Although I must say I really liked Mike's singing on the Heavens open album!
emac.
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Piltdownboy on horseback 22 Offline




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Posted: May 17 2006, 07:00

Quote (larstangmark @ May 16 2006, 07:54)
but I could live without that boy soprano!

I think that's actually quite charming :)

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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: May 17 2006, 09:18

Quote (emac @ May 17 2006, 06:36)
Although I must say I really liked Mike's singing on the Heavens open album!
emac.

I love Mike's singing! I think he did a huge mistake by bringing in all those singers-for-hire on Islands and Earth Moving. I'm sure Mike would have made a better job himself on a lot of the tracks.

Mike's best vocal performance IMO is Five Miles Out, and when I come to think of it PITD is structured almost the same way as FMO, although PITD isn't quite as dramatic.


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"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
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larstangmark Offline




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Posted: May 17 2006, 09:20

Quote (Piltdownboy on horseback 22 @ May 17 2006, 07:00)
I think that's actually quite charming :)

Could be, but once you've seen that kid with his hands in his pockets, it gets quite bizarre!
And if I have to chose between the singing homecomputer and the boy - i'll have the boy thanks...


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Starwatcher Offline




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Posted: May 17 2006, 14:11

I like Pictures in the Dark very much, especially the extended version on the Platinum Collection! It's the contrast of all those different voices that makes it so fascinating for me - so I don't want to miss the boy's soprano!
It's also my favourite "Anita's song" together with When the Night's on Fire.
:)


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TOBY Offline




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Posted: May 17 2006, 16:10

Its got a superb guitar solo and it brings back memories of being 17 and buying the Wind Chimes video, I had never heard PITD before seeing it with the video. Listening to it today, it sounds beautifully niave and innocent in the way Mike's best stuff does.
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ImAFoolAndImLaughing Offline




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Posted: May 17 2006, 19:17

The Wind Chimes - now there's a beautiful piece of music! :)

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"I was in this prematurely air conditioned supermarket and there were these bathing caps you could buy that had these kind of Fourth of July plumes on them that were red and yellow and blue and I wasn't tempted to buy one but I was reminded of the fact that I had been avoiding the beach."
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Inkanta Offline




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Posted: May 17 2006, 22:57

PITD has been just about my favorite song by anyone since acquiring the extended version in the mid-80's. There are other pieces close to it, but if all of the CDs or vinyls of those favorites were flying out of my hands near a cliff or imminently crashing on cement in a moment of klutziness and I could only rescue one, PITD would be it. I love the mystery and images that it conjures, and the various voices.

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MrKeith Offline




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Posted: July 25 2006, 05:43

Quote (larstangmark @ May 17 2006, 14:20)
Quote (Piltdownboy on horseback 22 @ May 17 2006, 07:00)
I think that's actually quite charming :)

Could be, but once you've seen that kid with his hands in his pockets, it gets quite bizarre!
And if I have to chose between the singing homecomputer and the boy - i'll have the boy thanks...


That Boy soprano was, at the time of the release of Pictures in the Dark, probably a much bigger star than Mike Oldfield was. Aled Jones was the best boy soprano of the age, and is still a remarkably talented singer.
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amazarak Offline




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Posted: July 25 2006, 07:30

My opinion:
Great piece
Cool video

Cheers
amazarak


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TomX01 Offline




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Posted: Nov. 29 2006, 08:17

When I first bought The Complete Mike Oldfield it was my favorite song on there ... I guess it was a German copy I bought (LP) .. always wanted it on CD .. in these enlightened days I guess thats not a problem.

I didn't think much of the video ... I think Mikes best promo videos are when he stays the hell out of it .. like Let There be Light and Moonlight Shadow.

Tom
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omgmo Offline




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Posted: Mar. 20 2018, 21:12

What an incredible song! Such beauty, such power!..
It leaves me with a sense of liberation.

Still trying to figure out what the lyrics mean...
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omgmo Offline




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Posted: Aug. 22 2018, 11:46

Sorry for repeating myself, but...

I am still such a fan!! I just can't hide it :laugh:
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nightspore Offline




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Posted: Aug. 25 2018, 07:08

The more in evidence the better! :cool:  :laugh:
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