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 Discovery
- Released
June 25th 1984
Cover
photography by
Dan Kramer
Written
by
To
France
Mike Oldfield
Poison
Arrows
Mike Oldfield
Crystal
Gazing
Mike
Oldfield
Tricks Of The Light
Mike
Oldfield
Discovery
Mike
Oldfield
Talk
about your life
Mike Oldfield
Saved
by a bell
Mike
Oldfield
The
Lake
Mike
Oldfield
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Mike Oldfield plays...
Listed
as playing 'All instruments except [those played by the other musicians]'
Believed
to be...
Electric guitars, Acoustic guitars, Bass guitar, Mandolin,
Synthesisers, Fairlight CMI
Other
musicians
Simon Phillips - Drums
Maggie Reilly - Vocals
Barry Palmer - Vocals
Produced and Engineered by Mike Oldfield and Simon Phillips
Recorded in the Swiss Alps at 2000
meters within sight of Lake Geneva on sunny days (during spring 1984).
Notes on the instruments...
Electric
guitars -
At the time, Mike was still using an SG Junior, as well as Les Paul Juniors and
Specials. Mike also used the red Fender Stratocaster that remains amongst his
favourites to this day, as well as another sunburst Strat.
Acoustic
guitars - Mike
used the Ovation Adamas in many places on the album, plugged direct
into the mixing desk. Its zingy piezoelectric sound can be heard
clearly playing the lead part in 'The Lake' at 6:12. More
conventional acoustic guitars are also used on the album.
Mandolin
- Mike plays this at the beginning of 'To France'. Mike once said that it's a
harpsichord which plays at the beginning of this song - my guess is that he was
referring to the synthesised 'harpsichord' sound which is layered with the
mandolin later in the song (and that is a bit of a guess, as I don't really hear
anything that sounds much like a harpsichord there).
Fairlight
CMI
- With Discovery, Mike took full advantage of the CMI's sequencing
facilities, using it as his main compositional tool for the album.
Use was also made of its sampling abilities - in 'The Lake', Mike
even uses a sample of Maggie Reilly's voice. Its digitally
synthesised sounds were also used extensively, forming the backbone
of the album's sound. See the Crises page
for more information on the nature of the CMI.
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Notes
on the musicians...
Barry
Palmer -
An Englishman, who was singer in the German group Triumvirat during
the late 1970s and early 80s. Mike came across Barry via his manager
Dirk Hohmeyer, who was also manager for Triumvirat. Dirk played Mike
one of Triumvirat's albums, who was so impressed with Barry's
singing that he decided to get in touch. Mike initially wanted Barry
to sing on the Crises tour, but he was recording a solo album at the
time and didn't want to join the tour. Mike tried again after the
tour had finished, at which point Barry agreed to come and sing for
Mike on the single 'Crime of Passion'. Mike was sufficiently pleased
with the performance that he called Barry back to sing on Discovery.
For
information on Simon Phillips and Maggie Reilly, take a look at the Crises
page.
Other notes
During the time this album was made, Mike was living in Switzerland
in order to avoid the taxes of the UK, which Mike felt were unfairly
high. Mike set up a studio in a house on a mountainside above Lake
Geneva, in the Swiss Alps, in which he wrote and recorded Discovery.
Although
Barry Palmer and Maggie Reilly share vocal duties on 'Tricks of the
Light', the pair never actually met until after the album was
finished - they visited the studio on separate weeks.
During his time in Switzerland, Barry Palmer lost his voice, which
of course meant he had trouble singing. Though he wanted to come
back a little later, after regaining his voice, Mike felt this would
cause problems, so Barry recorded his parts as best as he could.
Though he gave a good performance, the signs of his voice being in
less than perfect shape can be heard if you listen really closely to
the song 'Discovery' which was recorded when Barry's voice was at
its worst.
Simon
Phillips co-engineered the album with Mike. This was his first time
at doing this, and he later credited Mike as being the one who had
taught him how to engineer. Simon was inspired, from working with
Mike, to start a solo career of his own, writing and recording his
own music.
The
opening theme from 'To France' returns in 'Talk about your Life',
while a small part of the melody of 'Tricks of the Light' continues
into 'Discovery'. These help to give a feel of connectedness to the
album, which is helped along by the way 'To France' blends in to
'Poison Arrows' and the general way that the album is compiled.
© Richard
Carter
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Discovery now from Amazon.co.uk
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