Islands (Mike Oldfield song)

"Islands" is a song by English musician Mike Oldfield, featuring Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler on vocals. It features on Oldfield's 1987 album of the same name. It was written by Oldfield, who co-produced the track with Tom Newman and Alan Shacklock. The track was released as a single in September 1987 by Virgin Records.

"Islands"
Single by Mike Oldfield featuring Bonnie Tyler
from the album Islands
Released	7 September 1987 (1987-09-07)[1]
Genre	Pop rock
Length	5:35 (album version) 4:20 (single version)
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Mike Oldfield
Producer(s)	Mike Oldfield Tom Newman Alan Shacklock
Mike Oldfield singles chronology
"In High Places" (1987) "Islands" (1987) "The Time Has Come" (1987)

Writing and recording

English musician Mike Oldfield described "Islands" as "the high spot" of its parent album. In early 1987, he left his partner and children, and had moved to Megève in France. Oldfield wrote "Islands" during that time, while feeling "lonely, isolated and cut off". After struggling with the vocals, he invited Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler to record it, describing her performance as "spine-tingling, exactly the way it was supposed to be".^[2]

Critical reception

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Mike DeGagne opined that Tyler's vocal "lifts the title track higher than any other cut [on the album]".^[3]

Formats and track listings

• UK 7-inch single^[4]

1. "Islands" (featuring Bonnie Tyler) – 4:18
2. "The Wind Chimes" (Part One) – 2:24

• UK 12-inch single^[5]

1. "Islands" (featuring Bonnie Tyler) – 5:35
2. "When the Nights on Fire" (featuring Anita Hegerland) – 6:42
3. "The Wind Chimes" (Part One) – 2:24

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Spain (AFYVE)[6]	22
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[7]	22
UK Singles (OCC)[8]	100
West Germany (GfK Entertainment Charts)[9]	41

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the Islands album.^[10]

Recording

• Mastered by Greg Fulginiti at Artisan Sound Recorders

Management

• Published by Oldfield Music Ltd. and Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.
• Bonnie Tyler appears courtesy of CBS Records

Personnel

• Mike Oldfield – bass, engineering, guitars, percussion, producer, songwriter, technician, vocals
• Bonnie Tyler – lead vocals
• Micky Moody – electric guitars
• Rick Fenn – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
• Phil Spalding – bass
• Mickey Simmonds  – keyboards
• Raphael Ravenscroft – saxophone
• Andy Mackay – saxophone, oboe
• Pierre Moerlen – drums, vibraphone
• Tony Beard – drums
• Benoit Moerlen – vibraphone, percussion
• Tom Newman – production
• Alan Shacklock – production
• Richard Barrie – assistant engineer, assistant technician
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• Tom Coyne – mastering

References

1. "Music Week" (PDF). p. 35.
2. Oldfield, Mike (2007). Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield. Virgin Books. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-753-51307-1.
3. DeGagne, Mike. "Islands – Mike Oldfield". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
4. Islands (sleeve). Mike Oldfield featuring Bonnie Tyler. Virgin Records. 1987. VS-990.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. Islands (sleeve). Mike Oldfield featuring Bonnie Tyler. Virgin Records. 1987. VS-990-12.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
7. "Mike Oldfield feat. Bonnie Tyler – Islands". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
9. "Deutsch Offizielle Charts". Retrieved 29 September 2022.
10. Islands (sleeve). Mike Oldfield. Virgin Records. 1987. V-2466.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)