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Heaven's Open
Release Date: February 18, 1991
Location: Roughwood Croft
1. Make Make 4:16
2. No Dream 6:02
3. Mr. Shame 4:22
4. Gimme Back 4:09
5. Heaven's Open 4:28
6. Music From The Balcony 19:44
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"The Band" were:
Simon Phillips, Drums
Dave Levy, Bass
Mickey Simmonds, Hammond, Piano
Michael Oldfield, Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards
Andy Longhurst, Additional Keyboards
Courtney Pine, Saxophones, Bass Clarinet
The "Sassy Choir" were:
Vicki St James, Sylvia Mason-James, Dolly James, Debi Doss, Shirlie Roden, Valerie Etienne
Additional vocal Harmonies by: Anita Hegerland, Nikki 'B' Bentley, Tom Newman
Boffinry: Richard Barrie
Thanks also to: Helena Shenel, Jeremy Parker
"The Digits":
Atari, C-Lab, Fairlight, Akai S 1100, EMU Proteus, Roland D 50, D 550, Korg M1, Steinberg 'Topaz'
"The Mixer": Harrison series X, "The Recorder": Sony 3348, "The Microphone": B & T K
Produced and Engineered by: Thom Newman
Mixed by: Michael Oldfield assisted by Thom Newman
All tracks written and sung by Michael Oldfield |
Notes
With Heaven's Open, Mike chose to put himself right in the foreground as lead singer. It wasn't his first time singing on record - On Horseback had been the first time on one of his solo records, and he'd sung with Sallyangie before that - but in singing every song on the album, his voice went from taking a bit part to being firmly centre stage.
Mike enlisted the help of vocal coach Helena Shenel to get help improve his singing.
Personnel
| ▸ | Tom Newman (producer, engineer, musician) | | Also appears in: Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge, Platinum, Five Miles Out, Islands, Amarok, Tubular Bells II, The Songs of Distant Earth, Voyager
| | ▸ | Richard Barrie (technical engineer) | | Also appears in: QE2, Five Miles Out, Islands, Earth Moving, Amarok, Tubular Bells II, The Songs of Distant Earth, Voyager
| | ▸ | Nikki 'B' Bentley (musician) | | Now better known by her real name of Nikki Lamborn, half of the rock duo 'Never the Bride'. Also appears in: Earth Moving
| | ▸ | Debi Doss (musician) | |
| | ▸ | Valerie Etienne (musician) | |
| | ▸ | Anita Hegerland (musician) | | Norwegian singer, who became Mike's girlfriend and mother of two of his children, Greta and Noah. She had her first hit single at the age of 9 and, alongside her success in Scandinavia, was known in West Germany for her song with Roy Black, 'Schön ist es auf die Welt zu sein'. Also appears in: Islands, Earth Moving
| | ▸ | Dolly James (musician) | |
| | ▸ | Dave Levy (musician) | |
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| | ▸ | Andy Longhurst (musician) | |
| | ▸ | Sylvia Mason-James (musician) | |
| | ▸ | Simon Phillips (musician) | | A drummer who started off playing in his father's dixieland band at the age of 12, before going on to work with rock legends like Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend and Gary Moore, as well as being the current drummer for Toto. He met Mike in New York at Tony Roma's Ribs, while on tour with Al DiMeola. Also appears in: Crises, Discovery, Islands
| | ▸ | Courtney Pine (musician) | |
| | ▸ | Shirlie Roden (musician) | |
| | ▸ | Mickey Simmonds (musician) | | Also appears in: Islands
| | ▸ | Vicki St James (musician) | |
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Instruments
| Organs |
| 1970 Hammond L.122 Organ |
Return To Ommadawn used an Hammond software simulation. |
[?] As it's not listed in the sleeve notes, it may equally have been Mickey Simmonds's own Hammond organ used on the album.
Also used in Amarok, Tubular Bells II, Tubular Bells 2003, Return To Ommadawn
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| Synthesisers |
| E-Mu Proteus |
Digital sample playback sound module. |
Also used in Tubular Bells II, The Songs of Distant Earth
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| Fairlight CMI Series III |
A further improvement of the CMI system, incorporating 16 bit sampling.
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Also used in Islands, Earth Moving
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| Korg M1 |
The biggest selling digital keyboard of all time, the Korg M1 was used by many artists after its release in 1988. |
Also used in Earth Moving, Tubular Bells II, The Songs of Distant Earth
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| Roland D-50 |
Linear Algorhythmic synthesiser keyboard. |
Also used in Islands, Earth Moving, Amarok, Tubular Bells II, The Songs of Distant Earth
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| Roland D-550 |
Linear Algorhythmic Synthesis module. |
Also used in Tubular Bells II, The Songs of Distant Earth
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| Samplers |
| Akai S-1100 |
Mike owned both an 8MB and a 32MB version. |
Also used in Tubular Bells II, The Songs of Distant Earth
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| Fairlight CMI Series III |
A further improvement of the CMI system, incorporating 16 bit sampling.
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Also used in Islands, Earth Moving
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| Microphones |
| Bruel & Kjaer 4006 |
Small diaphragm omnidirectional condenser microphone.
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Also used in Amarok, Voyager, Tubular Bells 2003
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| Bruel & Kjaer 4040 |
Large diaphragm omnidirectional condenser microphone. Serial Number 001. |
Also used in Amarok, Voyager, Tubular Bells 2003
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| Bruel & Kjaer 4011 |
Small diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone. |
Also used in Amarok, Voyager, Tubular Bells 2003
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| Tape recorders |
| Sony PCM-3348 |
48 track digital multitrack tape recorder, recording to Ampex 467 1/2" oxide tape.
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Also used in Amarok, Tubular Bells II, The Songs of Distant Earth, Voyager, Tubular Bells III
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| Mixing desks |
| Harrison Series X |
The world's first fully automated mixing desk. Where desks like Mike's Neve 8108 often had little more than automation/recall of channel levels and mutes, the Harrison was able to automate other parameters like panning and aux sends, making it far easier to recall a mix. It was released in 1985, and Mike claimed that his was the first in England.
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Also used in Islands, Earth Moving, Amarok, Tubular Bells II
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| Computers |
| Atari STacy portable computer |
Used as part of Mike's late 80s portable sequencing setup, together with the walkman with powered speakers and two Roland MT32 sound modules. |
Also used in Earth Moving, Tubular Bells II
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| Sequencers |
| C-Lab Notator |
Sequencing software for the Atari ST |
Also used in Earth Moving, Tubular Bells II
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| Hard Disk Recorders |
| Steinberg Topaz |
Hard disk recording system |
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| Computer software |
| C-Lab Notator |
Sequencing software for the Atari ST |
Also used in Earth Moving, Tubular Bells II
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| Steinberg Topaz |
Hard disk recording system |
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