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LivingForever Group: Members Posts: 95 Joined: Oct. 2003 Posted: Oct. 22 2003, 06:48 Hmmm... I always used to have the cassette version of 'Islands' which finished with 'The Time Has Come', until I recently bought the CD. I can honestly say that the CD certainly isn't worth buying just to get this song -what a waste of space! I'm all for tracks lasting for as long as possible but there is no need at all for this one to be nearly 7 minutes long - zzzzzz... Anyway, apart from the obvious fact that the song uses the same melody as 'Islands', has anyone else noticed that the backing to the first verse is almost identical to a section of 'The Lake'?? Also I thought I heard some very 'Moonlight Shadow' type drums and guitar in the second verse, but that could be a bit more tenuous. James -------------- http://giggingforever.blogspot.co.uk Back to top

Craig Evans Group: Members Posts: 256 Joined: Sep. 2004 Posted: Sep. 13 2005, 13:48 Quote (LivingForever @ Oct. 22 2003, 06:48) Also I thought I heard some very 'Moonlight Shadow' type drums and guitar in the second verse, but that could be a bit more tenuous. James I think those drums in "When The Night's on Fire" might sound similar to "Moonlight Shadow" because the same drummer that was used in "Moonlight Shadow" is used again in "When The Night's on Fire" and that drummer is Simon Philips.     -------------- "It is good to be on Horseback" - Mike Oldfield "On Horseback" "(Insert "The Thunderstorm" here)" Back to top

Woodlander Group: Members Posts: 48 Joined: Oct. 2003 Posted: Sep. 28 2005, 13:27 I have always liked When the nights... very much. To me it is a very beautiful track - much better than Islands. Only, towards the end there is a passage where I feel Mike could have shortend it a bit. Back to top

Deadcalm Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 752 Joined: Nov. 2004 Posted: Oct. 03 2005, 07:16 Quote (Woodlander @ Sep. 28 2005, 13:27) I have always liked When the nights... very much. To me it is a very beautiful track - much better than Islands. Only, towards the end there is a passage where I feel Mike could have shortend it a bit. I totally agree Woodlander this Tk is Spoiled by that last vocal section.... Would of been loads better to of faded it out before that....Never been able to work out why it was extended and spoiled   Back to top

Baggiesfaninessex Group: Members Posts: 682 Joined: Mar. 2002 Posted: Oct. 03 2005, 11:46 Quote (Deadcalm @ Oct. 03 2005, 07:16) Quote (Woodlander @ Sep. 28 2005, 13:27) I have always liked When the nights... very much. To me it is a very beautiful track - much better than Islands. Only, towards the end there is a passage where I feel Mike could have shortend it a bit. I totally agree Woodlander this Tk is Spoiled by that last vocal section.... Would of been loads better to of faded it out before that....Never been able to work out why it was extended and spoiled   Probably because the composer felt that the extended last section enhanced the piece rather than spoiled it.   -------------- “A dog is not intelligent. Never trust an animal that's surprised by its own farts.” - Frank Skinner Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Feb. 13 2006, 11:37 Her voice is great, it's nice to have, even if it seems to be a binned project (replaced by Islands). It's slower, calmer than Islands, like Mike, I just wouldn't be able to decide which voice to use for the single! Bonnie Tyler was a bigger name, yes? So........ Anita's vocals are very good   -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

Dorian36 Group: Members Posts: 5 Joined: Mar. 2006 Posted: May 19 2007, 17:18 Contrary to LivingForever, I was very happy to get the CD with "When the night's on fire" on it... at the time when the LP was out, I hadn't had a slightest idea that this track was supposed to be on it as well. I adore this song. Yes, one could say it is a longer version of "Islands", but I can feel a lot of "The wind chimes" in it, too. I don't mind it being 7 minutes long. In fact, when I play the CD, I always start with it and then go back to the start. For me, it is a kind of a preview to an album. Two years ago, when I was on Ibiza onlooking the islet of Es Vedrá (featured on Voyager CD cover), I played "Islands" in this order, starting with WoF, and it was fabulous... I connect several Mike's albums to the sea (Incantations, QE2 etc.), but "Islands" is exactly what the title suggests... Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: July 13 2007, 02:25 Six minutes and forty-two seconds isn't all that long for a song, especially one this nice. I also like "Islands", "North Point", and "The Time Has Come". I'll have to play "The Wind Chimes" a couple of more times to see how I feel about it. I noticed the words to "When the Night's on Fire" aren't included in Tubular.net's 'Lyrics' section. Does anyone know where to find them? -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

CuNimb Group: Members Posts: 222 Joined: July 2003 Posted: July 13 2007, 03:10 It's always seemed a bit unfinished to me, but I like it.   -------------- Happy? ha ha ha.... Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 13 2007, 21:55 Quote (Sweatpea @ July 13 2007, 08:25) I noticed the words to "When the Night's on Fire" aren't included in Tubular.net's 'Lyrics' section. Does anyone know where to find them? Here they are. This is not my own transcription, I found it on the WWW. But I think it's accurate. (I was hoping) Could you be my inspiration? Whatever should become in the candlelight. (I was dreaming) Was it my imagination? Tomorrow never comes in the candlelight. [ Chorus 1 ] When the night's on fire, Do you need love's arms to hold you? It's a flame, there burns no finer. When you see one bird, There's another one watching over. And the two can fly much higher. I was listening to the wind that walks the hours. I never would have heard, in the candlelight. I was hoping, would you shelter me from showers? I believe every word in the candlelight. [ Repeat Chorus 1 ] [ Chorus 2 ] When the night's on Fire and you burn Like a flame that's burning in the rain, Do you need somewhere to turn? When you see one bird, It's the two that fly higher And a second in heaven's worth a whole life's Trouble and trial. Trouble and trial. [ Repeat Chorus 2 ] When's the night's on fire Do you need love's arms to hold you? (When the night's on fire) When you see one bird fly, There's another one watching over. (When the night's on fire) When the night's on fire. It's a flame, there burns no finer. (When the night's on fire) When you see one bird fly, It's the two that fly much higher. (When the night's on fire) -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: July 15 2007, 22:18 Thanks so much, Ugo, for the lyrics. The words are simple but touching. -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

trcanberra Group: Members Posts: 349 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: Jan. 26 2008, 07:23 Must say I like the song.  Islands is the latest of the CDs I have been buying to replace my LPs after (an insane) 20 year hiatus in my CD buying.  I don't think it is a waste of space. Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Feb. 13 2009, 03:41 I've added this to my Valentine playlist. I get the impression that Mike wasn't much into love songs, but this is a highly romantic piece. And I like how the guitar break suggests an interaction of feminine and masculine. -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

nightspore Group: Members Posts: 4772 Joined: Mar. 2008 Posted: Feb. 13 2009, 18:51 The melody, sentiments, and images of this song are, of course, very close to the song "Islands". Often if I have one in my mind I find it often segues into the other. Back to top

dazzler Group: Members Posts: 103 Joined: June 2009 Posted: June 27 2009, 10:54 I always thought When the Night's on Fire was an early stage song for the Island sessions. It reminds me of Pictures in the Dark for instance. A longer vocal track with different vocal parts. In the end Mike decided to use a vocal part for Islands. When Bonnie Tyler came into the picture (famous singer helps selling), When the Night's on fire was dropped from the vinyl album. It reappeared on the CD and the 12" of Islands (where it belongs). I doubt if Simon Phillips is drumming here: he was on The Wind Chimes, but I don't believe he contributed on the vocal tracks of that era. In my opinion this songs fits the album more than Magic Touch or The Time Has Come, songs I really don't like ... rather cheap ones. And the remarks about Mike recycling bits of his previous tracks in a newly written song are sadly ture ... one of the reasons I grew away from his post Songs of Distant Earth work. Back to top

3Wheeler Group: Members Posts: 828 Joined: Aug. 2007 Posted: July 16 2012, 04:09 A Demo of the Song by Barry Palmer ..  Only Heard it Yesterday. Could be a "Man in the Rain" Demo out there I guess as Well if the Quotes are Correct,,, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v....d#! -------------- We're Flying Aeroflot, We've Got Reservations. Back to top

CJJC Group: Members Posts: 210 Joined: Aug. 2010 Posted: July 20 2012, 03:47 I was scrolling down here all ready to mention the demo and how much I like it. It's different enough that it's essentially a third song in the Islands/Night's on Fire series. -------------- IMHO Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 20 2012, 18:52 As far as I remember, Islands (the song) and WtNoF were the same song. Various lyrics are similar, the phrasing is similar, and the starting phrase of WtNoF (which has lyrics in the Barry Palmer demo, above here, and which Anita sings as oh-oh-oh in the final version) is present, identical, at the start of Islands, first on oboe, then on guitar. Mike was having problems with the song - it was his "problem song", he seemed to have one on every album with vocal songs he did. He tinkered around endlessly with it and he ended up with two songs for the price of one ... ... or, as we say here, he caught two pigeons with one fava bean ... I guess this is "kill two birds with one stone" in English, and the lyrics of the song do mention two birds, look at that! I think there also is an Islands demo around, sung entirely by Barry Palmer (who does just backing vocals in the official version). -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

qjamesfloyd Group: Members Posts: 1358 Joined: April 2001 Posted: July 21 2012, 16:34 Wow, I've never heard that Barry Palmer demo, thanks for that, who wrote the lyrics for that demo? Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: July 21 2012, 18:34 Quote (qjamesfloyd @ July 21 2012, 22:34) who wrote the lyrics for that demo? Mike did. Didn't he write the whole of the Islands album? Not at all his best lyrics, but I've already been there and I've got no particular desire to go there again. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

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