| Enya | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Standard cover. Several CD editions have a black border instead of white. | ||||
| Studio album /Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 9 February 1987[1] November 1992 (Reissue) | |||
| Recorded | 1985–1986 | |||
| Studio | Aigle Studio (Artane, Dublin) BBC Enterprises Studio Woodlands (Wood Lane, London) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:36 (1987) 41:25 (1992) | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Nicky Ryan | |||
| Enya chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Enya | ||||
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| The Celts cover | ||||
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| Singles from The Celts | ||||
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Enya is the debut studio album by Irish singer, songwriter, and musicianEnya, released in March 1987 byBBC Records in the UK and byAtlantic Records in the US. It was renamed asThe Celts for the 1992 international re-release of the album byWEA Records in Europe and byReprise Records in the US. The album features a selection of music that she recorded for the soundtrack toThe Celts, aBBC documentary series about the origins, growth, and influence ofCeltic culture.
Four years into her largely unnoticed solo career, Enya landed her first major project in 1985 when producerTony McAuley asked her to contribute a song for the project. It was well received by director David Richardson, who subsequently offered her to compose for the entire series. Enya worked with her longtime recording partners, producer and arrangerNicky Ryan and his wife, lyricistRoma Ryan. Several track titles are titled or based on various historical and mythological figures and stories associated with the Celts, and established Enya's sound of keyboard-oriented music and layered vocals. "Boadicea" has been sampled by various artists, most notably in 1996 byThe Fugees, in 2004 byMario Winans withP. Diddy and in 2022 byMetro Boomin.
Enya received mostly mixed reviews from critics when it was initially released. It was a commercial success in Ireland, peaking at No. 8, and No. 69 on theUK Albums Chart. "I Want Tomorrow" and "The Celts" were released as singles; the latter went to No. 29 in the UK. The album caught the attention of Warner chairmanRob Dickins, who signed Enya to the label. After the commercial success of her next two albums,Enya was reissued asThe Celts and outperformed its original sales; it went to No. 10 in the UK and was certified Platinum in the UK and the US. In 2009,The Celts was reissued in Japan with a bonus track.
Following her work on thesoundtrack to the romantic comedy filmThe Frog Prince (1985), Enya's first major project as a solo artist followed when, in 1985, she was invited by producerTony McAuley to compose a track for his 1987BBC television documentary seriesThe Celts. As a coincidence, Enya had recorded a track named "March of the Celts" before she was asked to be involved, and decided to submit it to the project. Initially, each episode of the series was to feature a different composer, but series director David Richardson liked Enya's track so much, he commissioned her to compose the entire score.[3][4][5]
Enya worked with her usual recording partners, arranger and producerNicky Ryan and his wife, lyricistRoma Ryan. The album was recorded in two locations; at Aigle Studio, a16-track studio installed in the Ryans' home, then located inArtane, a northern suburb ofDublin,[6] and a sound studio atBBC Enterprises atWood Lane,London.[7] When they recorded at the BBC studio, Nicky had to teach theaudio engineers how he and Enya worked as their unusual recording process confused them at first. Nicky said he told them "to forget everything [they had] learned and just bear with us for at least a week".[6] One such example was Nicky's use ofreverb, which he set to 24 seconds instead of the more common placement of one-and-a-half seconds.[6]
A total of 72 minutes of music was recorded for the series. Roma recalled that Enya was given "variouspastiches" that Richardson wished to incorporate into the episodes, which Enya then used as a guide for to write music to complement them.[5]Enya includes 39 minutes of selected pieces from the soundtrack.[7] The album's front cover depicts Enya posing with stuffed wolves.[8]
Several of the album's track titles are titled or based on various historical figures and stories. In writing about the song in 2002, Roma pointed out that "Aldebaran" is named after thebrightest star in theconstellation ofTaurus. In theArabic language, the title translates to "the follower" as it follows thePleiades cluster of stars, and the song is based on futureCeltic people "passing Aldebaran on their journey to new territories, continuing their migratory pattern which was so predominant in their early history."[5] The track was recorded in its entirety at Aigle Studio as Nicky expressed the difficulty in having to recreate the recording process elsewhere.[6] "The Celts" was used as the main title theme for the television series.[5] "Boadicea", which means "victorious", is a reference to the queenBoudica of theBritish-CelticIceni tribe inEast Anglia wholed a resistance against theoccupying forces of theRoman Empire in 60 A.D., but was defeated and subsequently poisoned herself.[5] As a song about her was already written, Richardson wished for a new track that depicted the idea of "being spellbound" by Boudica, which turned into "I Want Tomorrow".[5] In the liner notes of the album's 1992 reissue, "I Want Tomorrow" is described, simply, as "thoughts of the present" and "March of the Celts" "echoes from the past".[9] "Deireadh an Tuath", which translates fromIrish as "End of the Tribe", refers to past spirits and the fertile soil that helps ensure the future of the Celtic people, which is celebrated in the annualGaelic festivalSamhain, held on 31 October.[9] "The Sun in the Stream" was inspired by the legend of theSalmon of Knowledge, a creature written about in various texts inIrish mythology who "possessed all the truth in the world".[5]
"Fairytale" is a track based on a story ofearly Irish literature about "love, jealousy, secrets and endurance" betweenMidir, a fairy king, and his love for a princess,Étaín. In the story, Étaín is banished and transformed into a pool of water and emerges from it as a butterfly.[9] "Epona" is the name of the horse goddessEpona of theGallo-Roman religion.[9] "Triad" is a track formed of three sections; "St. Patrick" is a traditional song that refers toSaint Patrick who spent six years in captivity after he was captured by the Celtic people. "St. Patrick" lyrics were adapted from ancienthymn "Deus Meus Adiuva Me". The second part, "Cú Chulainn", Irish for "hound ofCulann", is named after theculture heroCú Chulainn. "Oisin", the final section, meaning "littlefawn", is based on the mythological characterOisín.[9] "Bard Dance" refers to thebard, a man of ancient Celtic times who entertained the king.[9] "Dan y Dŵr", which translates to "Under the Water" in theWelsh language, is based on theintentional flooding of the village ofCapel Celyn in Wales in order to accommodate a reservoir,Llyn Celyn.[9]
Enya was released on audio cassette and vinyl in February 1987 byBBC Records the United Kingdom throughEMI Records. The label was enthusiastic about the album and decided to release it three months before the series aired on television.[10] The album was released in the United States byAtlantic Records, which categorised it as anew age album and placed an imprint saying so on the disc,[11] which Nicky Ryan later thought was "a cowardly thing to do".[12] The album gained enough public interest to reach number eight on theIrish Albums Chart.[13] In the United Kingdom, it entered theUK Albums Chart at number 79 for the week of 6 June 1987, climbing to its peak of number 69 on its fourth and final week on the chart, the week of 27 June.[14]
Enya released "I Want Tomorrow" as a single on 9 March 1987[15] as a7-inch and compact disc with "The Celts" as theB-side. Amaxi single was also released with the aforementioned tracks and "To Go Beyond (I)" and "To Go Beyond (II)". Following the album's reissue in 1992, "The Celts" was released as a single on 2 November 1992[16] with "Eclipse", a previously unreleased track from theEnya sessions, as a B-side. Another unreleased track, "Spaghetti Western Theme fromThe Celts", was released in 2005 as a B-side for Enya's 2005 single "Amarantine". It was released in memory of McAuley following his death in 2003.
Filmmaker David Bickley reused music from the soundtrack inThe Memory of Earth,[17] an instalment in his documentary trilogyMythological Lands. "Boadicea" was also used in the soundtrack of the 1992 American filmSleepwalkers. "Epona" appears in the 1991Steve Martin romantic comedyL.A. Story.
In 1992, after Enya gained worldwide commercial success with her albumsWatermark (1988) andShepherd Moons (1991) forWarner Music,Enya was remastered by Arun Chakraverty and redesigned with new artwork designed by Sooky Choi with photography by David Scheinmann.[9] The album was reissued on 16 November 1992 asThe Celts by WEA[18] in Europe andReprise Records in the United States.The Celts outperformed its original sales, reaching a new peak of number 10 on the UK Albums Chart for two weeks from the week of 28 November 1992. It returned to the chart for two separate weeks in 1993, one week in 1996, and six consecutive weeks in 1998.[14] In the United States, the album sold a further one million copies. It contains a new, longer version of the instrumental "Portrait" that is named "Portrait (Out of the Blue)", which was originally released (under the title "Out of the Blue") as the B-side to Enya's 1988 worldwide hit single, "Orinoco Flow".[9] In 2009,The Celts had a limited Japanese reissue on Super High Material CD with "Eclipse" added as a bonus track.[19]
Enya's instrumental-humming piece "Boadicea" has been sampled by numerous artists.The Fugees sampled it for their song "Ready or Not" onThe Score (1996). A lawsuit against the group forcopyright infringement was prepared as they had not asked for permission and did not give her credit. However, after Enya confirmed that the group were "anti-crime and drugs and their message was quite positive", she decided not to follow through with the suit. As a compromise, later pressings ofThe Score included stickers placed on the cover giving Enya credit.[20]
On the 1999 albumAstronomica by Americanheavy metal bandCrimson Glory, the intro track "March for Glory" is an interpretation of Enya's "Boadicea".
In 2003,R&B artistMario Winans sampled "Boadicea" for his song "I Don't Wanna Know". ProducerP. Diddy personally contacted Enya for permission and gave her 60 percent of the royalties,[21] and included her name on the song's subtitle as "Mario Winans featuring Enya and P. Diddy". It went on to reach number one on theUK Singles Chart in 2004. "Boadicea" was also sampled on theanswer song to "I Don't Wanna Know", "You Should Really Know" by the Pirates featuringShola Ama,Naila Boss and Ishani, which peaked at number eight in the UK in 2004. "Boadicea" with "Ready or Not" was also sampled by R&B groupNina Sky on their single "Time to Go" featuring rapperAngie Martinez, from the mixtape presented byCipha Sounds. In 2008, Italian DJ Francesco Zeta sampled "Boadicea" for his song "Fairyland"; he made another version in 2012, subtitled "ReAmp", that also used thehardstyle sample. In 2011, a small sample of "Boadicea" was used on "Der erste Winter" by German singerCassandra Steen for the albumMir so nah. In 2012,hip hop artistMeek Mill sampled "Boadicea" on his mixtapeDreamchasers 2 on a song named after the Fugees' song, "Ready or Not". In 2015,Masika Kalysha sampled the song on "Hella Hollywood". In 2016,Salvatore Ganacci's song "Dive" sampled "Boadicea", and Enya was credited as a featured artist. OnNigerian-American singerRotimi's 2019 albumThe Beauty of Becoming, he sampled the song on a track entitled "In My Bed", which also featured the rapperWale. In 2022, "I Don't Wanna Know" was covered in "Creepin'" by American record producerMetro Boomin, Canadian singerthe Weeknd, and Atlanta-based rapper21 Savage, and by proxy Enya is credited as a writer. In the same year, "Boadicea" was also used in "Enjoy That" by American singerAkon.
The song is also featured in theStephen King movieSleepwalkers.[22]The series Snowfall featured Boadicea in the funeral scene for the character Jerome in the final season.
On 22 July 2016, Bosnian-Swedish DJSalvatore Ganacci released the single "Dive", which heavily samples "Boadicea" and features vocals from Alex Aris.[23] The single peaked number 14 on the US Billboard Dance/Electronic Digital Songs Sales chart.[24]
Technically, no music videos were released to promote the album. However, two episodes ofThe Celts featured music video-style interludes featuring Enya performing "I Want Tomorrow" and "Aldebaran". (A music video for "The Celts" would later be produced for the Warner Bros. reissue.)
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [25] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [26] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [27] |
A November 1987 review appeared in Australian newspaperThe Age by Mike Daly. He compared the sound of the album toClannad following their shift in musical style in the early1980s, "echoing, shimmering vocals and instrumentals". He questioned if it was "a beautiful, melodic example of New Age music, or perhapsNew Folk?" Daly continued to pick out "I Want Tomorrow", "The Celts", "The Sun in the Stream", and "To Go Beyond (II)" as highlight tracks.[28]
All music composed byEnya; all music arranged by Enya andNicky Ryan; all lyrics byRoma Ryan, except where noted. The lyrics to "St. Patrick" adapted from the Irish hymn "Deus Meus, Adiuva Me" byMael Ísu Ua Brolcháin, though it is credited as "Traditional".[7][29][30]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Celts" | 2:57 | |
| 2. | "Aldebaran" (Dedicated toRidley Scott) |
| 3:05 |
| 3. | "I Want Tomorrow" | R. Ryan | 4:02 |
| 4. | "March of the Celts" |
| 3:17 |
| 5. | "Deireadh an Tuath" (Irish for "End of the Tribe") |
| 1:44 |
| 6. | "The Sun in the Stream" | 2:55 | |
| 7. | "To Go Beyond (I)" | 1:21 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Fairytale" | 3:04 | |
| 9. | "Epona" | 1:37 | |
| 10. | "Triad"
| Mael Ísu Ua Brolcháin ("St. Patrick") | 4:25 |
| 11. | "Portrait" | 1:23 | |
| 12. | "Boadicea" | 3:32 | |
| 13. | "Bard Dance" | 1:24 | |
| 14. | "Dan y Dŵr" (Welsh for "Under the Water") | R. Ryan | 1:42 |
| 15. | "To Go Beyond (II)" | 2:59 | |
| Total length: | 39:36 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Portrait (Out of the Blue)" (extended version) | 3:12 |
| 12. | "Boadicea" | 3:32 |
| 13. | "Bard Dance" | 1:24 |
| 14. | "Dan y Dŵr" | 1:42 |
| 15. | "To Go Beyond (II)" | 2:59 |
| Total length: | 41:25 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 16. | "Eclipse" | 1:33 |
| Total length: | 42:31 | |
Credits adapted from the album's 1987 and 1992 liner notes.[7][9]
Musicians
Production
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{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)Rolling Stone Enya Album Guide
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| Related articles | |
