Amarantine (album)
Encyclopedia
Amarantine is an album
by Irish musician
Enya
. The album was released on November 22, 2005. It won the Grammy Award
for Best New Age Album
for 2007.
The release date was announced by Roma Ryan
on September 23, 2005, at the official Enya forum. It was subsequently leaked to the Internet on November 11, 2005.
Two songs from the album were released as singles: the title track "Amarantine
" and "It's in the Rain
". "Someone Said Goodbye" was released as a promotional single in the United States
as well. The album was very successful and sold more than 6.5 million copies overall. The success of the album kept it for 9 months and 2 weeks (38 weeks, from Dec/10/2005 to Aug/26/2006) in the #1 spot of the Billboard New Age Albums.
, The Magic of the Night, We Wish You a Merry Christmas
and Christmas Secrets.
The standard booklet with lyrics is included.
and three exclusive photos in a back-cover pocket. All is packaged in a red velvet box.
created by writer and lyricist Roma Ryan
. It's been described in news releases as "a futuristic language from a distant planet." Loxian was used in three songs from Amarantine. There is also a book published in December 2005 by Roma Ryan
called Water Shows The Hidden Heart, which uses this language.
The inspiration for Loxian was, in part, the Elvish languages created by J. R. R. Tolkien
. Enya sang several songs in Tolkien's languages for the soundtrack of the movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings
.
as part of an advertising campaign for Panasonic
. As part of the announcement of the new song, Warner Music Japan
stated that Enya's next album would be released in November 2004. On September 19, 2004, Enya made a press release available via her website stating that no release was immediately planned. "Sumiregusa" has been included as one of the tracks on the Amarantine album.
to advertise its products in Japan, featuring in TV commercials advertising its "Viera" and "Diga" range of flat-screen TVs and DVD recorders. The commercials appeared on several national TV channels for several weeks, helping both Panasonic and Enya's sales.
's "Vesper Hymn"
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Irish musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
. The album was released on November 22, 2005. It won the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best New Age Album
Grammy Award for Best New Age Album
The Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the New Age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
for 2007.
The release date was announced by Roma Ryan
Roma Ryan
Roma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
on September 23, 2005, at the official Enya forum. It was subsequently leaked to the Internet on November 11, 2005.
Two songs from the album were released as singles: the title track "Amarantine
Amarantine (song)
"Amarantine" is a single by Irish musician Enya, taken from the album of the same name. The word is taken from ancient Greek and means everlasting or immortal . The single was released in certain regions on 14 November 2005...
" and "It's in the Rain
It's in the Rain
"It's in the Rain" is the second European single released by Enya from her 2005 album Amarantine. It was released in some European countries in the first half of 2006....
". "Someone Said Goodbye" was released as a promotional single in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well. The album was very successful and sold more than 6.5 million copies overall. The success of the album kept it for 9 months and 2 weeks (38 weeks, from Dec/10/2005 to Aug/26/2006) in the #1 spot of the Billboard New Age Albums.
Standard release
The standard release was released in 2005. This edition has 1 disc, and contains 12 tracks. A booklet with lyrics is includedAmarantine Special Christmas Edition
This two-disc set in a 2-CD jewel case and cover sleeve was released in 2006. It features the previously released 12 tracks on the first disc. The second disc has 4 newly recorded Christmas songs: Adeste, FidelesAdeste Fideles
"Adeste Fideles" is a hymn tune attributed to English hymnist John Francis Wade . The text itself has unclear beginnings, and may have been written in the 13th century by John of Reading, though it has been concluded that Wade was probably the author.The original four verses of the hymn were...
, The Magic of the Night, We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol from the West Country of England. The origin of this Christmas carol lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as 'figgy...
and Christmas Secrets.
The standard booklet with lyrics is included.
Amarantine Deluxe Collector's Edition
This limited edition box set contains the standard release of Amarantine, the second edition of the book Water Shows The Hidden Heart by Roma RyanRoma Ryan
Roma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
and three exclusive photos in a back-cover pocket. All is packaged in a red velvet box.
Standard release
- "Less Than a Pearl" – 3:44 *
- "AmarantineAmarantine (song)"Amarantine" is a single by Irish musician Enya, taken from the album of the same name. The word is taken from ancient Greek and means everlasting or immortal . The single was released in certain regions on 14 November 2005...
" – 3:13 - "It's in the RainIt's in the Rain"It's in the Rain" is the second European single released by Enya from her 2005 album Amarantine. It was released in some European countries in the first half of 2006....
" – 4:08 - "If I Could Be Where You Are" – 4:01
- "The River Sings" – 2:49 *
- "Long Long Journey" – 3:17
- "Sumiregusa (Wild Violet)" – 4:42
- "Someone Said Goodbye" – 4:02
- "A Moment Lost" – 3:08
- "Drifting" – 4:12
- "Amid the Falling Snow" – 3:38
- "Water Shows the Hidden Heart" – 4:39 *
Disc 1
- "Less Than a Pearl" – 3:44 *
- "AmarantineAmarantine (song)"Amarantine" is a single by Irish musician Enya, taken from the album of the same name. The word is taken from ancient Greek and means everlasting or immortal . The single was released in certain regions on 14 November 2005...
" – 3:13 - "It's in the RainIt's in the Rain"It's in the Rain" is the second European single released by Enya from her 2005 album Amarantine. It was released in some European countries in the first half of 2006....
" – 4:08 - "If I Could Be Where You Are" – 4:01
- "The River Sings" – 2:49 *
- "Long Long Journey" – 3:17
- "Sumiregusa (Wild Violet)" – 4:42
- "Someone Said Goodbye" – 4:02
- "A Moment Lost" – 3:08
- "Drifting" – 4:12
- "Amid the Falling Snow" – 3:38
- "Water Shows the Hidden Heart" – 4:39
Disc 2
- "Adeste, FidelesAdeste Fideles"Adeste Fideles" is a hymn tune attributed to English hymnist John Francis Wade . The text itself has unclear beginnings, and may have been written in the 13th century by John of Reading, though it has been concluded that Wade was probably the author.The original four verses of the hymn were...
" – 3:58 - "The Magic of the Night" – 3:34
- "We Wish You a Merry ChristmasWe Wish You a Merry Christmas"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol from the West Country of England. The origin of this Christmas carol lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as 'figgy...
" – 3:40 - "Christmas Secrets" – 3:47
Amarantine Deluxe Collector's Edition
- "Less Than a Pearl" – 3:44 *
- "AmarantineAmarantine (song)"Amarantine" is a single by Irish musician Enya, taken from the album of the same name. The word is taken from ancient Greek and means everlasting or immortal . The single was released in certain regions on 14 November 2005...
" – 3:13 - "It's in the RainIt's in the Rain"It's in the Rain" is the second European single released by Enya from her 2005 album Amarantine. It was released in some European countries in the first half of 2006....
" – 4:08 - "If I Could Be Where You Are" – 4:01
- "The River Sings" – 2:49 *
- "Long Long Journey" – 3:17
- "Sumiregusa (Wild Violet)" – 4:42
- "Someone Said Goodbye" – 4:02
- "A Moment Lost" – 3:08
- "Drifting" – 4:12
- "Amid the Falling Snow" – 3:38
- "Water Shows the Hidden Heart" – 4:39 *
- *Lyrics in LoxianLoxianLoxian is an artistic language and alphabet created by writer and lyricist Roma Ryan for Enya's 2005 album Amarantine. The language is featured in three songs on the album...
language taken from the book Water Shows The Hidden Heart by Roma RyanRoma RyanRoma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
. - Note: The songs found on the second disc of the Amarantine Special Christmas Edition were also released separately in the United States on the CD Sounds of the Season: The Enya Holiday Collection, and in Canada as the Christmas Secrets EP.
Production
- All instruments and vocals performed by EnyaEnyaEnya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
- Lyrics by Roma RyanRoma RyanRoma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
, except Adeste, FidelesAdeste Fideles"Adeste Fideles" is a hymn tune attributed to English hymnist John Francis Wade . The text itself has unclear beginnings, and may have been written in the 13th century by John of Reading, though it has been concluded that Wade was probably the author.The original four verses of the hymn were...
(traditional) and We Wish You a Merry ChristmasWe Wish You a Merry Christmas"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol from the West Country of England. The origin of this Christmas carol lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as 'figgy...
(traditional). - Arranged by Enya and Nicky RyanNicky RyanNicholas Dominick Ryan is an Irish music producer, recording engineer and manager for the musician Enya. He previously managed the Irish group Clannad, the band with which Enya first performed. In 1982, when Nicky Ryan left Clannad, Enya followed him...
- Mixed by Enya and Nicky RyanNicky RyanNicholas Dominick Ryan is an Irish music producer, recording engineer and manager for the musician Enya. He previously managed the Irish group Clannad, the band with which Enya first performed. In 1982, when Nicky Ryan left Clannad, Enya followed him...
- Recorded at Aigle Studio
- Engineered by Nicky RyanNicky RyanNicholas Dominick Ryan is an Irish music producer, recording engineer and manager for the musician Enya. He previously managed the Irish group Clannad, the band with which Enya first performed. In 1982, when Nicky Ryan left Clannad, Enya followed him...
- Mastered by Dick Beetham of 360 Mastering, London
- Digital technical advisor and engineer: Daniel Polley
- Loxian language and font by Roma RyanRoma RyanRoma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
- All titles published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd
- Photography by Simon Fowler
- Conceptual cover design by Nicky RyanNicky RyanNicholas Dominick Ryan is an Irish music producer, recording engineer and manager for the musician Enya. He previously managed the Irish group Clannad, the band with which Enya first performed. In 1982, when Nicky Ryan left Clannad, Enya followed him...
and Ebony Ryan - Inner sleeve design and layout by Ebony Ryan and Roma RyanRoma RyanRoma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
- Inner sleeve artwork by Roma RyanRoma RyanRoma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
and Persia Ryan - Cover and inner sleeve production by Intro
Loxian
Loxian is an artistic languageArtistic language
An artistic language is a constructed language designed for aesthetic pleasure. Unlike engineered languages or auxiliary languages, artistic languages usually have irregular grammar systems, much like natural languages. Many are designed within the context of fictional worlds, such as J. R. R....
created by writer and lyricist Roma Ryan
Roma Ryan
Roma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
. It's been described in news releases as "a futuristic language from a distant planet." Loxian was used in three songs from Amarantine. There is also a book published in December 2005 by Roma Ryan
Roma Ryan
Roma Shane Ryan is an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist, currently living in Artane, Ireland, with her husband Nicky....
called Water Shows The Hidden Heart, which uses this language.
The inspiration for Loxian was, in part, the Elvish languages created by J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
. Enya sang several songs in Tolkien's languages for the soundtrack of the movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
.
Premature label announcement
In September 2004 a new Enya song named "Sumiregusa (Wild Violet)" was released in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as part of an advertising campaign for Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
. As part of the announcement of the new song, Warner Music Japan
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
stated that Enya's next album would be released in November 2004. On September 19, 2004, Enya made a press release available via her website stating that no release was immediately planned. "Sumiregusa" has been included as one of the tracks on the Amarantine album.
Usage in TV commercials
The "Sumiregusa" song was also used by PanasonicPanasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
to advertise its products in Japan, featuring in TV commercials advertising its "Viera" and "Diga" range of flat-screen TVs and DVD recorders. The commercials appeared on several national TV channels for several weeks, helping both Panasonic and Enya's sales.
Source material
The opening bars to the song "Sumiregusa" is from the first part of John StevensonJohn Stevenson (composer)
Sir John Andrew Stevenson was an Irish composer of classical music. He is best known for his publications of Irish Melodies with poet Thomas Moore...
's "Vesper Hymn"
Charts
| Country | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 13 |
| Austria | 4 |
| Belgium | 1 |
| Canada | 4 |
| Czech Republic | 4 |
| Denmark | 7 |
| Finland | 22 |
| France | 5 |
| Germany | 3 |
| Hungary | 7 |
| Ireland | 15 |
| Italy | 8 |
| Japan | 1 |
| Netherlands | 5 |
| New Zealand | 10 |
| Norway | 13 |
| Portugal | 5 |
| Spain | 9 |
| Sweden | 4 |
| Switzerland | 3 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
8 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
6 |
Certifications and sales
Charting singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Amarantine Amarantine (song) "Amarantine" is a single by Irish musician Enya, taken from the album of the same name. The word is taken from ancient Greek and means everlasting or immortal . The single was released in certain regions on 14 November 2005... " |
Adult Contemporary (U.S.) | 10 |
| 2006 | "Someone Said Goodbye" | Adult Contemporary (U.S.) | 26 |
| 2005 | "Amarantine" | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
53 |
| 2005 | "Amarantine" | Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... Weekly Single 100 |
67 |
Awards
Grammy Awards| Year | Winner | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Amarantine | Best New Age Album Grammy Award for Best New Age Album The Grammy Award for Best New Age Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the New Age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards... |