Sleeping Sun
Encyclopedia
"Sleeping Sun" is a power ballad by Nightwish
. The song was written by Tuomas Holopainen
and dedicated to the solar eclipse that arose on the European sky in 1999, and recorded during the Oceanborn
sessions. It was first released on the MaxiCD of the same name in 1999, with a re-recorded version released in late October/early November 2005.
announced that they were busy recording a new version of this song for a compilation album, entitled Highest Hopes. Tarja Turunen
sang lead vocals on the re-recorded version, this becoming her final studio contribution to the band before being replaced by Anette Olzon
.
"Sleeping Sun" would appear on the Highest Hopes album titled "Sleeping Sun 2005 Version". To promote the compilation it was released as a CD & DVD single.
The CD single include the full "2005 version", the radio edit of this new version, and the original 1999 version.
The band also made a video for the 2005 Version; It is a vicious medieval war scene including all the Nightwish
band members, with Tarja
In the aftermath of the battle. The original 2000 video version was filmed with vocalist Tarja Turunen
walking about at Pakkahuone, Tampere
, Finland
. She is the only Nightwish
band member featured in the original, far less dramatic, video. Both videos for 2000 & 2005 versions are included on The DVD Single.
band ApoVelation released a demo version in 2006.
Spanish Gothic metal
band Iris covered the song in 2007.
Maryana Borak sang the song Live in Novy Rozdil, Ukraine, 2007.
Soprano Maria Lund recorded a Finnish language version of the song (titled "Uinuva Aurinko") for her 2008 album "Ajan Sävel".
Classical string quartet group "The Random Quartet" also played the song in 2008. Brazilian Rock band Swianne currently perform the song regularly in their concerts.
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
. The song was written by Tuomas Holopainen
Tuomas Holopainen
Tuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish composer known best for symphonic metal music. He has also studied jazz and classical styles, but prefers to be influenced by harmonic film music....
and dedicated to the solar eclipse that arose on the European sky in 1999, and recorded during the Oceanborn
Oceanborn
-Personnel:Credits for Oceanborn adapted from liner notes.The band*Tarja Turunen - Vocals*Tuomas Holopainen - Keyboards*Emppu Vuorinen - Lead guitar*Sami Vänskä - Bass guitar*Jukka Nevalainen - Drums and PercussionMain Crew...
sessions. It was first released on the MaxiCD of the same name in 1999, with a re-recorded version released in late October/early November 2005.
Second release
In 2005, NightwishNightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
announced that they were busy recording a new version of this song for a compilation album, entitled Highest Hopes. Tarja Turunen
Tarja Turunen
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
sang lead vocals on the re-recorded version, this becoming her final studio contribution to the band before being replaced by Anette Olzon
Anette Olzon
Anette Ingegerd Olsson , known by the stage name Anette Olzon, is a Swedish singer from Helsingborg, best known as the second lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish. Olzon was formerly the vocalist in the Swedish AOR band Alyson Avenue...
.
"Sleeping Sun" would appear on the Highest Hopes album titled "Sleeping Sun 2005 Version". To promote the compilation it was released as a CD & DVD single.
The CD single include the full "2005 version", the radio edit of this new version, and the original 1999 version.
The band also made a video for the 2005 Version; It is a vicious medieval war scene including all the Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
band members, with Tarja
Tarja
Tarja is a Finnish name. It may refer to*Tarja Turunen, a Finnish singer*Tarja Cronberg, a Finnish politician*Tarja Halonen, a Finnish politician and President of Finland *Tarja , a 2004 album by German neofolk group Sonne Hagal...
In the aftermath of the battle. The original 2000 video version was filmed with vocalist Tarja Turunen
Tarja Turunen
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
walking about at Pakkahuone, Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. She is the only Nightwish
Nightwish
Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. Formed in 1996 by songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former vocalist Tarja Turunen, Nightwish's current line-up has five members, although Tarja has been replaced by Anette Olzon and the...
band member featured in the original, far less dramatic, video. Both videos for 2000 & 2005 versions are included on The DVD Single.
DVD Single
- Sleeping Sun 2005
- Sleeping Sun 1999 version
- Sleeping Sun (Live @ Summer Breeze)
Covers
German Dramatic Dark rockGothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
band ApoVelation released a demo version in 2006.
Spanish Gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
band Iris covered the song in 2007.
Maryana Borak sang the song Live in Novy Rozdil, Ukraine, 2007.
Soprano Maria Lund recorded a Finnish language version of the song (titled "Uinuva Aurinko") for her 2008 album "Ajan Sävel".
Classical string quartet group "The Random Quartet" also played the song in 2008. Brazilian Rock band Swianne currently perform the song regularly in their concerts.
Personnel
- Tarja TurunenTarja TurunenTarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
– Vocals - Tuomas HolopainenTuomas HolopainenTuomas Lauri Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish composer known best for symphonic metal music. He has also studied jazz and classical styles, but prefers to be influenced by harmonic film music....
– KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Erno "Emppu" Vuorinen – Guitars
- Marco HietalaMarco HietalaMarko Tapani "Marco" Hietala is a heavy metal vocalist and bassist. Internationally, he is most known as the current bassist, male vocalist and composer, of the symphonic metal band Nightwish...
- Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Jukka NevalainenJukka NevalainenJukka Antero "Julius" Nevalainen is the drummer in the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish and the Finnish progressive metal band Sethian.- Biography :He spent his early years in the city of Kitee...
– Drums
External links
- Official Nightwish website
- More info about Sleeping Sun: 1999 2005
- Pictures from the second video
- 'Sleeping Sun - Nightwish' Review on ICELIA
- Fansite