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Enya (1987)

The Celts (1992)

Enya is the self-titled debut studio album by Irish singer and composer Enya, released in March 1987 by BBC Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in the US. It features music written and recorded for the soundtrack of the 1986 BBC documentary television series The Celts.

Following her massive global commercial success, the record was remastered and reissued in November 1992 under the title The Celts by Warner Music.

Stream or download Enya songs

Commissioning and Background

In 1985, producer Tony McAuley invited Enya to submit a single song for an upcoming BBC2 documentary series about Celtic history and culture.

Her submission, "March of the Celts", impressed series director David Richardson, who commissioned her to compose the soundtrack for the entire six-part production.

Recording Sessions and Production

Enya recorded 72 minutes of music over two years at Aigle Studio in Dublin and BBC Enterprises Studio Woodlands in London alongside her key partners, producer Nicky Ryan and lyricist Roma Ryan.

During sessions at the BBC studio, Nicky Ryan instructed sound engineers to disregard standard acoustic practices, employing extreme reverb settings of up to 24 seconds to build Enya's distinct multi-layered vocal soundscapes.

Album Release Formats and Packaging

The original album was released in March 1987 to coincide with the television broadcast of the series, published on cassette, vinyl, and CD formats.

Two visual variations of the physical packaging were produced for the debut issue:

  • BBC Records Edition: The original UK release featured a sleeve designed with a prominent white border around a photo of Enya.
  • Atlantic Records Edition: The North American release was issued with a black-bordered cover.
  • Content Parity: The musical contents of both physical versions are completely identical.

1992 Reissue: The Celts

When Warner Music reissued the remastered album under the title The Celts in 1992, the record achieved new commercial success, peaking at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart.

On this edition, the original 1:23 track "Portrait" was replaced with a longer 3:12 track titled "Portrait (Out of the Blue)" featuring altered instrumentation.

As a result of this modification, the original 1987 pressing of Enya is no longer manufactured.

Singles and Unreleased Tracks

Because the debut album includes only 39 minutes of music from the original sessions, several tracks were issued separately over time:

  • "I Want Tomorrow": Released in March 1987 as Enya's debut solo single on 7-inch vinyl and CD formats.
  • "The Celts": Issued in November 1992 to promote the remastered reissue, peaking at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.
  • "Eclipse": Featured as a B-side in 1992, created by playing the track "Deireadh An Tuath" in reverse.
  • "Spaghetti Western Theme": An unreleased piece in the style of Hugo Montenegro, included on the 2005 "Amarantine" CD single in memory of Tony McAuley.

Sampling Legacy of "Boadicea"

The instrumental track "Boadicea" became one of the most sampled melodies in contemporary music history:

  • The Fugees (1996): Sampled the melody for "Ready or Not" on The Score. Enya planned legal action for unauthorized use but settled out of court, adding credit stickers to album copies.
  • Mario Winans (2004): Sampled the song for "I Don't Wanna Know". Producer P. Diddy awarded Enya 60% royalties and co-featured credit, taking the song to #2 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
  • The Pirates (2004): Sampled the track for the answer song "You Should Really Know", peaking at #8 on the UK Singles Chart.
  • Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage (2022): Heavily featured the sample on their chart-topping collaboration "Creepin'".

Film and Media Soundtracks

Music from The Celts soundtrack was later adapted for several independent film and media productions.

Instrumental compositions were reused for the soundtrack of the video production The Memory of Earth, produced by David Bickley.

In addition, the song "Boadicea" was featured on the soundtrack for the 1992 film Sleepwalkers, while "Epona" appeared in the 1991 movie L.A. Story.

Single: "I Want Tomorrow" (1987)

Lyrics, videos list and liner notes in The Celts album page.

Charts

Year Chart Position
1987 Official Album Chart (UK) 69
1990 Top New Age Albums (US) 14
1992 Official Album Chart (UK) 10

Credits

Guest musicians:
  • I Want Tomorrow: electric guitar by Arty McGlynn
  • The Sun In The Stream: uilleann pipes by Liam O'Flynn
  • To Go Beyond II: violin by Patrick Halling

All music composed by Enya and Published by Aigle Music.

Words for "I Want Tomorrow" and "Dan y Dŵr" written by Roma Ryan; words for "The Celts", "March of the Celts", "Aldebaran" and "Deireadh an Tuath" written by Enya and Roma Ryan. Words to "St. Patrick" are traditional.

This is a selection of the music heard in the BBC-TV Series "THE CELTS".
Enya: Vocals, Piano, Juno 60, DX7, Emulator II and Kurzweil

Music arranged by Enya and Nicky Ryan.
Engineered by Nigel Read.
Recorded at BBC Enterprises Studio Woodlands, London, and Aigle Studios, Dublin.

Produced by Nicky Ryan
Executive Producer: Bruce Talbot
("Aldebaran" is dedicated to Ridley Scott)

Sleeve Design and Art Direction: Mario Moscardini
Photography: Martyn J. Adleman
Re-Mastered by Sam Feldman at Atlantic Studios, NYC

Acknowledgements

"ENYA and AIGLE MUSIC would like to thank:
Julian Mitchell-Dawson
Gordon Menzies
Lance England
Those Nervous Animals
Na Casaidigh
Noel Bridgeman
Nollaig Casey
Tony McHugh
Pat Coleman
and especially Mr. Ian Donald
and Opel/General Motors for their generosity and assistance.

"A Very special thanks to:
Bruce Talbot and Humphrey Walwyn
David Richardson and Tony McAuley

"It is impossible for us to include all those we would like to thank. We would, however, like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the staff of BBC Enterprises involved in this project for their encouragement and hospitality."