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Tangerine Dream

Tyger

- Studio, released June 1987 -

Covers


CD release Germany 1987
Design: Monique Froese

CD release USA 1987
Design: Monique Froese

CD release USA 1992
Design: Monique Froese
Painting: Pogo


Tracks

[a][b][c][d]
1.Tyger 5:485:485:495:49
2.London 14:2214:2214:2414:24
3.Alchemy Of The Heart 12:2312:2312:1512:15
4.Smile 6:086:086:116:11
5.21st Century Common Man, Part One -4:494:494:49
6.21st Century Common Man, Part Two -4:003:584:03
7.Vigour ---4:57
8.Tyger (7" version) ---4:27
Total running time38:4147:3047:2656:55
[e]
1.Tyger [1992 remix]5:13
2.London 14:25
3.Alchemy Of The Heart 12:07
4.Smile 5:53
5.21st Century Common Man, Part One 4:49
6.21st Century Common Man, Part Two 4:00
7.Vigour 4:55
Total running time51:22


Details

Recording date1987
Recording site(s)Dream Studios (Berlin), Eastgate Studios (Vienna)
Recording engineer(s)Edgar Froese, Chris Franke, Paul Haslinger
Composer(s)Edgar Froese, Chris Franke, Paul Haslinger
Musician(s)Edgar Froese, Chris Franke, Paul Haslinger, Jocelyn Bernadette Smith
Producer(s)Edgar Froese


Notes

"Look at the fingers of your hands if you want to know how things that are different can be the same."
- Mikhail Naimy

 


TD's 1987 studio album for Jive Electro, Tyger, was surprising, as once again it featured vocals, this time sung by guest artist Jocelyn Bernadette Smith from New York who joined composers Edgar Froese, Chris Franke and Paul Haslinger in Vienna and Berlin in February 1987 to transform a series of poems by the English mystic and painter William Blake (1757 - 1827) into songs. This project was mainly an idea by Edgar Froese: "My interests in philosophy lead me to William Blake, whom I've admired for about 20 years as one of the greatest writers in the English language -- apart from Shakespeare. I myself had a problem with Jocelyn during the recording. She'd already got through the texts, but during the session she took the book and smashed it on the floor, saying, 'I'm an R & B singer and I don't want to do this schoolkid bullshit!' I still think she did a fairly good job, but she hated the lyrics, which are not easy to understand if you don't know the background. It helps to know what Britain was all about when Blake wrote the story. It was an empire and his words were partly political, social and esoteric at the same time. If you don't comprehend this then you may have a problem interpreting it correctly. Even my colleagues didn't understand, so I don't blame Jocelyn or anybody else. The recording session was very hard work, but it was my baby and I take full responsibility for that record."

 


In fact, using vocals once again after their previous experiment with Steve Jolliffe on Cyclone back in 1978 started discussions among TD fans. Many of them disliked the presence of Jocelyn Bernadette Smith's vocals and regarded the highly melodic nature of Tyger as further evidence of TD's decline into commerciality. Paul Haslinger later about Tyger: "This project was shaped by our desire for another attempt at vocals. I think we were successful in avoiding the norm, but overall we -- or at least I -- didn't understand enough about the singer's perspective to make it really work."

 


Monique Froese's cover artwork of the 1987 album releases would later become TD's official logo in the 90's. The CD versions included the two-part composition 21st Century Common Man that was not featured on the LP releases.

 


Re-Releases

 


In 1992 a different version was released in the USA with totally new cover artwork and a different track listing. While the title track Tyger was completely remixed, Smile was slightly faster (and hence shorter) than on the original release, and Alchemy Of The Heart was slightly abridged. Furthermore, the CD included the previously unreleased bonus track Vigour.

 


In summer 2012 the album was re-released by Esoteric Records on their Reactive label as part of a re-issue of the TD back catalogue of the Pink and Blue Years. The album was completely remastered and comes with a nice 16-page booklet including numerous photos plus an essay written by journalist Malcolm Dome. Like some other albums of this re-release series Tyger comes with two bonus tracks: Vigour (taken from the 1992 release) and the single version of Tyger that had never been released on CD before.


Releases

Canada
1987: Jive/BMG
LP [a]: HIP 47; world map labels
Europe
1996: Essential/Castle
CD [c]: ESMCD367
2003: Sanctuary/Castle
CD [e]: CMRCD723; standard jewel case with additional cardboard wrapper
2012: Reactive/Esoteric
CD [d]: EREACD 1030; multicoloured disc
Germany
1987: Jive/Teldec
LP [a]: 6.26475 AP; world map labels
CD [b]: 8.26475; tracks 5 and 6 appear as one single track
1989: Jive/Teldec
CD [b]: 244 612-2
Greece
1987: Jive
LP [a]: 40021; blue labels
Israel
1987: Jive/CBS
Promo-LP [a]: HIP 47-1; world map labels; cover with promo sticker
LP [a]: HIP 47-1; world map labels
Italy
1987: Jive/BMG
Promo-LP [a]: ZL 71511; white promo labels
LP [a]: ZL 71511; blue labels
Japan
1988: Alfa
Promo-LP [a]: ALI-28084; blue promo label
LP [a]: ALI-28084; blue label
CD [b]: 32 XB-224; tracks 5 and 6 appear as one single track
Netherlands
1987: Jive/CNR
LP [a]: 656.093; blue labels
CD [b]: 100.097; tracks 5 and 6 appear as one single track
Portugal
1987: Jive/Edisom
LP [a]: 614 448; blue labels
UK
1987: Jive
LP [a]: HIP 47; world map labels
CD [b]: CHIP 47; tracks 5 and 6 appear as one single track
USA
1987: Caroline
Promo-LP [a]: CAROL 1341; picture labels, gsc
LP [a]: CAROL 1341; picture labels
CD [c]: CAROL CD 1341
1992: Relativity
CD [e]: 88561-1055-2
1996: Sequel/Castle
CD [c]: 1048-2
2000: Castle
CD [c]: CMACD577
2003: Sanctuary
CD [e]: 06076-81306-2
Tyger was also released as part of the sets Collection and The Blue Years Studio Albums.

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