Paint the Sky with Stars - The Best of Enya
'Paint the Sky with Stars' released on 7 November 1997 is a best of compilation that sums up the first ten years of Enya's career. The featured tracks range from well-known up-tempo singles
to slow ballads and instrumentals. There are also two newly recorded pieces, 'Only If...' and 'Paint the Sky with Stars'.
The album has proved to be a great starting point for new fans and a good choice for casual listeners who do not wish to own all the songs.
Tracklist
| 01 | Orinoco Flow | 4:25 | English |
| 02 | Caribbean Blue | 3:58 | English |
| 03 | Book of Days | 2:56 | English/Gaelic |
| 04 | Anywhere Is [edit] | 3:43 | English |
| 05 | Only If... | 3:17 | English/French |
| 06 | The Celts | 2:56 | Gaelic |
| 07 | China Roses | 4:47 | English |
| 08 | Shepherd Moons | 3:42 | Instrumental |
| 09 | Ebudae | 1:54 | Gaelic/Vocalisation |
| 10 | Storms In Africa | 4:10 | Gaelic |
| 11 | Watermark | 2:24 | Instrumental |
| 12 | Paint the Sky with Stars | 4:12 | English |
| 13 | Marble Halls | 3:53 | English |
| 14 | On My Way Home [remix] | 3:35 | English |
| 15 | The Memory of Trees | 4:18 | Instrumental/Vocalisation |
| 16 | Boadicea | 3:30 | Instrumental/Vocalisation |
Some tracks have been remastered from their original album versions.
Song selection
"I thought it would be fun to relive those moments of writing all those melodies. It was kind of like a musical diary and I really enjoyed it.
I started in February, trying to select the obvious ones, the hits, and others. There was a lot of trial and error. It was a little bit difficult to pick
selections that would cross over for everyone and to have some of my favorites on as well."
-Enya, Boston Globe, 1997 (enyabookofdays.com)
"I must say I enjoyed the experience. I relived the songs completely: the beginning, the middle, the end, the writing of the melody,
the parts that worked wonderfully and the parts that didn't work. It's like a diary of what I did each day. Musically I was quite happy because
though sometimes it's very subtle, I know there's a progression on each album and my voice has been maturing."
-Enya, NY Times, 1997 (enyabookofdays.com)
Visuals
Album artwork
The dreamy artwork was designed by a Belgian calligrapher and visual artist Brody Neuenschwander. The booklet features a collage of Enya photos and handwritten song titles but no lyrics. Brody also worked on the 'A Box of Dreams' collection released in the same year.
While the booklet design stays identical on all issues, the colour of the cd changes in some countries (silver in Australia, white in Malaysia, black in Colombia).
Music Videos
The music video for 'Only If...' was directed by Dan Nathan and shot at Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire, England.
Promotion
Enya promoted the album during November and December 1997 in Europe, Japan and the US.
Performances
| Venue | Song | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown TV Show (Japan) | Only If... | 1997 | Lip-synched |
| Rosie O'Donnell Show (USA) | Only If... | Dec 12, 1997 | Lip-synched |
| Late Show with David Letterman (USA) | Only If... | Dec 1997 | Lip-synched |
| Royal Variety Performance (UK) | Only If... | Dec 1, 1997 | Lip-synched |
| The Kenny Show (Ireland) | Marble Halls | Nov 15, 1997 | Lip-synched |
Awards
'Paint the Sky with Stars' won the Japanese Grand Prix Award for the album of the year.
Discography
Album
Paint the Sky with Stars
Orinoco Flow - Caribbean Blue -Book of Days [English] Anywhere Is [edit] - Only If... - The Celts - China Roses Shepherd Moons - Ebudæ - Storms In Africa - Watermark Paint the Sky with Stars - Marble Halls On My Way Home [remix] - The Memory of Trees - Boadicea
Single
Only If...
01 Only If... 02 Willows on the Water 03 Oíche Chiúin
Collection
'The Best of Enya' cd was accompanied by a release of a limited deluxe boxset containing three thematic cds and an illustrated booklet.
A Box of Dreams
OCEANS 01 Orinoco Flow 02 Caribbean Blue 03 Book of Days [English-Gaelic lyric] 04 Anywhere Is [edit] 05 Only If... 06 The Celts 07 Cursum Perficio 08 I Want Tomorrow 09 China Roses 10 Storms in Africa 11 Pax Deorum 12 The Longships 13 Ebudæ 14 On My Way Home [remix] 15 Boadicea CLOUDS 01 Watermark 02 Portrait (Out of the Blue) 03 Miss Clare Remembers 04 Shepherd Moons 05 March of the Celts 06 Lothlórien 07 From Where I Am 08 Afer Ventus 09 Oriel Window 10 River 11 Tea-House Moon 12 Willows on the Water 13 Morning Glory 14 No Holly for Miss Quinn 15 The Memory of Trees STARS 01 Evening Falls... 02 Paint the Sky with Stars 03 Angeles 04 Athair ar Neamh 05 La Soñadora 06 Aldebaran 07 Deireadh an Tuath 08 Eclipse 09 Exile 10 On Your Shore 11 Evacuee 12 Marble Halls 13 Hope Has a Place 14 The Sun in the Stream 15 Na Laetha Geal M'Óige 16 Smaointe...
Credits
Music composed and performed by Enya
Produced by Nicky Ryan
Arranged by Enya and Nicky Ryan
Lyrics by Roma Ryan
Marble Halls (Traditional) arranged by Enya and Nicky Ryan
All tracks published by EMI Songs Ltd
Principal photography: David Schneinmann
Calligraphy and Design: Brody Neuenschwander
Mastered by Arun
To all who hold us in their hearts - thank you.
Mar as gnáth...buióchas do Rob Dickins