To France

"To France"
Single by Mike Oldfield
from the album Discovery
B-side
  • "In the Pool"
  • "Bones"
Released18 June 1984 (1984-06-18)[1]
Recorded"In the Swiss Alps at 2,000 metres within sight of Lake Geneva on sunny days"[2]
GenreEuropop, rock
Length4:33
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Mike Oldfield
Producer(s)Mike Oldfield
Simon Phillips
Mike Oldfield singles chronology
"Crime of Passion"
(1984) 		"To France"
(1984) 		"Tricks of the Light"
(1984)

"To France" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1984. It is from the album Discovery and features Maggie Reilly on vocals.

The musical theme used in "To France" was also used on the first track on side two of the Discovery album, "Talk About Your Life". The B-sides for the single are the non-album tracks "In the Pool" and "Bones".[3] The B-sides later re-appeared on the re-issue of the "Moonlight Shadow" single in 1993.

The music video that appears on the Elements – The Best of Mike Oldfield video for "To France" is a mock-live performance of the song. Oldfield plays a Fender Stratocaster in the video.

Track listing

[edit]
7" Single
  1. "To France" (4.33)
  2. "In the Pool" (3.40)
12" Single
  1. "To France" (extended version) (5:32)
  2. "In the Pool" (3:40)
  3. "Bones" (3:19)

Charts

[edit]

The song reached the top 10 in a number of countries in 1984 and topped the French charts for one week in October 1984.

Maggie Reilly version

[edit]
"To France"
Single by Maggie Reilly
from the album Elena
ReleasedJanuary 1997[17]
Recorded1996
GenreFolk pop
Length5:09
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Mike Oldfield
Producer(s)Nick Patrick
Maggie Reilly singles chronology
"Walk on By (The Mixes)"
(1996) 		"To France"
(1997) 		"Listen to Your Heart (The Mixes)"
(1997)

In 1996, Maggie Reilly re-recorded "To France" on her solo album Elena, and in 2009 she recorded another version of the song for her album Looking Back Moving Forward. Compared to the original, this version is significantly Pop-heavy.

Track listing

[edit]
Maxi-CD
  1. "To France" (JPO & Beam Video Mix) 3:46
  2. "To France" (Intro) 1:08
  3. "To France" (JPO & Beam Spanish Dream Mix) 5:50
  4. "To France" (JPO & Beam Club Mix) 8:03
  5. ""To France" (Espirito Remix) 6:40
  6. "Mike Oldfield & Maggie Reilly - "To France" (Radio Edit) 3:34
Part II - CD-Maxi
  1. "To France" (DJ Beam's Radio Mix) 3:54
  2. "To France" (De Donatis Remix) 6:16
  3. "To France" (DJ Beam's Club Mix) 6:29

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18] 17
Germany (GfK)[19] 19
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[20] 30
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 53
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] 22

Kim Wilde version

[edit]
"To France"
Single by Kim Wilde
from the album Snapshots
Released2 December 2011
Recorded2011
GenrePop rock
Length3:59
LabelColumbia SevenOne
Songwriter(s)Mike Oldfield
Producer(s)Andrew Murray
Ricky Wilde
Kim Wilde singles chronology
"It's Alright" / "Sleeping Satellite"
(2011) 		"To France"
(2011) 		"Ever Fallen in Love"
(2012)

"To France" is the second single to be released from Kim Wilde's twelfth studio album Snapshots. It was released digitally on 2 December 2011. Included on the single is a Christmas remix of the song as well as an exclusive remix of "It's Alright" by German Euro-dance band Groove Coverage.

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "To France" (Christmas edit) – 3:56
  2. "To France" – 3:59
  3. "It's Alright" (Groove Coverage remix edit) – 2:55
  4. "It's Alright" (Groove Coverage remix) – 4:26

Other cover versions

[edit]
  • In 1995, Yoly released a euro house version on "To France" EP.
  • In 1996, Blind Guardian released a Power metal cover of "To France" on their album The Forgotten Tales.
  • In 1998, Yamboo used parts from the song in their song "Come With Me".
  • In 1997, Marina Kapuro recorded a Russian version, called "Маленький остров" ("little island").[23]
  • In 2002, Novaspace released a cover of "To France" as a single.
  • In 2002, Hungarian pop group Crystal released a Hungarian language version called "Itt megtalálsz"
  • In 2004, Under:Cover released a trance cover version.
  • In 2006, The Highstreet Allstars released a jumpstyle cover version.
  • In 2008, Alien Market released a house cover version.
  • In 2008, Liz Kay released a techno cover version called "To France 2008".
  • In 2009, E-Mine vs. Disco Punks released a commercial dance remix bundle digitally.
  • In 2009, New Limit released a makina cover version on their album "Grandes exitos".
  • In 2010, Brisby & Jingles released an electro house cover version as a digital single.
  • In 2011, Leaves' Eyes released a cover of "To France" on their album Meredead.
  • In 2011, French singer Nolwenn Leroy covered the song on the re-issue of her album Bretonne.
  • In 2013, German producers Torsten Stenzel (York) and Stefan Brünig (Steve Brian) did a dance remix, included on the Oldfield album 'Tubular Beats'.
  • In 2015, The German Band Santiano released a cover version called "Lieder der Freiheit" (Songs of freedom).
  • In 2020, Crew 7 released a house cover version.
  • In 2020, the Danish band Anubis Gate released a cover version on their album "Covered in Colors"
  • In 2021, Jay Frog × Amfree × Blaze U released a house cover version.
  • In 2021, the Dutch band Kingfisher Sky released a cover version on their EP album "The Winter Sessions"
  • In 2024, the DJ and remixer Daniel La Peur together with German band X-Perience released a cover version as stand-alone single.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Oldfield singles".
  2. ^ "Mike Oldfield Discography - Discovery". Tubular.net. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Singles". Amadian. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
  4. ^ "Mike Oldfield & Maggie Reilly – To France" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  5. ^ "RPM Top AC - September 1, 1984" (PDF).
  6. ^ "Mike Oldfield & Maggie Reilly – To France" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Mike Oldfield & Maggie Reilly – To France" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 31, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Mike Oldfield – To France" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Mike Oldfield & Maggie Reilly – To France". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  11. ^ "Mike Oldfield & Maggie Reilly: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  12. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mike Oldfield & Maggie Reilly – To France" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  13. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  17. ^ "M Reilly singles".
  18. ^ "M. R. – To France" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  19. ^ "M.R. – To France" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  20. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Maggie Reilly" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  21. ^ "M. R. – To France" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  22. ^ "M. R. – To France". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  23. ^ Marina Kapuro - "Маленький остров" on YouTube
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