English musician Mike Oldfield described "Islands" as "the high spot" of its parent album. In early 1987, he left his partner and children, and had moved to Megève in France. Oldfield wrote "Islands" during that time, while feeling "lonely, isolated and cut off". After struggling with the vocals, he invited Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler to record it, describing her performance as "spine-tingling, exactly the way it was supposed to be".[2]
Critical reception
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Mike DeGagne opined that Tyler's vocal "lifts the title track higher than any other cut [on the album]".[3]
^Islands (sleeve). Mike Oldfield featuring Bonnie Tyler. Virgin Records. 1987. VS-990.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Islands (sleeve). Mike Oldfield featuring Bonnie Tyler. Virgin Records. 1987. VS-990-12.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Fernando Salaverri (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN84-8048-639-2.