Enigma 'Sadeness'

Chart Peak: UK 1
YouTube

Yes, 'Sadeness'. That's the title under which it was released pretty much everywhere except the UK, where the label presumably feared that we'd think it was a spelling mistake. The title, of course, refers to the Marquis De Sade who's addressed in his native French at various points in the track. The combination of heavy breathing and hits of sexual debauchery with religious imagery (the sampled Gregorian chant) was obviously something with appeal to the more pretentious but I found it more annoying than anything else (even though I was about the right age then, 12). And it's laid over music that could be described as "new age", also not a selling point in my book. I think the most enjoyment I've ever got out of it was trying to work out what the French lyrics were. In truth, the vocals work more as a texture than as a text and that's presumably part of the reason the song could become such a global hit.

Available on: The Platinum Collection

Enigma 'Return To Innocence'

Chart Peak: 3

YouTube

The creator and primary force behind Enigma is German writer/producer Michael Cretu... In 1991 the single 'Sadeness' was a No. 1 smash hit and the MCMXCAD project was a multi-million seller and in February 1994 'Return To Innocence was a British Top 3 megahit.

If anything I remember the video to this more than the track. And since the sleevenote's mentioned it, I should probably clarify the whole writing thing: as of 1994 the sole credit was indeed to Curly MC (ie Cretu) but the hook is sampled from an aboriginal Taiwanese song recorded by 郭英男 and 郭秀珠, who understandably sued after the song was used to publicise the 1996 Olympics. They were awarded a credit and royalty on subsequent releases of the track. So yes, a song called 'Return To Innocence' plagiarised a song about drinking. That seems rather ironic.

Even if Cretu/Curly isn't being disingenuous in claiming that he'd believed the chant to be in the public domain, this seems to highlight the main problem I tend to have with this sort of new-agey pop: if I wanted to listen to traditional Taiwanese music I don't necessarily want somebody from Western Europe (arguably Central Europe in this case, since Cretu is Romanian by birth and a naturalised German citizen, but I think the main point still applies) playing synthesisers over the top of it and applying a generic programmed beat.

Oh and as eny fule kno, his first hit was originally released as 'Sadness' in the UK, although it got its full title everywhere else in the world that I know of.

Also appearing on: Now 19
Available on: The Platinum Collection