"Cathedral Song" is a song by English singer-songwriter

Tanita Tikaram Tanita Tikaram (born 12 August 1969) is a British pop/ folk singer-songwriter. She achieved chart success with the singles "Twist in My Sobriety" and " Good Tradition" from her 1988 debut album, ''Ancient Heart''. Background Tikaram was born i ...

, released as a single from her debut album, ''

Ancient Heart ''Ancient Heart'' is the debut studio album by British pop/ folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram, initially released by Warner Music Group on 13 September 1988. The album had huge success and was a hit globally, launching 19-year-old Tikaram's ...

'' (1988). It peaked at #48 in the UK. An extended length

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was made from the song, portraying a love story between two swimmers in a Summer setting. The video was shot in black and white, and Tikaram appears only in studio footage, not on the external footage. Most of the music video was filmed in Portugal, in

Praia Grande Praia Grande () is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista. The population is 330,845 (2020 est.) in an area of 149.25 km². Population history History Although t ...

Praia do Guincho Praia do Guincho (English: Guincho Beach) is an Atlantic beach located on Portugal's Estoril coast, 5 km from the town of Cascais, and is located in the municipality of Cascais, more precisely in the parishes of Cascais and Alcabideche, in t ...

Estoril Estoril () is a town in the Municipality of Cascais, Portugal, on the Portuguese Riviera. It is a tourist destination, with luxury hotels, beaches, and the Casino Estoril. It has been home to numerous royal families and celebrities, and has h ...

and Cristo Rei sanctuary.

Releases

WEA released a limited edition 7-inch EP box set which had three prints from the video. Other formats also had live tracks - "Over You All" (CD/7-inch box), "Let's Make Everybody Smile Today" (CD/12-inch/7-inch box) and "Fireflies In The Kitchen" (12-inch). Studio versions of the latter two were not recorded.

Reception

Upon release, William Shaw of '' Smash Hits'' wrote: "It's a pleasant enough tune; a dreamy, floaty thing, full of haunting organs and guitar pluckings. But, if like me you spend all your time wondering what Tanita is singing about, then the sepulchral beauty of the whole thing kind of passes you by."

Charts

Covers

The song was covered by Brazilian singer

Zélia Duncan Zélia Duncan (, 28 October 1964), born Zélia Cristina Gonçalves Moreira, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter. Biography Duncan was born in Niterói, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. She moved with her family to Brasília, where she lived for 16 ...

. Her version, which has a similar arrangement but lyrics in Portuguese, was released in her second homonymous album (1994) and became a smash hit in Brazil. Her version (titled simply "Catedral") was also covered by Leandro from

Leandro e Leonardo Leandro e Leonardo were a Brazilian '' sertanejo'' duo. The two brothers (third and fourth of eight siblings), Leandro (born Luiz José da Costa, August 15, 1961–June 23, 1998) and Leonardo (Emival Eterno da Costa, born July 25, 1963), were from ...

and by

Renato Russo Renato Russo (born Renato Manfredini, Jr., March 27, 1960 – October 11, 1996) was a Brazilian singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the alternative rock band Legião Urbana. A Brazilian film depicting his life and career was rele ...

from

Legião Urbana Legião Urbana (Portuguese for Urban Legion) was a Brazilian rock band formed in 1982 in Brasília, Distrito Federal. The band primarily consisted of Renato Russo (vocals, bass and keyboards), Dado Villa-Lobos (guitar) and Marcelo Bonfá (d ...

References

1989 singles Tanita Tikaram songs Songs written by Tanita Tikaram 1988 songs Warner Music Group singles Song recordings produced by Rod Argent {{1980s-UK-single-stub