''Illuminations'' is the sixth

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

by Indigenous Canadian-American singer

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American ( Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these ...

, released in 1969 on

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. It was a primarily classical label at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but also has a catalogue of recordings by a n ...

. From a foundation of vocals and acoustic guitar, Sainte-Marie and producer Maynard Solomon made pioneering use of the Buchla 100 synthesizer to create electronically treated vocals. It was the first quadraphonic vocal album released. The album's only single was "Better to Find Out for Yourself". British experimental music magazine ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon. The series was broadcast by the cable network HBO in the United States. ''The Wire'' premiered on June 2 ...

'' listed ''Illuminations'' amongst its '100 Albums that Set the World on Fire While No-One was Listening'. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' ranked it the 66th best album of the 1960s.

Production

The album was among the first to make prominent use of the

Buchla synthesizer Buchla Electronic Musical Instruments (BEMI) was a manufacturer of synthesizers and unique MIDI controllers. The origins of the company could be found in Buchla & Associates, created in 1963 by synthesizer pioneer Don Buchla of Berkeley, Californi ...

, which was previously featured on

Morton Subotnick Morton Subotnick (born April 14, 1933) is an American composer of electronic music, best known for his 1967 composition '' Silver Apples of the Moon'', the first electronic work commissioned by a record company, Nonesuch. He was one of the foun ...

's 1967 recording '' Silver Apples of the Moon''. On ''Illuminations'', the synthesizer was employed to create treated electronic sound, particularly of Sainte-Marie's voice. The opening track "God is Alive, Magic is Afoot" featured lyrics by

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

Peter Schickele "Professor" Peter Schickele (; born July 17, 1935) is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, but which he presents as being composed by the fictional P. D. Q. Bach. He also hosted ...

provided arrangements to "Mary", "Adam" and "The Angel", whilst the four tracks "Suffer the Little Children", "With You, Honey", "Guess Who I Saw in Paris" and "He's a Keeper of the Fire" were Saint-Marie's first work not to be produced by Vanguard boss Maynard Solomon. Instead, they had a stripped-down rock sound and were produced by little known

folk-jazz Folk jazz is a musical style that combines traditional folk music with elements of jazz, usually featuring richly texturized songs. Its origins can be traced back to the 1950s, when artists like Jimmy Giuffre and Tony Scott pursued distinct appro ...

songwriter Mark Roth. Bob Bozina played guitar, John Craviotta drums and percussion, and Rick Oxendine played bass.

Reception

''Illuminations'' has acquired a fan base quite distinct from that associated with any of Sainte-Marie's other albums. In addition to its being cited as a favourite album by a number of musicians (notably

Steve Hackett Stephen Richard Hackett (born 12 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis ...

), a number of critics have seen its twisted, eerie soundscapes as laying the grounds for the evolution of gothic music as well as having an influence on

New Weird America New Weird America is a 21st century style of music that primarily draws on psychedelic and folk music of the 1960s and 1970s. Etymology The term was coined by David Keenan in the issue 234 (August 2003) of ''The Wire'', following the Brattlebo ...

. In 2000, just before Vanguard re-issued it on CD, ''

Wire Overhead power cabling. The conductor consists of seven strands of steel (centre, high tensile strength), surrounded by four outer layers of aluminium (high conductivity). Sample diameter 40 mm A wire is a flexible strand of metal. Wire is c ...

'' magazine listed ''Illuminations'' amongst its '100 Albums that Set the World on Fire While No-One was Listening'.

Track listing

All songs composed by Buffy Sainte-Marie except where noted. # "God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot" (text by

from his novel '' Beautiful Losers'' / music by Buffy Sainte-Marie) – 4:51 # "Mary" – 1:30 # "Better to Find Out for Yourself" – 2:12 # "The Vampire" – 2:05 # "Adam" ( Richie Havens) – 5:05 # "The Dream Tree" – 2:34 # "Suffer the Little Children" – 2:53 # "The Angel" (Ed Freeman) – 3:41 # "With You, Honey" – 1:48 # "Guess Who I Saw in Paris" – 2:25 # "He's a Keeper of the Fire" – 3:21 # "Poppies" – 3:26

Personnel

* Buffy Sainte Marie - Vocals, Guitar * Electronic Score – Michael Czajkowski * Bass – Rick Oxendine (tracks: 9, 10, 11) * Drums – John Craviotto (tracks: 9, 10, 11) * Lead Guitar – Bob Bozina (tracks: 6, 9, 10, 11) * Arranged By –

(tracks: 2, 5, 8) * Engineer – Bob Lurie, Ed Friedner * Mixed By –

Jack Lathrop John Marcus Lathrop (May 11, 1913, Sherburne, New York – January 9, 1987, Stonington, Connecticut) was an American vocalist and guitarist with the Tune Twisters, Glenn Miller, and Hal McIntyre. Beginning around 1947, Lathrop was leader of the ...

* Producer – Maynard Solomon (tracks 1 to 6, 8, 12) * Producer - Mark Roth (tracks: 7, 9 to 11)

References

{{Authority control

Illuminations (Buffy Sainte-Marie album) ''Illuminations'' is the sixth album by Indigenous Canadian-American singer Buffy Sainte-Marie, released in 1969 on Vanguard Records. From a foundation of vocals and acoustic guitar, Sainte-Marie and producer Maynard Solomon made pioneering use o ...