Sleeping Sun (Four Ballads of the Eclipse)

Single infobox
Name = Sleeping Sun – 4 Ballads Of The Eclipse


Artist = Nightwish
from Album = Oceanborn
Released = August 11, 1999
Format = CD
Recorded = May/June, 1999 at
Spinefarm, Helsinki
Genre = Symphonic power metal
Length = 4:04
Label = Spinefarm
Producer = Tero Kinnunen
Chart position =

• #2 (Finland)
• #69 (Germany)

Reviews = | Last single = “Walking in the Air”
(1999)
This single = Sleeping Sun (4 Ballads of the Eclipse)
(1999)
Next single = “Deep Silent Complete”
(2000)

"Sleeping Sun" is a song by Finnish symphonic power metal quintet Nightwish, released on their album "Oceanborn". The song was written by Tuomas Holopainen and dedicated to the solar eclipse that arose on the European sky in 1999. [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gmDWvGKLzBE] It was re-released on CD and DVD Single in late October/early November 2005.

Release

The first record of the song dates back from May/June 1999. It was recorded at Caverock Studio / Finnvox Studios (Both in Finland).

Together with the songs “Walking in the Air”, “Angels Fall First” and “Swanheart”, Sleeping Sun was released for the first time on the MCD "Sleeping Sun – 4 Ballads Of The Eclipse".

Later in 1999, the song was added to all new releases of the 1998 album "Oceanborn", and in 2004 also on the compilation album "Tales from the Elvenpath".

Video

A video was shot for the song, in which Tarja seems to have red hair. The videoclip includes many landscapes characteristic of Finland, for example the forests, the beaches and a large grain field. The video was directed by Sami Käyhkö. The video was later re-released, and shows Turunen as a queen of some sort, walking along a field of dead and wounded soldiers. In the video the other band members appear as soldiers, who apparently survived the war. [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xoDzlUPjhdI]

Crew

* Director: Sami Käyhkö
* Producer: Paula Eronen
* Executive producer: Sami Manninen
* Cinematographer: Risto Laasonen
* Camera assistant: Kalle Pekkala
* Trip and organizer: Juha Virtala
* Makeup and costumes: Johanna Pulli
* Grip assistant: Esko Virtala, Ville Kyro
* Offline editors: Sami Käyhkö, Reko Turja
* Telecine colourist: Adam Vidovic
* Online and compositing: Sami Käyhkö, Reko Turja

Shot at Ivalo and Lake Inari, Finland, July 1999.cite video | people=Käyhkö, Sami (Director) | year=1999 | title=From Wishes to Eternity | medium=DVD | location=Ivalo, Lake Inari (Finland) | publisher=Spinefarm records]

Tracklist

# Sleeping sun
# Walking in the air
# Swanheart
# Angels Fall First

Notes

References

* [http://www.metal-rules.com/interviews/NightwishCenturyChild.htm Metal-Rules.com: Interview with Nightwish – Tuomas Holopainen]

External links

* [http://www.nightwish.com Official Nightwish website]
*fr icon [http://www.nightwish-france.com/website/html/sleepingsun.htm More info about Sleeping Sun]
* [http://www.drakkar.de/files/nightwish_sleepingsun.avi Link to the first video (Right click, then “Save Target As...”)]