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Roxy Music — Avalon
Album: Avalon
Avg rating:
7.9

Your rating:
Total ratings: 5310









Released: 1982
Length: 4:05
Plays (last 30 days): 2
Now the party's over
I'm so tired
Then I see you coming
Out of nowhere
Much communication
In a motion
Without conversation
Or a notion

Avalon

When the samba takes you
Out of nowhere
And the background's fading
Out of focus
Yes, the picture's changing
Every moment
And your destination
You don't know it

Avalon

(Dancing, dancing)
(Dancing, dancing)

When you bossa nova
There's no holding
Would you have me dancing
Out of nowhere

Avalon
Comments (512)add comment
 siqbal wrote:

After all these years I still get goosebumps when I hear Yanick Étienne's backup vocal.  Wordless because she didn't speak English. I understand she passed last year. May she rest in peace.



I thought it was Kate Bush. 
 eileenomurphy wrote:

Since Roy Orbison passed away, Brian Ferry & Chris Isaacs are the only crooners left!  Different styles, but both are great!!




Chris Isaaks' "I Believe" follows this song tonight (2/13/24) on RP!
 TallCreative1 wrote:


Ha! I was in art school (Academy of Art, SF) and listened to this for late nighters as well. Hey RP -- how about spinning up Slave to Love off the same album? (Played that one at my wedding).


Slave to Love is the first single released from Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry's 1985 release, Boys and Girls. The song is one of Ferry's most popular solo hits and is not on the Roxy Music album Avalon. I think you may have drank too much at your wedding.
80's cheese.  It reminds me of and still rates below the overrated "Wonderful Tonight".

Blaarf...
 pdibby wrote:

I used to listen to this album while pulling all-nighters in the art studio during college... it brings me back there again while I burn the midnight oil for work 40 years later! 



Ha! I was in art school (Academy of Art, SF) and listened to this for late nighters as well. Hey RP -- how about spinning up Slave to Love off the same album? (Played that one at my wedding).
 pdibby wrote:

I used to listen to this album while pulling all-nighters in the art studio during college... it brings me back there again while I burn the midnight oil for work 40 years later! 




Cool. Some things never change.  GREAT TUNE!  Thanx RP!   
I used to listen to this album while pulling all-nighters in the art studio during college... it brings me back there again while I burn the midnight oil for work 40 years later! 
After all these years I still get goosebumps when I hear Yanick Étienne's backup vocal.  Wordless because she didn't speak English. I understand she passed last year. May she rest in peace.
 timmus wrote:Thank
Amazing story by producer Rhett Davies about the recording session in Manhattan in 1981:
 
 



Thanks for sharing that that is one of my favorites albums.  Big when i was dating my wive now of 38 years.  It was kinda our song/album.
Amazing story by producer Rhett Davies about the recording session in Manhattan in 1981:
 
Ferry had stayed up that Saturday night and composed what would be the lyrics to "Avalon." Then, happenstance would provide “Avalon” with one of its most memorable elements: the interpretive vocal contributions of Yanick Étienne. Sunday was usually a down day at the Power Station, so the studio would let local Haitian bands come in to do demos when there wasn't much happening. It was then that Davies and Ferry, on a coffee break in the hallway, heard Etienne singing.

“Bryan and I could hear this girl from the Haitian band next door singing, and we thought, 'Wow! What a voice! We've got to get her singing some backing vocals on "Avalon."' That was Yanick Étienne, who didn't speak a word of English. She came in with her boyfriend/manager and we described to him what we wanted and she sort of sang the choruses and the [word] 'Avalon' — the great sound that is on there. Then we said, 'Can she try and do something free at the end?' and we ran the end of the track and she did absolutely nothing. So I said, 'No, we want her to sing anything that she would want to sing, totally free.' So the second time we ran the tape, she sang exactly what you hear on the record at the end.

“Bryan then went straight out and re-sang his vocal properly, because he was so inspired by Yanick's singing. I remember Bryan's manager walked in the room and Bryan was just finishing his vocal. We were doing the playback and I'd never seen the look on his eyes before. He went, 'Jesus f**** Christ! That is incredible!' Well, we knew it was a really high point of the evening. I remember going, 'Wow! We have really created something special here.' That is how I felt. Then we mixed it the next day with Bob [Clearmountain].

"It was one of those turnaround things, where the original track was just about to be thrown in the can. And then suddenly, we did a completely different version of the song that just made the record for me," Davies concludes. "I thought, 'That's it. That completes the record!' I remember we had dinner a couple nights later, and I asked Bryan, 'What are you going to call the album?' and he said, 'I'm going to call it Avalon,' and I thought, 'Yeah. Of course.'"
 

 Silvervanman wrote:


Yanick Étienne's backing on this sends shivers up my neck part. I always assumed it was Jerry hall but then I'm very stupid 



Did my due diligence on the background singer today... Found that Étienne was born in Haiti and died from cancer on 30 March 2022.
Got a seat directly behind the soundboard with a straight on center stage view this past Friday night 9/9 at Capital One Arena in downtown DC, their second date of the tour. Lotta fun! Sure had a bevy of top rate supporting musicians and background vocal support. Still can't find online mention of who they are on this tour by name. Bryan Ferry sings in a lower register sometimes raspy and at times drifts into a near spoken word style so be prepared. They play something from everything and that sure takes you across a span of time in your life. The "remember when this came out..." aspect. Wow. Thats 40-50 years ago. Ferry mentions the crew by name during the show of course but who am I to remember other than knowing Manzanera, Ferry, McKay and Thompson so a tip of the hat to the unmentioned. Anyway, go see them and reel in the years. We're not getting younger. Remember when?  
 Noé wrote:

Tout simplement superbe !!! Simply great !!!




10 en français and in english.
ANDY MCKAY
 mrsquid wrote:

Mrs Squid and and Mr Squid were celebrating a wedding anniversary at a higher-end restaurant in Dana Point California a few years ago. We were assigned a beautiful blonde waitress in her later '20s. You'll never guess what her name was? She was only a little embarrassed to admit that she was told that her parents named her after the song that was playing while she was conceived. How else should one rate such a song?



Could Avalon see Avalon from her restaurant?
Since Roy Orbison passed away, Brian Ferry & Chris Isaacs are the only crooners left!  Different styles, but both are great!!
amazing album all time fave
 Silvervanman wrote:


Yanick Étienne's backing on this sends shivers up my neck part. I always assumed it was Jerry hall but then I'm very stupid 
enjoy the backup but didn't want to thumbs up that a) sounds like JH or that b) you sound stupid...

SUPERB!!! ICONIC!!!
 idiot_wind wrote:

Wow. Look at the photo.  Back when men's fashion meant something! 



You mean the helmet or the hawk?
 jmkate wrote:


Apparently Yanick Etienne sang backup on this. 



who they found by accident: they overheard her singing in another studio down the hallway. She spoke little english so someone acted as a translator.
 paulbrun55 wrote:

Can someone confirm who the female vocalist is on this song..?



Apparently Yanick Etienne sang backup on this. 
Can someone confirm who the female vocalist is on this song..?
 sfoster66 wrote:

Being an avid reader of the RP comments...I have deduced that every single female vocalist in the world reminds someone of Kate Bush.  

Weird, but true...



Too funny!
 idiot_wind wrote:

Sounds like Kate Bush on harmony  vocals.


Being an avid reader of the RP comments...I have deduced that every single female vocalist in the world reminds someone of Kate Bush.  

Weird, but true...
Utter perfection.
 mrsquid wrote:

Mrs Squid and and Mr Squid were celebrating a wedding anniversary at a higher-end restaurant in Dana Point California a few years ago. We were assigned a beautiful blonde waitress in her later '20s. You'll never guess what her name was? She was only a little embarrassed to admit that she was told that her parents named her after the song that was playing while she was conceived. How else should one rate such a song?



Foxy Roxy? a little excessive for a girl!
This album takes me back to a summer spent in Québèc when I played the cassette copy I'd made over and over. Great album, to me Roxy's best.
every time I hear Yanick Étienne singing in this sing, it brings tears to my eyes.  Uncontrollable.  Hard to believe that a single piece of music can do that to me.
This song gave me hope a long time ago. It still carries me there today.
The music this afternoon- as usual- has been tremendous, thank you! 
I bought this album when it came out and made a cassette copy that I played to begin a marvellous road trip to Québèc. It has been the beginning of many a great road trip ever since. That cassette is long gone, replaced by a digital dub of the same LP. I really like all of the Roxy Music albums, but love Avalon.
This cover makes me think “Monty Python.” No idea why.
 Proclivities wrote:

Hmm, 1982 or '83 - it's fortunate that "Abracadabra" or "Maneater" was not playing at the time.


LOL


Yanick Étienne's backing on this sends shivers up my neck part. I always assumed it was Jerry hall but then I'm very stupid 
This ones goes to 11.... the whole album!
There's something about the way this album was engineered such that it makes any sound system sound its absolute best. I have my lp from back then, and it still sounds excellent (I'm careful with vinyl). It's a pretty fine album all the way through. So Bill, help me make my point, will ya? And thanks much for RP.
Many, many children conceived to this song and LP.
 jim15 wrote:
There's the story of Eno and Ferry hearing Yanick Étienne, a Haitian musician coincidentally doing some singing in an adjoining studio with other musicians when Eno and Ferry were working on the engineering of Avalon one night. She blew them away from down the hall. They played her what they had so far and asked her to improvise. She nailed it in one or two takes. 
 
Another story is Ferry auditioned for early King Crimson but Sinfield and Fripp didn't think he correct for KC but recognized the talent and helped him sign a record contract.  Sinfield then went on to produce the First RM album.
a perfect song
Declining RM, but still a good stuff.
Album cover similar to Wishbone Ash "Argus"
 ottovonb wrote:
Transcendent thirty years ago, now, and forever.
 
Yup!  Another 8 years later and I still agree.  
Memories of living in San Diego in the early 80s and listening to 91x 'the cutting edge'. Very nice days.
Anything Roxy Music, bring it. All. Day. Long.
There's the story of Eno and Ferry hearing Yanick Étienne, a Haitian musician coincidentally doing some singing in an adjoining studio with other musicians when Eno and Ferry were working on the engineering of Avalon one night. She blew them away from down the hall. They played her what they had so far and asked her to improvise. She nailed it in one or two takes. 
Bryan Ferry is old fashioned smooth. May be fluff but wonderful, nonetheless
former Scripps student here, I get the reference, sort of... ProjectGemini07 wrote:
I want to believe that including this in this set is a World War Z reference:

"I called it Victory at Avalon: The Battle of the Five Colleges.

The name, Avalon, comes from some stock footage one of the students had shot during the siege. It was the night before their last, worst attack, when a fresh horde from the east was clearly visible on the horizon. The kids were hard at work—sharpening weapons, reinforcing defenses, standing guard on the walls and towers. A song came floating across the campus from the loudspeaker that played constant music to keep morale up. A Scripps student, with a voice like an angel, was singing the Roxy Music song. It was such a beautiful rendition, and such a contrast with the raging storm about to hit. I laid it over my “preparing for battle” montage. I still get choked up when I hear it."
 

 idiot_wind wrote:
Wow. Look at the photo.  Back when men's fashion meant something! 
 

Yeah, that leopard skin apron is quite the fashion statement 
I want to believe that including this in this set is a World War Z reference:

"I called it Victory at Avalon: The Battle of the Five Colleges.

The name, Avalon, comes from some stock footage one of the students had shot during the siege. It was the night before their last, worst attack, when a fresh horde from the east was clearly visible on the horizon. The kids were hard at work—sharpening weapons, reinforcing defenses, standing guard on the walls and towers. A song came floating across the campus from the loudspeaker that played constant music to keep morale up. A Scripps student, with a voice like an angel, was singing the Roxy Music song. It was such a beautiful rendition, and such a contrast with the raging storm about to hit. I laid it over my “preparing for battle” montage. I still get choked up when I hear it."
 memoryboxer wrote:
Yanik Etienne alone rates a 10 (perhaps "Goddess like" mote apropos) - add the rest of the band and Mr Ferry and this soars beyond 11.
 

Yanick Étienne - thank you for saying her name. She is not credited. Here's her Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...


 mrsquid wrote:
Mrs Squid and and Mr Squid were celebrating a wedding anniversary at a higher-end restaurant in Dana Point California a few years ago. We were assigned a beautiful blonde waitress in her later '20s. You'll never guess what her name was? She was only a little embarrassed to admit that she was told that her parents named her after the song that was playing while she was conceived. How else should one rate such a song?
 
wish that were true, so fun, thanks!
Just beautiful
A song that touches my heart like no other
Wow. Look at the photo.  Back when men's fashion meant something! 
 Retrograde-orbit wrote:
I cannot tell you how many babies were made with this album playing.
 

Boys and Girls as well 
A heavenly tune 10
Yanik Etienne alone rates a 10 (perhaps "Goddess like" mote apropos) - add the rest of the band and Mr Ferry and this soars beyond 11.
 keller1 wrote:
Excellent show in Toronto recently by Mr Ferry.  Great band, which includes Chris Spedding and a female multi-instrumentalist who could easily have been on one of the early Roxy album covers.  Riveting.  The only hitch was that Slave to Love was 10 bpm fast, which given that it was played to a click had to be on purpose.  If you get a chance to see him, grab it.
 

Definitely agree. Saw him on my birthday last month (August 31st) at the Fox in Oakland (California), and it was a superb show. A great way to celebrate. 
Excellent show in Toronto recently by Mr Ferry.  Great band, which includes Chris Spedding and a female multi-instrumentalist who could easily have been on one of the early Roxy album covers.  Riveting.  The only hitch was that Slave to Love was 10 bpm fast, which given that it was played to a click had to be on purpose.  If you get a chance to see him, grab it.
I bought an LP12 turntable 35? years ago, this was the first song I played-Happy Days!
Sounds like Kate Bush on harmony  vocals.
Man, the memories. After over 20 years of collecting dust I put this CD in the car player two weeks ago and haven't taken it out yet.Neat how all the song lyrics come right back to me while singing in the car as if no time has passed.
 
Anyone remember when a DJ on WNEW-FM played Out of the Blue as a intro into his shows?
Immortal..
 Steelydan1969 wrote:
A guilty pleasure, a lovely tune 
 
No guilt here.
Roxy from 1972-75 made some of the very finest music of the 1970s. Sadly, their reunion output, including this track, is a pale shadow of their early work. 
4 minutes and 5 seconds  is about all it takes.
 
mrsquid wrote:
Mrs Squid and and Mr Squid were celebrating a wedding anniversary at a higher-end restaurant in Dana Point California a few years ago. We were assigned a beautiful blonde waitress in her later '20s. You'll never guess what her name was? She was only a little embarrassed to admit that she was told that her parents named her after the song that was playing while she was conceived. How else should one rate such a song?
 
One of my favorite Roxy tracks..... That sound is so relaxing.
take me back to the 80s please
Upping it from 8 to 14. That gal can sure hold a note.
It's Valentine's Day and this album will be part of tonight's soundtrack. After 25 years of marriage, she's still the one. 
A guilty pleasure, a lovely tune 
I cannot tell you how many babies were made with this album playing.
I guess I never read the words.  I always thought it was "much communication & emotion - midnight conversations are an ocean" {#Cheesygrin}  Hey, I have had those midnight conversations before - made sense to me.
 
This is a great song. It's a shame that Roxy Music didn't record more than this one song RP keeps playing. If only there were other songs by this band.
C L A S S ! ! !
 mrsquid wrote:
Mrs Squid and and Mr Squid were celebrating a wedding anniversary at a higher-end restaurant in Dana Point California a few years ago. We were assigned a beautiful blonde waitress in her later '20s. You'll never guess what her name was? She was only a little embarrassed to admit that she was told that her parents named her after the song that was playing while she was conceived. How else should one rate such a song?
 
Hmm, 1982 or '83 - it's fortunate that "Abracadabra" or "Maneater" was not playing at the time.
 DaMoGan wrote:

Cool song.

Looking at the lyrics "When the samba takes you/Out of nowhere," my first thoughts were about the open source project, and not the Brazilian music/dance style.  I really need to get away from the computer a bit more...

 

Damn it, Bill! It's only 8 p.m. Eastern. You're about two hours too early!
One of the great "chicken skin" kine songs
Really holding up well.  Sounding great in headphones here at work
10.  This really couldn't have been more perfect.  Every note.

Cool song.

Looking at the lyrics "When the samba takes you/Out of nowhere," my first thoughts were about the open source project, and not the Brazilian music/dance style.  I really need to get away from the computer a bit more...

Avalon! I have been loving this groove for decades! Thank you RP!

 Steely_D wrote:
Man, this has aged well.

Manzanera on that linear melodic guitar line, MacKay without his usual abrasive honking but still managing to contribute that pretty little interlude. And Ferry in his Italian shoes, the party over, he's so tired.

 
:-) Takes me back to student days with a smile!
Hey, that album cover looks alot like Wishbone Ash "Argus" album, which predates this one. 

"her hair was golden brown, blowing free like the corn fields..."
 sunybuny wrote:
Excuse me while I put your report aside and chair sway for 3 minutes.
 
Ha! Love it.
 mrsquid wrote:
Mrs Squid and and Mr Squid were celebrating a wedding anniversary at a higher-end restaurant in Dana Point California a few years ago. We were assigned a beautiful blonde waitress in her later '20s. You'll never guess what her name was? She was only a little embarrassed to admit that she was told that her parents named her after the song that was playing while she was conceived. How else should one rate such a song?

 
How many of us here have daughters (or sons, though less likely) named after some song in this circumstance?

Raise your hands (mine's raised).... :)
This whole album is very good.
So fine imo  (deep inhale, long sigh, mmmm, yup   really high quality  : )
Man, this has aged well.

Manzanera on that linear melodic guitar line, MacKay without his usual abrasive honking but still managing to contribute that pretty little interlude. And Ferry in his Italian shoes, the party over, he's so tired.
Before Autotune....
Who is the woman singing her way into our hearts, on this song?

Edit: I should have searched - it is Yanick Etienne.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanick_Etienne

https://www.facebook.com/yanicketiennefanpage
 mrsquid wrote:
Mrs Squid and and Mr Squid were celebrating a wedding anniversary at a higher-end restaurant in Dana Point California a few years ago. We were assigned a beautiful blonde waitress in her later '20s. You'll never guess what her name was? She was only a little embarrassed to admit that she was told that her parents named her after the song that was playing while she was conceived. How else should one rate such a song?

 
Lovely story, makes me sentimental all of a sudden. But the song captures so much of the 80s, things long forgotten suddenly stand right in front of you...
Played this vinyl to death in college. People down the hall would come in and ask about it. Loved it.
Sunrise in Australia,,,,,magic....Avalon NSW.

 Image result for avalon nsw

 


Tout simplement superbe !!! Simply great !!!
 That's one of the reasons albums were like greatest hits - they didn't have to fill 80 CD minutes, they just gave us the best 35 -40 minutes of songs without all the filler.
Stratocaster wrote:
"Avalon" is a greatest-hits album, as far as I'm concerned. Shame that albums were only about 35 minutes in those days....

 


Excuse me while I put your report aside and chair sway for 3 minutes.
 aspicer wrote:
Absolutely a quintessential song and album. Brilliant at all levels....{#Music}
 

 
Haven't listened to this album since abandoning my turntable years ago, but couldn't agree more. Time to buy another turntable and convert this. 
 Proclivities wrote:

They'll get over it.

 
Too much? Not possible. Like being too rich, too thin, too happy. Bring it on!
Mrs Squid and and Mr Squid were celebrating a wedding anniversary at a higher-end restaurant in Dana Point California a few years ago. We were assigned a beautiful blonde waitress in her later '20s. You'll never guess what her name was? She was only a little embarrassed to admit that she was told that her parents named her after the song that was playing while she was conceived. How else should one rate such a song?
 bodyschool wrote:

 Truly, I always loved this, but hear it too much & may need to lower my rating just because of that.  Would this be fair to Roxy Music?

 
They'll get over it.
Can't really say why, but I totally dig this tune.
Avalon NSW.

 Image result for avalon nsw
Really smooth. Outstanding!
xo
"Avalon" is a greatest-hits album, as far as I'm concerned. Shame that albums were only about 35 minutes in those days....
 Truly, I always loved this, but hear it too much & may need to lower my rating just because of that.  Would this be fair to Roxy Music?

caobhin wrote:
over-played.... {#Rolleyes}

 

Anything off this album can be played every day in my mind, one of the top 50 records ever recorded!
hmm Roxy Music? Your on a good way Bill, but take the early stuff
with Brian Eno, Phil manzanera. How about   all i want is you or virginia plain?
The electronic equipment was called synthizers long before computers took over.
over-played.... {#Rolleyes}
Sublime! {#Bounce}
a great song... like a good wine... has aged perfectly!
Absolutely a quintessential song and album. Brilliant at all levels....{#Music}
 

Avalon , NSW heaven on earth.

 


 scraig wrote:
The backup vocals are the only thing that keeps this song from sinking below a 3.

 
average still 7.7 hmmmmm I think you are in the minority on this one scraig lol {#Iamwithstupid}
The backup vocals are the only thing that keeps this song from sinking below a 3.
 ottovonb wrote:
Transcendent thirty years ago, now, and forever.

 

Yes, it will never grow old or out of date.