Secrets of the Beehive

Secrets of the Beehive
Studio album by David Sylvian
Released	7 November 1987
Recorded	1987, London and Bath, England; Chateau Miraval, Le Val, France; Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, The Netherlands
Genre	Art rock, avant-garde
Length	34:30 original LP 40:31 CD reissue 43:59 Japanese CD
Label	Virgin
Producer	Steve Nye
David Sylvian chronology
Gone to Earth (1986) Secrets of the Beehive (1987) Plight & Premonition (1988)
Singles from Secrets of the Beehive
"Let the Happiness In" Released: September 1987 "Orpheus" Released: May 1988

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Mojo
Pitchfork	9.1/10

Secrets of the Beehive is a solo album by British singer-songwriter David Sylvian and was released in 1987. Reportedly written in one sitting over a couple of weeks Secrets was his most intimate to date and used more acoustic instruments than ever before. By many regarded as his finest solo work. Produced by Steve Nye and David Sylvian, the album features Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Torn, Mark Isham and Steve Jansen among others. The album peaked at no.37 in the UK album chart.

In 2003, a remastered limited digipak version of Secrets.. was released with the bonus track from the Japanese version Promise replacing the original CD bonus track Forbidden Colours (version), which was a re-recorded version of the Sakamoto/Sylvian collaboration originally intended for Brilliant Trees, but eventually released as b-side to the Red Guitar single. In 2006 it was reissued in a standard jewel-case.

In February 2019, as part of a redesigned monochrome sleeved vinyl reissue batch of his 80s albums, Secrets.. was released in a gatefold sleeve with different type fonts, but otherwise maintaining the original artwork.

Track listing

All tracks are written by David Sylvian, except as noted

No.	Title	Length
1.	"September"	1:17
2.	"The Boy With the Gun"	5:19
3.	"Maria"	2:49
4.	"Orpheus"	4:51
5.	"The Devil's Own"	3:12
6.	"When Poets Dreamed of Angels"	4:51
7.	"Mother and Child"	3:15
8.	"Let the Happiness In"	5:37
9.	"Waterfront"	3:23
Total length:		34:34

Original CD bonus track

No.	Title	Length
10.	"Forbidden Colours (Version)" (Sylvian/Ryuichi Sakamoto)	6:01

2003 CD bonus track

No.	Title	Length
10.	"Promise (The Cult of Eurydice)"	3:28

Personnel

• David Sylvian – vocals, piano (1), acoustic guitar (2, 4, 6), organ (2, 8), synths (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10), tapes (3, 5), treated piano (5)
• Ryuichi Sakamoto – string arrangement (1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10), organ (2, 3, 5, 7, 8), synths (2, 4, 8), piano (4, 5, 7, 9, 10), treated piano (3), woodwind arrangement (5), brass arrangement (8)
• Steve Jansen – drums (4, 8, 10)
• David Torn – electric guitar (2, 7), guitar loop (3)
• Danny Thompson – double bass (2, 4, 7)
• Danny Cummings – percussion (2, 6, 7, 8)
• Phil Palmer – slide guitar (4), acoustic guitars (6)
• Mark Isham – flugelhorn (4,8), trumpet (6, 8)
• Brian Gascoigne – orchestral arrangement (4), string arrangement (8)
• Ann O'Dell – string arrangement (10)

Technical personnel

• Steve Nye – producer, mixing, engineer
• David Sylvian – assistant producer, assistant mixing
• Peter Williams – co-engineer (10)
• Richard Moakes – second engineer
• Steve Parker – second engineer
• John Timperley – second engineer
• Jean-Jacques Lemoine – assistant engineer
• Roland Prent – assistant engineer
• Steve Williams – assistant engineer
• Richard Chadwick – recording co-ordinating
• Catherine Wilson – assistant in recording
• Vaughan Oliver (23 Envelope) – design, typography
• Nigel Grierson (23 Envelope) – still life photography
• Yuka Fujii – portrait photography

Charts

Chart (1987)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	91
United Kingdom (Official Charts Company)	37