Secret Land
1988 single by Sandra
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"Secret Land" is a 1988 pop song by German singer Sandra. It was written by Uwe Gronau, Hubert Kemmler, Michael Cretu, Mats Björklund, Susanne Müller-Pi, Klaus Hirschburger and Michael Höing, and produced by Cretu. It is an adaptation of the 1987 Kemmler-produced song "Trenchcoat Man" recorded by the short-lived German band Fabrique, the members of which were Gronau and Höing.
| "Secret Land" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Sandra | ||||
| from the album Into a Secret Land | ||||
| B-side | "Into Nobody's Land" | |||
| Released | 26 September 1988[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Dance-pop, synthpop | |||
| Length | 4:45 (album version) 4:05 (single version) 6:30 (Reverse Mix) | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriters | Uwe Gronau, Hubert Kemmler, Michael Cretu, Mats Björklund, Susanne Müller-Pi, Klaus Hirschburger, Michael Höing | |||
| Producer | Michael Cretu | |||
| Sandra singles chronology | ||||
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| Licensed audio | ||||
| "Secret Land" on YouTube | ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Cover of the 1999 re-release | ||||
| Sandra singles chronology | ||||
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"Secret Land" was released in September 1988[2] as the second single preceding Sandra's third studio album, Into a Secret Land. The song charted in the top 10 in Germany and Switzerland, and reached the top 20 in a number of other European countries. It was also a no. 11 and no. 13 airplay hit in Germany and Austria, respectively.[3][4] It also charted on the pan-European airplay chart at no. 43 and no. 24 on the sales chart.[5]
In 1999, a remix of the song was released on Sandra's compilation My Favourites. It was released as a single to promote the album, but only met with minor success in Germany. The track was remixed again for her 2006 compilation Reflections.
Music videos
The music video was directed by Bulle Bernd and filmed in the French regions of Normandy and Brittany, respectively in the Mont-Saint-Michel and along the shores of the walled port city of Saint-Malo.[6] The clip was released on Sandra's VHS video compilation 18 Greatest Hits in 1992[7] as well as the 2003 DVD The Complete History.
A new music video was filmed for the 1999 remix, directed by Thomas Job, which was also released on The Complete History DVD.
Critical reception
A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media stated that the "breathy semi-spoken vocals in the intro, a la Donna Summer, lead into a naggingly effective song".[8]
Formats and track listings
- 7" single (1988)
- A. "Secret Land" — 4:05
- B. "Into Nobody's Land" — 4:12
- 12" maxi single & CD maxi single (1988)
- A. "Secret Land" (Reverse Mix) — 6:44
- B1. "Secret Land" (Single Version) — 4:05
- B2. "Secret Land" (Dub Mix) — 3:33
- CD maxi single (1999)
- "Secret Land" (Radio Edit) — 3:20
- "Secret Land" (Ultra Violet Club Mix) — 5:34
- "Secret Land" (La Danca Club Mix) — 6:12
- "Secret Land" (Ultra Violet Radio Edit) — 3:41
Charts
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] | 17 |
| Denmark (IFPI)[10] | 15 |
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[11] | 24 |
| France (SNEP)[12] | 26 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[13] | 7 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] | 81 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[15] | 8 |
| Spain (AFYVE)[16] | 26 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[17] | 15 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] | 9 |
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (Official German Charts)[19] | 69 |