Ancient Heart

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[1]
Robert ChristgauB[2]
New Musical ExpressStarStarStarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[3]
Record MirrorStarStarStarHalf starFile:Star empty.svg[4]
Smash HitsStarStarStarStarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[5]

Ancient Heart is the debut studio album by British pop/folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram,[6] released by Warner Music Group on 12 September 1988. The album was a hit globally, launching 19-year-old Tikaram's career. Guest musicians include Rod Argent, Mark Isham, Peter Van Hooke, Paul Brady, and Brendan Croker; Argent and Van Hooke also produced the album. Four singles were released from the album: "Good Tradition", "Twist in My Sobriety", "Cathedral Song" and "World Outside Your Window".[7] In October 2025, Tikaram released a follow-up album, LIAR (Love Isn't a Right).[8][9]

Reception

The New York Times stated that "it's almost impossible to believe that the creator of the record's moody, enigmatic ballads is only 19 years old. The mournful contralto of this English singer sounds like a softer folkish echo of such quintessentially cosmopolitan voices as those of Nico and Grace Jones... The somberly lovely arrangements on Ancient Heart feature a string quartet on several cuts, and in "For All These Years," Mark Isham's trumpet and fluegelhorn envelop her unusually mature voice in rich wistful atmosphere."[10]

Billboard noted that "U.K. vocalist exhibits mature pipes and a simple yet sophisticated writing style on her debut... Hard to pigeonhole her elusive sound; it could take with the same listeners who were drawn to Toni Childs. Great promise here."[11]

A review from Spin observed "more miserable than Leonard Cohen, more cryptic than Kate Bush, Tanita Tikaram wears her ancient heart on her album sleeve... Tikaram turns out to be a real magpie, pinching bits from hither and thither and building them into something of her own, albeit something willfully abstract... It's her voice that helps the music triumph over her self-consciously adult lyrics. An extremely mellifluous instrument for one of such tender years, it has the resonance of someone a lot more mature and world-weary."[12]

In a retrospective write-up from AllMusic, Jose F. Promis claimed the record "stands as one of the most underappreciated albums of the 1980s... (Tikaram) created a melancholy and wistful work, mature beyond her years, of startling originality and honesty. While this album may be considered folkish and artsy, it never stoops to the clichés that dominated those styles of music in the later Lilith Fair years... Ancient Heart is a smoky, world-weary album, that, years after its initial release, does not sound one bit dated and has effortlessly stood the test of time."[13]

Track listing

All words and music by Tanita Tikaram.

  1. "Good Tradition"
  2. "Cathedral Song"
  3. "Sighing Innocents"
  4. "I Love You"
  5. "World Outside Your Window"
  6. "For All These Years"
  7. "Twist in My Sobriety"
  8. "Poor Cow"
  9. "He Likes the Sun"
  10. "Valentine Heart"
  11. "Preyed Upon"

Personnel

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Brass Section

  • Mark Isham – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Noel Langley – trumpet
  • Malcolm Messiter – oboe
  • Philip Todd – saxophone
  • Pete Beachill – trombone

String Section

  • David Lindley – violin
  • John Georgiadis – violin
  • Helen O'Hara – violin
  • Brendon O'Reilly – violin
  • Ian Jewell – viola
  • Keith Harvey – cello

Charts

Chart (1988–89) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart 31
Austrian Albums Chart[14] 1
Canada Albums Chart[15] 22
Dutch Albums Chart[16] 4
European Albums (Eurotipsheet)[17] 1
The Official Finnish Charts[18] 2
German Albums Chart[19] 1
Greek Albums (IFPI Greece)[20] 1
Icelandic Albums (Tónlist)[21] 9
Italian Albums (Musica e dischi)[22] 3
New Zealand Albums Chart[23] 23
Norwegian Albums Chart[24] 1
Swedish Albums Chart[25] 8
Swiss Albums Chart[26] 1
UK Albums Chart[7] 3
US Billboard 200[27] 59
US Cash Box Top 200 Albums[28] 65

Certifications and sales

Template:Certification Table Separator
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[29] Gold 35,000 
Belgium (BRMA)[30] Gold 25,000 
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[31] Gold 26,667[31]
France (SNEP)[32] 2× Gold 0 
Germany (BVMI)[33] 3× Gold 750,000 
Hungary (MAHASZ)[34] Gold 50,000[35]
Italy (FIMI)[36] Platinum 200,000[36]
Netherlands (NVPI)[37] Platinum 100,000 
Norway — 202,000[38]
Spain (Promusicae)[39] Gold 0 
Sweden (GLF)[40] Gold 50,000 
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[41] Platinum 50,000 
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] 2× Platinum 600,000 
Worldwide — 4,000,000[43]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Promis, Jose F. "Tanita Tikaram: Ancient Heart". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Consumer Guide Reviews: Ancient Heart". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bailie, Stuart (17 September 1988). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 34.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Dee, Johnny (17 September 1988). "33 - Album Reviews". Record Mirror. p. 31. ISSN 0144-5804.
  5. ^ Smash Hits magazine - Review: Albums - Ian Cranna - 20 September 1988 - page 87
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tentative Review #63". tranglos.com. 2 January 1998. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  7. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."TANITA TIKARAM | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tanita Tikaram returns to music scene after 37 years". RTE.ie. 6 May 2025.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Singer Tanita Tikaram to release sequel to debut album after 37 years". Yahoo News. 6 May 2025.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Holden, Stephen (25 January 1989). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard (magazine). No. 17 December 1988. p. 66. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Album Releases". Spin. No. March 1989. March 1989. p. 70. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Promis, Jose F. "Ancient Heart - Tanita Tikaram | Album". allmusic.com. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Discographie Tanita Tikaram - austriancharts.at". austriancharts.at.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."World Radio History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Discografie Tanita Tikaram - dutchcharts.nl". dutchcharts.nl.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 6, no. 9. 3 March 1990. p. 27. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Sisältää hitin" (PDF). musiikkiarkisto.fi. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". www.offiziellecharts.de.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 9. 4 March 1989. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Ísland (LP-plötur)". DV (in íslenska). 31 March 1989. p. 34. ISSN 1021-8254 – via Timarit.is.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in italiano). Retrieved 23 December 2025. Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Ancient Heart" in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."charts.org.nz - Discography Tanita Tikaram". charts.nz.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."norwegiancharts.com - Discography Tanita Tikaram". norwegiancharts.com.
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."swedishcharts.com - Discography Tanita Tikaram". swedishcharts.com.
  26. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". hitparade.ch.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tanita Tikaram". Billboard.
  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cash Box Top 200 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. 6 May 1989. p. 14. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  29. ^ Script error: No such module "cite".
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tanita" (PDF). Music & Media. 7 October 1989. p. 14. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  31. ^ a b Script error: No such module "cite".
  32. ^ Script error: No such module "cite".
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  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tanita - Gold in Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 March 1990. p. 3.
  35. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cresswell, Peterjon (5 February 1994). "Teen Star Revolutionises Hungarian Pop". Billboard. p. 40. Retrieved 27 September 2020 – via Google Books.
  36. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Caroli, Daniele (9 December 1989). "Italy | Talent Challenges" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. 101 (49). Nielsen Business Media, Inc.: I-8. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 28 September 2020 – via World Radio History.
  37. ^ Script error: No such module "cite". Enter Ancient Heart in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1989 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  38. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tanita - Best Selling Debut in Norway" (PDF). Music & Media. 18 March 1989. p. 2. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  39. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  40. ^ Script error: No such module "cite".
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  42. ^ Script error: No such module "cite". Select albums in the Formats field. Type Ancient Heart Tanita Tikaram in the "Search:" field.
  43. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Childs, Marti (13 July 2011). Where have all the pop stars gone?. EditprosLLC. ISBN 9781937317010. Retrieved 25 August 2018.

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