THE CRUELLEST GOODBYE
A SIDE: OUTLANDERS / THE CRUELLEST GOODBYE FEAT. AL DI MEOLA
B SIDE: OUTLANDERS / THE CRUELLEST GOODBYE ROUGH MIX 2014 FEAT. AL DI MEOLA
HARRY SOMMERDAHL / SØRVAAG FREDERIKSEN / TARJA TURUNEN / PUBLISHED BY UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GMBH
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More InformationThe song was written together with Harry Sommerdahl, co-writer of I Walk Alone, in 2008.
Nevertheless, I didn’t quite feel that the song was having the character nor spirit for one of my rock album releases, but since I loved the song very much, I kept it always present for a later use. “The Cruellest Goodbye” is a sad story about a forbidden love.
Even though it was originally composed and arranged as a piano song, I always imagined it with acoustic guitars. “Friday Night In San Francisco” is a live album by 3 of the best acoustic guitar players in the world: Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía and it was the main reference and source of inspiration for the sound I was hoping for.
I was living in Buenos Aires, Argentina back in 2013 when I got the news that Al Di Meola was having a concert in October the 2nd at the Gran Rex Theater. I took a chance to meet him and talk about my song. I visited him at his superb concert, and we had a glass of wine at the backstage after the show was over. Al was very kind and showed immediate interest to take part in our project. It was early stages for the whole idea, so I still didn´t have many references to give him, but one: to be himself.
It’s amazing how openminded he was about the recordings and the outcome shows you the great effort he put on to the song. He is outstanding, virtuoso musician and made the song feel like there has always been a guitar involved since the birth of it.
Not only he played several tracks with his acoustic trademark guitar sound, but also delighted us with an additional synthetized guitar that blends totally in synch with the programmed background.
I am so grateful for Al to trust his talent with us.
The Cruellest Goodbye went through few difficulties during the production process. Torsten’s computer hard drive really crashed several times, so I ended up recording vocals for the song 4 times spread though 13 years! Anyway, every time I did, it felt refreshing and new to me, so I didn’t mind about it and definitely enjoyed the process.
I am very happy that “The Cruellest Goodbye” finally find its home with Outlanders.
Vocals Tarja
Programming Torsten
Guitars Al Di Meola
Recorded and engineered at Embassy Studio Antigua & Barbuda by Torsten Stenzel
Vocals recorded by Tarja at Stardust III, Marbella, Spain
Guitars recorded by Csaba Toth Bagi
Guitars co-produced by Al Di Meola
Produced and mixed by Torsten Stenzel, Tarja & MIC
Mastered by Tom Porcell Mastering
Executive Producer Marcelo Cabuli for NEMS Enterprises SRL
Art Direction Tarja & MIC
Antigua & Barbuda Photographs by Alexis Andrews
Artwork by Firma Freimauer, Sebastian Rohde