Out of print on CD in the U.S., this is the CD maxi single for the top five & first hit from their 1994 album. Containsfour mixes of the smash: Radio Edit, Long & Alive Version, 380 Midnight Mix and Short Radio Edit. Slimline jewel case. 1994 Virgin release.
"I used to really enjoy enigma until they stole the voices of the Kuo Couple of the Ami tribe in Taiwan. The success of the single Return to Innocence is completely due to these vocals not to enigma's own "originality" and it sickens me that they tried to take credit for this beautiful work. And yes I am Taiwanese so I was and am still angered by this lack of respect towards other cultures. This shows their ignorance and disregard to other cultures since they tried to pass the vocals off as "native american." To me, this sounds like theyre saying "All natives are alike so why does it matter whether or not we credit the right ones."
I can no longer listen to anymore Enigma songs without thinking of this total violation of the rights of two amazing people."
Great song! But I can only give 4 stars before of its origin
Distant Voyageur | 10/01/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's a great song! But unfortunately, I can only give this song 4 stars, because of the following reason: Enigma copied part of the melody from "Jubilant Drinking song" from Taiwan native vocalists Mr and Mrs. Kuo (Chinese name: Kuo, Yin-Nan, but I don't know their native names) when those Taiwan native vocalists were invited to sing in the international folksong concerts held in France before 1994. Enigma even used their original singing in the beginning of the song! The "Jubilant Drinking song" is used to sing while drinking with the friends or local tribes for Taiwan natives who live in the eastern coast facing the Pacific Ocean. That is why the melody has the favor and attitudes of the ocean tides hitting the rocky coasts! After some court suings and legal settlements, the CD company paid those Taiwanese vocalists the the royalty of that song, and print their names on the new release of that song later. The Taiwanese vocalists were invited to the opening ceremony of 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in U.S.A. and sang with Enigma. That is why I give this song 4 stars."
Very Much Alive Version...
Armando M. Mesa | Chandler, AZ | 12/05/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I choose the Long and Alive version of Return To Innocence as the best version on this maxi-single. It is just that,long and re-vitalized with added warmth, vocals and percussion. It's not overwrought with 300 bpms (beats per minute-for the club/d.j. enthusiast) like the other version. Vocals by Sandra Cretu and Louisa Stanley are better isolated here than on the album version. Male lead vocals by German singer Angel (Andy Hard)are, for lack of better words, ethereal and lightweight. Yet, his vocals are impressively strong.A minor post script/footnote here: Anyone who collects rare hard to find European imports interested in hearing more of Angel's vocals can try to track down a solo album he put out a few years ago. It was,once again, produced by Michael Cretu/Enigma. The title of the c.d. is Welcome to the Soul Asylum.Some copies were sold in Europe under the artist's name as Angel X or Angel...The Return to Innocence extended mix will leave listeners mesmerized and with a feeling that they have just taken some sort of mystical and spiritual journey from within. You will also feel very close to the earth and Heaven..."
This Item is worth having for the Long and Alive mix.
Distant Voyageur | Io | 05/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Return To Innocence was a well deserved hit for Enigma. It kind of came as a surprise to me that such a relatively sunny song came from the same group who did the dark and ainy Sadeness. There are two remixes that saound almost the same with the radio edit and the short radio edit. The radio edit sounds exactly like the parent album version except without the bridge tat ties it into I Love You Ill Kill You. The short radio is dead identical inly about 3 minutes. However the real gems on this single are the Long and Alive and the 380 Midnignt Man mix. The 380 Midnight mix is much darker and more stormy also making almost like it meeting Sadeness. The part with the strobe light chants is great. This version is a great reworking of the original. It gaive RTI a whole new feel almost opposite to the original. The winner thoruhg is the Long and Alive version. It starts off as a cloudy minor note and then a discordant guitar away comes in and then morphs into inro the original sound with the usual chating. However the middle part of the song has a sort of Sitar at the bridge and a more minor note structure. The song then morphs back into a major note song and with a new shorus that the song to 7 minute and gives this remix far, Far more personality than the original version. Go and get this single. The reviews I wrote on the 380 Midnight Man and Long Alive aren't enough to really say how great they are. It's worth the money."