The Ink in the Well explained

The Ink in the Well
Cover:	David Sylvian - The Ink in the Well.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	David Sylvian
Album:	Brilliant Trees
B-Side:	"Weathered Wall" (Instrumental)
Released:	^[1]
Recorded:	1983–1984, London, Berlin
Genre:	Art rock
Length:	4:30
Label:	Virgin
Producer:	Steve Nye David Sylvian
Prev Title:	Red Guitar
Prev Year:	1984
Next Title:	Pulling Punches
Next Year:	1984

"The Ink in the Well" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Sylvian. It was released in August 1984 as the second single from his debut solo album Brilliant Trees. The single peaked at No. 36 on the UK Singles Chart.^[2]

Reception

Reviewing the song for Record Mirror, Eden wrote "Mention David Sylvian and the adjectives that immediately spring to mind are sensitive, delicate, moody. 'Ink in the Well' lives up to David's reputation, it's accomplished with endearing lyrics and an interesting jazzy interlude occurs halfway through the song".^[3]

Personnel

On "The Ink in the Well":

• David Sylvian – vocals, synthesizers
• Phil Palmer – guitar
• Danny Thompson – double bass
• Kenny Wheeler – flugelhorn
• Steve Jansen – drums

On "Weathered Wall":

• David Sylvian – synthesizer
• Richard Barbieri – synthesizer
• Ryuichi Sakamoto – piano
• John Hassell – trumpet
• Holger Czukay – dictaphone
• Steve Jansen – drums, percussion

Technical:

• David Sylvian – cover design, remixing ("The Ink in the Well")
• Nigel Walker – remixing ("The Ink in the Well")
• Peter Williams – engineer
• Steve Nye – engineer, mixing
• Anton Corbijn – photography
• Yuka Fujii – photography

Notes and References

1. News. Record Mirror. 4 August 1984. 6. flickr.com. 14 December 2020.
2. Web site: 1984-08-18 . THE INK IN THE WELL . 2024-06-23 . Official Charts . en.
3. Singles. Record Mirror. 11 August 1984. 13. flickr.com. 14 December 2020.