Alan Parsons Project Eye in the Sky charted in the U.S.

Eye in the Sky Alan Parsons Project

Charted: June 19, 1982 Peak: 7 US, 28 UK, 3 CN, 4 AU Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.06 UK, 2.38 world (includes US and UK) Genre: progressive rock lite

Tracks: Click on a song title for more details. Sirius [1:48] Eye in the Sky [4:33] Children of the Moon [4:49] Gemini [2:09] Silence and I [7:17] You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned [4:19] Psychobabble [4:50] Mammagamma [3:34] Step by Step [3:52] Old and Wise [4:52] Total Running Time: 42:03 The Players: Alan Parsons (production, engineering, assorted instruments) Eric Woolfson (vocals, keyboards, piano) Ian Bairson (guitar) David Paton (bass) Stuart Elliott (drums, percussion) Colin Blunstone, Chris Rainbow, Elmer Gantry, Lenny Zakatek (vocals) Mel Collins (saxophone) The Philharmonia Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Andrew Powell

Rating: 4.078 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings) Quotable: “On no other album by this group is there such a tight amalgamation of music, lyrics, and ideas, all combining to create songs that are accessible to a vast audience” – Mike DeGagne, AllMusic.com Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: ”The fusion of Parsons’ thematic intentions and exquisitely textured music comes to fruition on 1982's Eye in the Sky,” AM an album which ”returned in some ways to [Parsons’] more progressive, art-rock past,” AZ but also serves as “the transition between the seventies’ Project art rock sound and the more clinical, Fairlight-laden eighties sound.” DV “Parsons’ approach was a synthesis of studio wizardry with a symphonic, spacey interplay between keyboards, synthesizers and basic rock instrumentation.” AZ ”With a powdery feel and pristine sound, Eye in the Sky is worthy of both amiable songs and conceptual substance, something not found on all of the Alan Parsons Project’s albums.” AM “On no other album by this group is there such a tight amalgamation of music, lyrics, and ideas, all combining to create songs that are accessible to a vast audience.” AM ”The album deals with the futuristic outlook of how our lives will be constantly monitored by ‘Big Brother’ and the manner in which man's right for freedom and choice may someday be thwarted by the government, or the powers that be. Aside from Parsons' intriguing concept, the individual songs serve a dual purpose by carrying out the album's message while at the same being perfect examples of well-crafted rock.” AM ”What you have here is a seriously tasty piece of symphonic pop/rock, music for grownups.” DV ”Eye in the Sky is, quite simply, the Project’s finest hour.” DV Reissue The 2007 reissue added alternate versions of “Sirius,” “Old and Wise,” and “Silence and I.” There was also an additional song (“Any Other Day”), the instrumental medley “The Naked Eye” and “Eye Pieces.” The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Sirius Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson Vocals: NA (instrumental) Released: Eye in the Sky (1982) Peak: 3 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 13.0 video, 116.15 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: ”The up-and-down flow of the instrumental Sirius is astonishing and is used wisely as the opening track.” AM It gained distinction as the soundtrack for the Chicago Bulls in their Michael Jordan championship era. “P.Diddy (Puff Daddy) also chose [it] as the backbone for the title track of his most platinum-selling CD, The Saga Continues. In 2000, ‘Sirius’ was featured in an IMAX documentary movie about Michael Jordan.” AP

Eye in the Sky Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson (see lyrics here) Vocals: Eric Woolfson Released: single (7/3/1982), Eye in the Sky (1982) Peak: 3 BB, 3 CB, 3 GR, 3 AC, 11 AR, 11 CN, 22 AU, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 0.50 US, -- UK, 0.55 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 2.0 radio, 143.90 video, 357.01 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: The Alan Parsons Project built a loyal platinum base with their first five semi-conceptual albums. Their progressive-rock-lite sound was embraced by album rock stations with future radio staples such as “Damned if I Do” and “Games People Play,” songs which also found audiences at top-40 radio. However, it wasn’t until their sixth album, Eye in the Sky and its title cut, that the group found its biggest audience. The album was the group’s second top-10 album after 1977’s I, Robot. Meanwhile the title cut reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the Alan Parsons Project their only top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The term “eye in the sky” might suggest the “Big Brother is always watching you” idea from George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984 but there are no lyrical references to the book in the song and the official website doesn’t mention any connection. Parsons has said, however, that the album did play with the idea that “there’s always a camera watching you, there’s always a helicopter in the sky overseeing you, and you can read a line of small newspaper print from space.” SF It can also be viewed as a reference to the ceiling cameras in casinos. SF “Eye in the Sky” ”is a prime example of a fabulous rock song, highlighted by the harmonic beauty of Eric Woolfson.” AM When the song gained a foothold at radio, it was often paired on album-rock-oriented formats with “Sirius,” the instrumental lead-in on the album.

Children of the Moon Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson Vocals: David Paton Released: Eye in the Sky (1982) Peak: 29 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 8.74 streaming About the Song: Children of the Moon and Gemini “have Parsons’s love of the esoteric.” AZ

Gemini Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson Vocals: Chris Rainbow Released: Eye in the Sky (1982) Peak: 39 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 4.78 streaming About the Song: Children of the Moon and Gemini “have Parsons’s love of the esoteric.” AZ The latter “is an astonishing piece of vocal harmony.” DV

Silence and I Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson Vocals: Eric Woolfson Released: Eye in the Sky (1982) Peak: 3 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 8.81 streaming About the Song: Next up is Silence and I, “a rich, multi-layered vocal and orchestral piece.” DV

You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson Vocals: Lenny Zakatek Released: Eye in the Sky (1982) Charted: 6/26/1982 Peak: 22 AR, 12 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.48 streaming About the Song: You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned “ is a surprisingly straight-ahead rock number.” DV

Psychobabble Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson Vocals: Elmer Gantry Released: single, Eye in the Sky (1982) First Charted: 7/10/1982 Peak: 57 BB, 38 GR, 54 AR, 3 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 5.89 streaming About the Song: ”Psychobabble is a cerebral rock song that best represents the album’s concept” AM and, “though never a hit…remains a favorite of fans.” AZ

Mammagamma Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson Vocals: NA (instrumental) Released: Eye in the Sky (1982) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 24.29 streaming About the Song: ”Mammagamma is another instrumental that brandishes the group’s trademarked mysteriousness, wrapped in an ominous science fiction-type glow.” AM It “allowed Parsons to fully indulge his fondness for orchestration with its instrumental structure.” AZ

Step by Step Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson Vocals: Lenny Zakatek Released: Eye in the Sky (1982) Peak: 37 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 3.74 streaming

Old and Wise Alan Parsons Project

Writer(s): Alan Parsons, Eric Wooflson (see lyrics here) Vocals: Colin Blunstone Released: single (1/15/1983), Eye in the Sky (1982) Peak: 21 AC, 74 UK, 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 9.80 video, 50.22 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: The title cut from Eye in the Sky gave the Alan Parsons Project their greatest hit. The album also featured “Old and Wise.” It was released as a single, but didn’t fare nearly as well. It did reach the lower rungs of the UK chart and was a minor hit on Billboard’s adult contemporary chart. On a personal note, however, it is my favorite Alan Parsons Project song and one of my top 100 songs of all time. Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson co-wrote the song “about a man approaching death, addressing those he knew with fond remembrance.” SF The song begs to be played at funerals with its simultaneously heart-wrenching and uplifting statement “To those I leave behind / I want you all to know/ You’ve always shared my darkest hours / I’ll miss you when I go.” They recorded a version with Woolfson singing lead – as he often did on songs by the Project – without the orchestration or saxophone solo which was featured on the final album version. His vocal is featured on the 2007 album reissue of Eye in the Sky, but the 1982 released featured Colin Blunstone. Parsons knew him from his days in the Zombies when Parsons was an engineer on the group’s 1968 Odessey and Oracle album. SF Blunstone had worked with the Project before, having sung “The Eagle Will Rise Again” on the group’s 1978 Pyramid album. Woolfson and Blunstone were both at Abbey Road studios and Woolfson told him, “I’d like to play you this song.” SF Eric sat down at a piano in the same studio where the Zombies had recorded “Time of the Season” and played “Old and Wise.” Blunstone thought it was wonderful and Woolfson asked if he’d take a stab at the vocals. SF Blunstone would record other songs with the Project, but this was the only single released by them which featured Blunstone on vocals. WK

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Mike DeGagne AZ Amazon.com review by Steve Gdula DV DailyVault.com review by Duke Egbert AP AlanParsonsMusic.com SF Songfacts page for “Eye in the Sky” SF Songfacts page for “Old and Wise” WK Wikipedia page for Eye in the Sky album WK Wikipedia page for “Eye in the Sky” song WK Wikipedia page for “Old and Wise” Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/24/2008; last updated 9/25/2025.