Yard Mike Oldfield

Every Album, Every Song
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-78952-222-8
Verlag: Sonicbond Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 160 Seiten

Reihe: On Track

It can be difficult for an artist to have such overwhelming success so early into their career as Mike Oldfield did. To this day, his name is forever synonymous with his debut album Tubular Bells. Mike followed this album with three further long-form works in the 1970s, before venturing off along other musical paths. However, the 1980s saw further success both in the albums and singles charts, while recent years have seen a return to lengthier pieces, often via sequels to his most famous work, with his most recent album being Return To Ommadawn in 2017.
The music of Mike Oldfield touches his listeners in ways that can be hard to describe. It bridges the gap between many musical cultures, including pop, progressive rock, classical, world music and dance. In the meantime, Oldfield has always stayed alert to current technological trends. In this book, Ryan Yard looks at the entire catalogue of albums to uncover what it is that makes his music so astonishing. Every track from each album is critiqued, offering long term fans a different perspective while enticing new fans to explore such a remarkable catalogue of music. In doing so, this book provides an invaluable companion to this unique and hugely talented musician.
Ryan Yard is a Composer, Pianist and Teacher. He has recorded five studio albums drawing upon his love of progressive rock, electronica and classical music, working with artists such as Tom Newman, producer of Tubular Bells and Les Penning, who played recorder on Oldfield's UK hits 'Portsmouth' and 'In Dulci Jubilo'. Ryan teaches piano, music theory and composition and has established himself as a transcriptionist having worked on a large collection of Mike Oldfield music alongside works from other artists such as Yes and Vangelis. He lives and works in Shropshire.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Yard, Ryan

Leseproben

Chapter 2

Tubular Bells (1973)

Personnel:

Mike Oldfield: Grand Piano, Glockenspiel, Farfisa Organ, Bass Guitar, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Taped Motor Drive Amplifier Organ Chord, Assorted Percussion, Flageolet, Honky Tonk Piano, Lowrey Organ, Tubular Bells, Concert Timpani, Hammond Organ, Spanish Guitar, Vocals

Steve Broughton: Drums

Lindsay Cooper: Strings

Sally Oldfield: Backing Vocals

Mundy Ellis: Backing Vocals

Jon Field: Flute

Vivian Stanshall: Master of Ceremonies

Trevor Kay: Artwork

Tom Newman: Producer and Engineer

Simon Heyworth: Producer and Engineer

Recording Studio: The Manor

Release Date: 25 May 1973

Chart Placings: UK: 1, US: 3

All compositions by Mike Oldfield

Tubular Bells has one of the most recognisable piano motifs in contemporary popular music and will have been heard at some stage in most people’s lives, whether via the turntable, in a film or TV advert. It has been both a blessing and a curse in some respects, allowing Oldfield’s name to be heard and recognised by many, but also by following him around for his entire life, becoming something of a millstone. Such fame and recognition come with their own set of challenges and Tubular Bells has also become synonymous with horror films, due to its inclusion in the film The Exorcist. This led to many hearing the opening piano theme and associating it with the horror genre, and a trail of inferior copies soon began cropping up in similar films. It meant that a large portion of the album was never heard due to the ubiquity of the opening few minutes, and this must have been frustrating for the young Oldfield. Thankfully, for those who did not go to see The Exorcist, Radio 1 DJ John Peel was so impressed with the new record that he insisted that the entire album should be played on his radio show. One cannot deny the importance of Peel’s enthusiasm in helping Oldfield along the path to success. Many people will associate this music with The Exorcist, and that makes perfect sense seeing as it was one of the best-known films in modern cinema history, but I can’t help but question the use of Tubular Bells to create a spooky atmosphere. Ifanything, the music is hypnotic and relaxing and certainly doesn’t conjure up the dark themes that the film addressed. But this, of course, is just my opinion. Music is, after all, a subjective art form. Oldfield was blissfully unaware that his music was being used in the film and he didn’t learn of its inclusion until it was a done deal. If something like that happened in the present day, you can guarantee that lawsuits would be flying and lawyers would be getting very rich. It was most likely Oldfield’s naivety and Virgin’s keen eye to make some good money that such a bold move took place in the first place. As it turned out, Oldfield thought that the film was well made and he enjoyed it, so it seems not to have caused too much undue stress or upset.

The album was a positive rite of passage for Oldfield as he worked alongside others who helped him achieve his artistic vision. From a compositional point of view, Oldfield learnt much from the composer David Bedford who taught the younger man how to extend and develop his themes. Oldfield goes on to say:

The main problem was linking up the various bits and pieces I had worked out. It was David Bedford who showed me how to do that.

Oldfield also worked alongside producer and musician Tom Newman and engineer Simon Heyworth and soon learnt the process of mixing and mastering his music. At that stage, computerised mixing desks were yet to be developed, so it could often take weeks to mix a record fully. In fact, it took four attempts to get the mix that Oldfield was happy with as his perfectionist approach to music-making translating seamlessly to the mixing process.

While the album was largely a solitary affair, with Oldfield playing any instrument he could get his hands on, he did have a little help from some other musicians. Vivian Stanshall acted as a master of ceremonies during the closing section of ‘Part One’. Vivian was already known as a quirky eccentric from The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Oldfield’s sister Sally and Richard Branson’s ex- girlfriend Mundy Ellis also added vocals in the female chorus at the end of ‘Part One’.

It is the antics of Oldfield, Stanshall and Newman that led to mischief during the recording sessions, and reports suggest that a great deal of Virgin’s Jameson whisky stocks made its way into the studio from the cellar. One can only imagine the atmosphere of these three creative minds let loose in a studio and a special version of the ‘Sailor’s Hornpipe’ was recorded with Stanshall adding a drunken commentary which was enhanced by the sounds of tipsy footsteps around the microphones, but it was deemed too outrageous to include on a new album by an unknown artist. This rarity does exist if you can get your hands on it, and it makes for entertaining listening.

At its core, Tubular Bells is a musical diary written by a young man struggling to make sense of the world in which he lives. His challenging childhood and natural introversion made it very hard for him to feel comfortable around others, making this album his way of retreating into the safety of his musical world. Oldfield explains this further:

I was creating a musical environment where I knew all the things there and I felt secure. That music was an escape. I created a reality for myself, a different world, a world of sound. It was more comfortable there than in real life. Tubular Bells reflected my complete rejection of reality.

Listening to the album with this in mind can make us feel, as listeners, as though we are intruding on his personal thoughts. Much like reading somebody’s diary, we are allowed access to a very personal and intimate world. I still feel like that during certain passages where the music is stripped away to its very basic elements, allowing us to look directly into the soul of its creator.

What makes this album so successful, lies in its ability to convey easily digestible musical themes in a long-form composition where singing is almost entirely absent. Instrumental music was around during this time, but rather more based around the use of new technology and synthesisers rather than the neoclassical style of development found on this album.

Another reason for the album’s success is how well it integrated musical styles that were largely familiar, such as rock, classical, jazz and world, into a cohesive fusion that included listeners rather than excluding them. Musical themes were developed in a way that could be understood and appreciated by both those with a musical background and non-musicians. It was the perfect record to be played for both background entertainment or for intense listening sessions, offering much in terms of repeated plays.

‘Tubular Bells, Part One’

‘Part One’ begins with a rapid, undulating piano pattern which is then doubled by glockenspiel and organ. The piano is harmonised and a bass guitar enters to add depth in the mix. Accented organ stabs interject, like the shock of ice dripping onto the listener’s skin, before a beautiful descending chord progression on the piano emerges. The use of dissonance, where notes clash and then resolve, hints at the minor tonality and reminds us that there is always a sense of sadness underneath the surface on the album.

The main piano pattern continues and provides a hypnotic pulse over the chords, while a double speed electric guitar weaves a magical melody. There are some lovely guitar moments during this section before the music suddenly shifts to a bright, major tonality. The piano line has now been transformed into something much more serene and dances over a beautiful melody. Gentle, classical guitar plays a sweet lament where each note can be felt emotionally, while the glockenspiel and piano continue the main motif. The guitar playing is where the emotional quality of the music is felt the most, and it is possible to hear every little noise in the performance, which adds a real sense of intimacy.

A more relaxed tempo follows with dotted rhythms before a sudden explosion of sound, featuring discordant organ stabs and cascades of piano scales. Hard-edged, distorted guitar plays a blues-style melody while bass chugs along, and despite there being no conventional drums used here, you can still feel a sense of energy and drive in the music. Sinister bass organ drones play a simple melodic line, similar to the Dies Irae, a Latin chant literally meaning ‘Day of Wrath’. This particular theme inspired many composers such as Rachmaninoff, who often littered his music with such references. In a sense, the bass line here by Oldfield hints at something ominous and, like Rachmaninoff, becomes something of a leitmotif.

The music lifts a little in mood with some rather nice chords in the guitar and weaving melodic lines while the leitmotif theme on organ returns, albeit out of place and disjointed. It is quite a jarring moment musically, and I am not entirely sure it works, but one must...