OLDFIELD, MIKE.
15 May 1953, Reading, Berkshire, England. Multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield wrote history
with his debut and master-piece Trubular Bells ('73). He wrote before his 20-th
birthday. A symphonic epic which sold more as 12 million copies.
He began his career by playing guitar with his sister Sally in pubs with Marianne Faithfull and they made folk. Sally & Mike made Sallyangel, before Mike left and went to Kevin Ayers (And the whole World). What after that happend is history.
Mike Barnson just started the record company Virgin and gave him some studiotime. The 49 minutes short elpee was a series of basic melodies based on folk, rock and classic, with a various instruments. Soundscapes were used for the film The Exorcist, and a shorter version was released as single. He played almost all instruments by himself with a small contribution of:
Jon Field - flutes,
Lindsay Cooper - string basses,
Nasal Choir - nasal chorus,
Viv Stanshall - master of ceremonies,
Steve Broughton - drums (courtlesly of Harvest records),
Manor Choir,
Mundy Ellis &
Sally Oldfield - vocals.
Hergest Ride he made with some guestmusians.
With arranger Dave Bedford (a former collaborator of Kevin Ayers) they made The Orchestral Tubular Bells ('75).
Ommadawn featured a team of african drummers and the uillean pipes playing of the Chieftains'Paddy Moloney. And again one elpee with one long epic.
The shy and withdrawn Mike worked on his personality and made Incarnations with disco-elements and Exposed a live album recorded at several places.
Platinum ('79):
Piere Moelin various instruments (from Gong),
Maurice Perth - drums & percussion
and more boys and girls
Q.E.2 ('80):
Phil Collins - drums,
David Hentschel - drums, keyboards and producer,
Maggie Rielly - backing vocals,
Tim Cross - piano & keyboards,
Morris Pert - percussion,
Mike Frye - african drums & percussion,
Philip Todd,
Raul D'Oliveira,
Guy Barker &
Paul Nieman on various instruments.
Platinum('82):
Carl Palmer - percussion (EL&P),
Maggie Reilly - vocals,
Paddy Moloney -uileann Pipes,
Rick Fenn - keyboards (10cc & Nick Mason),
Tim Cross - Keyboards,
Morris Pert - Keyboards & Percussion,
Graham Broad - drums,
Mike Oldfield, guitars, bass, keyboards.
Crises ('83, with the hits Moonlight Shadow and Shadow on the Wall):
Mike Oldfield - guitars, bass, vocals, bells, harp, mandolin,
Simon Phillips - drums, shaker, finger snaps and producer,
Ant Phillips - guitars,
Rick Fenn - guitars,
Pierre Moerlen - vibraphone,
Phil Spalding - bass,
Maggie Reilly &
Roger Chapman - vocals (ex- Family).
After Discovery
Maggie Reilly - vocals on To France,
Barrie Palmer- vocals &
Simon Phillips.
he wrote film-music for The Killing Fields ('84, with Ebenard Schoener). On Islands ('87) with guests as:
Bonnie Tyler- vocals,
Kevin Ayers,
Geoff Downes, (Buggles, Yes)
Duncan, Andy Mackay - keyboards (Alan Parsons Project),
Simon Phillips - drums (Toto and more...),
Ralf Ravenscroft - sax,
Micky Simmonds - keyboard,
Phil Spalding - bass,
Rick Fenn - guitars (10cc worked with Nick Mason too),
Pierre & Benoit Moerlen.
Earth Moving ('89) with:
Adrian Belew- guitar and vocals (Frank Zappa, Talking Heads),
Maggie Reilly,
Mark Williamson,
Chris Thompson (ex-Manfred Mann) - vocals,
Phil Splading - bass,
Ralf Ravenscroft - sax,
among others.
Trubular Bells II ('92) is produced by Trevor Horn with a handful of guest muscians
Appenrently there isn't much inspiration, Voyager('96) contains celtic influences. John Miles is one of the guests.
Followed by Trubular Bells III ('98) and Guitars('98).
Millenium Bell an album with classic vocalist, Faithless-influences and the
The London Session Orchestra.
In 2002 agian with a a new album: Tr3Slunas, with vocals from; Sally Oldfield,
Amar & Jade Sim and drum programming by Phillip Lewis.
Mike Oldfield has finished the rerecording of Tubular Bells, his classic debut album
originally released in 1973, and has delivered the results to his record label Warner Music
who were apparently verry happy with it. Oldfield reports he will be laying down the 5.1
soundmix this week, and aims at a May 2003 release, just in time for the 30th anniversary
of the original Tubular Bells.
And in the summer of 2003 there is Trubular Bells the Super-Audio CD. A new recording,
all done by Mike under the perfect conditions and a perfect sound, but the original elpee,
with that tiny scratch...
Session for:
Whole World ('70, with Kevin Ayers),
Kevin Ayers (Whatevershebringswesing'72)(ex-Softmachine):,
David Bedford - keyboards,
Didier Marlhebre - saxes, flute,
Dave Bufort - drums,
Robert Wyatt - vocal harmony (ex-Softmachine),
Gerry Fields &
Johnny van Derer - violin,
Tony Carr &
Wiliam Murray - drums,
Mike Oldfield - lead guitar, bass,
Kevin Ayers &
Andrew King - producers.
Robert Wyatt ('74, ex-Softmachine),
Tom Newman ('75, '78, '98),
Gong ('78, 80),
Bram Tchaikovsky ('79, they had a hit with Sarah Smiles),
Sally Oldfield.
Symfo-Index.
Updated 10 July 2003 by Nick.
Shine On!
updated July 2003
www.mostlypink.net