Tubular Bells

by Mike Oldfield

Overview

Mike Oldfield's groundbreaking album Tubular Bells is arguably the finest conglomeration of off-centered instruments concerted together to form a single, unique piece. A variety of instruments are combined to create an excitable multitude of rhythms, tones, pitches, and harmonies that all fuse neatly into each other, resulting in an astounding plethora of music. Oldfield plays all the instruments himself, including such oddities as the Farfisa organ, the Lowrey organ, and the flageolet. The familiar, eerie opening, made famous by its use in The Exorcist, starts the album off slowly, as each instrument acoustically wriggles its way into the current noise that is heard, until there is a grand unison of eccentric sounds that wildly excites the ears. Throughout the album, the tempos range from soft to intense to utterly surprising, making for some excellent musical culminations. Mandolins and Spanish guitars are joined by grinding organs and keyboards, while oddball bells and cranking noises resound in the distance. In the middle of the album, guest Vivian Stanshall announces each instrument seconds before it is heard, ending with the ominous-sounding tubular bells, a truly powerful and dominating instrument. The most interesting and overwhelming aspect of this album is the fact that so many sounds are conjured up, yet none go unnoticed, allowing the listener a gradual submergence into each unique portion of the music. Tubular Bells is a divine excursion into the realm of new age music. [A remastered version was released in 2009.] ~ Mike DeGagne

Product Details

Release Date:	06/09/2009
Label:	Mercury
UPC:	0602527035055

Tracks

1. Tubular Bells, Pt. 1
2. Tubular Bells, Pt. 2
3. Tubular Bells (Mike Oldfield's Single)
4. Sailor's Hornpipe [Viv Stanshall Version]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mike Oldfield   Primary Artist,Bass,Flute,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Timpani,Bagpipes,Mandolin,Conductor,Flageolet,Keyboards,Percussion,Fuzz Guitar,Choir/Chorus,Glockenspiel,Mando-Guitar,Farfisa Organ,Guitar (Bass),Piano (Grand),Tubular Bells,Guitar (Electric),Multi Instruments,Spanish Guitar,Organ (Hammond),Guitar (Acoustic)
Lindsay L. Cooper   12-String Bass Guitar,Bass,Oboe,String Bass
John Cleese   Guest Artist
Steve Hillage   Guitar
Karl Jenkins   Oboe
Fred Frith   Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Vivian Stanshall   Vocals
Steve Broughton   Drums
Mundy Ellis   Vocals,Choir/Chorus
Robin Smith   Conductor,Musical Director,Musical Director
Sally Oldfield   Vocals,Choir/Chorus
Mick Taylor   Guitar
Mike Ratledge   Keyboards
Tim Hodgkinson   Keyboards
Terry Oldfield   Flute
Lindsay Cooper   Guitar (Bass)
John Greaves   Keyboards
Jon Field   Flute
Tom Newman   Vocals
Geoff Leigh   Flute
Ted Speight   Guitar,Guitar (Bass)
Jabula   Percussion
Manor Choir   Vocals,Choir/Chorus
Pierre Moerlen   Percussion
Nasal Choir   Vocals,Choir/Chorus
Mike Oldfield Jazz Band   Band,Horn
Viv Stanshall   Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part

Technical Credits

Tom Newman   Audio Production,Engineer,Producer
Simon Heyworth   Audio Production,Engineer,Producer,Mastering,Photography,Remastering
Mike Oldfield   Audio Production,Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Remixing,Liner Notes,Programming,Unknown Contributor Role,Remix Engineer
Johann Sebastian Bach   Composer
Torsten Stenzel   Producer,Programming,Remix Engineer
Vivian Stanshall   MC,Composer
Jason Day   Series Coordinator
David Glasser   Mastering
Andy Findon   Recording
David Kosten   Mixing
Dave Laing   Sleeve Notes
Trevor Key   Design,Photography
Barry Plummer   Photography
David Laing   Liner Notes
Miles Showell   Mastering Engineer
Brian Aris   Photography
Tom Porcell   Mastering Engineer
Viv Stanshall   Composer