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Mike Oldfield

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Mike Oldfield was born in Reading in 1953 and is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known for his debut album Tubular Bells from 1973. He began playing guitar at the age of ten, learned by copying songs by folk guitarists such as Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and was a slow reader of sheet music. From 1967 to 1970 he formed the folk duo Sallyangie with his sister Sally, who recorded the album Children of the Sun. He then played bass with Kevin Ayers, before beginning work on Tubular Bells in 1971.

Music and breakthrough

His demo tape with a long instrumental piece, at first called Opus One, eventually caught the attention of Richard Branson, who made it the first release of his new label Virgin. Tubular Bells was released on 25 May 1973. Oldfield played more than twenty instruments on a layered recording that passed through many styles. When the opening was used in the film The Exorcist, the theme became a top hit in the United States. Hergest Ridge in 1974, Ommadawn in 1975 and Incantations in 1978 followed. In the late 1970s he began touring and made more song-oriented records, such as Platinum, QE2 and Five Miles Out. His most successful album of that period was Crises from 1983, with the worldwide hit Moonlight Shadow, sung by Maggie Reilly. Tubular Bells II in 1992 and Tubular Bells III in 1998 came later.

Influence

Oldfield is first and foremost a guitarist, but also plays keyboards and percussion and sings. He showed that a studio album, with the overdubs of a single man, could achieve the sound of a full orchestra, and for a time he made instrumental music a bestseller.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to the beginning of Tubular Bells and notice how the piano riff repeats while another instrument is added each time: which sounds can you count?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists