Product Overview
Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield / Mercury Audio CD 2009
UPC 0602527035055
Product Details:
Tubular Bells is the debut studio album by English multi-instrumentalist, composer and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 25 May 1973 as the first album on Virgin Records. Oldfield, who was 19 years old when it was recorded, played almost all the instruments on the mostly instrumental album.
The album initially sold slowly, but gained worldwide attention in December 1973 when its opening theme was used for the soundtrack to the horror film The Exorcist (1973). This led to a surge in sales which increased Oldfield's profile and played an important part in the growth of the Virgin Group. It stayed in the top ten of the UK Albums Chart for one year from March 1974, during which it reached number one for one week. It peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200, and reached the top position in Canada and Australia. The album has sold over 2.7 million copies in the UK and an estimated 15 million worldwide.
An orchestral version produced by David Bedford was released in 1975 as The Orchestral Tubular Bells. Oldfield has recorded three sequels: Tubular Bells II (1992), Tubular Bells III (1998), and The Millennium Bell (1999). For the album's thirtieth anniversary Oldfield re-recorded the album as Tubular Bells 2003. A remastered edition was released in 2009. Its contribution to British music was recognised when Oldfield played extracts during the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London.
Tracklist:
| 1 | –Mike Oldfield | Tubular Bells {Part One}
Double Bass – Lindsay Cooper (2), Flute – Jon Field, Grand Piano [Steinway Grand Piano], Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield, MC [Master Of Ceremonies] – Vivian Stanshall |
25:58 |
| 2 | –Mike Oldfield | Tubular Bells {Part Two}
Bass Guitar – Mike Oldfield, Drums [The "Caveman" Section] – Steve Broughton, Vocals [Vocal Overdub] – Mundy Ellis, Sally Oldfield |
23:20 |
| 3 | –Mike Oldfield | Mike Oldfield's Single | 3:53 |
| 4 |
–Mike Oldfield With Viv Stanshall | Sailor's Hornpipe (Original Version With Viv Stanshall)
Arranged By, Musician – Mike Oldfield, MC [Speaking A Commentary] – Viv, Musician – Tom Newman (2), Written-By – Traditional |
2:48 |
More Details:
- Artwork [Artwork Package], Design – Phil Smee
- Artwork [Original Album Artwork] – Trevor Key
- Engineer [Recording Engineer], Mixed By – Tom Newman (2)
- Engineer [Recording Engineer], Photography By [Photographs On Pages 7, 9, 10 And 12 By], Mixed By – Simon Heyworth
- Liner Notes, Research [Master Tape Research], Other [Artist Liaison] – Mark Powell
- Management [Tubular Bells 2009 Project Director] – Adam Barker (2), Daryl Easlea
- Management [Tubular Bells 2009 Project Director], Engineer [Stereo Remixes Of "Tubular Bells" Engineered By], Producer [Stereo Remixes Of "Tubular Bells" Produced By], Mixed By – Mike Oldfield
- Other [Numbers] – Emma Sutcliffe
- Product Manager – Joe Black
- Remastered By [24-bit Digital Remastering] – Paschal Byrne
- Transferred By [Analogue To Digital Transfers By] – Ben Wiseman, Craig Thompson (2)
- Written-By – Mike Oldfield (tracks: 1 to 3)
About the Artist:
Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is an English multi-instrumentalist and composer. His work blends progressive rock with world, folk, classical, electronic, ambient, and new-age music. His biggest commercial success is the 1973 album Tubular Bells – which launched Virgin Records and became a hit in America after its opening was used as the theme for the horror film The Exorcist. He recorded the 1983 hit single "Moonlight Shadow" and a rendition of the Christmas piece "In Dulci Jubilo".
Oldfield has released 26 albums, most recently a sequel to his 1975 album Ommadawn titled Return to Ommadawn, on 20 January 2017.
