I had, i think, three of his albums. Given that was all done in the analog and tape days, it took a LOT of work to do what he did. Especially things like the sped up and slowed down guitar stuff, and then multing because he had more tracks than the recorders did.

Last edited Wed Jun 17, 2015, 06:34 PM - Edit history (1)

He had a label and a recording studio and wanted to release progressive music. This hippie kid Mike Oldfield was a recording wiz and the resident engineer. He asked his boss - Branson - if he could use the studio for free during downtime. Branson agreed but told the kid he'd have to pay for the tape he used. The first thing Oldfield did was start recording what became Tubular Bells. After it was finished a film director named William Friedkin heard it while he was in Europe and decided it would be perfect for his upcoming film.

The rest, as they say, is history.

I knew he was a studio wizard before he had his own stuff, but there was a lot of detail in your write up i had never heard.

when the drums enter, is the most intense music I have ever heard. Not Beethoven (not even the Ninth or the final quartets). not Wagner, not Yes or ELP. That. It is breathtaking still.

TB 1, 2 & 3, Hergest Ridge, Incantations, QE2, Five Miles Out, Voyager, Guitars. His best is Amarok. 60 minutes long! Mike called it Ommadawn II.

It's been so long since I've heard one I can't be sure. Anyone know?