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”. He also had hits with “Portsmouth” and a version of the “Blue Peter” theme.
Oldfield has released 26 albums the most recent of which is sequel to his 1975 album Ommadawn titled Return to Ommadawn. This was released in 2017.
His music leans towards the epic with lots of long tracks but they never get dull because they chop and change with lots of themes, changes in rhythm, lots of textures and many key changes. The album Incantations is, in my opinion, his masterpiece…..I have included two of the four parts here. Please give them a listen. They really are superb.
We start off though with a look back at the piece that got Mike Oldfield noticed, Tubular Bells. This is a live-in-the-studio performance for the BBC, filmed on 30 November 1973. It was originally broadcast on BBC2 the following day and the musicians involved included Mike Oldfield himself, his brother Terry (flute), Fred Frith (and other members of Henry Cow), Steve Hillage, Pierre Moerlen, Tom Newman, Mike Ratledge, Mick Taylor, Karl Jenkins and others.
I hope you enjoy these amazing pieces of music.
Tubular Bells – Live at The BBC 1973
Incantations (Part One)
Incantations (Part Four)
Blue Peter
Portsmouth
In Dulce Jubilo
Moonlight Shadow
Read and Listen with Keith 