Happy Saturday. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking - didn't thegeneral do a post about Mike Oldfield not long back? I also know you're probably about to log off now without bothering to read this. That's totally fine. You can do. Just realise that I know where you live and I am watching you. Very carefully. You won't get away with it...I've seen what's hidden in that tupperware under your spare bed.
Anyway. There is a very good reason for this second post on Mr Oldfield. You see, Tubular Bells - his very first album and the one that launched Virgin Records is 40 this year. 40?! That's only 6 years older than thegeneral. You just can't Adam and Believe it.
To celebrate this next Friday night on BBC4 (11th October 2013) there are going to be some special programmes to mark the occasion. Read about one of them here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03cw8g0
So make sure you tune in and watch if you're a fan. If you're not, there's probably some shit on the other channels you can sit and gawp at. Or you know, put your cardi and cocktail slacks on, go out and get friggin'.
Back to The Bells.
If you're not familiar with it, have a look at this brief excerpt from it on the YooToobs. The video in this instance was made specially to go with it for The Old Grey Whistle Test:
Do you like that? If so, then click on this link to listen to the whole of the first part of the album performed live by Mike and company in 1973
It truly is remarkable in many ways. Not least for it's beauty and uniqueness. The opening has one of the more unusual time signatures you'll find in popular music - the starting piano bars are played in 15/8. The riff that follows played two bars of 7/8 one of 9/8.
It was recorded at The Manor studios - immediately following a session by John Cale, but before the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band were scheduled to go in. Viv Stanshall in fact provides the vocal part, playing Master of Ceremonies on the famous ending to the first section. Hearing his shout of "MAN-do-LIN" is an actual joy. Nerd fact for those who like them: the electric guitar used on the album was a 1966 Fender Telecaster, played by Mike but previously owned by none other than Marc Bolan!
Mike is a bit of a fan of Bach. Many of his earlier works have nods to JS in them - TB more than others. If you listen closely to some of his other tracks, you'll hear little refrains from TB throughout. Most notable is the opening to Crises and his song Five Miles Out.
Composed and recorded largely alone, it's an astonishing feat. Layering and multi-tracking mean that he could continually go back and record till he was satisfied with what he heard. Nerd fans of the album will point out that there are minor inconsistencies in the tracking, that some of the parts are out of sync - but it doesn't matter. It's all part of the charm.
Why does thegeneral love it so? There's a wee story behind it...tuck yourselves in. Make tea and crumpets etc.
Many years ago in the mid 1980s (before the innernets and even before like, DVDs and shit) youngthegeneral was given a Sony Walkman for their birthday. As a small, inquisitive youngster of 8 who was very bored one night, said child asked their father "for summat to listen to on it, like, Dad". Dad pondered for a while then came into the flock wallpapered, pink carpetted lounge and said "You probably won't like it, kid, but have a try at this..." It was a cassette copy of Tubular Bells. youngthegeneral sat cross legged on the sofa (brown patterned with wooden arms) and did not move a muscle or utter a sound for almost 50 minutes (thegeneral's father will tell you this was nothing short of a miracle). That was it. The love affair started and has endured for 25 years. In that time, the vinyl copy has been warped and worn out, the cassette copy has been chewed up and played to death and two CD copies have been lovingly cherished. Since then, Mike Oldfield has gone on to release Orchestral Tubular Bells, Tubular Bells 2, Tubular Bells 3, The Millenium Bell and Tubular Bells 2003 (milking it much?) All are wonderful in their own ways and show how he has adapted and changed with the times, but none contain quite the magic of the original - that said, the orchestral version is simply beautiful.
After Tubular Bells was released, Mike became something of a recluse, finding the instant stardom and fame hard to cope with. He retreated to a place called Hergest Ridge in Wales to live in seclusion. It was here he came up with his second album, called for the place that had given him such solace. It's a largely forgotten pastoral masterpiece and a worthy successor to The Bells - no one ever really talks about it, but if you've enjoyed reading this and loved hearing the music here, check out Hergest Ridge too. Many fans prefer it to Tubular Bells. Both will always have a special place in thegeneral's heart.
Happy Birthday Tubular Bells. Here is hoping that a new generation of music fans find and love it.
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