Sunday Tubular Bells Magic at the 2024 Birthday of the Great Mike Oldfield

by Robert Wilkinson

Today we celebrate the life and work of the amazing composer and musician Mike Oldfield.

Mike Oldfield (May 15, 1953) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer who has given us some of the most beautiful and haunting music ever created. His compositions blend rock, folk, world beat, electronic music, and other eclectic musical styles.

This year I can’t do a complete bio and tribute, but I did find some outstanding pieces to celebrate his birthday!

First, the tune that introduced Mike to the world! For your enjoyment, a live 1973 BBC performance of “Tubular Bells”

Here’s another great live performance of “Tubular Bells”

Here’s the best version so far. From 1979, part 1 of “Tubular Bells” which we’ll follow with “Tubular Bells Pt. 2”

Here’s an entire 65 minute concert live in Germany of Tubular Bells II

From 1980, an entire 1 hour 8 minute concert! Mike Oldfield at Knebworth

Also from 1980, a full hour on Rockpop! Mike Oldfield at Rockpop

Last year I had his 1981 Montreux of this song, but it’s disappeared. So instead, from his performance at Dublin in 1980, an audio-only version of “Punkadiddle”

From 1983, a live 42 minute concert! Mike Oldfield “Crises” Live At Wembley 1983

Here’s Mike’s monster 1982 #1 hit, clearly one of the most amazingly haunting and beautiful tunes ever written! This clip is a rare acoustic live performance in 1985 by Mike Oldfield with the original vocalist, Maggie Reilly, of “Moonlight Shadow” (And yes, I’ve included some amazing electric performances of this song down a few!)

From 1984 on Peter’s Pop Show, Mike Olfield in a great performance of “Poison Arrows”. “Discovery” has disappeared.

A year later in 1985, also on Peter’s Pop Show, Mike and Anita Hegerland giving us “Pictures in the Dark”

Live on the German television show Diskothek Mic Mac in 1986, “Pictures in the Dark”

From 1998, the original music video featuring Cara Dillon bringing life to Mike’s “Man In The Rain”

Also from 1998, Mike and the amazing Pepsi Demacque at the London premier of Tubular Bells III performing “Man In The Rain”

From 1989 in Spain, a great live performance by Mike with Anita Hegerland, of “Innocent”

And now for four different offerings of Mike’s #1 hit, the hauntingly beautiful “Moonlight Shadow.” First, following up on the previous clip, from “Tubular Bells III” live in London 1998, here’s Mike Oldfield accompanied by stunning vocals by Pepsi Demacque, performing “Moonlight Shadow.”

Here’s another great live offering by Mike, this time with Anita Hegerland, of “Moonlight Shadow”

We now move and groove into a fantastic live performance by Hank Marvin and the Shadows of Mike's “Moonlight Shadow”

We’ll close this brief tribute with a live performance by Mike for VH1 In 1999 of “Moonlight Shadow”

If you just can’t get enough, for our encore we have a bunch of great studio work!

His second studio album, released in 1974 after Tubular Bells but hit #1 before Tubular Bells! "Hergest Ridge Pt. 1" and "Hergest Ridge Pt. 2”

From 1975, “Ommadawn Pt. 1” and here’s 8 minutes from “Ommadawn Pt. 2”

Here’s the entire 36 minute album in one clip! “Ommadawn.”

Here’s the entire album Platinum

From 1982, Five Miles Out

The Songs of Distant Earth” (1994)

Music of the Spheres (2008)

We’ll close this show with a great 1998 live set on television! For your enjoyment, from the Jools Holland Show, Mike performing "Serpent Dream", "Secrets" and "Far Above The Clouds"

To find out more about this amazing talent, here’s The Mike Oldfield website.

Tubular Bells blew my mind, and it’s only gotten better since then. Thanks for the great tunes over the years, Mike. By all means, keep doing what you're doing. It's beautiful....

Copyright © 2024 Robert Wilkinson

from Aquarius Papers - Global Astrology https://ift.tt/vBLkG2J
via IFTTT