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About Mike Oldfield
Born
1953
Genre
Rock
Mike Oldfield will forever be known for Tubular Bells—and its role in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist—but the UK composer has been a shape-shifting pioneer for nearly 50 years.
∙ Initially rejected by several labels, the Tubular Bells demo caught the attention of Richard Branson, who elected to make the album the first release on the newly formed Virgin Records.
∙ One of the best-selling British albums of all time, Tubular Bells has spent 287 weeks on the UK charts and also won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition.
∙ In 1979, Oldfield recorded a version of the theme song for the BBC children’s TV program Blue Peter, and he later did the score for the acclaimed 1984 film The Killing Fields.
∙ During the ’80s, Oldfield gravitated toward pop music, and 1983’s “Moonlight Shadow” was his most successful single ever, going to No. 1 in numerous European countries.
∙ Produced by Trevor Horn, 1992’s Tubular Bells II went to No. 1 in the UK and was the first of several sequels to his seminal debut LP.
∙ At the invitation of director Danny Boyle, Oldfield performed at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Mike Oldfield has also released music as a member of The Sallyangie Kevin Ayers & The Whole World.
Musical InfluencesMike Oldfield's musical influences include Béla Bartók, Steve Reich, Maurice Ravel and more.
Influenced by Mike OldfieldMike Oldfield has influenced the music of George Winston, Craig Armstrong, Enya and more.
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