Tubular Bells: The Mike Oldfield Story
Documentary about the musician Mike Oldfield, whose 1973 album Tubular Bells launched the Virgin record label and became the biggest-selling instrumental album of all time.
In 1973, an album was released that against all odds and expectations went to the top of the UK charts. The fact the album launched a record label that became one of the most recognisable brand names in the world (Virgin), formed the soundtrack to one of the biggest movies of the decade (The Exorcist), became the biggest selling instrumental album of all time, would eventually go on to sell over 16 million copies and was performed almost single-handedly by a 19-year-old makes the story all the more incredible. That album was Tubular Bells, and the young and painfully shy musician was Mike Oldfield.
This documentary features contributions from Sir Richard Branson, Danny Boyle, Mike's family and the original engineers of the Tubular Bells album among others. The spine of the film is an extended interview with Mike himself, where he takes us through the events that led to him writing Tubular Bells - growing up with a mother with severe mental health problems; the refuge he sought in music as a child, with talent that led to him playing in folk clubs aged 12 and signing with his sister's folk group at only 15; his frightening experience of taking LSD at 16; and finally arriving at the Manor Recording Studios as a young session musician where he gave a demo tape to a recording engineer who passed it along to young entrepreneur Richard Branson.
After the album's huge success, Mike retreated to a Hereford hilltop, shunned public life and became a recluse until he took part in a controversial therapy which changed his life.
In 2012 Mike captured the public's imagination once again when he was asked to perform at the London Olympic Opening Ceremony, where Tubular Bells was the soundtrack to 20 minutes of the one-hour ceremony.
Filmed on location at his home recording studio in Nassau, Mike also plays the multiple instruments of Tubular Bells and shows how the groundbreaking piece of music was put together.
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Mike Oldfield: Tubular Bells
A live studio performance from 1974 of Mike Oldfield's composition Tubular Bells.
Music Played
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Mike Oldfield
Tubular Bells Part One
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Mike Oldfield
Tubular Bells Part Two
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Mike Oldfield
Hergest Ridge
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Mike Oldfield
Ommadawn
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Kevin Ayers & The Whole World
May I?
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The Sallyangie
A Sad Song for Rosie
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The Sallyangie
Banquet on the Water
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The Sallyangie
Mrs Moon and the Thatched Shop
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Cliff Richard & The Shadows
Bachelor Boy
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The Ruts
Babylon's Burning
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Centipede
Septober Energy
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Terry Riley
A Rainbow in Curved Air
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Nick Drake
Introduction
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Nick Drake
Sunday
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Harold Budd
A Sidelong Glance From My Round Nefertiti
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Interviewed Guest | Mike Oldfield |
Director | Matt O'Casey |
Producer | Natasha Dack Ojumu |
Broadcasts
- Fri 11 Oct 2013 21:00
- Sat 12 Oct 2013 00:55
- Mon 14 Oct 2013 01:55
- Sat 11 Jan 2014 23:00
- Fri 21 Mar 2014 21:00
- Mon 24 Mar 2014 01:05
- Fri 13 Jun 2014 23:00
- Sat 14 Jun 2014 03:00
- Fri 31 Oct 2014 02:40
- Tue 20 Jan 2015 01:20
- Sat 11 Apr 2015 00:00
- Mon 13 Apr 2015 00:30
- Fri 23 Oct 2015 21:00
- Sat 24 Oct 2015 01:00
- Sat 7 May 2016 01:50
- Sun 13 Nov 2016 00:15
- Sat 19 Aug 2017 00:20
- Fri 9 Mar 2018 22:00
- Sat 10 Mar 2018 02:00
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Browse Mike Oldfield's profile for archive clips, interviews and reviews.