Tubular Bells - The Poll

Unclear what you mean. Is this side 1 and side 2 of the original, or the original album and the Trevor Horn remake? If the latter is the case you also need to include Tubular Bells III and Tubular Bells 2003.

And The Orchestral Tubular Bells.

The remake of TB1, let's call it TB1V2, Side 1 is less good, side 2 is much better.

TB2 was more a remake as in 'have to change the tunes for copyright reasons' a bit like that 'version' of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" that gets used in adverts but isn't Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain"

TB3, all digitised and that, was more a "woo hoo we're in Ibiza let's get on with the funky house scene" but how successful it was I don't know having never heard it.

"Hergest Ridge" was more the follow up to TB1V1, but not being called Tubular Bells, is now forgotten.

Oh, and let's not forget the quadrophonic version of TB1V1, the second side finishing with a version of the Sailor's Hornpipe but with Mike Oldfield and Viv Stanshall mucking around the rooms of the Manor, aand by all accounts is hysterical (I don't know I havent heard it, check the LP from the "Boxed" set to hear)

So in conclusion, I could vote for "Mike Oldfield's Single" which is not his facebook entry but an edit/remake version for 7" single purposes.

But I won't.

You people.

This is the original Tubular Bells album. The one that came out in 1973. It had 2 tracks on it. One on each side. The one on side 1 was called Tubular Bells - Part 1 and side 2 was called Tubular Bells - Part 2.

Which side do you like better?!

Can I swap it for "Unconditionally Guaranteed"?

I used to like side 2 more but I think i was just being contrary. Side 2 is rubbish.

Side 2 has "Piltdown Man" so wins by default.

Yeah, when I said the remake side 2 is better, all but the 'piltdown man' bit which 'now' sounds like a drama class exercise as opposed to being 'quite scary' before.

This may have something to do with Toyah playing the part on the remake rather than Oldfield himself.

The Piltdown Man bit is rubbish. Even on the original. Unless (as wikipedia has it) it really was done to piss off Branson and Oldfield was drunk, in which case I take it all back.

Hergest Ridge

I don't really like any of the versions of Tubular Bells that much

Part One, naturally, if only for the entirely tenuous "Exorcist" connection.

Viv Stanshall > Piltdown Man, in my opinion. (Even if his presence on the album makes me long for Adolf Hit1er on vibes.)

But Viv in the remix version on Boxed which had the original version of Sailor's Hornpipe on it is fantastic.

Side one definitely (but Ommadawn side one is the best thing Oldfield ever did)

Is Viv on the CD version of "Boxed", ie is it worth downloading?

Part one is probably the best here.

Toyah, was it? Explains ev.

My understanding is that David Bedford is responsible for 90% of what's interesting on this record.

Is the Trevor Horn re-make any good?

My understanding is that David Bedford is responsible for 90% of what's interesting on this record.

Please elucidate further. I've heard this before over the years but beyond the fact that they played together and Bedford orchestrated it later I don't really understand it.

i just bought this record but kinda was underwhelmed by it. should pull it back out

http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/amg/pop_albums/8/1/q/c817997e1qy.jpg

David Bedford 'sings' on Mike Oldfield's "Don Alfonso". Has to be heard to be believed.

xpost

Mark G - yes, downloading the CD 'boxed' is worth it, as the Sailor's Hornpipe is the original 'Viv drunk' version.

Oh and Boxed also contains Bedford and Oldfield singing an old (not Olde)English song called Speak Though You Only Say Farewell (by Horatio Nicholls).

It has to be heard to be believed, but I love it.

Yeah, I d/l'd TB(Side2) yesterday, so will check it out later.

Naive Teen Idol would have to clarify what he considers interesting about TB to say it's Bedford -- he did some arranging, but I always took the main collaboration to be mostly Oldfield & Tom Newman, his engineer. The Orchestral Tubular Bells was all Bedford, but I don't remember that working too well

It really is not about Tubular Bells, it's about the next three -- Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn & Incantations (the last one a double album influenced by Steve Reich, flutes, child choirs & disco)

Bedford's Stars' End & Rime of the Ancient Mariner are great records -- the former is post-Penderecki / Ligeti, brash textures & orchestral horns, pounding timpani w/ Mike doing long guitar solos, very interesting new classical / rock hybrid moment. Mariner is hypnotic spiraling minimalist arrangements of sea songs w/ the story narrated over the top and it's my favorite overall record of his. The Odyssey -- the balance between orchestral playing & studio production tipped too strongly towards cheesy synth leads, but it does have the 10 minute track 'The Sirens' which is the most beautiful thing I've heard of his

I love "Don Alfonso", so cool to think that was the follow up single to "Bells":

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b8/Don_Alfonso_(Mike_Oldfield).jpg

doesn't matter to me. all that matters is Samoa Park's "Tubular Affair," which mixes "Tubular Bells" and Mike Oldfield's "Foreign Affair." goddamn, i could listen to that all day at times.

Or Brave Combo's "Tubular Jugs," which mixes "Tubular Bells" and "Little Brown Jug."

I don't see much point in the re-recording, except I have heard a short bit in 5:1 and it sounds marvellous in surround.

i picked up the 7" of guilty with excerpts from Incantations on the bside. both are amazing slowed down to 33 cosmic style.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

The Viv Stanshall bit on TB side 2 is great,by the way!

Oh, I forgot "Disco Tubular Bells" by the Champs Boys.

Of course, to make this poll a little more extensive, you could have included all of the "Tubular Bells"s. But part 1 it is anyway.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

wow, dig the closeness!

"Tubular Bells" was totally robbed!