Ommadawn - Mike Oldfield

Ommadawn (36:41), like his previous efforts, covers two sides of Mike Oldfield's third album. It came out in 1975. In 2017 an album called Return to Ommadawn appeared. To record the original album as he wanted Oldfield persuaded his label, Virgin Records, to install a 24-track studio at home in The Beacon, Kington, Herefordshire. The African drums had to be recorded at The Manor, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Oxfordshire, where the first two albums were recorded. There was insufficient space at The Beacon to accommodate the instruments and equipment. An initial version had to be abandoned due to problems with tape and so Oldfield started again. Among the musicians involved is Paddy Maloney on Uillean pipes. There is also a brass band in there. Chiefly instrumental, both parts of Ommadawn contain lyrics, in Irish and in English. On Side 1 Clodagh Simonds sings with two others in Irish

Tá daidí 'na leaba

Tá an cat ag ól an bhainne

Tá mé an Amadán le Ceol

Amadán le Ceol

[Daddy's in his bed The cat's drinking the milk I'm the idiot singing (or the singing idiot) Idiot singing (or singing idiot)]

The word idiot (amadán in Irish) was anglicised into Ommadawn and used as the title of the album.

Tubular Bells - Mike Oldfield

Tubular Bells (49:18) covers two sides of an album and came out the year before Lammy, 1973. There was subsequently an orchestral version and one or two other variations, including digital versions in 2003 and 2009. Nothing tops the original. It featured in the Olympic ceremony in 2012. It features all sorts of instruments, especially guitars and the famous tubular bells. Oldfield plays most but not all of the instruments. It is in a number of parts that were not identified at the time when the piece suddenly came out of nowhere.