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gregrobson Group: Members Posts: 48 Joined: Aug. 2002 Posted: Dec. 09 2002, 10:47 If you have a look at "The Ministry of Sound: The Annnual 2003", Disc 3 Track 13 you will find: 13. Moonlight Shadow (Northstarz Remix) - Groove Coverage Nice to see that some of the modern artists are remixing some decent tracks (and not the infernal Las Ketchup song)   Hopefully the re-release of TB will see a renewed interest in MO's work by the DJ's of today. I'd like to see them re-interpret his ideas in a new and fresh way (as if MO doesn't re-interpret them enough! Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Dec. 09 2002, 14:08 Has anybody heard this remix ? Is it anygood? I think you'll probably find there is an enormous amount of respect amongst many dance musicians and DJ's for Mike's work, at least his early stuff. Bands like Massive Attack, Orbital ,The Orb and The Chemical Brothers have all name checked him at some point, and you can see why. One of the reasons TB works so well as a piece of music is that it uses just a handfull of simple yet brilliant melodies in a really interesting way to build up an atmosphere, and thats exactly what some of the better dance music does. Check out a track by the Chemical Brothers called 'The Sunshine Underground' as an example of this, its not particularly Oldfieldy in the actual sounds used but the melodies and the way they are constructed is fairly reminisant of some Mike stuff ( to my ears anyway ). I would love to have seen Mike adopt this side of dance music when he did TB3 rather than the dreadfull cheesy Robert Miles/Enigma influence that has poluted his sound eversince. Not only would it have complimented his style more but it would have given him instant street cred as well, something which he much needs. Back to top

MO fan Group: Members Posts: 177 Joined: Nov. 2002 Posted: Dec. 14 2002, 17:29 Quote (TOBY @ Dec. 09 2002, 14:08) "I would love to have seen Mike adopt this side of dance music when he did TB3 rather than the dreadfull cheesy Robert Miles/Enigma influence that has poluted his sound eversince"............ Hey that hurt, some of us really like Enigma! Anyway as for 'Could Mike Oldfield become popular again' I would like to know the date when he become Unpopular? Cheers, MO fan "I would love to have seen Mike adopt this side of dance music when he did TB3 rather than the dreadfull cheesy Robert Miles/Enigma influence that has poluted his sound eversince"............ Hey that hurt, some of us really like Enigma! Anyway as for 'Could Mike Oldfield become popular again' I would like to know the date when he become Unpopular? Cheers, MO fan Back to top

gregrobson Group: Members Posts: 48 Joined: Aug. 2002 Posted: Dec. 14 2002, 17:50 I don't think the problem is that he is unpopular, more that he isn't as popular as you would think when you look at his music. People like Elton John, Cliff Richard etc (okay so these aren't the best examples, they're not quite in the same league) have all released loads of very good albums over long careers. So has MO, yet he isn't half as recognisable by appearance or music. I heard In Dulci Jubilo while shopping the other day and it was the first time I put 2 and 2 together and reliased that it wasn't unusally good shop music. Only MO has had a piece of music that's 45 minutes long played on Radio 1 (to my knowledge). His variety of styles, musical ability and the way in which he's re-invented himself over the years to match the times deserves to be recognised. Who knows with the re-release of TB1, perhaps there will be some renewed interest in his music, and he'll pick up some awards that aren't just discs for album sales? Back to top

MO fan Group: Members Posts: 177 Joined: Nov. 2002 Posted: Dec. 14 2002, 18:04 Well I think you summed it up rather well. Anyway as long as he is still popular with his fans. Cheers MO fan PS: Sorry about that QUOTE stuff in my message above, cannot get the hang of it. Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: Dec. 14 2002, 23:53 Um, I don't know whether he will ever become popular, in the sence that his music gets on the charts. The best way that I've seen for an artist to get played on radio, TV etc is to release songs, but I think we have all heard what people say when he does songs (not the most popular things from the fans point of view). I don't think he really minds not being popular: he was a huge smash with Tubular Bells, and from what I know he didn't like being famous all that much (you don't build a big secluded house in Hergest Ridge if you crave the spotlight! ) -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

Tellur Group: Members Posts: 74 Joined: Oct. 2002 Posted: Dec. 15 2002, 06:46 Do you really want Mike to become popular, as in "well known by everyone, thus making music for everyone"? I certainly hope not. I'd keep it the way it is, Mike playing in his own way for his own fans, not for the whole damn community, read: "The Millenium Bell". Greetz, Tellur. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Dec. 15 2002, 08:55 I certainly don't want to see it stay the way it is. I want him to start writing halfway decent music for a start. And I must confess to not liking the horrible shadow of 'newage'  that seems to be ever creeping over SOME of his recent music. What happened to the fairly consistant 'I hate newage music' statement Mike? I think we would all like Mike to be popular again because it's simply sad to see such a gifted and once highly reviered musician become more and more marginalised and forgotten about in today's music world. We would all like him to be perfoming to his full potential and getting the rightfull credit, commercial or otherwise he deserves. The arguement here alway's comes back round to whether or not you think Mike is doing enough to help himself by producing music of good enough quality to help, or whether he or his team is doing enough to generate interest. It certainly someimes comes across as if he's not that interested in getting involved in the whole process of marketing himself, which is fair enough I suppose knowing the kind of artist he is. I know he quite happily does the odd radio show or newspaper interview but you kind of get the impression this is only interesting us lot the fans and not anybody else. At the end of the day it all comes down to the quality of the music Mike is producing. As I've argued before, if Mike brought out a truely great new album tomorrow and toured with it and generaly promoted it well it would sell well, I have no doubt of that. Fans alway's use the Amarok arguement here to say 'well Amarok was an amazing album but it flopped'. But Amarok is pretty extreme album in every sense of the of the word and it was released at a point, if remember at the time rightly, he was probably the most under exposed least heard of he's ever been in his career. You never got radio or newspaper articles written about him then, If you think things are bad now they were much, much worse then. What I'm praying for is that the process of making the new TB will rekindle a desire in Mike to go back to basics and write good, imaginative, well performed and emotional instrumental music. It's what he does best, when he does it. Back to top

TheMan Group: Members Posts: 105 Joined: July 2002 Posted: Dec. 16 2002, 05:39 Quote (TOBY @ Dec. 15 2002, 08:55) I want him to start writing halfway decent music for a start. go back to basics and write good, imaginative, well performed and emotional instrumental music. It's what he does best, when he does it. Yes TOBY, you are damn right about that. Something has to change. To me, one solution is: work with other musicians. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Dec. 16 2002, 14:46 Or certainly work with an interesting producer, I think that would do more to freshen his sound. Back to top

TheMan Group: Members Posts: 105 Joined: July 2002 Posted: Dec. 17 2002, 08:16 In any case, collaboration in some form ... I agree that Mike should use some good producer, to get some feedback before releasing the albums. I feel that the weakest parts of his later production were bass and drums [machines]. He could do a lot better. Back to top

Tellur Group: Members Posts: 74 Joined: Oct. 2002 Posted: Dec. 17 2002, 14:00 Changes cas go both ways - either for the better or for the worst. And if Mike was to change, sadly IMHO he would change for the worst. It's not that I don't want Mike to change, I do, but I wouldn't want him to start applying the changes now for the fear of him changing for the worst. That's why he's re-recording "Tubular Bells" - because of the lack of genuine ideas. But in my opinion after he starts messing around with his TB material for the album he will begin to miss his old albums - that's the time when he should start changing. As for Mike going New Age - well, sorry to say this, but times change, and I, as a younger fan, tend to like his New Age works. I can't really claim this in regards to "Tr3s Lunas", but "The Songs of Distant Earth" really hits the spot for me. Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: Dec. 18 2002, 05:30 Songs of Distant Earth hits the spot for a huge lot of people, and not just the younger fans. I think that if he went back to this sort of album, there would be more happy fans around. Most fans want an instrumental album, but the last few have been very instrumental. Prehaps an album full of longer songs is what we need: having longer songs will mean the tunes etc. must be developed more, changed a bit throughout the song. Personally, I would suggest a return to the format of several shorter pieces with a big 20 minute piece. This format was used a lot in the 80s, with Five Miles Out, Crises, Discovery and Islands making good use of this 'best of both worlds' format. The shorter pieces may or may not be songs: I have always liked Mike's short instrumentals of the 80s, and since this is what he seems to be doing a lot now, this would still allow him to keep on doing them. A song or two would also be good if he wants, some of his best guitaring happens in his songs. The big 20 minute piece is, I think, what fans are missing most nowadays, and I'm sure a lot of people would be happy to see it return. This for me would be the ideal album, if the music was good enough. -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

Tellur Group: Members Posts: 74 Joined: Oct. 2002 Posted: Dec. 18 2002, 09:25 Yeah, and I'm still waiting for another 20-minute theme evolving from the beginning loops to a gargantuan guitar solo as on Ommadawn. And no, I don't like the 80s' albums. Except Crises maybe. Back to top

maria Group: Members Posts: 928 Joined: July 2002 Posted: Dec. 18 2002, 17:46 Quote As for Mike going New Age - well, sorry to say this, but times change, and I, as a younger fan, tend to like his New Age works. I can't really claim this in regards to "Tr3s Lunas", but "The Songs of Distant Earth" really hits the spot for me. well... i'm not among the youngest (but gladly i checked recently in another topic that not either among the oldies joking...) and for me tsode hits the spot as much as ommadawn or tb or amarok, i mean... i've listened to him since the earliest 80s and i appreciate this kind of work in which he developes an idea and floats around it along a long composition... never mind if u call it new age or symphonic rock or whatever... for me it's like his music needs being long for showing the treasures... and about the question... popular? buff... i have a contradiction about that... it's not an innocent question... it has a lot of shades... in first place i think that an artist does what he/she needs to do, because they are expressing themselves and maybe they don't choose the path... they make art and later people like it or not, or some people like it and a lot more don't... i think the best would be if they, in this case mike did what he wants to. if i could choose... i would say: if being popular means adapting himself to the market frames before making music... no, then i prefer he remains not very popular... but in other hand i think it might be hard for an artist feeling people don't appreciate all the effort and in this case i would like he felt his music is worth, and being more popular he might feel this. regarding tb2003 release i think he could return to popularity since the tune has been live all along these thirty years and a lot of people knows it and i can imagine the discographic company will get the chance,  but as i told in some other forum what i would wish is that he felt the recall of his earliest music... -------------- ...morning and evening i'm flying, i'm dreaming... Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Dec. 18 2002, 21:09 For me, what's important is not that Mike is popular, but that people are able to get hold of his work without great difficulty. I don't mind that Mike's music isn't on every radio station, isn't in every person's record collection and isn't playing in supermarkets the world over, as long as his albums are available in the shops, or at least possible to buy on the internet. He has to court a degree of popularity, of course - without record buyers, he'd not be able to afford to carry on making music. It'll be interesting to see how they market the new Tubular Bells..."You bought it once, now you can buy it again!" "Tubular Bells - same music, different millennium" "And you thought you'd never hear another album like it..." Back to top

gregrobson Group: Members Posts: 48 Joined: Aug. 2002 Posted: Dec. 19 2002, 13:21 I agree - even the mighty amazon isn't able to provide all of his collection in 2-3 days. I know there's some rare stuff, but some of it is some of his more popular work. Back to top

liz197 Unregistered Posted: Jan. 23 2003, 06:06 i think mike would become really popular especially if he started doing concerts again! Back to top

Tellur Group: Members Posts: 74 Joined: Oct. 2002 Posted: Jan. 23 2003, 11:59 It's not as if Mike ever communicates with his fans at the concerts, so that will not form another link between MO and his dissapointed fans - just look at the TBII - III concerts - Mike didn't even say a word. And yes, I am aware that he is the master of music and doesn't need to say something specific to his fans to make them happy, but at least a simple 'hello' would do fine. Nevertheless I look forward to another concert. Back to top

TOBY Group: Members Posts: 1562 Joined: May 2002 Posted: Jan. 23 2003, 13:37 Just a point of note. He did speak at the TB3 premiere it's just not on the DVD, true he didn't speak at the Edinburgh concert but he did at the Royal Albert Hall in 93 and a fair amount on the 'Now and Then' tour in 99. We all know fine well he's a man few words live so what does it matter? Personaly I'm not bothered. Back to top

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