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yanouch65 Group: Members Posts: 680 Joined: Feb. 2006 Posted: July 31 2006, 13:39 Hi to American fans! I would like to know if Mike is famous in USA. I don't think so.... Could anybody say if there are some CDs or DVDs in stores? I think that people only know "Tubular Bells", as theme from the movie "Exorcist", but do they know the other albums? Thank you Regards -------------- Ray said : "it is a shame you don't play" manintherain said: "You´d better ask Mr. Y who was first" yanouch65 says: "I am in love with Scotland" Back to top

c_haese Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: Nov. 2003 Posted: July 31 2006, 14:28 Mike is the exact opposite of famous in the USA. Availability of his CDs might vary by region, but here in Toledo, Ohio, if a store has any Mike Oldfield at all, they don't have much beyond TB and the occasional SODE. Why did I move here from Berlin, Germany? Oh, right, my wife -Carsten Back to top

Piltdownboy on horseback 22 Group: Members Posts: 1548 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: July 31 2006, 14:40 hahahah I don't believe you         -------------- "And now we're going to play Platinum!" Back to top

The Thin Man Group: Members Posts: 151 Joined: May 2002 Posted: July 31 2006, 15:42 I worked near San Francisco during the mid-90's and had no trouble finding most of Mike's music in the big stores, although sometimes I had to rummage around in the New Age sections!   In fact, I picked up all the Let There Be Light remixes in the SF Virgin Megastore on Market Street, and even the then new release Voyager was in the Import stands.  However, there was a hefty mark-up, it's still the most expensive CD I ever bought! The Thin Man Back to top

hiawatha Group: Members Posts: 2391 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: July 31 2006, 16:14 Quote (yanouch65 @ July 31 2006, 13:39) Hi to American fans! I would like to know if Mike is famous in USA. I don't think so.... Could anybody say if there are some CDs or DVDs in stores? I think that people only know "Tubular Bells", as theme from the movie "Exorcist", but do they know the other albums? Thank you Regards Yeah, you'll find TB in some places. He's only known as the Exorcist guy. "Family Man" is his other hit, but in a version others recorded (not Mike's original). "Moonlight Shadow" received zero airplay, so he's not known for that either. More and more, the first part of TB is becoming one of the "official" tunes of the Hallowe'en holiday. -------------- "In the land of the Dacotahs, Where the Falls of Minnehaha Flash and gleam among the oak-trees, Laugh and leap into the valley." - Song of Hiawatha Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: July 31 2006, 22:44 Quote (yanouch65 @ July 31 2006, 12:39) I would like to know if Mike is famous in USA. I don't think so.... Could anybody say if there are some CDs or DVDs in stores? I think that people only know "Tubular Bells", as theme from the movie "Exorcist", but do they know the other albums? 20ish years ago I had no idea he was famous anywhere. I thought he was this cool musician that the knowing few stumbled on, wherever they happened to be in the world. After my first child was born, I stopped in at the local grocery store on the way home from the hospital and thought I was hallucinating when I heard a musak version of "Moonlight Shadow." The following Sunday I called in a request on the local prog rock show, and chatted to Glenn the DJ about that (Ithaca, NY--lovely, wonderful community). He explained to me that Mike was rather well-known in Europe--equated his popularity there to Michael Jackson's (at that time), here. There are several folks upwards of 50ish in neighboring communities here in the midwest that have various MO works in their collections outside of TB--particularly Ommadawn and TSODE. It has been awhile since I've seen his stuff outside a Virgin Megastore. I used to get annoyed to find his material in "Easy Listening," but that was better than not finding it at all. I'm heading to Chicago to see the Egyptian-King T exhibit and will be stopping at Virgin on Michigan Ave. I'll let you know what's in stock. BTW....he did get a trifle of airplay in the US in the 70's and 80's, on progressive rock programs. The program in Ithaca routinely played Mike, including MS and "To France." Guess I can add the 90's to that, as there were a couple of DJ's of prog rock programs who were members of the AML and used to send in their playlists. Ah...silly me--the local NPR stations plays his stuff once and awhile even in this century. -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

Deadcalm Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 752 Joined: Nov. 2004 Posted: Aug. 01 2006, 03:56 Im not sure about Mike Oldfield ever being a Mega Star in the States as ive always regarded him to be as "British" as Fish and Chips .... Maybe a few of the Albums may cross over like TB1 SODE the most likely .. But that British Folky feel on a fair few albums ..I cannt see appealing to American Kids.. Maybe the Spannish influence on some tks could make a few ripples on the Hispanic Community if they ever got Airplay...    I wonder what is The Top American Artist who is performing anything like  MO  JM JARRE  Rob Miles Vangelis.. Anyone Heard anything !!or Know of ?? Back to top

Quicksilver Group: Members Posts: 85 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Aug. 01 2006, 07:05 Indeed, MO is popular in all the Hispanic Community. You can notice that in www.mike-oldfield.es Back to top

Bill Bobaggins Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Aug. 01 2006, 09:51 MO is so obscure in the US that I really can't even tell you how I know of him.   I did see The Exorcist at the theatre when it was first released but to be honest, I don't think I walked away from that movie wondering about the soundtrack or who did it.  I really can't remember how he came to be such an important part of my life.  At any rate, I have only been able to buy his CD's at the larger stores in the big cities, like Virgin or Tower, and then, it was always an import so I paid dearly for them. Once on a visit to San Francisco I bought Complete at Tower and I also was able to buy his CD's when I visited England.  I remember walking into a Virgin store in London and looking up his name and was blown away by how many CD's were in the bin.  I could only afford one, so I chose Amarok, which at the time, I didn't even knew existed.  Talk about being pleasantly surprised!!!  Of course, now with the internet that problem no longer exists.  As time and money allowed, I ordered all of his CD's online and still purchase them that way. Anyway, to this day, no one I know has ever heard of MO.  At work, they ask me about the guy on my screensaver.  They do know Tubular Bells, but not by that title.  They only know it as "The Exorcist".  And the only time it is heard is around Halloween time. -------------- Speak friend and enter. Back to top

The Big BellEnd Group: Members Posts: 971 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Aug. 01 2006, 13:56 Holy Toledo? but go Frisco,,,,ahh yes as British as fish and chip's, I think so too but there is also a lot of other influences in Mike's music I'm sure we all agree. -------------- I, ON THE OTHER HAND. AM A VICTIM OF YOUR CARNIVOUROUS LUNAR ACTIVITY. Back to top

kwpres Group: Members Posts: 5 Joined: Aug. 2006 Posted: Aug. 01 2006, 14:58 I'm one of the old guys in the US.  I discovered Tubular Bells when it was sent to my college radio station as a "promotional copy".  And I have scoured the world to find most of his stuff.  In the US, we rarely see his work in the record store, let alone any promotion.  And of course he hasn't done any kind of extensive tours here since the early 80's.  I am jealous of a Canadian friend who saw the tour that the Exposed CD was from.  He's seen a lot of the great bands, but Mike's blew him away.  He wasn't even much of a fan...until that concert. Anyway, wish I could get to Germany to see him this Fall/winter, but financially, it's just not in the cards.  I made a list when I turned 50 of the things I want to do with my remaining years.  Seeing Mike in concert is near the top.  Hope we don't have to wait another 7 years before he performs live... Cheers, Kwpres in the US Back to top

Piltdownboy on horseback 22 Group: Members Posts: 1548 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Aug. 01 2006, 16:30 Welcome on board     -------------- "And now we're going to play Platinum!" Back to top

Spinne Group: Members Posts: 397 Joined: May 2003 Posted: Aug. 01 2006, 16:37 Quote (Quicksilver @ Aug. 01 2006, 07:05) Indeed, MO is popular in all the Hispanic Community. You can notice that in www.mike-oldfield.es This page is from Spain (Europe). Anyway, there are users from America (such as here), but the webmaster and most of the users (also the server) are from Spain. As you will probably know, Mike have a lot of fans in Spain and Germany. Back to top

Inkanta Group: Admins Posts: 1453 Joined: Feb. 2000 Posted: Aug. 02 2006, 00:33 Quote (Inkanta @ July 31 2006, 21:44) It has been awhile since I've seen his stuff outside a Virgin Megastore. I used to get annoyed to find his material in "Easy Listening," but that was better than not finding it at all. I'm heading to Chicago to see the Egyptian-King T exhibit and will be stopping at Virgin on Michigan Ave. I'll let you know what's in stock. OK....great exhibit at the Field; here is what is currently available at Virgin@Michigan: DVDs:  Live at Montreux (1)            Exposed (1) CDs:   L+S (1)           Elements (3) -- the condensed one--not the 4-vol.           Boxed (2)           FMO (2)           TB (5) -- original--$10USD           TB 2003 (1) Import:  The Plat Collection (1) -- $35.99USD There you have it.  Most MO I've seen in a shop in a long time. Must have been last summer (or the one before?) that I was able to pick up the Art in Heaven concert DVD at the same store. That one wasn't on hand today, though. Mike may be somewhat obscure here, but he's not *that* unknown--maybe I've just found an eclectic group of music lovers here in the midwest who know of him. Riding around in taxis today reminded me that the owner of a local taxi company immediately recognized the tubular bell decal on the old car years ago and I ended up lending him some of the CDs he hadn't heard. With a bit of concert promotion and the right venues, Mike certainly isn't so obscure that he shouldn't consider touring here. Besides, as I've mentioned before, generationally and generally speaking, Internet use studies would suggest that Mike's own age cohort is not using the Web extensively to post on forums like this one. I am sure this will increase. Although we are far between, maybe we USA fans are not so few that the concert halls would be empty. BTW--welcome, kwpres! -------------- "No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From:  Moongarden's "Solaris." Back to top

tubularbelleII Group: Members Posts: 5 Joined: May 2011 Posted: May 20 2011, 02:54 Is Mike famous in USA?  This is one subject that really bothers me. I get so mad when people who hear the words "TUBULAR BELLS" automatically associate that, along with the name of "the maestro", the greatest guitarist in the WORLD and genius Mike Oldfield, with "The Exorcist"!!!! I even had one of my best friends tell me, knowing I was a fan, that I liked "devil movies"! Another good friend, who happens to be a minister, has not really spoken with me since I became an administrator! I am trying to educate friends on FB about the entire situation of how his song came to be in the movie and how it bothers Mike. Glad to say I am actually making some progress in that area!! I would give anything to see Mike do a US Tour! Today I posted on TBII fan page, a new profile pic of Mike performing at Carnegie Hall in New York, and I vow I will not shut my mouth until I have "converted" (for lack of a better word) as many people here in the United States, that I can!! I am sorry to say there are too many closed minded people in the world, especially here in my own country, and I LOVE MY COUNTRY! THE US IS THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AND I AM SO VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, but what is wrong with so many people here? But, I will continue to make my voice heard, when it comes to MR. MICHAEL GORDON OLDFIELD...and that is a promise! Back to top

ex member 892 Group: Members Posts: 827 Joined: July 2008 Posted: May 20 2011, 08:23 I have met exactly one person who has heard of Mike Oldfield. I have never seen any of his CDs at local stores. But of course, I live in a rather rural area (used to! I'm moving ), it may be different elsewhere. Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: May 20 2011, 09:28 Many European acts (even the most popular ones) are unsuccessful in the US. Maybe it's a cultural thing,though. -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

Scatterplot Group: Members Posts: 1981 Joined: Dec. 2007 Posted: May 21 2011, 04:47 As probably the biggest fan of MO in 1973(in Texas) since his debut in 1973(I was 12) when I first heard TB1 excerpts on FM radio I can tell you this: There was a "buzz" about him on the street. A neighboring kid loaned me his LP so I could hear the rest I did not hear on FM radio. I quickly(more like franticly) procured my own LP. The rest of the gossip about him was about the Exorcist and demonic stuff. He was rumoured to be a bald old man. 2 years later he revealed his true appearance on the cover of Ommadawn. By then, no one I knew cared or knew the name. I played his records but only my older brother and his first wife(both in law school) liked him. Skip to 1980. I found myself on a university campus(I was 20) and then more people had his albums and knew him. Mostly musicians who majored in computer science or music. Then we traded records a lot. I knew a Dr. of music who liked him a lot. By 1985 no one I met ever heard of him or cared. I was the only one with his records. An occasional female guest would be blown away by his music in my home. After that.....just me. This has been my USA sharing. Sorry Mike. They all had to be the more educated folk.....     Skip to the future. It's 2011. Austin......no all of Texas is a ghetto. You will be strange to even mention his name. Better not to speak of him. Sad but true. The question to be asked is, do I(Jim) want to be here? No. I'd give both my legs to be either in the UK or in the year 1980. This is not "home" for me. Sad isn't it? This is why I faded from tubenet some time ago. I cannot "Feel" joy in MO's music because it is a constant reminder of the nexus I wish to live in but cannot. Sure there are plenty of splinter-groups out there who still worship bands like Queen or Genesis. But MO is somebody I have to enjoy -alone-. I do play him less....but I will never stop. Jim -------------- We raise our voices in the night Crying to heaven And will our voices be heard Or will they break Like the wind Back to top

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