Inkanta
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Posts: 1453
Joined: Feb. 2000 |
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Posted: April 26 2006, 12:46 |
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Here are some comments that Mike has made over the years about horses:
From: "Beyond the Ridge: Portrait of a Genius, "Karl Dallas. Melody Maker October 25, 1975: http://tubular.net/articles/75_10.shtml
We spoke for a while about the closing ‘horseback’ song which is likely to cause more comment, pro and con, than any other part of the new album.
Earlier, Leslie Penning had described how he had introduced Mike to horse-riding, and how the song had brought back the experience to him so keenly that he had, quite literally, wept, when Mike sang it to him.
“I just discovered it when I got on the back of his great animal,” said Oldfield.
How important was the song to the album?
"Very important. It seems to balance it out. There seemed to have been an over-pessimisticness [sic—i.e., his word, not the interviewer’s] about it, especially the end of the first side, even though some people find it makes them happy. Other people, it makes them very unhappy.
"It scared me to death when I did it. When I did that electric guitar, I found it really frightening. I couldn't sleep.
"And the horse song is the sort of opposite to that. Well perhaps not the opposite, but it balances it. It's got that verse in it, 'some find it strange to be here.' I certainly do.
"And that maybe has a lot to do with why I make music."
From: "Virtuoso Reality," Tony Barrell. The Sunday Times, June, 2002. http://tubular.net/articles/02_06d.shtml
"I still get insecure. I still get depressed sometimes," he admits, as one of his four horses whinnies in the old field outside, "but it's nothing like it used to be. I think getting a little bit older has helped." Does he ride his horses? "No, I used to, but I had a terrible throwing-off one day, and I didn't want to end up like Christopher Reeve."
From: "60 second interview - Mike Oldfield." James Ellis. Metro (UK free magazine) August 9, 2002. http://tubular.net/articles/02_08c.shtml
“The first track on the album is called Misty - I have an Arabian filly called Misty and so there you are. “ (Note: the statement he makes surrounding that is very, very misleading about how Native peoples name(d) their babies. It varies(d) from society to society).
Heh...I ended up with my Appaloosa mare and Ommadawn in the same week, many, many years ago. Coincidentially (or not), her registered name was Rio's Dawn. At the time I had no idea what Ommadawn meant and started breaking it apart and came up with "eye of the dawn." Goofy, I know. Dawn had the most gorgeous eyes, though (looked like she had permanent black eyeliner), so it fit.  She was a very upbeat mare, with a positive personality (really! ), and every time I hear that song I think of Dawn merrily trotting along, happy to do what I asked her.
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"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From: Moongarden's "Solaris."
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