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Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Jan. 11 2006, 15:39 Footage of Mike recording the theme tune for the BBC's Blue Peter programme in 1979 was repeated on the show earlier today. The entire feature about the recording of the theme tune is now available to watch on the BBC Website. Thanks, Ian Hubball Back to top

Nicolas Group: Members Posts: 208 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Jan. 11 2006, 16:03 That is one amazing video! I have never seen Blue Peter.  Was the theme song used exactly the one in the video? How come it is different from those on records like The Complete MO?  By the way there also seem to be multiple versions of the one that's featured on The Complete: I've heard a version that is identical but does not "start over again" in the last few seconds, it just stops after the climax. Back to top

The Bell(end) Group: Members Posts: 1051 Joined: July 2005 Posted: Jan. 11 2006, 16:07 The one that replaced Mike's is a mess in comparison! (IMHO) [Minutes later] I really don't like Simon Brint's efforts AT ALL, the Philharmonic orchestra's was nice, and had steel drums    but was a little grandiose, the current one is good, but clearly would not be the same without Mike's So, without any bias (and that's true) I say that Mike Oldfield's 1979 version was and is the best! -------------- When the night's on fi-ya, do you need love's arms to hold yew? :D Back to top

Tubularman Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 2304 Joined: June 2004 Posted: Jan. 11 2006, 16:25 wow how amazing mike is   I just love watching how he do it, he is the boss! Blue Peter is funny, i have always think so... -------------- Mike Oldfield M i x e s https://soundcloud.com/tubularman Back to top

Bill Bobaggins Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Jan. 11 2006, 16:34 Wow.  What can I say after having watched this?  Actually brought tears to my eyes. -------------- Speak friend and enter. Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Jan. 11 2006, 17:14 Blue Peter is a classic on BBC and Mike's version of the tune is simply ab fab. Watching the video after a few years since I first saw it was amazing. And the video of it is one of my personal favs. -------------- "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

timshen Group: Members Posts: 684 Joined: Mar. 2001 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 00:44 Fantastic video. Brings back great memories - I was an avid Blue Peterite and remember this from the original - really gives anexcellent glimpse into the way the man worked - I loved how he got all the staff involved with the bells :-) -------------- Expect Great Things. Attempt Great Things. Back to top

Nicolas Group: Members Posts: 208 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 04:01 Can anyone answer my questions in post #2 about the different versions of Blue Peter? Oh and by the way what brand and type of horn speakers does he use in that studio?   He's got beautiful equipment there   Back to top

mindphaser Group: Members Posts: 46 Joined: Aug. 2005 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 06:16 Great!!!   I've only been able to watch the video in a very small size because I just have a 56K modem at home, but even that was impressive. Must admit that I really like that old machinery... No idea about the speakers and the mixing desk..... -------------- www.facebook.com/thesiliconscientist soundcloud.com/the-silicon-scientist‎ Back to top

Ginger Daddy Group: Members Posts: 401 Joined: April 2002 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 06:36 Fantastic! The final released version does sound a bit different to what was recorded during the film... I guess Mike being a perfectionist means he probably re-recorded it in peace and quiet without a film crew. Cheers, Terry. -------------- http://purplerhapsody.co.uk - no words, just emotions Back to top

ian Group: Members Posts: 473 Joined: Nov. 1999 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 10:16 No, that was the version that was slightly different that was used for the programme titles. Back to top

Bill Bobaggins Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 10:20 As I watched the film, I was jealous of the crew who were able to play bells, etc on the recording.  How awesome would that be??? -------------- Speak friend and enter. Back to top

Nicolas Group: Members Posts: 208 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 12:12 Quote (ian @ Jan. 12 2006, 10:16) No, that was the version that was slightly different that was used for the programme titles. So you mean that this version was used in the program, and he rerecorded it for the single? And then somebody once added a few seconds after the end (as heard on The Complete) . Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 13:35 Quote (Bill Bobaggins @ Jan. 12 2006, 15:20) As I watched the film, I was jealous of the crew who were able to play bells, etc on the recording.  How awesome would that be???  I felt exactly the same!! Really great to see it again. I watched it when it came out all those years ago when I really was deeply immersed in the music, seeing Mike on that programme at that time meant the world to me and none of  my friends understood the significance. Now, watching it with my children, they were interested because they saw how music is put together - explained so well by Mike too, it also looked dated - (a bit of history!!, it was Blue Peter that they watch today, and it was that Mike Oldfield chap that mum mentions 'a bit'. I feel I must mention here that I also really like the sound of his voice too!! Also I absolutley -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

Nicolas Group: Members Posts: 208 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 16:49 I have watched it only once, but what I felt was a bit missed in the movie was the following: they nicely explain how he hears the tic tac timing track only through his earphones, and then show him starting to play rhythm guitar (btw amazing how he plays that part without having the lead melody to be lead by! My approach is the other way round).   Next he starts recording other instruments.  I did not notice them explaining that he does hear the previous instruments playing along each new instrument. Only when he goes to the synth and uses the speakers instead of the headphone, you hear the then recorded instruments playing along. MO does use everything recorded until then as a guide when recording a new track, right? Or does he stick to the tictac timing track only, every time he records a new instrument?  That would be a strange approach, and it would be truly amazing that everything would sound so well together if he used that approach! (of which I don't really see the point, hearing what you already recorded sounds a lot more logical to me). Back to top

moonchildhippy Group: Members Posts: 1807 Joined: Dec. 2004 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 17:41 Great seeing it again in it's entirity after all these years . I remember watching the original broadcast of Blue Peter, must've been 8 or 9 ATT.   Was given a DVD of The Making of Blue Peter, but I think it's   edited (can't say without watching it, but TV has gone wrong, so no DVDs or videos for me), it's about 6 mins long   . How I would love to have played bells on the recording too . -------------- I'm going slightly mad, It finally happened, I'm slightly mad , just very slightly mad If you feel a little glum to Hergest Ridge you should come. I'm challenging  taboos surrounding mental health "Part time hippy" I'M SUPPORTING OUR SOLDIERS BRING OUR TROOPS HOME NOW!! Back to top

mindphaser Group: Members Posts: 46 Joined: Aug. 2005 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 17:51 Quote (Nicolas @ Jan. 12 2006, 22:49) MO does use everything recorded until then as a guide when recording a new track, right? Yes, definitely, as a click track can only act as a guide for the tempo, not the position in the song. I think it made sense to first record the rhythm guitar - it provides the tempo as well as the chords, so the click track could be switched off during subsequent overdubs. -------------- www.facebook.com/thesiliconscientist soundcloud.com/the-silicon-scientist‎ Back to top

Bill Bobaggins Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: June 2005 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 19:46 A couple of other thoughts about this video...I loved watching his head sway back and forth as he was playing.  And how excited and happy he was at conducting the Bell Orchestra.  It brought a big smile to my face. -------------- Speak friend and enter. Back to top

Nicolas Group: Members Posts: 208 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Jan. 12 2006, 19:49 From that point of view it does make sense.  In a piece of music with say a stanza1 - chorus - stanza2 -bridge - chorus -chorus - stanza3 - chorus structure, I think it would be hard to keep track.  But not impossible at all if you've practised it beforehand.  I have played things in which I started with the chord part, which is a bit the same approach. You learn the order of chords and that gives the desired result. Being able to remove the click track after a while is indeed handy to get a better idea of the final result. Thanks for the explanation! I also loved the clarinet sound of the synthesizer (at normal speed I mean:)). The clarinet and bass clarinet in my Eminent organ does not sound like that, what a beautiful timbre MO's had! Back to top

mindphaser Group: Members Posts: 46 Joined: Aug. 2005 Posted: Jan. 13 2006, 02:51 The clarinet is great, really... I didn't know that the "flute" on Blue Peter was a clarinet sound recorded at half speed! It was very honest that Mike admits in the video that he couldn't play that fast...   Nicolas, do you have the old Eminent organ with the string-ensemble built in? Then you probably have the ARP/Solina String-Ensemble that Mike used as well (also on Blue Peter - it's the first track of synth in the video)! ARP licensed that one from Eminent in Holland and put their stickers over the Solina logo. OK, that was slightly off-topic...   -------------- www.facebook.com/thesiliconscientist soundcloud.com/the-silicon-scientist‎ Back to top

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