First released on May 25, 1973, Tubular Bells became the first album issued by Virgin Records. Oldfield was only 19 when the album was recorded, but the ideas behind it began when he was still a teenager, according to The Conversation.
The mostly instrumental work later became one of the most important releases in Oldfield’s career. Its opening theme gained worldwide attention after it was used in the 1973 horror filmThe Exorcist. That exposure helped turn an unusual studio project into a major commercial success.
Portrait of guitarist Mike Oldfield at the Park West in Chicago, Illinois, April 21, 1982.Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
Mike Oldfield Started Tubular Bells at 17
When the band broke up in 1971, Oldfield received a two-track tape recorder from Ayers. He used it to build recordings by layering one instrument over another. This allowed him to create the effect of a much larger musical group while working largely by himself.
The recordings eventually reached Tom Newman and Simon Heyworth, who were working at The Manor, a residential recording studio owned by young entrepreneur Richard Branson. Branson heard the demos and agreed to give Oldfield time to record the project.
One of the best-known features is the opening motif of Part One. It uses an unusual 15/8 time signature and repeats at different points throughout the piece. The music also includes electric guitars recorded at half speed, creating higher sounds when played back at normal speed.
The album eventually consisted of two long instrumental pieces. Part One runs for about 25 minutes, while Part Two lasts more than 23 minutes.
The connection between the music and the film gave Oldfield's work a much wider audience. The haunting opening became strongly associated with the movie, even though it appears only briefly in two scenes.
In the United Kingdom, the album eventually reached No. 1. It also reached No. 3 on the US Billboard 200 and topped album charts in Canada and Australia. More than 2.7 million copies have been sold in the U.K., while worldwide sales are estimated at around 15 million.
According to Billboard Database, it entered the chart at No. 99 on February 23, 1974. From there, it steadily moved upward, reaching No. 34 by March 30 and No. 16 in April. On May 11, 1974, it reached its peak at No. 7.
That chart run showed that an instrumental piece created from layers of studio recordings could reach a mainstream audience without relying on a conventional vocal performance.
The original album has been reissued in several formats, including a 50th-anniversary edition released in 2023. That edition included a previously unreleased eight-minute demo titled “Introduction to Tubular Bells 4,” recorded by Oldfield in 2017.
The album's legacy is also being carried into live music. A production titled The Best of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells I, II & III, led and arranged by longtime collaborator Robin Smith, is scheduled to perform at Brighton Dome on March 22, 2027, per Brighton Journal.
For a work that began with a teenager experimenting with instruments and basic recording equipment, Tubular Bells has had an unusually long life. More than five decades after its creation began, the record still stands apart from conventional rock releases.
Related: 1983 Rock Song, Lasting Nearly 12 Minutes, Is Still a Powerful Hit 43 Years Later
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