![]() The album’s release came about almost by chance at a time when struggling entrepreneur Branson was trying to break into the music game. If Tubular Bells shared any musical DNA with anyone then it was prog band Yes, whose two-hour opus Tales from Topographic Oceans was also released in 1973. In 1973, Elton John, Slade and David Bowie dominated the charts. The UK’s most popular albums of 1972 (that weren’t genre-straddling hits compilations) were either unchallenging radio-friendly releases by the likes of Donny Osmond, Lindisfarne and Scottish Opportunity Knocks winner Neil Reid, or rock and glam albums by bands such as Deep Purple and T. Musically, it existed somewhere to the left of leftfield. Given this, it’s no surprise that Tubular Bells’ success was unexpected on its 1973 release. ![]() It encompasses everything from chamber music and folk to Metallica-like rock and Spaghetti Western vibes. But there’s more to the album than that one refrain. That spine-chilling piano motif with the odd time signature in The Exorcist, before Linda Blair’s head gymnastics rob you of your ability to sleep? That’s Tubular Bells. If you think you haven’t heard the album, you have. It’s testament to the album’s enduring appeal that it’s still packing out concert halls from Exeter to Edinburgh, often with two generations of the same family, Smith says. Smith is leading an eight-person ensemble in playing the album live (with the blessing of his reclusive pal Oldfield, who now lives in the Bahamas). It also marked an early fusion of classical music and rock, leading to one of the most logistically-challenging – but ultimately iconic – music performances in BBC television history. ![]() The album – which comprises just two vocal-free tracks that clock in at around 25 minutes each – sold 17 million copies, launched Richard Branson’s Virgin Records label, soundtracked the scariest horror film of all time and even had its ‘bent tube’ cover reproduced on Royal Mail postage stamps. Released 50 years ago this spring, Tubular Bells was a surprise smash that turned its teenage composer into a reluctant, and very wealthy, rock star. ![]() Everyone knows where they were when they first heard Tubular Bells,” says Robin Smith, a musician who on February 3 embarked on a 32-date UK tour to perform Mike Oldfield’s 1973 ambient-prog-folk album to tens of thousands of fans. ![]()
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