Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn [Japan LP 1st pressing] Definitive Master vinyl rip in 24-bit/96kHz & CD-format

“

Ommadawn still stands as -- if not Mike Oldfield's greatest achievement (can anything displace Tubular Bells?), then at least his most visionary. - Dave Thompson/AMG (4/5 Stars)

”

Ommadawn is the third record album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1975 on Virgin Records. The cover photograph was by David Bailey. It peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was reissued in June 2010 with additional content.

Album history

As with Hergest Ridge and Tubular Bells, Ommadawn is another two-movement work. Oldfield sought out the ancient Celtic influence on English music and composed for traditional instruments such as uilleann pipes on the original LP version. A set of Northumbrian smallpipes were also recorded, and credited to "Herbie", but this recording was not used on the album.

The album was recorded at Oldfield's home at Hergest Ridge, The Beacon, and was the only album to be recorded there (though Oldfield's previous album shares its name with the location).

A quadrophonic remix version of Ommadawn was released on Boxed a year later. Oldfield's 1990 album Amarok was conceived as a sequel to Ommadawn, but turned into something quite different; Virgin had been pushing Oldfield for a sequel to Tubular Bells. Excerpts from Ommadawn were featured in the 1979 NASA film, The Space Movie.

The topic of Ommadawn is covered in the final episode of the Tony Palmer documentary series All You Need is Love; episode 17 "Imagine (New Directions)".

In June 2010 the album was reissued by Mercury Records.



Track listing

All music written by Mike Oldfield, except where noted.

Side one

"Ommadawn, Part one" – 19:23

Side two

"Ommadawn, Part two" – 13:54
"On Horseback" (not actually titled on album) – 3:23

"On Horseback" is not listed on the record label, but added to the length of "Ommadawn (Part Two)", giving it a new length of 17:17. It is, however, referred to on the inner sleeve where it is noted that "the words to the horse song on side two by Mike Oldfield and William Murray". The songsheet for "On Horseback" says "Music by Mike Oldfield, Words by Mike Oldfield and William Murray".

Personnel

Mike Oldfield – acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, banjo, bouzouki, bodhrán, classical guitar, electric bass, electric guitars, electronic organs, glockenspiel, harp, mandolin, percussion, piano, spinet, steel guitar, synthesizers, twelve-string guitar and vocals.
Herbie – Northumbrian bagpipes
Don Blakeson – trumpet
The Hereford City Band conducted by Leslie Penning – brass
Jabula (Julian Bahula, Ernest Mothle, Lucky Ranku, Eddie Tatane) – African drums
Pierre Moerlen – timpani
Paddy Moloney – uilleann pipes
William Murray – percussion
Sally Oldfield – vocals
Terry Oldfield – Panpipes
Leslie Penning – recorders
"The Penrhos Kids" (Abigail, Briony, Ivan and Jason Griffiths) – vocals on "On Horseback"
Clodagh Simonds – vocals
Bridget St John – vocals
David Strange – cello