Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells II [Archive]

Plamen Ivanov

Jul-24-2005, 2:58am

Hello,

I was and I think I am stll a great fan of Mike Oldfield`s music. I haven`t listened to his compositions long ago, but yesterday evening I watched the premiere live performance of Tubular Bells II in Edinburgh in 1992. There is some mandolin content inside. Two mandolins appeared (a F-5 and an oval hole A) played by two different players. The one that plays the F-5 seems to be a guitarist and the other plays also a banjo. In the credits at the end of the concert as a mandolin/banjo player is named John Parricelli. I guess he is the one that plays the oval hole A. So, the question is who is the one, that plays the F-5? And one more question... In the piece "The Bell" which I consider the most emblematic piece for the album there is a person who introduces the instruments, that play consecutively the main theme. So, he starts with "grand piano", then "Glockenspiel", etc. When the mandolin turn comes, he says something like: "...tion effect", but I cannot hear and understand what does he say.

Thanks,
Plamen

mandocrucian

Jul-24-2005, 9:30am

a person who introduces the instruments, that play consecutively the main theme.

The speaker is Viv Stanshell from satirical musical outfit The Bonzo Dog Band (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:rgge4j870wai~T1). One member, Neil Innes appeared in various Python Movies (the minstral in Monty Python & The Holy Grail, and The Rutles spoof of the beatles with Eric Idle.

One of the Bonzo's well known tracks was the ridiculous (1967) "The Intro And The Outro" (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:jvjee5u74x07) #in which Stanshall introduces various name musicians on incongruous instruments...."Eric Clapton...ukelele" and "...and Count Basie Orchestra...triangle."

Oldfield was obviously a Bonzo fan since he hired Stanshall to reprise his role in a straight version of the idea on Tubular Bells (1973), and the critics who were familiar with the Bonzos were almost all favorably disposed to this bit of art imitating comedy.

Niles Hokkanen