Tag Archives: Mike Oldfield

Kevin Ayers: The Confessions Of Dr. Dream And Other Stories

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In May 1974, “Island” label released “The Confessions of Dr.Dream and Other Stories”, the fifth Kevin Ayers studio album. It was recorded February – March 1974, at “AIR Studios” and “Ramport Studios” in London, and was produced by Rupert Hine.

Personnel:

  • Kevin Ayers – vocals, guitars, piano, organ
  • Nico – vocals
  • Mark Warner – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Sam Mitchell – electric guitar
  • Ollie Halsall – electric guitar solo
  • Cal Batchelor – electric guitar
  • Mike Oldfield – electric guitar solo
  • Henry Crallan – piano
  • Mike Moran – piano
  •  Rupert Hine – keyboards
  • Steve Nye – organ, electric piano
  • Mike Ratledge – organ
  • John Perry – bass
  • John Gustafson – bass
  • Trevor Jones – bass
  • Michael Giles – drums
  • The G’Deevy Ensemble – percussion
  • Ray Cooper – percussion
  • Lol Coxhill – alto saxophone
  • Doris Troy, Rosetta Hightower, Joanne Williams – backing vocals
  • Sean Milligan – backing vocals
  • Hulloo Choir – backing vocals
  • John Punter – engineer
  • Steve Nye – engineer
  • Gerry Leitch, Sean Milligan – engineer assistant
  • Simon Jeffes – additional brass arrangements
  • George Smith, James Wedge – illustration

Track listing:

All tracks by Kevin Ayers.

  1. Day By Day
  2. See You Later
  3. Didn’t Feel Lonely Till I Thought of You
  4. Everybody’s Sometime and Some People’s All the Times Blues
  5. It Begins with a Blessing / Once I Awakened / But It Ends with a Curse
  6. Ballbearing Blues
  7. The Confessions of Doctor Dream, Part 1: Irreversible Neural Damage
  8. The Confessions of Doctor Dream, Part 2: Invitation
  9. The Confessions of Doctor Dream, Part 2: The One Chance Dance
  10. The Confessions of Doctor Dream, Part 4: Doctor Dream Theme
  11. Two Goes into Four

Simon House

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On May 24, 2025, Simon House died aged 76. He was musician (violin, keyboards) and composer, performed and recorded with High Tide, Third Ear Band, Thomas Dolby, David Sylvian, Japan, Alan Davey, Nektar, Spiral Realms, Rod Goodway, Denny Gerrard, Robert Calvert, Anubian Lights, Michael Moorcock & The Deep Fix, Adrian Shaw, Earth Lab, Magic Muscle, Bedouin, Astralasia, Spirits Burning, Judy Dyble, Ambient Time Travelers, Mike Oldfield, and David Bowie, but was best known as member of Hawkwind. As leader, House released two albums.

Andy Anderson

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On February 26, 2019, Clifford Leon “Andy” Anderson died aged 68. He was musician (drums, percussion), recorded and performed with many artists and bands including Techno Twins, M/Robin Scott, Mother Gong, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, Steve Vengeance, Two-Bit Thief, The Saints, Backbeats, Edgar Broughton Band, Martha Munizzi, Group 1 Crew, the Gun Club, Spirits Burning & Clearlight, Steve Hillage, The Glove, Jimmy Somerville, Jimmy Pursey, Isaac Hayes, Midge Ure, Iggy Pop, Hawkwind, The Last Poets, Jason Donovan, The Rock & Roll Gypsies, Peter Gabriel, Mike Oldfield, Edwyn Collins, Glenn Matlosk, but was best known as member and drummer with The Cure.

Derek Wadsworth

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On December 3, 2008, Derek Wadsworth died aged 69. He was musician (cornet, trombone, keyboards), composer and arranger. He was musical director for Diana Ross, Dusty Springfield, and the musical “Hair”. As a musician and arranger he worked with Maynard Ferguson, Georgie Fame, Nina Simone, David Essex, Judy Garland, Humphrey Lyttelton, Graham Collier, Tonny Bennett, George Harrison, Tom Jones, Dionne Warwick, Mike Oldfield, Simply Red, Kate Bush, Cat Stevens, Small Faces, Manferd Mann, and the Rolling Stones.

Zappafrank

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On July 23, 1994, the “Astronomical Union” named the Asteroid 3834 (orbiting between Mars and Jupiter) “Zappafrank”, in honor of Frank Zappa, who died one year before. Zappafrank is not the first asteroid to be named after a rock musician;  Asteroids Lennon, McCartney, Starr, and Harrison already exist – and there are others named after Oldfield (Mike Oldfield), Clapton (Eric Clapton) and Jarre (Jean-Michel Jarre and Maurice Jarre).

Pierre Moerlen’s Gong: Downwind

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On February 9, 1979, “Arista” label released “Downwind”, the third Pierre Moerlen’s Gong album (it was the first to be released under that name, the previous two having been released as Gong albums for contractual reasons). It was recorded June – September 1978, and was produced by Pierre Moerlen.

Personnel:

  • Pierre Moerlen– lead vocals, drums, vibraphone, marimba, concert toms, timpani, organ, synthesizer, electric piano, assorted percussion
  • Mike Oldfield- guitar, solina strings, bass, Irish drum
  • Mick Taylor- guitar
  • Ross Record – vocals, guitar
  • Steve Winwood– synthesizer
  • Hansford Rowe– bass
  • Benoît Moerlen– vibraphon
  • François Causse – percussion
  • Didier Malherbe– saxophone
  • Terry Oldfield– flute
  • Didier Lockwood– violin

Track listing:

All tracks by Pierre Moerlen, except where noted.

  1. Aeroplane – Pierre Moerlen, Ruan O’Lochlain
  2. Crosscurrents
  3. Downwind
  4. Jin-Go-Lo-Ba – Babatunde Olatunji
  5. What You Know – Pierre Moerlen, Ruan O’Lochlain
  6. Emotions
  7. Xtasea

Mike Oldfield: Return to Ommadawn

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On January 20, 2017, “Virgin EMI” label released “Return to Ommadawn”, the twenty-sixth Mike Oldfield studio album. It was recorded December 2015 – May 2016, in Nassau,  Bahamas, and was produced by Mike Oldfield.

Personnel:

  • Mike Oldfield – acoustic steel guitar, flamenco guitar, bass guitar, acoustic bass guitar, electric guitars, Fender Telecaster, Fender Mark Knopfler  Signature  Stratocaster, PRS Signature, mandolins, banjo, ukulele, Celtic harp, Vox Continental organ, Hammond organ, Farfisa organ, mellotron, solina, clavioline, piano

Track listing:

All tracks by Mike Oldfield.

  1. Return to Ommadawn (Part one)
  2. Return to Ommadawn (Part two)

Kevin Ayers: Falling Up

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In February 1988, “Virgin” label released “Falling Up”, the thirteenth  Kevin Ayers studio album. It was recorded May – June 1987, at “Track Studios” in Madrid, Spain, and was produced by Colin Fairley.

Personnel:

  • Kevin Ayers – vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion
  • Ollie Halsall– guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, backing vocals
  • Miguel Herrero – guitars
  • El Reverendo – Hammond organ
  • Pablo Salinas – piano
  • Javier Paxariño – soprano saxophone
  • Marcelo Carlos Fuentes – bass
  • Nete – drums
  • Tony Vazquez – drums, bongos
  • Luis Dulzaides – congas
  • Charles J. Beale, Chuck C’ Note Brown, Patt Patterson, Andrea Bronston, Mary Jameson – backing vocals
  • Eugenio Muñoz – engineer
  • David De La Torre – engineer assistant

Track listing:

  1. (Another)Saturday Night (In Deya) – Kevin Ayers, Ollie Halsall
  2. Flying Start – Mike Oldfield
  3. The Best We Have – Kevin Ayers, Ollie Halsall
  4. Another Rolling Stone – Kevin Ayers, Marvin Siau
  5. Do You Believe – Kevin Ayers
  6. That’s What We Did (Today) – Kevin Ayers, Ollie Halsall
  7. Night Fighters – Kevin Ayers, Ollie Halsall
  8. Am I Really Marcel? – Kevin Ayers

Kevin Ayers: Whatevershebringswesing

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In November 1971, “Harvest” label released “Whatevershebringswesing”, the third Kevin Ayers album. It was recorded March – August 1971, at “Abbey Road Studios” in London, and was produced by Kevin Ayers and Andrew King.

Personnel:

  • Kevin Ayers– vocals, guitar, bass
  • David Bedford– keyboards, orchestral arrangements
  • Mike Oldfield– bass, guitar
  • Dave Dufort– drums
  • William Murray– percussion
  • Tony Carr – drums
  • Robert Wyatt– harmony vocals
  • Didier Malherbe– saxophone, flute
  • Gerry Fields – violin
  • Johnny Van Derek – violin
  • Bruce Malamut – flugelhorns, incidental brass, engineer assistant
  • Peter Mews, John Barrett – engineer
  • Adrian Boot – design
  • Adrian Lyne – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Kevin Ayers except where noted.

  1. There is Loving/Among Us/There is Loving – “Among Us” – David Bedford
  2. Margaret
  3. Oh My
  4. Song from the Bottom of a Well
  5. Whatevershebringswesing
  6. Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes
  7. Champagne Cowboy Blues – Mike Oldfield
  8. Lullaby