Tubular Bells 2003

Tubular Bells 2003 is an album by Mike Oldfield, and is a re-recording of the classic album Tubular Bells that he recorded back in 1973.

Related Topics:
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells - 1973

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Oldfield had always been uncomfortable with the original recording because he had only a few weeks to record it and the technology at the time was unable to cope with all of his requirements. As a result mistakes could not be fixed and some instruments were out of tune on the final release. Due to contractual reasons no re-recordings were allowed for 25 years after the original release. The release of Tubular Bells 2003 took place in the year when Oldfield celebrated his 50th birthday and the 30th anniversary of the original release.

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Due to the use of digital technology Tubular Bells 2003 had an overall 'brighter' feel than the original.

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Because of the passing of Vivian Stanshall, who was the original master of ceremonies on the 1973-release, Oldfield had actor John Cleese introduce the instruments in the 'Finale' part.

Related Topics:
Vivian Stanshall - John Cleese

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The album was released in three versions: a copy-controlled CD in Europe, a genuine CD in North America, and a DVD-Audio edition that includes the demos Oldfield recorded in his flat in 1971. The copy-controlled CDs caused a great number of justified complaints about playback difficulties and even damaged CD and DVD players, resulting in a quick disappearance from the charts, which was not the case with the previous Tubular Bells (I, II and III) albums.

Related Topics:
Copy-controlled - CD - Europe - North America - DVD-Audio - 1971

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