Mike Oldfield in conversation, 1983

Listen to the full interview at malreding.com/interview/mike-oldfield Mike Oldfield is best known for his 1973 album Tubular Bells it became a hit after its opening was used as the theme for the film The Exorcist. The instrumental composition was recorded in 1972 and released on 25 May 1973 as the inaugural album of Richard Branson's label Virgin Records. Oldfield played more than twenty different instruments in the multi-layered recording, and its style moved through many diverse musical genres. Its two and half million plus UK sales put it at No. 34 on the list of the best-selling albums in the country. The title track became a top 10 hit single in the US after the opening was used in The Exorcist film. It is today considered to be a forerunner of the new-age music movement. In this interview extract with music correspondent Mal Reding Oldfield says he believes that despite its success in the U.S as a result of being used at the beginning of the Exorcist fans in the U.S were already listening to his music before the classic horror film came out.

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