The tubular bells, also known as chimes or tubular chimes, are a type of percussion instrument consisting of a set of metal tubes of varying lengths, typically made of brass or bronze. When struck, each tube produces a distinct, resonant sound. The instrument's origins date back to the 19th century, but it wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s that it began to gain popularity in orchestral and popular music settings.
, the album initially sold slowly until a series of lucky breaks: The Exorcist:
Despite critical praise upon release, was a slow burn in the UK, reaching number one only after months of word-of-mouth. But the explosion was global—and it came from a film studio in Hollywood. mike oldfield tubular
The keyword does not end with the 1973 album. Oldfield spent the rest of his career living in its shadow and occasionally trying to escape it.
The result was a demo that no major record label understood. It had no lyrics, no single, and no standard verse-chorus structure. It was, in the words of one executive, "unlistenable." The tubular bells, also known as chimes or
The recording of took place at The Manor Studio in Shipton-on-Cherwell, England, in 1972. Oldfield, then just 20 years old, played all the instruments on the album, including the tubular bells, guitar, bass, and drums. The album's recording process was meticulous, with Oldfield spending hours layering and overdubbing tracks to create a rich, complex sound.
In an era of 2-minute TikTok loops and algorithm-driven playlists, a 49-minute instrumental suite sounds like heresy. Yet, continues to pull in hundreds of thousands of monthly streams. , the album initially sold slowly until a
Because 16-track technology was relatively new, the team performed an "endurance marathon" of over 2,000 overdubs to achieve the final sound. The "Bent Bell" Accident: