A Virgin for everyone Jun 16, 2009
Beginning with a student newspaper at age 17 and a record label to which he signed up Mike Oldfield, (with the incredibly successful Tubular Bells) and the Sex Pistols in his mid-20s, Branson has built the Virgin Group into an international conglomerate of some 350 companies, achieving more than $8 billion a year in sales. Fastest to a billion. (iAfrica.com)
Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 10-16 May 7, 2009
Musician Mike Oldfield is 56. Actor Lee Horsley is 54. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Estelle Ends Duffy's U.K. Chart Dominance Mar 25, 2008
There was a No. 6 start for Bryan Adams' "11" (Polydor/Universal), and top 10 debuts for two more Universal-signed veterans: Mike Oldfield with "Music of the Spheres" (UCJ) at No. 9 and Van Morrison with "Keep It Simple" (Exile/Polydor) at No. 10. Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" (Universal Island) is in its 11th aggregate week atop Billboard's European Top 100 Albums, while Duffy's "Mercy" moved 2-1 to take the lead on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles roundup. (Billboard.com)
Singer Estelle tops singles chart Mar 24, 2008
Fellow veteran Mike Oldfield, of Tubular Bells fame, entered the chart at number nine with Music of the Spheres. And Van Morrison's Keep It Simple was a new entry at number 10. (BBC News)
Sinus bug antibiotics 'are overprescribed and do not work' Mar 17, 2008
MADONNA IS AT IT AGAIN. The Material Girl poses in nothing but a wrestling belt and black leotard. (Daily Mail)
Baby robot that can walk, talk and feel Mar 17, 2008
But faced with the demands of one baby son plus a boisterous four-year-old, Mike Oldfield has to admit defeat. Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry, 41, has had her first child, a girl, in Los Angeles and both are said to be 'doing great. (Yahoo News -- Robots and Robotics)
Cougars win water polo title Oct 21, 2007
Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield. Copyright 2006 Half Moon Bay Review and Pescadero Pebble. (Half Moon Bay Review, CA)
Cabrillo hires new leader Oct 19, 2007
The Half Moon Bay Review. A new superintendent will take over Cabrillo Unified School District - and he comes with plenty of experience. (Half Moon Bay Review, CA)
Nothing but fun Oct 19, 2007
The Half Moon Bay Review. The 37th annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival was fun for all and relatively problem-free, although that depends on your perspective. (Half Moon Bay Review, CA)
Tax man calls on local eco-traveler Oct 19, 2007
The Half Moon Bay Review. David Eck of Half Moon Bay was driving around local roads in a vegetable oil-powered Hummer this spring. (Half Moon Bay Review, CA)
Branson bringing V-Fest to Calgary Oct 18, 2007
"Then Mike Oldfield came to me, he was 15, I was 17, and he had a tape that all the record companies had turned down. And I loved his music, and that turned out to be (16 million-unit seller) Tubular Bells. And I decided to form a record company to put it out, because no one else would. And it was great music, great music to smoke our joints to, and it helped make the '70s what the '70s are famous for. "And now because of all this new digital technology, it's become a bit sad for those of us who... (Canada.com)
Signing on to the Sox effort Oct 15, 2007
"As a result of that, Mike Oldfield recorded 'Tubular Bells,' " he said, grinning. "A $20 billion industry was born." The gregarious adventurer will officially unveil his latest project today at an outdoor ceremony at noon in Copley Square. (Boston Globe)
Branson sells his Virgin Megastores Sep 18, 2007
After setting the company up as a mail order business in 1970, Sir Richard opened the first Megastore in Oxford Street, London, the following year and founded the Virgin record label in 1973, selling millions of vinyl copies of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells ... One of its earliest releases is the prog rock instrumental classic Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield, which sells more than 5m copies. (Guardian Unlimited)
Read More: Branson Gets Bigger Aug 7, 2007
The first release was "Tubular Bells," by a shy, unknown musician named Mike Oldfield. "It was literally, no one wanted it," Branson said. (CBS News -- Early Show)
As album sales dwindle, new threat to music - the 'freebie' Jul 16, 2007
Mike Oldfield protested when the same Sunday paper covermounted his landmark Tubular Bells album in April. In a letter to trade magazine Music Week, the composer said: "To group real music with cheap loan leaflets and the other freebies that fall out of most publications is to devalue it. I have no desire to push my music to someone who has not sought it out.". (Scotsman)
Are free CDs killing music? Jul 14, 2007
----------------- ----------------- RELATED BBC SITES. Last Updated: Friday, 13 July 2007, 10:07 GMT 11:07 UK. (BBC News -- UK)
Industry anger as Prince to give away new album Jul 13, 2007
It most recently clashed with musician Mike Oldfield over the giveaway of his album Tubular Bells. Still, the paper maintains that its covermount CDs of artists such as Simply Red, Madness and Dolly Parton stimulate interest in music and it has asked retailers to look at partnerships. (Guardian Unlimited -- Education)
How will traveller fare in new rail deal? Jul 11, 2007
In 1972 he built a recording studio in Oxfordshire and the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded Tubular Bells which was released in 1973 and sold more than five million copies. At the time of Virgin Music's sale to Thorn-EMI in 1992 it was the world's sixth-largest record label. (The Herald)
Spitting Image puppets sold Jun 22, 2007
But a guitar used by Mike Oldfield to record Tubular Bells failed to sell. The Fender guitar - previously owned by Marc Bolan - had been expected to fetch 25,000-35,000 at the sale. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Superman suit sells at auction Jun 21, 2007
Also available at the Bonhams Rock 'n' Roll and Film memorabilia auction was a Fender guitar used by Mike Oldfield when he recorded his Tubular Bells album, though that failed to sell. Oldfield's 1973 album was used as the theme tune for the film The Exorcist, and also won a Grammy Award in 1974 for best instrumental composition. (ABC Online)
Groove Coverage bring latest album to Beijing Apr 26, 2007
Another hit "Moonlight Shadow", a remake of the legendary single by "Mike Oldfield" back in 1980s, achieved as a Gold Record for its outstanding sales volume in Germany. At the press conference in Beijing on Tuesday, the duo performed the two hits "God Is A Girl" and "Moonlight Shadow". (Xinhuanet, China)
The Police files Mar 25, 2007
After spells with Zoot Money's Big Roll Band and Eric Burdon's New Animals, Summers - on a bizarre evening in 1977 - found himself impersonating Mike Oldfield at a performance of Tubular Bells in Newcastle. "Mike didn't like performing very much and I was asked to take his place. I wasn't doing anything else at the time and so I said yes. The support band that evening was Last Exit, with Sting on bass and vocals. A couple of weeks later I ran into Stewart on a Tube train in London and shortly... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
