Hergest Ridge (album)
Encyclopedia
Hergest Ridge is the second record album by Mike Oldfield
, released in 1974
on Virgin Records
.
Oldfield was not comfortable with the public attention that had come from the success of Tubular Bells, and retreated to the English countryside to work on the follow-up. The result was Hergest Ridge, named after the hill
on the border of Herefordshire
and Wales
near where he was living at the time.
Hergest Ridge entered the UK album charts at number one, only to be displaced by its predecessor, Tubular Bells. Oldfield is thus one of only a few artists (among whom are The Beatles
and Bob Dylan
) to have defeated themselves in this manner.
The album was reissued with bonus material and new artwork in June 2010.
. Oldfield is also innovative with Hergest Ridge in the novel way in which he builds up textures, commonly involving multiple layers of electric guitar recorded by first amplifying heavily (to achieve a sustained organ-like quality) and then reducing the volume greatly. Textures are extended further using various organ timbres and the use of voice as an instrument (the voice is never treated prominently and is deliberately reduced as much as possible and thus permitted largely for textural effect).
According to producer Tom Newman
, parts of the album were also recorded at Chipping Norton, and the original release mix created at Air Studios, London
.
. Following the creation of the remix, Oldfield stated that he wished for all future releases of the album to be derived from this new version. All CD releases have a stereo mix derived from the "Boxed" mix, as do most of the later pressings of LP and cassette. The remastered bootleg
version of the original mix is distributed in the Internet.
The original 1974 vinyl mix is now available on the 2010 reissue of the album, along with a 2010 remix.
In 1976 an orchestral version of Hergest Ridge was arranged and conducted by David Bedford
, the same as The Orchestral Tubular Bells
. Parts of its performances were used in the NASA
and Tony Palmer documentary The Space Movie
. As of 2011 it has not been officially released.
on the cover (and on the LP label) is named Bootleg. Mike Oldfield himself can indeed be heard pronouncing it in the song "On Horseback", which concludes "Part Two" of Ommadawn.
Although the album was written at The Beacon, it was again recorded at Branson's
The Manor
, like Tubular Bells.
. This came as part of a deal in which Oldfield's Virgin albums were transferred to Universal's label. Bonus features for the release include a 2010 remix of the album and the original vinyl mix of the album. There is a single disc edition as well as a Deluxe Edition. Bonus tracks include "In Dulci Jubilo (For Maureen)" and "Spanish Tune". A 180 gram vinyl version was released as part of the Back to Black range.
The reissue features radically different artwork, which features a model air plane and aerial photography based on Google Earth
and Bluesky. According to the new liner notes, Oldfield was never entirely sold on the original album artwork and took this opportunity to commission a new cover.
There is also a limited edition box set of the album, comprising a deluxe edition, an LP and a framed, signed print of the album artwork. Only 250 copies were produced which were sold through Mike Oldfield's Official website. There are no un-signed variants.
The Japanese release uses the SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) manufacturing process.
and Bob Dylan
) to have defeated themselves in this manner.
Mike Oldfield
Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
, released in 1974
1974 in music
-January–April:*January 3 – Bob Dylan and The Band kick off their 40-date concert tour at Chicago Stadium. It's Dylan's first time on the road since 1966.*January 17...
on Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
.
Oldfield was not comfortable with the public attention that had come from the success of Tubular Bells, and retreated to the English countryside to work on the follow-up. The result was Hergest Ridge, named after the hill
Hergest Ridge
Hergest Ridge is a large elongated hill which traverses the border between England and Wales between the town of Kington in Herefordshire and the village of Gladestry in Powys. Its highest point, which is in England, is 1397 feet high.- On Offa's Dyke Path :...
on the border of Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
near where he was living at the time.
Hergest Ridge entered the UK album charts at number one, only to be displaced by its predecessor, Tubular Bells. Oldfield is thus one of only a few artists (among whom are The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) to have defeated themselves in this manner.
The album was reissued with bonus material and new artwork in June 2010.
Album analysis
Like Tubular Bells, the album is divided into two movements, but unlike its multi-themed and rapidly-changing predecessor, Hergest Ridge involves economic use of the various themes and with more sophisticated musical developmentMusical development
In European classical music, musical development is a process by which a musical idea is communicated in the course of a composition. It refers to the transformation and restatement of initial material, and is often contrasted with musical variation, which is a slightly different means to the same...
. Oldfield is also innovative with Hergest Ridge in the novel way in which he builds up textures, commonly involving multiple layers of electric guitar recorded by first amplifying heavily (to achieve a sustained organ-like quality) and then reducing the volume greatly. Textures are extended further using various organ timbres and the use of voice as an instrument (the voice is never treated prominently and is deliberately reduced as much as possible and thus permitted largely for textural effect).
According to producer Tom Newman
Tom Newman (musician)
Not to be confused with Thomas Newman.Tom Newman is an English record producer and musician...
, parts of the album were also recorded at Chipping Norton, and the original release mix created at Air Studios, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Versions
Hergest Ridge was remixed in 4-channel quadraphonic sound by Oldfield in 1976 for the 4-LP set, BoxedBoxed (Mike Oldfield album)
Boxed is a compilation album written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield, released in 1976 . It features quadraphonic remixed versions of his first three albums and some collaborations.- Background :Boxed features quadraphonic remixed versions of his first three albums...
. Following the creation of the remix, Oldfield stated that he wished for all future releases of the album to be derived from this new version. All CD releases have a stereo mix derived from the "Boxed" mix, as do most of the later pressings of LP and cassette. The remastered bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
version of the original mix is distributed in the Internet.
The original 1974 vinyl mix is now available on the 2010 reissue of the album, along with a 2010 remix.
In 1976 an orchestral version of Hergest Ridge was arranged and conducted by David Bedford
David Bedford
David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
, the same as The Orchestral Tubular Bells
The Orchestral Tubular Bells
The Orchestral Tubular Bells is an orchestral version of Mike Oldfield's album Tubular Bells, arranged by David Bedford and recorded in 1974 by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring Oldfield himself playing the guitar. In 2000 it was reissued by Virgin as a HDCD.Excerpts from the album were...
. Parts of its performances were used in the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
and Tony Palmer documentary The Space Movie
The Space Movie
The Space Movie is a documentary film produced in 1979 by Tony Palmer at the request of NASA, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.The 78 minute film was released theatrically in 1980, on VHS in 1983 and on DVD in 2007...
. As of 2011 it has not been officially released.
Hergest Ridge, the place
Hergest Ridge is a popular holiday destination for Oldfield's fans, and the house where he lived at the time, The Beacon, is now a guest house. The cover photograph features scenery from Hergest Ridge, and was taken by Trevor Key; the Irish WolfhoundIrish Wolfhound
The Irish wolfhound is a breed of domestic dog , specifically a sighthound. The name originates from its purpose rather than from its appearance...
on the cover (and on the LP label) is named Bootleg. Mike Oldfield himself can indeed be heard pronouncing it in the song "On Horseback", which concludes "Part Two" of Ommadawn.
Although the album was written at The Beacon, it was again recorded at Branson's
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
The Manor
The Manor Studio
The Manor Studio was a recording studio in the manor house at the village of Shipton-on-Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England, north of the city of Oxford. It was the first residential recording studio in the UK...
, like Tubular Bells.
Personnel
- Mike OldfieldMike OldfieldMichael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
– acoustic guitar, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s; FarfisaFarfisaFarfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
, Gemini, and LowreyLowrey organThe Lowrey organ is an electronic organ named after Chicago industrialist Frederick Lowrey.During the 1960s and 1970s, Lowrey was the largest manufacturer of electronic organs in the world. In 1989, the Lowrey Organ Company produced its 1,000,000th organ....
organElectronic organAn electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
s; glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, gongGongA gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, nutcrackerNutcrackerA nutcracker is a mechanical device for cracking nuts. Usually they work on the principle of moments as described in Archimedes' analysis of the lever...
, sleigh bells, Spanish guitar, timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, and tubular bellTubular bellTubular bells are musical instruments in the percussion family. Each bell is a metal tube, 30–38 mm in diameter, tuned by altering its length. Its standard range is from C4-F5, though many professional instruments reach G5 . Tubular bells are often replaced by studio chimes, which are a smaller...
s - Chilli Charles – snare drumSnare drumThe snare drum or side drum is a melodic percussion instrument with strands of snares made of curled metal wire, metal cable, plastic cable, or gut cords stretched across the drumhead, typically the bottom. Pipe and tabor and some military snare drums often have a second set of snares on the bottom...
- Lindsay CooperLindsay CooperLindsay Cooper is an English bassoon and oboe player, composer and political activist. Best known for her work with the band Henry Cow, she was also a member of Comus, National Health, News from Babel and David Thomas and the Pedestrians...
– oboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca... - Ted Hobart – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- William MurrayWilliam Murray (musician)William Murray was a drummer and photographer from Glasgow, Scotland.- Career :As a drummer in the early 1970s Murray played with acts including Richard and Linda Thompson's 'Sour Grapes' band and Irish progressive folk band Mellow Candle...
– cymbalCymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a... - Sally OldfieldSally OldfieldSally Oldfield is a singer-songwriter, and the sister of the composers Mike Oldfield and Terry Oldfield.-Early life:...
– vocals - Terry OldfieldTerry OldfieldTerence "Terry" Oldfield is an English composer. He is brother to well-known music composers and performers Sally and Mike Oldfield.- Early life :...
– woodwinds - Clodagh SimondsClodagh SimondsClodagh Simonds Clodagh; , is an Irish musician, songwriter and singer. She was born in Banbridge, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, UK and raised and educated in Killiney, Co...
– vocals - June Whiting – oboe
- London SinfoniettaLondon SinfoniettaThe London Sinfonietta is an English chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble specialises in contemporary music and works across a wide range of genres, performing modern classics alongside world premieres, and includes music by electronica artists as well as folk and...
Voices - choirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
(as according to David BedfordDavid BedfordDavid Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
) - StringString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
players, conducted by David Bedford
Mercury Records reissue
On 7 June 2010 the album was re-released by Mercury RecordsMercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. This came as part of a deal in which Oldfield's Virgin albums were transferred to Universal's label. Bonus features for the release include a 2010 remix of the album and the original vinyl mix of the album. There is a single disc edition as well as a Deluxe Edition. Bonus tracks include "In Dulci Jubilo (For Maureen)" and "Spanish Tune". A 180 gram vinyl version was released as part of the Back to Black range.
The reissue features radically different artwork, which features a model air plane and aerial photography based on Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
and Bluesky. According to the new liner notes, Oldfield was never entirely sold on the original album artwork and took this opportunity to commission a new cover.
There is also a limited edition box set of the album, comprising a deluxe edition, an LP and a framed, signed print of the album artwork. Only 250 copies were produced which were sold through Mike Oldfield's Official website. There are no un-signed variants.
The Japanese release uses the SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) manufacturing process.
Single Disc Edition
- "Hergest Ridge (Part One)" 2010 Stereo Mix by Mike Oldfield
- "Hergest Ridge (Part Two)" 2010 Stereo Mix by Mike Oldfield
- "In Dulci Jubilo (For Maureen)"
- "Spanish Tune"
CD 1
- "Hergest Ridge (Part One)" 2010 Stereo Mix by Mike Oldfield
- "Hergest Ridge (Part Two)" 2010 Stereo Mix by Mike Oldfield
- "In Dulci Jubilo (for Maureen)"
- "Spanish Tune"
CD 2
- "Hergest Ridge (Part One)" 1974 Stereo Mix
- "Hergest Ridge (Part Two)" 1974 Stereo Mix
- "Hergest Ridge (1974 Demo Part One)"
- "Hergest Ridge (1974 Demo Part Two)"
DVD
- "Hergest Ridge (Part One)" 2010 5.1 Stereo Mix by Mike Oldfield
- "Hergest Ridge (Part Two)" 2010 5.1 Stereo Mix by Mike Oldfield
Back To Black Edition Vinyl Edition
- "Hergest Ridge (Part One)" 1974 Stereo Mix
- "Hergest Ridge (Part Two)" 1974 Stereo Mix
Limited Edition
Limited edition available through mikeoldfieldofficial.com, which contains the deluxe edition the vinyl edition and a numbered framed print of the cover artwork, signed by Mike Oldfield. Also includes Walking The Hergest Ridge booklet. Only 250 copies were available on pre-order prior to the release on 14 June.Digital Edition
- "Hergest Ridge (Part One)" 2010 Stereo Mix by Mike Oldfield
- "Hergest Ridge (Part Two)" 2010 Stereo Mix by Mike Oldfield
- "Hergest Ridge (Part One)" 1974 Stereo Mix
- "Hergest Ridge (Part Two)" 1974 Stereo Mix
- "Hergest Ridge (1974 Demo Part One)"
- "Hergest Ridge (1974 Demo Part Two)"
Charts
Hergest Ridge was the UK's number one album the week of 14 September 1974 and remained so for three weeks until being knocked out of the spot by its predecessor Tubular Bells. Oldfield is thus one of only a few artists (among whom are The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
) to have defeated themselves in this manner.
| Chart (1974) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |