[Elements] 060625

Mon Jun 26 00:20:01 BST 2006

ELEMENTS		SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2006

[M-C's Notes]
[Orchestral Tubular Bells concert - Adelaide]
[Adelaide Orchestral Tubular Bells and meeting!!]
[Whatever happened to . . . the QE2/FMO band?] (2)
[Tax Exiles]
[Sir Richard's favourite music]
______________________________________________________________

Hi everyone,

I'm catching up from the last couple of weeks. The big news for the MO fans 
Down Under is that the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra will perform the 
Orchestral Tubular Bells over the course of three evenings in September. 
Tracy Aplin and Matthew Sorell are planning a get-together for folks 
attending the Saturday (16th) performance. Hmm...now if I could just talk 
the Quincy Symphony into performing it "but...but...Adelaide can do it, why 
not you????" <-; ).

Today from tubular.net......the Beacon is for sale (see: 
http://mccartneys.co.uk/residential/property/4137 ) and Maggie Reilly has 
been confirmed as playing with Mike at the Nokia Night of the Proms in Germany.

Cheers,

Mary-Carol
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Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2006 09:54:56 +0930
From: Matthew Sorell <matthew.sorell at adelaide.edu.au>
Subject: [Amarok] Orchestral Tubular Bells concert - Adelaide

For all the Adelaide fans, see
http://www.aso.com.au/Calendar/sep06.htm
(as pointed out to me by their oboist this morning)

MS11 - Virtuoso
Adelaide Town Hall

Thursday 14 September at 6.30pm
Friday 15 September at 8pm
Saturday 16 September at 6.30pm

Conductor
         Benjamin Northey
Piano
         Marc-André Hamelin
Mozart
Symphony No.31 Paris
Mike Oldfield, arr. David Bedford
         The Orchestral Tubular Bells, Part One

In a coup for the ASO, we welcome the great virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin
for his Australian debut appearance, performing Brahms’ radiant 2nd
Piano Concerto. This program also features a surprise: Mike Oldfield’s
Tubular Bells, Part One. In the orchestration made by Oldfield’s friend
David Bedford at the time of the album’s original
release, it captures all this wonderful work’s infectious and copious
tunefulness. The program opens with Mozart’s Paris Symphony, full of
light, life and virtuosic invention.
--
More information as it comes to hand.

Matthew
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Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 22:58:13 +0930
From: Matthew Sorell <matthew.sorell at adelaide.edu.au>
Subject: [Amarok] Adelaide Orchestral Tubular Bells and meeting!!

Here's the deal:

If you are coming to (or you live in) Adelaide, try to make the Saturday
night concert.  I am planning to be at all three performances.

Let me know you are coming and give me some contact details.  This is
something Tubular Tracy Aplin and I have discussed in the past, now it
looks like the best possible opportunity.

I'll arrange (at least) a barbecue on the day; possibly something more.
I'll need to find a venue as our house is too small and I'd recommend
against someone else's house.  If I can get somewhere at the university,
we might make a good day of it.  Please note that such a venue is
unlikely to be free so if you are coming expect to make a modest
contribution to cover costs.

If you want to be a part of this, and especially if you have something
rare to share with us on the day, please get in contact with me.  It
would be great to meet so many of you after all this virtual contact.
The last time I did this was on Hergest Ridge, 10 years ago, and we had
a great time.

If that doesn't give you the incentive to come over, what would??

I'll provide more details of the concert as they come to hand (I know a
couple of people in the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and have connections
with the venue.)

Regards
Matthew Sorell
University of Adelaide

Adelaide, not yet 3 o'clock in the morning, 2006, goodnight!
_______________________________________________

From: Philip Bendall - Segway NZ <philipbendall at mac.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 14:40:32 +1200
Subject: [Amarok] Whatever happened to . . . the QE2/FMO band?

So....what really happened between Mike and The Mike Oldfield Group
between late 1982 and early 1983?

Obviously something big went down. Up until that point, Mike had a
tight group of experienced musicians, who he was really happy with.
He even held co-writing credits with several members on a couple of
tracks during that time. And "The Mike Oldfield Group" released
"Mistake" in ~August '82.

Then it must have all blown up! It appears to have gone pear-shaped
rather quickly, too.

By the time Mike started putting down the Crises tracks, these
players were all gone. Only Maggie Reily was invited back to perform
on Crises - everyone else was new.

I recall asking Simon Phillips how he came to work for Mike, and
someone will have to check my old interview to find the precise
answer. I recall he said he know Morris Pert, and that that had
something to do with it. Checking the following webpage I see that
Simon and Morris appeared on several of the same recordings/albums:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Diner/2674/pert_morris_a.htm

I also seem to remember that Richard Branson (or his A&R men) had
something to do with Mike being in touch with Simon.

Anyone care to share more details about what happened between FMO/
Who's Next tour and Crises?

Philip
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 08:53:53 +0200 (MEST)
From: "NACHO17 at telefonica.net" <NACHO17 at telefonica.net>
Subject: Re: [Amarok] Whatever happened to . . . the QE2/FMO band?

Well, as far as I remember, in 1983 Mike went to live to Switzerland,
to be free from the UK taxes. So this may have been the cause that Mike
went to work alone, or with not so many people. In fact, Maggie and
Barry never met during the Discovery recording sessions.

Regards

Nacho
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From: Philip Bendall - Segway NZ <philipbendall at mac.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2006 08:09:39 +1200
Subject: [Amarok] Tax Exiles

Yes, I also recall Mike went to Switzerland after Crises, as that is
where he recorded Discovery. He probably had to spend no more than 83
days of that year in UK, otherwise he would have been subject to UK
tax. With all the time he spent touring and on international holidays
during that time, it was possible he was a non-resident for tax
purposes for several years. The tentacles of modern tax laws are
somewhat longer these days, and it isn't as easy to get off so
lightly, but on the other hand tax rates are lower than they were
back then, so I guess the need for "Oldfield Overseas Music Limited"
has diminished.

Simon Phillips told me how he and Mike would spend the mornings
skiing and the afternoons and evenings recording, in Switzerland.
Mike rented some chalets for a couple of months to live and record
in, and one was a little higher up the hill than the other, so one of
them would ski down to the other's place, then they'd both set off on
a ski journey.

Anyone got a fiver I can borrow? [M-C's note: see following post. (-;  )

Philip
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Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 13:19:02 +0200 (MEST)
From: "NACHO17 at telefonica.net" <NACHO17 at telefonica.net>
Subject: [Amarok] Sir Richard's favourite music

  BRANSON

AGE: 55.

FAMILY: Married with two children.

SCHOOL: Stowe.

FORTUNE: Over 3billion.

FIRST JOB: Setting up student magazine at school.

HOBBIES: Tennis, skiing, ballooning.

FAVOURITE MUSIC: Mike Oldfield, Boomtown Rats.

DRUGS: Coy about his past. Says he "rarely" took drugs but admits to
smoking cannabis in a restaurant while trying to sign the band Dire
Straits.

TYPICAL QUOTE: "The quickest way to become a millionaire is to borrow
fivers off everyone you meet."
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