Thanks guys, I really enjoyed that one which I hadn't listened to in a while. Pan's People (the dancers) were the longest running version of the various 'in-house' female dance groups that always danced at least once every week on Top Of The Pops and they became famous in their own right. Long serving members Babs, Dee-Dee and Ruth brought out a book in 2013 about their experiences on the show which I recall reading back then. Have a lovely Christmas!!
Mike Oldfield certainly is a musical genius...a one off phenomenon,,,what a job he did with this,,,,the energy just keeps coming all the way to the end...10/10
I too used to think Pans People could not be beaten-then when satellite TV hit the UK I got to see some of the 1960s/70s German pop shows and I suddenly realised that, as usual, they were years ahead of us in how far they could go. . Think 'Hot Gossip' but with their naughty bits on show on Top Of The Pops!!
Shame you didn't find the official video showing Mike playing the different instruments as he did in the video for Portsmouth another great tune by Mike Oldfield
Mike was well known for playing all the instruments on a song as you say. This made it difficult for him to do studio stuff. Love the guitar on this!! You are watching an edition of the UK music show Top Of The Pops & their in house girl dance troupe Pan's People. They were used when a particular singer or group couldn't appear in the studio so a recording was played & they danced. They would different clothes & do different dances depending on the song.
Mike Oldfield is a guitar whizz kid, but he also plays other instruments, penny whistle, bodran, keyboards. And is a master of multitracking. He's most famous for his album pieces, Tubular Bells, Ommadawn, etc. But he's released a few singles too. Such as Wonderful Land, and Portsmouth. And Blue Peter. All good lively stuff. The dancers were Pan's People. They appeared every week on the Top of the pops TV show to do a piece. They choreographed and costumed according to the song they were dancing too. They were popular with the dads watching.
There is the proper music video out there, showing Mike Oldfield playing all the instruments. This tune absolutely means Christmas to me. Whenever I hear Mariah Carey, I just want to throw up in my mouth. But this and Jonah Lewie, Stop The Cavalry, Frankie , The Power Of Love and Greg Lake makes it feel like the real deal to me. Controversially, I also include Brian Eno, Another Green World. I don't know why, couldn't begin to explain, but there is something olde worlde celebratory about it. Maybe it's just because it's my favourite last song when I'm stoned :)
surprised you have not heard of Mike Oldfield his Tubular Bells album was massive over here, he played all the instruments on it, too long for a reaction I would imagine.
This is something similar to Maypole/Folk Dancing-an old traditional dance that were widespread in the UK until the 1970's/1980's & now only really happen in a few places. Something of an oddity for Oldfield-you may know him from Tubular Bells-part of it was used for the Exorcist Theme & Moonlight Shadow which was a big hit in 1983, but this was his biggest UK hit.
Mike Oldfield is an incredibly talented musician, his work on Tubular Bells was epic. Many of the instruments featured he had never played before and taught himself on the job. His back catalogue of albums are fantastic. He hardly ever played or plays live because he is painfully shy to a point that it has effected his mental health. He was under the wing of Richard Branson and without Mike Virgin Records would not have been what it was and propelled RB and Virgin to what it is today. He also has a Sister Sally a beautiful singer and Brother Terry a classical musician. Other singles Moonlight Shadow, Portsmouth and the reworked Theme Tune the the popular UK kids magazine show Blue Peter. The Exorcist would not be the same without the music from Tubular Bells.
The UK was a strange and diverse time for music in the 1970's. Strange ditties like this one could chart often quite highly sometimes - this reached the dizzy heights of Number 4! Also something of a tradition from the early 70's is the "Christmas Single/Song of the Year". Each Christmas, songs - usually with a Christmas theme - jostle each other on the mainstream chart to get to Number 1 for Christmas week. This virtually guarantees repeat plays annually on the radio and inclusion on the huge Christmas compilation albums that are released each year giving artists some good royalty figures. Oldfield at this time was more known for his epic side long folk rock compositions - quite heavy by comparison (Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge & Ommadawn). But he also had a lighter side and produced quite a few of these short instrumentals and later soft rock songs - some also were quite popular in the UK and Europe. The following year Oldfield released the single "Portsmouth" which climbed even higher in the UK charts than In Dulci Jubilo to Number 3! This is an old traditional British sea shanty/hornpipe - something that Oldfield became synonymous with over the years. His catalogue is extremely diverse and you are never quite sure what he is going to come up with next. Sometimes incredible - sometimes just meh. but nearly always worth a listen.
English folk dancing. Electric guitar not slide check out the video of the split screens and you'll see. He's an amazing musician to play them all simultaneously, 12 arms and 4 mouths 😉.
1. The whistles/recorders were actually played by Leslie Penning, with whom Oldfield collaborated on a series of singles in the mid '70s 2. Whether he's writing semi-minimalist epic compositions, or short songs, there's one "message" reverberating through Oldfield's music, and it's "I may have been born in London but I consider myself Irish and I won't let you forget it!" It won't just be those periodic bouts of process-driven minimalism that exhaust you, but the unrelenting Phrygian/pentatonic-ness of it all. 3. THIS song, this old christmas carol - you probably know what I'm going to say - another way to render it is "slow, with a bit of haunting modal droniness, and an eerieness in the vocals" - like this version: th-cam.com/video/oKnSWl_mIZI/w-d-xo.html
J not Y, it's Latin not Spanish. You're watching Pan's people dancing, on Top of the pops TV, nothing to do with Ireland, His own video where he plays every instrument you hear is the one to watch. Or his Blue Peter theme tune. If you saw that you'd know it's not a slide electric.
This is the tip of the iceberg as far as Mike Oldfield is concerned. The only problem with further reactions from you part may be that most of his best work is very long tracks that took up an entire side of an old vinyl album.
@@hanierfamily You could do them in two parts. I believe that the first three - Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn - are still considered his best. I would advise that you listen to either the original recordings or early remasters, some of the later ones have messed the albums up in my opinion.
I would also suggest listening to Tubular Bells 2 after those albums, because you will hear how Mike developed as a musician over the years, plus it's a great sequel to the original album.
He plays all the instruments on this video. Brilliant musician
Les Penning played the recorders.
More Mike Oldfield please... he's such an amazing and underrated artist.
Mike is out of this world
To France. Silvousplait.
Thanks guys, I really enjoyed that one which I hadn't listened to in a while. Pan's People (the dancers) were the longest running version of the various 'in-house' female dance groups that always danced at least once every week on Top Of The Pops and they became famous in their own right. Long serving members Babs, Dee-Dee and Ruth brought out a book in 2013 about their experiences on the show which I recall reading back then. Have a lovely Christmas!!
Mike Oldfield certainly is a musical genius...a one off phenomenon,,,what a job he did with this,,,,the energy just keeps coming all the way to the end...10/10
The girls dancing were called Pan's People (later Legs & Co) and every teenage boy in the 70's and 80's had his favourite. Mine was Ruth! 😎
I too used to think Pans People could not be beaten-then when satellite TV hit the UK I got to see some of the 1960s/70s German pop shows and I suddenly realised that, as usual, they were years ahead of us in how far they could go. . Think 'Hot Gossip' but with their naughty bits on show on Top Of The Pops!!
Check the music video where it shows him actually playing all the instruments one by one in frames.
Mike Oldfield has a brilliant back catalog. Of course Tubular Bells is his masterpiece. A personal favourite is "Moonlight Shadow".
Shame you didn't find the official video showing Mike playing the different instruments as he did in the video for Portsmouth another great tune by Mike Oldfield
Yes, the official video is better as you can see the master at work.
Mike was well known for playing all the instruments on a song as you say. This made it difficult for him to do studio stuff. Love the guitar on this!! You are watching an edition of the UK music show Top Of The Pops & their in house girl dance troupe Pan's People. They were used when a particular singer or group couldn't appear in the studio so a recording was played & they danced. They would different clothes & do different dances depending on the song.
Mike Oldfield is a guitar whizz kid, but he also plays other instruments, penny whistle, bodran, keyboards. And is a master of multitracking. He's most famous for his album pieces, Tubular Bells, Ommadawn, etc. But he's released a few singles too. Such as Wonderful Land, and Portsmouth. And Blue Peter. All good lively stuff.
The dancers were Pan's People. They appeared every week on the Top of the pops TV show to do a piece. They choreographed and costumed according to the song they were dancing too. They were popular with the dads watching.
There is the proper music video out there, showing Mike Oldfield playing all the instruments. This tune absolutely means Christmas to me. Whenever I hear Mariah Carey, I just want to throw up in my mouth. But this and Jonah Lewie, Stop The Cavalry, Frankie , The Power Of Love and Greg Lake makes it feel like the real deal to me. Controversially, I also include Brian Eno, Another Green World. I don't know why, couldn't begin to explain, but there is something olde worlde celebratory about it. Maybe it's just because it's my favourite last song when I'm stoned :)
Loved that, I haven't heard it in so long..
Mike Oldfield was (is?) so talented - he's done more that's definitely worth checking out 👍
surprised you have not heard of Mike Oldfield his Tubular Bells album was massive over here, he played all the instruments on it, too long for a reaction I would imagine.
The tune dates back 100's of years
Hey thanks for checking this out - glad you enjoyed it!
This tune was released coupled with 'On Horseback' another 'untypical' Christmas song, which is worth listening to.
This is something similar to Maypole/Folk Dancing-an old traditional dance that were widespread in the UK until the 1970's/1980's & now only really happen in a few places. Something of an oddity for Oldfield-you may know him from Tubular Bells-part of it was used for the Exorcist Theme & Moonlight Shadow which was a big hit in 1983, but this was his biggest UK hit.
Mike Oldfield is an incredibly talented musician, his work on Tubular Bells was epic. Many of the instruments featured he had never played before and taught himself on the job. His back catalogue of albums are fantastic. He hardly ever played or plays live because he is painfully shy to a point that it has effected his mental health. He was under the wing of Richard Branson and without Mike Virgin Records would not have been what it was and propelled RB and Virgin to what it is today.
He also has a Sister Sally a beautiful singer and Brother Terry a classical musician.
Other singles Moonlight Shadow, Portsmouth and the reworked Theme Tune the the popular UK kids magazine show Blue Peter.
The Exorcist would not be the same without the music from Tubular Bells.
Tubular Bells is quite well known here. The Exorcist was the scariest movie both of us knew for the longest time.
In 1990 Mike released what lots of his fans consider his greatest album, Amarok, which is one track, 60 minutes in length, and it is astounding.
The UK was a strange and diverse time for music in the 1970's. Strange ditties like this one could chart often quite highly sometimes - this reached the dizzy heights of Number 4!
Also something of a tradition from the early 70's is the "Christmas Single/Song of the Year". Each Christmas, songs - usually with a Christmas theme - jostle each other on the mainstream chart to get to Number 1 for Christmas week. This virtually guarantees repeat plays annually on the radio and inclusion on the huge Christmas compilation albums that are released each year giving artists some good royalty figures.
Oldfield at this time was more known for his epic side long folk rock compositions - quite heavy by comparison (Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge & Ommadawn). But he also had a lighter side and produced quite a few of these short instrumentals and later soft rock songs - some also were quite popular in the UK and Europe.
The following year Oldfield released the single "Portsmouth" which climbed even higher in the UK charts than In Dulci Jubilo to Number 3! This is an old traditional British sea shanty/hornpipe - something that Oldfield became synonymous with over the years.
His catalogue is extremely diverse and you are never quite sure what he is going to come up with next. Sometimes incredible - sometimes just meh. but nearly always worth a listen.
In an other video, Mike Oldfield , (a great guitar player and composer) played all the ins¡truments.
I forgot how bad Pan's People were!! 🤣
Ok try out Mike Oldfield's Ommadawn next
Yes, a wonderful album.
The 'B' side to this single was the haunting, 'On Horseback'. In many ways I prefer it.
Yes, he played all those instruments himself.
English folk dancing. Electric guitar not slide check out the video of the split screens and you'll see. He's an amazing musician to play them all simultaneously, 12 arms and 4 mouths 😉.
Another Latin song. Lovely Christmas feel. A 14th century German song.
Agree with others, i think i listed him before maybe. glad you enjoyed.
Ah... the Tubular Bells master! 😎
1. The whistles/recorders were actually played by Leslie Penning, with whom Oldfield collaborated on a series of singles in the mid '70s
2. Whether he's writing semi-minimalist epic compositions, or short songs, there's one "message" reverberating through Oldfield's music, and it's "I may have been born in London but I consider myself Irish and I won't let you forget it!" It won't just be those periodic bouts of process-driven minimalism that exhaust you, but the unrelenting Phrygian/pentatonic-ness of it all.
3. THIS song, this old christmas carol - you probably know what I'm going to say - another way to render it is "slow, with a bit of haunting modal droniness, and an eerieness in the vocals" - like this version: th-cam.com/video/oKnSWl_mIZI/w-d-xo.html
You should check out Sally Oldfield
Watch The Exorcist, then the whole Tubular Bells LP.
J not Y, it's Latin not Spanish. You're watching Pan's people dancing, on Top of the pops TV, nothing to do with Ireland, His own video where he plays every instrument you hear is the one to watch. Or his Blue Peter theme tune. If you saw that you'd know it's not a slide electric.
No Slide Guitar. All finger picked.
This is the tip of the iceberg as far as Mike Oldfield is concerned. The only problem with further reactions from you part may be that most of his best work is very long tracks that took up an entire side of an old vinyl album.
So, we should do a whole album, then. Okay.
@@hanierfamily You could do them in two parts. I believe that the first three - Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn - are still considered his best. I would advise that you listen to either the original recordings or early remasters, some of the later ones have messed the albums up in my opinion.
I would also suggest listening to Tubular Bells 2 after those albums, because you will hear how Mike developed as a musician over the years, plus it's a great sequel to the original album.
There's a better video you see him playing all the instruments. Check his official version.