OMMADAWN BY MIKE OLDFIELD

Mike Oldfield's third album and our own personal favourite of his, pastoral and evoking a rural lifestyle Ommadawn with its mixture of celtic and English instrumentation.

As with Hergest Ridge and Tubular Bells, Ommadawn is another two-movement work. Here Oldfield sought out the ancient Celtic influence on English music and composed for traditional instruments such as Uilleann pipes. He also involved musicians noted for their work in folk music including Clodagh Simmonds and Paddy Moloney. He combined this with heavy African influences, mainly by the use of the drummers of Jabula.

Though the actual work Ommadawn is two parts, there is a third track found on the album, a short vocal song by Mike Oldfield and William Murray called "On Horseback". In December 1975 Mike released the single "In Dulci Jubilo" with "On Horseback" as the B-side. It reached number 4 in the UK in January 1976. In France, "In Dulci Jubilo" was coupled to a remix of the end of part 1 of Ommadawn. Some copies of the album also include "In Dulci Jubilo" at the end. A Quadrophonic remix version of Ommadawn was released on Boxed a year later. The 1990 album Amarok is often seen as a sequel to Ommadawn.


Track listing

"Ommadawn part one" – 19:23
"Ommadawn part two" – 13:54
"On Horseback" – 3:23

Personnel Mike Oldfield – acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, banjo, bouzouki, bodhrán, classical guitar, electric bass, electric guitars, electronic organs, glockenspiel, harp, mandolin, percussion, piano, spinet, steel guitar, synthesizers, twelve-string guitar and vocals.
Don Blakeson - trumpet
Herbie - Northumbrian bagpipes
The Hereford City Band - brass
Jabula - African drums
Pierre Moerlen - timpani
Paddy Moloney - Uilleann pipes
William Murray - percussion
Sally Oldfield - vocals
Terry Oldfield - Panpipes
Leslie Penning - recorders
"The Penrhos Kids" (Abigail, Briony, Ivan and Jason Griffiths) - vocals on "On Horseback"
Clodagh Simmonds - vocals
Bridget St John - vocals
David Strange - cello

The Jesus like cover image was shot by David Bailey.