Hergest Ridge is a record album, written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield released in 1974 (see 1974 in music) by Virgin Records. It was Oldfield's second solo album. He 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 album charts at number one, on the week of 14 September 1974, and remained at the top for three weeks. It was displaced by its predecessor, Tubular Bells, which had sold steadily since its release the previous year. Oldfield is thus one of only three artists (along with The Beatles and Bob Dylan) to have defeated themselves in this manner.
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 development. 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.
Mercury Records reissue
Sometime during 2009 or 2010 the album will be re-released by Mercury Records. This comes as part of a deal in which Oldfield's Virgin albums were transferred to Universal's label. Bonus features for the release are to include the original vinyl mix of the album.
Versions
Hergest Ridge was remixed in quadraphonic stereo by Oldfield in 1976 for the 4-LP set, Boxed. Following the creation of the remix, Oldfield stated that he wished for this new version to be the one used for all future releases of the album. All CD releases have 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.
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. To date, it has not been officially released.
Hergest Ridge, the place
Main article:
Hergest RidgeHergest 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 Wolfhound on the cover (and on the LP label) is named Bootleg. "Hergest" in the title should be pronounced with hard "g" and with the first "e" pronounced as an "a" - either "Hargist" or "Hargest" - not "Herjest", "Harjest" or "Harjist". Although the album was written at The Beacon, it was again recorded at Branson's The Manor, like Tubular Bells.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Mike Oldfield.
Side one
- "Hergest Ridge, Part 1" – 21:29
Side two
- "Hergest Ridge, Part 2" – 18:45
Personnel
- Mike Oldfield – acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitars; Farfisa, Gemini, and Lowrey organs; glockenspiel, gong, mandolin, nutcracker, sleigh bells, Spanish guitar, timpani, and tubular bells
- Chilli Charles – snare drum
- Lindsay Cooper – oboe
- Ted Hobart – trumpet
- William Murray – cymbal
- Sally Oldfield – vocals
- Terry Oldfield – woodwinds
- Clodagh Simonds – vocals
- June Whiting – oboe
- London Sinfonietta Voices - choir (as according to David Bedford)
- String players, conducted by David Bedford
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 three artists (along with The Beatles and Bob Dylan) to have defeated themselves in this manner.
External links
