Mike Oldfield

Mike Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist and composer, born in Reading in 1953. He builds long instrumental pieces by layering guitars, keyboards and percussion, often mixing rock with folk and minimalist ideas. He is best known for Tubular Bells, the first release on Virgin Records in May 1973, whose opening was used in the film The Exorcist. Mike Oldfield started out in 1967 with his sister Sally in the folk duo The Sallyangie, then played bass in Kevin Ayers's band The Whole World. After Tubular Bells he released Hergest Ridge (1974), Ommadawn (1975) and Incantations (1978).