Hergest Ridge

by Mike Oldfield

Overview

Released as another lengthy composition, Hergest Ridge was the album that followed Mike Oldfield's momentous Tubular Bells release, with many of the same instrumental elements and methods employed throughout its two sections. Because of the time of its release, Hergest Ridge was overshadowed by the effects of Oldfield's first album for Virgin, but even so he manages to invoke some interesting patches of music by using instruments like the glockenspiel, sleigh bells, the Lowrey organ, oboes, and a variety of mandolins and guitars to maintain the same type of diversity as Tubular Bells. Symphonic throughout most of the album's two parts, the highlight of Hergest Ridge is Oldfield's use of 90 multi-tracked guitars clustered together to create one of the most unique sounds ever to surface on his albums. Actually, Hergest Ridge entered the British charts in the number one spot in the fall of 1974, but Tubular Bells finally took its place only three weeks later. The album was highly regarded in the U.K. upon its release and it continued Oldfield's creative pace, proving that the genius put forth on his claim-to-fame album would indeed have some effect on works to come. ~ Mike DeGagne

Product Details

Release Date:	05/06/2016
Label:	Imports
UPC:	4988031143810
Rank:	102867

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mike Oldfield   Primary Artist,Timpani,Mandolin,Keyboards,Percussion,Glockenspiel,Sleigh Bells,Farfisa Organ,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Bass,Gong,Bells,Organ,Guitar,Multi Instruments
Paddy Moloney   Wind
Terry Oldfield   Flute
Lindsay Cooper   Oboe,Multi Instruments
David Bedford   Conductor,Choir Conductor,String Conductor
June Whiting   Oboe,Multi Instruments
Lindsay L. Cooper   Bass
Ted Hobart   Trumpet
Chilli Charles   Drums,Drums (Snare)
Clodagh Simonds   Vocals,Voices
Sally Oldfield   Vocals,Voices

Technical Credits

Mike Oldfield   Arranger,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Mixing
Tom Newman   Assistant Engineer
Robert Lucas Pearsall   Composer
Simon Heyworth   Remastering