Ommadawn

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Hear Ommadawn-

Mike Oldfield in Concert,Montreux,1981:

!)  http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RNaZmX-NmQo

2) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1IGYp9SrHGU

3) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kKYh-7o3KzA

 

Here is a short programme on the making of the album.

1) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AcsGrtaMp_E

2) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1pERwsZo5IM

Ommadawn is a record album written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield. It is his third album, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). The cover photograph was by David Bailey. It peaked at #4 on the UK albums chart.

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 Northumbrian bagpipes on the original LP version.

The album was recorded at his then home at Hergest Ridge, The Beacon, and was the only album to be recorded there even though Oldfield's previous album shares its name with the location.

When Oldfield remastered the work for compact disc release he inserted an Uilleann pipe. He also involved musicians noted for their work in folk music including Clodagh Simonds and Paddy Moloney. He combined this with heavy African influences, mainly by the use of the drummers of Jabula. This makes Ommadawn one of the first successful world music albums in Europe.

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. Excerpts from the album were featured in the 1979 NASA film, The Space Movie.

Meaning of the title and lyrics

The word ommadawn appears to be related to the Irish word amadán meaning either "idiot" or "fool". This interpretation is consistent with Clodagh Simmons pre-translation English lyrics of the gaelic chant at the end of the first movement:

"Daddy's in bed, The cats drinking milk, I'm an idiot, And I'm laughing"

Oldfield is reported to have denied this meaning of ommadawn, calling it a nonsense word, apparently as a ruse to enhance the mystery of his music.However in his autobiography, Changeling, he acknowledges its meaning, as the above.

 

 "On Horseback" and "In Dulci Jublio"

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". "On Horseback" relates to Oldfield, Murray and Leslie Penning's time riding ponies around the area of Hergest Ridge.

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.

Wikipedia