Tubular.net

  

Mike Oldfield TUBULAR.NET

Finale - the tubular.net fan tribute

 
   



Artwork by Hans Claesson


For compatibility with old tin boxes...
Download the tubular.net Finale cover as an mp3
(128kbps, 7.7mb)
Download the tubular.net Finale cover as an ogg
(120kbps, 7.1mb)


ForumsPost your comments and ask questions about it in the forums



It was the end of May 2003 when Johnny Bancroft ventured into the Fan Music forums to post a new topic. "I had a really cool thought," he said, "what if we did a version of TB1 finale with all the different musicians on the board playing different instruments?". This was to be the beginning of the most ambitious musical collaboration ever attempted by the forum's members. Evidently there was something special in the air, as before long, musicians from all corners of the western world had jumped on board and were busily recording parts, ready to be fitted together like a musical jigsaw puzzle, to form the final track. It could easily have ended in failure, had the musicians not all been on the same wavelength - when recording their own parts, they weren't able to hear the parts that theirs would eventually go alongside, as might usually be the case in a multitrack recording situation, but rather, just a basic MIDI file of the track.

The aim with the track was to follow the original, but also to bring in a few twists and turns of our own. I personally had immense fun recording mandolins at half speed and distorting organ sounds in attempts to recreate the sometimes odd timbres of Mike Oldfield's original recording. At other times it seemed more appropriate for us to deviate further from the original and things went in their own direction. I feel we've arrived at an interesting mixture, a track that makes more than a passing nod towards the original without being a complete carbon copy.

It was hard at first to know what the final result would be like. Hearing the early submissions played together with the sequenced instruments from the MIDI file didn't give much of a clue, and at times it was difficult to conceive how it would all fit together. Magic was, however, slowly woven, and all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fell into place.

It's been brilliant to have everyone working together so enthusiastically in order to create this - let's hope that this is the first of many collaborative projects here. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we've enjoyed creating it.

Richard Carter

 

A listener sent us some comments...

Hi,

I sent the mp3 file to Mike and he really liked it... He was very impressed by it...
One of his suggestions, because what you've done is really good, is for you to create your own composition.

He would be very interested to listen to what you can all create.

I personally also thought that it was very good... You must all have done so much work and spent lots of time on it... Congratulations

Best Wishes

Fanny Oldfield

 

 

The team was...
Upright Piano Kristof Luysmans Belgium    
Reed and Pipe Organ Holger Laufenberg Germany    
Glockenspiel and Tubular Bells BOOsTER Czech Republic Email Website
Bass Guitar (solo and backing riff) Johnny Bancroft United Kingdom    
Double Speed Guitar, Mandolin and additional background parts Richard Carter United Kingdom Email  
Two Slightly Distorted Guitars and Backing Riff Electric Guitar Brandon Blume Canada Email Website
Master of Ceremonies and Spanish Guitar Khoa Tran Canada Email Website
Spanish Guitar on closing section Mats Larsson Sweden Email Website
Vocals on closing section A strolling warbler      

 

Johnny Bancroft

It's funny I can't remember how this concept was conceived. I guess it was a silly thought that a project so big could be done. But we pulled it off and I'm very proud of it and I think everyone else involved should be too.

 

BOOsTER

For me this project was a really big fun, though I was the only one who worked with computer and not with real instruments (I made Tubular Bells and the "glockenspiel").
The TBs were pretty hard to do, but I think that with my care they came out well and with Richard's extra care while mixing they came out better than good.
Also the glockenspiel was kinda challenging, I wanted it to achieve the sound of a real glockenspiel but with some extra features (like the chimes-like noise after the note).
And last but not least, I loved the atmosphere of the project everyone in this project was always friendly to all the others, and now big "!" it was always fun for everyone (at least for us who just played, maybe Richard got fed up with it a few times) :-). What to say it was great fun! And I hope for more collaborations in this team in the future!
Also hmm if Mike will hear this ever, I would like to mention my dream...and I think this dream has a lot of people in this project, to co-work with Mike once...that would be great! I better stop now (or this will be too long to publish). yea and visit my site at http://www.rebirth.tk/ or tubular.net's fan music forums to listen my music...

Greetings, peace and lots of love to everyone

BOOsTER

 

Holger Laufenberg

I don't know how many attempts have been made to put a thing like this together with several collaborators over the internet, but I reckon there aren't many; the unique nature of this particular piece, on the other hand, almost seemed to work as an invitation to fans to try their hand at a tribute thing like this. In that sense, I believe we have been able to capture some of the pioneering spirit that this piece originally had, and apply it to the advanced technological possibilities we have available today - not much unlike, in fact, what Mike himself has done with his Tubular Bells 2003 update.

 

Brandon Blume

I am glad I had the opportunity to be a part of this collaboration. I was surprised at the quality of the final product although I knew we could acheive it. One thing that was difficult was following the bass line on electric guitar. I admire Mike Oldfield for being able to do that for 10 minutes in one take and have it sound relatively perfect! Not only do your fingers get tired, but the monotony of playing the same thing over and over again makes you almost certain you're going to mess it up sooner or later.

My favourite part about working on this project would be the collaboration itself. It was fun to put together your part and see how it fits with what everyone else was doing. I look forward to more collaborations. Whether I'm a part of them or not, it doesn't matter. It's a thrill for me just to see Oldfield fans doing something together and creating great works like this one.

Everybody involved with this did a great job. I'm humbled to have had the opportunity to work with such great and talented people. As far as I'm concerned, this is worthy enough to have been on Tubular Bells 2003.

 

Mats Larsson

I've been through some rough times lately, but this project made it possible for me to occupy my mind with other things and I am most grateful for that. Again the music of Mike Oldfield comes to the rescue.

Finally I just want to say that this project would NOT have been the same without the hard work of Richard Carter. I think everyone did a fine job with this, but Richard made us shine.

   

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