Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]

 

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Topic: Fears for Mike, Speculation about his health< Next Oldest | Next Newest >
Platinumpty Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 173
Joined: May 2011
Posted: Sep. 27 2020, 09:05

Hello

There appears to be much speculation at the Ommadawn.net email newsletter that mike might be ill, either mentally or physically, following the accidental publication, by him, of his iPhone's whereabouts at a clinic in the Bahamas, and a darkly speculative post on the Spanish FB page.  Below is a Google Translate version.  I sincerely hope none of this has any bearing in truth and Mike will just pop merrily up with news on TBIV or whatever he's been working on.  If not, I wonder if there's a way we can get a meesage of support to him as a community.  What say you all?

THE TRANSLATION:

I think it is time to talk about it. It is certainly suspicious and alarming
what has been happening in the Oldfield scene for almost four years.


[photo of MO from RTO era]


And, the photograph that opens this post is the last photo we have of
Oldfield, just a week after the launch of RTO, when they announced that the
album had reached number 4 in the English charts, just like Ommadawn. Since
then, we have not seen him again.


And it's all suspicious because at that time, Oldfield was 100 percent. Let'
s remember that the entire RTO promo was thrown talking about his next
project, which was to be the fourth tube. Oldfield actually threw out all of
the RTO recording and post production talking about how things were going
with the recording of the album, making a kind of journal of the recording.
The same seemed to happen with the future TB4, since it was telling us
different things (new equipment was bought for the studio, it had the new
variation of the tubular melody ...), but just like that, one good day,
everything stopped short.

In May 2017, the opening of the official and private Oldfield merchandising
store (away from the record company) is announced where a mug with the cover
of the first tube, and a T-shirt with the same design, is sold. This store
was run by Luke Oldfield, his son, who we assume that Oldfield granted him
to run it to get money to subsidize his studio (Tilehouse Studios).


The store was short-lived, and never had more products than the first two
mentioned, until in mid-June, four days after the record company released
Mike Oldfield's Stream (digital single with excerpts from the RTO), Oldfield
mistakenly shares his location in his personal profile, which at that time
was in a clinic in the Bahamas, called The Medical Pavilion, a kind of
hospital where it has several sections, one dedicated to cancer, another to
the heart etc etc ...


Within hours, Oldfield realized the mistake and quickly removed the post,
but the damage was done. All the fans are alarmed by this event, and even
more so when as a result of that day nothing else has been known about
Oldfield, and we are talking that it was almost 3 and a half years ago.
Someone will tell me that later it is true that things have been shared on
Oldfield's Facebook and polls have been carried out, but I believe (like
many of you) that the person who makes these publications is not Oldfield.


The first post we saw on Oldfield's facebook after the event was four months
later. And curiously, he did it by sharing a video of our colleague and
friend Paco Salazar playing Amarok's fast riff. And since then, all his
messages have been of that nature, either sharing videos, or doing surveys
(which in the end became tiresome and repetitive).


But the worst thing is not that Oldfield has not given a single piece of
information or information about whether he is doing something in the last 3
and a half years, it is that his facebook has already become much more
select: he never lets you talk about future plans or future discs. All the
websites and things that he opened on the fourth tube, he closed them and he
has not said a word about said album or any activity he may be doing.


But it is also that this silence has been extended to the record company,
which as you well know, since 2009 many things have been released: reissues,
compilations, vinyls ... but since Oldfield's silence at that time only the
Tubular Bells on gray vinyl and one of the bland compilations of 2013
(Moonlight Shadow The Collection) was released on vinyl with slight
differences on the tracklist. There are no reissues of Islands on, no more
vinyls from the Warner era, no more compilations or anything at all.


I know there are people who think that they are simply working on the new
album, but I honestly doubt that this is the case. That is, Oldfield has
always (to a greater or lesser extent) launched a message regarding his
musical activity on his facebook until now, but now he prevents his fans
from talking about future plans and says absolutely nothing about his
musical plans, yes is that it has them.


I sincerely believe that of the 40 or so messages that his facebook account
has made since then, possibly only 3 or 4 have been made by Oldfield
himself. I imagine that one of his sons (possibly Jake) brings him his
facebook account and from time to time tells him to post something. The only
message that I think Mike did publish was about the lockdown, about 5 months
ago:


"Hi all. I am totally locked in here in the Bahamas! Looking back ...
Although there are good parts from many other albums, for me the main
innovative works are Tubular Bells 1, Ommadawn, and Crises. What do you
think? All the best to everyone! Mike"

A message that the only thing that reveals to us is that he was also
confined, but that's it. Something has happened. Either Oldfield has some
physical problem (mainly due to sharing about the clinic) or mental
(remember that Oldfield has always suffered from phobias and mental
problems, even depression) ... but something has happened. It is not normal
what we are living in these years.


Why have reissues also slowed? Well, possibly for the same reason, it is to
be imagined that everything will pass through Oldfield's hands as far as
reissues or compilations are concerned, and if he does not approve it, it
does not appear. So it is not to imagine that Oldfield directly passes
everything and does not want to continue with the reissues or anything that
has something to do with him ...


I can understand that Oldfield has had a fit or is going through a
depression, but what he should do is let someone like his son Luke (the only
one who has followed his path and who works in the aforementioned study that
once belonged to Mike) , take care of his legacy. I mean, Luke could bring
him the reissues, make sure that everything in the digital world (spotify
account, youtube account) is up to date and in order, talk to fans about
events and reissues that may come out, but not leave everything as it has
been left. : abandoned and deserted. His official website has not been
updated since the launch of RTO, his YouTube account does not upload a video
from Zombies, and there is terrible chaos on Spotify. Oldfield should learn
to take better care of his legacy, because we are talking about one of the
most incredible musicians in the history of music,


It's a shame, but as Newman told us well in the interview we conducted a few
months ago, he is a person who does not allow himself to be helped. In part
it relaxes us to know that he has his sister Sally by his side, who will
surely be a good support and help for the bad times that (we suppose) he is
going through.


I no longer see the day when Mike publishes a message talking about his
musical future, I have totally lost hope. The only half-hope I have is in
May 2023, which as you know will be the 50th anniversary of Tubular Bells.
All tubulars have generally come out on round dates (except Tubular Bells
II), so Mike may be considering the end of his career with TB4 with the date
so marked that it may be the 50th anniversary of his great work. Now comes
the debate ... what do you think? Do you think he's okay? Do you think there
will be more music from our idol?
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
Guest
Unregistered





Posted: Sep. 27 2020, 16:33

~ Message deleted at the request of the author ~
Back to top
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4759
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Sep. 27 2020, 19:35

Perhaps he needs to seek reconciliation with Fanny.

TB on grey vinyl sounds nice... Reminds me of the Grey Lensman. QX?
Back to top
Profile PM 
qjamesfloyd Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1349
Joined: April 2001
Posted: Sep. 28 2020, 03:39

I have been commenting on Mike's silence for a while on here now, it really is strange, Mike has always been a private person, but this is something else, I don't have Facebook, but I know he was using it as a communication medium, but that is now silent, his website is old now, no-one from the record company seem to be doing anything about it, or Mike in general. It would be good to know why the re-issue releases stopped too, I was enjoying each new release, and was really looking forward to the next one, which would have been Islands, I really wanted to hear The Wind Chimes in 5.1 It is a shame Mike still doesn't have Caroline Monk working for him, we could have asked her, couldn't we contact his management? whoever they are!!
Back to top
Profile PM 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4759
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Sep. 28 2020, 19:27

Islands is the one Mike Oldfield album where I prefer to look at the videos if I'm tempted to reach for the CD - they're very impressive. As for his quietness, I wouldn't read too much into it. He's probably just enjoying a quiet island life, writing music for himself only.
Back to top
Profile PM 
hergest fridge Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 303
Joined: Aug. 2005
Posted: Sep. 30 2020, 15:01

That's a great post from Platinumpty , and I have been concerned about Mike's silence also, just hope everything is ok.
What I do find strange is that a serious post is then hijacked about getting back together with his ex-wife, and waiting for the re release of old material,strange and sad.
Back to top
Profile PM 
larstangmark Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1759
Joined: Mar. 2005
Posted: Oct. 04 2020, 14:06

He's old and he doesn't need the money. It's not unusual that ppl his age have health problems of some sort. I wouldn't be to worried. I'm glad he's in touch with his family. Things like that are important when you grow old.

--------------
"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
Mark E Smith
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4759
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Oct. 04 2020, 23:31

It depends how you define "old". When I was 9 20 seemed impossibly old. To a 95 year old he probably would seem young. Who knows?
Back to top
Profile PM 
larstangmark Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1759
Joined: Mar. 2005
Posted: Oct. 07 2020, 10:20

Quote (nightspore @ Oct. 04 2020, 23:31)
It depends how you define "old". When I was 9 20 seemed impossibly old. To a 95 year old he probably would seem young. Who knows?

Sure! It's a relative thing. But if you're the sort of person who enjoys the idea of "retirement", then Mike's age is when you do it I think.

I just found this clip on youtube. It's 18 years old, but already then Mike spoke of learning "...how to be happy without music"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v....ainment


--------------
"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
Mark E Smith
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4759
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Oct. 07 2020, 19:09

Quote (larstangmark @ Oct. 07 2020, 10:20)
Mike spoke of learning "...how to be happy without music"!

What a load of crap. Proves one thing: Mike lies through his teeth.
Back to top
Profile PM 
Tom Ciderwell Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 10
Joined: Sep. 2020
Posted: Oct. 08 2020, 03:18

Quote
the idea of "retirement"

Musicians never really retire.
The Rolling Stones played here in Coventry a couple of years ago, truly amazing.
I can just imagine a zimmer frame made out of tubular bells - clang clang clang clang - "there goes auld Mike!" :D
Back to top
Profile PM 
larstangmark Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1759
Joined: Mar. 2005
Posted: Oct. 08 2020, 11:29

Quote (nightspore @ Oct. 07 2020, 19:09)
Quote (larstangmark @ Oct. 07 2020, 10:20)
Mike spoke of learning "...how to be happy without music"!

What a load of crap. Proves one thing: Mike lies through his teeth.

:)

I think he meant something like "Learn to experience hapiness without holding a guitar 24/7".


--------------
"There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste"
Mark E Smith
Back to top
Profile PM WEB 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4759
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Oct. 08 2020, 20:08

That makes more sense. If he held a guitar 24/7 there's be no time for the piano or the saxophone or the tuba or the glockenspiel...  :laugh:
Back to top
Profile PM 
bluemlein Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 83
Joined: June 2020
Posted: Oct. 11 2020, 15:08

i aske terry about the rumours - he said they are baseless.
Back to top
Profile PM 
qjamesfloyd Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1349
Joined: April 2001
Posted: Oct. 12 2020, 01:28

Did Terry say what Mike is upto?
Back to top
Profile PM 
TOBY Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 1562
Joined: May 2002
Posted: Nov. 13 2020, 15:05

Mike is still active on Facebook. It seems to be him that personally clears peoples posts to his Facebook group(s) and he posted another poll of his albums the other day. Plus I saw he had 'liked' a post from someone a day or two ago.

I think his enthusiasm for remixing the older albums disappeared a bit, especially since the next two that were due  - Islands and Earthmoving have never been huge favourites, though I'm curious as to why he didn't remix Amarok, as he said he was going to and it would have been a popular release. Maybe he still will at some point.

I'm sure Mike is just enjoying a quiet life these days. I notice he's not involved in that new 'From the Manor Born' DVD documentary and his bother Terry seems to be filling his gap for him. Looking forward to seeing that. Looks like a great follow up to the 2013 'Plus Tubular Bells doc.
Back to top
Profile PM 
nightspore Offline




Group: Members
Posts: 4759
Joined: Mar. 2008
Posted: Nov. 13 2020, 18:45

Perhaps he's under lockdown with coronavirus - although I can't see the Bahamas folk getting out of "chillin'" effectively enough to enforce it!
Back to top
Profile PM 
16 replies since Sep. 27 2020, 09:05 < Next Oldest | Next Newest >

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

 






Forums | Links | Instruments | Discography | Tours | Articles | FAQ | Artwork | Wallpapers
Biography | Gallery | Videos | MIDI / Ringtones | Tabs | Lyrics | Books | Sitemap | Contact

Mike Oldfield Tubular.net
Mike Oldfield Tubular.net