| Tubular Bells III | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 31 August 1998 (1998-08-31) | |||
| Recorded | December 1996–June 1998 | |||
| Studio | Oldfield's home studio inEs Cubells,Ibiza and London | |||
| Genre | New-age,progressive rock,electronic,chill out | |||
| Length | 46:36 | |||
| Label | Warner Music UK | |||
| Producer | Mike Oldfield | |||
| Mike Oldfield chronology | ||||
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| Tubular Bells series chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Tubular Bells III | ||||
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Tubular Bells III is the eighteenth studio album by English guitarist, songwriter, and producerMike Oldfield. It was released on 31 August 1998 byWarner Music UK as the third instalment in hisTubular Bells album series. After relocating from England to the Spanish island ofIbiza in 1996, Oldfield started work on the album and gained inspiration to incorporate electronic music from the island's local bars and clubs.[1]
By mid-1996, Oldfield had put his Buckinghamshire home for sale and relocated to the Spanish island ofIbiza, setting up a recording studio at Casa Atlantis, a cliffside home inEs Cubells which he designed on a virtual reality simulator on his computer and had it built from scratch. With Ibiza being a major club destination, he became inspired by the electronic and dance music that local DJs were playing and decided to make a dance version of the familiar opening to "Tubular Bells (Part One)",[2] which he used with aNord Lead synthesiser and used the "caveman" beat from "Tubular Bells (Part Two)".[3][2] Oldfield liked the results, which persuaded him to make a thirdTubular Bells album, followingTubular Bells (1973) andTubular Bells II (1992).[4] Despite not having a recording contract at the time, Oldfield secured a new deal withWarner Music UK by informing the label that he wished to start work on a thirdTubular Bells album.
Oldfield later admitted that Ibiza's hedonistic lifestyle was a negative influence on him and succumbed to alcohol and drugs. In one incident, he was caught driving while twice over the legal alcohol limit and received a one-year driving ban.[5] In April 1998, Oldfield left Ibiza and returned to live at Roughwood Croft, his home inChalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, which he had bought in the late 1980s. He then finished recordingTubular Bells III in London until June 1998.[citation needed] In August, he put his Ibiza home, two cars, and powerboat for sale for £2 million.[5][3] The home was bought byNoel Gallagher.
UnlikeTubular Bells II,Tubular Bells III does not follow the pattern of the two pieces from the original album, but instead referencesTubular Bells musically.[6] For example, "The Source of Secrets" takes up music from the "Introduction" section of the original album,[3] while "Far Above the Clouds" references the "Finale" section of "Tubular Bells (Part One)".[1]
An early version of "The Source of Secrets" appears on Oldfield's compilation albumXXV: The Essential (1997).
"Man in the Rain" is a pop song with lead vocals by Irish folk singerCara Dillon and additional vocal takes by Heather Burnett. In the liner notes, Dillon is credited as "Cara from Polar Star", which references the short-lived name for a musical project she was involved in at the time. Oldfield wrote the song about ten years prior to recording and wrote the lyrics, which were influenced by his separation from his third wife. The drums on the song are sampled from Oldfield's 1983 song "Moonlight Shadow" fromCrises (1983), originally performed by drummerSimon Phillips.
The tracks "The Source of Secrets", "Jewel in the Crown", and "Secrets" featureAmar as a vocalist. Oldfield can be heard on "Outcast". "The Inner Child" featuresLuar Na Lubre vocalistRosa Cedrón. The live version of "Man in the Rain" was mostly sung by HelenPepsi DeMacque, notably at the London Premiere of Tubular Bells III (1998). "Far Above the Clouds" featuresClodagh Simonds performing the main vocals while the child's vocals are performed by Francesca Robertson.
Some of the instruments which appear on the album are aRoland D-550,JD-990, JV1080,ClaviaNord Lead, andKorg Trinity synthesisers. The Roland VG8Guitar synthesiser is used on tracks such as "Man in the Rain".
Oldfield also used sampled drums from hisCrises andOmmadawn album on certain tracks. "Man in the Rain" features sampled drums from "Moonlight Shadow", "Outcast" features sampled drums from "Shadow on the Wall" and "Far Above the Clouds" features sampled drums from the end of "Ommadawn part 1". "Far Above the Clouds" also features a sampled guitar rhythm from the "Finale" section of "Tubular Bells (Part 1)", though in this instance it is fairly low in the mix and at a much faster tempo.
The album artwork is Oldfield's trademark benttubular bell shape in silver, based upon the original 1973Tubular Bells album cover, set upon a grey background. The artwork itself does not contain any text and typically a sticker with Oldfield's name and the album title are placed on the outer packaging.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Q | [8] |
Tubular Bells III is the least successful of the three mainTubular Bells albums, only attaining No. 4 on theUK chart, unlike its two chart topping predecessors. Critical reaction was mixed. The very distinct similarity of "Man in the Rain" to the hit "Moonlight Shadow" was sometimes interpreted by listeners as Oldfield trying to retread old ground.
On 4 September 1998, six years to the day after the premiere ofTubular Bells II atEdinburgh Castle, Oldfield held a premiere concert forTubular Bells III atHorse Guards Parade in London in front of around 7,000 people.[9] Much of the performance was held during torrential rain. The live version of the complete album from the premiere concert is available on the double DVDTubular Bells II/Tubular Bells III.
TheLive Then & Now 1999 tour was in promotion of this album and his following album,Guitars.
On 27 July 2012 at the2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony Mike Oldfield performed renditions ofTubular Bells, "Far Above the Clouds" and "In Dulci Jubilo" during a segment about theNHS. This track was later released on theIsles of Wonder album and as a limited edition blue/pink vinyl single.
Tubular Bells III, along withTubular Bells II andThe Songs of Distant Earth, was reissued on 180g vinyl on 27 April 2015. This follows the recent releases ofTubular Bells,Hergest Ridge,QE2,Five Miles Out andCrises on the same format.
All tracks byMike Oldfield.
| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] | 98 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11] | 4 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12] | 46 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[13] | 47 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[14] | 9 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[15] | 1 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[16] | 31 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] | 26 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[18] | 4 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Gold | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Music
Production
