Tubular Bells II is the fifteenth studio album by English guitarist and songwriter Mike Oldfield. It was released on 31 August 1992 by Warner Music UK and is the successor to his debut album Tubular Bells (1973). It was Oldfield's first album for Warner after having worked with Virgin Records for twenty years. Like its predecessor, Tubular Bells II reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart and spun off a top 10 single, "Sentinel".
Background
In January 1991, Oldfield's contract with Virgin Records expired, ending a partnership that had lasted since 1972 as the first musician signed to the label. Virgin had pressed Oldfield to produce a sequel to his debut album, Tubular Bells (1973), but Oldfield resisted, partly due to his increasing dissatisfaction in Virgin's efforts to promote his albums and his rift with the co-founder, Richard Branson. Oldfield also felt that making a sequel in the 1970s, so soon after its release, would have been "far too obvious" and may lead to creative burnout.
After releasing Heavens Open (1991), his final album for Virgin, Oldfield felt the time was right to start on a sequel to Tubular Bells. He signed a two-album recording deal with Warner Music UK following negotiations with the chairman, Rob Dickins. Oldfield praised management at Warner for expressing interest in his music and offering constructive suggestions that would help sales without feeling "tied by them", as opposed to Virgin. Oldfield gave Horn the nickname Dr. Click, because of his insistence in having each part played in time. Oldfield credited Horn in giving the album "rhythm and groove" which he considered a weak spot in his technique and something that the original Tubular Bells had lacked.
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The album reached number 1 in the chart in the UK and Spain. Critical reception to the album was mixed. Writing in Q, Mat Snow described it as a "more consistent but less tune-happy musical sequence" than the original Tubular Bells and praised Horn's "fairy dust".
Live performance
The album was supported with a live concert on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle on 4 September 1992 with 6,000 people in attendance, which aired on national television one hour after its conclusion. It featured Scottish actor John Gordon Sinclair as the Master of Ceremonies. In October 1992, the show was released on home video as Tubular Bells II: The Performance Live at Edinburgh Castle. Oldfield toured the album with his Tubular Bells II 20th Anniversary Tour 1992/93, which visited the US and Europe between March and October 1993.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Mike Oldfield.
Personnel
- Mike Oldfield – acoustic guitars, twelve-string guitar, banjo, classical guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, flamenco guitar, glockenspiel, Lowrey organ, Hammond organ, Farfisa organ, mandolin, percussion, piano, synthesisers, timpani, tubular bells, vocals
- Alan Rickman (credited as "A Strolling Player") – Master of Ceremonies
- Sally Bradshaw – vocals
- Celtic Bevy Band – bagpipes
- Eric Caudieux – programming and digital sounds
- Edie Lehmann – vocals
- Susannah Melvoin – vocals
- Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards, special effects
- Steve Payne – bass guitar
- Pipers from the Los Angeles Police Department (credited as P.D. Scots Pipe Band to avoid controversy following the 1992 Los Angeles riots) – bagpipes
- John Robinson – drums on "Altered State"
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for Tubular Bells II
! scope="col"| Chart (1992)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
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|-
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!scope="row"|Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)
|1
|-
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|-
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{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (2022)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
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Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1992 year-end chart performance for Tubular Bells II
! scope="col"| Chart (1992)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
| 100
|-
! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
| 94
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 1993 year-end chart performance for Tubular Bells II
! scope="col"| Chart (1993)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Spanish Albums (AFYVE)
| 16
|}
Certifications and sales
References
Sources