Description
Mike Oldfield – Amarok / Virgin Audio CD 2000
UPC 724384938529
Amarok is the thirteenth studio album by English multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released in May 1990 by Virgin Records. Oldfield originally conceived it as an "angry protest album", showcasing his musical technique. It is presented as a single sixty-minute track of continuous, uninterrupted but constantly changing music.
In July 1989 Oldfield released Earth Moving, his twelfth album for Virgin Records. By this time, his relationship with the label had become increasingly fraught as a result of disagreements over his contract, royalties, and the lack of effort in promoting his albums. Earth Moving was an album whereby he "listened to Virgin totally" in regards to its musical direction, which became a success in continental Europe, but received a disappointing reaction in England, for which Oldfield received "some flak" from Virgin over the matter. Oldfield was now required to deliver two more albums as part of his Virgin contract and in the summer of 1989, he started on one with the aim of pleasing his fans while annoying Virgin executives. Oldfield deemed Amarok his "personal revenge" for Virgin's lack of support.
The idea for Amarok originated in August 1989, when Oldfield recorded a session for broadcast on BBC Radio 1 that included a 7-minute excerpt of his debut album Tubular Bells (1973) performed by himself. Oldfield had fun in the process, which inspired him to make Amarok in such a way. When Oldfield started to write and arrange "Amarok", he ignored the pressures of delivering commercial material for Virgin and instead "let it all come out without any interference [...] I felt I was getting ideas from somewhere inside me, and six months later I had a whole album." He decided upon an album that contained one 60-minute piece which, unlike his previous long tracks, was not split into sections. Such a format would create difficulty for Virgin to market or promote with radio airplay. He avoided letting a theme become something that Virgin might have identified suitable for a single, and developed ideas by "imagining sound, not picture".
Oldfield's contract with Virgin expired on 1 January 1991.
| Label: | Virgin – 724384938529 |
|---|---|
| Series: | Mike Oldfield Remastered HDCD |
| Format: |
CD, HDCD, Album
|
| Country: | Europe |
| Released: |
2000 |
| Genre: | Electronic, Rock |
| Style: | Alternative Rock, Experimental |
Tracklist:
| 1 | Amarok |
1:00:02 |
- Coordinator [Remastered Series Co-ordinator] – Jason Day
- Cover [Original Cover And Booklet] – William Murray
- Design, Artwork [Reissue Artwork] – Rina Cheung
- Leader [African Musicians Organized By] – Julian Bahula
- Liner Notes [Sleeve Notes] – David Laing
- Mastered By – Simon Heyworth
- Other [Personal Assistant] – Jeremy Parker (3)
- Performer – Bridget St. John, Clodagh Simmons, Janet Brown, Paddy Moloney
- Producer – Daniel Lazerus, Mike Oldfield
- Producer, Engineer – Tom Newman (2)
- Remastered By – Simon Heyworth
- Technician [Technical Advisor] – Richard Barrie
