Ommadawn
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Ommadawn is a record album written and mostly performed by Mike Oldfield. It is his third album. The cover photograph was by David Bailey.
As with Hergest Ridge and Tubular Bells, Ommadawn is another two-movement work. Here Oldfield sought out the ancient Celtic influence on English music and composed for traditional instruments such as Uilleann pipes. He also involved musicians noted for their work in folk music including Clodagh Simmonds and Paddy Moloney. He combined this with heavy African influences, mainly by the use of the drummers of Jabula. This makes Ommadawn one of the first successful world music albums in Europe.
The word ommadawn appears to be related to the Irish word amadán meaning "fool". This results in the supposed translation of the chant at the end of the first movement, transcribed as ta me an amadán le cheoil, as "I am the fool with the music", although completely grammatically incorrect in the Irish language.
Though the actual work Ommadawn is two parts, there is a third track found on the album, a short vocal song by Mike Oldfield and William Murray called "On Horseback". In December 1975 Mike released the single "In Dulci Jubilo" with "On Horseback" as the B-side. It reached number 4 in the UK in January 1976. In France, "In Dulci Jubilo" was coupled to a remix of the end of part 1 of Ommadawn. Some copies of the album also include "In Dulci Jubilo" at the end. A slightly remixed version of "Ommadawn" was released on Boxed a year later. The 1990 album Amarok is often seen as a sequel to Ommadawn.
Tracklist
- Ommadawn part one - (19:23)
- Ommadawn part two - (13:54)
- On Horseback - (3:23)
Personnel
- Mike Oldfield – acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, banjo, bouzouki, bodhrán, classical guitar, electric bass, electric guitars, electronic organs, glockenspiel, harp, mandolin, percussion, piano, spinet, steel guitar, synthesizers, twelve-string guitar and vocals.
- Don Blakeson - trumpet
- Herbie - Northumbrian bagpipes
- The Hereford City Band - brass
- Jabula - African drums
- Pierre Moerlen - timpani
- Paddy Moloney - Uilleann pipes
- William Murray - percussion
- Sally Oldfield - vocals
- Terry Oldfield - Panpipes
- Leslie Penning - recorders
- "The Penrhos Kids" (Abigail, Briony, Ivan and Jason Griffiths) - vocals on "On Horseback"
- Clodagh Simmonds - vocals
- Bridget St John - vocals
- David Strange - cello
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