By 1974, Mike Oldfield was coming to terms with the enormous success of his debut album, Tubular Bells, that has been released the previous year. Its success continued to grow stealthily, bolstered by the inclusion of the opening theme in the cinema sensation The Exorcist. The album became a phenomenon, topping the UK charts, winning a Grammy; giving a green light to Mike Oldfield’s career. Oldfield could have at this point done anything he wanted, and he did. He disappeared. He drove west from London and settled on Kington, a beautiful market town in Herefordshire. The town is dominated by Hergest Ridge, the long, high common land with breathtaking views that stretches from the town to Gladestry in Wales. Combining flying his gliders on the Ridge and playing in the local inn, Penrhos Court, Oldfield came up with Hergest Ridge, the successor to Tubular Bells, written at The Beacon, his home there on the borders.
Mike’s demo of the album – that was ultimately released in August 1974, topping the UK chart – was first released on the 2-CD set of Hergest Ridge in 2010. Now, for Record Store Day 2024, it makes its debut on vinyl, mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road. With new artwork overseen by Mike Oldfield (including photographs taken on the Ridge in 2023), The 1974 Demo offers a chance to revaluate this breathtaking English pastoral music, two suites performed and played by a 21-year old musician running from fame.
