Platinum (album)

Platinum
Studio album by Mike Oldfield
Publication (s)	1979
Label (s)	Virgin Records
Format (s)	CD, LP, MC
Genre (s)	Progressive rock
Title (number)	8th
running time	37 minutes and 45 seconds
occupation	Mike Oldfield - electric and acoustic guitars , piano , synthesizer , vibraphone , marimbas , vocals Pierre Moerlen - drums , vibraphone Alan Schwartzberg - drums Morris Pert - drums Neil Jason - electric bass Hansford Rowe - bass Francisco Centeno - bass Nicko Ramsden - keyboards Pete Lemer - keyboards Sally Cooper - Tubular Bells Wendy Roberts - vocals Demalza - congas
production	Tom Newman
Studio (s)	Electric Lady & Blue Rock (USA) Througham, Denham, & The Manor (UK)
chronology Exposed (live album, 1979) Platinum QE2 (1980)

Platinum is a music album by British rock musician Mike Oldfield . It is his fifth studio album and was released in 1979 . It should not be confused with The Platinum Collection from 2007.

style

After the four previous works, most recently Incantations from 1978, Oldfield broke with the previous style. Although there was another very long work on the A side of the record with the title track, this work already showed clear changes. Already on the album cover (and later on CD releases) the longtrack is divided into several individually named parts. Instead of filigree arrangements for keyboards and other instruments, Oldfield mainly performs the melodies with the electric guitar. In addition, in Platinum he specifically processes influences from the disco area, especially with regard to the accompaniment and instrumentation (use of wind instruments).

For the first time in Oldfield's oeuvre, shorter songs with vocals appear on the B-side of the record. In addition to the songs Woodhenge and Sally or Into Wonderland , which are still influenced by the folk and style of the previous albums , there is the instrumental piece Punkadiddle and the cover version of Gershwin 's I Got Rhythm .

Up to and including the album Crises from 1983, Oldfield retained the album structure, placing a long track on the A side and shorter numbers on the B side.

Live at Montreux

During his performance Live at Montreux in 1981 , Oldfield surprised his fans with an interpretation that was rewritten to 5 men plus singer, which, in contrast to the album version, relies entirely on traditional instruments.

Track list

1. Platinum (Part 1): Airborne - 5:06
2. Platinum (Part 2): Platinum - 6:03
3. Platinum (Part 3): Charleston - 3:17
4. Platinum (Part 4): North Star / Platinum Finale - 4:43
5. Woodhenge - 4:06
6. Into Wonderland - 3:46 (on a first edition instead: Sally - 5:00)
7. Punk Middle - 4:56
8. I Got Rhythm - 4:40

Charts

UK # 24, D # 11, A # 17, N # 24

success

Mike Oldfield had a great success with Platinum , especially in Germany and Austria, which is why he also performed there twice during his promotion tour for QE2 in 1980/81. It also reached number 11 in the album charts and barely missed the top 10.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Discography entry at tubular.net ( Memento of the original from March 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ http://www.charts-surfer.de/musiksuche.php

Web links

• Reviews of Platinum on the baby blue pages