Mike Oldfield - Mike Oldfield's Singles (1980)

Although Mike Oldfield is best know for his lengthy side-long compositions such as 'Tubular Bells', 'Hergest Ridge', and 'Ommadawn', he's also released quite a few shorter pieces on 7" singles throughout career. They vary from the truly awful ('Froggy Went A-Courting', 'Don Alphonso') to actual top ten hits ('In Dulce Jubilo', 'Portsmouth') and covers which shouldn't work but somehow do ('Blue Peter', 'William Tell Overture'). This is a collection of all his singles between 1975 and 1979 which weren't taken from albums, along with non-album b-sides from these and other singles. It's an eclectic mixture of original compositions and his arrangements of traditional songs, and includes one track which still remains a firm favourite of mine to this day, in 'Guilty'. The album got its title simply because one of Mike's first 7" singles was literally called 'Mike Oldfield's Single'.

Track listing

01 Mike Oldfield's Single (single 1974)
02 Froggy Went A-Courting (single 1974)
03 In Dulce Jubilo (For Maureen) (single 1975)
04 Don Alphonso (single 1975)
05 Portsmouth (single 1976)
06 Argiers (b-side of 'Portsmouth')
07 William Tell Overture (single 1977)
08 Cuckoo Song (single 1977)
09 Pipe Tune (b-side of 'Cuckoo Song' 1977)
10 Wreckorder Wrondo (from 'Take 4' EP 1978)
11 Sailor's Hornpipe (from 'Take 4' EP 1978)
12 Guilty (12" single 1979)
13 Blue Peter (single 1979)