Why is Heavens Open credited to Michael Oldfield?
Thom Newman himself said, in an interview with David Porter: “It was part of a pathetically half-hearted attempt at reinventing oneself, I suppose. A bit of silly nonsense. One of the things that we seem to get good at when we’re in each other’s company.” From the Spanish biography ‘Mike Oldfield’ by Jose Cantos: He was going to sign as Michael Oldfield – an idea from Richard Branson for Tubular Bells so this would imply more respectability than the familiar Mike, at least with an unknown artist like him at this age. There are some theories put forward by fans over the years: Heaven’s Open was an album which was done very quickly and cheaply to get out of the Virgin Records contract. Mike had long been unhappy with the way they treated him (See 3.10). Amarok is Mike’s ‘goodbye’ to Virgin and this is evident throughout: ‘Happy?’ ‘.. I really didn’t know I could dance..’ ‘FUCK OFF RB’ in Morse Code (Africa I: Far Dip section) After that Mike only had to write one single album to fulfill
