July 23, 2008

Oldfield's Song of Hiawatha

An e-mail from correspondent DMarks:The recent "Hiawatha" posts reminded me of the album "Incantations" by Mike Oldfield. It came out in 1978, as a double LP record album. Most of Side 2 is a music version of part of "Song of Hiawatha." The double LP live album "Exposed" also featured another recording of "Song of Hiawatha." Oldfield is most famous for the theme for the "Exorcist," which was an out-take from "Tubular Bells." A German fanzine for Mike Oldfield took the name "Hiawatha" as well.

I think it is the most well-known adaptation of "Song of Hiawatha," alongside the Disney cartoons. Mike Oldfield has no other Native American-related content until the album "Guitars," which featured a short instrumental called "Cochise."

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