1418 - Mike Oldfield Platinum 1979

"Platinum" is the fifth record album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1979 on Virgin Records. It was Oldfield's first album to feature songs and cover material. The first side of the LP features the nearly twenty-minute piece "Platinum" that is divided into four parts. The first two parts of "Platinum" can be taken as a form of instrumental progressive rock. Those compositions rely on strong melody played mostly with electric guitar. Part I, "Airborne" is in a slow tempo and has many changes, while Part II, "Platinum" introduces a simple groove rhythm and a more repetitive song structure. Part III, "Charleston", is humorous and intentionally naive, with a simple rhythm and swinging melody that is partly played by a horn section. A female vocalist adds some wailing wordless vocals while Oldfield himself contributes some scat vocals in a whispering voice. Part IV features an excerpt from the 1977 Philip Glass work "North Star" (hence the subtitle). The lead melody is not borrowed from Glass but the choir's part. The constant bass drum beat and octave-jumping bass line (both borrowed from disco music) start the section and guitar enters with the melody later. A funky guitar riff and chorus appear, and the lead guitar continues to play the melody over them.