Tom Newman (musician)


Thomas Dennis Newman is an English record producer and musician. In 1970 he began working with Richard Branson and helped to found The Manor Studio in Oxford for the nascent Virgin Records. There he produced the recording of Mike Oldfield's ''Tubular Bells.''

Career

In 1968 Newman played in a band called July whose only album was the eponymous July on UK Major Minor and US Epic. Before that he was in a British band called The Tomcats who played around London and later in Spain. In 1966, they recorded at least three EPs on Spanish Philips. Also an amateur painter, one of his paintings can be seen during the Beatles' rooftop concert behind the drum set.
In 1970, Newman began working with Richard Branson and helped build The Manor Studio in Oxford. While there he met the 18-year-old Mike Oldfield who lent him a rough demo tape of what would become Tubular Bells.
In November 1973, Newman participated in a live-in-the-studio performance of Tubular Bells for the BBC. It is available on Oldfield's Elements – [The Best of Mike Oldfield (video)|Elements] DVD.
Newman released some albums as a solo musician and produced several albums for other artists, most notably Mike Oldfield.
Reviewing Newman's 1977 Fine Old Tom LP, Robert Christgau wrote in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies : "Tom seems to have recorded this far across the sea in 1975, but more than that even my Anglophile sources can't tell me. Analogies: Dave Edmunds, Ray Davies, Eno. Pretty catchy."
Newman also worked with young NWOBHM bands like Charlie ’Ungry.

Discography

Solo albums