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Transcorder retrospective 2CD collection - 18 December 2020 Bill Nelson Collections Menu Future Past Purchase this download DISC ONE TRACKS: 01) Sleepcycle (from Cocteau Club EP#1, 1982) 02) Konny Buys A Kodak (from Cocteau Club EP#1, 1982) 03) When The Birds Return (from Cocteau Club EP#1, 1982) 04) The Beat That Can't Go Wrong Today (from Cocteau Club EP#1, 1982) 05) King Of The Cowboys (from Cocteau Club EP#2, 1982) 06) Shadowland (from Cocteau Club EP#2 , 1982) 07) Carnival (from Cocteau Club EP#2 , 1982) 08) Spring (from Cocteau Club EP#2 , 1982) 09) Dancing On A Knife's Edge (from Cocteau Club EP#3 , 1983) 10) Indiscretion (from Cocteau Club EP#3 , 1983 ) 11) Contemplation (from Cocteau Club EP#3 , 1983 ) 12) The World And His Wife (from Cocteau Club EP#4 , 1983 ) 13) Dream Car Romantics (In Death's Garage Antics) (from Cocteau Club EP#4 , 1983 ) 14) Dancing Music (from Cocteau Club EP#4 , 1983 ) 15) Hard Facts From The Fiction Department (from Cocteau Club EP#5 , 1984 ) 16) Daily Bells (from Cocteau Club EP#5 , 1984 ) 17) Rhythm Unit (from Cocteau Club EP#5 , 1984 ) 18) Junc-Sculpture (from Cocteau Club EP#5 , 1984 ) DISC TWO TRACKS: 01) The Strangest Things, The Strangest Times (from Cocteau Club EP#6 , 1984 ) 02) Phantom Gardens (from Cocteau Club EP#6 , 1984 ) 03) French Promenade (from Cocteau Club EP#6 , 1984 ) 04) Golden Mile (from Cocteau Club EP#6 , 1984 ) 05) West-Deep (from Cocteau Club EP#6 , 1984 ) 06) Threnodia (from Cocteau Club EP#6 , 1984 ) 07) A Dream Fulfilled (from Cocteau Club EP#7 , 1986 ) 08) Familiar Spirit (from Cocteau Club EP#7 , 1986 ) 09) Palais Des Marine (from Cocteau Club EP#7 , 1986 ) 10) Letter To Jacques Maritain (from Cocteau Club EP#7 , 1986 ) 11) Villefranche Interior (from Cocteau Club EP#7 , 1986 ) Bonus Tracks 12) Tony Goes To Tokyo (And Rides The Bullet Train) (credited to Revox Cadets, Cocteau 7” B-side, 1981) 13) Highway 2000 ( credited to Revox Cadets, from Cocteau Signature Tunes LP, 1986) 14) Dancing In The Wind (from Touch And Glow, 7" B-side, 1982) 15) Get Out Of That Hole (from Life in Your Hands, 12” single, 1989) 16) My Dream Demon (from Life in Your Hands , 12” single, 1989) 17) Try (previously unreleased) 18) The Jitters (previously unreleased) 19) Roto-Scope (previously unreleased) 20) Marine Drive (previously unreleased) 21) Dark Horse (previously unreleased) ALBUM NOTES: Transcorder is a 39 track 2CD compilation album of songs and instrumentals issued on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 1000 copies. The album was compiled by Jon Wallinger and brings together all 29 tracks issued through the Cocteau Club on the series of exclusive fan club EPs which were originally released between 1982 and 1986. Full details of these EPs can be found in the Singles section of the Discography . In addition, Transcorder contains a number of singles-only tracks, one past compilation exclusive recording and five previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1984/5 from the so-called “PCM-F1 Tapes”. 19 of the 34 previously released tracks contained on Transcorder are appearing on CD for the first time as well as being back in print for the first time since their initial release back in the 1980s. 7 of the 15 tracks that have previously appeared on CD have been out of print since 1989 with 4 of the 8 tracks currently in print only being available as downloads. The material presented on Transcorder stems from a number of sources including some tracks from master tapes with others taken from the copies of the original vinyl releases. Eddie McSheffrey, Martin Bostock and John Spence have worked alongside Jon Wallinger on the provision and selection of the best sources available and John Spence has ensured that any limitations of the source material have been addressed through his skilled use of computer software. The album was mastered at Fairview Studios by John Spence in early November 2020 with artwork created by Martin Bostock working with images taken from the Acquitted By Mirrors club magazines. Pre-orders for Transcorder were announced by Burning Shed on 17th November 2020. Transcorder sold out in June 2022. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available to purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . PAST RELEASES: DISC ONE Tracks 2 and 3 were later included on the The Two Fold Aspect of Everything (Cocteau, 1985 (2LP) and Cocteau, 1986 (CD)) and the 2CD US reissue of the same album, all three sources being long out of print. Track 4 was later included both on the US 2CD edition of The Two Fold Aspect of Everything (Enigma, 1989) and the US CD version of The Love That Whirls (Enigma, 1989) both sources being long out of print. Tracks 9, 10 and 11 were later included on the 'bonus disc' of The Practice of Everyday Life (2011). Although out of print in physical form, this box set is available as a digital download via major online retailers. Track 12 was released on the 1989 Enigma US CD release of Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam. Track 15 was later included on the 7" and 12" releases of the Acceleration single and The Two Fold Aspect of Everything compilation (Cocteau, 1985 (2LP) and Cocteau, 1986 (CD), all of which are out of print) and also appeared as a bonus track on the 2005 remastered CD issue of Chimera , which is out of print in physical form but available as a download. Track 16 was later included on the US 2CD version of The Two Fold Aspect of Everything compilation (Enigma 1989, out of print). DISC TWO Track 1 was later included on The Strangest Things CD compilation (Enigma, 1989, out of print). Tracks 2, 5, 6 and 11 were later included on Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights album (Cocteau, 1987) which was reissued in 2017 and is available for purchase in the Dreamsville Store . Track 13 was previously exclusive to the Cocteau Records sampler album Signature Tunes (Cocteau, 1986, out of print). Track 14 was later available separately on Touch and Glow EP (Cocteau, 1983) and later again included on The Strangest Things CD compilation (Enigma, 1989, out of print). Collections Menu Future Past

Postcards From the Future retrospective collection - 20 September 2004 Be Bop Deluxe Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Axe Victim 02) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 03) Stage Whispers 04) Maid In Heaven 05) Sister Seagull 06) Jean Cocteau 07) Fair Exchange 08) Ships In The Night 09) Blazing Apostles 10) Kiss Of Light 11) Modern Music 12) Twilight Capers 13) Electrical Language 14) Possession 15) Islands Of The Dead 16) Life In The Air Age (Live) 17) Teenage Archangel 18) Jets At Dawn (Smile Records Version) NOTES: Postcards From the Future is a CD compilation offering a simple introduction to Be Bop Deluxe. At the time collectors were drawn to it by the inclusion of both sides of the debut single "Teenage Archangel" and "Jets at Dawn", which had not previously appeared on CD, and had been out of print since circa 1980. The set was enhanced by a nicely illustrated booklet with a sleeve notes written by Nelson. PAST RELEASES: 16 of the 18 tracks on this compilation album were taken from the six albums released in the band's lifetime issued between 1974 and 1978. See individual entries of those albums for full details including vinyl editions of the same material. "Teenage Archangel" and "Jets At Dawn" was issued on 7" in 1973, and had yet to appear on a Be Bop Deluxe retrospective. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This compilation is now out of print. Collections Menu Future Past

Tremulous Antenna retrospective collection - 27 May 2002 Be Bop Deluxe Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Life In The Air Age 02) Sister Seagull 03) Third Floor Heaven 04) Blazing Apostles 05) Maid In Heaven 06) Kiss Of Light 07) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 08) Fair Exchange 09) Ships In The Night 10) Modern Music/Dancing In The Moonlight/Honeymoon On Mars/Lost In The Neon World/Modern Music (Reprise) 11) New Precision 12) Superenigmatix 13) Possession 14) Dangerous Stranger 15) Islands Of The Dead 16) Panic In The World NOTES: Tremulous Antenna is a remastered edition of the Radioland CD (1994) which provides a compilation of the band's BBC recordings for In Concert made in 1976 and 1978. Sourced from 3 different shows, each recording was edited when compared to the original broadcast material. The subsequent release of At the BBC 1974-1978 (2013) with the inclusion of the previously omitted tracks makes this CD redundant. Tracks 1-4: Recorded for BBC's 'Radio 1 In Concert' at the Paris Theatre 15.01.76. Producer Jeff Griffin. Tracks 5-10: Recorded for BBC's 'Radio 1 In Concert' at the Hammersmith Odeon 20.10.76. Producer Pete Dauncey. Tracks 11-16: Recorded for BBC's 'Radio 1 In Concert' at Golders Green Hippodrome 19.01.78. Producer Jeff Griffin. PAST RELEASES: Previously released as Radioland (1994). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This compilation is now out of print. Collections Menu Future Past

The Dreamer's Companion Volume One retrospective collection - 13 January 2014 Bill Nelson Collections Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Golden Balloon (Luxury Lodge) 02) Take It Off And Thrill Me (Rock Option) (Arcadian Salon) 03) Ghost Show (Secret Club For Members Only) 04) Real Men With Ray Guns (The Romance Of Sustain) 05) Escondido Oleander (Rosewood Volume One) 06) Sailor Blue (The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill) 07) The Golden Days Of Radio (Compact Mix) (Fancy Planets) 08) For You And I (Return To Jazz Of Lights) 09) Once I Had A Time Machine (Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow) 10) Boyhood Shadows (Secret Club For Members Only) 11) Moments Catch Fire On The Crests Of Waves (Alternative Mix) (Orpheus In Ultraland) 12) Silent Glides My Armstrong Siddeley (Blossom Tree Optimists) 13) Creamy Clouds (Dreamland To Starboard) 14) Hey, Bill Diddley! (Secret Club For Members Only) ALBUM NOTES: The Dreamer's Companion is a three volume series of compilation albums designed to introduce both new and lapsed fans to Nelson's recordings from the 21st Century. These are significant in that they represent the point where Nelson embraced the notion of downloading as a way of generating additional interest in his music. Prior to their announcement in August 2013, there had been frequent mention by fans of the advantages that Nelson would see from going down the download route, but the artist consistently resisted doing so on the basis that he remained unconvinced that it would yield much in the way of sales. What seemed to change his opinion, or at least convince him to give it a go, was a Be Bop Deluxe Facebook page which clearly indicated that there are a significant number of fans who knew little of Nelson's work over the previous 30 years. Nelson therefore set about compiling three volumes in The Dreamer's Companion series that provided a detailed overview of his output since 2003. Even for fans who had rediscovered Nelson's music at some point in the period from 2003 to 2013, these offer some out of print material. And for the lapsed fans that knew nothing at all from this period, they offer them a chance to find out precisely what they have been missing. For those who aren't willing or able to spend £30 on a full set, each volume of The Dreamer's Companion is available at £10 each. The 42 tracks featured are taken from a total of 28 different albums, and provide a healthy mixture of vocal and instrumental pieces covering a range of styles and moods. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "There's nothing difficult or tricky about any of my music, it's all very easy to listen to. I certainly don't aim at purely esoteric targets, I just make pop music with a twist. But, if you're feeling a bit nervous about buying some albums, it doesn't get less esoteric than Fancy Planets , Joy Through Amplification , and Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists . Easy listening all! Or, to get a great overview of my 21st Century recordings, try downloading the digital three volume compilation set, The Dreamers Companion from Bandcamp. It acts as a really nice taster or 'grazing' menu. A bit of everything on there." Collections Menu Future Past

Blackwater single - 1991 Rain Tree Crow Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on A-side. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment Bill Nelson and the Dreamsville Poets download single - 3 December 2007 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 1) The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment NOTES: "The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment" is a spoken word piece that was the combined work of Nelson, who provided the music, and 69 members of the Dreamsville community who each provided a single line of prose. The idea to "create a surrealist 'found' poem" was proposed by Nelson himself on April 2nd, 2007. "I may try to create a spoken word/instrumental piece with the resultant text being spoken over it". "We each provide one line of a poem without reference to anyone else's line...but at a given signal as it were so that every line is posted at the same time in chronological order to be read as a continuous piece". A 2 hour time slot was pre-arranged on April 22nd, 2007, in which Jon Wallinger assembled the lines in the order in which they were received. Work on the music commenced in September 2007, with the intention of recording two versions – one with the lyrics as originally transcribed by Jon Wallinger, and a second version with the lyrics re-sequenced by Nelson to achieve a more cohesive result. In the end, Nelson abandoned the second version, being satisfied enough with the original lyrical order and his accompanying backing track to premier the work at that year's Nelsonica on October 27th, 2007. "The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment" was later made available as a free download via the Dreamsville website. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available as a free digital download on this page, or in the Free Downloads section . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The idea is to have fun with this but not to spoil it by writing anything purile or stupid...try to say something beautiful, atmospheric, surreal, amazing or mysterious." _____ "Play it straight, don't be ashamed to apply your intelligence or imagination, don't fall into the pub-bore trap of gutter-level humour. Bring something beautiful and strange to the project rather than something predictable or base. Respect your own ability to dream and have the courage to share it with others." Singles Menu Future Past

Sounding The Ritual Echo Bill Nelson album - 8 May 1981 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Annunciation 02) The Ritual Echo 03) Sleep 04) Near East 05) Emak Bakia 06) My Intricate Image 07) Endless Orchids 08) The Heat In The Room 09) Another Willingly Opened Window 10) Vanishing Parades 11) Glass Fish (For The Final Aquarium) 12) Cubical Domes 13) Ashes Of Roses 14) The Shadow Garden 15) Opium ALBUM NOTES: Sounding the Ritual Echo is an instrumental album recorded at Nelson's home studio, The Echo Observatory. The album was initially released as a limited edition free album available with both vinyl and cassette copies of Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam . It was packaged in its own album sleeve, which slipped inside the Quit Dreaming cover, or simply as side two of the cassette edition. Once Nelson had left Mercury and transferred more attention towards Cocteau for releasing his own albums, Sounding the Ritual Echo became the first album to be re-issued on Cocteau in July 1985 (on vinyl only). By then Nelson had released the four-album box set Trial By Intimacy , and the new edition of Sounding the Ritual Echo was redesigned (in terms of artwork) to fit inside the box set as a companion piece. In fact, when Trial By Intimacy was conceived, Sounding the Ritual Echo was originally one of the four albums to be included in the box, but then a new recording, The Summer of God's Piano , took its place. PAST RELEASES : The UK and US CD issues from 1989 are both long out of print. Sounding the Ritual Echo was reissued by Esoteric/Cocteau Discs in December 2017 as part of a 3-CD set of Bill's early soundtrack work, entitled Dreamy Screens . CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Sounding the Ritual Echo was recorded in the privacy of my own home on broken or faulty tape machines and speakers, each track possessing its own technological deformity. For this I offer no apology as the music owes its existence to a very personal and selfish obsession. As a direct result, some pieces will require a little patience." _____ "At the time, I saw 'Ritual Echo' as being more indicative of my inner, deeper self (in 'artistic' terms), whilst Quit Dreaming was perhaps a little more superficial, closer to my commercially minded work. Perhaps I was still chasing fame and fortune with one hand but rejecting it with the other. Here and now, in the 21st Century, the production quality of Ritual seems, (to my ears), simplistic and dated, but its approach and content feels contemporary and connected to my current creativity." _____ "Many of those old four track or eight track recordings were done as sketches or demos, ('though mainly the song-based material), as I felt frustrated by the technical limitations of the recording equipment I had at that time. I always added the qualification to the sleeve notes that these were, in a sense, little more than rough blueprints for work that would be refined if I ever had the opportunity to record them to a much higher standard in a 'proper' studio. However, these technical limitations sometimes worked to the music's advantage, particularly when it came to recording minimalist instrumental pieces. "The enforced simplicity and primitive recording technology suited the stripped back form of the pieces that went into albums such as Sounding the Ritual Echo , Chamber of Dreams , The Summer of God's Piano , Pavilions of the Heart and Soul , Catalogue of Obsessions , Simplex and the two 'Orchestra Arcana' albums. "Whilst I understand that some people might have thought of these recordings as 'experimental' or 'avant garde', I never really approached them in that way...for me, they seemed accessible, direct, and far from difficult... All I wanted to do was make music which transcended limitations of genre and instead came across as beautiful and timeless. To achieve that goal, now more than ever, is the driving force behind my music." _____ "My interests have always been fairly broad so, for me, it feels natural to enjoy a wide range of musical expression without worrying too much about genre limitations or fashionable fads. But if there was a key to my musical identity, I think it could be found in the instrumental work, rather than the vocal things. It's from there that the essence of my creativity flows. It's always been that way, even with Be Bop Deluxe. "As John Peel once said, "You get the feeling that Bill just wants to get the singing bit out of the way as soon as possible so that he can tear into another guitar solo". (Or words to that effect)." _____ "Here's something you may not know regarding the above Ritual Echo photograph: I took the photo in a field on the edge of the Yorkshire village of West Haddlesey, where I lived at that time. The two large mirrors, (one reflecting a tree behind my position with the camera and the other reflecting the sky), were originally made for a Be Bop Deluxe tour. They were designed to reflect, to the audience, Andy Clarke's hands playing his keyboards. "After Be Bop and Red Noise, the Mylar mirrors were stored in my garage at Haddlesy House and, one day, I thought I might be able to use them in a photograph of some kind. I carted them out to the edge of the village and propped them up using some guitar stands, (hidden behind the mirrors). The wind kept blowing them away as they were rather like sails, but eventually the weather gave me a still moment to take the photograph you see above. Unfortunately the original print and neg have long ago been lost but it remains one of my personal favourite photographs and chimes nicely with those in my 'Arcane Eye' photographic book." FAN THOUGHTS: Waspy: Sounding the Ritual Echo : "was the icing on the cake. Here was an artist doing everything on his own terms, a one-man cottage industry conjuring up intriguingly evocative sound-worlds and getting them down on tape before the moment passes. The hand-written liner notes, photography and graphic design, the DIY nature of it all - it made a mighty big impression on a kid in a regional town in Australia. (Thanks, Bill!)" Boat to Forever: "What I really like about the instrumental albums of that period - Ritual Echo , Trial by Intimacy , Chance Encounters - is the strange, ethereal and completely unique sound of those records. A kind of other worldly quality that is only enhanced by the low-fi and basic production of the albums." paul.smith: "As soon as this time of year comes along with some good weather it always reminds me of that summer of '81 when [ Quit Dreaming ] was released...and I always follow it up with Sounding the Ritual Echo as a matter of course...made me look at music in a very different way did that..." " Sounding the Ritual Echo eventually had more of an an effect on me than its parent -- it is probably part responsible for the way that I started to look at certain things as a young kid - not just this fractured set of sounds full of intention and serendipity but titles such as "Glass Fish for the Final Aquarium" really got my imagination. It's a haunting album full of sounds that conjure up images I can't ever explain. I played QDAGOTB on the way to work today because of these posts reminding me of the 30 year anniversary and played Sounding the Ritual Echo on the way back - I think it's got to be one of the most evocative albums I have the pleasure to possess." "The Echo Observatory always conjured up fanciful images for me all those years ago listening to Sounding the Ritual Echo ...I used to picture this remote and isolated whitewashed dome overlooking the ocean with Bill hard at work inside as the sea rolled in silently in the distance, grass blowing in the wind - that sort of thing... ...the reality was a little different though, but I still maintain it's a great name and playing STRE always brings those kind of images to mind even after all this time." Returningman: "Love every crackle and click on this as it brings back some very keen memories. Turned me on to "ambient" all those years ago." Southern Dreamer: "The other wonderful aspect about getting hold of the two LP release was being able to listen to Sounding the Ritual Echo . That particular album opened up a whole new experience of listening to Bill's 'ambient' music (although personally I have never really liked that particular label for his instrumental works). Whilst I was not surprised at the nature of the recordings on that album, having listened to "The Shadow Garden" on the From Brussels with Love cassette many times over the previous year; having a whole album of this instrumental music to sit (or lay) back and just drift or dream along to, gave me an real appreciation for a whole different side to Bill's music, one that has remained just as vital to me as his rock/pop side ever since." wonder toy: "I never thought of this music as ambient or new age, etc. To me it was electronic, futuristic and necessary." "Thank you for being curious and never stopping in the face of many challenges." John Izzard: "A quick word about Bill's demos and sketches. It was many of those early demos, including Sounding the Ritual Echo and the Trial by Intimacy box set that inspired confidence in me to make my own music and helped shape my attitude towards the creative process. Those records taught me that it was not necessarily about the big production, budget - or 'being signed', but the seed of an idea being the important thing. I'm sure many other musicians, here and elsewhere, feel the same. It was brave of Bill to release those pieces in their raw form...although the truth is, the music and ideas were strong enough to stand naked and proud, without the need for further stylisation or polish." Albums Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) August 2009 Jan Jul Sep Oct Nov Dec Thursday 20th August 2009 -- 8:20 pm (Noon) Feeling tired, sad and somewhat less than chipper. Was up at 6 am this morning to take Emi to Leeds/Bradford airport. She is flying to Japan today (20th August), to visit her mother who is terminally ill. The last few weeks have been very difficult for Emi due to her mother's deteriorating health, plus having to honour a freelance wedding flower commission which made it impossible for her to fly to Tokyo any earlier. But now she's finally on her way to be by her mother's side. We waved a sad goodbye to each other at the airport this morning after a 45 minute drive through the pleasant Yorkshire countryside. Couldn't help thinking how different Tokyo will seem to Emi. She's become as fond of the beautiful North Yorkshire landscape as myself. Leeds/Bradford Airport, which is actually situated near the village of Yeadon, is very convenient for us, far more so than Manchester, (which is where Emi flew from last year). Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to Japan from Leeds/Bradford Airport so Emi's journey is via Amsterdam where she will have a three hour wait for her connecting flight to Tokyo. Her flight from Manchester Airport last year wasn't direct either so, really, there's no particular advantage in travelling all the way to the far side of Manchester when there's a much more convenient departure point just 45 minutes drive from our Yorkshire home. And, as I said, it's a pleasant, scenic drive free from motorway pressures. The early morning sunshine warmed the hills and fields as we skirted the edge of the en-route Harewood House Estate, (where we'd been guests at the Eric Clapton concert last year), before turning off the main road onto the A659 winding its way through the village of Arthington, then on to Pool, then left, before Otley, and up the hills towards Yeadon and the airport itself. As the journey progressed, the golden sunshine gradually gave way to grey clouds, suitably matching our increasingly sad mood. We'd both been dreading the moment of parting, trying not to think about it...but when it came it was emotional and distressing, made even more so because of the reason for Emi's trip and the uncertainty about when she will be able to return to England. Although her return ticket is booked for the 4th of September, (in two weeks time), there's a very real and worrying possibility that she will need to stay in Japan for quite a while longer than that. It all depends on her mother's condition over the next two weeks. It doesn't seem very long since Emi's previous trip to Japan, last year, when her mother was admitted to hospital for surgery related to intestinal cancer. At the time, the surgery was deemed to be successful and Emi's mum made what appeared to be a reasonably good recovery. Sadly, it was not to last and now we've now been told that nothing can be done to stop the progress of the disease. Emi has regularly called the hospital in Tokyo to speak with her mother but each time, her mum seems to have become weaker. Such a vast distance between England and Japan...It's made the situation really hard for Emi to bear. My heart has gone out to her but I've felt helpless. All I can do is try to be supportive and understanding. But now Emi and I are to be separated by thousands of miles too and my help will be little more than words on a telephone line, stretched half-way around the world. We both need to be strong. Emi's eldest brother has warned her that she will be shocked when she sees her mum's physical condition. Equally worrying is Emi's impression, from her calls to the Tokyo hospital, that her mother is becoming increasingly weak and depressed and has given up her struggle to fight the illness. We're praying that Emi's arrival in Tokyo will ignite some spark of energy and hope in her mother. But, it's a time of suffering. It seems the last few years have been blighted with one mortal situation after another. We're at that time of life, I guess. My lonely drive back home from the airport this morning was filled with dark thoughts and dark clouds, the mood lifted only for a couple of minutes when my mobile 'phone rang. It was Emi, calling on her mobile from the airport departure lounge to tell me that she was now waiting at the gate to board the 'plane to Amsterdam, which was on time, and that she wished I was by her side. As I've attempted to explain before in this diary, we are a very close and fortunate couple in that we complete each other, live for each other and, even though we were born on opposite sides of the world with quite different social and cultural backgrounds, we have a quiet, gentle, almost telepathic relationship. Soul mates in so many ways. And, despite the fact that I'm not the easiest person to live with, (aren't most artists obsessive, driven characters with a stupidly stubborn streak and a desperate need for love?) Emi stoically accepts my negative attitudes and heroically nurtures whatever positive ones I can muster. I'm extremely lucky to have her to share my life with me. But, right now, here I sit totally alone in the house, (except for two sleepy cats), contemplating what might turn out to be several weeks of solitary existence. No choice in the matter. I'll have to get used to it. Of course, I have plenty of work to attend to. I always have, 'though today I'm not much in the mood for anything other than writing up my sorrows in this diary. But I must try to get on with my work as best I can...and soon too. There's still tons of Nelsonica work for me to prepare. I've been so busy these last few weeks, creating new video and live performance pieces for the event. I've now completed several brand new backing tracks to improvise with. The problem is, only a scant few of these tracks appeal to me. Many of them are 'shunters,' (ie: they'll end up on next year's convention album). Nevertheless, I've probably got enough decent new pieces to add to the older pieces in my solo performance set. I THINK... Having said that, I've yet to choose ANY pieces to perform, old OR new, let alone deciding upon their sequence before mastering the backing tracks at Fairview. Actually, there's another new instrumental piece in progress at the moment...it might be completed by tomorrow evening. (Or it might not.) No fixed title for it as yet but it's definitely shaping up to be a contender for the Nelsonica set list. Took a break after the above paragraph, during which I received two more 'phone calls from Emiko. She's arrived safely in Amsterdam. First call was to tell me of that...second call an hour later to tell me she's bored with waiting for her connecting flight, but that the airline is soon to begin the boarding proceedure. She'd found a noodle bar on the Amsterdam airport concourse and treated herself to a lunch of Japanese-style Ramen. Noodles are one of her favourite Japanese foods. At this stage, the psychic umbilical cord that connects us doesn't feel too stretched. Hearing her voice from Amsterdam is like hearing her call from York to home to ask if there's anything I need from the supermarket. But soon, as her flight carries her further and further away, the sense of distance will become more and more acute. It was only two days ago that I helped her deliver and set up the wedding flower arrangements that she'd created for a reception at the rather splendid Rudding Park Hotel on the edge of Harrogate. She'd worked very hard all last weekend, without any assistance, sculpting away at a huge array of flowers, including some stunning roses, to provide several table arrangements, a big mantlepiece arrangement, two large bouquets for the mothers of the bride and groom, plus the bride's own bouquet, etc, etc. When we delivered the arrangements to the venue, the wedding supervisor at Rudding Park praised Emi's work, saying that it was 'absolutely beautiful.' Everyone who sees her work says the same. Nice to have such a genuine response, I think, especially when Emi is so modest and unassuming about her talents. I'm very proud of her. Another break since the above. It's now 6:32 pm. The clouds cleared briefly this afternoon but the sun shining through my studio window made it difficult to see my computer screen...so I decided to go into town for a while. Needed some treats for Django and Tink and something easy to cook for my dinner. There will be lots of microwave tv dinners over the next few weeks I suspect. I have no time or inclination to cook something decent for myself. I expect the village fish n' chip shop will see me more frequently than usual too. Had to negotiate heavy traffic on the way home from York city centre. It's the races, 'The Ebor' I believe this particular one is called. Whilst horse racing brings business into the city during the season, they're a curse for those of us who live nearby and get stuck in the constant tacky parades of stretch limos and excursion coaches. Always amusing to see the drunken race-goers staggering along the pavements from the racecourse though...Men with hilarious footballer-style haircuts in bad suits accompanied by women with orange-coloured skin, dressed in bust-revealing frocks at least a size too small for them, wobbling about on heels unsuitable for anything other than bedroom entertainment, whilst clinging on to hats that might be better employed straining a salad. I overheard one worse-for-wear guy mumbling to someone on the other end of his mobile 'phone: "Well, I didn't actually WIN anything...but I only lost a few hundred quid." Yes I know I shouldn't laugh, but I did. Change of subject: Les Paul, a guitarist whose work, (both as a musician and inventor of studio technology), had inspired me since I was a young man, has sadly passed away. The news came as something of a shock, even though I knew he was 94 years old. Les always seemed invincible, having survived all kinds of physical set backs throughout his life. He was, to quote the old cliche, 'one of a kind.' A unique and brilliant artist to whom all modern day guitarists owe a debt. His albums grace my shelves and his fortitude and attitude continue to inspire. And, his little note to me is framed here on my studio wall, something I will always treasure. And now a break for dinner. A Tesco microwave fantasia of salmon fillet in watercress sauce with two new potatoes with some peas and broccoli. Close the door and ZAP! Instant dinner. Emi isn't the only one suffering airline food. It's now 8:28 pm. I ate the microwave meal, (which actually wasn't bad), then spoke with my mother on the 'phone. We speak to each other two times per day, morning and evening. She's a compulsive worrier and needs regular reassurance. That's where I get my own weird nervousness from, I guess. Anyway, I'm now back in my little studio, typing these words, a glass of Merlot by my side. Django and Tink are outside in the fields somewhere, terrorising the rodent population. I'm wondering whether I should attempt to post this diary entry on my website now or have a shot at mixing the previously mentioned backing track first? I need to decide on some images to accompany the diary, which means a little computer re-sizing and tweaking work. Or, maybe I'll finish this diary entry tomorrow and attempt the backing-track mix tonight, or at least get the first stage of it set up. Hell no, it's now 9 pm and I'm far too tired to start a mix. I'll try to post this entry on the Dreamsville site instead...maybe add some photo's of Emi's flowers and a snap of my autographed Les Paul note. Then watch a movie on tv, or a DVD. In any case, tiredness aside, I'm hoping to be awoken in the early hours by a 'phone call from Emi to tell me that she has arrived safely at Narita airport. Another diary entry soon, I suspect. Need someone to talk to. ***** The photos accompanying this diary entry are of Emiko's recent wedding flowers, plus a pic of the framed Les Paul autograph that hangs on my studio wall. Top of page

New Northern Dream Bill Nelson album - 29 October 2016 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Photograph: A New Beginning 02) Indigo Trees Hold Back The Stars 03) Consolation Street 04) Time Stops Here 05) The Trip 06) November Fires (My Northern Dream) 07) Between The Seasons 08) The Lamp Of Invisible Light 09) New Northern Dreamer 10) Daydreaming 11) The Pond Yacht 12) In A World Of Strange Design 13) Miracles To Happen 14) The Legendary Spaceman Blues 15) A Month Without A Moon (Jupiter In Saggitarius) 16) A Northern Man 17) Hymn Of The Old Albion Co-Operative Society ALBUM NOTES: New Northern Dream is an album of vocal and instrumental pieces issued on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 600 copies. The album was the fourth to appear in Nelson's Super Listener Series and was presented in a jewel cased sleeve. New Northern Dream was first announced on the Dreamsville forum on 9 February 2016, nearly 9 months ahead of release. At that stage Nelson had completed just one track, but had formed the idea to make an album that represented "a portrait of vanished Yorkshire". The album was not a remake of Nelson's 1971 debut Northern Dream , but did contain a few musical references to that 1971 debut, including new versions of "Photograph" and "Northern Dreamer". The final track listing for the album was confirmed on 5 May 2016 - the same day that Nelson announced tentative plans for a launch party (provisionally to be held on 3 September 2016). Those plans were firmed up on 10 July 2016, with a revised event date of 29 October 2016, at the by now familiar surroundings of the Clothworkers Hall at Leeds University. Over 200 attendees were rewarded with an autographed copy of the New Northern Dream CD, a live performance (Nelson's first such outing for just over 3 years), and the customary play back of the album (with track by track commentary provided by Nelson himself). The event sold out within days of going on sale. Of the initial pressing of 500 copies, the remaining 288 copies of the album went on general sale Tuesday, November 1st, selling out in less than four hours. In fact, demand so rapidly outstripped supply, that a second pressing of 100 copies was rushed to honour outstanding orders. Once these were fulfilled, the remaining 63 copies went on sale on November 15th (which also sold out within a matter of hours). Inbetween pressings, it was reported that a copy on eBay sold for a staggering £455! CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Northern Dream , All That I Remember , The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill , Tripping The Light Fantastic, Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , Kid Flip , Satellite Songs , Fancy Planets, Fantasmatron , Custom Deluxe, BILL'S THOUGHTS: " New Northern Dream is a sequel to Northern Dream , the album I recorded in 1970 and released independently in 1971. It brings a new perspective to the album's concept with totally new songs but also some direct references to material on the original album. It's a fusion of my early '70s style with my more current sounds. The album has an 8-page booklet with some photographs by Martin Bostock reproducing some of the original album's settings." _____ "I've been turning this idea over in my mind for quite some time now, wondering whether I might record an album with the title New Northern Dream . The idea would come full circle, as it were, to create a mainly acoustic vocal album that had certain connections with my first ever solo album Northern Dream , but without slavishly emulating that particular album. It would be a 'New' Northern Dream ...perhaps with a similar scenario to the original, but seen through the lens of a time-camera, bringing the sounds and songwriting sensibilities into the present, and with brand new songs written in a more contemporary style. The main connection would be concerned with acoustic foundations, (though with more avant-garde overtones), bringing electronica and some discreet orchestral textures to bear on certain songs. Subject matter might still resonate with 'Old Yorkshire' though, evoking memories of when the county had a less obvious modernist appeal...a portrait of a vanished Yorkshire perhaps." _____ "Sonically, it owes nothing to the earlier recording at all, it's much more lush and richly textured than the original album...the sound is light years away from that...technology has moved on so much since then. In terms of sound, it's very much like my other current albums rather than anything from the past. The connection with Northern Dream is difficult to explain, it's more of a spirit or feeling than anything directly tangible. But there's a little quote from 'Everyone's Hero' for 8 bars in the middle of 'Consolation Street', a humorous aside, a little nod and a wink to those who own the original album." _____ "There was obviously a certain amount of thought about how to make a connection with the original album without trying to reproduce it's sound and style (and innocence). That would be totally impossible without rendering it as a pastiche and would ultimately not be respectful to the original album. We have to accept that the album was a product of its time and of the place I inhabited back then, both physically and internally in my own head. And, naturally, I don't live there any more, how could I? Are we exactly the same as we were 46 years ago? Have we not grown and changed and matured? If we're trapped in the past, we're not living life to the fullest. We can't go back, only forward. The past is, as they say, a foreign country. Music isn't easy to manipulate in a strictly scientific way, at least not the way I do it. It can only be expressed as a result of the immediate moment, the actual moment it's created, with all the various forces that influence it at that particular point in time. It's a diary entry, an ongoing journal, a record of where we are now, which in turn becomes a record of where we were then. That's the beauty of it. It's not something we can force or demand, it emerges according to our circumstances which, naturally enough, are in a constant state of flux. In the case of this album, I had to reconcile the way I think now about music, combined with the recording equipment I possess, and my current production values, with this vague notion I had about wanting to reflect my very first solo album, made 46 years ago. Finding an inroad to this hasn't been easy. I've no real idea whether I've succeeded or not. On the surface it sounds very much like one of my more current recordings. How else could it be? But I think there are some conceptual tags that make it connect to the first Northern Dream . I don't quite know how to articulate these in this explanation...it's all kind of nebulous and vague, but it's there, nonetheless. Whilst it's very much a 'modern' Bill Nelson album, it somehow links to the very first Bill Nelson album of all those long years ago. Don't come to it with any heavy expectations, though...just let it be itself." _____ "It has an intentional '70s vibe but with a few twists. (I never play anything completely 'straight', do I?!)" _____ Bill's Listening Notes for the album: 'New Northern Dream' Listening Notes FAN THOUGHTS: Chimera Man: "It is a cracker. One of the most "immediate" albums I'd say since Joy Through Amplification . Full of great melodies, pop hooks, ebow, and a mix of styles too." "I'm enjoying the whole NND album in its entirety, but "The Lamp of Invisible Light" should be a massive hit single. Confident, fulsome, melodic. Right 'on the money'." BobK: "Quite brilliant. Catchy, lyrically moving, great tunes. Love the acoustic guitar and flute sounds. Looks back but looks forward too. As always, listen on headphones!" Merikan1: "This one should appeal to both those that like BBD as well as those that like Bill's pop/rock albums. I played it twice today. Love it." Angie: "This is an absolute gem. A nod to the past but a different album. I don't know how you keep doing it, but you've done it again. Your music has kept me company for over 40 years, through the highs and the lows of my life, enhancing every moment. Thank you x" P. Cozi: "I just can't get you out of my head. Humming, whistling "singing" both at work and home, it can't just be me can it. "Photograph" a new beginning revitalised and just as refreshing some 40 years later. The whole album is just sublime. Another masterpiece..." John Fisher: "Abandon any preconceived ideas, all who enter here... You might imagine that an album which finds Bill in a sentimental mood might be more reflective and quiet. Maybe more pastoral...Yet nothing could be further from the truth. It's funny, despite the fact that Bill has released over 100 albums stretching across four and a half decades, I don't think of him as a singer-songwriter per-se. When I think 'singer-songwriter', I think monochromatic and repetitive - boring. Whereas to me, Bill's music defies categorization. Fans are used to Bill releasing albums back to back that each explore different styles, sometimes with very little in common. But with New Northern Dream I hear a master singer-songwriter at the height of his powers. The electric and acoustic guitars intertwine in bittersweet harmony, as we are treated to one powerful, melodic ballad after another." Reg: "I really feel that this time Bill has hit the nail on the head and achieved the aims that he related when presenting the preview of the album. A great balance between looking back and looking forwards. The musical references to the original Northern Dream fit seamlessly into what I personally feel is his strongest collection of work for quite some time without overpowering it with a sense of nostalgia or whimsy. The album has a more 'rock' feel than I was anticipating and despite Bill's often proclaimed aim to avoid the tropes of mainstream rock elements in his music I actually think they work to his advantage here." andygeorge: "I've been listening to NND since the launch last week and it's just simply wonderful! Where other artists falter and stumble as they get older, Bill just continues to go from strength to strength...this is a work of art that, for me, captures the essence and innocence of Northern life from a bygone age....and I'm a Londoner! If you were expecting a Northern Dream part 2, then think again...this is an album that absolutely stands tall in its own right. Bill's guitar work is exquisite as usual and the prominance given to the acoustic guitars just add something special, a nod to ND I suppose. Buy it now! ( maybe not, sold out! ), beg, borrow or steal or download it when available, you will be blown away!... Thanks Bill!" Novemberman: "It's a lot harder than I expected. I assumed it would have been a more electro-folk album to align with the original, something like Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists . Most of the songs are more rock orientated than anything else with a couple of ambient instrumentals thrown in for good measure. A couple of nods to the original, but as Bill has stated, this is quite a different beast. Highlights for me are "Indigo Trees", a beautiful ambient style guitar piece, "New Northern Dreamer", but my favourite is "A Month Without A Moon" - superb song capturing the anthemic feel of "Another Day Another Ray Of Hope", "Boat To Forever", "God Man Slain" and the like." james warner: "While this album revisits the themes of looking back to Bill's youth, it has a more pop oriented feel than previous retrospective albums. Indeed, some of the tracks wouldn't sound out of place on mainstream radio, but still have that distinctive Bill Nelson sound." Debtworker: "Hi Bill, For me listening to your music is like preaching to the converted - but NND is really the most cohesive cd that, in my humble opinion, you have produced in many years. All the songs are stunning and original, but NND is so textured, so considered, original and beautiful that it has had me listening to it about 4 times in a row today - it is that enjoyable!!! I think this is the best series of songs that you have done for ages, no offense meant, and really show that you are at the top of your game. It is a great pleasure to own this cd and to have the joy of hearing it again and again...gush, gush...but it's all meant. Well done Bill! New Northern Dream is stunning and beautiful." neill_burgess: "It's definitely "accessible" (horrible word, but you know what I mean) and while it is coherent I'd stick my neck out and say it's one of Bill's more stylistically varied albums. Yes, Bill's hallmark multi-layered electric guitar pieces and extended codas feature frequently, but other tracks make welcome use of acoustic guitar as rhythm or lead instrument. Two tracks in particular, "Indigo Trees Hold Back the Stars" and "The Pond Yacht" bring back memories of the wonderful Rosewood albums, though now the acoustic guitar work is complemented by clean electric playing. While there are no out-and-out rockers, there are several poppy numbers such as "Consolation Street", "In a World of Strange Design" and "Miracles to Happen"; wistful ballads such as "Between the Seasons" and "Daydreaming", and a great slow blues number "The Legendary Spaceman Blues", all featuring strong electric guitar work (and sparingly effective use of e-bow). Lyrically, there's a strong element of nostalgia, though not for the flares and Afghans of the 70's that some might have hoped for (or feared!) – the references are to earlier times: steam trains and gas lights, the shops and toys and bonfire parties of Bill's childhood. The present and future are not forgotten though, with "The Trip" and "Miracles to Happen" waking us from our reverie to remind us that even now, "life is such a blast" and we can and should still be "dreaming of tomorrow"." BigManRestless: "On my first listen now and my first impression is simply wow! It just amazes me after so many albums Bill that you can still maintain such quality. I'm having to revise my all time favourite Bill top 50 again! But which ones to go on..."Consolation Street"? "The Trip"? "Time Stops Here"? "November Fires (My New Northern Dream)"? I might just have to make it a top 75..." Albums Menu Future Past

Six Strings For Sara Bill Nelson download single - 26 November 2007 Singles Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 1) Six Strings For Sara NOTES: "Six Strings for Sara" is an instrumental track that was the first exclusive musical offering to be made available through Sara's Hope Foundation , a charity for which Nelson was a patron. The Charity was set up in the memory of Sara Hoburn, who tragically lost her battle with colon cancer in 2001 at the age of 16. Inspired by Sara's strength, warmth and positivity, her family and close friends raised the funds to build and run a holiday retreat in the sun for children facing similar battles and emotions. After meeting Sara's dad at a fan convention, and hearing how brave Sara battled the disease, the guitarist was so moved that he decided to compose and record the instrumental. All proceeds from the download have been kindly donated by Bill to the foundation. Fans could download the song in return for a modest donation to the charity. The track was re-released on a special ' Bill Nelson (Charity Single)' Bandcamp p age on 30 October 2023. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available to purchase from the Bill Nelson (Charity Singles) Bandcamp page. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "You'll never be able to hear this piece of music anywhere else, and it's a corker... And don't forget, by choosing to listen to it, you'll be bringing a little sunshine into the lives of people who will really appreciate, and benefit by your generous support. So, show your good, kind hearts, citizens of Dreamsville and go for it!" Singles Menu Future Past

What, Me Worry? album - 1982 Yukihiro Takahashi Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar and E-Bow Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Touch and Glow (reissue) Bill Nelson single - August 1983 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Touch And Glow B1) Dancing In The Wind B2) Love Without Fear ORIGINALLY: All three songs were non-album tracks. NOTES: Touch and Glow is a 3 track single comprised of vocal pieces. Initially issued in November of 1982 as the only previously unreleased material in the Permanent Flame box set of 7" singles, the single was later reissued separately (August 1983), after the Mercury deal had lapsed. PAST RELEASES: A) and B2) were included on The Two Fold Aspect of Everything comp (out of print) B1) was included on The Strangest Things comp (out of print) CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Track B1 is available on the retrospective compilation album Transcorder (The Acquitted By Mirrors Recordings) . Singles Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) March 2011 Jan Feb Apr Dec Tuesday 8th March 2011 -- 9:00 pm I really should be dealing with the upcoming television show preparations, but have found myself pottering about on the 'Dreamsville' website every day, answering questions and responding to fan's postings. It's as if I'm trying to deny that the 'Legends' television appearance is actually going to happen, even though full band rehearsals kick in on the 19th of this month. Trying to pretend that the programme doesn't exist is one thing, but denying the presence of stress in my life as a result of it is impossible. I've not had a full night's sleep since this thing appeared on my horizon. I wake up at crazy hours with endless details of this or that or the other buzzing around in my head like a vicious swarm of synaptic bees. Lack of confidence, I suppose, and a general uneasiness about appearing like some flickering digital ghost in the electronic picture frames of our nation's living rooms...Or maybe I'm simply frightened of looking like an ancient fish in a haunted fishtank. I wonder, will I regret doing this? As I've said before, my gut instincts are screaming 'run, run, run, run away...!' But common sense and commercial expediency says, 'do it and damn the torpedoes... 'I've been trying to choose some solo pieces to add to the 14 band songs that we are planning to perform. I've decided to include a couple of melodic familiars frommy solo concerts: 'For Stuart,' and 'A Dream For Ian.' Both pieces were written as deeply felt tributes to people who are sadly no longer with us: the first to an old friend, the second to my dearly missed brother Ian. Perhaps these tunes will reach out and touch those who are unfamiliar with my more recent work, (provided nerves and failing memory don't make me screw them up). I also want to include something a wee bit more left of centre in the show, something that dances a little closer to my current sensibilities...At the moment this look like being 'Golden Dream Of Circus Horses' and 'Above These Clouds The Sweetest Dream.' Neither piece could be considered radical or avant-garde, I admit...but they're probably more than enough enough of a challenge for anyone unaware of my musical development since the 1970s. Recurring themes throughout my creative life: Dreams, reveries, memories, meditations, musings, coupled with desperate attempts to get to grips with it all, to try to figure out what it all might mean, if indeed it means anything at all. Always the age-old tension between an egotistical desire to mean something...and our deeply repressed awareness that, ultimately even the most profound artistic commentary amounts to absolutely nothing. Had to search through some old photo' albums today to find images of a particular guitar I once owned. Looking through these albums I was shocked to discover how badly deteriorated many of the photographs have become...colours changed, contrasts lost. Washed out memories, once taken for granted, now precious and fragile, fading fast. I realised that I need to spend time scanning them into my computer and adjusting the quality as much as possible if these old images are not to be lost forever. There are polaroids taken on US tours in the '70s, very early black n' white shots of Be Bop Deluxe, family archive photographs...etc, etc. All suffering from the accelerating effects of entropy. So...I made a decision to try and scan and restore some of them each day. And not just do this but also publish them here in Dreamsville. As the only means of personal access I have to the site is this diary and the Forum, I've decided to do a sort of 'archive photographs' version of the diary. It won't have much to say about what is going on here and now but will comment a a series of photographs that I'll upload. The text will be brief but the images will hopefully speak volumes. I'll flag these types of diary entry up on the forum in a way that will distinguish them from my more usual 'journal' type entries. This particular entry will introduce the first six images from my archives. It may be that I've posted some of these images on the site previously. If so, my apologies...but stay tuned over the next few weeks for some regular updates on these visual archives. Here are the first six photographs: 1: Bill Nelson in the grounds of The Century Plaza hotel, Los Angeles, USA, 15th April 1976. 2: Bill and Be Bop Deluxe standing beneath a Be Bop Deluxe 'Sunburst Finish' advertising billboard on Sunset Boulevard, Los angeles, USA, April 1976. 3: Bill Nelson standing by a vintage American Car, New York, USA, 1970s. 4: Bill Nelson at the Mayflower Hotel, Washington DC, USA, 26th March 1976. 5: Bill Nelson rehearsing at S.I.R. sound studios, in Los Angeles, USA, 1970's. 6: View of Beverly Wiltshire Theatre frontage with billboard announcing Bill Nelson solo concert, Los Angeles, USA, early '80's. Top of page Wednesday 9th March 2011 -- 3:00 pm Another in a new series of diary entries specifically intended as a way of sharing a few of my personal archive photographs with fans on the Dreamsville website. Nothing new to report progress-wise so I'll get straight to the six images that I've attached here. These are all from 1977, (35 years ago!) 1: This is a photograph of Villa St. George, in Juan-Les-Pins in the South Of France. It was where Be Bop Deluxe began recording the songs that eventually made up the band's 'Drastic Plastic' album. Sadly, this lovely villa was demolished more than several years ago. The last time I visited Juan-Les-Pins, all that remained was a huge quarry-like crater in the garden where it had stood, although the gates and perimeter fence were still intact. Recording in this location was an unforgettable experience, one of the most treasured memories of my life. We were a particularly happy group of people, all working together to make the album, but in a romantic, relaxed and idyllic atmosphere. In this photograph of the villa you can see the white Range Rover which was used by the band for travelling to concerts in the UK. It was taken to the South Of France to serve as general band transport, although I travelled there in my black Daimler. On the left of the photograph you can glimpse the Rolling Stones mobile recording truck which we used on these sessions. The band played in the lower room (with the white shutters). Microphone cables were run from the truck, (which contained the 24 track recorder and a mixing desk), into the villa to capture the performances. The balcony with the red sunshade was part of my bedroom. The views down to the sea were wonderful and I recorded my vocal for 'Islands Of The Dead' on that very balcony, a microphone set up so that I could gaze out to sea as I sang. 2: This photo' shows me standing on that same balcony although the angle doesn't reveal the full view. 3: This photograph shows me sitting at the grand piano inside Villa St. George. It was a lovely old French piano, a 'Gaveau' I believe, ('though I may have got the spelling wrong). This was the room where the majority of the recording was done, although I think this photograph was taken just before we left the villa to return to England as the band's equipment is no longer set up in the room. The villa was filled with lovely old French furniture and had some nice vintage light fittings. Most evenings we ate in the villa's dining room, our meals being cooked by wives and girlfriends who were with us. I forget exactly how many people made up our team but we had John Leckie and Haydn Bendall and their wives and children, our crew and road manager, sometimes our business manager and his girlfriend...mealtimes were a communal affair.After dinner we might do a little more recording but usually we'd amble down the road into the centre of Juan-Les-Pins and take a couple of tables at one of the open fronted bars, (usually 'Le Pam-Pam'), and indulge ourselves with colourful cocktails and ice cream extravaganzas whilst watching the beautiful local girls and boys parade around the block in their open-topped Ferraris and Porches. 4: Just to show that I was once a lithe young thing before the years took their terrible toll, here is a photograph of me sitting on the rocks on the edge of one of Juan-Les-Pins beaches. I had to spend rather more time at the villa recording than the other guys in the band so didn't get as much time as them for sunning and relaxing. However, once in a while, I'd take a few hours out of the day to work on my tan! 5: And here's another photograph of me at Juan-Les-Pins enjoying the salt-water sparkles and the glorious Cote D'Azur sunshine. Again, taken 35 years ago. 6: This photo' shows mestanding outside the gates of the Villa Santo-Sospir on the little peninsula of St Jean Cap Ferrat. Cocteau lived at Santo Sospir for quite a time and decorated the interior with his artwork. I actually own an original Cocteau letter which is written on Santo Sospir headed notepaper. Like these old photographs, the ink is fading on the letter now but I bought it over 35 years ago and it hangs on my dining room wall today. It took me a little while to find Villa Santo Sospir back in 1977. I didn't have a full address, though I knew from books that it was somewhere in St. Jean Cap-Ferrat. I also had seen a photograph taken in the villa's back garden and noticed that Cap Ferrat's lighthouse was visible in the background. When I decided to try and find the villa, I located the area where the lighthouse stands and drove up and down various streets until I finally discovered Villa Santo Sopir on Rue De Phare. Like some sort of crazy groupie, I sneaked into the villas front garden and pulled up a small flowering plant which I eventually took home to England where I planted it in my own garden at Haddlesey House. I've no idea if it still grows there as Haddlesey House's gardens have sadly been turned into a housing estate by a local building company. But for a while, a little piece of Cocteau's Santo Sospir grew in the Yorkshire sunshine of my garden. Well, that's all for today...not really a diary entry, more of a reminiscence, but hopefully an entertaining one. I'll perhaps continue this theme tomorrow. Stay tuned! Top of page Thursday 10th March 2011 -- 1:00 pm Emi has caught a nasty cold and is in bed feeling poorly. We suffered a sleepless night due to a combination of Emi's restless coughing and the wild weather. Strong gusts of wind and rain rattled the windows and stormed the rooftops all night long. Feeling tired and without energy today. I now have to avoid catching whatever virus Emi has come down with. Not easy when we live in such close proximity to each other. The last thing I need at this point in time is to fall ill. Rehearsals for the tv show start soon and then the show itself. Strange how this has happened now...the same situation cropped up just before last year's Nelsonica when I was desperately trying to stay clear of a bug that Emi had caught at that time. I managed to avoid it but succumbed to a different flu virus right after Nelsonica was concluded. Today's diary entry once again serves as a means of publishing more photographs from my personal archives. This selection continues with yesterday's theme of Be Bop Deluxe in the South Of France. All these photographs are from 35 years ago. Photograph number 1: Here is a snap of John Leckie and myself in Juan-Les-Pins, strolling from the town's central square and heading towards Villa St. George to get back to work on the 'Drastic Plastic' album. I think we'd been for an early morning coffee and croissant. 2: A portrait of myself taken in the bedroom I had at Villa St. George. The guitar pendant I'm wearing around my neck was a gift from EMI Records. They had it specially made for me. I think it may be made, (legally I hope), from old ivory. It has solid silver fittings and I still own it today. That blue, flecked shirt is rather nice too. I remember buying it in the Kings Road in London, before Kings Road became just another corporate chain store high street. I don't have the shirt anymore but, even if I did, I wouldn't be able to squeeze into it! 3: On the final day of recording at Villa St. George, we had a sort of 'wrap' party. Lots of good food and wine and a fun jam session, part of which featured Charlie Tumahai playing my acoustic guitar, Simon Fox playing the harmonica and myself playing percussion, (which I'm doing in this photograph). The guy in the pale grey shirt on the left of this photo' was, (if I recall correctly), called Mathieu. We'd befriended him at one of the bars in Juan-Les-Pins. He turned out to be a purveyor of the odd 'jazz woodbine.' ;-) 4: Another shot of the same jam session at Villa St. George. I think that is Andy Clarke behind me holding the drumsticks. 5: Whilst we were working in Juan-Les-Pins, the Queen's Jubilee day occurred. None of us were staunch royalists or anything but we used the Jubilee celebrations as an excuse to stage an open air party in the grounds of Villa St George. We decked the place out with red, white and blue bunting and balloons and laid on a very nice feast for everyone, even inviting in locals we'd met at various locations in town. One of the people who turned up to our party was Bill Wyman, at that time still in the Rolling Stones and living nearby, close to the walled hilltop town of St. Paul Du Vence. This is a snap of him having a drink and a snack in Villa St. George's garden. The Jubilee party features in my 'Be Bop Deluxe In The South Of France' video on the 'Picture House' DVD. In the video, Mr. Wyman can be glimpsed popping in to the Stones truck to have a listen to what we'd been up to. 6: A snap of me with my Canon home cine camera, the one I used to capture the footage that I would eventually edit to make the 'Be Bop Deluxe In The South Of France' video. This photo' was taken during those sessions at Villa St. George in 1977. Well, that's all for today. If I find time, I'll scan some more archive photo's and post them here tomorrow. Top of page Friday 11th March 2011 -- 3:00 pm Woke up this morning to the shocking news of a huge earthquake off the coast of Japan. The 'quake is the largest in Japan's recorded history and has caused a huge Tsunami that has swept inland carrying all before it. The scenes on television were unreal, like something from a Hollywood disaster movie. Predictions are that the effects of the earthquake will result in Tsunamis throughout the Pacific region over the next 24 hours, reaching as far as New Zealand and South America. Tokyo has suffered some damage as a result of the earthquake itself but the coastal towns to the north east of the capital have suffered most. Here both earth and water have conspired to cause devastation. Emiko's brothers are in Tokyo and it seems that they will be ok. However, Emi has a Japanese friend called Akko who lives in the next village to us here in Yorkshire. (Like Emi, she married an Englishman.) Akko is originally from Sendai, the Japanese town nearest to the centre of the earthquake, and Akko's mother still lives there. She must be very worried about her. Emi's 'cold' has turned out to be 'flu. She felt much worse yesterday evening and developed a high temperature. Today, her cough is quite severe and she feels terrible. She has remained in bed and I'm doing my best to look after her whilst trying not to pick up the virus that has laid her low. I dread to think of the consequences if I should catch it. The entire tv show could go belly up. I did have a sore throat and a headache this morning and have taken all the precautions possible, multi-vitamins, echinacea, several glasses of fruit juice, etc, etc. Fingers crossed that it doesn't get me. I'm continuing with my archive photo' presentations in the diary today. Here are six more from my personal snapshot albums: 1: This is a polaroid photograph of Eddie Condon's jazz club in New York, taken in 1976. That's me in the long coat with the fur collar, standing in the club's doorway, beneath the striped awning. I was first introduced to this club by a guy called Bob Bonis who worked for an American agency who handled Be Bop Deluxe's concerts in the 'States. Bob was a lovely man and became a good friend to the band and myself in particular. He had been the Beatles AND the Rolling Sones tour manager when they first toured America. Bob was a big jazz music fan and knew many famous jazz musicians personally. I remember him trying to get me to go and sit in with the great Joe Pass, (who was also one of Bob's friends), one evening, just to have a jam. I might have had more confidence in my playing back then then than now but, even so, I was wise enough to know that I'd be completely out of my depth and so politely declined the offer. What I really should have done was just go to see Joe play and let Bob introduce me so that I could shake Joe's hand and tell him how much his music meant to me. But Bob took me to Eddie Condon's club, and to Jimmy Ryan's club which was right next door. I'd known about Eddie Condon since my early teens when I'd read Condon's 1948 autobiography, 'We Called It Music.' Eddie Condon played tenor guitar with various bands before running his own band. He worked throught the 1920's, '30's and '40's with many famous jazz musicians including Louis Armstrong. He established his 'Eddie Condon's Jazz Club' in 1945. Eddie died in 1973 but his guitar was still hanging behind the bar when Bob Bonis first introduced me to the place. Eddie Condon's and Jimmy Ryan's became favourite places for me to visit whenever I was in New York. The atmosphere was mellow and sophisticated and the live music sublime, even when played by musicians who were not so well known. I have fond memories of spending a relaxing evening or two there whilst enjoying the food and music so was shocked when, several years ago now, I was in New York and went to visit these two clubs only to find that they had been pulled down. All that was visible where they once stood was a car parking lot. Such a shame. As a footnote to the above story, I came across an article in the March issue of Mojo Magazine regarding a recently published book of photographs Bob had taken of the Rolling Stones. This book, ('The Lost Rolling Stones Photographs: The Bob Bonis Archive 1964-'66') collects together Bob's personal photographs of the Stones, taken whilst acting as their US tour manager. It wasn't until I read the piece that I realised that Bob had actually passed away. I then searched the internet and discovered thatBob died in 1991...10 years ago now. I had no idea. I've never forgotten him though, or his kindness to me and that wonderfully chilled-out evening at Eddie Condon's in New York. 2: This is a photograph of me on the top of the Empire State Building in New York, in the 1970s. It was taken through an observation gallery window so suffers from some reflections which I've attempted to remove without much success. But I like the mood of the shot and that it was taken as the sun was going down. I look a little bit like Rufus Wainwright in this, don't you think? 3: This is a photograph of Be Bop Deluxe's keyboard player Andy Clarke, taken whilst touring America with the band. He's wondering if his weird little herbal roll up might turn him into a munchkin. ;-) 4: Here's a snap of myself looking thoughtful in Abbey Road studios during a Be Bop Deluxe mixing session. I'm thinking, "Hmmm...maybe that vocal is too loud..." 5: Here's John Leckie in the control room at Abbey Road, probably during the above mentioned mixing session. He's probably thinking: "Hmmm...that vocal needs to be louder..." 6: This is a photograph of some of Be Bop Deluxe's equipment in Abbey Road studios. (Studio 3, I think.) A lot of it is still in flight cases and not set up yet but you can see, in the centre of the room, the gong that Simon Fox used on a couple of Be Bop tracks and, if you look carefully towards the rear of the room, sitting against the far wall, between the red door and the control room window, you can glimpse my twin Carlsbro amp set up. A noisy beast and that's for sure. Well, that's all for today. Since beginning to write this entry, my sore throat seems to have become more noticeable. I'd better go and take some more 'First Defence.' Top of page Saturday 12th March 2011 -- 3:00 pm Another restless night due to Emiko's flu which troubled her with a constant cough throughout. She's feeling exhausted and washed out with it all. Her condition hasn't been helped by the news from her home country, which she is finding very upsetting. Once again, all the tv news programmes today are filled with terribly distressing footage from Japan. First the earthquake, then the Tsunami and now a nuclear emergency at an atomic power station. There has also been new footage shown of the Tsunami destruction which swept away property and lives yesterday. It's hard to take it all in, almost incomprehensible. Many other countries have offered help, including England and America. How long it will take to clean everything up and put it all back together is impossible to estimate. A huge task. Emi has made contact with her brothers who seem to be ok. Her youngest brother, (who is a singer), was about to start a session in a Tokyo recording studio when the quake struck. He said it was the worst he'd ever experienced and very scary. He eventually managed to get back home to his apartment where, miraculously, everything was intact. Not so for Emi's older brother. He was at home when the quake hit and his apartment shook so violently that all his shelves and cupboards were emptied of their contents and crockery, glassware, family mementoes and decorative objects were smashed on the floor. Luckily he escaped unscathed but his apartment is a mess. A friend of Emi's had just parked her car in the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo when the first, slightly less powerful 'quake struck. Even then, she had to cling to a tree to stop being thrown off her feet. Then the tree started to sway loose...She ran back to her car and the shaking subsided. Then, as she desperately tried to drive back to her apartment block, the main earthquake began. This was the 8.9 one which was long and violent. Emi's friend watched from her car as a huge crane mounted on the top of a tall building toppled over and fell to the ground. She said it was as if she was in a disaster movie. Another friend of Emi's spent the night in her office as there were no trains running to get her home. Many commuters simply walked along the empty train tracks to get back to their apartments. From what we can gather from Emi's brothers, people in Tokyo are now worried about radiation leakage from the crippled nuclear power plant. Whilst the source of the problem is some distance from Tokyo, there are concerns that weather conditions might bring the radiation or dust clouds in the direction of the city. Publishing more photographs from my personal archives seems churlish in view of the above...but I promised more snapshots and the time I've spent preparing them has helped to keep my mind of other things, including my worries about catching Emiko's 'flu virus. So here they are. Today's selection goes way back, much further than the 35 years of the Be Bop Deluxe ones I've previously posted. Todays selection dates back to the 1950's. Photograph number 1: This is a photograph of myself, when I was very young indeed. It was taken outside the caravan where my parents took a holiday at Chapel St. Leonards, near Skegness. (1949 or 1950?) I seem to be sporting a 'pudding-basin' haircut. This is the only photograph from that particular holiday that didn't make it into volume one of my 'Painted From Memory' autobiography. Those fans who have the book will find today's selection of snaps adds further detail to the story and an extension of the photographs contained in the book itself. 2: This is my mother and myself standing on the cliff tops at Reighton Gap on the East Coast with the sea behind us. We used to stay at at a wooden bungalow owned by friends of my parents and this particular spot was just a few yards from there. A couple of years or so ago, I took my mother back to that same spot and Emiko took a photograph of us which I published in my online diary at that time. But here's the inspiration for it. In the book, there is a photo' of my father and I in the same spot, taken on the same day. As I child, I loved visiting Reighton Gap and staying at the bungalow. Where the old bungalow once stood is now a 'static' caravan site but the surrounding landscape has hardly changed. It's a lovely spot and always brings back fond memories whenever I find time to go back and spend a few minutes reminiscing. 3: This is a photograph of my mother, my brother Ian and myself, sitting in the garden of the Reighton Gap bungalow. You can just glimpse the sea and its horizon beyond the bushes to the right of the shot. 4: In this photo, I'm kneeling with my brother Ian in front of the family's Hillman Minx, which is parked at the rear of the Reighton Gap bungalow. This was the second car we'd ever owned. The first was an old 1930's Jowett, (either a Jowett Kestrel or Jowett 10 model). The Hillman seemed quite modern by comparison. It's number plate registration was 'MUM 333.' 5: This photograph shows my mother, Ian and myself on the ferry that took us to France for a day trip outing when we were holidaying at Dymchurch on the South Coast. It was the first, (and only), time that the family had ventured out of the UK. We were back in England by late evening, our day trip taking in a World War 2 cemetery where many British soldiers were buried. I'm still in short trousers and have a little Kodak camera in a canvas camera case, hanging around my neck. 6: I'm not sure where this photograph was taken...a beach in Yorkshire I would think. Bridlington? Withernsea? Scarborough? Or was it in Blackpool on the other coast? Anyway, it shows myself, (on the left of the photo), and my brother Ian making a sandcastle. (I'm looking rather smart in my little blazer and Brylcreemed hair.) Behind us is my mother and next to her, on the extreme right of the photo' my grandmother Ethel Griffiths. Ian's hair was wonderfully curly back then. My mother recently told me that he hated his curly hair when he was little. Apparently he used to say, "I want it straight like my big brother's..." But everyone used to say, "Hasn't he got lovely curly hair?" Well, that's all for today. I'll see how things are tomorrow before scanning more. Maybe some very early, first line-up Be Bop Deluxe ones next. Top of page Wednesday 23rd March 2011 -- 10:00 pm Back home from the final day of band rehearsals for the 'Legends' tv show. It's been an eventful five days. The first day, (last Saturday), was cursed with car breakdowns: Before I left home to drive to the rehearsal studio in Leeds on Saturday morning, I got a call from Adrian at Opium Arts to say that our drummer for the tv show, Gavin Griffiths, had suffered a broken car exhaust on his journey from South Wales to Yorkshire and would be late. As it was the first day of rehearsals and the technical equipment required setting up and checking through, it seemed that this might not be a particularly serious set-back. The extra time for equipment wrangling could prove useful. Emiko was busy that morning putting on a traditional Japanese Kimono with all the trimmings in preparation for a fund raising event to help children suffering from the effects of the tragic Japanese earthquake and Tsunami. The event had been quickly put together by our local Japanese Family Association and Emi had volunteered to make traditional Japanese Tea for visitors. The event featured a Koto concert, Japanese martial arts and a 1,000 Crane Origami challenge amongst several other attractions. Earlier on Saturday morning, intrepid guitar Tech Andy Newlove arrived at Nelson Acres with a Transit van to pick up my guitars, processors, pedal boards, cable boxes, etc, etc, before setting off for the rehearsal studio. After Andy had left, I then loaded a few extra bits and bobs into my car, jumped into the driver's seat and turned the key in the ignition...only to be greeted by a stony, electrically cold silence. Nothing, zero, zilch. Not a 'vroom-vroom' to be heard. I rushed back into the house and told Emiko that I would have to borrow her car to get to rehearsals. Of course, she was just about to leave for the aforementioned charity event, so I drove her across town to the venue before doubling back on myself and heading out of the city in the direction of Leeds. At the rehearsal room, the band, minus Gavin, (and Theo, who would only be available to rehearse with us on the coming Tuesday,) were still setting up their gear. Andy was busy with my guitars and associated equipment, sorting through a maze of cables and pedals. Meanwhile, poor Gavin was suffering further setbacks in Monmouth where his car had been taken in an attempt to facilitate exhaust repairs. At the garage, an over-enthusiastic mechanic drove Gavin's car at a recklessly hasty lick onto the hydraulic ramp that would lift the car up so that its exhaust might be repaired. As a result, the car hit the ramp at such a speed that it ripped off what was left of the exhaust and severed the air-line that powered the up and down motion of the ramp. It seems the car was lifted up high on the ramp without too much of a problem, (other than further damage to the exhaust), but then, due to the severed air-line hose, the ramp wouldn't descend. To cut a long story short, Gavin eventually, (once they'd managed to get his car back on the ground), had to drive the long distance from Monmouth to Leeds with his exhaust tied up with string. He finally made it to the Leeds rehearsal room around 4pm. We were all acutely aware of how stressed out Gavin must have felt, particularly as this was his first day with the band, none of whom he had ever met or played with before. But he rose to the challenge with great style and, once his kit was set up and we got under way, it was as if he'd been playing with us for some considerable time. My own car problem continued: I decided that I'd have to attempt to get my own car started for the next day so I bought an expensive power pack from 'Halfords,' a piece of kit apparently capable of starting any car whose battery was failing. Unfortunately, when I got this 'jump-start' gizmo home, it turned out that it wasn't going to be an immediate solution to my problem...the power pack required a 36 hour charging-up period before it could be used. Once again, I had to borrow Emiko's car to get to Leeds. On my way home from rehearsals that day, Emi's car also developed a worrying problem: a high pitched, metallic screeching, grinding noise. It continued all the way home, a relentless, nerve shredding racket, extremely disconcerting. I did manage to get the car back safely but I couldn't risk using it again to get to and from rehearsals. Since then, every morning, I've used the jump-start machine to get my engine going, both here at home and at the rehearsal room in Leeds. A nuisance but it's got me there and back. Tomorrow, I need to source a new battery, or find out if the alternator is at fault. BUT, alongside these mechanical problems, health has become an issue. Emiko has been suffering from a nasty flu' virus and I've been desperately trying not to catch it. Miraculously, with the aid of various herbal potions, anti-bacterial sprays, vitamins and so on, I've managed to steer clear of it, despite it keeping Emi bed-ridden for a few days and leaving her with a terrible cough for a week and a half. You can imagine the paranoia I felt with the tv show rehearsals looming, (not to mention the show itself). Anyway, I thought I was going to be ok. Then, a couple of days into rehearsal it became apparent that Steve Cook, (keyboards), was not as chipper as usual. He looked poorly and it turned out that he'd caught some nasty bug or other and wasn't feeling at all well. Lo and behold, damn and blast, if I didn't wake up a day or two later with a sore throat, runny nose, feeling clammy and weak, and little physical energy. So, I'm now trying to fight this thing, doing not too bad during the day when my mind is occupied with rehearsal details, but going downhill later, (in the evening), and waking up feeling like I might not be able to utter anything beyond a hoarse whisper. I've had to adapt some vocal melody lines to accommodate my virus stricken voice, singing lower or part-speaking some lines, but I've managed better than expected. How things will develop is hard to say...I might get worse, I might get better. Impossible to know for sure. All I can report here is that I'm not feeling great at the moment and that my energy levels are down, and a cough now seems to be developing. Nevertheless, being part of the post-war generation, raised on the golden age of Hollywood musicals, I'm trying to follow the tradition of 'The Show Must Go On.' Even though, at 9-15 pm on Wednesday 23rd of March, I'm feeling utterly crap. But rehearsals are concluded. The guys in the band have been brilliant, I couldn't wish for a more dedicated group of musicians. As always, there are still a few rough edges, (mostly mine), that could easily be smoothed out by a series of regular live performances, (a luxury we don't have, I'm afraid). So, what will be will have to be. I just hope that we will have a sympathetic audience and suitable technical resources to make the best of our modest performance this coming Saturday. And, despite all else, I pray I'll find a source energy (and less of a cold and cough), to deliver something approaching the dream of excellence that I always seem to wake up from with a sense of disappointment these days. But maybe I demand too much of these situations... It's now all down to Saturday...and the two days prior to that. Scary stuff... Top of page

Live Archive Pl ectronica A celebration of Bill Nelson at 70 - Saturday 1st December 2018 - To celebrate his 70th birthday, Bill put together his 'Plectronica' live show. The event was held at one of Bill's favourite Yorkshire venues, the Clothworker's Centenary Hall at the University of Leeds. Unbelievably, tickets to this show sold out in just 5 hours. Catching the organisers and fans completely by surprise, unfortunately it meant that a great many fans were left disappointed as they were unable to secure tickets due to strict 'Fire Regulation' maximum numbers. To enable more fans to enjoy the show, Bill decided to offer a live streaming service of the event, this was new territory for both Bill and the organising team, but it seemed to work extremely well. The show consisted of a live solo set by Bill, who was joined on stage for three numbers by his 'Orchestra Futura' band, featuring Theo Travis (Flutes & Saxes) and Dave Sturt (Bass), plus Bill's special 'Mystery Guest', none other than Harold Budd, who had flown over from America for the event. Set List:- 1: 'Gloria Mundae' 2: 'I Always Knew You Would Find Me' 3: 'Forevertron' 4: 'The Eye Of Heaven Shines' 5: 'Beyond Yonder' 6: 'Luxeodeon' 7: 'Blue Amorini' 8: 'Golden Dream Of Circus Horses' (With Theo Travis) 9: 'The Institute Of Enchantment' (Department One) (With Orchestra Futura & Harold Budd) 10: 'The Institute Of Enchantment' (Department Two) (With Orchestra Futura & Harold Budd) 11: 'The Antiquarian Futurist' (With Orchestra Futura & Harold Budd) 12: 'A Dream For Ian' 13: 'Beatniks From Outer Space' 14: 'Beyond These Clouds, The Sweetest Dream' 15: Encore Bill Nelson was a patron of the charity Sara's Hope Foundation. For this event, Eastwood donated one of their guitars, which Bill decorated. The guitar was raffled off, raising a great amount for the charity and it meant that a very lucky ticket-buyer took this fantastic guitar home with them. After the live set, Bill took a short break and then returned to the stage for an interview conducted by event organiser Ian Haydock, covering Bill's recording career. Ian included reading out tributes from Bill's musician pals including Harold Budd, John Foxx, Laraaji, Kate St John... Read all the tributes here. Bill was also given a nice surprise...the news that for his 70th birthday present, his fans had clubbed together to buy him a limited edition guitar, a Backlund 'Super-100', which was due for production and would arrive in January 2019. A cardboard cut-out of the guitar was presented to Bill at the end of the interview. PICTURE GALLERY If you have any pictures of the event that you would like to share - please get in touch! MARTIN BOSTOCK PICTURES FAN PICTURES BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The audience were, quite simply, wonderful. From the moment I walked on, right through to 'goodnight,' they were extremely warm and very enthusiastic. I couldn't have wished for a kinder crowd and their appreciation went some way to calming my usual nervousness." "This year was extra special as I was joined by 'Orchestra Futura' for three improvised pieces. And to put the icing on the cake, the trio of Theo Travis, Dave Sturt and myself were joined by very special guest Harold Budd on piano. Harold is one of my oldest and dearest friends and it was a joy to be on stage with him again, (the last time being his 'farewell' concert in Brighton, quite a few years ago.) Harold had flown over from his home in California to attend the concert, initially just to see my performance but generously agreed to sit in with us without any rehearsal." "Another huge surprise came when it was revealed that a number of fans had got together to fund the purchase of a very special 'Super-100' guitar for me...it seems some very generous fans have solved the problem by purchasing one for me. It will be delivered sometime in January, (once built,) and I'm very much looking forward to playing it. I may even have to set up another performance next year to show the instrument off..." FAN THOUGHTS: The Mad Scouser: Let's get the easy bit out of the way first--Bill was bloody brilliant. I know you're always hypercritical of your own performances Mr N, but from where I sat you were faultless. Too much good stuff to pick out individual tracks, but your collaborations with Dave Sturt and Theo Travis always leave me jaw agape in astonishment at the sheer musicality you manage to produce in each other. There is surely no greater pleasure in life than watching three ridiculously talented musicians combine so well....unless you are one of those three musicians, of course? andygeorge: After missing last years shindig, I was really looking forward to this one and boy, it exceeded my expectations. Bill's health issues didn't seem to hamper his ability to put on a terrific performance, attacking each number with gusto and leaving us all mesmerised with his unique style and class as he showcased his guitars with each number. The Q and A section was expertly handled by Ian Haydock, who is brilliant at these Nelsonica events, along with the rest of the team and Bill comprehensively covered a lot of his history...a lot we all knew, but some new revelations that I haven't heard before... As someone has said already, it was a great moment when Bill's lovely mum came out and received a very loud round of applause! Bill's reaction was priceless when he was handed a cardboard cut out of the Buckland Super..."Am I really going to get a real one?" he asked, genuinely surprised! Chimera Man: Another fabulous event and a big thanks to everyone involved in setting it up and helping Bill make it a success. I was genuinely shocked that Harold Budd was the special guest and I am even more convinced that "Orchestra Futura" should create and release an album. I was really gripped by the Q&A - I thought Ian did a superb job of posing the questions and did well to focus on some key landmarks within Bill's career. The story about Bill's Dad buying him his first "proper" guitar plus the move from focusing on guitars to synths and back again and the GTHGA recordings were of particular interest. Most touching were the comments read out from fellow artists. Great to hear the heartfelt comments from all, especially those from Iain Denby, John Foxx and Cabaret Voltaire. Tremendous to see old friends again and so many who had travelled from across the pond. The amount of American (and possibly Canadian) accents I heard in the crowd was very impressive. Chris N: A truly splendid evening in a great setting. Bill played with passion and verve throughout. What more could you want? Except for about 3 more hours! EERO: I am so thrilled that I was finally able to make one of these events after years of pining away looking at photos of all the fun and scrambling to order the special cds before they were sold out. Bill was spectacular, it has been nearly 40 years since I last heard him in New York, but as Gloria Mundae began, and the soaring notes of the ebow engulfed us in their luxurious velvety swoon, I teared up. It was profoundly emotional. Thanks to so many for making me feel welcome. I hope there will be more events in the future and that I may have the opportunity to tell the great man to his face how much his music and his conviction have meant to me through the years. Peter: I'd like to add my thanks to all. It was a wonderful day and evening. The performance was sublime, as always. Like Eric and others, I was tearing up at times. So special. And there are almost no words to express how amazing it is to be in the company of so many incredible, friendly, kind, generous and fun people. From Bill and Emiko, to Dave and Theo, to Ian and the entire team, to every single fan who was there...everyone was fantastic. I hated for the day to end.

The Way Out Is The Way In album - 1995 Audio Active and Laraaji Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on one track: "Music & Cosmic (Feel Yourself)" Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Twelve - Published July 1985 Back to Top

Neptune's Galaxy Bill Nelson album - 11 July 2006 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) My Ship Reclines On Clouds Of Sail 02) She Signals From Across The Bay 03) All Alone In A Boat Of His Own 04) Coastal Starlight 05) Ship In A Bottle Blues (The Modern Mariner) ALBUM NOTES: Neptune's Galaxy is an instrumental album issued on the Sonoluxe label in a single print run of 500 copies. The album was created as a companion album to The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill . All five tracks are lengthy pieces that feature electric piano and guitar set to a background of suitably sourced sound effects. The album sold out in October 2006 - less than 4 months after being released. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill , Gleaming Without Lights , Quiet Bells , And We Fell Into A Dream , Mazda Kaleidoscope , Dreamland to Starboard , Crimsworth , Rosewood One , Rosewood Two BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Neptune is a great album to listen to whilst picnicking on the cliff tops on a warm summer day, the lighthouse to your left, the harbour below, white sails of little yachts bobbing out at sea, seagulls soaring in a blue sky overhead, and your best girlie by your side. I'm hoping to release Neptune towards the end of June, whilst the summer still sings." _____ "I am VERY satisfied with Neptune's Galaxy , but in a different way to the Sailor Bill album. Neptune's Galaxy is much more low key and ambient. It's not trying to be a bold new statement, but is an exploration of an area of music I've visited before, (Ie: Dreamland , Crimsworth , Rosewood ), but it stretches and extends those moods via an oceanic soundscape. Parts of it reference the kind of work I've done with my pal Harold Budd too, in fact some of it is directly inspired by the concert I took part in with Harold about a year ago in Brighton. "You might say that Neptune's Galaxy is more abstract, contemplative, an 'art' piece, an impressionist painting, if you like, whilst Sailor Bill is cinematic, linear, figurative, biographical. They compliment each other by being connected to the coastal theme whilst being rather different in execution. "I guess the most similar piece in terms of atmosphere on Sailor Bill would be the final track, "My Ship is Lost to Semaphore". This track serves as a bridge or portal to the alternative world of Neptune's Galaxy . For now, enjoy Neptune's Galaxy whilst the sun shines and the waves lap the shore." _____ "As the tracks on the actual album are very long, it's impossible to give more than a wee taste of the album's mood via a short sample. The tracks develop at a very relaxed pace, they don't rush through their changes, but they do unfold and develop quite dramatically as you listen to them. It is an easy album to absorb in many ways as it's all melodic, pastel coloured and quite gentle. But it IS an album to listen to properly if you're to enjoy the subtle way each track blossoms out from its initial premise. It takes its time and asks you to do the same. The more time you spend with it, the more it will reveal." _____ "For me, I can't just keep turning out exactly the same style of music over and over...I'd get so bored with it, so I keep moving the atoms around, keep things in motion as much as possible. I like to challenge myself, as much as the listener. But it's all from the same true source, my imagination, heart and soul. And it all means something and that 'something' will never be too difficult to grasp." _____ "Didn't I tell you that I was about to release my hyper-thrash-metal album, 'Satan Wants Your Daughter's Flip-Flops And Will Leave Marks On Your Floor If They Don't Fit'? Every copy comes with a free one-million-watt home public address system so that your neighbours can join in the fun. But if you really want to make them scratch their heads, Neptune's Galaxy will provide a more controversial and subversive listening experience. Especially if you start bringing mermaids home to frolic in the bath with you whilst you play the album full blast on your wind-up gramophone." _____ "Glad you like the merladies on the cover. Took me ages to catch them and days afterwards to mend my nets." FAN THOUGHTS: Johnny Jazz: "Words fail me...it's beautiful." "I love the fact that I've listened to NG half a dozen times since Saturday, each time it felt as though I were listening to a different album. There is so much going on, new motifs to discover, so many different ways to listen to it as well." neill_burgess: "First impressions are very, very positive indeed. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it is absolutely gorgeous. At times, ambient yes, but often so much more, with wonderful guitarwork (most reminiscent of Dreamland to Starboard ) and skittering percussive beats and bleeps of a level I've not yet heard on any of Bill's albums. On top of that, it strikes me that this could be the best produced/mixed of any of Bill's albums, the whole sonic landscape clearly defined in a way that is itself a sheer pleasure." Parsongs: "Bill tells us about his previous life as a sailor, and then paints a musical picture about what he sees. It's a beautiful view from any coast." Sue: "After the opening ceremony and official listen-in, this relaxing and enchanting CD is certainly more delicious than strawberries and ice-cream, sweeter than honey, more magical than a childhood Christmas, has more aaahhhh!! than a Cadbury's eclair, and is smoother than the smoothest of silks. A real delight." Twilightcapers: "Don't know about anyone else, but I absolutely love this album. It's probably one of my most played CDs since it came out. There are moments of pure magic on there when I forget it's Bill Nelson manipulating the instruments and I just get lost in the ambience. Along with Sailor Bill , my two favourite BN releases, and they are not guitar based works either! Hard to pin down exactly why I like them so much - they're just so different from everything else." Pathdude: "I think it is fantabulous. I wish it was twice as long. That style of Bill's is transcendent (in my mind)." BenTucker: "One of the things I find with Bill's albums from, say, after 2000 or so, is their inexhaustibility of appeal - you can go back to them again & again. Neptune's Galaxy seems to have a vast amount of "musical information", whilst at the same time being the ultimate 'chill-out' album (not a term I particularly like, but you know what I mean)." "Particularly struck with the first track - you feel as if you're floating listening to it (while simultaneously being dazzled). This is how "ambient music" should be: colourful and blissful. Absolutely essential listening - you really should buy it if you haven't already." machman767: "On the subject of the first track, Bill has made much of the cd being perfect summer listening material. The first time I played it, however, it brought back emotions of walking on a cliff top in late autumn, with a faint sea mist hanging around. Even in the middle of a belting heatwave it still conjures up the image. I've got to say there ain't much music around these days that manages to create ANY emotions!" mvande2: "One of the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard ever is the first 2 1/2 minutes of "She Signals From Across the Bay". My eyes involuntarily close and I melt." thunk: "I tend to see this kind of music as 'expressionistic', while other ambient albums may rely more on the hypnotic effect of 'tones' & 'repetition' to seduce in an alternate way ('impressionistic?) - that's just 'one' take on this interesting & challenging form of music, and it can be SO much more rewarding than a collection of more structured songwriting from which an 'instant' appeal must somehow reach further..." "Bill's music is 'most-rewarding' it seems in the long-term, and as with Neptune's Galaxy , its depth & beauty will emerge as we all give it more 'plays' and allow it a natural place in our Nelsonic heart..." Angeltide: "I hope this doesn't sound too pretentious (ie wanky) but if you have had a go at making a bit of music yourself, you begin to get some idea of the level of inspiration, hard work and determination that goes into creating a serious 'noodle' like this. I've only listened a couple of times, as I like to savour these things properly, but my impression is that the album never stands still and is constantly introducing new sounds, ideas, mood shifts, references elsewhere and stylistic nods of the head to influences big and small. And all with apparently minimal effort and fuss." "It's just absolutely beautiful. If you haven't ordered it do so. I said before that Sailor Bill had a curiously relaxing feel from the moment it starts and this one is even more so. Can't praise it highly enough." Albums Menu Future Past

Secret Ceremony Scala (featuring Bill Nelson & Daryl Runswick) single - May 1987 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Secret Ceremony (Theme From Brond) B) Wiping A Tear From The All Seeing Eye ORIGINALLY: Both songs were non-album tracks. NOTES: Secret Ceremony is a 12" single issued by Cocteau Records featuring (at the time) exclusive material released under the name "Scala". Scala was a one off collaboration between Nelson and Daryl Runswick, a classically trained composer and arranger. The single was also available on 5" CD single (the first Bill Nelson related CD single to be issued). In the US the coupling appeared as a 3" CD single. A UK 7" promo with the B on both sides exists, but is one of the most difficult Bill Nelson records to find. The songs came from another Channel 4 commission, this time for the theme tune to a series called Brond which helped launch the career of John Hannah. PAST RELEASES: Both songs were included on the Duplex compilation album (Cocteau, 1989), and the B-side was added as a bonus track to the US CD edition of Cocteau Signature Tunes (Enigma, 1989). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Neither track is currently in print. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The 'libretto' for those Brond soundtrack pieces was taken from the latin text of Dante's 'Inferno' and arranged for voices by Darryl Runswick who collaborated with me on the material." Singles Menu Future Past

All Dressed Up In Your Art School Clothes Bill Nelson download single - 3 November 2023 Singles Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) All Dressed Up In Your Art School Clothes 02) Five Flying Horses NOTES: "All Dressed Up In Your art School Clothes" is a single Bill composed and recorded exclusively for the Sara's Dream Foundation . The charity's aim is to raise money for the families of children suffering from cancer to help provide some happiness and to create special memories. Fans can download the songs in return for a donation to the charity. The single also includes a 'b-side' entitled 'Five Flying Horses' which is an instrumental version of the single's title track. "All Dressed Up In Your Art School Clothes" was released on a special ' Bill Nelson (Charity Single)' Bandcamp p age on 30 October 2023, with news of the release first announced in a Dreamsville newsletter on 3 November 2023. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available to purchase from the Bill Nelson (Charity Singles) Bandcamp page. Singles Menu Future Past

William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) April 2006 Monday 10th April 2006 -- 10:10 am Once again, an extremely long gap between diary entries. Perhaps they will appear more frequently in future however, as new software has been installed on the Dreamsville site that will allow me to upload my diary direct to the server, rather than having to ask tech-support people to do it for me, as has been the case until now. I've felt quite guilty of troubling others to post my diaries, 'though that hasn't been the only reason for their infrequency. Distracted by music making the main cause, as usual. So, what has been happening here in the weeks since I last wrote? More of what usually happens, I suppose. Intense work in my modest studio, as always, along with various mild domestic dramas. I'll record the musical progress first. My proposed production job for Slava's new band 'Jupiter,' (formerly 'Nautilus Pompilius'), has, unfortunately, been cancelled. Or at least postponed for the indefinite future. Disappointing, for both them and me. The band couldn't raise sufficient funding from their record company to travel to Britain from Russia for the recordings but are hoping to seek additional funding from other sources. They hope to come here later in the year to record the entire album with me. Having experienced the music business first hand for over thirty years, I'm not holding my breath. If it happens, I'll be very pleased, but that 'if ' is a big one. I've finally completed 'Neptune's Galaxy,' the instrumental album that I've created as a companion to my 'Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill' album of last year. It contains just five tracks but they are long ones and the album clocks in at a total of just over 75 minutes worth of music. Some might describe the album as 'ambient' 'though the music commands more attention than that categorisation would normally suggest. Three of the five tracks feature electric guitar and beats, one is an electric piano improvisation and the other features electronic keyboards and some subtle orchestra textures.The nautical themes are carried over from the Sailor Bill project but, of course, without lyrics. The track listing is as follows:- 1. 'My Ship Reclines On Clouds Of Sail.' 2. 'She Signals From Across The Bay.' 3. 'All Alone In A Boat Of His Own.' 4. 'Coastal Starlight.' 5. 'Ship In A Bottle Blues, (The Modern Mariner.)' The entire album is very relaxing, gentle and meditative, occupying a sonic landscape, (or should that be seascape?) somewhere between 'Dreamland To Starboard', 'Crimsworth' and my Harold Budd collaborations. Listening to the Sailor Bill album and then immediately afterwards to 'Neptune's Galaxy' is a satisfying experience, the final track of Sailor Bill providing a perfect bridge to the first track of 'Neptune's Galaxy.' Although David Graham and myself are currently creating packaging artwork for the album, I've yet to master the tracks in preparation for manufacturing, so a release date has yet to be fixed. I'm hoping to make this album available as soon as possible though. I've also attempted to make a start on the mixing of the Be Bop Deluxe Decca audition tapes. I've had these transferred to a Mackie external hard-drive so that I can work on the four songs here in my home studio. Unfortunately, technical problems have thwarted this for the time being. My HDR 24/96 hard disc recorder is an early model and the transfers were made using a newer version of the software. Basically, my machine can't read the files. My friend Paul Gilby has been helping me to get to the bottom of the problem which we eventually discovered hinges on the conflict of operating systems. Updating the OS has nor been as straightforward as hoped though. The HDR 24/96's floppy drive appears not to be working. (Required to load the latest operating system.) I also need a new e-prom fitting to cope with the larger external drive on which the Be Bop audition tapes have been transferred, so the saga is ongoing. It's been a frustrating and time-consuming piece of detective work. Hopefully, I should be able to access the files in a week or two when time will allow me to have the machine out of commission for a couple of days whilst the technical repairs are done. Meanwhile, I've been recording more new material, six songs for what started life as a limited edition 'mini'-album. It may yet turn out to be a full-length album.The direction is jazz inspired. I've often featured jazz stylings on some of my albums but, as Paul pointed out to me, I've never actually made an album given over to that particular style.This set me thinking. Anyway, I've now completed six songs for the project and there is still enough inspiration left over to write more. At one point, I wasn't sure how long I could sustain that particular mood but, at the moment, the ideas continue to flow. The six songs completed so far provide just over thirty minutes worth of music. If I can come up with another four songs I'll have a complete album. The songs are: 'Windswept;' 'Take It Off And Thrill Me;' 'October Sky;' 'The Girl In The Galaxy Dress;' 'Always You;' and 'The Song My Silver Planet Sings.' All six titles are vocal based compositions and I'm particularly fond of 'Windswept' which has a jazz blues mood somewhere between the worlds of Billie Holiday and Chet Baker. (But still 'me' somehow. How could it be anyone else?) 'Always You' has a touch of Bobby Darin on Mars about it. Or a Vegas showtune from a parralel universe. Could this be the closest thing I've done to an easy-listening lounge album? Well...not quite, but close. The overall performance of these tracks is a little looser than the performances on 'Sailor Bill' but that is appropriate to the style. These are 'feel' pieces with improvised solos. They are not strictly jazz, of course, but just 'jazzy' or 'jazz inspired.' (Emiko described them as 'techno-jazz' but I'm not sure about that either!) As usual, I'm too close to the music to know what the hell it is. It's probably a curious side-project rather than a major statement. Other's may feel differently when they hear it. I will confess that there's some slick guitar playing on it though, if you like that kind of thing. Working title for the mini-album is 'Return To Jazz Of Lights.' It may be a keeper. I'm working through some visual concepts for the packaging at the moment, before sending images to David Graham for him to lay out and add typography. The path I'm pursuing is based around some old 1960's snapshots of Emiko. I've been going through her family album. She was a stunningly beautiful teenager and I couldn't have imagined myself landing a catch like her back then if we'd ever had the good fortune to meet. (Which would have been impossible anyway, bearing in mind the distance between Tokyo and Wakefield and my reliance on the bus at that time in my life!) One photograph I've selected for use is very odd. It could almost be a still frame from a dramatic moment in a movie. The young Emi is standing centre frame, gazing off to the the right and slightly up into the sky. She is surrounded by people, nearly all of whom have their back to the camera, looking over the edge of a railing, beyond which a white statue stands, its back also to the camera. Emi is dressed in a fashion that wouldn't look out of place on a young teenage girl of 2006, low slung skinny jeans, a tight fitting Japanese boy-scout shirt with embroidered badges, a large white bag. She looks, to use the well worn vernacular, 'cool.' The photograph's colours have faded over the years since it was taken, so I've scanned it and subjected it to a long sequence of colour, contrast and filter manipulation, giving it a vintage cinematic quality. It's an enigmatic picture, achieved without artifice. Whoever took the photo did it quickly and unthinkingly...the camera angle isn't straight but this adds to the tension. Only one person in the crowd is looking at the camera, a plumpish Japanese lady sat at a table in the middleground. She has an inane grin on her face. Its an intriguing photograph. Using it, (and the other's I've picked), is not an obvious choice for the style of music on the album, but then again, it twists the album concept in a slightly surreal, ironic way. As the songs are all love songs, using Emi as an iconic image is perfectly apt anyway. Guitars have loomed large in recent months. I may have mentioned on the Dreamsville site a while ago that Campbell American Guitars have been working towards a signature guitar for me. Dean Campbell has sent various drawings and ideas over for me to add my own input. I've sent drawings and suggestions back to Dean and a limited edition Bill Nelson signature model is not only on the drawing board but currently being developed in prototype form. It's all under wraps for now but all will be revealed when ready. Like all Campbell American guitars, it will be a hand made in the U.S.A. instrument. Meanwhile, I've been playing my green Precix model, (see photo above in this diary entry), and will soon be getting delivery of a blue vibrato-arm equipped Precix. These instruments play beautifully and respond senistively to the touch of the player. I'll also be appearing on the Campbell American stand at the London Guitar Show held at the Wembley Exhibition Centre on the 6th of May. Not to perform but just to 'meet and greet' fans and fellow guitarists. A very early version of my signature guitar may be ready to display, although we're aiming for a more developed version by June. Naturally, I'm extremely excited about having a signature model after all these years of playing. If all goes to plan, it should be something really special. But the guitar magic hasn't stopped there. I've long been a fan of unusual 1950's and '60's guitars. When I first became besotted by the instrument, at the end of the '50's it was almost impossible to see, in my local music shops, any of the expensive Gibsons and Fenders that our early guitar heroes played. Import restrictions on American goods meant that they were rare and definitely out of reach of the average player's pocket. In my home town of Wakefield, the local music shop, 'Webster's,' (later to become 'The Wakefield Music Centre'), only stocked British and European guitars. These were inexpensive instruments, often with unusual design ethics, lots of chrome and push buttons, bright colours, accordion factory plastic, retro-sci-fi creations that really looked 'electric.' Burns and Fenton Weill guitars were amongst the main British makes but there were also a variety of quirky models from continental makers such as Hagstrom, Hopf, Gallanti and Wandre. Japan was also starting to licence designs to, or build for, some of the European manufacturers and some Japanese instruments were often 're-badged' for the western marketplace. Of course, these weird and wonderful guitars didn't have the finesse of the more expensive American instruments but they did have a flashy visual appeal. These originally inexpensive guitars have now become collector's items and exchange hands for high prices, particularly the Wandre models which are rare and sought after. Generally though, these budget instruments didn't play too well and their appeal was mainly in the visual department. And even then, perhaps, only if you had a taste for the kitsch. I still harbour a fond enthusiasm for them, despite being able to play much more upmarket brands these days. But I do prefer to play my guitars, rather than just look at them. Enter Mike Robinson, a musician and collector of oddball vintage guitars who came up with the idea of manufacturing reproductions of some of the most sought after instruments. His plan was to make them look exactly like the original '50's and '60's rarities, but have them play and sound better. With this in mind, he started Eastwood Guitars, (based in Canada), and set up a manufacturing operation to re-issue some vintage 'thrift-store' brands using modern manufacturing techniques. The results are guaranteed to attract players such as myself who grew up with those kind of guitars during our teens. (And some younger players who have taken notice of the 'Airline' models favoured by The White Stripes and Calexico.) But, whilst nostalgia is one part of the Eastwood appeal, the sound and playability of the re-issues is something else. They are much more solidly made and player friendly than their original inspirations. I recently got myself an Eastwood reproduction of a Hopf 'Saturn 63' in black and chrome.The original late '60's/early '70's European instrument was quirky, a semi-hollow body with two cat's eye style sound-holes, both mounted, unusually, on the bass side of the body. Chrome metal strips were used to 'pipe' the guitar's edges and sound-holes and the resultant effect was retro sci-fi in keeping with the model's 'Saturn' name. The modern Eastwood reproduction re-creates the vibe wonderfully and the guitar has a very unique sonic character as well as being an unusual looker. So, my guitar dreams continue to inspire my imagination ...Fans who have attended my live concerts in recent years will have noticed that all the guitars I favour are somewhat out of the ordinairy, not a Les Paul model amongst them, (as much as I adore Les' playing). Maybe it's my art school background but a guitar's appearance is as important to me as its playability and an instrument's visual style will always be a major consideration in my choices. Nearly all the guitars I play reflect some special design ethic, whether modern or retro. My Gretsch guitars also sit in perfectly with that sensibility, as does my Gus 'Orphee' which pushes that approach into a 21st Century, midi-equipped, industrial design arena. What's truly wonderful for me though is that, after all these years of playing the instrument, I still get a thrill out of looking at my guitars and using them to make my music. I'm as in love with the instrument as I was when I got my first guitar at the age of 11 or 12. And I still can't read a note of music or espouse any musical theory. Despite all the recordings I've made, I've yet to understand how the music gets from 'in here' to 'out there'... I'm just thankful that it does. I've spent some time with my friend Jon Wallinger recently, tracking down a new venue for this year's Nelsonica fan convention. After exploring various alternatives, we've settled on the York Hilton Hotel. I think this will prove to be an excellent location for the event, certainly for those fans who travel from abroad to attend. York is a beautiful, historic city with lots to offer its visitors. Hopefully, some fans will bring their families and make a weekend of it. There's even a York version of the London Eye big wheel being constructed. Should be open soon, certainly in time for Nelsonica 06. Along with the historic Viking and Roman sites, York has the National Railway Museum, the Yorkshire Air Museum, two more general museums, river trips, the gothic Minster, a good art gallery, plenty of interesting shops, old pubs, modern cafe-bars and restaurants, almost all within an area that can easily be accessed on foot. Convention attendees can stay in the venue itself at preferred rates which we will negotiate with The Hilton Hotel so the whole package is much more attractive than ever. And easier to get to than North Ferriby. The next step is to create the content for the convention. There are some new ideas that I'd like to introduce, including a presentation aimed at the guitarists amongst the fans. I think that, if all goes to plan, this year's Nelsonica will be even more special than previous ones. Jon and the team are really professional in their attitude to organising the convention and put a lot of thought and effort into making it a special day. It's impossible not to respond positively to such dedication and enthusiasm. Another project that I'm about to immerse myself in is the mixing of some old live Be Bop Deluxe tracks to be included in a box set that EMI Records are planning to issue later this year. The box will collect together everything the band recorded, every official album and some out-takes and alternative mixes, plus a few unreleased live tracks. I will be going into Fairview studios soon to take care of the mixing of the latter. On the domestic front, the usual stresses and strains. Far too many bills piling up on the kitchen table and repairs needed for the house. Cars have been up to their tricks too, both Emiko's and mine requiring new exhausts and tyres. Mine is rapidly going rusty, but a re-spray would probably cost more than the car is worth. Perhaps the weather will improve soon and I can get the pushbike out of the shed. My son Elliot has joined the car set, having passed his driving test recently. He's got himself an old VW Golf and came to pick me up to take me into town the other week. It seems like only yesterday I was helping him to learn how to ride a little two wheel bike. I can remember the day that I took his stabilisers off and ran behind him, holding on to his saddle. I let go and off he went, perfectly balanced. When he turned around and realised that I wasn't holding him upright, the look on his face was priceless. He was just a little kid then...That thing of time evaporating so quickly. Life is so short. Well...having said that, I'll get back to the music making. Top of page Wednesday 26th April 2006 -- 9:30 am Perhaps I shouldn't be writing a diary entry right now. I certainly don't feel in the proper state of mind to do so but I desperately feel the need to write something down, if only to help me to work through some of my grief. I couldn't imagine, last week, that today I would be in such a state and for such an unforseen and unwelcome reason. On Sunday, 23rd of April, I was taking my usual morning bath when I heard the 'phone ring. I hadn't brought the cordless 'phone into the bathroom with me as Emi was at home. I thought it might be one of her Japanese friends calling, as often happens at weekends. But then I heard her rushing up the stairs and her footsteps coming along the corridor towards the bathroom. I realised that the call must be for me. She came into the bathroom with the cordless 'phone in her hand, holding it out to me. She was in tears and could hardly speak. With difficulty, through the tears, she said "It's your mum on the 'phone...it's bad news...Ian's died..." I felt as if the whole world had ground to a sudden, violent halt and then I began to shake and weep uncontrollably. I felt as if my guts were being wrenched from me. My mother was crying on the 'phone as she told me what had happened only a short time earlier that morning. She had telephoned my brother Ian sometime around 11 am to wish him a happy birthday. (Sunday the 23rd was his 50th.) Ian's wife Diane had answered and told my mother that Ian was still in bed, having a lie-in, but that he really ought to be getting up as they were going out soon. She asked my mother to hold the line whilst she called up the stairs to Ian to tell him that his mother was on the 'phone. There was no answer and when Diane went upstairs to wake him she found that Ian had passed away in his sleep. The shock has been terrible. Feelings of disbelief, denial, sudden realisation, sickness and bottomless black pits of emotional despair. A violent assault on the depths of our hearts and souls. And it keeps on hitting and hurting. I'm battered and exhausted by its brutality. I feel as if a precious and essential part of my life has been suddenly ripped out of me. And, of course, it has. Ian was my 'little' brother. I'd known him all his life and, despite those silly sibling rivalries that all brothers experience from time to time, loved him deeply and respected him far more than he probably ever realised. Far, far more than he realised...Oh, Ian, if only I could tell you. Even though Ian had survived a stroke, nine years ago when he was 41, I always expected him to outlive me, to always be there with his warm smile and dry sense of humour. Ian had become a physically big man, partly as a result of the diabetes he suffered from in recent years, but this largeness suggested solidity, a rock that would stand strong, despite the surrounding waves. He seemed indestructible. Perhaps he felt that he was too. I saw him last a few weeks ago on Mother's Day, in March. Emiko and I had driven over to my mother's house in Wakefield with a gift and some flowers for her. Not long after we'd arrived, Ian arrived too, to give mum his gifts. I think it was actually the first time I'd seen him since the start of the year. I'm always so intensely, stupidly busy with one project after the other that family relationships and friendships regularly suffer as a result. Ian too had been busy with his freelance career as a funding consultant for arts projects. Both of us had been feeling a lot of stress, under pressure, the usual outcome of trying to keep things together on an unpredictable financial income. But Ian seemed cheerful, he'd recently got himself a new car and proudly led me outside to show it to me where it was parked in the drive of my mother's house. We chatted and joked freely for a while, just the two of us. I asked him if he fancied coming along to this year's Nelsonica convention in October, to play his saxophone with me as part of my solo performance there. I also asked him if he would like to perform with me at a special concert being planned for next year as part of a contemporary music festival at Leeds University's school of music. He was happily enthusiastic and positive about being involved in both projects so I promised I'd keep him up to date with progress for each event. (I've always enjoyed the instrumental duo's we've had in the past, feeling much more comfortable in those situations with Ian alongside me than being up there on my own.) Eventually, Ian had to leave for a prior appointment and we waved him off from my mother's doorstep. I had no idea then that that would be the last time I'd ever see him. Remembering that day now, Emi has pointed out to me that Ian had seemed really pleased to see me, his face being lit up with one of his warm smiles when he saw that I was there. I'm so pleased to have that pointed out to me because I needed his love more than he realised. More than I realised. Last week, Emi was sorting out some clothes of mine and came across some that were like new but that I hadn't worn. She'd put them to one side to see if Ian might want them. When she told me this I thought that I should give him a call and see how he was. As so often happens, I became so wrapped up in trying to finish some recording work in time for a mastering session next week that this intention slipped from my consciousness. (And now, I've cancelled that same session. I have no appetite for music. Its joy has left me.) Time always warps when my mind is concentrated on work, as my family and friends and regular readers of this diary know. I look down towards the faders of the mixing desk and it's winter. When I look up, it's Spring. Or so it seems. Months pass like minutes. Life evaporates. How I wish I'd made that call last week. I can't begin to express the anguish I feel at not being able to call Ian now, at this very moment. I can hear the sound of his voice clearly in my head, the way he sounded on the telephone. My mother called a few minutes ago to tell me the results of the coroner's report: Ian died because of heart disease. A blood clot touched his heart and he was gone. Apparently, there would have been nothing anyone could have done to save him. It was inevitable. Had he been awake when it happened, it would have felled him in an instant. That it happened whilst he was sleeping is a comfort of sorts. What if he had been driving his car with his family on board...? A mercy that he wasn't. The last two days have brought us a kind of hell. Ian's wife Diane and Ian's three children must have been truly in the depths of it. My mother, who is not in the best of health herself, is suffering terribly from the loss. We all are. We want him back. The next few weeks will be hard too, particularly the funeral which is to be held on the 2nd of May. I have no immunity or resistance to grief. It comes in sudden waves and drowns me every time. All composure gone. I want to say something about him at the service but know that I wouldn't have the strength, that tears and sobs would be all that would escape me, words buried beneath fathomless anguish. But we will have to get through these next days as best we can, together. I'm sure that Ian would have poured scorn on any solemnity. He wasn't a particularly religious man, in fact, almost the opposite. He often took a cynical stance regarding my own 'spiritual' foraging over the years. I remember, one late lost summer back in the early '80's, when I lived in West Haddlesey, the two of us sitting atop a haystack in a field outside the village, discussing various philosophies as the warm harvest sun sank towards the horizon. I was heavily involved in Rosicrucianism and esoteric occultism at that time and had been enthusiastically propounding its theories and principles in the hope of firing up Ian's imagination. I could, as they say, 'talk the hind leg off a donkey' in those days, such was my passion for the subject. But Ian remained scornful and humourously cynical about the whole thing, as he was about ever other 'ism' I experimented with. He couldn't see the point of all that and was far more down to earth and pragmatic than I ever was. It may be that, in this respect, as in so many other things, he had a better grasp of reality than myself. He might have been my 'little' brother in years but he was strong and stubborn and independent too. And sharp and bright and witty. There was so much in him that I admired. I was, and always will be, proud of him. He was his own man and lived his life the way he wanted to live it, and damn the torpedoes. I have so many fond memories of Ian. I couldn't possibly recount them all now but here are a couple: Back in the late 'seventies or early 'eighties, I was visiting my mother in Wakefield when she was still living on Eastmoor Estate, where I grew up. Ian, I think, was living there too at this point in time but had gone into town. Suddenly the 'phone rang and my mother answered it. It was a local corner-shopkeeper who knew my mother. He was telephoning to say that Ian was in his shop, injured. I jumped into my car and drove the half mile to the shop and found Ian in a bad way. He had been on his way home to my mother's house and had walked through a subway en route. In the subway, a gang of youths were trying to mug an elderly lady and were shoving her around. Ian had stepped into the situation and tried to stop these thugs from continuing their actions, trying to reason with them, asking them to leave the lady alone. The gang violently turned on Ian and beat him up before running away, leaving him to stagger to the nearby shop where the lady explained to the shopkeeper what had happened. He recognised Ian and rang my mother. I rushed Ian off to the hospital to have his wounds attended. I then set off in my car to search for the bastards that had done this to him. I drove up and down every street on Ian's route but couldn't find them, which is probably just as well as they would have more than likely done damage to me too, had I challenged them. But I was so angry that they'd done this to my little brother, I just wanted to beat the shit out of them. But this incident was a measure of Ian's public spiritedness and bravery. Many people would have left the old lady to her fate and kept out of danger but Ian's compassion wouldn't allow him to walk on by. He had to try to stop what was happening. He had principles and the guts to do something about it. I have memories of Ian and I first recording music together, in the mid 'seventies with Be Bop Deluxe on the song 'Ships In The Night'. It was the first public recording of mine that he was involved with and it was at Abbey Road studios in London. He was really young and must have been intimidated and overwhelmed by the experience. He'd only just begun playing saxophone at that time, 'though he'd played clarinet for a while previously. I knew he was talented and capable and pushed him hard, as big brother's do. I was often too demanding of him, all throughout his musical life, knowing just how good he could be, given that push. I wanted him to excel, to be great, to be the best he could possibly be. My only consolation now is, if I was too hard on him, too exacting, I at least treat myself equally as hard, was just as critical of my own attempts. I thought that, together, we could change the world with our music. But I was stupid and naive too. I demanded too much from both of us. Ian was a great player without need of any pressure from me. Later on, he became a member of Red Noise, playing Sax, Clarinet and second keyboards in the band. Red Noise was also his introduction to life on the road and to television and radio appearances. In the 'eighties he contributed his gifted playing to several of my solo albums and songs. One of the most memorable was 'Do You Dream In Colour?' which featured Ian's incredibly catchy harmony saxophone hook, an important, essential component for the song's commercial appeal. It was one of the most perfectly appropriate parts he ever came up with, an absolutely classic line that everyone who ever heard the song remembers. It was a great pleasure, on the 2004 'Be Bop And Beyond,' 30 year celebration tour, for me to be able to perform that song live and have Ian in the band to reproduce the saxophone part perfectly. The song would be incomplete without it. How can I ever perform that song again without Ian standing next to me? Ian later became part of Fiat Lux, a band that I initially had produced and released on my own independent 'Cocteau Records' label. The band showed great commercial potential and the single that Cocteau Records released earned them media attention and landed the band a deal with a major label, only for them to later fall foul of incompetent and corrupt management. An old, far too familiar story. Poor Ian suffered from the financial fallout of that situation for several years afterwards. I was going through similar tribulations myself so we both experienced the corruption and callousness of the industry at first hand. Ian's experience soured his hopes of being a full-time musician and he decided to reserve his music for situations that were less likely to produce further unhappiness. He began playing with friends in local bands and occasionally taught music, teaching both privately and in college situations. Of the two of us, Ian was the one who had a formal, academic musical education. He began playing clarinet under the tuition of our late father, Walter Nelson and then had more formal lessons that resulted in him passing various examinations and gaining certificates of accomplishment. He eventually earned himself a place at Huddersfield College Of Music where he studied the subject academically. Ian was the real deal...not a dumb 'busker' like me who, to this day, still can't read a note of music. My father was so proud of the fact that Ian had done it the proper way. The ironic thing was that, whilst my formal education was in fine art and Ian's was in music, Ian eventually worked in the field of art, and I found myself with a career in music. Not what either of us had originally intended. Years ago, Ian took a temporary job at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. He worked in the on-site shop, selling Sculpture Park merchandise. The park's director was, and still is, Peter Murray, who had been my painting tutor at Wakefield School Of Art when I was a student there in the 1960's. Ian was eventually employed at the Sculpture Park full time and worked his way up to become part of the park's management team. It was a job he enjoyed tremendously and I was impressed by the way he handled it whenever I visited him at the park's office. I was so proud of his achievement with this. It was a job that I would have had neither the intelligence nor the social skills to do well. He was appparently in line for a directorship until his stroke put him out of commission, nine years ago. Eventually, he recovered from the stroke, only to discover that he had to deal with diabetes as well. Of course, all of those who loved him got sanctimonius about it and we gave him our glib advice, admonishing him if we felt that he wasn't strictly adhering to whatever health regime was appropriate to his condition. Ian, characteristically, didn't respond well to being prodded about these things. His life was his life and back seat drivers were not easily tolerated. To use a nautical metaphor, he was the captain of his own ship and he intended to sail it wherever HE wanted. Both of us were born stubborn so-and-so's but perhaps Ian had the upper hand on me in this department too. So...stubborn, yes, but he was never unforgivable. One of the things that people seemed to remember most about Ian was his warmth and the way he had of putting people at ease. There was something relaxed, open and easy going about him that made this possible. Again, I lack that quality, being too self-absorbed, nervous or intense, (or something), and was often surprised and amazed by the positive response he elicited from total strangers. He could make people feel they'd known him for years. And he did it without any artifice. It was 100% genuine empathy. One thing we had in common was a first marriage that didn't work out. I also had a second one that didn't but when Ian met Diane it felt as if he'd found his soul mate. I remember Ian and Diane's wedding day and the good vibes they gave off. And when Emiko and I had our wedding day, Ian and Diane were our witnesses. Diane has stuck with Ian through good times and difficult ones and she has a deep understanding of Ian's character and life. What she has endured these last two days is powerfully moving and impossible to fathom but she has shown kindness and bravery to all those in her circle and I know that Ian would be proud of her, and of his three children. Ian's eldest son, Julian, (from his first marriage), has been a pillar of strength to Diane, to my mother and to his step-brother Louis and step-sister Lucy. I've been so impressed by Julian's thoughtfulness, saneness and compassion. Ian's younger son Louis and daughter Lucy, (both from Ian's marriage to Diane), have shown tremendous dignity and self control too.They are a tribute to Ian and Diane's parenting skills. I'm proud to be an uncle to all three children 'though I ought to have been a much more present and regular one. I hope they realise just how much their father meant to me. During these last two days, I've been overwhelmed. I've been overwhelmed not only by what has actually happened, what also by the changes it has thrust upon so many people, overwhelmed by emotions that were far deeper and far stronger than I'd ever expected. At night, a little cinema of memory has opened up in my mind. I close my eyes and, there on the flickering screen are images of Ian and I as young children, anticipating Christmas...Me reading to Ian the story of 'Peter And Pam's Christmas' from a now long lost childhood book, huddled under an eiderdown together on a snowy Christmas Eve at our home at number 28 Conistone Crescent, Eastmoor Estate on the edge of Wakefield. We were electrified with excitement and anticipation, unable to sleep, eager for the morning and our presents from Santa. A dissolve...School holidays now. I've built plastic model aeroplanes from Airfix kits and hung them from the bedroom ceiling. Ian takes pot shots at them with his pop gun and decimates half a squadron. We run around the back garden in super-hero capes, Batman and Robin, Superman and Superboy, Dan Dare and Digby. Other kids, more inclined to army games, think that we are weird. We don't care what they think. The scene shifts and Ian and I are at the coast, or outside a caravan, or on the beach with a toy boat named St. Christopher, or on a clifftop flying a home-made kite together. There are images of us standing by our father's car... me with my arm around Ian, protecting him, my little brother. (He had curly blonde hair when he was small, cute as a button.) These images keep coming, flickering, changing, on through the years, our innocence gradually being left behind and with it the wonder and simplicity of childhood. Exhanged for something wilder and more dangerous: real life itself. And real life has taken Ian from us, as real life does. It takes us all eventually. What can we do? What's the point? Well...to live until we can live no more. But above all, to love and be loved in return. And I love my brother so much. I'll miss him terribly. Ian carried with him a part of my life, a shared childhood, memories of distant times. I think it's not overdramatic to say that a part of me has died with him. But, conversely, a part of him lives on with me. I want to recall more of our times together, to share them with readers of this diary, to let them know what a lovely person he was, to help them understand just why I'm so sad and heartbroken about losing him. For today though, perhaps this is enough, a beginning. So many warm tributes have appeared on the Dreamsville website forum for him. He would have been amazed by how much love he'd generated, how respected he was. You left too soon, Ian, too soon. ****** The photographs accompanying this diary entry show Ian alone on Lantern Hill in Ilfracoombe in Devon, myself and Ian on Ilfracoombe harbourside and Ian and I outside our parent's caravan at Skipsea, (with Dad's Austin Cambridge car). The photographs were taken around 1959/'60, I think. Top of page Jan May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013

Still Looking For Heaven On Earth album - 1987 Crazy House Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on three songs: "Burning Rain", "Feel the Fire" and "Shake (Sell Your Soul)". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Do You Dream in Colour? Bill Nelson single - 9 May 1980 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Do You Dream In Colour? B1) Ideal Homes B2) Instantly Yours B3) Atom Man Loves Radium Girl ORIGINALLY: A) appeared to be a non-album track upon release, but eventually (nearly 12 months later) ended up on the Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam album. B-sides) were all non-album tracks. NOTES: Do You Dream in Colour? was the first release to be promoted solely under Nelson's name since the Northern Dream album in 1971. This 7" single was the debut release on Nelson's own Cocteau Records, and sold well enough on release to achieve a respectable No. 52 on the UK singles chart. It helped to raise Bill's profile after Red Noise were dropped by EMI, and led to a new solo deal with Mercury. The single was promoted by a video that Nelson directed, made on a shoe string budget. Shot in a combination of colour and black and white, the video made imaginative use of mask, props (such as a rocking horse and various items of technology) with Nelson in bed seemingly connected to monitors being used to decipher his dreams. The exact same 7" single was later included in the Permanent Flame box set of five 7" singles in 1982. In 1989 a 7" pressing in a die cut Cocteau sleeve was released featuring exclusive edited versions of both "Do You Dream in Colour?" and "Life in Your Hands". It is believed that the edit in "Do You Dream in Colour?" (removing the line "Video Junkie Looking for a Fix") was done to encourage BBC Radio 1 to play the song. PAST RELEASES: A) was included on Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam and on the What Now, What Next? compilation. All 3 b-sides were available on The Two Fold Aspect of Everything comp (available from Bandcamp). B2) was also available on The Strangest Things compilation (out of print). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: "Do You Dream in Colour?" is available on the remastered Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam CD (Mercury, 2005). It is also available on The Practice of Everyday Life , which is out of print physically, but available as a digital download. All tracks are available on the remastered Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam box set (Esoteric Recordings 2025). B1, B2 & B3 are available on the retrospective compilation album Transcorder (The Acquitted By Mirrors Recordings) . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "I started Cocteau Records in retaliation to the dropping of my recordings by EMI. "Do You Dream In Colour?" (which I secured from the EMI contract), was the first ever Cocteau Records release. It was prior to Phonogram's involvement." _____ "You have to remember that Red Noise was intended to be a 'flexible' project, rather than a fixed band with a fixed style or line-up. The whole purpose of moving on from Be Bop Deluxe was to escape being stereotyped and to avoid the limitations imposed by product and audience expectations. "In that respect, you might say that every album I've made since Be Bop has been a Red Noise album! So, yes, whilst many of the songs that were recorded immediately after the Sound-On-Sound album were somewhat different, they were, at that time, intended to be released under the 'Red Noise' umbrella. But, when the deal with EMI ended, I just thought, what the heck, just put it out under my own name." _____ "There was also a problem with the lyric 'video junkie looking for a fix' which the BBC interpreted, (quite wrongly), as being indicative of heroin addiction. It was merely about people who can't pull themselves away from their tv set, people whose lives exist only via an obsessive involvement with tv soap operas and suchlike. Anyway, the BBC refused to play the record with those lyrics and I seem to recall eventually having to make a mix with the offending line replaced by something else, purely for radio." _____ "Made the "Do You Dream in Colour?" video myself, way, way back in time. Filmed it on my super-8 home cine-camera in Haddlesey house which was then my home. My brother Ian is in the Monroe mask, me in the Superman and old man mask. My ex-wife Jan is the Pierrot on the rocking horse at the end. Lighting was done by borrowing a couple of old coal miner's pit lamps from a friend who worked as a mining engineer. I had no means of auto-synching the film to the soundtrack so the final edits were synched by hand, which took AGES. Nevertheless, it's a quirky, humorous and surreal piece of filmic art, is it not?" Singles Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) February 2005 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Dec Tuesday 22nd February 2005 -- 9 pm Snow these last two days. Heavy yesterday. I decided to drive Emi to work rather than let her risk the treacherous roads on her own. Today a slight thaw and now a freeze. Icy conditions tomorrow. Still working intensely on the website images with Dave Graham. Slowly but surely coming together. This is just the 'skin' for some areas of the site... Soon, the cavities beneath the skin will have to be created and filled with content from my archived 'private' sources and also from the Permanent Flame files supplied by Chuck Bird. Still a long way to go before we're fully operational but things will be added as time progresses. It will be several months before the site approaches the kind of strength and complexity I've got in mind. I'm also working on visual content for Paul Sutton-Reeves book about my career. Due to various things beyond his control, he's had to come back to me for more photos to go into the book. I've spent the last few days scanning things from my own collection and have just put out an appeal to fans to send in any photographs they may have of Red Noise. As Red Noise's career was relatively short, I don't have much visual material relating to the band. It's one area where my archives are a lacking. Duncan Ahlgren and Garry Nichol have sent in some of their own personal shots of Red noise though and we should be able to use a couple of these for the book. Also working on the possibility of major label re-releases... the EMI box set and Universal's proposal to re-issue the 'Mercury' years. It's a complex project though, particularly the latter as much of the material has been issued as part of my Cocteau Records catalogue. Adrian at Opium is trying to get to the bottom of it. Adrian just got back from the Grammys in L.A. Sounds glamourous. Not sure I'd want to go though, other than to ogle those girls in almost non-existent frocks. Oh, yes... I saw them on TV and thought, 'lucky Adrian'. Yes, maybe I would go, given the chance... drool all over their chiffon like the shameless old dog I am. Adrian shared a table with the Foo Fighters who, so Adrian told me, said very nice things about my music. Credibility time with Elle and Elliot again, then. A brownie point for me. My acoustic guitar based instrumental album at a standstill. Frozen like the weather. No time available to work on it right now. I hope I can get it finished in time for a spring release. I've got more ideas in mind for it though... more little snippets of composition that I ought to record before they melt into air. I'd like to assemble a guitar instrumental compilation album too, as I may have mentioned before in these pages. Pull together some of my favourite pieces from across the years and add in a couple of unreleased tracks for good measure. Could be an interesting combination of things. Lots of other little things nagging away in the background. Some I can't speak about here yet... but some very interesting developments coming up soon. Quite exciting, I think. I'll tell more when the time is right. Enough work for today. Maybe I'll watch TV for a while until bedtime. Unwind. A short diary entry but, to be expected considering my tiredness. Some more website visual promo attached to make up for it. Top of page Saturday 26th February 2005 The snows have melted and the view across the field from my studio window is green again. Quite cold, nevertheless. Became frustrated by the constant visual scanning and photoshop work I've been so busy with and decided to put it all to one side and spend a day or two recording some new pieces for my electro-acoustic guitar album. This thing seems to take a different turn each time I return to it after a lay-off. Two new tracks completed and more ideas bubbling under. For an acoustic album, it seems to have developed a jazzy turn of phrase. Jazz has always been a subliminal force in my music, even from the pre-Be Bop Deluxe days. ( I didn't chose the words 'Be Bop' just for the sound they made.) As the years advance, however, I seem to be mutating into some kind of 'jazz' guitarist, though not in the sense that other musicians would generally recognise within the academic implications of the term. As a man who neither reads music nor has ever had a guitar or music theory lesson in his life, I'm ill equipped to deal with jazz in its orthodox, commonly accepted sense. Perhaps I shouldn't really use the word in this context at all. It's just that, for some time now, I've found myself feeling increasingly more inspired by (and empathetic with), the lives of jazz musicians. For all the glittering (if dumb), excess of rock music's iconic figures, it seems to me that jazz music's icons lived their musical lives more completely, intelligently and profoundly. Equally as self-destructive as some rock musicians (sometimes perhaps)... but even so, as a species, it's obvious that there's something a bit more evolved going on. My real bottom line is that it's all just music and that categories are as much a restriction as a help. We're all victims of the kind of conceptual packaging that sorts music into conveniently labelled boxes... boxes that not only divide the music up but also restrict our free movement within music's ocean of sound. Perhaps it is naive of me to believe that it is possible for anyone to respond positively to the whole range of musical expression available to us as 21st Century consumers but I like to think that an ability to appreciate a broad range of music is everyone's birthright... even the girls who work with Emiko in the flower shop who seem blissfully unaware of any music outside of the radio and disco 'norm'. I've said it before but, we need a higher standard of musical education in our schools... the subject needs taking much more seriously than at present, particularly with reference to music's wider implications. By this, I mean abstract thought, pure aesthetics and philosophical development. For me, naturally, it's the one true religion and always has been. All else is heresey. Which brings me to a very special event: I've now been given permission to write about a concert that I'm to be involved in on the 21st of May this year. It is (for want of a better term), a tribute concert to my long-time and very dear friend Harold Budd . Harold announced his retirement from performance and recording last year, his latest album, 'Avalon Sutra' purporting to be his last. He played a farewell concert in Los Angeles towards the end of 2004 but there is now going to be a similar event here in the UK as part of this year's Brighton Arts Festival . A number of artists are to take part in this and a band is being put together around Harold for the final segment of the concert. The artists involved in this are myself, Michael Nyman, Jah Wobble, John Foxx (of Ultravox), Steve Cobby (of Fila Brasilia), Robin Guthrie (of Cocteau Twins), Steve Jansen (of Japan), The Balanescu Quartet and others still to be confirmed. Channel Light Vessel was once given the title 'ambient supergroup' by the music media but this event promises to take that term somewhere else entirely. Harold has been dropping me letters and e-mails over the last couple of months or so about the project and I'm pleased to see that it is finally coming to fruition. Harold naturally had some personal reservations about the project, unsure of what stresses and strains might be involved but I think these have been overcome. Everyone taking part in this event has a personal respect and love for Harold and his work and it will be a privelege and sheer thrill for me to take part and honour Harold alongside everyone else. And of course, I will be absolutely terrified too. Neverthless, when all's said and done, it will be an absolutely unique, one-off event that anyone who gives a damn about the possibility of art within music should not miss. I should spend time with Emiko today. I've been working late in the studio every night for some weeks and Emi has to sit downstairs watching TV when she comes home from work. Saturdays and Sundays are usually the only time we get to do anything together socially. I'll switch off the music and visuals and take her out somewhere. Recharge my own batteries too. Top of page

The Lockdown Song (It's All Downhill From Here) Free download single Click image for cover Artwork FREE download single covering some of the issues associated with the Coronavirus pandemic - Released November 2020. THE LOCKDOWN SONG (It's All Downhill From Here) Currently unavailable on any album Performed, recorded and produced by Bill Nelson. All rights Bill Nelson 2020.

Cinema Menu Miscellaneous Videos Interviews, appearances & selected oddities The Making Of Futurama - May 2019 Bill Nelson chats with Cherry Red's Mark Powell, telling the story behind the making of Be Bop Deluxe's 1975 album 'Futurama'. The Making Of Sunburst Finish - Feb 2019 In this mini-documentary, Bill Nelson & producer John Leckie tell the story behind the making of Be Bop Deluxe's legendary 1976 album 'Sunburst Finish'. Fairview @ 50 - Bill Nelson Interview - 2017 An interview with Bill which was included in the compilation album 'Fairview @ 50' Bill shares fond memories of recording at Fairview, both as a solo artist and on various other projects throughout the years. His track 'Playbox' was included on the album. Bill Nelson: Blip album launch and solo concert - 2013 Bill Nelson Blip album launch and solo concert at the University of Leeds, June 2013. This is very much a 'fly on the wall' video edited from available footage. It features live excerpts from 'Gloria Mundae', 'I Always Knew You'd Find Me' and 'A Dream For Ian'. Bill Nelson - 40 Years Of Recordings - Interview by Mark Powell - 2011 This interview covers the entire career of Bill starting from the recording of his first album, 'Northern Dream;' in 1971 right through to his 8 CD retrospective box set 'The Practice Of Everyday Life' released in 2012. Bill Pesents Award to Duane Eddy - 2010 The MOJO Icon Award presented to Duane Eddy by Be-Bop Deluxe's Bill Nelson. Bill Nelson Interview - Nelsonica 07 - Part 1 Mike Robinson, President of Eastwood Guitars interviews Bill Nelson at Nelsonica 2007 - Part ONE. Recorded Oct 2007, YORK, United Kingdom. Bill Nelson Interview - Nelsonica 07 - Part 2 Mike Robinson, President of Eastwood Guitars interviews Bill Nelson at Nelsonica 2007 - Part TWO. Recorded Oct 2007, YORK, United Kingdom. Bill Nelson Interview - Nelsonica 07 - Part 3 Mike Robinson, President of Eastwood Guitars interviews Bill Nelson at Nelsonica 2007 - Part THREE. Recorded Oct 2007, YORK, United Kingdom. Bill Nelson Interview - Nelsonica 07 - Part 4 Mike Robinson, President of Eastwood Guitars interviews Bill Nelson at Nelsonica 2007 - Part FOUR. Recorded Oct 2007, YORK, United Kingdom. Bill Nelson Interview - Nelsonica 07 - Part 5 Mike Robinson, President of Eastwood Guitars interviews Bill Nelson at Nelsonica 2007 - Part FIVE. Recorded Oct 2007, YORK, United Kingdom. The Rhythm Sisters 'Infotainment' - 1991 Produced by Bill Nelson Bill Nelson Interview - 1985 A great interview broadcast on the Tyne Tees television show TX45. Bill Nelson Riverside Interview, BBC 2 - 1983 Mariella Frostrup interviews Bill Nelson for the music show Riverside. Including some great footage of Bill at work in the 'Echo Observatory'. Bill Nelson on 'Pop Quiz', BBC 1 - 09-04-1983 This popular TV show was hosted by Mike Read, featuring Bill as a team member with Steve Askew, under the captaincy of B.A Robertson. The second team consisted of Rick Wakeman and Stella Barker with captain David Grant. Cinema Menu

Losing You single - 1980 Stranger Than Fiction Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) December 2006 Jan Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Friday 8th December 2006 -- 10:00 pm In ten days time, it will be my fifty-eighth birthday. I've planned nothing by way of celebration so far. If I'm to have an evening out with friends, I should get it organised quickly. I tend to overlook the fact that, at this time of year, restaurants are booked solid with office Christmas parties and the like. I invariably leave my traditional birthday dinner decision too late, then end up having to accept fourth or fifth choice of dining establishment possibilities. Predictably though at this stage of the game, birthdays don't have quite the same frisson of excitement that they had when I was a youngster, so perhaps that accounts for a certain amount of laxness on my part. That and the fear of actually becoming another year closer to the unholy number SIXTY. Emiko has been ill for most of this week. She was laid low by what the doctor diagnosed as a stomach virus. A 'lot of it going about', apparently. She was in too much pain to go to work on Tuesday though she had little option on Wednesday because of two freelance contracts that she's duty bound to deal with. I did what I could to help, driving and carrying things. Thursday she was feeling a little better but still suffering from stomach pain intermittently and feeling weak. It was a busy day for both of us though, for several reasons. Thursday the 7th of December marked the 30th anniversary of my father's death. I drove over to Wakefield to pick my mother up from her home and together we drove out to the crematorium at Kettlethorpe to take some flowers. There's a tiny chapel of sorts in the crematorium gardens, a little red brick building houses a large, semi-ornate 'Book Of Rememberance.' It is opened at the appropriate date of each day of each month, where the names of people who passed away on that date are recorded by hand in red and black gothic script with the year of their death next to their name. The wind was blowing hard, cold and wet as my mother and I entered the little building and looked down into the glass display case that contained the book. Two thirds of the way down the left hand page, my father's name, in the aforementioned immaculate gothic script:, appeared: 'Walter Nelson, 7th December 1976.' We stood side by side, looking at the page in silence for a few seconds, almost as if the thirty year old ink might magically conjure my father's presence into the room. Then we talked fondly and wryly about him, noted the name of the only other person in the book who had died on the 7th of December 1976 and eventually, reluctantly, made our way outside to the rear of the building where a small, lean-to greenhouse-like annexe stood. It held rows of wall mounted zinc vases where flowers could be left as a memorial to loved ones. We took the wrapping paper from two bunches of white and yellow flowers we'd bought from Morrison's supermarket, just down the road from my mother's house, and placed them into two empty vases, halfway up the inside wall, opposite the outer, glassed wall. The second bunch was in rememberance of my grandmother, Ethel Griffiths, who had passed away a few years before my father. My mother opened her handbag and produced two messages that she had written on two nondescript pieces of lined notepaper. The messages were from herself and me, written in her neat and tidy old-school handwriting, a handwriting that puts mine to shame. One message was for my father and one for my grandmother. She sighed and noted that this was the very first time that the messages had not included the name of my brother Ian next to my mother's signature and mine. We attached the pieces of paper to the zinc vases with a few elastic bands that my mother had also thoughtfully brought with her and adjusted the blooms so that they looked as attractive as we could possibly manage without Emi being there to add her professional flair. Then we wrapped up the stem ends that we'd trimmed from the greenery and stood back to see the finished effect, simultaneously scanning the surrounding vases, all with their own notes attached, messages from loving wives, husbands, sons and daughters. Each vase contained a life story of one kind or another, a life lost but not forgotten, expressed in faded flowers and a few inky words on damp paper. On a bottom row, next to one particular vase, was a small, soft-toy teddy bear which had fallen on its side. My mother bent down to straighten it up and glanced at the card that was attached to it. From where I was standing, I could just make out the words, 'to my Daddy.' The rain beat down hard on the glass roof of the little greenhouse, driven by the cold wind that whistled in the eaves and under the door. We went outside and walked across to the main entrance path and to the spot where the local council authorities had cast my father's ashes, thirty years previous. My mother told me that she had once made enquiries, of the crematorium staff, about where this act had taken place and one official had looked it up in the book of records and then paced out the location for my mother. She led me over to it, an area just by the side of the stone-flagged path at the crematorium end. We stood now, in the rain, looking at this ambiguous patch of grass, vainly trying to materialise my father from the long dissolved powder of his remains. I wanted to talk to him, to tell him about my life, to tell him about Emiko, to ask him hundreds of questions that I was too young and self-engrossed to ask when he was alive. Then, my mother and I sought the shelter of my car before driving away from the crematorium, passing the Kettlethorpe council estate and, just a few yards down from the crematorium, on the right-hand side of the road, the Kettlethorpe Youth Club building, the latter hardly changed since the 'sixties. As we drove, my mother recalled a time, in my early teens, when I was out playing somewhere in Wakefield, with an amateur band I was involved in. Apparently, whilst I was out , a 'phone call came in to my parent's house, asking if the band could do another gig, later that same night, over at Kettlethorpe Youth Club. My father, who sometimes acted as manager for these early bands of mine, hopped in his car and drove to the gig in Wakefield to tell us about the request. The Wakefield gig must have been an early evening thing as my mother tells me that, afterwards, we packed up our gear and then went on to the Kettlethorpe Youth Club to play the second gig. I only vaguely recall this twin-booking windfall but I DO remember one thing from the Kettlethorpe Youth Club gig and it is this: there was an open plan style staircase in the central entrance of the youth club, a very 'sixties styled thing, quite modern then but maybe archaically so now. On these stairs I encountered and chatted with a very pretty girl. I can half see her face as I type these words. Can't recall her name though...but she had a softness about her, a calmness. She possesed none of the common, vulgar presence that so many girls seemed to exude back then but had something deeper, gentler, quite lovely, refined even. I was very much taken by her and it seemed, from her warm smile and the inviting twinkle in her eye, that she felt the same about me. But I was relatively shy, lacked confidence and didn't make enough of an attempt to fan this tiny spark of mutual recognition into something bigger. We chatted, flirted and vanished into our respective futures. But I've never forgotten that encounter, one of those instances that actually happen far more frequently than we surmise. A situation where paths cross, where someone, out of the blue, connects with us in a profound way. Maybe you could call it a soul encounter, a precious, fleeting moment lost in time but forever remembered and cherished. Damn! What WAS her name? Back to Thursday: From Kettlethorpe, my mother and I then drove to Wakefield Cemetary where we cleaned out one of the glass vases on my brother Ian's grave and filled it with our third bunch of flowers. The wind was almost as cold as the terrible day when we watched his casket being lowered into the ground in April of this year. I miss him profoundly, much, much more than he would ever have expected. My mother, unsurprisingly, is still devastated, permanently wounded despite her outer attempts at stoicism. Ian's memorial headstone is not quite ready yet, so his grave is marked only by the metal framework that outlines the word 'DAD,' a remnant of a floral tribute from his three children that Emi prepared for Ian's funeral. No flowers on it now, of course, just the weather beaten frame but, until the headstone is errected, it is the only object, other than three glass vases and some rain washed cards, that identifies his resting place. Mum and I agreed that it is time the headstone was in place. And it will be soon, I hope. We stood there in the cold rain, gazing down at the earth where Ian rests, thinking about how much we loved and miss him and how we wished we could have saved him from such a premature fate. It suddenly struck me that, as a very young boy, I used to accompany my mother to Wakefield Cemetary in the 1950's to put flowers on the graves of my great grandmother and great grandfather. I would play amongst the gravestones with a toy balsa wood glider, (bought by my mother from a model shop then located at the bottom of Kirkgate), whilst my mother attended to the cleaning of vases and the changing of flowers. All those long years ago. And now, here are the two of us, mother in her late seventies, me rapidly approaching sixty, placing flowers on my own brother's grave in that very same cemetary. Neither of us expected, back in those early, carefree 1950's, that this would be our future sorrow.. No wonder it was raining. I drove my mother to her home where her husband George was waiting, then set off for York. Emi had gone to work at the flower shop that morning, her stomach bug better than it had been but still not vanquished. She'd already booked the afternoon off as we'd had an invitation to attend a special event at Castle Howard, just north of York. (For those of my diary readers unfamiliar with the place, it was used as one of the chief locations in the tv series 'Brideshead Revisited.') Earlier in the year, we'd signed up for an annual pass to Castle Howard. We visit there at regular intervals anyway and both of us adore the house and its glorious surroundings. One of the benefits of being a pass-card holder is that we get invited to special events, many of them not available to the general public. Today we were to be allowed into the house itself to view the Howard family's Christmas decorations followed by a brass band recital, mince pies, mulled wine and a torchlit parade. Normally, the house is closed to the public in winter as the public wing of it is reclaimed by the Howard family for their Christmas entertaining. It was a new experience for Emi and I to walk through the grounds of the house in winter. Normally, we're there during the spring or summer months when the atmosphere is quite different. But, to my delight, it is equally beguiling with a grey windy sky and naked trees. The interior of the house, when we entered and made our way through its marble statued corridors to the great hall, looked absolutely otherworldly. It was, by now, completely dark outside and the house was lit by hundreds of thick candles set on silver reflective trays, their glow flickering across the ancient carved marble bodies and heads of Greek and Roman gods and godesses, some of them amusingly (and sometimes daringly), hung with festive tinsel and glass baubles. In the great hall, a log fire was blazing and opposite it stood a truly enormous Christmas tree, festooned by the Howards with their personal family decorations. And there were impressive Christmas trees throughout the entire house, each one beautifully trimmed and gleaming. Not Disney-like, not twee...but transcendent. It was as if the entire building had been alchemically transformed into a fairytale palace, achingly gorgeous, filled with rare treasures. Choral music filled the air as if angels were hidden in the high corners of each magnificent room. I have to say that, despite being generally cynical about these things, I was transported, utterly enchanted. We slowly made our way through the huge house, eventually ending up in the Howard family's private chapel, a tiny jewel of Pre-Raphaelite splendour. For many years, I've dreamed of creating a site-specific piece of music for this chapel. Now, on a candle-lit evening in early winter, I was seized by a stronger conviction than ever that this is something I must try to achieve before it becomes too late. I resolved to write to Simon Howard in person, to see what the possibilities for such a thing might be. It would involve a live instrumental performance from myself but with the possibility of some kind of vocal dimension being incorporated. (My good friend Harold Budd has suggested to me that a vocal work of a non-pop/rock nature might be worth my consideration. And he's right, of course.) I would also like to incorporate a small string section as part of the composition, though this may require more funding than may be available to me. It's nothing but pure idea now though...so much to be resolved before it would have a chance of being realised as an actual performance. But something to work towards, next year. Let me see if I can outline my tdeas in a letter to Mr. Howard. He may find the proposal of no interest. Then again... After leaving the chapel, we gathered around yet another gaily lit Christmas tree, this time outside on the north face of the house, where a brass band played carols and the invited guests were treated to mince pies and mulled wine.The Howards walked around, checking that everyone was enjoying the evening. Far away behind and slightly below us, one of Castle Howard's lakes gleamed in the December darkness while two white swans, faintly visible in the gloom, glided silently on its glassy surface. Then the torchlight parade from the house, through the grounds, to the stable courtyard where a Father Christmas Grotto had been set up for the children. All in all, a lovely, relaxing, memorable evening. Then Emi and I drove to Leeds. This was to pick up some items that Emi needed from the flower market which was opening unusually late that evening. Once the car was loaded with these items, we then set off to the village of Ledsham for a cosy dinner for two in the ancient 'Chequers' inn, one of our favourite haunts. Two glasses of wine and a plate of mussels later, I sat back in the passenger seat as Emi was drove us home to spend the rest of the evening snuggled up together on the sofa in front of the television. A hectic day but one that made us realise how blessed we were. By direct contrast, I came across some really sad bickering amongst a tiny handful of fans on my website forum, fuelled by some deliberately vindictive postings elsewhere. I'm regularly amazed by how steamed up over absolutely nothing some people get. Certain troubled souls seem use either me or my work as a pitiful excuse to vent their own inner demons on the world at large. Terribly flattering, in a way, but completely self-defeating in the long run. It's doomed to failure and serves no positive purpose. If nothing else it confirms my thoughts about the whole silly business of being fantasied over as a 'rock star' or whatever role I fulfill in some people's lives these days. That a few isolated fans feel the need to so intensely focus their energy on the minutae of my existence is not so much a mystery as a tradgedy. But ever since I've had a career in music, I've been forced to deal with some rather odd people, a tiny minority of them seriously troubled. But then again, I'm not alone in this. Virtually every other musician of my acquaintance has suffered the same experience at some point or other... and my management have often warned me about allowing certain people get too close. Maybe this kind of problem goes with the job, although I wish it didn't. I'm far too gullible, and I suppose I find it hard to say "no" to people. The number of times my instincts have warned me to stay clear of someone or other, yet I've gone ahead and trusted them, only to be betrayed later. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now. My own fault, no doubt. On the other hand, I'm definitely blessed with a great number of loyal, genuine, sensible, calm and respectful fans of whom I'm proud. They reflect the care and thought that goes into the music and are wonderful ambassadors for my work. They are a joy to meet and are respectful of my privacy when I need it. It's just that there have always been a few, let's just say, 'over-enthusiastic' ones, teetering, some people have suggested, on the edge of being psychopathically unbalanced. It seems that they just don't know where the boundary lies and end up regarding their heroes as personal property, always a recipe for disaster, in my experience. The crazy thing is, the more I try to disillusion them, to lift the scales from their eyes, the more they obsess and cling to their manias. I become a kind of life-raft for them, vehemently attacked because they've mistakenly come to depend upon me and my work for the propping up of their own sense of self. Ego, resentment, jealousy, there's evidence that all these things enter into the equation. As someone with a longtime interest in what makes people tick, I find this sort of phenomena immensely interesting. A social psychiatrist, I suspect, would have an absolute field day. It's sad but, a certain amount of personal provocation does get aimed in my direction, and in the direction of sincere, well-balanced fans too. Maybe it stems from a latent masochistic streak or something, perhaps these people are desperate to get me to hurl insults at them. Whatever the psychology, it seems I fulfill a very powerful role in their lives. Which, as you might expect, freaks me out no end. It's not something I set out to achieve, quite the opposite. But, ultimately, who cares? It's only pop music. And it's only in pop music that this sort of rubbish happens. In that respect, it's quite common and utterly banal. Anyway... Christmas shopping in Harrogate on Saturday. The annual Charles Rennie Macintosh Society festive gathering on Sunday. (Films, tea and sandwiches.) My music parked until next week when I need to knuckle down to some serious work before Christmas takes over my attentions completely. I must complete the adaptation of 'Dreamland Illuminated', (the Memory Codex soundtrack), that I intend to make the centrepiece of a new album. I'm adding some extra instrumentation to parts of the almost 40 minute piece to make it work as a 'stand-alone' composition. This album will gather together various odds and ends that haven't found a home on recent albums. In some ways it will work in the manner of the Nelsonica convention specials. The album will have the title 'Gleaming Without Lights.' I also have a new project to work on: I've been invited to remake/remodel a track of my choosing from Mitchell Froom's first solo album, an invitation which I consider to be both an honour and a challenge. Then there's the Be Bop Decca Sessions album to mix and assemble. It's called ' Tomorrow The World.' I intend to add radio interviews and some 'official' bootleg live recordings to the package too. Then there's the EMI box set to consider with Mark Powell who is putting it all together. Plus update work on Paul sutton-Reeves 'Music In Dreamland' book. Somewhere amongst all that, I have to fit in Christmas and family duties. Not quite the usual holiday time then...or is it? Nothing at all to complain about, though. I love every ticking minute! Top of page Friday 29th December 2006 -- 10:00 pm 2006 almost gone...and Christmas gone in the blink of an eye. I spent the week before Christmas in a stressed-out panic, trying to make sure that everything and everyone was taken care of, presents bought, cards sent, plenty of food in the larder, enough wine to host a Bacchanalian revel, the usual Yuletide madness that, no matter how carefully I try to plan ahead, always ends up being a last minute scamble. And for what? Christmas melts away faster than the fabled snow that never arrives. Eat, drink, fall asleep on the sofa and it's gone. I did manage to get my son and daughter their main requested gifts: A Korg AX 3000 G guitar effects processor for Elliot and a Line 6 DL4 Delay modeller for Elle. A few fun stocking fillers were purchased to round things out for them. I also bought gifts for my eldest daughter Julia and my grandson Luke but their plan to travel from their home in London to spend Christmas or New Year in Yorkshire has been changed at the last minute. I'll hold on to everything until they manage to get up here. For Emi, I bought mostly clothes and lingerie. Many men would not naturally relish the choosing of, (and shopping for), clothes for their wives but for me it's an absolutely delightful and creative task. I'm pretty much dependable when it comes to finding items for Emi...nothing to do with fashion, (which, the more confident one becomes, the more one should ignore). It's more about elegance and style rather than high street trends. (Or, at least that's the plan.) I'm quite prepared to spend as much time as necessary to track down something that little bit special and I know instinctively when I've found the right thing. Emi, flatteringly, trusts my taste, even though her own is sophisticated and finely honed. Luckily, from past experience, it's very rare that I get it wrong. This Christmas, she loved everything I bought and all of it fits her perfectly. Of course, I do get the added benefit of a private fashion show as she tries each garment on! Emi bought me a new watch for my collection, a hand knitted fisherman's hat from Whitby, a hand-knitted scarf in lemon, grey and black from the same town, a book dealing with the history of British comics, a facsimilie edition of a 1939 Dandy annual, a bottle of 'Aqua Di Parma' cologne, (one of my favourite fragrances), and several other bits and pieces. We've been together for 13 years now, (and known each other longer), yet I still can't believe my good fortune. How an unsophisticated kid from a council estate in Yorkshire ended up living with such a lovely treasure is not only a mystery to me but a continuing miracle. Wakefield and Tokyo...for much of our lives we were half a world apart but, somehow, fate brought us together. I could never have predicted such an exotic future when I was a young man. On Christmas Eve, we both went to the arthouse cinema in the centre of town and watched a special screening of Frank Capra's 'It's A Wonderful Life.' This involved a pre-film buffet with mulled wine which we were allowed take into the cinema with us. It was a full house and Emi and I had to sit apart from each other as only single seating arrangements were left. The mulled wine I'd happily consumed caused a few drowsy moments during the film but I responded to the story's sentimental ending with the customary tear-damp eyes. A pleasant way to spend Christmas Eve, nevertheless. On Christmas Day, we were both invited to join our friends, Steve and Julia, for the traditional feast at their house just down the lane from ours. They've been kind enough to let us share their festive family gathering for several years now and the Christmas meal is always a delight. Julia has a genuine talent for cooking and entertaining and all our taste buds were given a tremendous treat. A terrific meal and excellent company. During the woozy, boozy afternoon, Julia's mother, Julia's husband Steve and myself initiated a joyful, spontaneous jam session in the music room. Steve on drums, Julia's mum on piano and myself on guitar. Great fun. I'd never actually played 'Begin The Beguine' before but I managed to figure it out as we went along, my D'Angelico New Yorker plugged into one of Steve and Julia's children's amplifiers. It almost sounded as if we'd rehearsed it. Julia's mother is a fine pianist and Steve used to play drums in a band before his business began to occupy so much of his time. I think he'd like to play more often if circumstances allowed. After much wine was consumed and gifts exchanged, Emi and I rolled home to spend the rest of the evening crashed out on the sofa, watching a DVD of Ken Russel's evocative tv dramatisation of British composer Edward Elgar's life. Christmas lights twinkled merrily in the corners of the room, rows of greetings cards lined the low wooden ceiling beams, candles flickered in etched crystal jars as the Elgar dramatisation unfolded, enhancing my mood of fireside melancholy. Strains of 'Nimrod' conjuring a lost England of dreams. A kind of wrapped-in-cotton-wool-cloudy blissfulness enveloped the two of us. Wonderful... Christmas suits this place. Our home looks even more warm and colourful than usual with all the seasonal decorations. Took me quite a while to get everything organised but the end result was worth it. Reminds me of the childhood Christmases I shared with my brother Ian when we once-upon-a-time believed in Santa Claus, back in the 1950's when we lived at 28 Conistone Crescent, Eastmoor Estate, on the edge of Wakefield. Our parents always went to great trouble to ensure that it was a magical time for us. Even though we were a working class family living in a council flat, Christmas Day morning always brought wonders. The front room was miraculously transformed into an indoor toy shop window, overflowing with endless delights: Meccano sets, Dinky Toys, Hornby train sets, Scalextric sets, Eagle, Beano, Beezer and Topper annuals, gaily decorated paintboxes, coloured 'Lakeland' pencils in wooden boxes, magician's outfits, cowboy hats and cap-guns in holsters, Airfix, Revell and Monogram model kits...all displayed with great visual skill on the living room carpet beneath the half-bay art-deco framed window. My brother Ian and I, awake early and eager, would kneel in front of this shining bounty, still in our red 'Ladybird' brand dressing gowns. We would carefully look at each gift in turn as our parents observed our mounting excitement. And all around us, the garlands, balloons, lights and other Christmas decorations, whilst not nearly as high-tech or elaborate as today's fare, shone with the most evocative colour schemes and shapes, so very much of their time. Those long distant years are vividly etched in memory. Sometimes it feels as if I only need to move a few inches to my left and I'll be back there again, as if I'd stepped through a thin veil of time, a doorway to way back when. There's a lyric in an old Simon and Garfunkel song, (called, I think, 'Photograph'). The lyric says: "preserve your memories, they're all that's left you..." Sentimental nonsense? Well, yes and no... Here in the present, the future rushes towards us at such an unforgiving pace that it's no surprise that we sometimes regard the past as offering us a nebulous, peaceful haven, a moment's respite from the harsh pressures of the now. Yet this tendency to wallow in nostalgia is as much a curse as a blessing. I'm certainly not immune to its seductive charms...and not nearly as brave and present in the here and now as I ought to be. For all my criticism of those who perpetually yearn for the return of their golden years, I still, when cold winds blow, furtively seek sanctuary in the warm candle-lit corridors of memory. If I stand back and attempt some kind of objectivity, I see that this might indicate a somewhat contradictory creature, and, if truth were told, a confused, headlight dazzled one too. On the surface, it doesn't quite add up. How can someone who savours the likes of Coltrane, Partch, Faure, Milhaud, Feldman (and so on), find simple pleasure in the light, inconsequential music that was once broadcast by 'Uncle Mac' on the 'Children's Favourites' BBC radio programmes of the '50's? I mean, come on...'The Big Rock Candy Mountain?' 'The Runaway Train?' 'Inchworm?' 'Teddy Bear's Picnic?' 'Sparky And His Magic Piano?' For goodness sake! Why should that be? Where lurks the critical faculty when I allow myself such indulgences? How can a bookworm who delights in the literary pleasures of Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs, who has pondered the mystical writings of Jacob Bohme, the occult speculations of A.O. Spare, the Zen musings of Suzuki, the sexo-political theories of Reich, etc, etc...how can THIS man still have an appetite for the adventures of Dan Dare, Jack Flash, Jimmy And His Magic Patch, General Jumbo, Marvelman, and all the other fanciful denizens of the British children's comics of the post-war years? How too, can I become absorbed in and inspired by the films of Jean Cocteau, Orson Wells, Maya Deren, Fritz Lang, Kenneth Anger, Harry Smith, Jack Smith and dozens of others of their luminous ilk and yet...STILL shed a pathetic tear at the conclusion of 'It's A Wonderful Life?' Or watch a complilation video of the Morcambe and Wise Christmas shows? Makes no sense...Then again, maybe to a perceptive psychologist, it does. Perhaps it's not so complicated, maybe I simply want it ALL, to reach out and grasp as much as possible, to embrace everything, to pull it all together and put it all into some sort of context. What context would that be? Why, that of my own mysterious, unfathomable existence of course! I'm simply looking for myself amongst all the glittering rubble, the gilded ruins of my life. I'm made up of all this conflicting material, these myriad, random assemblies of STUFF...and yet, like everyone else, I'm ultimately, essentially, separate from these things. I simply curate them, contain them like a museum. A museum that I sometimes haunt like a ghost. I often worry unduly about this paradoxical mess of seminal potage, at other times I simply ignore it and go with the flow. Cultural barriers can too easily be imposed from without...far too many people taking their cues from the media, cherry picking their art passions for effect, a desperate attempt to impress those whom they perceive as their peers. (If not that, then at least to convince themselves of their own 'good' taste.) Such barriers are also imposed from within, errected out of a kind of fear of the unknown, a fear of appearing 'different', a fear of being an outsider trapped within a uniform society. But surely this should be seen as an outmoded attitude nowadays? Haven't we gone beyond such limitations? Or are we returning to a more rigid, dogmatic, conservative ethos? The attitude of many who seek some kind of artistic perspective, is that there is no such thing as 'low' culture or 'high' culture. It's all one continuous ribbon: just CULTURE. Class structures, privelege and wealth are redundant, irrelevant. Anything and everything can be considered as cultural grist-to-the-mill. Everything is up for grabs, inspirational, intrinsically valuable. The modern creative soul knows no bounds and little shame. Such a wide-open attitude goes way beyond post-modernism, beyond irony, beyond 'art' even. It's an ongoing, evolutional revelation, the timeless ticking of the human dream machine. Even the most mundane of moments is seen to contain a wealth of meaning and personal resonance. Perhaps the entire universe is available for transformation. Everything we are capable of comprehending is potentially transcendent. But how many people realise this and grasp that potential? For many of us, it's impossible to ignore the constant cynicism that permeates our society. The cynicism that screams at us from the pages of newspapers, from the media in general, from the streets. It's so ingrained nowadays that we often take it as the norm, a given condition of contemporary life. Nor is it breaking news that a deep undercurrent of despair runs beneath all the rabid consumerism, the jostling for status and position, the cults of celebrity, the empty aspirations of middle class society, the transparent manipulations of our political puppet masters. Pointless to point the finger, we're all implicated and involved, both as individuals and as a collective society, whether we realise it or not. At the risk of adding even more cynicism to the equation, I'll say this: Christmas definitely shines a harsh light on our vain attempts to chase after an illusory, fragmentary happiness. It's right there in front of our eyes. Just take a moment to look around... There was little of what might once have been called Christmas cheer in the streets those last few days before the shops finally closed their doors. Instead there were stern, even angry faces, people pushing their way through the crowds in wild-eyed desperation, gangs of youths in ugly shell suits, screaming abuse at each other, drunken gaggles of tinsel-wreathed girls spillinng beer into their ample Wonderbra cleavages....scenes of cheap, tacky debauchery that reminded me of the apocalyptic visions of Hogarth and Bosch. The annual siege mentality. A feverish desperation expressed in overflowing shopping bags and whispered curses. And this in a city that prides itself as one of England's finest. Lovely... Actually, I have to admit that it fascinates me in an appalling way. I stand back and look at it as if I'm visiting from another world and yet I'm as inextricably woven into its chaotic fabric as anyone else. The act of observation and the reporting of it here only adds to the vulgar, nauseous effect. Nevertheless...you can't deny folks their jollies, especially at this time of year. Maybe I'm just a decadent old snob but I do prefer my odd moments of debauchery to include some sort of redeeming aesthetic, a sensual dandyism, if you will: a finely turned ankle in an elegant, subtly fetishistic shoe, a sweet bosom nestled in intricate black French lace, a moment of delicate, aching beauty prolonged to the point of religious ecstasy. Is there some kind of musky, velvety, suburban elitism at play here? Well, yes, quite possibly. Or at least there would be, given half the chance. But then, I also see myself as an old romantic who enjoys a tender kiss, a hint of perfume and the gleam of starlight to accompany his behind-the-gasworks fumblings. (No surprise this as I was a young romantic too, once upon a time. Check out those early Be Bop Deluxe songs for the damning evidence.) However, whether it's a sign of a failing libido or just plain old repulsion, lardy women exhibiting their spotty backsides whilst stooping to recover their clip-on reindeer's antlers outside Yates' Wine Lodge don't do a damned thing for me, I'm sorry to admit. Merry Christmas, girls...and make the most of it. No matter how hard we try to surround ourselves with seasonal symbols, how much we spend in the high street, how much we eat or drink, there's something terminally unfulfilling and empty at the end of it all. Our neighbour, Archbishop John Sentamu, (yes, he's a local lad for the moment, at least until Cantebury calls), would probably say the same thing, but he would also, inevitably, add the Christian message of salvation as the solution. Archbishop Sentamu is, from all I've read about him, a good man and a fine example to us all, (he even wonders through the village without ecclesiastical entourage, dressed in rather sharp fashionable clothes), but, God forgive me, Christianity, or at least the Church that claims its custody, seems somehow insufficient to the complexity of the modern malaise. Faith alone is never enough. 'Be ye as little children...' but beware strangers bearing toys. It's a wicked world and peace, love and understanding is under constant threat. Perhaps the new thing, the best hope for our society, is an internal reprogramming, an adjustment of values, a total re-alignment of our expectations. Maybe it's time for our contemporary mean-spirited cynicism to be abandoned in favour of an open-hearted optimism, a warm and generous positivity. A sunnier disposition if you like. I could add: "yeah, and pigs will fly..." but then, that would be my own lazy cynicism rearing its ugly head. Maybe its not asking too much at all, perhaps such a fundamental, simple attitude shift would separate the winners from the losers...or transform the losers into winners. The new optimists, the yea-sayers, the 'inclusionists', the positivists, the all-embracers, perhaps this is what we must become if the future is to be saved from the ravages of the present. Knowledge, of self, first and foremost, then the glorious by-product: universal understanding and compassion. Lost keys to a bright tomorrow? But I'm drifting way off course here. As I usually do. I'll return to my reporting of the seasonal day to day... On Boxing Day my mother, her husband George, his daughter Jennifer, (who is visiting from Australia where she lives), Elle and Elliot, all came to our house for a tasty buffet Emi had prepared. George has given me, as a Christmas gift, an old accordian of his. It's a beautiful object in its own right, before I even begin to play it. Which I can't at the moment, but I'll keep trying. (My old friend Roger Eno would coax a grand shanty out of it, as would the lovely Kate St. John...Accordioneers both.) Elliot gave me a boxed set of DVDs archiving the old American television Superman series from the '50's. (The live action ones, not the Fleischer cartoons.) For my birthday, a week earlier, he'd bought me another DVD set containing the entire series of 'Supercar', an early Gerry Anderson produced creation. Elliot is aquainted with my inner child and knows how to indulge it. Elle bought me some cosmetic things, (as girls do), plus a beautifully scented candle and a set of Jean Cocteau fridge magnets which she bought in Paris. It seems that Cocteau has become a modern day product, just like his pal Picasso. 'Art, Empire, Industry' as I once sang, thirty years ago now. On Wednesday, we went to visit my sister-in-law Diane in Wakefield. It is her first Christmas without my brother Ian and I can only imagine how she must feel. Ian's passing has overshadowed all our enjoyments this Christmas. It's been impossible to deal with the seasonal demands without feeling a deep sadness at his absence. We all miss him so much. Ian's headstone was finally erected, just before the Christmas weekend, eight or nine months after his passing. Emi and I drove to Wakefield cemetary on the day before Christmas Eve to view the memorial stone in situ. It was dark, cold and wet when we got there but we were able to drive Emi's car into the cemetary and park it with its headlights illuminating the grave. I have to admit that, whilst the headstone has been much anticipated, the sight of it provoked a dark anguish. It somehow underlined the awful finality of the situation. Emi and I placed fresh flowers in the vases that have been built into the headstone. Ian's name stood out in silver letters, carved as much into the cold night as the grey marble. Every time I visit the cemetary, I struggle to grasp the enormity of the loss. It's still hard to believe that I won't be able to share a joke with him again, or recall together a memory of our happy childhood. Then, for an awful moment, the truth hits and hits brutally hard. It is always going to be tough, painful and sad, no matter how many years pass. There's absolutely no way around that. This thing will never completely settle. I just hope that our love for him counts for something, if only for love itself. Today, Emi had to go to work at the flower shop, (as she did yesterday). And my car won't start. A completely flat battery. I've caught a cold and haven't had the energy to sort the problem out. Feeling lethargic and unenthusiastic. A slump, a low, a kind of despair. Perhaps it's nothing more than post-Christmas depression. I'm not sure even if I care. The two protype Nelsonic Transitone guitars were returned to the Cambell American company a few weeks back. A recent conversation with Dean Campbell informed me that I should be receiving my proper, finished production model soon. The official limited edition production orders should start rolling in a two or three weeks time, all being well. Now the slow ramp to the new year, the gradual shifting of gears, the dread of things to come. Optimism needed now, more than ever. Such is life. Roll on spring, yellow flowers and pink blossoms. At this very moment though, wind and hail cracks on the skylight night of my lamplit studio. ***** The images attached to this diary entry are as follows:- 1: A belated Dreamsville Xmas card. 2: A photo of Bill and Emi's Xmas tree. 3: A photo of the 2 Nelsonic prototype guitars on Bill's sofa. Top of page

Dreamland To Starboard Bill Nelson album - 3 October 2004 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Girlfriend In Mini-Skirt 02) Creamy Clouds 03) Gondola 04) The Singing In The Air Above The Village Green 05) Lost To Tomorrow 06) I Am The Only Monster Here 07) Burnished 08) Tarnished 09) Radio Waves Lap Memory's Shore 10) Moments Flash Like Stars Between Them 11) Ghost Of Gilded Ruin 12) Circo Infantil 13) Standard Fireworks 14) All A Dream, After All 15) The Diving Bell 16) My Ever Gleaming Dreamertron 17) All's Well In Wonderland ALBUM NOTES: Dreamland to Starboard is an album of guitar instrumentals issued in a one off print run on the Universal Twang label. It is believed that 1000 copies were pressed. The album was one of three albums issued on the same day (initially available on the merchandise table on the Be Bop Deluxe and Beyond tour). Copies were then sold via S.O.S. Dreamland to Starboard sold out in January 2006. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Dreamland to Starboard is one of those albums that I'll always be able to stand by, to be eternally proud of, and one which, I predict, will rate high in my list of musical achievements. I think that it is a FAR more sophisticated recording than Romance of Sustain and, for me at least, fits perfectly into a guitar pantheon alongside Plaything and Rosewood Volume One . Add Practically Wired to these three and you have, perhaps, THE defining statement regarding my guitar instrumental work. A quartet of six-string dreams." _____ "There is a thread that runs from The Romance of Sustain right through, Plaything , Wah-Wah Galaxy , Dreamland to Starboard , Rosewood Vol 1 and Rosewood Volume 2 . It's the story of my instrumental guitar style in 21st Century terms. All these albums, along with some of the guitar instrumental tracks from Luxury Lodge and Astral Motel give you a complete picture of where my guitar dreams are these days." FAN THOUGHTS: BenTucker: "This album presses all my buttons. I regard it as a crime that it's not enjoyed by millions." "Dreamland to Starboard sounds, to me, almost crystalline, cerebral - but also has that romantic/emotional depth characteristic of Bill's music." Peter: "A fascinating album, this one. Rich with guitary goodness, dripping with invention and adventure. Not one of those albums with lots of layered production -- more stripped down and airy. Many songs don't even include percussion. "One major stand-out for me, personally, is "I Am the Only Monster Here," which struck me as what it would sound like if you could clone Bill, give the other Bill a guitar and then have the two Bill's face off in a jazz-style "guitar duel". The wonderful jazzy soloing is amazing. Another one I especially like is "Tarnished", which is just really lovely, as is the next track, "Radio Waves Lap Memory's Shore". So much to like here, Bill...love it." krieger: "Can't avoid listening Dreamland to Starboard without a smile on my face..." Sue: "Loved it, beautiful perfection in one album." Twilightcapers: "Dreamland is better than Romance or Custom Deluxe . As you say, deeper, more textural. Very trippy and dreamlike." Dar: "My Ever Gleaming Dreamatron": "The sort of thing you could go get lost in and never come back, finding yourself with no reasons to ever want to either." steve lyles: "I had Dreamland to Starboard playing at high volume and was struck (once again) by the absolute beauty of this recording, it is one of those rare pieces that flows and entwines the listener...a timeless quality." "My Ever Gleaming Dreamatron": "is pure brilliance...Dreamland to Starboard I have never found to be difficult listening...but Bill's work just seems to hit my G spot." "I often wonder how Bill Nelson can come up with so many beautiful pieces of music...and then go on to do even more." Albums Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) November 2010 Jan May Jun Sep Dec Friday 12th November 2010 -- 9: 00 pm Begun 9th November 2010 Should I attempt this diary entry when I'm so desperately behind with my preparations for this year's Nelsonica? Can I manage to keep it brief and to the point? The answer, judging from past experience, is a resounding "no"...to both questions, but as usual, I'll throw caution to the wind and try to fill in the now statutory cavernous gap since the previous diary entry. So, here goes... I'll own up and confess that I've spent far too much time attempting to write and record several new backing tracks for my Nelsonica 10 solo set. This year's Nelsonica is now looming dangerously at the end of the month and I really shouldn't have been chasing the muse around her musical bedroom in search of new thrills. There are so many more down to earth tasks to deal with...but, she's been her usual seductive self and I've succumbed to her charms, as a gentleman always must. Actually, I've recorded enough new backing tracks to fill an entire album. But, having said that... how many of them have I actually chosen to use at Nelsonica? Well, humble apologies to both the muse and Nelsonica attendees, but the answer is just one. Yes, ONE. All is not lost though, apart from many days of intense work recording the damned things. The unused pieces have been set aside and will eventually receive overdubbed guitar parts and emerge next year as a studio instrumental album, or at least something along those lines. (Provided the muse doesn't unlock the bedroom door and waggle her finger at me again.) I've also created several new Orchestra Futura backing tracks, five of which WILL, hopefully, feature in the relevant section of the Nelsonica live performance. Theo and Dave and I have yet to test them out at the rehearsal sessions scheduled for the week immediately prior to Nelsonica. It may well be that some of them will not prove suitable, in a practical sense, but, who knows? Certainly not me at this stage. Anyway, we'll see how we get on with them at rehearsals. Improvisation is the basic nature of Orchestra Futura so, even though these new backing tracks have a formal structure, what Theo, Dave and myself play within that structure in a live situation is entirely subject to the moment. I've also spent considerable time transcribing lyrics for the various pieces to be attempted by the 'Gentlemen Rocketeers' band. I used to have most of these lyrics, (and the musical arrangement charts), archived on my old computer but the files wouldn't transfer across to my current iMac due to an 11 year operating system difference, (and partly because the new Macs now use Intel processors). The charts came out scrambled and wrongly formatted. So, in the end it seemed that the solution was to start again from scratch, and transcribe the songs line by line from the old recordings. Tiresome and time consuming but unavoidable under the circumstances. I suppose one problem is that I almost never listen to those old songs for personal pleasure and rarely give concert performances of them. Every time I'm in a position to perform the songs live, it's a little like approaching them as a complete stranger. People say, "oh, it must be just like riding a bike...as soon as you begin to play, it will all come back to you..." Well, truth is, it's not really like riding a bike at all. If it IS, it's a bike I seem to keep falling off. Actually, for me it's much more akin to climbing a very steep mountain, against a headwind, with my feet coated in rapidly drying cement. However incomprehensible that might seem to some, it's no surprise to me whatsoever...I've travelled so far from the music I made when I was in my twenties that songs from that era feel increasingly alien. Well, perhaps alien is not quite the right word. But, if I hadn't moved on, then what would be the point of continuing, other than to exist as a human jukebox? Creativity requires a certain degree of bridge burning. (And several boxes of matches constantly to hand.) Perhaps it's just the sheer amount of music that I've recorded since the 1970's that makes Be Bop Deluxe seem so many light years distant from whatever musical planet I currently broadcast from. Whatever the reason, it doesn't feel as natural for me to play those old songs as it did 35 years ago. Returning to them requires a considerable shift of focus, not just with regard to the practical aspects, but also because of the philosophical/aesthetic insights that maturity inevitably brings to the table. I guess I'm in a different head space, Or, to paraphrase the old saying: 'lots of water has flowed under lots of bridges,' (and the latter all burning furiously). No doubt when Nelsonica rehearsals are completed and the convention live performances are safely in the bag, (despite the nerves and crises of confidence that inevitably accompany these rare outings), I'll probably be hankering after performing live again. Perhaps I'll feel like that for a day or so too, once my guitars have been safely placed back in their cases. Then the old doubts and reservations will slowly return and I'll change my mind, retreat to my little 'garret' and get on with what I enjoy most, ie: working steadily and quietly in the studio, continuing to make the recordings that have defined my musical life these last few decades. Small marks, carved daily and diligently onto the hard-drive of dreams. That, I suppose, is my real passion. So, putting this existential stuff to one side for a moment, what else have I achieved, abandoned or fumbled since my last dusty diary entry? Well, wonderfully, I got to watch my first ever guitar hero, Duane Eddy, perform two live concerts here in the UK. The first at The Royal Festival Hall in London, the other in York at The Opera House. A year ago, I would not have thought such a thing possible. However...these two concerts were not my first experience of hearing Duane in a live situation. I'd actually seen him perform in concert once before, at 'The Savoy' supper club, in Wakefield, way back in my rose-tinted, sealed-in-amber days of youth...in the 1960's. Back then it seemed unbelievable that Duane Eddy would travel all the way from mythical, magical, movin' n' groovin' technicolour America to give a concert in, of all places, the drab, grey, northern town of my birth...let's face it, Wakefield wasn't the most sparkling location for a legendary American golden age of rock n' roll guitarist to appear. Of course, I seized the opportunity and bought tickets for the show, and with my then girlfriend Lynne Holliday in tow, went to 'The Savoy' supper club to witness Duane's performance. It was a special night out for both of us at the time, especially meaningful for me as I was a little older than Lynne and had such a strong connection with Duane's playing. Lynne and I had been part of the local mod scene before becoming early adopters of the blossoming hippie/psychedelic movement. English interpretations of American blues via John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Chicken Shack, Fleetwood Mac, etc were already well established and I had built up a collection of imported American West coast underground albums by bands such as Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield, Love, The Mothers Of Invention, Jefferson Airplane, and many others. Home grown bands such as The Nice, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, etc, had already taken the American psychedelic blueprint and developed it along very English lines. It was a time of creative cross-fertilisation and cultural eclecticism. As I've often noted in these reminiscences, it seemed, back then, that there were no insurmountable boundary fences. Once distant and exotic horizons were now within reach. Lynne and I enthusiastically tuned into this idealistic 'everything is possible' ethic, ('though perhaps I fell for it the most). We were both fashion-conscious, optimistic and curious. Hip teens with a seemingly infinite future ahead of us. I recall boarding a Wakefield corporation bus to travel from my parent's house at 37, Woodhouse Road, Eastmoor Estate to Lynne's parent's house at 37, Chantry Road, Lupset Estate, (curious coincidence of house numbers,) whilst wearing full flower-child regalia, complete with beads and bells. This, as I've probably said before, required a certain amount of nerve. Looking back from this relatively remote 21st century vantage point, it seems that I must have had some sort of self-belief, or 'bottle,' though I wasn't quite aware of it in those terms at that time. It just felt right. So...were they happy days? Yes...of course. If only because I was lucky enough to not get beaten up for dressing like a freak. Imagine doing that today in the environs of a contemporary council house estate, patrolled by gangs of mono-syllabic hoodies. Looking back, Duane's rare UK performance at the Wakefield Savoy Supper Club in the 1960s was just as inspirational to me then as my very first exposure to his music when I was 10 years old. And when Lynne and I returned to her parent's house on Lupset Estate after the concert, Duane's guitar still ringing in my ears, we furtively made out on the rug in front of the open fire until her mother's footsteps were heard coming down the stairs: "What on earth are you two doing?" She said, as she opened the living room door and caught us trying to look nonchalant and unflustered on the hearth-rug... (Nervous shufflings and a secretive attempt at re-arranging teenage nether-garments.) "Oh...er...just talking about Duane Eddy and watching the embers die down," I said... Back now to 2010 and whatever coherent, current report I can muster... Well, Duane's concert at The Royal Festival Hall proved rather emotional for me. I generally tend to ignore, dismiss or pour scorn upon my own fans' demands to reproduce my older music in concert. Especially if such demands are fuelled more by a desire to recapture lost youth, rather than to pursue anything of any real musical value. But, hypocrite that I am, there I was, front and centre stalls in the Royal Festival Hall, tears joyously welling up as Duane proceeded to remind me of exactly why I was inspired to take up the guitar in the first place, 50 years ago. It was a wonderful evening and Richard Hawley's band, who backed Duane, did a marvellous, respectful job of interpreting Duane's legendary back catalogue. And, one more pleasant surprise: Duane's guitar tech turned out to be Gordon White, the ace guitar repairer/set up guy who fettles my own instruments so superbly for me. Good man! It turned out that Duane was highly impressed with Gordon's professionalism. After the show, Emiko and I went back stage. I'm not really one for hanging out with bands after their gigs. I'm always rather shy, and from my own experience, aware of the performer's situation and the need for them to have time and space to recover...but the personal invitation to attend the concert was very special and I wanted to thank Duane for his kindness. It was good to meet a couple of guys in the band as well as chat with Professor Arthur Moir who runs the Duane Eddy Circle. (Of which I'm a proud honorary member!) Duane and his wife Deed were pleased to see us and we chatted about their experiences in England so far and the warm reception they'd been given by the Festival Hall audience. Emi and I eventually walked through the rain back to our hotel on the Southbank having enjoyed a memorable evening. A couple of weeks after the Festival Hall concert, Duane performed at the Opera House in York and I was generously invited to attend this show too. The night before the York show, I received an email from Duane's manager informing me that Duane would like me to get up on stage at The Opera House and play one of his numbers with him. I was totally blown away. When I was a skinny ten year old listening to 'Because They're Young' and miming along to the record with a home-made cardboard cut-out guitar, I could hardly have imagined that such an invitation would ever be extended to me. In fact, it's pretty unbelievable even today. But, dream-fulfilling as this opportunity was, there was one serious obstacle. The date of Duane's York concert coincided with the formal dedication of a bench to the memory of my late brother Ian, at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, near Wakefield, (as mentioned in my previous diary entry). My mother, Ian's family, Emiko and myself were attending the dedication and a reception afterwards. Unfortunately, it would have been impossible for me to get from the Sculpture Park to York in time to rehearse something with Duane at the soundcheck before the concert. I had to apologise and explain my dilemma. Duane completely understood and it was suggested that we might be able to do something along similar lines next year, when Duane is hoping to return to the UK. The dedication of Ian's bench at the Sculpture Park was an emotional, melancholy but warm affair. Emi and I collected my mum from her home in Wakefield and then drove out to West Bretton, on the southern edge of the city, where the Sculpture Park is located. Ian worked there for quite a few years, starting out as an assistant in the park's shop when he was quite young, but eventually moving up the ladder to become a respected member of the administrative staff. He was due to be made one of the park's directors until he suffered a stroke in his early 40s. Unfortunately, his illness and other unforseen problems conspired against such a thing happening. I remember when the Sculpture Park first opened. As I've written in this diary before, it was the brainchild of Peter Murray, one of my fine art tutors when I was a student at Wakefield School Of Art during the mid 1960s. Peter conceived of the idea of a Yorkshire sculpture park in the late '70s and was instrumental in getting the project off the ground. I recall bumping into him in Boots The Chemist store in Leeds around that time. I hadn't seen him since leaving art school and was very pleased to meet him again. He told me of the sculpture park project and invited me to the opening. I seem to recall that I drove there in the pale metallic blue Rolls Royce Silver Shadow I owned in those days...Somewhat showy by current standards but this was what post-war working class kids such as myself grew up to regard as 'aspirational.' Not at all the sort of thing I aspire to now, of course. Anyway, Peter had read an article about my work in a Sunday Times colour supplement and seemed pleased that his former student had achieved some sort of wider recognition. And I, naturally, was pleased that he was pleased. I've always been fond of Peter and still very much value his professional input during my art school years. Those were extremely influential and inspirational times for me and I continue to benefit from the creativity and experience that my art school years blessed me with. Much of what I absorbed back then, at the now demolished School Of Arts And Crafts building in Wakefield's Bell Street, informs my approach to music to this day. My brother Ian's family, plus his close friends and colleagues, were present at the dedication of the wooden bench which bears his name. The bench is situated in an area known as, (I think), 'The Bothy Garden.' It is at the apex of a semi-circular lawn, just outside the door of what used to be the park's cafe, back in the days when Ian worked there. The location is just lovely. Anyone sitting on the bench will be rewarded with beautiful, stunning views across the rolling country landscape that comprises the Sculpture Park. It would be hard to find a more appropriate spot to locate this memorial to my dearly missed brother. Peter Murray gave a heartfelt tribute to Ian before declaring the bench 'open' and my mum became the first person to 'officially' sit on it. How fragile and alone she looked. She's suffered so much these last few years. But she was so pleased to see the bench with Ian's name carved on it. We had both talked about having something which bore testimony to Ian's musical gifts, and the bench's inscription does exactly this. I'm very grateful to Peter Murray and Ian's sister-in-law Angie for helping to facilitate such a memorial. An informal reception followed the dedication with drinks and sandwiches. Even the weather blessed the day with an absolutely breathtaking display of autumnal colour and an arch of beautiful blue, blue, sky. Ian, I know, would have been touched, pleased and proud. I hope that, somehow, the love that he generated in those who knew him caused ripples in the ether that day, and spread beyond our little gathering in the Bothy Garden to wherever his spirit resides. Ian is deeply missed. Half of me vanished with him when he left us and life will never be the same. After the reception, Emiko and I drove back to York, arriving just in time to grab a meal at a nearby Italian restaurant before Duane came on to play his set at The Opera House. He seemed relaxed, enjoying himself despite recovering from an unpleasant cold virus that had struck a week or so previously. During the show, Duane graciously dedicated 'Because They're Young' to me. This was an unexpected thrill and one I'll never forget, even though very few of the audience, (who were mainly of the '50s rock n' roll generation), seemed to have heard of me or my music. Amusing, if somewhat embarrassing, to discover that it's not always the younger generation who are out of one's loop...it's sometimes the older ones too... After the show, I was reluctant to trouble Duane as he was engaged with a very long line of fans awaiting his autograph. (Prompting thoughts of the 3 hour autograph sessions I undertake every year at Nelsonica.) I attempted to signal a farewell to his wife Deed but, she, being the thoughtful and caring person that I've recently been privileged to know, insisted that I should not feel bad about interrupting the long line of admirers to speak to Duane. She took me by the hand and tapped him on the shoulder. Seeing me, he immediately stood up and made me feel warmly welcome. A lovely man, as noted in my previous diary entry, and a hero forever. Well, what else? More worries about Django the cat who, though much better than he was a few weeks ago, has, it seems, suffered permanent damage to his eyes. Toxoplasmosis may be the cause, or possibly an injury to his head. The end result is that his eyes don't adjust to bright light in the way that they should. In fact, they don't adjust at all...he's on permanent night vision. In bright daylight he has to squint to reduce the impact of light on his retina. Poor Django...He's suffered a lot in the last 12 months, what with the severe injury to his tail and all. Such a sweet natured creature too. He doesn't deserve any of this. I guess I'm pretty soft when it comes to animals. I can't help but put myself in their place and feel their pain. And, in practical terms, put my hand in my wallet to pay the vet's bills. Ouch! The big bugaboo, for me now, of course, is Nelsonica. Rehearsals begin in just over one week...and they lead straight into the two day convention itself. This year's ambitious, extended anniversary event has brought extra demands. The three live performance sets are daunting, especially considering, (as noted previously), how rare my live concerts are these days. Learning everything, prior to rehearsals, is the big worry at this moment in time. There are 33 individual compositions spread across the three live sets...That's a LOT of music to try and remember. Working out the chords, riffs, melodies etc, will take time...more than there is available, to be honest. I'm also currently attempting to create some artwork for the annual Nelsonica auction, but have fallen way behind. Yes, there will be some items for people to bid on...but probably far less than usual. The star piece at the moment though, is a four panel, framed set of drawings titled 'Four Fantasy Guitars.' Wouldn't mind holding onto this piece myself...but into the auction it must go. Domestic issues have come into the time scale too. Lots of household tasks to deal with but Emiko has been ill, which has pre-occupied me in various ways. She picked up a nasty flu-like virus and had to stay in bed for a few days. She's not completely recovered and, in fact, seems to have suffered a relapse, (or maybe caught another bug). She isn't feeling at all well at the moment. I'm deeply concerned about trying not to catch the virus from her. If I fell ill now, it would have disastrous consequences on Nelsonica rehearsals and the convention itself. I've been taking the usual vitamins, immune system boosters and so on, in the hope of keeping illness at bay. A few other things now, and I'll try to be as brief as possible: Had a call from John Leckie this evening. He's coming up to Yorkshire to attend Nelsonica again this year and we will do another on-stage interview/Q+A session together. My old friend Nick Dew, (who will be occupying the drum chair in 'The Gentleman Rocketeers' band at Nelsonica), has also kindly agreed to submit to an interrogation about his experiences as Be Bop Deluxe's first drummer in the very earliest days of the band. My regular guitar tech, Pete Harwood, is unfortunately unavailable to take care of me at this year's Nelsonica, (He's out on tour with Marillion), so Fairview Studio's Andy Newlove has bravely stepped into the breach. Pete and Andy came to the house a couple of weekends back so that Pete could give Andy an idea of how my complex live set-up fits together. In fact, we spent an entire afternoon trying to figure it all out! It will be the first time that anyone other than Pete has taken care of this important job, at least for several years now. Andy seems confident enough but it will be a 'baptism by fire' situation for him. Unfortunately for Andy, I'm not the sort of guitarist who simply plugs an overdrive pedal into a valve amplifier and clings to a single guitar all evening. I'm more of the mad-scientist type, with an entire laboratory of flashing lights, buttons and black boxes...everything rigged up in 'glorious technicolour and stereophonic sound,' as the old movie musical song would have it. (And there will definitely be more than one or two guitars for Andy to keep tuned up!) As mentioned in my previous diary entry, I was invited to write a review of two re-issued King Crimson albums for 'Classic Rock' magazine and the piece has now been published. It was fairly daunting task as the music is complex and not easy to critique in a few words. Although my review ended up containing far more words than the magazine had requested they were generous enough to print it in its entirety. I enjoyed writing it and was proud to see it in print. I wonder if Robert, (Fripp), saw it and what he made of it? Whilst on the subject of writing: Volume one of my autobiography, 'Painted From Memory,' is finally at the printers and will definitely be available at Nelsonica. It ended up costing me rather more to manufacture than originally anticipated but, hopefully, the extra expense will be worth it as the quality of the family archive photographs the book contains has been improved. My good friend and Nelsonica staff photographer Martin Bostock has been a terrific help in interfacing with the printers and I'm extremely grateful to him for all his help in getting this project from the manuscript and into book form. Also, for this year's special 10th anniversary Nelsonica, attendees will be given a free gift from myself, a copy of a DVD titled 'Picture House.' It contains several home-produced video 'sketches,' plus an emotive 8mm cine souvenir of the period when Be Bop Deluxe recorded the 'Drastic Plastic' album in the South Of France, in the latter part of the 1970s. This was shot by myself during the band's stay in Juan Les Pins, near Antibes. There are other videos included in the package, some of which are intended to compliment the publication of volume one of my autobiography. 'North-East' and 'Memory Codex' are two that fall into this category. These pieces are preliminary sketches for something I hope to refine and define more fully in the future, but, for now, they offer the viewer a raw glimpse of work in progress. As with the autobiography, this specially produced, limited-edition item has, for various reasons, exceeded its original production/manufacturing budget. However, it will now no longer only be exclusively available to Nelsonica attendees. 'Picture House' is scheduled to be offered for sale via the Dreamsville website's regular store so that non-Nelsonica attendees may purchase it, (at least for as long as limited stocks last). The DVD features a splendid package design by Dave Graham and myself, which I'm very pleased with. This year's special Nelsonica album, 'Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus,' (whose title evokes the 1960's psychedelia mentioned earlier in this diary entry), PLUS the next 'main' album release, ('Fables And Dreamsongs'), are also ready for Nelsonica. And will be put on general release sometime during the week following the convention. So...provided I can find enough time to work on a couple more original drawings for the auction...and also get to grips with the complexities of the 33 pieces of music I hope to perform live, Nelsonica 10 should, more or less, be roughly on course. I still need to find time for a haircut though...and to choose and iron some stage outfits! And get some guitar repairs and set-ups sorted with Gordon. A quick observation whilst on the subject of guitars: In my last diary entry I mentioned that I'd borrowed a Fractal Audio Axe-Fx guitar processor from my friend Clive English. Whilst I had my reservations about the unit, I'm currently of the opinion that, although it IS exorbitantly expensive, it is much more satisfying to use than the Line 6 Pod HD500 unit I purchased a couple of weeks ago. So far, I've been somewhat underwhelmed with the latter, 'though I'm hoping that, when time allows, I might be able to program the unit to produce sounds that are closer to my own tastes. At the moment though, it seems to favour cliched rock guitar tones, and fairly brittle sounding ones at that. Of course, if I'm to be fair, the Fractal Axe-Fx, is, (compared to the HD500), substantially more expensive...(and I do mean substantially). Maybe it's that old thing of 'you get what you pay for.' But I'm still open to persuasion...after all, I've been using Line 6 products for many years and I want the brand to succeed. For the time being though, and certainly for Nelsonica's live sets, I'll be continuing to use my faithful Pod 2, Digitech Valve FX and Zoom 9050S units. Better the devil you know, etc... Ok, that's four thousand six hundred and sixty three words that I didn't originally intend to write. Enough for now, at least until after the convention is done, don't you think? ------------------------------------------------------- The images accompanying this diary entry are as follows:- 1: A mobile-phone camera snap of Ian Nelson's bench at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. 2: Bill's mum sitting on the bench dedicated to Ian. 3: Emiko and Bill sitting on Ian's memorial bench. 4: Some of the drawings by Bill that will be auctioned at Nelsonica 10. 5: Another view of the Nelsonica 10 auction drawings. 6: A closer view of the Nelsonica 10 drawings. Top of page Sunday 21st November 2010 -- 9:00 pm Just returned from the first day of rehearsals for the live concerts of this year's Nelsonica convention. Decided to write a very short diary entry to inform fans of progress. I may write one or two more throughout the coming week...a sort of rolling report on progress prior to the event itself. Today's rehearsal was dedicated entirely to my solo set, so there were no other musicans involved...a relatively solitary experience. It was, however, also a rehearsal for my 'stand-in' guitar tech, Andy Newlove. Andy has bravely volunteered to substitute for my regular tech, Pete Harwood, who is out on tour and can't make the convention this year. Andy drove over to my place from his home near Hull this morning, to pick up my equipment. I'd finally lugged everything downstairs the day before and had it all packed up, ready for collection. A lot of it too. Far too much for one solo musician. We loaded up the van in the cold morning air, light rain falling. Then Andy set off for the rehearsal studio in Leeds whilst I drove into town to purchase a new folding table, required for my rack of guitar processors to occupy on stage. (My old table has been comandeered by Emi for her printer and some other computer peripherals.) By the time I arrived at the rehearsal room in Leeds, Andy had just about everything wired up, but there were a few teething problems and a certain amount of head-scratching as some of the set-up wasn't functioning as it should. Eventually, these problems were solved and, much to Andy's relief, my guitars sang loudly from the monitor speakers, signalling that rehearsals could begin. Andy admitted that he had been feeling a little nervous about the whole thing, which I perfectly understood as there was definitely an element of being 'thrown in the deep end' about it all. Despite his trepidation, he did a splendid job under pressure and I'm sure he will be able to cope confidently with the Nelsonica performances on Friday and Saturday. Even if it will mean him tuning at least 18 guitars! I worked my way through my solo set numbers, trying out several of my guitars and trying to decide which ones to use on which numbers. Coming back to my full stage rig after a year of working in my home studio is always something of a shock...My recording set up is relatively simple but my live performance equipment is far more complex and I have to spend time re-familiarising myself with the various pedals and switches and the variety of sounds that they allow me to access. And, of course, I have to work on the music itself too. I ran through each number of my solo set once...(a couple of them twice to try alternative guitar selections), but didn't labour the process by going over and over any of the ones that I was unsure of. Perhaps I should have but I like to keep an edge on things, reserve some 'cliff-hangers' for the actual day of the live show, rather than have everything written in stone. This may involve making the occasional mistake but sometimes these mistakes can divert things in interesting ways. And there's always quite a lot of improvisation involved, even though the backing tracks are relatively rigid. Tomorrow will be the first day of rehearsals for the 'Gentlemen Rocketeers' band although we wont be up to full seven-piece strength until Tuesday when Theo Travis joins us. (Theo can't make tomorrow's rehearsal due to prior commitments.) However, we have three songs to learn that have never previously been performed live, (by this band or any other...) so I guess tomorrow's rehearsal will give us an opportunity to work on the foundation of those particular pieces. I won't reveal here the titles of those songs as I'd like them to be a surprise for our audience. Besides, there's always the possibility that we may not end up using all or any of them. They have still to be tested in terms of performance practicality and general suitability. Fingers crossed though...we may get lucky. Original Be Bop Deluxe drummer Nick Dew is pounding the skins for us tomorrow. It will be the first time that Nick has worked with Dave Sturt, (and, on Tuesday, Theo Travis). And the first time for Nick to play with the band since 2004's Be Bop Deluxe And Beyond Tour. So, plenty to get to grips with in the next few days. Ok, that's today's news. I'm about to have dinner, then will try to work on the video piece that I'm hoping to complete in time for Nelsonica. Somehow though, even if I work on it for a few hours every night after rehearsals, I don't think it will be finished in time. And tomorrow's rehearsals require that I sing...which puts an extra strain on things, (not least my voice). So I may be feeling too exhausted to deal with video editing after a long day with the band. Anyway...I can onlydo as much as I can. Which may not be enough. Nelsonica has become more and more demanding every year. There's a powerful urge to build on previous years and make each one better than the last. It's not as if I'm getting any younger either. Which is why, as I've mentioned before, Nelsonica 10 may be the final one in the series, or perhaps it will mutate, change shape and concept, becoming something less intense but, despite that, even more curious and magical. Or maybe I'll manage to lift my foot to the next rung on the Nelsonica ladder and step the game up to something even more fabulous for the future. Right now though, I've more than enough on my plate. Except for my dinner which I am now about to eat. More rehearsal news later, during the week. ***** Images are of Bill's guitars during day one of Nelsonica rehearsals and of two flyers for the convention. Top of page Monday 22nd November 2010 -- 9: 00 pm Just a quick note on today's rehearsal: The band assembled and began to work on the 'Gentelman Rocketeers' set, 'though Theo will not be with us until tomorrow. As is usually the case with these first day things, there were quite a few rough edges and lots of time was spent refreshing memories, (mine included), AND trying out different arrangement possibilities. I decided to not waste time on one particular number as it was apparent after only a few minutes that it wasn't going anywhere. As it has been deleted from our list of possible inclusions, I can reveal that it was 'Propellor Of Legend.' It's a song I really like but it just didn't seem to adapt itself to the band. With only a couple of days to learn rather a lot of numbers, there's no time to waste on tunes that don't begin to gel within the first few attempts...so into the bin it went. Other numbers sounded immediately more promising, though some clearly needed detailed examination and clarification, or the occasional rethink...Much concentration and energy was expended and, by the end of the day it had turned into an exhausting session. However, we've cracked the first layer of the ice and now must see what tomorrow brings. Everyone worked hard and gave of their best, which is all any band leader can hope for. But we've really only just scratched the surface. Today was rather cold and at one point the rehearsal room felt like a meat storage locker...then, when the heating blowers were switched on, the atmosphere gradually became warm. Then too warm. This, of course, plays havoc with guitar tuning as the wood of the instruments expands and contracts. Correct pitch is essential for inspired playing. There's nothing worse than trying to concentrate on arrangements and 'feel' whilst simultaneously listening to instruments that are gradually drifting further away from their shared tuning because of changing atmospheric conditions. My voice certainly felt the strain too. It's the first time I've sung in a band situation for two years. Singing in this sort of environment is totally different from that of the studio. (And it's several months since I've sung in my studio.) Trying to hear my voice clearly through the monitors, (which were also my only reference for hearing my guitar), was at times a struggle. It's easy to overstrain the larynx by forcing one's voice to overcome the general volume levels in the room. Anyway...my throat feels quite raw at the moment and I must try to pace myself tomorrow if I'm not to lose it for Friday's event. Working in my studio produces a much more polished sound...not just in terms of balance but also the tonal quality of the instrumentation. Rock music stage monitors are not the most refined or smooth sounding reference points. It always involves compromise and often produces a quite disheartening, depressing experience when musicians hear their subtleties reduced to a coarse-sounding grind. But this is what we must work with and work with it we will. And now I'm going to take a rest before bedtime, 'though I still have several emails to deal with. It really has felt like a non-stop obstacle course these last few months. I only hope that Nelsonica will prove enjoyable for attendees, despite my usual reservations and concerns. The photographs accompanying this diary entry were taken by Andy Newlove using my camera, but several of them ended up as damaged files and couldn't be reproduced. (I need a new camera.) The ones which HAVE been reproduced here were dramatically out of focus due to reduced light in the room but I've posted them anyway. I'll see if we can capture something better tomorrow. All for now. Top of page Tuesday 23rd November 2010 -- 9:00 pm Just a very short diary entry today: Got home from rehearsals around 7:30 after stopping off at the supermarket to buy something for my dinner and put more petrol in the car for these daily trips to Leeds and back. Emi was attending a meeting this evening and couldn't be there to cook for me so I bought a 'ready meal' that wouldn't involve me having to cook anything complicated. As I may have mentioned in the diary before, Emi does voluntary work at a centre that helps people with learning difficulties. This evening was a meeting of all the centre's voluntary workers to discuss methods and ideas and to socialise, hence her absence. Emi has just got back home and I've only now finished my meal due to constant telephone calls which have occupied me since 7:45. (It's now 9:45 as I type this sentence.) There are several things I must deal with before the end of the evening, not least this diary entry, so it appears it's going to be another late night for me. Today was another fairly intense day of rehearsals with the band, now fully manned due to the arrival of Theo Travis. Some numbers are sounding tighter than yesterday but we only have one more day for the Gentleman Rocketeers to rehearse before Orchestra Futura takes its turn. And, on the same day as Orchestra Futura begins rehearsals, (Thursday), all the equipment has to be dismantled, packed, loaded into a long-wheelbase Transit van and transported to the venue in York. Which doesn't give Dave, Theo and I much time to decide what we're going to play in the trio format. It looks as if it is going to be a 'flying by the seat of our pants' experience. Late as the hour now is, I have to come up with a final running order for the band tonight and get it printed out. This is always a tricky thing to get right. It must take into account the need to warm up my voice, number by number, until it becomes possible to sing certain songs that are now at the edge of my reach. My voice has changed over the years, darkened a little and doesn't have the higher range it once had. Not that it was anything special then. I only ever sang to express the personal nature of the songs I composed...I was never under any illusions about being some sort of proper vocalist. My fingers are sore. Haven't had to play guitar for so many consecutive hours for quite a while. Probably not since two years ago when we last put together The Gentleman Rocketeers. Throat sore too, but that's to be expected. Right...I'm not going to ramble on...too many other things to do before I can go to bed tonight. Martin Bostock, Nelsonica's official super-snapologist came to rehearsals today and grabbed some shots of the band. Here they are. Much better than previous snaps I've posted since rehearsals began...(But Martin IS a professional!) Top of page Wednesday 24th November 2010 -- 10:00 pm Ignore the automatic time stamping at the top of this page...it appears to be one hour behind British winter time. It's already 11 pm on Wednesday night and I'm still dealing with Nelsonica essentials. AND this diary...It really is non-stop. Today was the final chance for the band to work on the songs for Friday's Gentleman Rocketeers performance. 14 songs in total. We've been really pushing hard to get to grips with the music in a very short space of time. If we had another couple of days to rehearse, plus a warm-up gig or two, we might be able to blow quite a few more well known bands into a cocked hat but time is fiercely against us and we will have to trust to luck. I'm hoping that I will rememember the finer details of the arrangements and that my voice will hold up... it's feeling raw and sore this evening again. Re-shuffled the running order today to try and pace the strain on my voice a little better. I need to step up to the more demanding songs a little bit at a time. Unfortunately, there are more demanding songs than warm up pieces! (I hope the audience will be gentle with me.) The band members have worked very hard too, we've attempted different twists and turns in some songs, only to revise them on the next run through. We may get confused on Friday, (I know I will), but our audience will be guaranteed TONS of fun, no matter how rough the ride may get in places. Some old favourites in the set and a couple of surprises too! Tomorrow is set aside for the Orchestra Future rehearsal. It's a sort of 'work in progress' thing. It may contain some set pieces AND some completely off the cuff, spontaneous improvisation. We'll see what happens... Tomorrow is also when the equipment has to be packed away, put into a truck and driven over to York. So, there's rather a lot to accomplish in just one day. I have to say how marvellous the musicians in the band have been these last three days...Dave 1, Steve, Nick, Jon, Dave 2 and Theo...I can't thank them enough for their dedication and support. They're all wonderful people and I'm very lucky and genuinely feel honoured to share a stage with them. I hope they realisethis...I know I can appear somewhat distracted and worried at these times, particularly when Nelsonica involves me in several activities at once alongside the performance of the actual music. My mind is all over the place and it's sometimes hard to think about the more 'humane' aspect of playing with in a band. Anyway...it's going to be a very special two days and something for fans to enjoy and, hopefully, remember with great fondness. Here are a few more amateur snaps taken by myself. The first is of my brave stand-in guitar tech Andy Newlove, holding my Gretsch 6120. The second is a pic of Jon and Steve, intrepid keyboardists. The third pic is of Dave Standeven, packing his Duesenberg guitar into its case. Top of page Thursday 25th November 2010 -- 6:00 pm Well, the final Nelsonica rehearsal now complete. No band today...just the trio. Orchestra Futura sessions are relatively painless, just Theo, Dave and myself sitting together on stools with various loopers and effects pedals at our feet, dreaming via sound. A lovely day with no need to sing or play loud rock guitar solos...all I had to do was just gently drift on the sonic breeze. Lovely! I've abandonded some of the backing tracks I'd recorded for the Futura set...(including 'Reginald Dixon And The Tower Of Tomorrow'). But these abandoned pieces WILL appear in studio form next year, on an album or two. Instead, we're aiming for a looser set which will alternate between pre-recorded interactive backing tracks and totally improvised pieces comprised of live loops and spur-of-the-moment shifts of atmosphere. These are mainly modal pieces based on evolving drones and enigmatic/ ambiguous tonal centres. None of these improvisations have titles as they will literally be created in front of the Nelsonica audience's ears and eyes. Fresh, instamatic and chaos-magical. There's no predicting what might happen! I'm featuring my Gus G1 midi guitar prominently throughout the Orchestra Futura set, playing various ambient pads, strings, choirs and Japanese flute sounds from the guitar, as well as more orthodox guitar sounds. I'm looking forward to this element of Nelsonica very much. Didn't take any photographs during rehearsals today...totally forgot. Totally lost in sound you see. Snow hit York this morning. The lane outside our house was really slippy. Main roads were not too bad but the forcast for tonight and tomorrow is not good. Icy cold at the moment...there will be some travel problems tomorrow I guess. Hope everyone attending Nelsonica will be ok. Tonight I have to re-arrange my charts for the band set, get all the lyrics in the right order, etc. Also need to write out the general Orchestra Futura set list. Decided to drop the solo number I was going to open this set with, ('Stardust and Pearl'), and must tonight choose an alternative solo piece to break the ice. (Literally, if the weather forcast is to be believed.) I also must decide on stage clothes and iron and pack them. Actually, I had commissioned a Japanese friend of Emiko's to make a rather unique stage jacket for me using rare velvet and Japanese print fabrics with applique and bead trim. Unfortunately, it hasn't arrived from Japan so it looks like I'll have to rethink my outfits for the next two day's performances. A shame as it's turned out that the cost of making the jacket is far more than I expected. Perhaps I can put a couple of live concerts in, sometime next year, to show it off...and help pay for it! Ok, that's it. Nothing between me and Nelsonica 10 now except another sleepless night, worrying if everything will be ok after all these months of intense hard work and planning. But, before that, a few hours of final double checking, belt and braces style. I'll be seeing some of you tomorrow...please be gentle with me. Top of page

The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment Free download track Click image for cover Artwork Special FREE download track - Released December 2007. THE DREAMSVILLE POETRY EXPERIMENT Currently unavailable on any album The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment was based on contributions to the Dreamsville Poetry Experiment. Bill asked participants to submit a line for a 'found' poem. The project created a 69 line surrealist poem for which Bill composed a unique 13 minute musical accompaniment/soundtrack. Lyrics by the 69 contributors...see lyric sheet for details. Written, performed, recorded and produced by Bill Nelson. All rights Bill Nelson 2007.