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Luminous Bill Nelson album - 15 April 1991 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download Tracks: 01) A Luminous Kind Of Guy 02) Tiny Aeroplanes 03) Bright Sparks 04) Is This Alchemy? 05) Language Of The Birds 06) All I Am Is You 07) Life In Reverse 08) Telepathic Cats 09) Two Hearts Beating 10) Blood Off The Wall 11) She's Got Me Floating 12) It's Ok 13) Burning Down 14) Her True And Perfect Serpent 15) Wait For Tomorrow Digital download version bonus tracks: 16) A Luminous Kind Of Guy (Acoustic Version) 17) Her True And Perfect Serpent (Acoustic Version) ALBUM NOTES: Luminous is a vocal album issued on vinyl, cassette and CD, in what turned out to be a one – off album deal with Imaginary Records, a UK independent company. It would also be Nelson's final album to appear on vinyl or cassette, CD having become the dominant format by the time he was ready to release the follow up in 1992. The songs included on Luminous partly came from an aborted attempt to form a new version of Be Bop Deluxe, but the project stalled with the musicians having undertaken a week long rehearsal in 1990. When the demos for that project had no natural home, Nelson used them to fill approximately half of the Luminous album. The material on Luminous was recorded at the newly christened Studio Rose-Croix, Nelson's home studio set-up that had supplanted the Echo Observatory. Imaginary Records eventually lived up to its name and ceased to exist from 1994, and Nelson has stated he received little if any payment for his work. The album was deleted and remained out of print for 18 years. A remastered version of Luminous, was reissued in 2012 under the Esoteric/Cherry Red record label. In April 2025, the digital download version of Luminous was released which included two bonus tracks: A Luminous Kind Of Guy (Acoustic Version) and Her True And Perfect Serpent (Acoustic Version), which were recorded during the same sessions that produced the original album and were exclusive to the digital download at the time of release. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Some of the demo tapes I made for Be Bop Mk 2 found their way, eventually, onto the Luminous album, and a couple more of these may also have surfaced even later, on Blue Moons . But they were not recorded for that purpose originally. They were simply home-made demos, (for the band to learn the songs from), with me playing all the instruments, rather than finished, polished recordings. Then again, almost everything I released during the mid 80's through the 90's I regarded as demos or rough sketches. I was hoping for a chance to re-record some of the songs with a proper band in a proper studio but, as this never materialised, I ended up releasing the rough tracks as albums." _____ "Whilst I often referred, in my sleeve notes, to that period of my music as being of 'demo' quality, I think it's fair to say that such descriptions were down to my own subjective hyper-self-critical sensibilities, more than to any reasonable objective assessment. Time has placed these recordings less in the demo category and more into the 'cool lo-fi' bag. I don't think there's anything for a listener to be cautious about or for me to apologise for. Considering the primitive technical resources that were available to be at the time, they're little miracles of sound and song." FAN THOUGHTS: mr manchester: "This is an album I know well (one of my favorites) and I was pleasantly surprised at the remastering, the sound is certainly different than the original, a warmer sound with a less harsh top end. Whatever it is, I find it hard to describe...but it's great. To mind, it's not Lo-Fi...(that always brings to mind overly distorted, badly played guitar, plodding fuzz bass and navel-gazing muttered vocals)...it does have a simplicity and economy of instrumentation that works well for the songs, they have space to breathe." "One of my faves is "Two Hearts Beating"...I love the opening line of the song, "It's raining all over the world". The album contains some of the most beautiful, yearning lyrics and heartfelt melodies ever committed to tape. It's hard to believe these songs were created so rapidly. "Improvised, spontaneous songwriting" indeed! It's a while since I listened to an album in such depth and I really enjoyed listening properly." felixt1: "I am a great believer in 'first takes'...let the soul command the body, use the force, etc." WalterDigsTunes: "That little gem of a disc was responsible for really kickstarting my addiction to Bill's music." Fraser: "I've always had a soft spot for Luminous Bill, I think it's a cracking little album." Returningman: "Not one to be forgotten that's for sure. Jam-packed with luscious melodies and strangeness." Quinault: "Stronger than Blue Moons." alec: "Luminous is fantastic, through and through, and listening again, it's another masterpiece." "Love the vox riffing on "The Language of the Birds", and the overall sense of doubt and simultaneous spiritual high therein." Holer: "The standout tracks are "Burning Down", a funky, guitar driven throw-down of a number with Bill singing some wonderfully abandoned falsetto, and the incredibly weird "Language of the Birds", which features Bill chanting his lyrics over a semi-industrial soundscape before breaking into another crazy falsetto workout. This last tune is reminiscent of the more experimental sound Bill seemed to be moving toward around the time of Love that Whirls and really stands out as a strange and unique track." soteloscope: "Luminous has been a mainstay on the car radio during our family drives these past months. My 4 year old son requests "Tiny Aeroplanes" over and over." Alan Cawthorne: "The songs on the albums are demos with Bill wishing to capture the idea - the birth of a song in its barest state. Listeners have to appreciate the idea when listening." Opium: "Not many musicians are artists. Nor can you often delve so easily through notes and tremolo as you can through the strokes of a brush. I'm sitting listening to Luminous , both guilty and illuminated. The lyrics proposition. The hearts beat a bass line, the climax a searing guitar solo. I would guess it requires a contempt for the past in order to achieve self portrait after self portrait. Taking further manifestations for granted so that our truest loves are never a part of the past." tommaso: "All in all, it's really one of those albums of Bill's that I cherish most." Albums Menu Future Past

The Years Bill Nelson album - 22 June 2015 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Capricious Skies 02) The Bel-Air Rocketman 03) Atlantika 04) Southport 05) In The Realm Of The Super-Cute 06) The Invisible City Of Christian Rosenkruetz 07) A Charming Trick 08) Method Acting 09) A Garden That Sings To The Sky 10) Odeon 11) The Years 12) The Last Romantic ALBUM NOTES: The Years is an instrumental album issued in a one-off print run of 500 copies on the Sonoluxe label. Nelson revealed little in the way of detail about the development of this particular album, but it's likely that it progressed over a period of some time, and only really took shape once he had assembled sufficient material to make an album from his symphonic-based instrumentals. A posting on the Dreamsville forum from February 2014 refers to him nearly having completed "an epic neo-classical, pastoral, symphonic piece" during the writing sessions for the Velorama film soundtrack which may well have ended up on The Years album. The title The Years was first announced on the Dreamsville forum in late January 2015 when Nelson revealed it as an album he was then working on, and for which the final track running order was confirmed just a few weeks later. The album was originally to be issued after Loom , but once Nelson heard the mastered version he decided to bring its release date forward. It was also intended to be the third in the 'Super Listener Series' but in the end Nelson deemed The Years to be insufficiently challenging to be awarded that status, and it was given a normal Sonoluxe catalogue number. The album went on sale on 22 June 2015, and was in stock for a month before finally selling out on 1 August. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The Years could mean the many years of making music, or the 66 years of being on this planet, or the 'wear and tear' of the years, or a looking back at them...I wanted it to be enigmatic, and slightly melancholy and nostalgic. "However, the music on the album, in the main, is kind of kitsch and easy-listening, quite jolly in parts but with deeper reflective moments. As always, it's not turned out quite the way I expected. It's not as pure or perfect as I'd hoped, but it's been made very spontaneously with a feeling of urgency. It's not an album that I've pondered too deeply or furrowed my brow about. It's emerged almost of its own accord. No doubt it will find its place, in time. "It's all instrumental, uses orchestral sounds with some guitar parts. Neo-classical/light music forms. The nearest thing to it would be parts of Picture Post , Pedalscope and the instrumental tracks from The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill. It's a strange thing in some ways, seems quite straight and easy on the surface but has a complexity in structure that undermines that. It's not quite what it appears to be!" _____ "Neo-classical composition isn't really about playing technique...it's more of a compositional approach. It takes classical music and re-frames it in a kind of 'post-modernist' atmosphere, referencing much older musical forms but with a twist. On this album, I pick up on the kind of music you might hear in those old black and white, between the wars and WW2 documentary films, (you know, those GPO film unit productions like 'Listen to Britain' by Humphrey Jennings, etc.) I'm particularly fond of that era and musical style but bring a more contemporary feel to bear on this album. It appears deliberately kitsch in places, superficially verging on easy listening but revealing more complexities and conundrums on deeper listening. It's meant to offer a somewhat enigmatic listening experience which never completely resolves itself." _____ "Not a 'down' album at all, despite my health issues and general darkness. It's an album of hope, of positivity, of beauty triumphing over drabness, a transcendent album, with a tinge of nostalgia and gentle melancholy at the heart of it." FAN THOUGHTS: felixt1: "I tell you what - it's a bloody great album! It actually took me a few days to really understand what's going on. It's kind of like what happens if a UFO lands in Model Village . The cinematic quality of the music cannot be exaggerated and there are some truly great moments from start to finish. The Years , is for me yet another special release. It hit me today, like a sledgehammer - really stopped me in my tracks. Gobsmacked" andygeorge: " The Years is a delightful collection of music and, as some have said, sits well with Model Village. But, as I sit here on a sunny Sunday morning in my study, with a cup of tea, catching up on paper work and other bits and pieces with The Years playing I can straight away hear that it is a rather more complex composition than Model Village punctuated with wonderful, sweet guitar sounds that only Bill can pull off..."Capricious Skies", "Southport", "Method Acting", "The Years'...all truly stunning!" Tourist in Wonderland: 'This new release really demands your attention...lots going on (in a good way)...many questions, much to discover, much wow-factor-ness. Initially blown away by "The Invisible City of Christian Rosenkruetz", "A Charming Trick", "Odeon", "The Years", "The Last Romantic". Can't stand chatting all day...got some seriously jaw-dropping music to listen to." Palladium: "The guitar (as you won't be surprised to hear) is blissful, and combines wonderfully with the ' orchestral ' sound/arrangements. A complex album, I think, which will take more than a few listens to get a proper sense of it." mark smith: "Once again the more you play it the more it makes sense, in my opinion. Another Bill Nelson masterpiece. It seems to sound even better listened to very late at night. Thank you again Mr Nelson." December Man: "After I'd finished listening to it on day two, I absent-mindedly pushed the FM button on my stereo, which was on the classical music station, and went outside for a bit, and when I returned I became aware of this beautiful sound coming out of my speakers and assumed it was still The Years that was playing! This went on for a good while before I realized what had happened! (Sometimes aging brings with it these little miracles of absent-minded fun.) But that kinda sums up this album in a strange way. It is 'deceptive' as Bill has stated. Each day that I've listened, it feels like I'm playing a whole new album! This is not unique in itself as many of Bill's albums do this, but The Years seems to make me more aware that this is happening somehow. This album also has a Bill Frisell kinda vibe to it (in its subtlety and strange beauty). Definitely one of Bill's best ever recordings." Albums Menu Future Past

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Three - Published October 1982 Back to Top

Loose Routes: One album - 1991 various artists Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on three tracks:- "A Little Bit Of Nelsonia", "Outro To The Friend" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars Bill Nelson album - August 1992 Albums Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Ancient Guitars 02) Girl From Another Planet 03) Spinnin' Around 04) Shaker 05) God Man Slain 06) The Dead We Wake With Upstairs Drums 07) New Moon Rising 08) The Glory Days 09) Wishes 10) Angel In My System 11) Wings And Everything 12) Boat To Forever 13) The Invisible Man And The Unforgettable Girl 14) So It Goes 15) Fires In The Sky 16) Dream Ships Set Sail ALBUM NOTES: Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars saw Nelson return to a major label for the first time since 1986 – and maybe had the album taken off, bigger and brighter things may have followed. This is a further example of Nelson having completed a set of demo tracks, which he intended to revisit and flesh out with a full band, only for those plans to be changed, and the demos to be issued rather than see them gather dust. Originally the album was issued in CD and cassette, and for the first time in 10 years Nelson would achieve a simultaneous US release of a new album (with the added bonus of not having to amend the track listing or artwork to suit record company moguls or the moral right wing elements of society). It was rarely this simple for the collector of Nelson's work! CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Though now deleted in a physical format in 2008, the album was reissued as a digital download through major online retailers. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The album is one of those collections of recordings that I regarded as demos or 'sketches' at the time. I'd originally intended to re-record these songs in a proper studio, possibly with a band, though this never proved viable. Virgin were interested enough to release the demos as they were. "It's interesting to see that some people are fond of the album now as it wasn't so well received at the time...at least in terms of sales. It didn't take long for it to become a 'lost' or overlooked work. Perhaps, like many of my albums, several years need to pass before the music starts to feel like it might belong to the mainstream, and therefore become acceptable." FAN THOUGHTS: bradford mick: "My fave being Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars , it's so full of colour, mystery, symbols and intrigue." alec: "I can remember crying after listening to "So It Goes" from Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars . Trying to find that exquisite emotional connection again was elusive but did happen a few times, after that, with that song." Dar: The most powerful album cover: "maybe Blue Moons and Laughing Guitars . Lots of powerful medicine there." "Had no idea what any of the symbolism on the cover was about at the time, thinking "this is an interesting person"." Paul Andrews: "Earlier on this evening I was playing Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars and thinking "this is bloody wonderful!"." Grey Lensman: "Some great musical moments throughout the album. Textured, woven and crafted with that outstanding ear for detail and harmony that Bill has." Anorak: "I'm not one for listing things in order, but if I did then surely this album would be in my top five of Bill's work at the moment, although I still have many more future albums of Bill's to listen too." tommaso: "I bought Blue Moons way back in the early 90s, and having become a Bill fan via his 80s electronic work, I was almost shocked to hear so many guitars on the album (especially because I couldn't stand 'rock' music at the time). But guitars or not, it immediately became one of my favourites among all of Bill's albums and has remained so ever since. "New Moon Rising", "Angel in My System" and especially the utterly beautiful final song, "Dream Ships Set Sail" are my favourites, and I agree that there isn't a single weak moment on the whole of the album." mthom: "Don't forget "The Invisible Man and The Unforgettable Girl", quite possibly MY desert island classic...A shining example of Bill's irony, word-play and heart on its sleeve. And not to mention the blazing guitar work and thundering drums. Oh my." G. Vazquez: "A favorite of mine as well...If I need to choose just one among all Bill's albums to keep, it would be that. Years ago, in times of (emotional) trouble, this record helped me a lot." Mr. Mercury: "Blimey Charlie, I tell you, from "God Man Slain" on, this is a fantastic record! It sounds great in 'demo/sketch' form, but if this album had been given the full studio treatment/label support it deserved, I truly believe it could have been a MASSIVE record!...can you imagine it?!!...(sigh) "I think this album is easily your most immediate, accessible and 'mainstream'. Not as complex as Golden Melodies or your other recent material, but a collective of simple, perfect pop songs." wadcorp: "Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars is still one of my all-time faves. Gee, the denizens of Dreamsville tend to say that quite a bit." Albums Menu Future Past

New Vibrato Wonderland Bill Nelson album - 18 December 2020 Albums Menu Past Future Purchase this CD Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Hide And Seek 02) Welcome To Wonderland 03) I Oil The Ticking Of Antique Clocks 04) Crazy Dreamer 05) The Golden Hour 06) Complicated 07) Mercuria Magnetica 08) Crazy Right Now 09) Bless Me, Bless You 10) New Vibrato Wonderland 11) The House Of A Hundred Clocks 12) In The Middle Of A Dream 13) Earthbound 14) Some Times, These Times ALBUM NOTES: New Vibrato Wonderland is an album of songs issued on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 1000 copies. The album was recorded throughout 2020 and comprises 14 tracks selected from a total of well over 100 songs and instrumentals that Nelson produced between January and October that year. New Vibrato Wonderland represents the first Bill Nelson album to be released since moving to his recently established Cubase recording set-up that he had assembled in 2019 and which he began utilising from January 2020. The title of the album implies a sense of optimism although the music itself, at times, betrays that notion through its melancholic and reflective content. The album was mastered on the 16th November at Fairview Studios by John Spence with artwork created by Martin Bostock working with images selected by Nelson. With the UK still in the grip of the Coronavirus pandemic any sort of event to launch New Vibrato Wonderland was understandably out of the question and consequently the album received no such fanfare. Pre-orders for the New Vibrato Wonderland were announced by Burning Shed on 17th November 2020. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Last year I installed a Cubase Pro advanced recording system in my home studio, after my much loved Mackie hardware based system finally gave up the ghost after 20 years of constant use. I had been reluctant to go down the purely software based route but now there was no other choice. The learning curve was fairly steep and it has been a slow process but I'm gradually getting used to it. "Since installing the new system I've recorded over 100 tracks, putting ideas down spontaneously, just to get to grips with how the equipment works. It's been a sometimes frustrating process but now is the time to begin releasing some of this material. "I've chosen 14 tracks from the 100 or so recordings I've made and assembled them into an album. This is the first album to be released using the Cubase system, but more will follow. The album is titled New Vibrato Wonderland and is vocal and guitar based with a hint of modern psychedelia coupled with electro-glitch percussion sounds and a touch of string orchestra. But don't take that description as accurate, you might hear something quite different. Whatever it is, it is certainly recognisable as a 'Bill Nelson album'. How could it be otherwise? Hope you like it!" Albums Menu Future Past

Shining Reflector Bill Nelson album - 8 December 2014 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) BC1675 02) Up In The Attic, Down In The Lab (Hubble Bubble And Starshine) 03) Watchword (A Return) 04) How Near We Are 05) Snoozy Winks 06) Beyond All This 07) Our Lucky Stars 08) Rapture Parade 09) December Days-Diamond Bright 10) Starlight And Moonbeams 11) Shining Reflector 12) It's A Comic Book World 13) Come Closer And See My Dreams 14) The Girl In The Glass Aeroplane ALBUM NOTES: Shining Reflector is an album mixing vocal and instrumental pieces issued in a one-off print run of 500 copies on the Sonoluxe label. The material included on Shining Reflector was created during the Stereo Star Maps sessions when that album was planned as a double. In the end Nelson decided to split the material into three different releases (Swoons and Levitations being the third album), and Shining Reflector was available within a month of Stereo Star Maps . Issued on 8 December 2014, it sold out in an impressive 10 days. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Dream Transmission Pavilion , Swoons and Levitations , Perfect Monsters , Stereo Star Maps , Clocks & Dials , Modern Moods for Mighty Atoms , Secret Club for Members Only , Return to Jazz of Lights , Plectrajet BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Shining Reflector contains vocals and instrumentals recorded earlier this year but has a different feel to Stereo Star Maps . It's a bit more up-tempo and slightly 'pop-rocky' but it has a wide-screen sonic quality too." FAN THOUGHTS: jetboy: "There's smoke coming out of my ears at the moment. In parts it's dirty, electric, loud, playful. It soars, sweeps, twists and turns. Catherine wheel guitars. It's the new thing." andygeorge: "Bloody hell Bill! Shining Reflector is a wonderful breath of fresh air, an instant attention grabber, frequently made me stop what I was doing to take in what I was hearing...some albums take a while to sink in, but this one hits me like a train wreck! Brilliant guitar work by Bill and for those yet to hear it...it'll knock your socks off!! Love it!" noggin: "I'm happy to report its well up to Bill's usual high standards. I've listened to it three times thus far and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Quite how Bill remains so prolific yet continues to produce albums of such consistently high quality though, remains one of the mysteries of our age." BobK: "Beyond All This": "is what they call achingly beautiful." Face In The Rain: "IMHO Shining Reflector is one of the best albums Bill's made since Orpheus in Ultraland and, like Orpheus , is exactly the sort of album BBD would be making now (well of course it is, you idiot, because it was made by the bloke in BBD, wasn't it). Sorry. I'll get my coat." "Bill's music brings me a lot of joy and I want him to know that and to go on making it whatever health and financial tribulations he's beset by. Call that sucking up to teacher, but I don't mind." Merikan1: "As I commented in another post, this is a great time to be a Bill Nelson fan. The hits just keep coming. Stereo Star Maps , Quiet Bells , Shining Reflector . One and all to my taste and among my new favorites. All sit nicely with many other classics such as Palace , Signals , (going back a bit now), Secret Club , Gleaming , and at least a dozen others. No other artist I can think of produces so frequently and consistently such amazing music. Thank you." Prey: "If I had to pay Bill Nelson for every smile, every tear, every bright start to a day or every calm ending that he's responsible for...he'd own my house, car and girl friend. Keep on truckin' Bill." Albums Menu Future Past

That Old Mysterioso Bill Nelson album - 29 January 2018 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Queen Of The Infra-Red 02) Time Is A Thief 03) That Old Mysterioso 04) Reflect On This 05) A Dizzy Spell 06) The Nebulous Land Of Nod 07) Melancholy Dreams 08) Travels In The Spirit World 09) What Have We Got To Show For This? 10) To Disappear 11) Singing My Life Away 12) The Man Who Dreamed Of Glory 13) Loco-Motive (Off The Track) 14) Trembling Rainbows 15) Well, Well, Well (Rock N' Roll It) 16) Celestina Swoons 17) End Of The Future ALBUM NOTES: That Old Mysterioso is an album mixing vocal pieces and guitar instrumentals released on the Sonoluxe label in a limited print run of 500 copies. An album with this title was first mentioned on the Dreamsville Forum as long ago as 7 May 2012 but it failed to make much impact into Nelson’s busy schedule that year that would see him undertake the final Nelsonica. That Old Mysterioso would be referred to again on 10 July 2013 in another post on the Dreamsville Forum in which Nelson referred to it as a tentative title for an incomplete album project that he was then currently assembling. However it appears that material originally earmarked for the original version of That Old Mysterioso would be transferred to other, as yet unconfirmed, projects arising from this time. No further mention of the album by this title would be made by Nelson for over 3 years. Eventually though, in another post on the Dreamsville Forum dated 6 April 2016, Nelson revealed that a new album, tentatively titled That Old Mysterioso was "sounding good right now" and would go on to confirm that a "15 track album" was complete on 25 April 2016. By the time Nelson revealed the track listing for the album on 8 May 2016, it had gained an extra track and shortly after that, he added 'Time is a Thief' to finally complete it. Artwork for the album was also commenced around this time, the main image being "a rather sinister and surreal" photo of Nelson taken by Martin Bostock. Mastering of the album was undertaken with John Spence on 16 November 2017 at Fairview concurrently with another "download only" album called The Unrealist with the artwork for That Old Mysterioso completed later that month. The album was released on 29 January 2018. It only took 7 days to sell out. The album was then released as a digital download on 15 March 2018. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , Songs for Ghosts , Fantasmatron , Stereo Star Maps , Blip !, The Dreamshire Chronicles , Perfect Monsters , Electric Atlas , The Awakening of Dr. Dream BILL'S THOUGHTS: Upon having the album mastered, Bill wrote: " I was very pleasantly surprised by That Old Mysterioso . I haven't heard it since I completed mixing and assembling the draft running order sometime last year. But, I have to say that it's sounding very good, far better than I'd remembered. I'm extremely pleased with it and excited for you to hear it. John [Spence] said that he thought it would become a firm favourite with fans, though I think it will take several listens to really sink in for most listeners as it's a somewhat oblique and complex album, but also, perhaps, sweet and melodic and warm. The lyrics, which were written in a 'stream of consciousness' kind of way, seemed opaque at the time of putting them to paper, but now a definite theme seems to have emerged. Strange how even their author was unaware of their meaning until quite some time after. So, the concept, or theme, seems to be about my current pre-occupation with ageing, the quickness of time, the fragility of life, the persistence of memory, the shift between reality and dreams, the nature of love and longing and the acceptance of the inevitable. All wrapped up in a kind of 'psychedelic-prog-jazz,-pop-rock' musical style for want of a better description. Strangely, (though not planned,) the words, 'drifting away' re-occur on several songs for some reason or other... But, in other words...business as unusual." _____ "The visual theme for That Old Mysterioso will be a series of mysterious photographs of myself wearing different face masks." "This album will sport a fantastic cover photo of me by Martin Bostock. It's rather sinister and surreal." "The other photographs in the package will be a number of photographic self-portraits, manipulated by myself." "The photo's I've taken of myself are heavily treated and have an intensely graphic effect. I'm wearing various masks for the pictures, most of them strange or weirdly disturbing..." _____ "That Old Mysterioso is destined, I think, to become one of my favourite things. It has its own atmosphere but sits nicely alongside such albums as Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , Fantasmatron , Stereo Star Maps and The Dreamshire Chronicles . The album is mainly vocal-based but with a sprinkling of instrumentals. The tracks feature a cosmic combination of guitars, keyboards and electronics. The front cover features a surreal photograph of myself taken by Martin Bostock and the rest of the package has a range of bizarre self-portraiture. As always with my work, it will reward repeated listenings and, I'm sure, become one of your favourites as well as mine." FAN THOUGHTS: felixt1: "I have to say, I agree with what Bill wrote back at the time of release...I think it's destined to become one of my favourite albums also! I had a couple of listens earlier this evening and it is indeed an instant hit with me. Typical of my personal favourite kind of Bill Nelson album - lush, gentle strings, lovely melodies, beautiful guitar tone... It was truly an absolute joy to once again experience the thrill of receiving a new, Bill Nelson, album and be able to instantly put it on the CD player...life is good and balance is restored to the universe once again." Palladium: "Very much agree. That Old Mysterioso is album of the year for me so far. Really beautiful songs." The Sound: "This is certainly a special album. They all are. However, this strikes me on my first listen to be BN at his pinnacle so far. 'Songs for Ghosts' was resplendent but this improves on that stunning recording. Think I'll give it another play before bedtime." Returningman: "After a few detailed listens this seems to be destined to become one of my "go to" albums, without doubt one of the strongest albums released over the past 3 years or so (and that is an impressive feat). Track 8 - 'Travels In The Spirit World' absolute fire. Tracks like this are why I buy these albums, wonderful evocative music that takes you away and shows you places that you never thought could even exist. Joy...More please. CoachMatt: "There is no bones about it, Bill is relaying that time is ticking, and for us all. The album is full of deep, dark textures, yet has a sentimental beauty about it. So many layers of sound that only Bill can deliver. The maturity of Bill's music has come full swing for me and I am honored and pleased to have come for the ride since the mid 70's." Tourist: A great album...'Time Is A Thief' a personal favourite. Albums Menu Future Past

Modern Music Be Bop Deluxe album - 10 September 1976 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this 2-CD Set TRACKS: 01) Orphans Of Babylon 02) Twilight Capers 03) Kiss Of Light 04) The Bird Charmer's Destiny 05) The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow 06) Bring Back The Spark 07) Modern Music 08) Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone) 09) Honeymoon On Mars 10) Lost In The Neon World 11) Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids 12) Modern Music (Reprise) 13) Forbidden Lovers 14) Down On Terminal Street 15) Make The Music Magic ALBUM NOTES: Modern Music is the fourth album by Be Bop Deluxe. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London during June 1976, and maintained the band's profile in the UK while adding to their international reputation in North America. Modern Music was the first Be Bop Deluxe album to feature an identical line up, in the form of Bill Nelson, Simon Fox, Charlie Tumahai and Andy Clarke. By now the band was establishing itself on the North American touring circuit, without forgetting about their home support. To have delivered two successful albums in one calendar year while undergoing a gruelling touring schedule is therefore all the more impressive. The album appeared on vinyl and cassette, and was promoted by the release of the single Kiss of Light , which failed to repeat the success of their previous release. Vinyl copies were released in a single sleeve, and the record was housed in an inner sleeve bearing lyrics to all songs. For North American radio use, Modern Music was promoted by a special "Banded for Air Play" edition, which featured a modified track listing. When reissued on CD in 1990, EMI elected to enhance the album by adding 6 bonus tracks, although the tracks they included were more relevant to other Be Bop Deluxe albums, instead of the the Modern Music sessions. If you no longer kept your vinyl copy, and require song lyrics, then this CD edition satisfies that need, and the informative sleeve notes penned by Kevin Cann provide useful context. In April 2017 Cherry Red and E soteric R ecordings , who, since 2011, have done so much to raise the profile of Bill Nelson's solo recordings from the period 1980 to 2002, acquired the rights to release the Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise material issued between 1973 and 1979. While this resulted in the deletion of existing physical editions, Cherry Red kept Modern Music on catalogue from 1 June 2017 via the usual download sites such as Amazon and iTunes while an expanded edition was prepared for a 2019 physical release. On 6 December 2019 Modern Music became the third Be Bop Deluxe album to be issued as a Deluxe Edition comprising: a freshly remastered version of the original album. a 2019 remix of the full album. 2 unreleased studio recordings. previously released live 'BBC In Concert' recorded for Radio. a bonus CD of a previously unreleased "official bootleg" of a performance at The Riviera Theatre in Chicago in March 1976 recorded for FM Radio. the original album presented in a 5.1 mix and the previously released OGWT appearance from November 1976. The album was presented in a triple fold out digi-pack and contained a 68 page booklet with an essay penned by Bill Nelson, previously unseen photographs from the period, postcards and a replica poster. A 2CD edition of the album was also released at the same time as the Deluxe Edition featuring Discs 1 and 2 which also replaced the standard download edition. The full track listing for the Deluxe Edition is: Disc 1: 01) Orphans Of Babylon 02) Twilight Capers 03) Kiss Of Light 04) The Bird Charmer's Destiny 05) The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow 06) Bring Back The Spark 07) Modern Music 08) Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone) 09) Honeymoon On Mars 10) Lost In The Neon World 11) Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids 12) Modern Music (Reprise) 13) Forbidden Lovers 14) Down On Terminal Street 15) Make The Music Magic Bonus Track 16) Shine (B-Side Of Single) Disc 2: 01) Orphans Of Babylon (New Stereo Mix) 02) Twilight Capers (New Stereo Mix) 03) Kiss Of Light (New Stereo Mix) 04) The Bird Charmer's Destiny (New Stereo Mix) 05) The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow (New Stereo Mix) 06) Bring Back The Spark (New Stereo Mix) 07) Modern Music (New Stereo Mix) 08) Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone) (New Stereo Mix) 09) Honeymoon On Mars (New Stereo Mix) 10) Lost In The Neon World (New Stereo Mix) 11) Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids (New Stereo Mix) 12) Modern Music (Reprise) (New Stereo Mix) 13) Forbidden Lovers (New Stereo Mix) 14) Down On Terminal Street (New Stereo Mix) 15) Make The Music Magic (New Stereo Mix) Bonus Tracks 16) Shine (New Stereo Mix) 17) Forbidden Lovers (First Version) 18) The Bird Charmer's Destiny (First Version) Disc 3: 01) Maid In Heaven (BBC In Concert 1976) 02) Bring Back The Spark (BBC In Concert 1976) 03) Kiss Of Light (BBC In Concert 1976) 04) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape (BBC In Concert 1976) 05) Fair Exchange (BBC In Concert 1976) 06) Ships In The Night (BBC In Concert 1976) 07) Twilight Capers (BBC In Concert 1976) 08) Modern Music (BBC In Concert 1976) i. Modern Music ii. Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone) iii. Honeymoon On Mars iv. Lost In The Neon World v. Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids vi. Modern Music (Reprise) 09) Blazing Apostles (BBC In Concert 1976) Disc 4: 01) Fair Exchange (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) 02) Stage Whispers (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) 03) Life In The Air Age (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) 04) Sister Seagull (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) 05) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) 06) Maid In Heaven (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) 07) Ships In The Night (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) 08) Bill's Blues (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) 09) Blazing Apostles (Live 1976 – Previously Unreleased) Disc 5: 01) Orphans Of Babylon (5.1 Mix) 02) Twilight Capers (5.1 Mix) 03) Kiss Of Light (5.1 Mix) 04) The Bird Charmer's Destiny (5.1 Mix) 05) The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow (5.1 Mix) 06) Bring Back The Spark (5.1 Mix) 07) Modern Music (5.1 Mix) 08) Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone) (5.1 Mix) 09) Honeymoon On Mars (5.1 Mix) 10) Lost In The Neon World (5.1 Mix) 11) Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids (5.1 Mix) 12) Modern Music (Reprise) (5.1 Mix) 13) Forbidden Lovers (5.1 Mix) 14) Down On Terminal Street (5.1 Mix) 15) Make The Music Magic (5.1 Mix) Bonus Tracks 16) Shine (5.1 Mix) 17) Forbidden Lovers (First Version) (5.1 Mix) 18) The Bird Charmer's Destiny (First Version) (5.1 Mix) 19) Forbidden Lovers (BBC Old Grey Whistle Test - November 1976) 20) Down On Terminal Street (BBC Old Grey Whistle Test - November 1976) PAST RELEASES: The album can be found in a number of guises. The 1990 CD edition was released as a physical CD, but strangely not as a download in its own right. The album without the bonus tracks was included in the budget box set Original Album Series (2014), as well as on Disc 3 of the Futurist Manifesto box set (2012). Extra songs on the 1990 CD: 16) Futurist Manifesto 17) Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars 18) Autosexual All 3 are Drastic Plastic outtakes and were all previously on The Best Of and the Rest Of . "Futurist Manifesto" was the b-side to the Japan single, and was therefore on Singles As and Bs. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The 2-CD set is available for purchase in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Modern Music came directly from my experiences on the American tour. I'd been exposed to American culture for years, through movies and television and music so I imagined that when I got there it would be something very familiar. But it was so foreign that it seemed almost like being on another planet." (from an interview in Guitarist Magazine, 1996) _____ "The entire "Modern Music Suite" for instance, is about my experience of touring the USA but has sequences that seem surreal and dream-like." _____ "I've used voice samples for more than 30 years...the intro to Be Bop Deluxe's "Modern Music Suite" being an early example. I like the way a voice sample can add an enigmatic spin to an instrumental." _____ "The voice/radio collage at the start of the "Modern Music Suite" was a combination of random radio dial spinning and some deliberately chosen recordings." _____ "You'll notice, if you have heard all the band's albums, that, after Sunburst Finish , the music becomes slightly less guitar focused and moves into synthy textures with the guitar becoming sort of 'orchestrated' or integrated into the songs, rather than constant up-front solo improvisations. The emphasis switches to songwriting on Modern Music and to more surreal/sci-fi atmospheres on Drastic Plastic before flipping over into the near-future dystopian moods of Red Noise. But those first three albums were intended to bring the guitar playing thing to the fore." _____ Commenting on the Modern Music watch and badge from the cover: "I thought up the idea and gave a written description/drawing of the style of the items. They were actually made by the same BBC props department who provided gadgets for the 'Doctor Who' tv series at that time." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review on Prog Rock Music Talk Review on God Is In The TV Review on ProgNaut Review on Louder Than War Review on Spill Magazine Review on Goldmine Magazine Review o n At The Barrier Review on Exclusive Magazine Review on Sea Of Tranquility Review on LMNOP Review on Part-Time Audiophile Review by Michael Doherty Review on Music Street Journal Review by Dmitry M. Epstein Review on Musoscribe FAN THOUGHTS: Prey: "I go back to that afternoon in the 70's when listening to Modern Music for the first time when an emotion washed over me that the music I was hearing was the music of the future, unlike anything else at the time. Modern Music was a revelation for me at that point, it affected me deeply and I never forgot that day." paul.smith: "Modern Music is my favourite Be Bop album - I've always seen it as a concept album full of many rich layers, twists and turns and real musical cohesion." Debtworker: "Modern Music is the album where I really came on board, as a Be-Bop Deluxe fan. The music is still as fresh today, as it was all those years ago. It's a great album packed full of well crafted songs and tight melodies, whilst still pushing Bill's musical boundaries - even though he was constantly touring America at the time, if I remember right." TwentySmallCigars: "I've been a fan of Be Bop Deluxe (and eventually Bill Nelson) since the mid-70's when a friend of mine bought a copy of Modern Music because Ace Frehley mentioned Bill as one of his favourite guitarists in an interview in Circus Magazine." Mick Winsford: "Modern Music is for me, my favourite BBD album. There's just something really special about this album, from the opening acoustic riff of "Orphans of Babylon" to the the simple beauty of "Make the Music Magic". This was the second BBD album I heard (SF being the first one) and that image I have of me traipsing up stairs on Xmas night with my copy of MM in my hands and putting it on the stereo for the first play has never left me. I loved it from the first play and haven't fallen out of love with it since." Steve Zodiac: "Like many here I've been a listener of Bill's music since the seventies. I have clear memories of playing my Modern Music LP over and over as a teenager; it must have been Christmas '76 when I asked mum & dad to buy it for me as a present and I remember being absolutely bowled over by it. I had already seen BBD live at the Liverpool Empire 23 Jan 1976; I think that may well have been the first gig I ever went to. I saw them again Feb 1978 for the Drastic Plastic Tour and saw Red Noise in March 1979." Parsongs: "Sunburst Finish , purchased at Korvette's in Matteson, IL, right after seeing BBD for the first time. Within a month, I returned and bought Futurama and Axe Victim . After seeing BBD about 8 months later, I returned and bought Modern Music (first time I ever saw a rock & roll band in business suits!!)." CoachMatt: "Bill, I am, and believe all of us here are enjoying the journey with you. Ever since running home from school to hear Scott Muni of WNEW, New York City play the whole side two of Modern Music !" Tourist In Wonderland: "I met Charlie backstage during the Modern Music tour after a show and he was indeed a very nice person. He greeted us warmly and made us feel very welcome...he was very open and friendly and yes, he did have that lovely warm smile on his face...from my experience, he was a true gentleman...in fact I still have a tour program that Charlie and the rest of Be Bop signed, something I will never part with. Simon and Andy were equally friendly and it was a great atmosphere after a fabulous live performance...Bill had slipped off early via the back exit on this occasion, I think Jan waiting in a rather nice Jaguar XJS in the rear car park, if memory serves accurately?...wonderful memories..." Ged: "Modern Music will always hold special memories for me - remember the Newcastle City Hall gig Garry - mirror ball, videos in the background - absolutely wonderful - My son Mark (15 years of age) has taken all of my Be-Bop CDs into his room - (I haven't heard the Kaiser Chiefs or Franz Ferdinand for weeks!!) He absolutely adores Modern Music and its lovely to hear "Terminal Street" and "Orphans of Babylon" blasting from his music system - He asked me to get him a Be Bop Deluxe badge today. He saw Bill and the Lost Satellites twice last year and said they were awesome - a new generation Nelsonian." Zen Archer: "If I were the sort to make those comparisons, I'd say Modern Music was Bill's Abbey Road, but I'm not, so you didn't hear that from me." Albums Menu Future Past

After The Satellite Sings Bill Nelson album - 30 April 1996 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Deeply Dazzled 02) Dreamster 2.L.R. 03) Flipside 04) Streamliner 05) Memory Babe 06) Skull Baby Cluster 07) Zoom Sequence 08) Rocket To Damascus 09) Beautiful Nudes 10) Old Goat 11) Squirm 12) Wow! It's Scootercar Sexkitten! 13) Phantom Sedan (Theme From Tail-Fin City) 14) Ordinary Idiots 15) V-Ghost (For Harold And Ellen) 16) Blink-Agog Digital download version bonus tracks: 17) Ordinary Idiots (Original Demo) 18) Ordinary Idiots (Live At Nelsonica 03 ) ALBUM NOTES: After the Satellite Sings is the third album recorded for Resurgence, and saw Nelson return to Fairview Studios over the Winter of 1995 to produce what would be his final album recorded in a commercial studio. After this, all of his solo output would come from his domestic recording set-up. The album is predominantly a vocal album that crosses several styles, including the then emerging drum 'n' bass genre that was a dominant part of the dance music scene in the '90s. Although promo material suggests the US release of After the Satellite Sings (on Gyroscope) was issued two weeks ahead of the UK version, their release dates appear to be effectively the same (US releases were typically issued on Tuesdays, UK on Mondays). The album was promoted with a 3 track 12" white label single (Nelson's final vinyl release for 16 years), which was issued free to subscribers of the Nelsonian Navigator . In the US, a 4 track CD promo entitled Four Songs From After the Satellite Sings was issued to promote the album, on which the track 'Dreamster 2.L.R' was called 'Tomorrow Yesterday'. A remastered version of After The Satellite Sings , was reissued in 2014 under the Esoteric/Cherry Red record label. In May 2025, the digital download version of After The Satellite Sings was released which included two bonus tracks: Ordinary Idiots (Original Demo) which was recorded at Bill's home studio prior to recording the main album, and Ordinary Idiots (Live At Nelsonica 03) recorded at 'The Duke Of Cumberland' in North Ferriby, with Bill's band at the time - 'The Lost satellites'. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "After the Satellite Sings is one of my favourite albums. In fact it functions as a key element amongst my recorded work and is an album that has apparently inspired other artists....Which is nice! "I had a great time making this album and it features some new departures for me. The whole project was written, performed, recorded and mixed in an intense 28 day session at Fairview studios, and despite the short amount of time available in the studio, I'm very pleased with the outcome." _____ "The album was an attempt to fuse rock and pop songwriting with the then cutting-edge rhythms of 'drum n' bass'. The album apparently inspired and influenced David Bowie's later 'Earthling' album, (according to then Bowie collaborator and guitarist Reeves Gabrels). It's an album I'm personally very fond of as, aside from the cool grooves it contains, it features some poetic lyrics and highly electrical guitar playing." _____ "At the start of the project, I went into the studio with no songs written or demo'd, just a rough idea of the overall concept and how I wanted the album to feel. I wrote the music as I recorded it, basically putting ideas to tape as soon as they came to me. It was a rush of inspiration, structures captured quickly whilst still materialising. "I would then take a cassette of a monitor mix, of whatever track I'd recorded that day, back to the hotel and, using a little ghetto blaster to hear it, sit on the edge of my hotel bed and dream up lyrics to suit the song. Next morning, I'd record a vocal using the previous night's lyrics, working out the melody lines as we ran through the piece. And so on, day by day until the album was completed and ready to mix. A continuous process from day one, (with absolutely zero preparation and no pre-composed music), to finished, mixed album. Some bands would still have been trying to get a drum sound together." _____ "I recall driving from Albuquerque to Phoenix, back in the 1970's. What a romantic, fabulous trip that was. Listen to those beat generation influenced tracks that are hidden away on After The Satellite Sings and you'll pick up on my U.S. romantic fantasies..." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review by Dmitry M. Epstein FAN THOUGHTS: Puzzleoyster: "The essential, and still essential, groundbreaking, After the Satellite Sings . That album broke my nuts for sure - you got an hour of pure." Bloonoise: "You's can name all the classic albums you like but if I ever got marooned on some desert island this is the album I'd pick to go with me above all others and I'd probably never want to leave either!!! Yeah that's the stuff for me-ee." Tony Raven: "I had one to simply recommend, it'd be After the Satellite Sings , an excellent range of depth & complexity, yet (in my opinion) the one that'd most readily gain widest airplay, as the nuances don't overshadow the "pop sensibilities"." Peter: "A big favorite of mine...I remember listening to this album for the first time upon its release and thinking that it possessed a sense of optimism and raw energy that I loved." "The whole thing just DOES IT from beginning to end. As with all Bill's work, it can be described as INSPIRED." Johnny Jazz: "One of my favourite albums, it's got a few wonderful 'Grooves' and 'Chops' this one." Da kril: "The sonic masterpiece that is After the Satellite Sings - each track more bona fide than the last, all fairly crackling with energy and invention." alec: "Wow! It's Scootercar Sexkitten": "is an irresistible number that is just the right length (leaves listener wanting more). I liked "Squirm" right away, too, for many reasons and one of those reasons was that it made me laugh. There's just so much going on in the track and I always appreciate when Bill throws in a strange-sounding voice. Eventually got addicted to all the tracks." paul.smith: "Deeply Dazzled": "is a superb track - the whole album took me by surprise in the mid 90's - it took a bit of time to settle in to it all those years ago but...16 years later...no ipod shuffle for that album - suffice to say...lower the lights, light the lamps and keep all channels clear, say a few mantras, turn off the mobile and listen to the whole thing in its entirety - a seminal album of the 90s." Dar: "That scratchy, staccato lead sound, at the same time the notes flow freely and fluently...I mean, who does that?!. Our Man Flint, that's who. "Old Goat" is still my top pick; always was and always will be. I'll never get over the perfect solos on that; it just has a sublime, mystical quality to it, while driving all the way in an epic groove." "The story in that song was like nothing I'd ever heard in a song at that time, woven in such colorfully descriptive ways. A great tapestry of images; a contrasting and complimentary mix of airy, esoteric musings, serious mystical evolutions, and playful, visceral goat-dancing. I was already hooked, but that was a song for my soul; I thought "here's a man of vision, and I like what he sees"." A Lad Inane: "Rocket to Damascus": "is one of those songs that I always put on repeat. It's catchy, energetic, well produced, multi-layered, and downright fun." soteloscope: "Zoom Sequence": "Groovalicious bassline in the middle and at the ending. Total disco dancing warfare going on." Merikan1: "When you get around to it, crank up "Ordinary Idiot". Holy sh*t Batman!" Jon Wallinger: "This album is one that is very close to my heart. Bill borrowed my keyboard for the recording sessions at Fairview Studios and it still brings a smile to my face hearing some of the distinctive sounds used." December Man: "Oh, what joy awaited me when I walked into a small 'used' record store to find a NEW BILL NELSON CD there for sale! And you could 'sample' it ahead of time! Ear phones soon leaped onto my head, and though the drumming felt completely alien for a BN record, the lyrics, the guitars, the vocals were just so familiar and such a welcoming noise for sore ears, I began to blissfully writhe right there in the aisle! ATSS made me fall in love with that BN sound all over again, but in a new way and with the internet now available, I soon bought my first computer and, of course, magically, joyfully, gratefully found that Bill had never really gone away, and that there was a 'community' of Nelsonians out there (the old website) and now here we are!" JovialBob: "I was also knocked over when I got After the Satellite Sings and couldn't stop playing it with a huge grin on my face." "I have to say that for pure musical energy and excitement it has to be After the Satellite Sings cos this is the album I come back to over and over. For me it is just such a complete record. Almost every track is a winner and when I attempt to wake people up to the genius of Mr N, this is the most grooooovy and exciting album to entice them with...Don't wait - Get ATSS !" Albums Menu Future Past

Live Show Archive We would like to build a comprehensive archive gallery of Bill's shows. If you have any great pictures or memories that you would like to share... Please contact us HERE Competition Winner's Meet & Greet - 1983 Nelsonica 02 Nelsonica 03 Be Bop & Beyond Tour - 2004 Nelsonica 07 Plectronica - 2018 Old Haunts Launch Party - 2019

Dreams & Absurdities album - 2015 Dave Sturt Production/Contribution Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Mirage 02) Transcendence 03) Hollow Form 04) Bouncing Like Gagarin 05) Jaffa Market 06) (In My Head) I'm Swimming 07) Unique & Irreplaceable 08) Dreams & Absurdities 09) Whites & Greens In Blue 10) Vast Indifference BILL: Guitar, E-Bow and co-writing on one song, "White & Greens In Blue". NOTES: "Bill plays an absolutely beautiful solo that gets better every time I hear it! So understated and yet it's perfect for the track." - Dave Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Rice Music album - 1982 Masami Tsuchiya Production/Contribution Menu Future Past TRACKS: A1) Rice Music A2) Se! Se! Se! A3) Haina-Haila A4) Tao-Tao A5) Neo-Rice Music B1) Kafka B2) Rice Dog Jam B3) Secret Party B4) Silent Object B5) Night In The Park BILL: E-bow guitar on the tracks 'Rice Music' and 'Tao-Tao'. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Three White Roses & A Budd ep - 2002 Harold Budd, Bill Nelson & Fila Brazillia Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar and Co-Writer on all tracks. NOTES: The brief liner notes say that it was recorded at "Stunk Dusty" (duo Fila Brazillia's studio?) in 2000, although not released until 2002. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Plaything Bill Nelson album - 25 January 2004 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) The Revenge Of The Man In The Burning Ice-Cream Van 02) A Prayer To Sleep With Mercurial Women 03) Come To Me In My Dreams 04) Beauty In A Sparkly Bra 05) Nipples Of Venus 06) The Embarkation Song Of The Last Fast Airship 07) Luana 08) Spanish Galleons Cruise The Sunrise 09) Lagoon 10) Lost Planet Sunset 11) Six Legged Critter Singing In The Trees 12) Rainclouds Over Paris Of My Dreams ALBUM NOTES: Plaything is an album of guitar instrumentals issued in a one off pressing of 500 copies on the Universal Twang label. Much of the material on this album stemmed from the same sessions that had produced The Romance of Sustain . Plaything was first made available on the evening Nelson performed a solo set at the Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford. As with Nelsonica '03 , attendees could purchase a second copy to forward to fans who couldn't attend the show. The few remaining copies were then made available for sale at the Rooms With Brittle Views website. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Romance of Sustain , Plectrajet , Dreamland to Starboard , Custom Deluxe , Wah-Wah Galaxy , Sparkle Machine , Gleaming Without Lights , Loom , Astroloops , And We Fell Into A Dream , Quiet Bells , Awakening of Dr Dream BILL'S THOUGHTS: " Plaything is a unique album in some ways, (and not least because it has absolutely wonderful cover art by my friend Frank Olinsky). "There are some unusual tracks on the album, covering a lot of guitar oriented, musical-instrumental territory ie: twisted, wah-wah, avant noise guitar and free-jazz piano on the track "The Revenge of the Man in the Burning Ice-Cream Van". Romantic, nostalgic sonic cinema in "The Embarkation Song of The Last Fast Airship". And psycho-erotic music in "A Prayer to Sleep with Mercurial Women" as well as poetic, yearning, melancholic dreaminess in "Raincloud Over Paris of My Dreams". "It's perhaps a slightly overlooked album of mine...but nonetheless a deeply satisfying one, at least in my opinion." _____ "The Embarkation Song of The Last Fast Airship": "an 'operatic' guitar instrumental, (if you can imagine such a thing). Flying from a flowery meadow across a crystal cityscape whose architecture looks like a combination of a 'Little Nemo' dreamtown and the 1920's towers of 'Metropolis'. The airship floats away to the coast, carrying its gorgeously attired passengers into an art-deco sunset." _____ "A darkly erotic listening suggestion..."A Prayer to Sleep with Mercurial Women" from the Plaything album. This track uses various noisy by-products of amplification and the muted crackle of acoustic ambience as a backdrop for a piece that sounds, to my ears at least, like a half-demented, perverse Flamenco player, struggling with a steel stringed acoustic guitar whilst simultaneously trying to resist being sexually entertained by a crazy, full-bosomed, high-heeled bordello madam wielding a vintage 1950's tremolo unit. Our poor guitar player, after experiencing a little more mercurial shenanigans than he'd initially bargained for, finally exits on a rattling tram, vowing to be more careful about what he prays for in future." FAN THOUGHTS: Westdeep: "Plaything is an essential purchase. For me it is one of a golden trio from that period along with The Romance of Sustain and Dreamland to Starboard . They are all subtly different but all wonderful instrumental albums...Wonderful stuff." Douglas Barry: "The album was inspired after Bill received a gift, and listening to it again I wondered if this might have been an early seedling that eventually blossomed into Signals From Realms of Light . Either way, for me, both albums demonstrate Bill's unique talent and consummate inventiveness with sound beyond the guitar that remains undiminished from one year to the next. And long may his muse cajole him!" Peter: "This is a really fun album. Just have to say that the song titles on this one brought a smile to my face. The music had me grinning more than a few times also, with joy. A couple tracks feature acoustic guitar, which is nice to hear, as Bill can really play. "Lagoon" stands up for me with anything Bill has done recently and "Rainclouds Over Paris of My Dreams" is an ethereal wonderland. One can sense that Bill really enjoyed making this one. And, not to be overlooked, the cover design is fantastic!" fricker: "Well, just sitting in the garden wondering which album to play and plucked Plaything out. What a choice! Forgot how good it is. Anyway, was drifting when "Lagoon" came on. What an atmospheric track that is. I could have been on a dessert island! And before anyone says it - No I haven't had a drink or anything else. Fantastic Bill. You put me in the Caribbean for the price of a CD." wadcorp: "Absolutely love Bill's work with samples. "Come to Me in My Dreams" is one of my top fave Bill tracks. The voices capture my imagination in that one." Sue: "Come to Me in My Dreams": "I remember the house where I was born" fits so beautifully into the music on that track, I love it. And I also love "Come to Me in My Dreams" so much that I had it tattooed onto my wrist. In fact, I love Plaything , it's a fabulous CD." Pathdude: "Lost Planet Sunset": "is one of my all time faves. Definitely the highlight of the album for me." james warner: "A strong, but judicious use of guitar effects creates a series of beautiful instrumental soundscapes. Music to float away on!" Dar: "Just have to say that this is now on my Top Five List of Bill's releases. Headphone heaven, baby. Hypnotic dreamsville of guitars and noises from an electrified wonderland. Impossible to even choose only 5, yet this one is filled with so much that is quintessential Bill that it's an easy pick." "Six-Legged Critter Singing in the Trees": "This track is my favorite example of an evolving, loop-constructed piece that just keeps on morphing subtly from one minute to the next. It stays in the same general area and becomes more detailed and embellished...6-legged changes it's skins but not its bones, and became an instant classic as soon as I heard it; utterly engaging and hypnotic. It's more about playing various parts over the basic loop rhythm and chord progression; whatever, the effect is amazing and I always wished more were like this." Albums Menu Future Past

Lovesnake album - 1991 Jean Park Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer of two songs: "Your Body in Soap" and "Feel Like A Wheel". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Fancy Planets Bill Nelson album - 20 July 2009 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Fancy Planets 02) The Golden Days Of Radio (Compact Mix) 03) Kiss Me Goodnight, Captain Marvel 04) The Land Of Dreams Is Closed 05) This Leads To That Leads To This 06) Where Are We Now 07) Twice In A Blue Moon 08) Everyday Now Is Forever Again 09) She Dreams Of Fires 10) I Hear Electricity 11) Mysterious Object Overhead 12) Dream Cities Of The Heart 13) Mystery Engine 14) Golden Days Of Radio (Hypermix) ALBUM NOTES: Fancy Planets is (mainly) a vocal album issued on the Sonoluxe label in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album had a working title of Sway and Swoon and was designed to complement another album then called Sparkle and Spin (which was issued as Theatre of Falling Leaves ) which were being worked on in tandem. Eventually Nelson renamed the album Fancy Planets . As the album was being mastered, Nelson noticed that the vocal track on "The Golden Days of Radio" wasn't coming through as clearly as he had wanted. Nelson therefore re-did the vocals on an alternate mix version (sub-titled Compact Mix) and added the original version (sub-titled Hypermix) as a bonus track. Additionally, to avoid having an album with 13 tracks, Nelson then created an extra track "Mystery Engine" from scratch on the eve of the final mastering session and added that to the album too. The album was - alongside Here Comes Mr Mercury – the first Bill Nelson CD to feature 'CD text' allowing you to see the title of each track as it played on certain in car and hi-fi systems. The album includes the 'A' side of the free digital single I Hear Electricity , issued previously on Nelson's 60th birthday (18 December 2008). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Fancy Planets will have a rock/pop orientation, albeit with a twist. I'm not sure how to exactly describe the music to you as, even within one song, there are lots of ideas at play. The music is very rich sounding, sometimes a 'wall of sound' with lots of guitars and crunchy, chunky drums and beats. It's big, tough and flamboyant, but beautiful too. A couple of tracks, (at least), conjure up the term 'retro-contempo psychedelic glam rock with poptone tints'. Yes, a weird and funny description but it fits some of the material like a glove! "Many of the songs offer an ironic and post-modernist tip of the hat to my rock band past whilst warmly embracing certain nostalgic elements. The material can be enjoyed on multiple levels and I'm sure many of you will have fun spotting the various musical references and cross-references contained on the album. For instance: The song "Dream Cities of the Heart" contains a reference to Be Bop Deluxe's "Night Creatures". In the same verse comes a mention of a much later solo album song of mine, "Fairyland Before the Fire". It's meant to hint at that ambiguous, bisexual, glam thing of first line-up Be Bop. (Later in the same song, there's a veiled reference to sexual magic/tantra too.) "The album is smart and dumb, subtle and flashy, gentle and ultra-violent, funny and serious, all at the same time. It's a terribly irresponsible album for a sixty year old to make!" _____ "That little zip-cut [in the beginning of the title track] is intentional, as if someone had spliced the tape. Also, the second repeat of one of the bridge sections, where the vocal sounds like tape cut-ups, ("all moments exist at once...") is also deliberately fractured...but not by digital, Pro-Tools style cutting and pasting. I actually sung it like that in real time to produce the sliced n' diced effect. Hopefully, it's the real time elements in all this music that separates it from the general software/sequenced/copy and paste methods used by every man and his dog these days." FAN THOUGHTS: Peter: "Wow. On first listen, love Fancy Planets ...Bill, you can still rock, dude. And don't EVER believe the guy in the mirror or anyone else...there isn't an electric guitarist on the planet that can do what you do. And the songs? Again, wow!" WalterDigsTunes: "Easily one of my favorite 21st century releases. With classics like "The Golden Days of Radio", "Where Are We Now", "She Dreams of Fires" and "I Hear Electricity", it's no wonder I feel like it ought to be required listening for anyone curious about the artist's recent output. If there's any album that could lure back fans of 70's guitar heroics or 80's/90's songcraft, it's certainly this one." BFD: "A real gem which is bound to resonate with all BN fans, a very satisfying listen...all the more amazing when you consider its all one (overworked) hyper-perfectionist playing everything. As a guitar freak I especially appreciated the pics/liner notes." knight on the tiles: "It's not a Be-Bop Deluxe album, which I didn't really expect it to be, or want it to be - sometimes the past is best left alone. But the heritage is clear and that works for me. The same sort of things that attracted me to BBD are there; the guitars, the distinctive phrasing Bill has, the subject matter, the balance of pace, the sweet tunes, the staccato rhythms but there's a lot of new stuff too. I also love the retro futurism setting that the cover artwork sets the scene for and the music backs up." wondertoy: "Holy Crap!!! This is some potent stuff. Thank you sooo much Bill for bringing this to the outside world. If this planet had any brains, "The Golden Days of Radio" would be a top ten hit right now. Give it time and maybe it will. The guitar solo on "She Dreams of Fires" is the most brilliant guitar solo I have heard in quite some time. "Mysterious Objects Overhead" totally blew me away. And "Mystery Engine" is a very beautiful piece of sonic artwork that I am very happy to have hanging in my musical gallery. You have outdone yourself once more, Bill. Again the fact that this music is being made by one man in a room upstairs should make a lot of musicians feel REALLY embarrassed to be walking into high priced studios today. Pure magic. Go buy this album now. Can't wait to sit down with this album over and over." Sue: "HOW on earth did Bill fit that band into his bedroom, for surely that can't all be him...But what an amazing album, only had time for a couple of listens so far but I love it, and with all the nods to the past it's a bit of a trip down memory lane too." andygeorge: "Fancy Planets is bloody amazing! Got it this morning and I can honestly say that every track is a beauty. Bill's playing is exquisite, especially on "Dream Cities of the Heart", and as for "Mysterious Object Overhead"...WOW!!" BobK: "These are 13 incredibly catchy and beautifully melodic songs. After quite a few plays they are whirling round and staying in BK's conscious! Lots of retro nods to the past, in the playing, tone and lyrics which are fun spotting. Easy to underestimate how tough it is writing a great melody or a great song. Take a listen to the guitar intro to "Land of Dreams", simple(ish) to play, maybe, but dammed gorgeous and try coming up with something as good as that yourself - few artists do. This is a terrific set of songs!" Merikan1: "I am really loving this one. Right now the two favourites are "Where Are We Now" and "Mysterious Object Overhead". "Where Are We Now" is dreamy, beautiful. Almost a lullaby. The warmth in Bill's voice is perfect. It just wafts me away. "Mysterious Object Overhead" just rocks gloriously. Licks abound. GEEETAR. An instant classic." swampboy: A Favorite Track of Bill's?: "I'd have to say "Twice in a Blue Moon" from 'Fancy Planets'. Like most of Bill's songs, a rollercoaster ride in the dark. You never know when the twists and turns are coming. Pure adrenaline joy!" Littlun : "Thanks for this album. It's as Little Richard once said about Jimi Hendrix - you have made our toes shoot up in our boots once more. You've always been at your best when you are getting down and dirty, and Rocking. Now what's my favorite track again?!" KEVWILKINS: "Where Are We Now": "has totally blown me away. I got really emotional listening to this today. Ten times. I can honestly say I have never been so choked listening to a track in my entire life. Absolutely beautiful." Swan: "Oh!...at the end of the alternate mix of "Golden Days of Radio" Bill plays the riff from "Sister Seagull" as it was and then plays it slowed well down, as if it is dying and struggling for breath. Symbolic I'd say...there won't be another album like it." Colourbox: "Caught myself whistling "Kiss Me Goodnight, Captain Marvel", in that whistling to yourself through the teeth stylee whilst in Sainsbugs this morning." seakret: "His best in years - and I thought Clocks & Dials was extraordinary. I have nearly all of the past 15-20 Sound on Sound discs and this is way up top already. Lots of nods to the past - the guitar is riveting and way up front (short, sharp shades of Red Noise in some of the faster rhythm guitar parts). If you downloaded the "I Hear Electricity" free download and thought Bill was onto something, then this album not only contains that song but also an amazing collection of similarly catchy tunes. Nice one Bill!" Angie: "Just listening to Fancy Planets for the first time...shivers up and down my spine. I love them all, but I think this album is going to be one of my favourites. Thanks, Bill, for thrilling my ears, painting pictures in my mind, and feelings in my heart for over 30 years." GettingOnTheBeam: "Fancy Planets is a classic...I can't stop playing it. I was going to burn a copy for a friend of mine...but couldn't bring myself to thievery, so I ordered him a copy through SOS." captainknut: "From some other thread in this forum I saw someone give someone else the advice to start with Fancy Planets if you like the BBD sound and want a way in. So I followed it, too, and ordered Fancy Planets from SOS. It arrived in the post a few days ago, and I just can't stop playing it. It's that good." Albums Menu Future Past

Demonstrations Of Affection Bill Nelson album box set - December 1989 Albums Menu Future Past CD 1 - Chimes And Rings: 01) Lady You're A Strange Girl 02) Kiss Goodbye 03) Call Of The Wild 04) Lost To Me 05) Dangerous Lady 06) Working Man 07) Giving It All Away 08) Ice And Fire 09) Wonder Where We Go 10) Dreams Of Yesterday 11) Sell My Soul 12) Back To Dreams 13) I Wait For You 14) Walking Away From Paradise 15) Playing Jesus To Her Judas 16) Something's Going On 17) The Miracle Belongs To You CD 2 - Nudity: 01) Feels Like Up To Me 02) Prize Of Years 03) Still Waiting 04) Lover Boy At Heart 05) The Wonder Of It All 06) Devil In Me 07) A Little More Time 08) What's It All About? 09) Thunder On The Wing 10) Shake It Up 11) Love To Win 12) Running 13) If Love Were Gold 14) I Want You 15) Kiss It Off 16) Angel Like You 17) Crying All Night 18) Only Love Can Tell CD 3 - Heartbreakland: 01) You Know How To Hurt 02) Broken 03) You Make Me Cry 04) Mess Around 05) Why? 06) Insanity 07) Confused 08) Heartbreakland 09) Lucky Star 10) Heartbeat Thru The Telephone 11) One Day At A Time 12) Tip The Wink 13) Shadow Haunting Me 14) Raining 15) Love's Immortal Shining Angel Purchase this download Purchase this download Purchase this download CD 4 - Details: 01) Maybe It's The Future 02) Wondering 03) Wasted Lives 04) The Best Of You 05) Stay With Me 06) Love And A Bucket Full Of Holes 07) Prisoner Of Love 08) Don't Wait 09) Man On Fire 10) Visionary 11) The World To Me 12) Strong Enough 13) Everything Permitted 14) Aeroplane Wings 15) One For You 16) Let It All Pass You By Purchase this download ALBUM NOTES: Demonstrations of Affection is a 4CD box set issued on Cocteau Records. It was also released on cassette. Both versions came with a free T-Shirt alongside the 4 albums of new material. This was the final official release by Cocteau Records. The recordings that make up Demonstrations of Affection were commenced at The Echo Observatory in 1988, but span a very difficult period of time for the artist, who was going through separation, leading ultimately to divorce. This resulted in him moving to a new home in 1989, rechristening his domestic recording facility Studio Rose Croix in the process, where the recordings were completed. PAST RELEASES : The set had just one pressing and has been out of print since 1990. Note that each CD forming the set was issued separately, but again went out of print with the demise of Cocteau Records. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All four albums are available to purchase individually as digital downloads here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It's a fairly straight, song-oriented album with pop overtones rather than an experimental/abstract instrumental affair. Of course many of the songs dealt with an uncomfortable time in my life when I was troubled by marriage breakdown and management/financial problems...I guess the music was, in some instances, a cathartic response to this and could be interpreted as an involuntary expression of personal angst. But, it has what I'd consider some nice songs on it, emotional and direct." _____ "I'd say that there are lots of songs in the set that work independently of the situations that inspired their writing. Perhaps if you didn't know the context they would be little more than fairly straight-ahead pop songs...as most pop songs deal with love or loss and the complications of relationships. There are a handful of songs in the set that I think are very good, particularly when I think back to the basic recording equipment I had at the time. But a lot of it I find marginally embarrassing as my life has long since moved on and, as always happens with these things, you look back and wonder what all the fuss was about and why you couldn't see the bigger picture. It doesn't take long to realise that these sort of changes are always going to be for the better. My life is infinitely more fulfilled and happy now that it ever was all those years ago. So, the album, if it documents anything at all, is a demonstration, (not so much of affection), but of the human inability to see beyond the moment to a much brighter tomorrow." FAN THOUGHTS: TheMikeN: "The songs - they are excellent, belonging to a phase of Bill's work that works for me completely. They are also unusually direct and heartfelt and so seem to be more immediately memorable than those from albums just before or after the set was released. Some very simple catchy melodies are included as well. I can hum most of them from memory and they turn up in my head unbidden surprisingly often." weirdcritter: "I've just got to say that DOA is my favourite of all the 'box sets'. Features some of Bill's best songs I reckon." Marshall: "The recordings do jump off the speakers, with saxophones and massive drum arrangements: much more ambitious stuff than I remember." Tony Raven: "I have to plug for Chimes and Rings . Wonderful tunes, perfect synth, breathtaking moments of varied guitar. Pop elements with subversive jazz sensibility. After dozens of plays, the whole CD still sounds great, whether at close listening or in the background, on the stereo rig or in the car." steve lyles: "I really love the Demonstrations of Affection material." "I have never thought of any of your songs as demos Bill...I prefer the 'sketches' term myself, the content has always been of more importance to me than the gear or place it was recorded." zebrapolish: "Been away from this set for far too long. Some really terrific tunes here." TwentySmallCigars: "I know that this was recorded at an exceedingly tumultuous and stressful time in Bill's life, and I have always found it remarkable how gifted musicians and composers can produce such beauty out of such dark circumstances. When I have trouble and stress in my life my work tends to suffer, not thrive." tommaso: "At the time I found it an incredibly 'stylish' and typically Nelsonesque thing. I mean, other people simply write one or two songs to cope with losing a lover and/or trying to get her back, Bill made a set of four albums! And I found the idea of 'spontaneous' music-making quite interesting, and it's something that Bill continued to do with later albums, of course...Those who dismiss Demonstrations should listen again to tracks like "Wondering", "Let it All Pass You By", "Love's Immortal Shining Angel", "Giving it All Away" or "Strong Enough". And the list can easily be continued. As always with Bill, each of these discs has some true gems." hong_kong_simon: "The album that affects me most on an emotional level has always been Demonstrations of Affection . The songs and music seem to me the most heart-felt of all Bill's works, covering love, pain, anger, hurt...Now, I've never gone through a divorce, but at the time of release of that album my wife and I had just suffered a tragic loss, and many of the feelings in that work were very similar to feelings I was experiencing (for very different reasons). It helped me to be able to feel some form of emotional connection through the music." John Fisher: "There's a temptation to view Demonstrations of Affection like several of the other box sets in Bill Nelson's long career (Trial by Intimacy , the My Secret Studio sets, Noise Candy ) - as a collection of like-minded songs. Sketchbooks collected from a period of several years. But Demonstrations is unique in this regard. It's really more like a diary - one that chronicles a particularly difficult and emotional period of the artist's life. Coming through the dissolution of his marriage, moving house, management problems, and financial strain, some might be tempted to lay open a vein. But instead, Bill Nelson lays open his soul. The music on this set seems to explode from his chest as if it cannot be contained. Where Chances Encounters in the Garden of Lights features music quickly bourne from a state of spiritual meditation, these songs sound like compositions freed from spontaneous combustion. It a wild ride thru heartache, anger, resentment, bewilderment, passion, lust, elation, resignation, nostalgia, and finally - hope. Yet, despite having a catharsis as catalyst, these are some of the most melody-driven pop songs of Bill's long career. Although one can point out that they betray their origin as demonstration recordings, and that you can hear the influence of the 80's loud and clear, Bill wrote some cracking good pop songs here. In fact, many of the best songs from Demonstrations were not included on What Now, What Next? and Practice of Everyday Life box sets." Albums Menu Future Past

Map Of Dreams Bill Nelson album - 12 January 1987 Albums Menu Future Past Currently unavailable TRACKS: 01) Legions Of The Endless Night 02) Spinning Creatures 03) At The Gates Of The Singing Garden 04) Heavenly Message Number One 05) Heavenly Message Number Two 06) Heavenly Message Number Three 07) Fellini's Picnic 08) Dark Angel 09) Infernal Regions 10) Dance Of The Fragrant Woman 11) The Alchemy Of Ecstasy 12) Aphrodite Adorned 13) The Wheel Of Fortune And The Hand Of Fate 14) Forked Tongues, Mixed Blessings 15) Another Tricky Mission For The Celestial Pilot 16) Water Of Life (Transfiguration) ALBUM NOTES: Map of Dreams is an instrumental album from Cocteau Records issued barely a month after Iconography . Map of Dreams initially appeared on vinyl and cassette formats, with the CD appearing later in the year. For this album, Nelson was commissioned by Channel 4 to provide a soundtrack to a TV show broadcast in 4 short episodes each lasting approximately 12 minutes. PAST RELEASES: Map of Dreams would get its first US release when it appeared on CD and cassette (Enigma, 1989). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The album is currently out of print, but may reappear as a digital download via Bandcamp at some point. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Originally, I was approached to come up with a series of programmes based on my occult interests. I produced an outline based on that exact premise but when it was put forward to the 'powers that be' they decided that a slightly less esoteric angle would be more suitable for viewers who might possibly be, er, 'unsettled' by the ritual/masonic/magical/alchemical angle I'd initially envisaged...(hence the somewhat more easily acceptable, 'astrological' line on which the series was eventually based). Interesting enough for all that but certainly a rather more compromised result than I'd originally hoped for. But, there you go...that's the nature of the game when you engage with the machinery of commercial television. No matter how pure or potent the original intent might be, the artist has to accept that dilution will occur. Still a very interesting project though...and one of which I remain proud." "As far as I know, the Map of Dreams series didn't make it to official DVDs...which is a shame as they're rather unique TV programmes by today's standards." FAN THOUGHTS: Peter: "This is an album to play for someone who doesn't understand that Bill is NOT "just" a guitarist, but is a musician and composer. With hardly a guitar in evidence (I think only "Fellini's Picnic" features the guitar, though there may be instances of heavily synth-processed guitar that I am not knowledgeable enough to pick out), this rich collection of soundscapes, developed for use as a soundtrack for a TV program, offers so many moods and "colors". Interesting, and at times challenging, listening." alec: "The Map : Used to listen to "Fellini's Picnic" over and over, rewinding it often in the car ..." mlr_pa: "Fellini's Picnic": "from Map of Dreams should have been 10 minutes longer! Bill on an acoustic! WOW!!" wadcorp: "What a great album." Alan: "I've seen it on youtube before, and agree it's a wonderful program, visually and musically. I wish I could have seen it's release on television...Anyway, Bill has every right to be proud of this one, in my opinion." Albums Menu Future Past

Drive This Comet Across The Sky Bill Nelson album - 10 April 2018 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Fables Of The Future 02) Here Is Where I Dream 03) Lost In Space 04) Drive This Comet Across The Sky 05) Here I Am, (And You Can Hear Me) 06) Your Imagination 07) Hello You Beautiful People 08) Time Is Running Away (The Blue Nowhere) 09) This And That 10) Certain Circles 11) Where Are The Stars That Fall From Heaven 12) The Ticking Of Time ALBUM NOTES: Drive This Comet Across the Sky is an album of vocal tracks issued as a download-only album on Tremelo Boy Records, available through Nelson's Bandcamp page. Drive This Comet Across the Sky was created between November 2017 and February 2018. Work on the album was affected to a degree by Nelson's ongoing difficulties with his mixing desk, which left him unable to complete any recording for around a fortnight in December 2017. Work on the album gathered pace though in January 2018, with a proposed track listing announced on 19 February 2018. This list revealed that a total of 16 tracks had been completed for the album - 12 with vocals and 4 instrumentals. During January Nelson produced a video for the album's title track, which was uploaded onto the Essoldo Cinema section of his website on 30 January 2018. At the mastering session (undertaken on 12 March 2018), Nelson elected to re-think the track listing for the album, removing the songs "House of Mystery", "Luna Rosa", "Raindrops" and "Serene in Silver", and in the process reducing the number of instrumental pieces to just one. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Drive This Comet Across The Sky is a loose, eclectic and highly electric rock album containing twelve tracks, all vocal-based with one instrumental exception. Featuring spontaneous songwriting and casual arrangements, it was laid directly to multitrack without revision or refinement. It twists and turns its way through a landscape of surreal lyrics and cosmic guitars sparking thoughts about the nature of time, love and mortality." _____ ALBUM REVIEW: Review by Benedict Roff-Marsh FAN THOUGHTS: CoachMatt: "What a glorious ride into to work this morning. I had my first listen to, Drive This Comet Across The Sky while driving and only Bill can take you on that magic space ride. Fabulous melodies and textures... This album also has Bill playing hard and there are a few jazzy tunes. Listened to 'Lost In Space' while driving in the predawn darkness with snow falling like stars passing the windshield. The song was putting me in a trance, Thank God no one is on the roads that early lol. 'Drive This Comet Across The Sky', thankfully was the next song and it lifted me up with its straightforward rocking style. Bill is really belting out fantastic music. 'Here I Am', such a sweet tune. The whole album flows so very nicely. Will be playing the album all day in my classroom and will be putting the headphones on tonight for more magic." lee59: "While I enjoy all of Bill's releases, this one is really resonating with me. One can hear the spontaneity and 'being in the moment' of the creation of these tracks. And, as always, the guitar solos are sublime and speak with an eloquence that can't be articulated with words. Well done, Bill. God bless, and keep 'em coming!" Jeremy Clarke: "On first listen, this reminds me of BBD albums 2 and 3 (Futurama and Sunburst Finish ) although it's completely different." Albums Menu Future Past

Discography Menu DVDs and Video Productions The following compilations do not link to full entries yet...They will soon. Filmed Live At Metropolis Studios 2012 DVD Picture House 2010 DVD Flashlight Dreams...And Fleeting Shadows 2003 DVD

New Way to Move mini album - 1983 The Units Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer, Guitar and Keyboards on "New Way to Move", "Your Face" and "More Alike". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Drastic Plastic Be Bop Deluxe album - 10 February 1978 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this box-set TRACKS: 01) Electrical Language 02) New Precision 03) New Mysteries 04) Surreal Estate 05) Love In Flames 06) Panic In The World 07) Dangerous Stranger 08) Superenigmatix 09) Visions Of Endless Hopes 10) Possession 11) Islands Of The Dead ALBUM NOTES: Drastic Plastic is the sixth and final album by BeBop Deluxe, and was recorded using the Rolling Stones Mobile Unit on location in Juan le Pins in Southern France during May and June 1977. The album was stylistically a departure from their past work and signalled a transition in Nelson's work to a more electronic approach, closer to New Wave music than 70s Rock. As a result, some fans found this change difficult to fully accept. Drastic Plastic was the fourth Be Bop Deluxe album in succession to feature the now established line up of Bill Nelson, Simon Fox, Charlie Tumahai and Andy Clarke. The album appeared on vinyl and cassette, and was promoted by the release of two singles "Panic in the World" and "Electrical Language". Like their two previous singles, both of these failed to chart. Vinyl copies were released in a single sleeve, and the record was housed in an inner sleeve featuring lyrics to all songs. In North America the album appeared with a slightly revised track listing, with the track "Visions of Endless Hope" replaced with the UK only single, "Japan". Canadian collectors were treated to a limited edition white vinyl edition. When reissued on CD in 1991, EMI elected to enhance the album by adding 3 bonus tracks, although they represent a mixed bag in the context of this album and the reissue programme as a whole. "Blimps" in chronological terms belongs with Sunburst Finish , and "Lights" with Futurama , leaving just "Lovers Are Mortal" as the only appropriate inclusion. If you no longer kept your vinyl copy of Futurama , but require song lyrics, then this CD edition satisfies that need. The informative sleeve notes penned by Kevin Cann provide useful context. In April 2017 Cherry Red and E soteric R ecordings , who, since 2011, have done so much to raise the profile of Bill Nelson's solo recordings from the period 1980 to 2002, acquired the rights to release the Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise material issued between 1973 and 1979. While this resulted in the deletion of existing physical editions, Cherry Red kept Drastic Plastic on catalogue from 1 June 2017 via the usual download sites such as Amazon and iTunes while an expanded edition was prepared for a 2021 physical release. On 21 February 2021 Drastic Plastic became the fifth Be Bop Deluxe album to be issued as a Deluxe Edition comprising: a freshly remastered version of the original album. a 2021 remix of the full album. 9 bonus studio recordings comprising of single edits. unreleased tracks and material that later appeared on the 'Best Of And The Rest Of' retrospective compilation. previously released live 'BBC In Concert' recorded for Radio. 4 recordings from a 1978 John Peel session. a bonus CD of previously unreleased Bill Nelson demos. the original album presented in a 5.1 mix. Bill Nelson's previously released 'Be Bop In The South Of France' video. the BBC TV 'Sight And Sound In Concert' appearance from 19th January 1978. The album is presented in a triple fold out digi-pack and contains a 68 page booklet with an essay penned by Bill Nelson, previously unseen photographs from the period, postcards and a replica poster. A 2CD edition of the album is also being released at the same time as the Deluxe Edition which will also replace the standard download edition. The full track listing for the Deluxe Edition is: Disc One: 1. Electrical Language 2. New Precision 3. New Mysteries 4. Surreal Estate 5. Love In Flames 6. Panic In The World 7. Dangerous Stranger 8. Superenigmatix (Lethal Appliances For The Home With Everything) 9. Visions Of Endless Hopes 10. Possession 11. Islands Of The Dead 12. Japan 13. Futurist Manifesto 14. Panic In The World (Single Edit) 15. Blue As A Jewel 16. Electrical Language (Single Version) 17. Love In Flames (Single Version) 18. Face In The Rain 19. Islands Of The Dead (Take Four) 20. The Saxophonist (Juan Les Pins Version) Disc Two: 1. Autosexual 2. Lovers Are Mortal 3. Blimps 4. Speed Of The Wind 5. Quest Of Harvest For The Stars 6. New Precision (BBC In Concert 1978) 7. Superenigmatix (BBC In Concert 1978) 8. Possession (BBC In Concert 1978) 9. Dangerous Stranger (BBC In Concert 1978) 10. Islands Of The Dead (BBC In Concert 1978) 11. Panic In The World (BBC In Concert 1978) 12. Lovers Are Mortal (BBC In Concert 1978) 13. Love In Flames (BBC In Concert 1978) 14. Blazing Apostles (BBC In Concert 1978) 15. Superenigmatix (John Peel Session 1978) 16. Possession (John Peel Session 1978) 17. Panic In The World (John Peel Session 1978) 18. Love In Flames (John Peel Session 1978) Disc Three: 1. Electrical Language (New Stereo Mix) 2. New Precision (New Stereo Mix) 3. New Mysteries (New Stereo Mix) 4. Surreal Estate (New Stereo Mix) 5. Love In Flames (New Stereo Mix) 6. Panic In The World (New Stereo Mix) 7. Dangerous Stranger (New Stereo Mix) 8. Superenigmatix (Lethal Appliances For The Home With Everything) (New Stereo Mix) 9. Visions Of Endless Hopes (New Stereo Mix) 10. Possession (New Stereo Mix) 11. Islands Of The Dead (New Stereo Mix) 12. Japan (New Stereo Mix) 13. Futurist Manifesto (New Stereo Mix) 14. Blue As A Jewel (New Stereo Mix) 15. Autosexual (New Stereo Mix) 16. Face In The Rain (New Stereo Mix) 17. Lovers Are Mortal (New Stereo Mix) 18. Speed Of The Wind (New Stereo Mix) 19. Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars (New Stereo Mix) Disc Four: 1. Speed Of The Wind (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 2. Surreal Estate (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 3. The Saxophonist (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 4. Electrical Language (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 5. Visions Of Endless Hopes (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 6. Possession (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 7. Islands Of The Dead (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 8. New Mysteries (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 9. Japan (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 10. Dangerous Stranger (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 11. Blue As A Jewel (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 12. Autosexual (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 13. Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 14. New Precision (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) 15. Love In Flames (Bill Nelson Demo 1977) Disc Five: 1. Electrical Language (5.1 Surround Mix) 2. New Precision (5.1 Surround Mix) 3. New Mysteries (5.1 Surround Mix) 4. Surreal Estate (5.1 Surround Mix) 5. Love In Flames (5.1 Surround Mix) 6. Panic In The World (5.1 Surround Mix) 7. Dangerous Stranger (5.1 Surround Mix) 8. Superenigmatix (Lethal Appliances For The Home With Everything) (5.1 Surround Mix) 9. Visions Of Endless Hopes (5.1 Surround Mix) 10. Possession (5.1 Surround Mix) 11. Islands Of The Dead (5.1 Surround Mix) 12. Japan (5.1 Surround Mix) 13. Futurist Manifesto (5.1 Surround Mix) 14. Blue As A Jewel (5.1 Surround Mix) 15. Autosexual (5.1 Surround Mix) 16. Face In The Rain (5.1 Surround Mix) 17. Lovers Are Mortal (5.1 Surround Mix) 18. Speed Of The Wind (5.1 Surround Mix) 19. Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars (5.1 Surround Mix) Disc Six: Video Content: 'Be Bop Deluxe In The South Of France' - Bill Nelson's Home Movies Filmed Whilst Recording 'Drastic Plastic' BBC TV 'Sight & Sound In Concert' 19th January 1978 1. New Precision (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 2. Superenigmatix (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 3. Possession (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 4. Dangerous Stranger (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 5. Islands Of The Dead (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 6. Lovers Are Mortal (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) 7. Panic In The World (BBC TV Sight & Sound In Concert) CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This 6-Disc box set is available to purchase in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "I came up with that TV heads image way back in the 1970s, before even some of you good folks might even have been old enough to notice. "It eventually was photographed for the '70s album, Drastic Plastic , (by 'Sleazy' of Throbbing Gristle), and was originally intended for a front cover, but sadly got relegated to the back cover due to Hipgnosis, (the favoured designers at EMI back then), who supposedly had a 'better' front cover image showing paint being thrown over an artificial kitchen. Well, what the heck this ever had to do with the musical concept of the album still escapes me and it is one of those record company decisions that simply baffles...But there you go...Art, in the hands of the infidel, turns to banality." _____ "Getting my first Mini-Moog was exciting because previously you would have had to invest in a bulky and very expensive modular system. The Mini-Moog brought the possibility of synthesis to a much wider range of musicians, myself included. And I wanted to break away from being stereotyped as a 'guitar hero' at that time, but mainly liked the added textures that the Moog brought to the songs." _____ "Several of the tracks on Drastic Plastic feature drum tape loops rather than 'live' playing. Basically, we recorded a few bars of Simon playing the basic beat, then mixed it to a reel of stereo tape whilst feeding it through a guitar fuzz box and compressor, then we'd cut the tape so that it contained just a couple of bars of drums, then joined the ends of the tape together so that it formed a physical tape loop and then ran this 'round and 'round, on constant repeat, copying it back to the multitrack, adding gated reverb to make it more explosive. The band then played to the tape loop rather than to a live kit. Thinking about it now, it was like an early, primitive, version of 'sampling'. The idea was to get a repetitive, neo-mechanical, machine drum feel to the rhythm, rather than the usual rock approach. The home demos I made for the album have a very similar feel and we often spent time in the studio trying to re-create the groove of those demos." _____ "Visions of Endless Hope": "from Drastic Plastic has birdsong and wind sound...but it's all live in real time, as the guitar parts were recorded in the open-air in the garden of 'Villa St George' in Juan Les Pins in the South Of France. Every bird cheep and breezy tree shimmer was picked up by a ring of microphones as I played the Ovation 12-string guitar whilst sitting in the middle of the villa's garden." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review on JP's Music Blog Review on Goldmine Review on AnneCarlini.com YouTube review by Pete Pardo Review on Daily Vault Review on Spill Magazine Review by Dmitry M. Epstein Review on Music Street Journal Review on Immersive Audio Album FAN THOUGHTS: peterc62: "When I first played Drastic Plastic and heard the song "Electrical Language". I thought WTF is this? I grew to love the track and wished there was more pure electronica like it on the album. Although I suspect Simon Fox would have been a bit hacked off not playing a real kit." Michael: "I remember back in 1978 my friend's older brother, who was the first person I ever knew with Be Bop Deluxe records, thought you had lost it with Drastic Plastic . I thought it was the best thing I'd ever heard! Perhaps that was the first but far from the last time you challenged your fanbase." Andre: "I have to say, living in this insane planet, that I bought Drastic Plastic when it was first released and I loved every song on first hearing. It is ALL hit potential...in a sane world." paul.smith: "After absorbing Drastic Plastic in early '78 I remember considering what the next development would bring...tracks like "Possession" and "Superenigmatix" were so not of the previous, and kind of gave a hint of things to come, albeit in hindsight as we now know." andygeorge: "Who would have thought that "Electrical Language" from Drastic Plastic was about people communicating via 'electronic devices' and not talking face to face?...Ring any bells with today's norm of texting and emails?...and Bill predicted this over 30 years ago!" Ian Nelson (from Music In Dreamland by Paul Sutton Reeves): "There are phrases in the English language which, if not entirely original, have passed unobtrusively into common usage after being coined by Bill. How often do you see the term 'Drastic Plastic' used as a strap line for an album review?" Jon Wallinger: "I first heard Be Bop Deluxe as I walked/cycled around the village I grew up in (and live in once again). You could pretty much hear them all around the village as they rehearsed in an old war memorial building that served as a village hall. We used to stand on our bikes to spy through the windows, then when we got a bit braver, we'd sneak into the hall to watch from the back. This will have been rehearsals for the Drastic Plastic tour as I can distinctly remember them rehearsing 'Panic In The World'. How bizarre that 30 years later, I was in a band with Bill Nelson playing some of those very same songs!!!" Albums Menu Future Past

Yablokitay album - 1997 Nautilus Pompilius Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer and various instruments Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) November 2009 Jan Jul Aug Sep Oct Dec Sunday 1st November 2009 -- 6:00 pm Emi finally returned home last Monday evening, (26th of October). She's been away for more than one month, even longer than that if you add in the two weeks she spent in Tokyo prior to this year's Nelsonica. To say that I'm glad to have her home would be a total understatement. I've missed her very much and, even though we've spoken on the 'phone every single day, having her back here with me once again is such a joy. Our two cats, Django and Tink were pleased to see her too, though Django tried to hide his amputated tail from Emi's view when she first entered the house. It was if he didn't want her to see his injury, or was embarrased by it. He's recovering o.k. now, no longer having to be confined to the house or forced to wear the protective collar that was causing him so much suffering. I had him back to the vet's at one point though, when his tail seemed to be bleeding, but it's healing well at the moment, if still bereft of fur and a few inches shorter than it should be. Still no idea how he was injured, although it looked to the vet as if it was a deliberate attack. My own life has been mainly focussed on looking after the house andmyself. Now that Emi is home, I can think about a few other things, including adding this entry to my online diary. But I've spent the last few days helping Emi back into her life here in the U.K. Her mum has returned to hospital. Her condition not good but not really any worse than it was a few weeks ago. There is, however, little that can medically be done for her and at some point in the future, the inevitable will have to be faced. This could be very soon or early next year, according to the doctors over there. But it's not possible to put any accurate time-scale on it. It's all very upsetting and worrying, especially for Emiko. At some point, as things move towards their sad conclusion, she will have to go to Japan again.For now though, I'm trying to be supportive and helpful, bring Emi a little respite from her worries. We need to spend time together...one thing this situation has underlined is the preciousness of life, (and its fleetingness). As I've metioned before, the last few years have been very difficult for us. Mortality, illness, family problems, legal matters, job redundancies, one thing after another. Yes, we're at that time of life when these things happen, but we're also at a stage when many of our contemporaries have taken early retirement or are about to retire and settle down to enjoy a calmer, more gentle lifestyle. My work as a musician hasn't afforded me such an opportunity and I have nothing to fall back on. Not that I want to give up my creative work, but I sometimes wish it wasn't quite so pressurised. I spend a great deal of my life locked away in this cramped little room, surrounded by electricity and the low hum of recording equipment. That in itself isn't particularly healthy, but the constant desire to create and, (if such a thing were possible), 'perfect' my music, to express my thoughts and feelings through sound and words, has become all-consuming to the point of obsession. Of course it's also a pleasure, a privelege...but it can sometimes be a curse too. Yesterday though, Emi and I drove over to Castle Howard for the afternoon. Autumn is beginning to change to winter now but there are still enough golds, mustard yellows, rich browns and deep reds on the trees to bring home the fragile beauty and gentle melancholy of the season. We had afternoon tea in the main house's cafe. Sandwiches and cakes, a pot of Earl Gray tea for Emiko and a small bottle ofMerlot for me. We sat at one of the window tables, watching as the light shifted, flickered and faded, whilst peacocks wandered aimlessly across the lawns, their tails truncated, though still carrying a few short feathers of electric blue and green. Less people there than the last time we visited, which is fine by me. I often wonder what it must have felt like, in times gone by, to be the owner of one of these glorious piles. Perhaps no need, back then, to think in commercial terms of how to best market it, to make it pay for itself. I imagine myself, late at night, walking out through one of those magnificent french windows, stepping from the warm glow of a firelit, candle yellow, gilded grand hall, out into the sweet velvet twilight, into a landscape commissioned from some personal architect of dreams... To walk alone amongst dark trees and silver fountains, to touch the ancient, rain-kissed statues as if they were supernatural consorts, frozen forever by their own chilled beauty, to taste wine-drunken breezes flowing from distant hills, to glimpse dragonflies darting over star-reflecting ponds, neon wings whirring like tiny kites veined with phosphor. And to know that all I surveyed, from here to forever, was MY domain, a realm where dreams could be realised, made manifest. What must that have felt like? Even if that perfection was only sensed for a second? Amazing that such lives existed...no, still exist! Today, we've stayed home. Rain and wind outside and a lingering grey darkness. I've spent some time on the forum of my website. I'm always in two minds about such a thing. It isn't always good to know what some people think. Fan websites are a mixed blessing. It's a bit like working in a shop or a supermarket checkout. Not everyone who crosses your path is someone you'd want to encounter under any other circumstances. Many fans, of course, are understanding, warm, thoughtful and supportive. Others more contentious, rude, deliberately confrontational or transparently egotistic. But, artists cannot choose their fans, just as most of us cannot choose our neighbours. Only friends and lovers come within our remit. The rest is down to chance. I guess that, on the whole, I've been lucky. Oriental dinner tonight, Emi cooking Japanese style for us. Last night we ate out at 'Ceasars' restaurant in town...Italian and a fairly regular haunt of ours. Not expensive but, usually, a satisfying meal with good service from friendly and welcoming staff. The packaging artwork for my next album 'NON-STOP MYSTERY ACTION' was completed yesterday. Just before Emi returned from Japan, I'd taken some rather surreal photographs of myself for it, sitting at the table in our dining room. In one photograph, I have the head of a rabbit and on the table in front of me stands a pair of toy robots. In another photograph I have the head of a robot, (actually a 1950's Selmer guitar amplifier turned on its side), and there are two small toy rabbits standing on the table. The album is built around three soundtracks I recorded for three special Nelsonica video presentations. But there are six tracks in all, each one quite lengthy. They are like sound pictures, or scenes from a kind of sonic cinema. Spoken word, (my own), plus voice samples from movies and radio. Also digital static, drones, electronic flickerings, jazzy guitars, the sound of wind and rain and bells, even an opening dark blue 'blues' piece. A stream of consciousness kind of thing. Dreams unreeling in the night. Track list/running order is as follows:- 1: 'THIS IS LIKE A GALAXY.' 2: 'WELCOME TO THE DREAM TRANSMISSION PAVILION.' 3: 'YES AND NO.' 4: 'WHEN THE INVISIBLE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN.' 5: 'MATERIALISATION PHENOMENA.' 6: 'THE DEPARTURE OF THE 20th CENTURY IN A HAIL OF MEMORY.' Everything now ready for manufacture. Hopefully have it available in time for Christmas. The strangest Christmas album, maybe, but there's definitely something of a winter's night about it. This will be my fifth album release this year...and two more already in the pipeline for later. Compulsive? Obsessive? Driven? Perhaps. Or maybe just thrilled by the gifts that music bestows. ***** The images accompanying this diary are as follows:- 1: A nice photo of Emiko , taken around the time Bill and Emi first got together. 2: An autumnal photo' of Castle Howard, taken by Bill 31st Oct '09. 3: Another Castle Howard photo' by Bill taken same day as previous shot. 4: A statue at Castle Howard, photo' by Bill, date as above. 5: Bill's self-portrait photograph for 'Non-Stop Mystery Action' album artwork, taken October '09. 6: Another 'Non-Stop Mystery Action' self-portrait by Bill, same date as above. Top of page Saturday 28th November 2009 -- 11:00 am Feeling tired and anxious. This diary entry, once again, begins with Emi leaving for Japan. The last few weeks, since Emi returned from her previous trip to Tokyo, have been difficult. Her mother's condition has fluctuated, some days not too bad, others much more worrying. Every day, Emi has kept in touch with the situation in Tokyo, via telephone calls to her elder brother and also to a lady who has been a long-time friend of her mother. From them, we've recieved updates on the progress of the illness, or lack of it, and Emi has also regularly spoken on the 'phone with her mother, direct to the hospital. It's been an emotional roller coaster for Emi and very stressful. Obviously, the immense distance from here to Japan has made the situation even more painful. On some occasions, Emi had expressed optimism after putting the 'phone down...her mum had been able to eat and sounded positive. On other occasions, things didn't seem good at all and Emi's despair was impossible to hide. This last week though, her mother had been given a transfusion, (as she had been losing blood), and the result seemed to indicate that she might find the strength to survive through Christmas and into the New Year. Emi's younger brother, (Masakazu), was already in the process of moving to a new apartment that would be suitable to accomodate himself and Emi's mother. The idea was that she would leave the hospital and move in with Masakazu until her illness became unmanageable, at which point she would have to be re-admitted to hospital. Professional day-care was also being discussed so that Emi's mum could be monitored at the apartment and helped as much as possible. Although very ill, she was looking forward to getting out of the hospital and spending some time with Masakazu and Emi's older brother, Kazutami. Sadly, this was not to be. At 11:15 on Tuesday evening, (24th November), the 'phone rang. Emi and I had been watching television and we were almost about to retire to bed. Emi answered the 'phone. The call was from a friend of Emi's mother. She had telephoned to inform Emi that her mum had suddenly passed away, only one hour previous. No one was with her when she died. Emi was inconsolable, absolutely devastated. Witnessing her distress, her raw outpuring of grief, was heartbreaking for me. I can't begin to explain the anguish and helplessnness I felt and I won't even try. The next few hours were filled with tearful calls to and from Japan. All I could do was hold Emi close and bear witness to her pain as the news sunk in. Emi had spoken with her mother only two days before and there had been no indication that the end was quite so near. Consequently, the shock we experienced was far more severe than expected. We had optimistically presumed that things would continue unchanged into the New Year, or at least until a serious deterioration would signal that it was time for Emi to fly to her mother's side. To add to this awful situation, Emiko was due, the following morning, (Wednesday), to create a unique floral arrangement for the Lord Mayor's Mansion House in York. As mentioned in a previous diary entry, she had been invited to take part in a special Christmas Flower Festival in aid of the Lord Mayor's annnual charity appeal and had spent the previous two days getting all the neccesary materials and flowers together. She'd had a wonderful design in mind, but, after the 'phone call from Tokyo, she was so emotionally disraught that I couldn't imagine how she could possibly go ahead with the work as planned. I suggested that, first thing in the morning, I should call the organiser and explain the situation to see if it would be possible to excuse her from the project. Emi, however, insisted that she must try and get through it and honour the invitation. That sad night, we hardly slept and by morning were both feeling weak and emotionally drained. We had to be at the Mansion House very early to unload all the flowers and other neccesary items from the car, so got dressed and grabbed a quick breakfast of tea and toast. I was acting as 'flower roadie' for Emi and packed everything she needed into the boot and rear seat of the car before setting off into the city through the slow moving early morning traffic. Once at the Mansion House we unloaded everything and carried it up the grand staircase into the Mansion House's State Room where Emi had been given a personal site for her arrangement. This was situated on an antique table beneath a pair of imposing oil paintings of two ancient York Mayors. I left her to begin work on the arrangement and returned to the car to remove it from the precinct and drive to a car park. The traffic was still jammed up so it took a little while to get where I needed to be. I then walked back through the crowds of office workers and tourists into the centre of town and was admitted back into the Mansion House. For the next couple of hours, I watched as Emi created a beautiful, classy arrangement that perfectly complimented the two enormous portraits that towered over it. Her face looked tired, sad and careworn but, as she became more and more engrossed in the creative process, I could see some inner light return to her eyes. I know from personal experience how healing creative work can be, even if only temporary. Emi worked quickly and with greatpurpose, knowing exactly what she was aiming for. At one point, she stood back from the arrangement to view its progress, then turned to me and said, "I'm doing this for Mama, she wants me to make it beautiful for her..." And the finished result was indeed beautiful, subtle, sophisticated and perfectly suited to its setting. I felt so proud of her. There's something about Emi's work that is hard to define. Just as there are many musicians who have technical or academic excellence and yet whose work somehow doesn't move the listener beyond a superficial kind of admiration, there are flower artists who can reproduce the latest floral fashions with competent technical skill but who lack the warmth and depth that is required to make the work sing. Emi's work is different, it sings graciously...it has, for want of a better word, 'soul.' It's this subtle quality that appeals to those with cultured tastes, a quality that connects on a deeper level, without recourse to 'trendy' gimmicks or flashy display. But, just as with music, sophisticated work can often pass a mainstream audience by. Well...that was Wednesday morning. Once the arrangement was completed we returned home and began the process of finding a flight to Tokyo for Emi. After several calls to a travel agency in London, (the same agency she had used to book her two previous trips to Japan), a flight was finally secured for today, Friday 27th November. From Manchester to Paris, then Paris to Tokyo. I could sense Emi's relief that she would be able to get there in time for her mother's funeral. Unfortunately, it wasn't practical for me to accompany her to Japan. This will be the third trip to Tokyo for her this year, (plus one last year), and the combined impact of these unexpected but neccesary trips on our finances has been marked. Also, because of the suddeness of recent events, there would not have been time for us to arrange for our cats to be taken care of, (which would also incur further expense). Emi's car is in for substantial repairs too and I need to be here to deal with that and several other pressing domestic responsibilities. So here I sit, typing these words and hoping that all will be well. I'm just praying that Emiko will be able to deal with the emotional impact of her mother's funeral without me by her side. She's told me not to worry, that she can cope...but, of course, I'll worry anyway. As readers of my published 'Diary Of A Hyperdreamer' book will recall, Japanese funerals are elaborate affairs and not a little disturbing for Westerners, especially those of us used to a slightly less viceral approach to cremation. I was in Tokyo with Emi for her father's funeral a few years ago and had first-hand experience of this. I'm thinking back to that time now and, despite Emi's attempts to re-assure me, can't help thinking that it is going to be very tough on her. She's a remarkably strong person in many ways, although very feminine and gentle. But Japanese funerals are something of an endurance test. Nevertheless, she's certainly much stronger than me when it comes to these things. On a less depressing note: Yesterday, we were invited to attend a special lunch party at the Mansion House, given by the Lord Mayor, as a 'thank you' to the various floral artists who had created arrangements for the Flower Festival. Emi wasn't sure at first if she was up to attending, feeling so drained and tired...but she said 'yes' and we once more found ourselves in the State Room, enjoying a pleasant lunch and chatting with the Mayor who seemed very interested in how Emi and I got together. Turned out he enjoys listening to classical music and jazz so we had a chat about music too. He seemed to be impressed by Emi's arrangement and complimented her on her work. Many of the other arrangements for the festival had been created by members of the Acomb Flower Guild (which is apparently one of the oldest and best in the country). The ladies of the Guild also seemed suitably impressed by Emi's talents and have invited her to become a member. One floral artist who spoke with us said that she had been involved with various flower guilds around the country for many years but had never come across one that contained so much talent before. She was full of enthusiasm for it and urged Emi to go along to their next meeting to see what it was all about. I was pleased that Emi responded positively to the invitation and she now has contact details and will be visiting the Guild when she returns from Japan. I think she would like to take up the invitation to join...It might be a very positive thing for her, especially in view of the difficult times she's had to endure these last few years. And it may hopefully provide a further outlet for her talents. Last night was devoted to packing Emi's suitcases. We intended to get an early night as she needed to catch a very early train to Manchester airport but it was midnight when we finally turned off the light. I couldn't sleep, just laid there in the darkness turning over the events of the last few days. Emi wasn't asleep either and we ended up talking about her mother's passing, life in general, and tried to apply a Buddhist perspective.A certain degree of acceptance was, I think, achieved. It seemed as if we'd only just drifted off to sleep when the bedside clock told us that it was 4-30 am and time for Emi to get up and get ready to leave. I stumbled out of bed just a little later, at 5 am, and dragged on some warm clothes I'd laid aside the night before. Outside it felt very cold and there was a light layer of ice on the windscreen of the car. I ran the engine and watched the windows slowly demist, then, with Emi on board, set off for the station. Two sleepy people, travelling in the darkness. There were no other cars on the road until we reached the centre of town, and even then just the odd one or two. I parked and hauled Emi's luggage over the station footbridge to platform nine where the Manchester Airport train was already waiting. I got her settled at a window seat and placed her cases safely in the luggage area. We hugged each other close, saying that it was 'only' for ten days this time, but I knew that ten days would feel far too long. I glanced at my watch and hopped off the train. Then, standing on the platform, waiting for it to depart, I gestured to Emi through the carriage window to take out her mobile 'phone. I called her on mine so that we could talk to each other despite the glass separating us and the train's closed door. Within seconds, the train pulled away and out of the station and we were lost to each other's view, but we continued to talk on our mobile 'phones as I made my way back over the bridge to my car. The usual sadness as I returned home, alone. Undressed and crawled back into bed but couldn't sleep. Turned on the reading lamp and picked up a book. Read for amost an hour, then drifted off into a dream. At 8 o'clock the 'phone rang. It was Chio, a friend of Emi's. She asked if she could speak with her. I informed her that she had already left for the airport. Further attempts at sleep proved fruitless so I eventually got up and made myself some breakfast. Then a brief call from Emiko to say she was at Manchester airport and about to board the 'plane for Paris. A couple of hours later, I got another call from her at the airport in Paris...she was just about to board the 'plane to Japan. She will now be many miles away on her long journey. (It's now 10 pm on the evening of 27th November here.) She will try to call me from Narita airport when she arrives. (There's a nine hour time difference between England and Japan so this will be in the early hours of Saturday morning, UK time.) Then it will be a daily call from me to her mother's apartment until she returns home on the 7th of December. Meanwhile, it's just me and the cats...existing. ***** All images accompanying this diary entry are of Emiko's flower arrangement for the Mansion House Flower Festival in York. Top of page

Hired History Plus album - 2019 Fiat Lux Production/Contribution Menu Future Past TRACKS: DISC ONE: HIRED HISTORY PLUS 01) Secrets 02) Photography 03) Blue Emotion (12" Version) 04) Comfortable Life 05) Sleepless Nightmare (12" Version) 06) Aqua Vitae 07) Feels Like Winter Again 08) This Illness 09) Photography (Unreleased Bill Nelson Version) 10) Comfortable Life (Unreleased Bill Nelson 12" Version) 11) House Of Thorns 12) Sleepless Nightmare 13) Three's Company 14) House Of Thorns (12" Version) 15) Solitary Lovers (12" Version) 16) No More Proud (Proud Mix) 17) No More Proud (Dub Mix) 18) Sally Free And Easy DISC TWO: ARK OF EMBERS (LOST ALBUM) 01) The Moment 02) Breaking The Boundary 03) Blue Emotion 04) Embers 05) No More Proud 06) Photography 07) Splurge 08) Secrets 09) Aqua Vitae 10) In The Heat Of The Night 11) Solitary Lovers BILL: Producer on four tracks, Disc One's 'Feels Like Winter Again', 'This Illness', 'Photography' and 'Comfortable Life'. NOTES: The tracks Nelson produced were originally recorded in 1983, but remained unreleased until 2019 with the release of this record. Steve Wright & David Crickmore: "...We have been able to include our earlier work with Bill Nelson as producer. Not only the debut independent single on Bill's Cocteau label 'Feels Like Winter Again' b/w 'This Illness', but also the original Bill Nelson produced version of 'Photography' (b/w 'Comfortable Life'), which was commissioned to be our next single when we first signed to Polydor – a plan soon abandoned by the company in favour of a remake with Hugh Jones at the controls. Riding on the Indie chart success of our debut, Bill's 'Photography' followed the brief to "make it sound like 'Feels Like Winter Again'." We even returned to the same modest local Leeds studio. It is a notable inclusion to this collection as it marks the first time Ian Nelson blew a saxophone on one of our recordings and you can hear that his lovely end solo idea survives right through from Bill's prototype to the bigger budget Hugh Jones replacement version." "It wasn't our first attempt at the number ('Comfortable Life') – Bill Nelson had offered his production of it as the intended B-side of 'Photography', recorded at the same sessions at Ric Rac in Leeds. Unheard until its inclusion here is that unreleased master in its 12" mix form (Polydor never commissioned the 7" edit from it). It comes with the heavy disclaimer that 'Blue Monday' was hot off the press and extremely influential at the time!" Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Singles As and Bs Be Bop Deluxe retrospective collection - 19 June 1981 Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: A1) Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus A2) Between The Worlds A3) Maid In Heaven A4) Ships In The Night A5) Kiss Of Light A6) Japan A7) Panic In The World A8) Electrical Language B1) Third Floor Heaven B2) Lights B3) Crying To The Sky B4) Shine B5) Futurist Manifesto B6) Blue As A Jewel B7) Surreal Estate NOTES: Singles As and Bs is a single album that neatly brings together the Be Bop Deluxe singles issued on Harvest, including 3 singles edits that were appearing on album for the first time. Collectors were drawn to this album (when initially released on vinyl in 1981) by the inclusion of "Between the Worlds", the band's third single, which was withdrawn shortly after its original release in 1975. However, by the time this collection had appeared on CD in '92, that super rare track had re-appeared on the Futurama CD as a bonus cut. All the tracks on this album, including the 7" edits, can be found on the more comprehensive Futurist Manifesto box set issued in 2012. PAST RELEASES: All 15 tracks on this compilation album had originally appeared spread across the band's eight 7" singles issued on Harvest. See individual entries of those singles for full details. In addition to "Between the Worlds", 4 of the 'B' sides and 1 other 'A' side were non-album cuts when first released although all five of these tracks had been included on The Best of and the Rest of Be Bop Deluxe double album a little over 2 years previously. The album was released on CD in 1992 with different artwork. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This compilation is now out of print. Collections Menu Future Past

Bill Nelson Live Events Unfortunately, Bill has no live shows planned at the moment and due to health issues it is unlikely that he will perform live in the future... Make sure you have subscribed to this website's mailing list for news and updates. We would like to build a comprehensive archive gallery of Bill's shows. If you have any great pictures or memories that you would like to share... Please contact us HERE Previous Live Show Archive

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Thirteen - Published September 1986 Back to Top

Monday 7th August 2006 -- 7:00 pm Made the mistake of presuming that I'd finally completed the track running order for this year's Nelsonica CD but I was wrong. (And after I'd announced it on the Dreamsville Inn Forum too.) The first two versions proved to be far too long to fit onto a CD so I had to drop three tracks and record two shorter, brand new ones to get the total running time to just under 80 minutes in length. The revised, (and hopefully final) track listing looks like this:- Bill Nelson. Album for Nelsonica '06. 'Arcadian Salon.' 1. 'Premium Standard No.1.' 2. 'The Girl In The Galaxy Dress.' 3. 'Take It Off And Thrill Me.' (Jazzy option.) 4. 'Memory Skyline.' 5. 'Distant Towns With Different Lights.' 6. 'The Song My Silver Planet Sings.' 7. 'Spaceport.' 8. 'Superadventure (Sound-On-Sound.') 9. 'Playful.' 10. 'Transparent Towers At Dusk.' 11. 'El Swingo Collapso.' 12. 'The Rest Of The World Rolls By.' 13. 'Wind Chimes Of Memory.' 14. 'Take It Off And Thrill Me.' (Rock Option.) 15. 'Sequinned Skeleton Blues.' 16. 'Snow Is Falling.' 17. 'A Buddha For My Brother.' The three tracks that I couldn't fit on to the album are: 'Railway Across The Roof Of The World;' 'Pilgrim' and 'This Sky,This Sea,This Summer.' These leftovers will either go towards next year's Nelsonica cd or appear as bonus tracks on any re-issue projects that I might undertake next year. It all depends on context and mood. 'Arcadian Salon' has been a tricky album to put together as the music on it covers a quite diverse set of styles. The first six tracks are all from the 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' sessions and have a very jazzy feel. I couldn't find space for them on that album so they are presented here instead. Track 7, ('Spaceport'), whilst not from those sessions ALSO has a jazzy influence and features my recently aquired Greco L10P archtop guitar. (See photo.) Track 8, 'Superadventure (Sound-On-Sound)', is the epic instrumental piece that originally appeared exclusively on Sound-On-Sound magazine's DVD, an item that was attached to the magazine's special anniversary issue. It appears here on one of my own albums for the very first time. This piece covers several of my musical acres in one single composition...it almost constitutes a potted history of my instrumental work. Tracks 9, 10 and 11 continue in an instrumental vein and act as a bridge between the cd's earlier jazzy feel and the 'rockier' tracks that appear on the latter part of the album. Having said that, tracks 13 ,15 and 17 are also little instrumental interludes and serve to break up some of the vocal tracks. The entire cd is now just a few scant seconds under 79 minutes long, making it a somewhat longer listening experience than the 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' album. I now have to try to get some mastering time booked at Fairview so that it can be manufactured in time for the convention. (Actually, after writing that sentence, John Spence literally just called me to say he can fit the mastering session in at the end of this month, so manufacturing should be on schedule if the master goes straight off to the factory, once we've completed the process.) Yesterday afternoon brought a meeting of the Nelsonica Planning Department, which I was invited to attend. Always a pleasure to meet the members of the convention team...they're so enthusiastic and creative and always make me feel rather special. And this particular meeting was made extra special by Ian Haydock who gave me a gift of a 1950's Selcol Toy Guitar (which may well make an appearance at Nelsonica this year). Actually, this is the second Selcol guitar I've been given...long-time fan Scott Tiggert sent one to me by post a week or so ago. Suddenly, I've been re-connected with the very roots of my guitar playing. In the late 1950's, this plastic, toy instrument introduced me to the delights of the guitar for the very first time. I'll relate the story of my guitar beginnings at Nelsonica as part of my presentation. The toy Selcol Elvis Presley guitar I was so generously given yesterday actually has an 'autochord' unit with it...a small box with buttons. This fixes on to the neck and produces a few simple chords when each button is pressed. These Selcol guitars are very rare and, being a collector of retro design items, I'm thrilled to now own two of them, thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of my kind benefactors. At the Nelsonica meeting, the team and I talked through various details regarding this year's convention content. It's going to be a non-stop delight if all goes to plan. Fitting everything in to a single day is the hardest part but, there's certainly no lack of content. Apparently, the event has already sold out and there is a waiting list for any tickets that might become available. Attendees certainly get value for money as the ticket entitles them to a copy of the limited edition 'Arcadian Salon' album; (These things tend to become valuable collector's items); A live performance of instrumental music by myself; A 'meet and greet' session; A live on-stage interview between Leeds University School Of Music lecturer Simon Warner and myself; A separate talk about 'guitar philosophy' including the importance of the instrument in my life and some technical hints and tips; A question and answer session; an exhibition of several special items from my guitar collection; An exhibition of some early artwork; Rare video footage presentations of Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise; A special tribute to my much loved and missed brother Ian featuring rare Fiat Lux videos; A 'Dreamsville Radio Show' with me acting as presenter and DJ; A video presentation of some of my own musical inspirations; A selection of my self-created videograms; A preview of the re-mastered 'Getting The Holy Ghost Across' album; Exclusive previews of unreleased recordings from the 1980's; An auction of artwork and memorabilia; A raffle with some impressive prizes; A preview of work -in-progress on the Ghosts Etched On Glass' film. (If I can find time to take it beyond the opening title sequence which is all I've completed so far!) A preview of the previously unreleased Be Bop Deluxe live tracks AND a merchandise stall that will have advance copies of 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' for sale, amongst other things. How we'll fit all that into the day is a mystery but there certainly won't be a dull moment. Now I have to start making a list of the pieces of music I want to include in my Nelsonica 'radio show.' I also would like to create a couple of new pieces to play as part of my live performance too...so, perhaps I should park the diary for a little while and get on with some work. On the domestic front, not much to report. With all the work on my plate at the moment, there's not a lot of time available for socialising, 'though Emi and I are attending our friend's 40th Birthday celebrations soon and also going to a little art gallery party North of York later this week. It would be nice to find a little more time for relaxing though. But work is a pleasure for me...how can music making not be? Saw a beautifully coloured bird outside our house a couple of days ago. Couldn't identify it but we certainly hadn't seen one like it in our garden before. Perhaps it was a finch of some kind. I wonder if it's the result of this particularly warm summer? There seems to have been a few more butterflies in our garden this year too, and bumble bees. The English Summer of childhood fantasy, right here and now. Wish I had more time to enjoy it. ***** Images attached to this diary entry are:- 1. Bill's Greco L10 P Archtop Guitar. 2. Two rare Selcol Elvis Presley toy guitars and a '56 Custom Shop Fender Stratocaster. 3. Custom Shop Fender Stratocaster re-issue in Fiesta Red. Top of page William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) August 2006 Jan Apr May Jun Jul Sep Oct Nov Dec 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013