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Albion Dream Vortex More Listening Notes Go to Album Listening Notes to accompany the album Albion Dream Vortex by Bill Nelson General introduction: 'Albion Dream Vortex' is an instrumental album blending guitars and keyboards in a variety of styles. It contains subtle references to instrumental music I've made throughout my career, embracing ambient, electronic, vintage and modern, wrapped up in a dream-like vortex of sound. The word 'Albion,' for me, signifies the post-World War 2 era I grew up in. It also reminds me of a company called 'Albion Motors' who built art-deco styled buses in the 1930s and '40s. But 'Albion' is actually the oldest known name for the island of England and inevitably conjures up swirling spirits from the mysterious past. The subject of dreams, their nature and purpose, has fascinated me since childhood. Dreams have also been a recurring motif in my creative life, and will continue to be so until, somewhere in the future, I will become little more than a flickering, ghostly dream of myself...atoms of memory, spluttering and sparkling like tiny fireworks in a long ago November sky. We inhabit two worlds, one of which we assign to reality and the other to dreams. Our lives are spent half awake and half asleep, adrift in realms of reason and unreason. The boundary between these realms, for the artist, is often deliberately blurred, nebulous, ambiguous. Yet our creative imagination holds the ticket that allows us to travel between these two states and permits mysterious goods to be imported and exported. This luminous traffic, this flickering mystery, is the foundation of 'Albion Dream Vortex.' 1: 'Thought Bubble Number 1.' An opening, an introduction. Shiny, chrome-plated guitars breaking through a grey veil, pushed by percussion...A brief taste of something always just out of reach. 2: 'Behold These Present Days.' Percussion looping back in time to 'After The Satellite Sings.' Voice samples trapped like insects in amber...a simple, brief burst of synthetic energy. Ice skating on the frozen river of time. The present day lost to the past. 3: 'Like A Boat In The Blue.' Aching guitar, the melancholy sound of six philosophical strings underpinning a found-voice sample. Tubular Bells and ocean sound. Sailor Bill laments beneath an ancient lighthouse. 4: 'Sparky And The Spearmint Moon.' Sparky may be perceived as the character featured in 'Sparky's Magic Piano,' and 'Sparky's Magic Echo,' children's records which often played on the BBC's Saturday morning 'Children's Favourites' radio programme in the 1950s and of which I was, as an infant, quite fond...but the music here has no literal reference to that piece, (other than echoes applied to the guitar sound.). Instead, it presents a mock easy listening experience, Liberace and Mantovani smothered beneath a pink blanket of electric guitar candy floss. Short and, in some ways, violently sweet. 5: 'Tomorrow Will Not Be Too Late.' More found voices, introduced by a burst of distressed electronica. A music box from Planet X tumbles helplessly over itself as the track's inexorable mad chant reminds us that 'Tomorrow Will Not Be Too Late.' It will, of course, always be far too late, yet the voice sample presents us with a sort of kitsch and surreal optimism. Ghostly voices at the track's conclusion try to console us but ultimately only serve to underline the disembodied and temporary nature of our brief lives. It's a cheerful tune about a melancholy subject. 6: 'Start Beaming And Get On The Gleam.' An obvious variation on the title of an old early 1980s track of mine. ('Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam.') Actually this piece has no real musical connection with that track but instead heads into more ambient jazz territory...I just liked the play of words on that old title. It opens with a rather melancholy piano section before percussion enters and a chromium guitar excursion kicks in, underpinned by marimba and a bubbling sub-bass pattern. E-bow sections and orchestral counterpoint bring further textures to the piece. Piano mixes in with marimba, Wurlitzer and guitars...the longest track, (so far,) on the album at this point. 7: 'We Who Are Awake Will Not Be Asleep.' This could be seen as a wilder, more intense development of the mood of 'Like A Boat In The Blue,' but it eventually develops into a sort of filtered, distorted, guitar jig to which brief brass riffs are added before the track's fragmented conclusion. It's ecstatic but intoxicated, maybe possessed by some perverse spirit of electrical pagan revelry. 8: 'Thought Bubble Number 2.' Remember those old comic books where a character's inner dialogue would be represented by a graphic 'thought bubble'? Well, these thought bubble tracks are a sort of musical equivalent of my own inner dialogue. This one illuminates the darker, foggier corners of my mind's dusty attic. Uncertain, tremulous, slightly spooky. Guitars and radios mess with each other under a moonlit sky. 9: 'Electrical Adepts Of The Celestial Bed.' Sex, inevitably, enters stage left...erotica embodied in the opening chords of this slinky, trippy neo-jazz fantasy. Title inspired by words found in a book about William Blake's bedroom life. The ghost of Miles Davis gets horny and shiny whilst Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer pianos bring the bitches brew to the party...extended improvisation, ethereal interludes, cosmic star-fields and fuzz bass suggest heaven and earth. A weird old wah-wah guitar enters as if Haight-Ashbury was still, after all these years, the centre of the hipster universe...Dissolve to tides of static, moog pitch wheel aberrations...Miles returns as a synthetic ectoplasmic spirit...now is the time to drop the body and transform to radio waves. 10: 'The Mastery Of The Thing.' More found voices...a quiet, reverse collage of guitars underpinned by trippy percussion..."Higher and higher" the voice urges us...Guitars alternate between forward and reverse gears, chromium, liquid, tuned mercury. Strange. 11: 'Albion Dream Vortex.' The absolute heart and soul of the album, the hidden pearl at its centre. This is the track that birthed the entire album. It's one of those neo-classical adventures that I embark on from time to time, poignant and sometimes sad, yet uplifting, bright and optimistic. An embrace, an affirmation...strings, electric piano, acoustic piano, found sounds, music boxes, church bells, ethereal choirs, cellos, oboes, English horns, electronica...a ten minute sixteen second symphony from my heart to yours. 12: 'Thought Bubble Number 3.' Back to guitars. Filtered, delayed, set to sail on some far distant, slow cosmic surf. An ancient 1980s drum machine rattles and claps beneath as if the 21st Century never actually arrived. Dissolves in a pool of shimmering electric piano. Brief...an interlude. 13: 'Long Ago By Moonlit Sea.' Eleven minutes and thirteen seconds of slowly evolving fantasy...a drift, a flow, a hovering, angelic cloud of lights. Persevere...it goes through change after change. Beauty rewards patience...this one swims deep. 14: 'Let Us Melt And Make No Noise.' A fitting conclusion...to both this album and our time as actors employed in the theatre of Planet Earth. A found voice urges us to "Melt and make no noise..." Guitar sounds slide in and out. Buzzy, electro-static percussion enters and soon fades, an electronic ocean of sonic textures, re-tuned radios, distant echoes and close whispers. A kind of conclusion...but far from absolute. More Listening Notes Go to Album

Orpheus In Ultraland Bill Nelson album - 22 October 2005 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) The Man Who Haunted Himself 02) Duraflame 03) Suburban Mermaid One Twenty Three 04) Dreams Run Wild On Ghost Train Tracks 05) Tin Sings Bones 06) Tantramatic 07) Every Tiny Atom 08) And Now The Rain 09) Super Noodle Number One 10) Moments Catch Fire On The Crests Of Waves (Alternative Mix) 11) Big Broken Buick 12) The Whirlpool Into Which Everything Must Whirl ALBUM NOTES: Orpheus in Ultraland is an album of mainly vocal pieces issued exclusively for Nelsonica '05 in the then customary limited pressing of 500 copies, on the newly created Discs of Ancient Odeon label. Due to problems with delivery of the artwork, Nelsonica 05 attendees were issued copies of the album in a plain jewel case with the artwork distributed by post on 23 November. The past practice of offering second copies for sale was ceased for this event, which meant that the remaining 250 copies or so were available (with complete artwork) on the merchandise desk on Nelson's UK tour, which commenced on 6 November. After the tour, the small number of copies that remained were sold through SOS, although within a day or so these were snapped up. On November 28 an announcement was made on the Dreamsville Forum that the album had completely sold out. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Satellite Songs , Fancy Planets , Joy Through Amplification , Modern Moods For Mighty Atoms , Electric Atlas , Fantastic Guitars , Special Metal , Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus , Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , Blip 2 BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Amongst the album's 12 tracks are some personal favourites of mine such as "Suburban Mermaid One Twenty Three", "Tin Sings Bones", (which has featured in my live concerts in recent years), "Tantramatic", "And Now the Rain". Plus an alternative mix of "Moments Catch Fire on the Crests of Waves". It's an accessible album which will appeal both to guitar fans and those who enjoy my vocals/songwriting." _____ "[The title] "Duraflame" comes from a cigarette lighter that my Dad had, back in the '50s, a 'Ronson Duraflame'. A nice design, chrome modernist/deco style. Very cool. I actually have one that I picked up from somewhere many years ago...it sits on a shelf in my little study, next to Dad's old Bolex clockwork cine camera, his (now vintage) Automobile Association enamel badge, his RAF official issue shoe brushes, and the Westminster Electric Door Chimes that sat inside the front door of 28, Conistone Cresecent, Eastmoor Estate when I was a wide-eyed, dreaming boy." _____ "Tin Sings Bones": "is about mortality and identity. 'Tin Sings Bones' refers to the human machine, the fact that we're almost like tin toy robots who dream of being human. The verses with their 'Maybe I'm a fly upon your wall, maybe you're the pride before my fall' lines, (and the rest), refer to a personal uncertainty about myself and things in general. My mid-life crisis hasn't ended, 'though I should be well past that point by now as I'm only three years away from my 60th birthday! But even at my supposedly settled and mature age, things can happen that test one's understanding of whom one is, and where one is in life. I'm as mixed up as I was as a teenager and very little wiser, I'm afraid. The song, whilst chirpy and poppy enough, is actually all about the fear of growing older and loss of certainty." _____ "The extended 'intros' and 'outros,' (or preludes and codas), are somehow, for various reasons unknown to me, set deep into my creative psyche. Hard to escape. The intros are a warm red carpet laid down a narrow corridor into the compositional heart of each piece. The codas are a reflection of possible alternatives, different resolutions, echoes of other potentials, the sound of a lingering kiss." FAN THOUGHTS: thunk: "What you would deem 'classic' Bill Nelson - appealing to the 'core' of fans, who love to hear Bill 'rock it' with fancy fretwork et al...it bursts at the seams with hooks & catches." "The work of the mature artist telling it like it is - young pretenders take a bow if you please!" Face in the Rain: "Provides an excellent link between Be Bop and where Bill is now. Most listeners manage to make the jump (it's all connected - it's all Bill, after all) but OIU is a great bridge if you feel you may need one." Pathdude: "Defiinitely one of the best Nelsonica discs. Every song is top notch with some mind-blowing guitar thrown on there." next move: "It is a very emotive piece of playing, when I first heard it I welled up!!" "Thank you so much for all your hard work, emotional input and creativity on this beautiful recording." jetboy: "Dreamyblisteringjazzrockblues with romanticeccentricenigmaticnosaltigic powerpoptecho undercurrents. A must for every admirer of Bill's work...believe me." John Izzard: "Cohesive collection of pieces - flows well despite the breadth of styles and the nature of its compilation. Lyrically very strong. Unsurprising attention to detail. Numerous musical points of reference, including nods at Bill's own past from Be-Bop Deluxe to Rosewood . It exudes passion - Bill is clearly loving what he is doing and continues to push the envelope...My wife likes it. Far more than a 'convention CD'. Or for a 'one word review'...enigmatic." Merikan1: "Orpheus is one of the best BN CDs - period. It is my personal favorite and a must have." "The Man Who Haunted Himself" - One of my all time favourite BN tracks. Killer. That opening just screams out of the stereo." dbodom: "Is it possible that "The Man Who Haunted Himself" from Orpheus in Ultraland has some of the most beautiful guitar work Bill has ever done? At the :35 mark, and again at 2:53, the guitar work is so overwhelmingly emotional that it brings tears to your eyes. I've always felt great emotion streaming out of his music over the years, and that's what makes Bill's music special to me. You only get better with age William. "And for anyone needing a reminder that Bill is one of the best guitarists in music today, just listen to "Tantramatic" or, if you just can't get enough of Bill's guitar work, listen to an old school number like "Super Noodle Number One". It will provide you with your guitar fix for the day." Wasp In Aspic: "This album is a must have for all Nelsonians...When "And Now the Rain" comes on I just have to stop what I'm doing and marvel at its poignancy and brilliance." BobK: "I think "Duraflame" has one of the most thrilling solos BN has ever played, namely the final one. Melody, beauty, technique, wow...I am drooling. BN has a unique ability to make the guitar sing." alec: "Tin Sings Bones": "This has entered my head and will never leave. It seems to be playing constantly. Hooks galore." "Moments Catch Fire on the Crests of Waves": "One of my favourite songs of yours, beyond a shadow of a doubt." neill_burgess: "Tin Sings Bones": "the standout song of Nelsonica 05 and the standout track on the CD. Voice and instruments combine in meaty & memorable riff. "The Whirlpool Into Which Everything Must Whirl" - An epic song, and not just because it lasts 8 and a half minutes and has tubular bells! The complexity and scope of this number would overwhelm most songwriters, but Bill pulls if off effortlessly. An instant classic for all Nelsonians. To Bill, thanks for a great Nelsonica , for this wonderful music, for constant surprises and for the oxygen of inspiration." eddie: "Get it downloaded, you are in for an absolute treat. Possibly the best Nelsonica album out there." Albums Menu Future Past

Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow Bill Nelson album - 1 November 2008 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Welcome To Electric City 02) Once I Had A Time Machine 03) Summer Hums In The Bee-Loud Glade 04) Frosty Lawns (Snowballs And Oranges) 05) God Glows Green In Small Town Park 06) My Empty Bowl Is Full Of Sky 07) When Aeroplanes Were Dragonflys 08) Night Is The Engine Of My Imagination 09) The Old Nebulosity Waltz 10) Help Us Magic Robot 11) Time's Quick-Spun Globe 12) Fountains Are Singing In Cities Of Light 13) The Emperor Of The Evening 14) I Saw Galaxies 15) Until All Our Lights Combine 16) Heaven Is A Haunted Realm 17) Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow 18) Golden Coda (Farewell To Electric City) ALBUM NOTES: Golden Melodies of Tomorrow is a vocal album issued on the Sonoluxe label in a single print run of 1000 copies. Work on the album coincided with writing material for that year's Nelsonica release, Clocks and Dials , with Nelson completing 64 tracks by July 2008, at which point he began the task of selecting track listings for each album. Golden Melodies of Tomorrow was issued at Nelsonica '08 , with remaining stock then sold through SOS. The album sold out on 7 March 2018. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: " Golden Melodies of Tomorrow is, I think, destined to become one of my own personal favourite albums. One that defines me, here and now, in a very direct and special way. "It's an album that ignores whatever the current mainstream is pursuing. It approaches the listener from a very different musical universe. I was aiming for beauty and transcendence and quiet power too, something futuristic but also ancient, ultra-modern but timeless. "In keeping with recent themes, I think of the album as a sort of clock mechanism, a hand-made, bejewelled movement that, (hopefully), once set in motion, fascinates and intrigues the listener with its interlocking parts and shining, myriad cogs and wheels. A golden, whirring, dream factory of song." _____ "As you may know, for me, Golden Melodie s is a special moment in my ongoing musical journey. And yes, there's a weird nostalgia and a kind of melancholy sweetness in there but it's deliberately intended...It's meant to be surreal, arch, kitsch, ironic, knowing. "It IS a fantasy album, it is escapism, it does refute the realm of aggressive truck drivers, it DOES try to steer away from the 'real' world. It does avoid rock and all its macho struttings, it is paradoxical and deceptive. Evasive even. "Golden Melodies is about an interior world, it's about the psyche and the desires and imagination of a man of my own age, sensibilities and background. It could also be said to be psychedelic, in the classical sense. "Its momentum is achieved by playing off my innocent inner nature against my cynical outer nature. 'm asking questions of myself about certain romantic, poetic impulses that motivate me. I'm also indulging those impulses, giving them full rein, seeing where they lead. I'm trying to be brave, to address the things that many men suppress for fear of feminising themselves. It's a sensual album, it's as much about sex as it is about spirituality. It's deliberately 'away with the fairies' with their transparent skirts, shapely legs and come-hither smiles. As my pal Hal once put it: "Butterflies with Tits". "Think Richard Gadd dining with Gilbert and Sullivan whilst Edward Elgar tries to get to grips with a Yamaha Motif keyboard in a Busby Berkley film set in tea-room off the coast of dreams. Somewhere in there sits Johnny Smith with a big Gibson archtop, filling the air with liquid silver improvisations guided by the ghost of Charlie Christian. "I'm trying to pile image on image, beauty on beauty, relentlessly, orgasmically, to the point of overload. It's a haunting, a view of somewhere beyond this world, yet sprung from it... "Aspects of the album are pure nostalgia, turned up to number 11, pushed and pushed until it becomes something else, something almost supernatural, maybe alien. "Like Sailor Bill, it is an alchemic act of composition. "Working on the album has transformed me in ways that are invisible to the outer world." _____ "The whole album runs like an epic movie from start to finish. Widescreen, Vista-vision, etc...I think this is a special one, a high point. "If you're not staggered and amazed by this when you finally get to hear it, then there's no hope. If Sailor Bill was my 'Smile', then this is my 'Smile' plus 'Sgt. Pepper', wrapped up in one...but entirely different to either. It's post-post-modern, more fractured than a broken mirror, more delicate than a butterfly's wing, tougher and rougher than Richard Harris in 'This Sporting Life', more romantic and sexy than a kiss under a gas-lamp in a cobbled street in a rainstorm...More 'me' than ever before. An entire pocket universe of sound and lyrics...you're going to LOVE it!" _____ "Sometimes, I approached the writing and recording of the album as if it were a sharp, clearly defined painting but then took a large, soft brush and blurred the edges, placing the music in a slightly foggy, twilight world, a world formed by the flickering amber glow of gas-lamps and mysterious shadows. "Other times, (such as "Summer Hums", and "When Aeroplanes Were Dragonflys"), I threw the doors and windows wide open and let the Sun and birdsong stream in." _____ "The songs are constructed from the ground up...not just with surprise codas, but with contrasting and contradictory 'movements' that occur throughout the entire song. "I've often made the analogy of my music being like a kind of Frankenstein monster...lots of unrelated bits of lost or dead music stitched together, then thousands of crackling volts of electricity applied to them until they come to life, get up off the studio table and walk out the door to haunt the neighbours. "Maybe Golden Melodies is more of a 'Bride of Frankenstein', weirdly beautiful, shockingly sexy, a composite angel, part butterfly, part dark moth." _____ "The image of the lady on the front cover of Golden Melodies of Tomorrow is taken from the catalogue of the 1939 New York World's Fair. The designer of the dress forecast near nudity in the future and made this creation from cellophane and a synthetic opaque fabric called 'Teca'. The model's shoes are made from Dupont Lucite. The designer thought that, in the future, we'd all have better bodies and that there would be scientifically maintained temperatures, therefore clothes would be reduced to the minimum." FAN THOUGHTS: jetboy: "The first thing that strikes me with this album is that it's so 'cinematic' in approach...filled to the brim with achingly beautiful melodies that disappear as quickly as they appeared. "Imagine taking your seat in a cinema, low lit and ready for dreamland, the curtain rises, the journey begins. The music acts as a roving eye would be, swooping and flying down from the hills into "Welcome to Electric City"...angelic keys, backwards loops, fanfares, chimes and Bill Nelson's spectral orchestra works its magic... "This album is stunning. My favourite Bill Nelson vocal album to date. Give yourself some quality listening time, relax (try candlelight) and let the music work its magic. The final track, "Golden Coda (Farewell to Electric City)" is a fanfare of symphony, drum and piano rolls, guitars and trumpets, the credits are now rolling and it's back to now. Which isn't so bad, just press the play button again... "This album is...Lamplit seduction, moonlight kisses, fluted alabaster, soaring wurlitzers, bubbling static, English meadows and the girl or boy of your dreams." BobK: "At the risk of sounding a bit over the top, this is possibly the best 'vocal' album BN has made in 25 years. Not simply because the vocals are wonderful, (and a lot of care has obviously gone into them), but it is chock full of simply GORGEOUS melodies. The word that keeps coming into my head is 'beautiful'. Check out the melody that kicks in at 1.28 on "My Empty Bowl is Full of Sky". Now THAT'S a gorgeous melody, and simply one of many... "The style, for want of a better word, is a curious mixture of past albums, such as Whimsy , Sailor Bill , Jazz of Lights , but is something very different and certainly, to my ears, more immediate and less 'thematic' than those. The structure of the tracks are often strange and unpredictable and have unexpected changes in melody and unexpected instrumental sections. "Finally, there are loads of new sounds and bleeps and whirls and it 'sounds' stunning, ie. very well produced and engineered. This is a veritable corker. BUY! BUY!! BUY!!!" " Golden Melodies is possibly my fave BN album ever. Certainly in my top 3 or so. Absolutely brilliant from beginning to end." tommaso: "Well, right when I heard the opening chords of "Welcome to Electric City" I felt convinced that I was in for something very special and extraordinary, and I was right. Golden Melodies just doesn't compare to anything else in Bill's oeuvre, not even Sailor Bill . Each and every track has a complexity that I can't remember to have found in any other album by Bill (let alone other 'pop' artists). This is much more akin to classical composition than to 'pop' music, BUT it doesn't ever appear to be forced or 'experimental' for experimentalism's sake. There are indeed a lot of golden melodies here, and they are not hidden, but right on the surface to behold in all their glory. But they are graced with extremely well worked-out arrangements, and an ever-changing bustle of sound underneath, and the result is nothing short of magical. "I'm surprised how 'visual' this album is, how much it conjures up images of early Hollywood musicals - Bill himself mentioned Busby Berkeley - or fashion shows of the era (at least for me). Of course these images are triggered by the cover designs, but they can be found in the music alone I believe; those swooping string cascades in many songs, for instance. It is all about elegance and a world past, but it's not nostalgia, but definitely a sort of futuristic recreation of that world. This could very well be the soundtrack to Fred and Ginger doing The Continental in the year 2050. "There's something exceedingly warm and pleasing about this music, something very emotionally satisfying. And it is so well constructed down in its tiniest details: no 'noodling', every sound is necessary and in its proper place. Great singing and production, too. Oh, and I liked the idea of a sort of 'double coda' that is formed by the last two tracks. An extended farewell to a world that I hope Bill will very soon re-visit." Wasp In Aspic: "I must add my voice to those who feel that Golden Melodies is quite possibly Bill's best album for 25 years. This is a magical work of art which makes everything else around seem inadequate. Even the timing of the release is great, sounding as it does like the ultimate dream of a favourite Christmas time musical from the past's future. Bill - it just does not compute that someone in their sixtieth year has produced such a landmark in their career." Mozo: "Quite honestly must confess...I am simply mesmerized! Golden Melodies of Tomorrow is essentially the perfect title for this gem. The scope and majesty of this offering is simply beyond words. A masterpiece of musical landscape laid out right before your ears and mind, courtesy of the maestro of musical luster, Mr. Bill Nelson. My thanks to you are forever for this journey Bill and I just can't help but ask the million dollar question...Just how do you keep doing it??? I was wondering when you were going to top Sailor Bill . In my mind, we didn't have to wait too long!" Man in the rexine pyjamas: "Must just say that the tracks are epic. Not similar in style to Sailor Bill , but the same wide, sonic horizons. How the man has completed that many work-intense pieces is amazing." Swan: "It's lovely...it's now...it's a record of a musician at the very height of his powers...I love it." "Once I Had a Time Machine" - "How the hell was that recorded in a spare bedroom???? I'm boggled!" Nigel Wade: "Beautiful, uplifting, complex, heartfelt music. There's a yearning right there in the vocals that really cuts through to my bones." BenTucker: "I think the whole of Golden Melodies is a sort of poetic tonic, which never fails to raise my spirits. It should probably be available on the NHS." "It makes pretty much everything else out there seem inadequate by comparison. Truly a magical, moving experience submerging yourself in this music. I think I've already exhausted the superlatives a few albums back, so I'll cut my "review" short (leaves more time for listening to the music)." steve lyles: "Some of the best music Bill has ever made...the musicianship...songwriting composition and emotional brilliance of these pieces transcend time and space for me...there are not enough superlatives to describe how wonderfully grateful I am to be plugged in to Bill Nelson's musical Jukebox galaxy...Bill Nelson may you live forever. Cheers from Sycophantic Steve." Pathdude: "It is without a doubt that this is some of the best Bill Nelson music I've ever heard. I'm completely delighted with the concept of Golden Melodies . These are some of the most potent melodies, sound effects, and arrangements to be delivered to my ears." prodgers: "Just when you think BN would some day run out of Inspirational Ideas like so many other greats have, he puts out Golden Melodies of Tomorrow . All I can say is WOW! A big WOW!! This should be called Bill's White album, as it has all the ingredients that make it his Most complete music to date." wadcorp: "I find that Bill's output of the last few years is amazing stuff. Dense & textured in ways no other artist is even attempting. And he's pulled elements from a huge array of sources, usually in small touches. One cannot absorb all of it in one go. It takes multiple listenings. You need to let it wash over you." blackdograilroad: "A Great Big Onion!...by which I mean every time I listen I hear yet another layer to it, a new melody, a new texture, a new tone. If this was a film it would be a sleeper. Not as instantly catchy as others, I needed quite a few listens to start 'getting' it but repeated spins are wonderfully rewarding, sort of a different taste with every bite...really a remarkable work. Thanks, Bill." felixt1: " Golden Melodies of Tomorrow will blow you away." "This is an absolute classic and really should be owned by everyone." "I was once again struck by the sheer quality of the songwriting and performance of these songs, which are already so familiar to me - and how well they connect with me. So thanks again, Bill, for creating such beautiful music which at times touches us so deeply." stpetelou: "Last night I put on Golden Melodies of Tomorrow and was once again reminded of what a wonderfully special one it is to me! Anyone who doesn't own it, should grab it IMMEDIATELY! "Help Us Magic Robot", "I Saw Galaxies", so many fantastic compositions and enchanting lyrics. Not to mention, the CD artwork is a thing of beauty also!" Albums Menu Future Past

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Four - Published December 1982 Back to Top

Panic in the World Be Bop Deluxe single - 9 January 1978 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Panic In The World B) Blue As A Jewel ORIGINALLY: A) Edited version of the Drastic Plastic album cut. B) Non-album cut stemming from the Drastic Plastic sessions. NOTES: Panic in the World was the ninth Be Bop Deluxe single issued during the band's existence. The single came in a generic record company sleeve. UK Promo copies exist with the words Demo Record Not For Sale and a large 'A' printed on the label. In North America Mono/Stereo promo copies were pressed (separately in US and Canada) to encourage airplay on both AM and FM radio. PAST RELEASES: Both tracks would be included on the Singles As and Bs compilation (1981), and "Panic in the World" would find its way onto the Bill Nelson's Be Bop Deluxe 7" EP included in the Permanent Flame Box Set (1982) and on the re-promoted stand-alone 12" EP on Cocteau in September 1983, with an extra track "Jean Cocteau". "Blue as A Jewel" would first re-appear on the Best of and the Rest of Be Bop Deluxe double album issued later in 1978, before being added as a bonus track to the Modern Music album when it was issued on CD in 1991. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The single is long deleted, but both tracks can be found on the Cherry Red/Esoteric Recordings reissue of Drastic Plastic (2021) - both in physical form and as a digital download. Singles Menu Future Past

Electra (In Search Of The Golden Sound) Bill Nelson album - 1 July 2022 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this CD Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) A Bell Awakened 02) A Memory Lost 03) The Dust That Falls From Dreams 04) Autumn Vapours 05) The Ache At The Heart Of The World 06) Found In Foreverland 07) Darkness Sparkles 08) Endless Summer Ahead 09) No Thoughts, I Think 10) The Elegant Outsider 11) In Search Of The Golden Sound 12) This River Runs Deep ALBUM NOTES: Electra (In Search of the Golden Sound) is an album of instrumentals pieces issued on the Sonoluxe label as a limited edition. The album was first mentioned by Nelson as "progressing extremely well" in a Dreamsville forum post dated 26 April 2016 and was evidently completed by the time that Nelson revealed the final running order on 8 May 2016. This brought the tally of unreleased albums to twelve at that point. Electra would sit patiently for six years, awaiting its turn to be heard, until in February 2022 it was chosen from the collection of unreleased material. The album was mastered at Fairview Studios by John Spence with artwork compiled by Martin Bostock using images selected by Nelson as the album approached release. Burning Shed started taking pre-orders for Electra on 14th April 2022 with the album initially being due for release in May. However, due to delays with the mastering process, the release date was pushed back to 1st July 2022. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This CD is available to purchase here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Electra is an album of guitar soundscapes, ambient improvisations and the occasional jazzy excursion. It continues and develops the style of albums such as Quiet Bells and Silvertone Fountains but has its own distinct character." _____ "Electra (In Search Of The Golden Sound) is one of several albums recorded between 2015 and 2019 that have languished unreleased in my archives for several years. I am slowly getting around to releasing them and they will all eventually see the light of day." Albums Menu Future Past

Variation On The Theme Of A White Christmas Free Christmas download single Click image for cover Artwork Special FREE Christmas download single - Released December 2017. VARIATION ON THE THEME OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS Currently unavailable on any album Bill's instrumental version of the classic Christmas song. Watch the accompanying video in the Essoldo Cinema Performed, recorded and produced by Bill Nelson. All rights Bill Nelson 2017.

Friday 8th April 2005 -- 1:40 pm Finally, 'Rosewood' is complete. Last night, I put the finishing touches to the final track of Volume Two, a newly recorded piece to nicely round off the album and bring the listener back to the starting position of Volume One . It's hard to say which of these two albums I like most. Perhaps Volume One at this point in time but this could easily change according to my mood. They belong together, basically. One compliments the other. I made an unmastered copy of Volume One for my friend Paul Gilby who, after listening to it said:- "beautiful, emotional and mature... a masterpiece!" Well, there's one good review! Jon Wallinger, upcoming Mayor Of Dreamsville has a CDR copy of it at the moment also and has promised to write a review of Rosewood Volume One to upload to my new official website, once it goes public. More tweaks being done at the moment to compensate for varying screen resolutions amongst the computer-using public. A bit of a design compromise but nothing too drastic. A new discussion board has been arranged in the form of 'The Dreamsville Inn' so that visitors to the site can communicate with each other and discuss whatever. 'The Dreamsville Inn' will go live when Dreamsville itself officially launches. Not too long now, I think. Dave Graham has completed the layout work on the packaging for Rosewood Volume Two now and, once again, it's hard to choose a favourite between them. Each follows the same visual concept/layout/plan but has different colours and uses different photographs from Volume One. But, as on Volume One , these are photograps that I took of my old Hoyer acoustic guitar in various locations around Yorkshire. Together, the two albums will look quite stunning. The track listing/running order for Rosewood Volume Two will be as follows: Tinderbox Aliumesque Little Cantina Rolling Home (Yorkshire Raga No.1) Sunbeam Bramble William Is Wearing The Cardigan Of Light The Autumn Tram (Yorkshire Raga No.2) Hi Lo La Rising Sap Blue Cloud See-Through-Nightie Ordinairy Storm Waiting For Rain The Light Is Kinder In This Corner Of Corona Your Whole Life Dreaming It has been an exhausting project, this one. I can't recall any of my previous albums having quite this intensity of effort, other than perhaps the gargantuan Noise Candy project. (Which reminds me, it's time to remind Lenin Imports about accounting again, I think.) I feel quite drained by the 'Rosewood' process but, of course it doesn't end here. The next step is to book myself into Fairview Studios to master both albums, all thirty tracks of them. Then it's time to get them physically manufactured. I'll release Volume One as soon as it's ready and hold Volume Two back a while, perhaps until the Autumn. Autumn looks like it will be an interesting time, for various reasons that I'll keep under my hat for now, but I do have a lot of work to prepare for that part of the year. A slightly new venture which I'm looking forward to. Once my Dreamsville site is on-line, subscribers to the town's newspaper, 'The Dreamsville Rocket' , will be able to keep up with the latest developments as they happen. I've also spent a lot of time and energy this last couple of weeks on the 'Museum Of Memory' section of the Dreamsville site. I've been piecing together a visual history of my early life, including my great grandparents and my parents. I've found and scanned well over fifty photographs so far and I'm writing text explanations for all of them. It amounts to a sort of 'potted autobiography', not as detailed and complete as my 'proper' one, 'Painted From Memory', but reasonably interesting, nevertheless. The text accompanying each photograph tells the story behind them and puts things into a chronological context. 'The Museum Of Memory, of course, is just one area of the Dreamsville site and there are many other areas to develop. All the foundations are laid but, as I keep stressing, it will be an ongoing task to build the entire town, a task which will occupy me for a long time. Bearing in mind that my priority is music making, a little patience will be required from Dreamsville's visitors. They can rest assured though that quality is of the utmost importance and nothing will be done just for the sake of it or simply to cobble something together. In time, this will build into a fantastic resource for fans of my work and become an extension of that work for myself. Harold's concert getting nearer... more emails from him this week. The tension mounts and all that. It will be upon us before we know it. Top of page Thursday 21st April 2005 -- 1:00 pm Today is our wedding anniversary. Emiko and I have now been married ten years. Hard to believe as it genuinely feels like yesterday that we tied the proverbial knot. We had planned a small and quiet affair but were pleasantly surprised when a number of good friends, many from 'down south', (and one from even further 'up north'), travelled to Yorkshire for the occasion: Richard Chadwick, Roger Eno and Family, Kate St. John, Emi's friend Kyoko, my eldest daughter Julia and several others, plus local friends such as John Spence and my brother Ian. It was a lovely sunny day and we all got fruits of the vine happy after the ceremony at the Gateforth Hall Hotel, just behind the tiny apartment Emi and I were renting at that time. Besides being the culmination of a lengthy, (and beautifully on-going), love-affair, it was a treasured day spent amongst our best pals. Anyway... ten years ago today! That old time warp thing, yet again. Emi's anniversary present to me this morning was a little tin steam train containing chocolate hearts, (tin is the symbol of ten years of marriage), and a marvellous bottle of Pecksniff's 'Oriental Wood' Cologne. This company is the last traditional, English-originated and owned perfumiers in the country. They create some wonderful perfumes and colognes. Fragrances are one of my many passions and I'm a sucker for trying out different ones in shops whilst on my travels. I often emerge from Harvey Nichols' store in Leeds smelling like a million dollars without spending a single penny. (They have a great selection of testers.) I usually try out the 'Creed' range and a few other specialist perfumier's products, mainly the one's that cost the earth and smell like paradise. I stay well clear of those obvious famous footballer colognes, the Versaces, Hugo Bosses, etc, in favour of more unusual and exotic scents. I prefer such things as Czech and Speake's No 88, I and E Atkinson's 'I Coloniali' range, a couple of Penhaligon's classics and the eternally elegant and clean 'Acqua Di Parma'. I'm more of a sensual aesthete than a macho athlete anyway, a bit of a waxed mustache twiddler, had I got the moustache to twiddle. Maybe I could adopt a decadent lothario persona, perhaps a cross between Leslie Phillips and Charles Rennie Mackintosh? Or Aubrey Beardsley and Harrison Marks? Hmm... maybe not... But given the opportunity of a foppish ribbon bow tie, a crushed velvet suit and a boudoir filled with gilded mirrors and brocade, I'd be handing out those Phillipsian oily "hellos" to every pretty dolly within earshot. And me married for ten years too. Mucky bugger, says Emi, ('though she says it in Japanese, which makes it sound like an exotic attribute, rather than a summing up of my senile lusts). For a wedding anniversary gift, I bought Emi a tin clockwork rabbit that plays a pair of little drums when wound up, and a beautiful antique,1920's, costume jewellery necklace. She is going to wear it tonight when we go out for a celebratory dinner at a rather up-market and old-fashioned restaurant sited in a beautiful nearby manor house. We haven't been before but, as this is a special day, we decided to push the boat out and indulge ourselves, just the two of us and to hell with the expense. I must try not to get a hangover though, as I'm booked into Fairview studios tomorrow morning to begin the work of mastering the two volumes of Rosewood with my engineer pal John Spence. Then the albums go off to the manufacturers and finally to the Dreamsville Department store where the music can at last be accessed by its audience. Well worth the wait, I think. It's a complex and richly detailed work. I'm unusually proud of it. All being well, this particular diary entry will be the first to appear on the new Dreamsville website. We're really close to launching it as I write... hopefully, it should be live and on-line sometime early next week. It's only at the first stage of its existence but I'm soon to lay plans to launch stage two. As soon as possible really. Obviously, there are financial costs involved in all of this but by taking things a step at a time, I hope to be able to afford the site's development. As much as cash, time is at a premium too. My year is already planned out ahead of me and I have a full schedule of projects to work on. Adrian at the office emailed me a year planner with the next seven months or so mapped out on it. I was impressed. Will I really achieve all that? Fingers crossed. It seems as if the website will need to fit around the more pressing tasks on the cards. We'll get there in the end, fear not. No holiday again this year, though, that's for sure. I grumble to myself but it's all pretend. I love what I do. A solo tour is planned for the autumn and I intend to pursue a new direction with this. Although I've toured as a soloist in the past, it has always been based around my instrumental performances. This time, I hope to include some vocal items too. I've made a tentative start towards writing some brand new songs that I might be able to sing without the aid of a band. These would use 'foundation tracks' in a similar fashion to my instrumental performances but would be tailored to support my vocals as well as my guitar playing. At this point in time, it's difficult to say exactly what the ultimate concept or mood of these songs will be, but current working titles for the project are 'The Lovely And Mysterious Tour' or 'The Dreamy And Mysterious Tour'. At least, that's the mood I'm aiming for... a few dream-like, beautiful songs, melodic and swoony but with strong, lyrical guitar playing. I'll also include some new and some old instrumentals in the concerts. I need to create fresh video backdrops too although this will be dependent upon how much time I can spare to work on these. The videos take an eternity to make. There will certainly be some new visual material though. The plan, at the moment, is to attempt 15 to 20 concerts around the U.K. Also to travel further South than last year's tour. Now that Dreamsville and The Dreamsville Rocket Newspaper are in place, I'll be able to keep fans informed as this project progresses. It will be good to have The Dreamsville Inn in place for fans to communicate too. I have to admit to missing their input. Looking forward to a bit of good natured banter. Next year, (2006), I'll be looking at the possibility of putting a new band together for another tour and creating some new songs for that project. Unfortunately, a band-based tour, as I was reminded last autumn, takes much more time and money to mount than a solo tour, even with the extremely generous sponsorship that Sound-On-Sound magazine contributed last year. Without their help, that event would simply not have been possible. Because of this year's workload, (the unforeseen need to design and build a new website, plus the intensely involved two-volume Rosewood project and various other 'in-the-pipeline' issues), a band project, with all it's complexities and costs, is impractical. I need to be able to set everything else to one side to give such a venture my full attention. So... next year will be the best time to assemble a band, particularly if all goes well on this years forthcoming Autumn solo tour. I'd like to approach the band thing from a different angle anyway, sharpen up the act as it were. It's important to me to keep pushing the envelope. In fact, this Autumn's outing is intended to break new ground for me, both in terms of music and territory. It will offer an opportunity to explore a different approach to songs in a live presentation. I'm very excited about it, although It will be quite nerve-wracking, (singing alone on a stage, I mean), but it's a tremendous challenge that I'm looking forward to meeting. I intend to release an album of these new songs to coincide with the tour... plus some surprises that I'll keep under my hat for now. Talking of nervousness... Harold Budd's tribute concert is looming ever larger. We have yet to settle on a little duet piece... I've posted a couple of suggestions to Harold, just to see if there's something there that we could pursue together. Harold is also working on a piece for us at his end. I recently posted him a copy of my published 'Diary Of A Hyperdreamer' book. He wrote generously about it last night, said he was very impressed by it. For me, praise from Harold is praise indeed. I'm extremely grateful and flattered. I'm also extremely nervous about the Brighton show. General election stuff pouring through my letterbox daily. The Tory party promotional bumph seems to be never ending. 'Are You Thinking What We're Thinking?' is their chosen slogan this time. Well the answer is, "NO, I'm not, so please bugger off and take your slimy nationalistic fear-mongering with you... " Michael Howard and his cronies give me the heebie-jeebies. What an arrogant, manipulative, condescending bunch of hypocrites they are. Mind you... politicians, eh? Fertile soil for the seeds of corruption, the lot of 'em. Steer well clear and don't let them kiss your kids. I'm tempted to go back to the kind of creative anarchism I advocated during my art-school years. But we were just kids... what did we know? Actually, come to think of it... what do I know now? Only how to make music and not much else. Ambivalent and proud of it. A bad boy. Talking of elections... seems the Catholics have got themselves a new boss. Tougher than the old boss. What's his name, Pope Rottweiller or something? Apparently he was a member of the Hitler Youth Movement as a kid. Seriously. Well... He seems to have the old hard-line attitude to contraception and homosexuality. Religion: always happy to do the devil's work. Oh, dear. Still haven't got around to listening to the new Vic Chestnutt album that I bought the other week. Bill Frisell's on it. So I bought it. I'm still a big Bill Frisell fan. Somehow though, I've been far too caught up in my own music to have much of an ear left for anyone else's. Despite this, I have heard Emi constantly playing Rufus Wainright's latest two albums downstairs. I bought both of them after hearing the first one last year on a visit to Opium's offices in London. Richard and Adrian turned me on to him. Now, Emiko and I have actually got tickets to see him live next month. He's bound to make me insanely jealous as he's nauseatingly gifted. I enjoy Rufus Wainright's baroque pop songs very much although they can sometimes veer from the stunningly gorgeous to the oppressively over-sauced. Sometimes, I wish a little more restraint had been applied, but he's young and I guess you could level the same criticism at my work too, (and I'm not young). Nevertheless, I've always liked to gild the dear old lily, so what can I say? It's back to that perfume thing again, that extravagant, lush, fertile fecundity. Music as cornucopia, fountain of plenty, sheer ecstatic sensuality. Sound you can swoon in and swim in. Naked if possible. Better change the subject... getting a bit sticky. From the sublime to the ridiculous: Found a DVD of 'Torchy The Battery Boy' the other day. A charming puppet TV series from the early 1960's, one of Gerry Anderson's first productions. Torchy has a big magic lightbulb in his hat that can find things that have been lost, (my long lost youth perhaps?) He also has a spiffing rocketship that I wish they'd manufacture as a commercially available model. But I'm probably the only saddo who'd buy it. All together now: "Torchy, Torchy, the battery boy... He's a walkie-talkie toy... " Yup, those were the days. Reading several books at bedtime, as usual. At my bedside at the moment are:- 'Peter Blake' by Natalie Rudd; 'The Rise Of The Sixties' by Thomas Crow; 'Audio Culture' edited by Cristoph Cox and Daniel Warner; ' 'The Making Of Modern Britain' by Jeremy Black; ' Jazz Modernism' by Alfred Apel Junior; 'Satori In Paris' by Jack Kerouac; and 'The Lion Annual, 1957'. At least a dozen more books sit in a pile on top of some bedroom shelves, awaiting their turn at my bedside. Hope they're patient... Wish we could move to a bigger house where I might have one room set aside as a dedicated library to house my treasured tomes. I used to have a library when I lived at Haddlesey House in the late '70's and through the '80's. It was oak panelled, had a stone 'Minster' fireplace that crackled with logs in the winter, a huge desk with a captain's chair and my Hornby train set spread out on the deep green carpet. I used to love going up there and closing myself off from the outside world. Between that and my Echo Observatory studio, I had all the cultural, creative isolation I needed. Now I'm crammed into a small box room surrounded by junk and broken keyboards. And lots of lovely guitars. Shouldn't grumble. Top of page Thursday 28th April 2005 -- 12.14 pm Floating in my warm and comforting bath this morning, watching rain clouds gather in the grey air above the bathroom skylight, I heard, for a few magic seconds, the first cuckoo of spring. Its call echoed on the wind from the nearby fields, summoning archytypal English Albion country images, Powell and Pressburger 'Cantebury Tale' landscapes, the music of Elgar, ('though Delius immortalised the bird), Post Office film unit documentaries from the 'thirties and 'forties, children's stories from post-war annuals and a host of other sweet n' sentimental nostalgias. A pity that the glorious sunshine and clear blue skies of the last few days were nowhere to be seen. Not that I've been able to enjoy the outdoor life of late. I have been and still am, feeling 'proper poorly', to use an Albert Fitzwilliam Digby style phrase. (I wonder what American readers of my diary make of such hermetically sealed 'British' terms and references?) It all started last Saturday, whilst visiting my Mother in Wakefield. I suddenly felt that inner chill that warns of an impeding cold. Within an hour I was feeling dizzy and sick and had to return home where I took straight to my bed, shivering and feeling absolutely bloody awful. My temperature shot up, my stomach sick and uncomfortable, I didn't want to move. During the night, I was throwing up acidic bile. By Sunday my temperature had dropped but I felt like a man trapped between two worlds, neither of them desirable holiday locations. I've remained in this aching, fuzzy limbo ever since, only yesterday applying a razor to my face and shaving off the four day growth I'd accumulated. It's some years since I've sported a beard and I was horrified to see that, these days, it's predominantly grey, despite the fact that the hair on my head, though thinning dramatically, has hardly any grey in it at all. I also, yesterday, took the chance that some fresh air might revive me and ventured out of the house to accompany Emi on her trip to Leeds. This was a mistake. After 20 minutes of shopping I felt terrible, wobbly, weak and dizzy. We quickly returned home where, after a rest, I began to feel a little better. Today, there's no great improvement, although I'm certainly better than I was at the weekend. Friends inform me that there is a particularly nasty virus doing the rounds, laying people low for a couple of weeks. Well... surprise, surprise, it appears I've caught it. Emiko has been suffering ill health too. She's managed to hold off from catching my virus so far, but has been complaining of a pain under her armpit. On Tuesday evening, she suddenly announced a disturbing tightness across her chest and back. Both of us immediately thought of heart problems. The tightness got worse and Julia, a good friend and neighbour, generously offered to drive Emi to the 24 hour walk in clinic in town. I was too ill to take her myself. Three hours later, (three hours that saw me pacing the floor, worrying myself silly), Emi returned looking much relieved. The doctor had said that her heart was fine and that the problem was most likely caused by a trapped nerve. In fact, she'd lifted a heavy pot of plants at the flower shop some days earlier and this may have lead to the trapped nerve. The three hour wait at the walk in clinic was simply because of the number of patients queing to be seen by a doctor. These sort of incidents really make you think. I don't know how I'd cope if anything should ever happen to Emiko, (God forbid) She's the rock that I cling to in my troubled sea... The prediction I made in my previous diary entry, (21st April), that my Dreamsville site would be up and operating by then, turned out to be overly optimistic... at this precise point in time, the lauch date is still somewhere in the future. The delay has been caused by the complication of transferring the .com address over from Permanent Flame's server to the new U.K. Dreamsville one. It's taking longer than anticipated. I also suspect that Chuck, (Bird), is away on one of his regular business trips and hasn't been available to deal with things at the U.S. end. We're now hoping to have it all sorted out in time to launch the site next week. This could, of course, end up not being the case. However, if you are reading these words, then Dreamsville will have finally opened its gates as this diary entry and the previous one have been posted exclusively on the Dreamsville site, and not on Permanent Flame. Permanent Flame, as I may have mentioned before, has now been enshrined as an exhibit in 'The Permanent Flame Museum' within the 'Pleasure Park' area of Dreamsville . This means that the ten year old website has been preserved, frozen in time, for future reference and as a tribute to Mark Rushton and Chuck Bird who began and ran the first ever Bill Nelson website, long before I even had a computer to look at it. Last Friday, I travelled over to Fairview studios to transfer the Rosewood recordings and master them with John Spence. John cheered me by saying that he thought they sounded fabulous and needed hardly any equalisation changes The masters, and the packaging artwork, have now gone off to the manufacturers and finished copies of Volume One will be available soon. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result, the first release on Sonoluxe. I had to borrow Emi's car to get over to Fairview as my vehicle has a rapidly deteriorating exhaust problem. In fact, the car needs a lot of work on it at the moment, particularly body work. There are some increasingly alarming areas of rust that need treatment. As the house is also in need of several structural repairs, both internal and external, it's a matter of deciding on priorities and letting the rest rot. Truth is, the economics of the situation make it difficult to keep up with it all. In some ways, I wish we could afford to move house, find somewhere a little bigger and more private. I really need a dedicated, roomier space for my recording and musical equipment. Considering the fact that recording work is right at the centre of my creativity and career, finding myself and my gear crammed into such a small box room is both ironic and uncomfortable. Meanwhile, developers in and around the city continue to exploit every bit of land they can get their hands on. We've recently been trying to stop attempts to turn the fields next to us into an industial storage unit. Boundary queries have temporarily slowed down their plans but you can bet that it hasn't halted them. It's all going to the dogs. (In fact, a dog track was one developer's proposal for the same field!) The area that Emi and I chose to live in eight years or so ago has changed quite a lot since we came here, particularly in terms of our own privacy and outlook. Had we known how much our immediate environment would suffer, we probably would have looked elsewhere to make our home. We're saddled with it now, of course. Things could always be worse, but still... Sometimes, I long for the seclusion of a home bounded by its own space, immune from the claws of development. Haddlesey House, where I was fortunate enough to live in the 'eighties, was such a place. I really cherished that old house and it's surrounding, protective walls. Plenty of room to set up a drum kit, marimbas, amplifiers and no need to worry about noise. AND a river bank at the bottom of the garden where I could sit at twilight, listening to ripples and blackbirds whilst waiting for lyrics to materialise like ghosts. Even that lovely old place, as regular readers of this diary know, was eventually raped and pillaged by the amoral greed of property developers. It's like a cheesy, up-market housing estate for accountants and insurance salesmen now. What I really need is to land a lucrative Hollywood film score commission. Then again, could I put up with all that bullshit just to earn enough money to build myself a proper studio space? Probably not... but I could try. The truth is, my nature doesn't really lend itself to such careerist manipulations. You really need to hang out, network, put yourself about, etc, etc. Oh, I've got ambitions enough but they're not of much practical use. It's all dreams and dreaming, techniques designed to encourage the flow of, (gulp), beauty and magic through my life, not to hold onto the bland material signifiers that seem to become the alpha and omega of contemporary achievers. Still... I'm no purist. I'd happily drive an Aston Martin or a Bristol or some equally beautiful, exclusive and snotty assembly of steel and leather, should I ever be able to afford such a luxury. As the old Buddhist saying has it:- 'it's fine to drive an expensive car, as long as the expensive car isn't driving you'. It all comes back to the notion of attachment/non-attachment. More than ever these days, people find it hard to let go. Watched a lovely documentary film on DVD last night. It's called 'Dharma River, Journey Of A Thousand Buddhas' and was made by John Bush. It is a filmic record of river journeys through Laos, Burma and Thailand, visiting ancient Buddhist temples and communities along the way. It's visually stunning and brings home the tremendous beauty of Buddhist art and architecture. Some of the larger temples, over two-thousand years old, are breathtaking. I commented to Emi that, of all the religious options available to us, Buddhism, for me, remains the sanest, the clearest, the gentlest, most rational, simple, direct, humane and downright beautiful. The word 'religion' however, at least in my opinion, is a limitation and an encuberance. Buddhism's direct pointing at reality goes way beyond such limitations, right to the heart of things. But what do I know? I'm not a very good Buddhist, (as I've said before in these pages). In fact, by some people's definition of the term, I'm not really a Buddhist at all. My 'organised spiritual group' days are behind me. I prefer to walk my own path at my own pace, nor am I in search of a guru or an avatar. Perhaps I'm just trying to enjoy each moment without hurting anyone, and offering my art as thanks for that. Insight and inspiration are all around us, always. This too , is Buddha nature. There's a key here that, once grasped and turned, opens a door onto infinite possibilities. It's so impossibly direct and simple that it is usually overlooked, misunderstood or considered invisible. That it can't be communicated by words does not neccesarily make it an impenetrable secret. Letting go, is part of the process of discovering this marvellous and subtle thing. It's a jewel beyond price. And now I'm tired again and my shoulders ache from sitting in front of my Mac. My computer screen's background image, for those who may be interested, is a lovely, vibrantly coloured painting of the Tibetan White Tara Buddha. Sometimes, I exchange her for an image of a vintage green and cream Blackpool tram. The two things, ultimately, are the same. Theories as to why this should be are welcome down at 'The Dreamsville Arms' which can be found in 'The Pleasure Park.' More communications from Harold. Good words from him about Rosewood. He says:- 'That's the album you've always wanted to make...' He also has two titles/pieces settled for us to work on for his concert at Brighton next month. Nearer and nearer now. As soon as my health returns, I need to prepare a couple of guitars or more in readiness. Some set-up work needed with intonation and action. I'm planning to take several variations of equipment so as to be prepared for whatever the music demands. I have no idea, at this stage, how it will turn out, or what the music will be. I'm sure it will be fine in the end, despite my trepidation. All for today... I need to take a break. Top of page William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) April 2005 Feb Dec Mar May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013

Birthday tributes to Bill from his muscian chums...Harold Budd, John Foxx, Kate St. John, Iain Denby, Stephen Mallinder, Laraaji and Steve Malins Back to the Plectronica 2018 page Pl ectronica A celebration of Bill Nelson at 70 Birthday wishes... Here are some tributes that were sent to Bill as a nice surprise for him from some of his musician friends... Harold Budd I've known Bill since 1987, I think, since we were introduced by a mutual acquaintance at his then home in Selby, Yorkshire. We 'caught on' right away and to this day I regard him as one of my closest friends. At the time I had just moved to London from Los Angeles and I remember countless train trips north to York where Bill would meet me and we'd make the short drive to his home and family in his vintage, and very hip, Peugeot. Anyway, we would spend hours talking, talking about esoteric forms of religion and thought, travels, architecture -- especially medieval structures (of which Yorkshire has an abundance) -- as well as visits-by-the-dozen to country pubs and taverns (solidifying my always high regard for John Smith ale)... and not too much about music, which seemed relatively secondary, 'though we always ended up in his loft- studio laying down bits and pieces. Our travels together included Japan, Portugal, and a brilliant month in New Orleans, Louisiana, at Daniel Lanois' studio recording By The Dawn's Early Light. I'll stop now and save us all from going on and on till the last last page of recorded time and say simply Bill is a world-class artist and a personal treasure. An honor to know him. Harold Budd John Foxx I first saw Bill Nelson supporting Cockney Rebel at the Victoria Palace Theatre, London in the early 1970's. He played exceptional modern guitar, sang intriguing songs, looked skinny and sharp in a white suit and was more memorable than the main act. A little later, I had a beautiful girlfriend, Krystina, a model - she was entranced by Bill and played that Ships In The Night record very loud. Of course, that didn't endear him to me - but I figured he was a man to watch. As the years went on, I grew increasingly impressed by the kind of music he made and his independent spirit - recording at home in Yorkshire, setting up his own label, making all those explorations and experiments completely on his own terms. The conventional record labels just couldn't understand it - they hadn't developed the categories yet. A little later, he recorded at my studio, The Garden, so I also got a glimpse of all the sticky legal stuff Bill had to pull himself out of. It looked bleak for a while, but he got through it all and fired up again. Took some grit. Then the great Harold Budd signalled that he had a project or two going. Bill got there before me, entirely my fault - I thought the three of us recording together might be a case of too many cooks, (I'd also thought the same about recording with David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto, so what did I know). Later, I enjoyed singing with Bill and Harold at Harold's Sinatrian retirement do in Brighton, and realised there might be something worth working on. But the same thing happened with Robin Guthrie, so that took me off again on another adventure, with another great original. There were so many connections and musicians in common over the years - Harold Budd, Theo Travis, Stuart Adamson, John Leckie and Gary Numan among them, so we'd coincide at various points and always threatened to do some work together, but never pinned it down. Over the years, Bill has accumulated this huge, adventurous body of work. He's done it all by being an independent Yorkshireman - often working under the radar. My impression of him is - a gentle man, but a man with a vision, quietly stubborn as hell and always rock solid against any weather. An inspiration. John Foxx Kate St. John Bill Nelson is such a lovely man and one of the most creative and prolific humans I know. Working with him is liberating as he makes your creative soul feel free to fly. The world is a better place for all the intricate magic and wizardry he has conjured up in his songs and compositions Kate St. John Iain Denby I first met Bill in 1984 and what struck me about him immediately was that despite his iconic musician status there were no airs or graces with him, he treated me and everyone else as an equal. He's a down-to-earth Yorkshire lad at heart. I was a 24-year old full-time kitchen designer and had been invited by him to play on his new song after hearing my bass playing on a track I'd recorded with his sound engineer at the time. He didn't care I wasn't a professional musician, or that I had no history of session playing - I guess he just liked what he'd heard…and perhaps being a fellow Yorkshire lad was good enough for him! The day of recording was very stressful for me - I'd driven for hours to get to the studio. I was in there with a legend - someone I've paid to see in concert several times and here I was recording a bass line on his new single 'Living For The Spangled Moment' - no pressure then! Bill was generous enough to give me as much time as I needed to jam along with the track, become familiar with it and create a sympathetic bass line. I'm pretty sure he had his own bass line ideas, but he didn't reveal them - he was happy to let me do my own thing, only injecting ideas on parts when I was struggling for ideas. I was very happy with the result, and I guess Bill was too because he invited me to tour with him. Rehearsing for the tour that followed was quite intimidating - after all, I was just a hobbyist bassist, yet here I was playing with professional, full-time musicians - I didn't feel deserving. However, I remember the moment that feeling changed. It was during a break from normal practice and Bill played a rough demo of Contemplation to which we all jammed along. I started to mess about with chords high up the fret board and Bill looked up from his guitar playing and said, "Ooo, I like that!" Bill Nelson likes what I just did! I'm happy to say those chords developed a bit more and feature on the finished recording. Bill's generosity and encouragement continued through the recording process of 'Getting The Holy Ghost Across'. Anyone familiar with Bill's music knows that he creates some amazing, simple and effective bass lines - none more so than on 'Do You Dream In Colour'. So, for him to send me a cassette of twelve demo songs without bass lines, allowing me the freedom to create my own was amazing. Even during recording, and contrary to what one might have expected, Bill hardly interfered with my ideas and was happy to hear them materialise into the finished recording. And, nothing was lost in the mix…well, apart from the slap 'n' tickle bass on 'Heart And Soul' - relegated to the fade out. That's OK…the playing was probably a bit messy anyway! I still get a buzz today from other people's surprise when they learn of my name on his music, especially because they know me as an architectural illustrator and not a musician. However, I've recently brought my bass playing out of a long retirement. It feels good and I've had fun re learning the songs off that album, especially 'Contemplation' -my all-time favourite. My time working with Bill has been a highlight of my life, not just because of the privilege he gave me, but to spend time with someone whose musical genius status never got in the way of his generosity, respectfulness and kindness. Bill's just 'one of the lads'. Thanks Bill, and I hope we can do it again sometime soon! Iain Denby I'm not sure what it is, but there seems to be a certain strand of DNA that connects a group of massively significant artists: David Bowie, David Sylvian, Jon Foxx, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Bill…they're different from the rest of us, on a higher plain, best of all Bill's from Yorkshire. And let's not forget we are also talking about a wonderful, generous, fascinating human being. Big love Bill and Happy Birthday! Mal Stephen Mallinder In honour of Bill... I remember the first time I saw Bill play was in Sheffield, in a legendary pub called the Black Swan, one Sunday evening in I'm guessing about late 1975. He was with Be Bop Deluxe and although we (myself and Richard from Cabaret Voltaire) weren't particularly enamoured of guitar-centric bands Bill always had something a bit different about him - he had a certain style and panache that meant we gave him the benefit of the doubt…he was intriguing, a cut above and we gave him our time and money that Sunday night. Where he went from Be Bop confirmed Bill was a distinctive, unique artist. He not only survived the cultural killing fields of punk, that showed no mercy to many, he thrived and opened up really interesting doors for himself and the rest of us. Bill has a wonderful grasp of things and a hunger for challenges. It was great to be introduced to him, spend time and eventually get him to play on our records - his guitar work on CODE was perfect and he even agreed to be in the video (I remember on the day he charmed the entire production team). Visiting him in the castle near Wakefield was unforgettable - we spent the time discussing Cocteau, the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucians and got to see his collection of esoteric artefacts. And had a curry as I seem to recall. Laraaji Thoughts about Bill Nelson: Easy smile Musically intuitive Guitar style master Inspirational messenger Very harmonious to be in studio sessions with... LARAAJI☀️ Steve Malins I came to Bill's music in the early 80s when I was a young lad looking for new electronic music. I knew nothing of Be Bop Deluxe and indeed it's only in recent years that I've come to appreciate what a great band they were. It was the Cocteau recordings that pulled me in, especially 'The Two-Fold Aspect Of Everything' and the instrumental albums - I wore out a cassette copy of 'La Belle Et La Bete' and would play 'Sounding The Ritual Echo' which came as a free vinyl LP over and over. They gave me a life-long fascination with a stripped-back, DIY approach to music, along with a love for primitive analogue synthesisers and drum machines and what a stylish way to release your own music! Oozing class and a profilic flow of brilliant releases, the Cocteau label slotted alongside 4AD and Mute in my awe-struck head. All these things have stayed with me as I've been extremely fortunate to work with artists (such as Hannah Peel, Stephen Mallinder, John Foxx, Gazelle Twin, Gary Numan, Benge, Blancmange) who record in their own home studios with passion and imagination and release records on their own labels. Oh and synths and drum machines still regularly figure too! Meanwhile, as my tastes have (hopefully) expanded over the years I've come to love all the twists and turns in Bill's recording career and some of his more recent albums such as 'New Northern Dream' and 'That Old Mysterioso' are among my favourites. Happy Birthday! Steve Malins (Random Music Management)

Loom - Astroloops Volume Two Bill Nelson album - 7 December 2015 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Ladies Removing Lingerie 02) Smoke And Wires 03) The Happy Clock 04) Flights Of Fancy 05) Billy's Holiday 06) The Clockwork Rocket 07) Tick-Tock-Tick 08) Spooks In The Shed 09) Reversing Through Willows 10) The Echo, The Shadow, The Empty Shell 11) Puckish 12) C-Shell 13) A Lovely Dazzle 14) Corrosive 15) The Light We Cannot See 16) Your Taxi To The Stars 17) The Lonely Spaceman 18) Loom ALBUM NOTES: Loom is an instrumental album issued in a one-off print run of 500 copies on the Astrotone label. The album was a follow up to the extremely limited CDR Astroloops (issued to purchasers of the Eastwood Astroluxe Custom Ltd. guitar). Nelson announced on the Dreamsville forum that he had commenced work on this album in September 2014 around the time that the Astroloops album had effectively been snapped up by pre-orders for the Astroluxe guitar. At this stage the album had a working title of Lustre and Illusion , although Crystal Springs was another possible title under consideration. The recordings were completed in October 2014, and with the addition of the final and eighteenth track, "Loom", Nelson decided to make Loom the title of the album. Ironically though, when the album was at the mastering stage, there was a misunderstanding in selecting the tracks from Nelson's DAT masters, and the title track "Loom" was mistakenly replaced by a track from Quiet Bells called "Chiming Shires". In a rare lapse of quality control, Nelson had not played the reference disc in full before authorising the album's release, and the mistake wasn't picked up until after the album went on sale. As a result of this error, Nelson arranged for a free download of the missing track to be made available on Bandcamp. Loom (the album) went on sale on 7 December 2015, and after 7 days was taken off sale with the 10 remaining copies sold through email enquiries. "Loom" (the track) was issued as a free download on 23 December 2015. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "This will be a follow up to the extremely limited edition Astroloops album which was given exclusively to only those 24 people who bought the equally limited edition Eastwood 'Astroluxe' signature guitar of a while back. Loom is an instrumental album using looped guitar parts as a basis for improvisational overdubs. It follows on from, and develops ideas first voiced on the 24 copies limited edition Astroloops album. In some ways it's closer to things like Quiet Bells but is somewhat less quiet!" _____ "Actually, I meant to explain the meaning of the album title: Loom refers to a textile Loom, which in turn references the way that the looped guitar riffs of the album weave in and out with various improvised overdubs, creating a rich and colourful tapestry of sound. Threads of ideas stitched together to form an overall sonic picture. Also, the title refers to 'looming', ie: something which hovers over a situation, foreshadowing an event, a coming situation, partly with trepidation, or maybe anticipation. And last of all, 'loom' echoes with the word 'loop', the last letter being the only change." FAN THOUGHTS: Palladium: "Taken an instant - and extreme - liking to this album. Very much my kind of thing. Very direct, accessible - but also somewhat avant/experimental/oblique - fleeting, lovely, luscious guitar-poems. There's no way I could class this as "ambient", and the modest prior descriptions from Bill (as with Quiet Bells ) didn't really prepare me for the sheer magnificent class of it. One I'm going to enjoy very much over Christmas and beyond. Thank you, Mr N." "It's the album I'm listening to most at the moment. Each track is a thing of beauty. I put it in the slightly mysterious 'category' along with Quiet Bells and Dreamland to Starboard - albums which I can never decide whether they are accessible or 'avant' (probably both), and I can never stop listening to them. My type of music - sort of enigmatic and certainly remaining out of reach of my feeble attempts to review/describe them. Certainly they are more than just "guitar instrumentals". The map is not the territory!" felixt1: "Genius, Mr. Nelson, genius. Where do these melodies come from? Is there some ultra secret, high end, super-store where you can go to buy these beautiful ideas......?" meederr: "Just received my copy yesterday. Guitar fondue for the ears and in between. Love it. Congrats Bill, and happy holidays!" james warner: "There is a chime-like quality to the guitar sound on this album of instrumentals. If you like a hint of reverb on your guitar, you'll love this." Andre: "Instrumental track of the day: "SPOOKS IN THE SHED". Beautiful strange and mysterious. Sounds like a damp dark street with dark shadows turning the corner." BobK: "Probably my fave BN release of 2015, (Electric Atlas running it very close). I absolutely love this album from beginning to end. Beautiful melodies with wonderfully varied guitar tones." John Fisher: "Although long time fans are used to the many surprises Bill throws our way, I somehow wasn't prepared for this one. When Bill described the album as "using looped guitar parts as a basis for improvisational overdubs", I never expected the songs to have such a captivating immediacy. Because the backing loops are minimal, and in many songs more quiet, the guitar sings out over the top throughout the album. My favourites are "The Clockwork Rocket", "The Lonely Spaceman" and "The Echo, The Shadow, The Empty Shell", in which Bill literally serenades us with his guitar. Since we're so used to fully fleshed-out songs from Bill, this is a great opportunity to hear him improvise at length on a studio album, as he explores the exquisite tonality of his new Eastwood 'Astroluxe' signature guitar. A unique album for Bill, and an approach which I hope he will revisit one day in the future." December Man: Loom "Review" "Weaving in and out of traffic on the 101. Basket made of writhing serpents. Trellis of love. He wears a finely tailored Italian suit. The Huichol Shaman's dream resurrected in multi-colored yarn. Braided beauty in a pale blue dream. Swaying in the forested kingdom of kelp. Last night I saw the stars dancing." alec: "Ladies Removing Lingerie": "This really haunts, pleasantly. A repetitive, delicate, trip-out wonderment." TheMikeN: "There are ideas to explore and new paths to discover. Here's Bill finding out what happens when a simple rule is set – start with a loop, or more than one, then work out how to decorate it. I expected to hear the melodic results of an experiment with technology; what I found was beauty, depth and the joy of exploring. Put simply, Bill knows what he has to be better than (to keep himself happy with the results) and he knows that depth and complexity are not reached by adding extra layers of twiddly guitar grappling. Somehow this is an emotional experience – without movie soundtrack swooping themes and without love and loss lyrics. Rosewood does the same trick with acoustic guitars as the chosen territory, Pedalscope does it with bicycle imagery, and Last of the Neon Cynics does it with a cowboy comic strip. Give the man a new avenue and he'll explore it without words until it feels like home." Peter: "OK, let's face it...any album that begins with a song called "Ladies Removing Lingerie (To Celebrate the Blooms of May)" is, A) sure to be from Bill Nelson, and B) going to get my attention. And it deserves it! Without a drum machine in sight, Bill shows us what it means to be a master of the guitar, with songs that are stunning in their technique and quality. You might not be tapping your foot a lot, or singing along (no vocals here), but put on the headphones, close your eyes, and let a guy who really, really knows how to paint with guitars show you how it is done. Dazzling once again, Mr. N." Albums Menu Future Past

Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus Bill Nelson album - 26 November 2010 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus (Plastic Mix) 02) Sex And Drums And Saxophones 03) Blue Sky Seeks Red Guitar 04) Howlin' Wolf In Me 05) Dance Of The Mullard Valvemen 06) The Aerostatic Balloonist 07) The Indelicate Levitation Of Katie's Skirts 08) Full Colour Fontana 09) The Man Who Was Tomorrow 10) Sun Kings Suffer (As Time Goes By) 11) The Mount Fuji Ice-Cream Factory 12) Illuminated Sky With Pale Blue Lightning 13) Neil Young 14) Like A Woman Levitating 15) Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus (Crystal Mix) ALBUM NOTES: Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus is an album comprising a mixture of vocal and instrumental pieces recorded especially for Nelsonica '10 on the Discs of Ancient Odeon label. As with the 2 previous Nelsonica releases, a print run of 1000 was employed, ensuring non-attendees could get hold of it without panicking or resorting to eBay. Remaining copies of the album went on sale through SOS on 2 December 2010. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: Psychotronic: "an amalgam of the words 'Psychedelic', 'Psychologic' and 'Electronic'." _____ "This one was created specifically for Nelsonica , rather than just being a collection of 'leftovers'. It's loosely themed around the Psychotronic Circus mood, but not in its entirety. Nevertheless, the tracks were chosen for the way they worked together, as a whole, so perhaps there is a kind of completeness to the album." _____ "A Psychotronic Circus could be, (and only could be, mind), a multi-coloured tent in which Alfred Hitchcock, dressed as a ringmaster, cracks his whip at a bunch of clowns stylishly cloned to look like actor Anthony Perkins in the role of a hallucinogenic lotus eater, who has given up his job as a motel owner to instead become a tv-repairman. A tv-repairman who, for some obscure reason, likes to visit the houses of peroxide blondes to re-wire their consoles whilst their husbands are away on business trips. This scenario, of course, is entirely fictional and in no way related to an incident where I just may have happened to re-align a certain lady's antennae after she waved at me from her bedroom window. In a sheer, powder blue Parisian negligee. With a bottle of champagne in one hand. And two glasses in the other. But, as you all know...I'm not that sort of person...I'm a serious, high-minded guitar player. Sometimes..." _____ "I'm a long-time fan of Neil [Young] and the song ["Neil Young"] came about while I was playing my Gretsch White Falcon in my studio and messing around with sounds on my Line 6 Pod processor. The guitar sound I arrived at reminded me very much of Neil Young and I recorded the basic backing track using that sound before writing any lyrics. The phrase 'everything sounds like Neil Young' popped into my head and kick-started the lyric writing process...the words are meant to imply some sort of linear meaning but in actual fact are just disconnected phrases that suggest a surreal scenario where 'even my car sounds like Neil Young'. The whole song is simply a kind of enigmatic tribute to him." FAN THOUGHTS: Tourist in Wonderland: "Every year to coincide with Nelsonica , Bill records and releases a 'special' studio album, that is presented to all the convention attendees, as part of the overall package. This has kind of become a tradition, if you like. By its very nature, it becomes a commemorative album of that particular Nelsonica and these albums are, as you would imagine, highly thought of and sought after, in their own right. Another (generous) part of the fantastic experience that is Nelsonica . These albums can be, as Bill mentions, a collection of 'leftover' tracks, that didn't make the final cut for the various studio albums recorded throughout the year, a kind of compilation album, representative of that years work, or, as in this year's case, an album specifically composed and recorded especially for Nelsonica ...and a fine album it is too!" "You are hooked from the very first track and pulled along the 'journey' at a fair old rattle, with subtle 'breath catches' at the perfect moments. It's an exhilarating, but very smooth, first class ride. Absolutely fantastic. And for fans of Bill's guitar wizardry, there's plenty of fine playing to sink your teeth into and keep you coming back time and again... Thanks Bill, you are a true star." Merikan1: "You want to get this one! It rocks, it twangs, it has some truly nightmarish bits. It has blues and harmonica. It is a truly surprising direction." felixt1: "It's an incredibly funky, sexy album - full of great rock and pop music. Definitely one for the rock fans, but with much more going on." swampboy: "I love Captain Future . My absolute favorite song is "Blue Sky Seeks Red Guitar". The whole album is amazing, with Bill squeezing new sounds out of his guitar. It's a keeper." donger: "Mr. Nelson takes us in several directions all at once. Delightful! My favorites are the most whimsical ones: "Dance of the Mullard Valvemen", "Sun Kings Suffer (As Time Goes By)" and "The Mount Fuji Ice-Cream Factory"." Andre: "I didn't expect to like it too much (I don't like clowns), but was surprised on first hearing. This is a classic!...What great sounds!!" old_goat: "I have been listening to the Psychotronic Circus a lot recently, and as I am want to do, looking at the art work, and it struck me suddenly that the clown on the cover looks startling (to myself at least) like Bill. I've looked at all the artwork I could from the concept; the stuff posted for the Nelsonica , posted here, etc. and there is not a single clown that comes close to looking anything in similarity than the one on the cover of the CD. I'm probably waaaay off base, but I think it's friggin' cool!" jetboy: "The images were sourced from various advertisements from the 1890's up to around the 1930's, from Barnum and Bailey ads, a New York lemonade manufacturer from the 1900's, an old East German Sci-fi magazine cover, a Parisian dance troupe from 1910 etc." emotional hooligan: "It's a cracking CD! If anyone still hasn't got round to ordering it...get it now...!" Albums Menu Future Past

Dreamy Screens box set - 8 December 2017 Bill Nelson Collections Menu Future Past Purchase this box set Sounding The Ritual Echo: 01) Annunciation 02) The Ritual Echo 03) Sleep 04) Near East 05) Emak Bakia 06) My Intricate Image 07) Endless Orchids 08) The Heat In The Room 09) Another Willingly Opened Window 10) Vanishing Parades 11) Glass Fish (For The Final Aquarium) 12) Cubical Domes 13) Ashes Of Roses 14) The Shadow Garden 15) Opium Das Kabinett: 01) The Asylum 02) Waltz 03) The Fairground 04) Doctor Caligari 05) Cesare The Sonambulist 06) Murder 07) The Funeral 08) The Sonambulist And The Children 09) Caligari Disciplines Cesare 10) Caligari Feeds Cesare 11) Caligari Opens The Cabinet 12) Jane Discovers Cesare 13) The Attempted Murder Of Jane 14) The Dream Dance Of Jane And The Sonambulist 15) Escape Over The Rooftops 16) The Unmasking 17) The Shot 18) The Cabinet Closes La Belle Et La Bête: 01) Overture 02) The Family 03) Sisters And Sedan Chairs 04) In The Forest Of Storms 05) The Castle 06) The Gates 07) The Corridor 08) The Great Hall 09) Dreams (The Merchant Sleeps) 10) Fear (The Merchant Wakes) 11) The Rose And The Beast 12) Magnificent (The White Horse) 13) Beauty Enters The Castle 14) The Door 15) The Mirror 16) Candelabra And Gargoyles 17) Beauty And The Beast 18) Transition No. 1 19) Transition No. 2 20) The Hunt 21) The Gift 22) The Garden 23) Transition No. 3 24) Transition No. 4 25) The Tragedy 26) Transition No. 5 27) The Enchanted Glove 28) Tears As Diamonds (The Gift Reverses) 29) The Beast In Solitude 30) The Return Of Magnificent 31) Transition No. 6 (The Journey) 32) The Pavilion Of Diana 33) Transformation No. 1 34) Transformation No. 2 35) The Final Curtain ALBUM NOTES: Dreamy Screens is a limited edition 3CD boxed set that compiles three early Bill Nelson instrumental works initially issued in the period 1981-82. The albums included in the box set are Sounding the Ritual Echo, Das Kabinett and La Belle et la Bête . The subtitle, Soundtracks from the Echo Observatory , is a reference to Nelson's domestic recording facility. The Echo Observatory was situated in a room above his kitchen, and remained the creative centrepiece for his more experimental recordings spanning a ten year period that began in 1979. Both Sounding the Ritual Echo and La Belle et la Bête were initially released as a limited editions of 10,000 copies, included with the initial pressings of Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam and The Love That Whirls respectively. In that context, the albums are inextricably tied to those major releases, and can be seen as representing one side of the two-fold aspect to Nelson's creative approach. This box set is part of the Esoteric/Cherry Red series of reissues on Cocteau Discs. Each album is presented in individual card sleeves, reproducing the albums' original artwork (which were jettisoned in favour of new sleeves when these titles were last reissued between 1985 and 1989). Das Kabinett and La Belle et la Bête are appearing in the UK on CD for the first time, having been previously available on the US reissues on Enigma. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This 3 CD box set is available to purchase in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "At the time, I saw Ritual Echo as being more indicative of my inner, deeper self (in 'artistic' terms), whilst Quit Dreaming was perhaps a little more superficial, closer to my commercially minded work. Perhaps I was still chasing fame and fortune with one hand but rejecting it with the other. Here and now, in the 21st Century, the production quality of Ritual seems, (to my ears), simplistic and dated, but its approach and content feels contemporary and connected to my current creativity." _____ "Whilst I understand that some people might have thought of these recordings as 'experimental' or 'avant garde', I never really approached them in that way...for me, they seemed accessible, direct, and far from difficult... All I wanted to do was make music which transcended limitations of genre and instead came across as beautiful and timeless. To achieve that goal, now more than ever, is the driving force behind my music." _____ "In some ways, that period of my life was very exciting as there seemed to be a very open-minded spirit in the air. People were, it seems, a little less less conservative than now and more ready to experiment and foster a more artistic approach to popular music. These days it seems as if there's a reluctance to open up to beauty and wonder, an element of dumbing everything down to the lowest common denominator. It's as if cynicism and pessimism has triumphed over good faith and optimism. Cocteau's work celebrates the artistic vision and the inner life and does so without shame, irony or embarrassment . Beauty is the brave hero and the Beast is subdued by her power. A lovely metaphor for the civilising influence of Art." _____ "Context has a lot to do with it. Also, not to beat around the bush, it's an 'art' piece, not pop, rock or ambient. It was also made with very slender resources, minimal recording gear, (four track), and primitive instrumentation. It's music to accompany a theatrical performance, but, if you can dig it, it also works on its own as semi-abstract sonic fragments, little vignettes of sound. It's a bit like painting. Close your eyes and let your imagination project pictures. It might help to see Cocteau's film, (the music fits it almost as well as it fitted the stage production). If you like it, great, if you don't, no problem. "Sometimes I make music for lots of people to enjoy, sometimes for just a few to enjoy. Of course, I personally enjoy making ALL of it and I think of it as just one continuous expression of my creative life. But, some people might say that Be Bop and Red Noise comprise my mainstream, mass market work, the 'ambient' instrumentals are for folks who like to float, dream and chill, and things like Beauty and The Beast , Caligari and Crimsworth are for art gallery and theatre goers...and so on, (add your own categorisations according to taste, personal bias, etc). At the end of the day, they're all just aspects of my personality, reflecting my interests, curiosity and passions. "I've often talked about the wide range of music that I enjoy listening to and the equally wide range of film, art and literature. Add a dash of occultism, esoterica and left of centre philosophy and you'll get an idea of what all this diversity adds up to when I choose tones, textures and forms to express my own inner life. There's no escaping the fact that it's deeply personal music and that it only entertains by accident, rather than design. But...when in doubt, simply shove it all in a big box and simply call it MUSIC. Nothing more, nothing less. Everyone knows music...It's the food of LOVE. And we're ALL forever hungry for that." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review by Dmitry M. Epstein FAN THOUGHTS: paul.smith: "Sounding the Ritual Echo eventually had more of an an effect on me than its parent [ Quit Dreaming ] -- [Sounding ] is probably part responsible for the way that I started to look at certain things as a young kid - not just this fractured set of sounds full of intention and serendipity but titles such as "Glass Fish for the Final Aquarium" really got my imagination. It's a haunting album full of sounds that conjure up images I can't ever explain. I played QDAGOTB on the way to work today because of these posts reminding me of the 30 year anniversary and played Sounding the Ritual Echo on the way back - I think it's got to be one of the most evocative albums I have the pleasure to possess." John Izzard: "A quick word about Bill's demos and sketches. It was many of those early demos, including Sounding the Ritual Echo and the Trial by Intimacy box set that inspired confidence in me to make my own music and helped shape my attitude towards the creative process. Those records taught me that it was not necessarily about the big production, budget - or 'being signed', but the seed of an idea being the important thing. I'm sure many other musicians, here and elsewhere, feel the same. It was brave of Bill to release those pieces in their raw form...although the truth is, the music and ideas were strong enough to stand naked and proud, without the need for further stylization or polish." tommaso: "There is a lot of interesting detail here, and as usual, marvelous and unique sounding synths, creating an appropriately spine-chilling character in places." Mozo: "As the years have passed, I find that if I have Das Kabinett , Trial By Intimacy (The Book of Splendours) and Savage Gestures for Charms Sake playing in the background, I seem to become more creative at anything that I happen to be doing, at the same time I'm listening. So I've come to appreciate the different facets of Bill's creativity all the more." Collections Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) July 2009 Jan Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Tuesday 21st July 2009 -- 8:20 pm Just checked my website to remind myself when my last diary entry was posted. Could it really be so long ago? As long ago as January? Apparently that's exactly when it was. Somehow I'd imagined that there had been at least one further entry since then, but evidently not. Perhaps I was merely thinking about it. A conceptual diary, words written in smoke on thin air, ghosts of good intentions. So why the biggest gap yet in this ongoing literary ramble? Well, it's the result of one damned thing after another and very little of it worthy of mention here beyond what readers of this diary may have already surmised. My main (and daily), concern has been for my mother and the unfortunate circumstances she found herself in after the death of her husband, (to whom she had served as a dutiful wife for 28 years). The last 14 months or more have been an unwelcome ordeal for her, not just because of the bereavement she has suffered, but also as a direct result of the litigation she was forced to undertake and the emotional toll it subsequently imposed. Her legal struggle has only recently come to some sort of modest resolve but, although two months have already passed since she accepted the offer which was finally made to her, she has yet to see the practical results. Now, it seems, there are further legal fine-tunings to be dealt with before she can, hopefully, put this regretful and miserable business behind her and get on with her life. Naturally, it has been an extremely stressful and unpleasant time for her and a worry for friends, neighbours and family who have expressed their concern about her situation and well-being...and, although I'm trying not to make too much of it, it's proved a depressing and demanding experience for me too. Sadly, as is so often the case with inheritance disputes, much grief and a great deal of expense could have been avoided had some sort of fairness prevailed at the start. But, human nature being what it is, especially where money is concerned, fairness was always going to be too much to hope for. Damning as that conclusion is, it's hardly more than what was expected. If nothing else, the experience has been revealing. However, the subject is unworthy of further attention so I'll not offer any further comment but simply move on and away from it. Despite the many months of dealing with the above situation, I've continued to work extremely hard to maintain some sort of creative flow. It's been far from easy under the circumstances but, by putting in even longer hours than usual, I now have FIVE new albums awaiting release and a SIXTH album almost complete. (Plus, I should add, a seventh album, which is a collaborative project, finally coming to fruition.) Could it be that I've sought some sort of internal release from various external problems and pressures by allowing myself to become lost in music? Well, if so, it certainly wouldn't be for the first time. In any case, I've become a little bored with the notion than albums should always be 'major statements,' torn from the very core of one's being, precious highly polished jewels to be dispensed to the masses as if they were pearls beyond price. Or, as Todd Rundgren once expressed it, products of 'The ever popular tortured artist effect.' My own albums are like personal letters, monthly magazines, glimpses into private sketchbooks, whispers in a lover's ear, keys to secret wardrobes filled with fetish clothing that only priveleged and trusted friends are allowed to see. (Strange how often eroticism creeps into these metaphors!) But, even so, the music still emerges, unavoidably, unbidden, from somewhere deep inside, the complex result of endless little struggles with myself. It's just that I try not to make too much of a fuss about it. (So many artists' declarations of creative 'angst' ultimately turn out to be little more than romantic self-promotion, or cunningly contrived marketing ploys.) So, here's a summary of work accomplished in my home studio this year: ALBUM 1: A vocal based album titled 'FANCY PLANETS.' This is something of a departure from the work of recent years in that it attempts to reconcile my '70's era style with my more contemporary output. The balance seems to be tipped slightly in favour of the past though...which for me, as someone whose natural inclination is to never return to fields long ago harvested and left barren, amounts to a kind of heresy. Maybe there's an element of nostalgia involved too, albeit tinted with post-modernist irony. I suppose I'm not entirely convinced that this is a credible or dignified album for a sixty year old man to have recorded, though I'm probably far too close to it to tell. However, I do expect that it will be warmly embraced by a certain percentage of my audience, despite any apparent trepidation or nervousness on my part. There are, of course, a few stray tracks that reach beyond the album's central concept, (or maybe they're just attempting to escape it). Perhaps it is these tracks that will provide me with the most creative satisfaction. But, who knows? I have no clear idea what people want from my music any more. Maybe that's always been the case. The truth is, I make music simply because I derive great pleasure and a certain degree of personal insight from doing so. For all my clouds of unknowing, this album could be as bright as a full moon sky filled with shining stars. Anyway, the track list for 'FANCY PLANETS' runs as follows:- 1: 'Fancy Planets.' 2: 'The Golden Days Of Radio.' Compact mix. 3: 'Kiss Me Goodnight, Captain Marvel.' 4: 'The Land Of Dreams Is Closed.' 5: 'This Leads To That Leads To This.' 6: 'Where Are We Now.' 7: 'Twice In A Blue Moon.' 8: 'Everyday Now Is Forever Again.' 9: 'She Dreams Of Fires.' 10: 'I Hear Electricity.' 11: 'Mysterious Object Overhead.' 12: 'Dream Cities Of The Heart.' 13: 'Mystery Engine.' 14: 'The Golden Days Of Radio.' Hypermix. ALBUM 2: A guitar-based instrumental album titled 'HERE COMES MR MERCURY.' This is an album of, (mainly), bluesy-jazzy tinted improvisations and tunes. All electric guitar and some groovy beats mixed with a touch of electronica and occassional weirdness. The track list is as follows:- 1: 'Never A Dull Day.' (For Les Paul.) 2: 'Coop's Place.' 3: 'Six String Skyway.' 4: 'The Standard Fireworks Stomp.' 5: 'Teatime In The Republic Of Dreams.' 6: 'Soda Fountain Swing.' 7: 'Attempt To Re-assemble My Fragmented Self.' 8: 'Autumn Noodle No1.' 9: 'A Dream For Ian.' 10: 'Mars Welcomes Careful Drivers.' 11: 'Here Comes Mr Mercury.' 12: 'Dance Of The Pagan Energy Ghosts.' 13: 'Tomorrow Today.' 14: 'Red Planet Blues. (The Ritual Transfiguration Of Spaceman Albert Fitzwilliam Digby.)' ALBUM 3: A keyboard-based instrumental album titled 'THEATRE OF FALLING LEAVES.' This album has subtle hints of guitar on two or three tracks but is predominantly a keyboard-oriented project. There are deliberate, somewhat ironic '80's touches where mono-synth sounds are merged with more contemporary tones. The album is a surreal mixture of melancholy and mirth. My personal favourite track is 'SuperSerene,' an 'outsider' track in that it bears little resemblance to any of the other pieces on the album. This particluar track is another component in an ongoing series of orchestral compositions and, if I may presume to plead, achingly beautiful. The full track list is as follows:- 1: 'Thoughts Travel. (For Miles.)' 2: 'You Here Now In William's World.' 3: 'The Darcey Bussell Rubberwear Fantasia.' 4: 'Tiny Mice Are Dancing In The Cottage Of Her Dreams.' 5: 'Planet Of Sleeping Buddhas.' 6: 'Pagoda Dreamhouse.' 7: 'Tumbletown.' 8: 'Dance, Mighty Robot, Dance!' 9: 'SuperSerene.' 10: 'Theatre Of Falling Leaves.' 11: 'Sparkle And Spin.' 12: 'Space Ace Gets His Girl.' 13: 'Django Dreams Of Twinkleland.' 14: 'From Here To Far Orion.' ALBUM 4: This year's 'Nelsonica' fan convention album titled 'THE DREAM TRANSMISSION PAVILION.' This, as is usual with the Nelsonica convention albums, contains an eclectic mix of music featuring both vocal and instrumental tracks, ('though mainly vocal). I often think of the Nelsonica albums as being made up of 'left-overs' or 'B-list' material but this year's album could quite easily qualify as a full-blown 'A-list' release. It has some very interesting material on it. The track listing is as follows:- 1: 'Billy And The High Blue Horizon.' 2: 'Beauty Lifts Her Skirts.' 3: 'The Sound From This Recording Travels To The Stars.' 4: 'Once More Around The Moon.' 5: 'Prarie Hula.' 6: 'Kiss You Slow.' 7: 'The Boy Who Knew The Names Of Trains.' 8: 'Picture In A Frame.' 9: 'Sway And Swoon.' 10: 'A Thought For You.' 11:'Where Does It Come From, Where Does It Go?' 12: 'Trancendental Radios.' 13: 'The Walls Of Which Are Made Of Clouds.' 14: 'I Am The Captain.' 15: 'Here I Am For You.' 16: 'Once More Around The Moon.' (Monitor Mix.) ALBUM 5: An instrumental album titled 'PICTURE POST.' This album contains music I created for the American television documentary film, 'American Stamps.' It's an eclectic collection of styles but hangs together very well and manages to work interestingly outside of the film's immediate visual content. I have given the pieces titles, although they don't neccesarily connect directly with their usage in the film. (The tracks originally had no titles, only cue numbers.) The 'Picture Post' album has yet to be mastered at Fairview studios but the track list will be as follows:- 1: 'Sunny Day For A Happy Postman.' 2: 'Postcard To A Penfriend.' 3: 'Music Spins My Globe.' 4: 'I Send My Dreams To You.' 5: 'A Christmas Cowboy Outfit.' 6: 'Skimming Stones.' 7: 'In Anticipation.' 8: 'Shibuya Screen.' 9: 'September Promenade.' 10: 'Airmail Guitar.' 11: 'A Day At West Acre.' 12: 'Greetings From Surf Guitar Island.' 13: 'Beach Hut Beauties.' 14: 'Dream Of An American Streetcar.' 15: 'Mobile Homes On The Range.' 16: 'Surf King Sails In.' 17: 'Big Ship.' 18: 'Filigree Balcony.' 19: 'Clouds Drift North.' 20: 'The Toy Trumpet.' 21: 'Pagent.' 22: 'Emphatically Yours.' ALBUM 6: An instrumental/spoken word album titled 'NON-STOP MYSTERY ACTION!' This album contains 'long-form' instrumental pieces that feature voice samples/cut-ups and, on one piece, my own spoken prose-poetry. The concept is built around two 15 minute-plus pieces created as soundtracks for last year's and this year's Nelsonica convention opening videos. I'm in the process of recording more tracks to complete this album but it's almost there. No final running order decided as yet but the album will probably include the following titles:- 1: 'The Departure Of The 20th Century In A Hail Of Memory.' 2: 'Yes And No.' 4: 'Like A Woman Levitating.' 5: 'Machines Of Loving Grace.' 6: 'This Is Like A Galaxy.' 7: 'Welcome To The Dream Transmision Pavilion.' 8: 'Stranger Flowers Now Than Ever.' There will also be a 7th album. This will be the long anticipated collaboration between myself and renowned American comic book artist Matt Howarth. It's a kind of graphic art 'space opera' with music. Titled 'THE LAST OF THE NEON CYNICS,' this album will carry a pdf file of Matt's comic book illustration of the story, along with the special music I created as its soundtrack. The album will contain 9 lengthy compositions, all of which relate to episodes and characters within the story. (More about the track list in a future diary entry.) It's the tale of a space cowboy who travels through galactic worm-holes in a 'intergalactic-tram,' accompanied by his guitar. (A guitar that can actually talk and features as one of the central characters in the story.) A whimsical and wonderfully surreal slice of sci-fi. Matt and I began working on this collaboration some years ago, (maybe 2003?) but, due to my busy work-load and several distracting issues outside of my creative life, it has taken me far longer to deliver the finished music than would normally be the case. Even now though, with several other albums finished and already lined up for release, it will have to await its turn at the end of this year, before it can be manufactured and made available. But it is something extra, (and rather unusual), for fans to look forward to. One relatively new aspect of my home studio involves Django, (the cat), who seems to have developed the habit of curling up next to me on one of my studio chairs (the one with the kitsch 'Elvis in the army' cushion), whenever I'm recording. In fact, he's close here beside me now, as I type these words, black, sleek and handsome. He's an intelligent and affectionate creature and we've become great pals. The volume of the studio monitors doesn't seem to bother him at all and he will happily spend a fair proportion of his day dreaming along to the music whilst sleeping on Elvis's face. It is this pleasant development that gave me the title 'Django Dreams Of Twinkleland' for the 'Theatre Of Falling Leaves' album. A thought: Maybe I should compose another piece with the title ' The King And The Cat.' Well, yes...I think I will. A major pre-occupation for me at the moment is to make sure that everything is ready for this year's Nelsonica fan convention. Lots to do, as always. It seems to have come around even quicker this year, but maybe that's because we had a late start to the planning process and have an earlier convention date than usual. (Last year's Nelsonica was held in November but this years will be on the 19th of September.) Consequently, I'm under some pressure to keep everything on schedule. This year, Nelsonica will be held at a new venue, the rather elegant 'Crown Hotel' in Harrogate, once the haunt of Sir Edward Elgar. We've secured a very nice room, complete with a modest built-in stage, which should suit the style of Nelsonica 09's live performances perfectly. The loyal Nelsonica team are adding their special talents to the mix too, (as always), and it promises to be a unique and memorable day for fans who are able to attend. I've just completed this year's opening video for the event, after one month's constant work on it. It lasts over 15 minutes and is titled ' Welcome To The Dream Transmission Pavilion.' It functions as a companion piece to last year's epic ' The Departure Of The 20th Century In A Hail Of Memory ' video. Whilst that piece dealt with the passing of time and the nature of memory, this year's video is loosely themed around the way that memories and dreams sometimes become entagled as the mind gives way to the gentle erosion of the passing years. I think it's about how the real becomes unreal and vice-versa. Or something like that. These things are often arrived at by intuition. It can be somewhat like dowsing or like feeling one's way through a 1950's British fog. There's a vague sensation of where I'm going but it is often only afterwards that I fully grasp where I've been and what it means. Guided by invisible forces, unconscious impulses, strange currents, dim lamps. Beautiful, and all the more so for the uncertainty. Sections of the video are a 're-mix' of familiar themes from some of my previous visual work but there are several sections that use previously unseen footage from old home 8-mm cine film. Amongst this archive material are glimpses of Be Bop Deluxe in America, not on stage but in casual, 'off-duty' situations at gas stations, in a dressing room, or outside a rehearsal studio in Los Angeles. These are fleeting, tantalising glimpses, filmed by myself in casual moments, but made even more poignant by their brevity. No digital camcorders back then so it was shot on short reels of super-8 film, film that only ran for three minutes before a new reel had to be fitted.This involved finding a room or cupboard where all light could be exluded from the camera so that the film would not be exposed whilst changing reels. Because of this restriction, I tended to take very quick shots, lasting only a few seconds, so as to make as much use of a single reel of film as possible before having the hassle of loading up another reel. Now, of course, the digital camcorder offers much longer shooting times. Even so, with hindsight, I wish I'd have captured much more of the band and far less of American barns and trucks rolling past car windows. What little footage there is of Charlie, Simon and Andy is precious, so I've trimmed away all the above mentioned passing landscape and tried to focus on the band members. I only seem to feature as a camera-toting reflection in dressing room mirrors, and even then for only fractions of seconds. I'm always there but virtually invisible, a facilitator. the means by which others are seen. There's something appropriately Cocteau-esque about that! One of the people glimpsed in the footage is Jeremy Fabini who acted as our projectionist on the later Be Bop Deluxe tours. Jeremy carried his own home-cine camera and filmed lots of the band's adventures on the road...also at our Juan-Les-Pins recording session in the South Of France. Jeremy used to live, (I think), in Italy, maybe Milan. I wonder where he is now and if he still has the extensive film footage he shot? There would be lots of it and I would probably feature quite a bit in it too, (in contrast to my own cine footage where I'm behind the camera). I'd love to get it all digitised and transferred to my computer so that I could combine it with my own shots and make some sort of personal documentary about those long-lost times. Other archive 8-mm cine footage I've incorporated into 'WELCOME TO THE DREAM TRANSMISSION PAVILION' video shows the exterior and gardens of my old home, 'Haddlesey House.' It also gives a glimpse of the Rolls Royce and Panther Lima cars I drove at that time. Looking at this footage now feels very strange. It's as if I'm observing someone else's life, as though in a dream, and yet, at the same time, it's extremely familiar, as if it happened only yesterday. But, of course, it was more than thirty years ago... The music soundtrack I've created for the video is slightly unusual in that it features a spoken prose-poem, (with myself as narrator), recorded specifically for the piece. This voice-over runs through much of the video. Hopefully, it will set the scene for the convention attendees in an interesting and curious fashion. As usual, I'll be performing live as part of the day's programming. The plan is for a solo set of instrumentals AND a separate trio set with my occasional 'Orchestra Futura' project which features my wonderfully talented friends Dave Sturt and Theo Travis. I'm hoping that we'll have six pieces of music to offer our audience. These pieces will be spontaneously improvised around loops and pre-recorded tracks and atmospheres. I'm also hoping to perform a separate improv piece as a duo with Steve Cook on keyboards. We're thinking of naming ourselves 'Bleep n' Booster' for this one! (An arch reference to a vintage British television children's cartoon series.) I'm currently working on several new pieces for my own SOLO performance at the convention and have already completed two or three of these but will decide which ones to incorporate in my set, (if any), a little nearer the time. Actually, I need to give some further thought to the set's running order and decide upon it's contents before mastering the backing track cds at Fairview. All being well, John Spence will be mixing the live performances at the convention. I also have to prepare my guitars and various other items of equipment in advance of Nelsonica. Because I give concerts so rarely these days, my somewhat complex stage rig doesn't get used very often. My studio guitar set-up is comparitively basic, due to the extremely small space I'm forced to work in here at home more than anything else. Consequently, it's essential that I re-aquaint myself with the comprehensive live effects rack and its numerous pedal boards each time Nelsonica rolls around. To this end, a day in a rehearsal studio has been booked, near the convention date, so that my full set of equipment can be properly set up and tested. Hopefully, this will allow me to familiarise myself with the technical demands of the live set, which pedals connect to which sounds and compositions, etc, etc. I find live performance more nerve-frazzling each year, not just because I'm unused to playing live, but because my creative standards and targets have evolved, often beyond the limits of my basic technical abilities. Sometimes I leave the stage feeling down and frustrated by it all. It can be demoralising and depressing for me, though not, I hope, for my audience who generally seem to enjoy themselves, regardless of my self-critical nature. But that's how it goes...the old cliche of, 'the more you know, the less you know.' The hardest thing is to trust one's instincts and intuition and just PLAY. What's the point of a daffodill agonising about whether it's yellow enough or not? But here at home, there are other, more important concerns. The most recent regarding Emi's mother, who has just been admitted to hospital in Tokyo. The intestinal cancer, for which she underwent surgery last year, has returned and also now spread to her liver. She is too frail to survive further surgery and it seems that there is little that the doctors can do for her. It is difficult to say exactly how long it will take for things to progress towards their ultimate conclusion but maybe six months at best, according to the doctor's current estimate. Of course, Emi is extremely distressed about the situation and has now made plans to fly to Japan to spend some time with her mum. I would prefer to go with her to lend whatever support I can but Nelsonica responsibilities won't allow that, The fact is, there's far too much still to prepare and if I went to Japan, it would almost certainly mean that the convention would have to be cancelled, (and tickets have already been sold, venue booked, etc, etc.) So I must stay here in Yorkshire and do my best to stay focussed on what must be done. Nevertheless, it's a very difficult and worrying time. When Emi went to visit her mother in hospital in Japan last year, readers of this diary will probably recall how much we missed each other and how pathetically useless I was at dealing with everyday domestic issues. And this time, there will be my convention preparations to deal with too. But I have no right to feel sorry for myself. Emi's situation will be far more difficult and stressful than mine...in comparison, my selfish concerns amount to nothing. And, in any case, she is hoping to return in time for Nelsonica. It's been a difficult year for Emi in so many ways. After being made redundant from the flower shop where she'd worked for for eight years, she then suffered further redundancy at her next job when the company that employed her went under due to the current economic climate. Subsequent attempts at finding employment have been fruitless. it's proving difficult for many people to find work at the moment, but Emi, being both sixty years old and Japanese has found it particularly hard, (especially when prejudice and ignorance have come into the equation). But being the sweet-natured lady she is, she doesn't see these things quite as cynically as I do. Still, there have been some encouraging developments. Emi's talents as a floral artist have brought some freelance commissions to her during the last few months. Without any proper advertising or self-promotion, she's picked up several orders for floral arrangements, mostly for personal gifts, mother's day bouquets, birthdays and funerals, but also for some weddings. Last week she was busy creating beautiful flower arrangements for the third wedding in two months and has a fourth wedding booked for mid August. In fact, it is the wedding work that has prohibited her from travelling to Japan earlier. (Her flight to Tokyo is booked for just after her next wedding commision.) Emi has also been giving private flower arranging lessons to several ladies, some English, some Japanese. These have become pleasant social occassions for her as well as floral art classes and she has been able to convey something of the refinement and beauty of Japanese culture to her students, sometimes preparing traditional Japanese food as part of the lessons. That this attention has come her way purely by recommendation is heartening. People seem to appreciate her talents and the personal, one-to-one service she provides.They've spread the word amongst their friends and families without any immediate need for advertising. That said, I'm planning a glossy printed brochure for her and hope to complete the design of it, (with the essential and valuable help of my good friend David Graham), once my Nelsonica duities are fulfilled. Whilst ALL business are struggling to one degree or another at the moment, I'm trusting that there is still a market for something a little more special than the standard florist approach. It seems to me, as (I admit), an outsider, that commercial floristry is as depressingly predictable and uniform as the popular music scene. But hopefully, there are people who will appreciate something more sophisticated, something with a touch more depth, just as there will always be music consumers who require something other than the manipulative fluff they're sold by the mainstream music industry. In any sort of creative work, music or otherwise, I hold on to the (perhaps naive), belief that it's important to provide people with unique alternatives...alternatives that aren't neccesarily defined by commercial taste...Timeless, thoughtful alternatives too. But then, who knows? Maybe I'm just an old-fashioned idealist. (And some other old-fashioned idealists might say that the meek have no chance of inheriting the earth because the mediocre but bold already own the lease.) ;-) Well, sod that for a proverbial game of tennis. Back to my own work: One of the consequences of spending so much time in my studio is the negative effect it has on my health, mentally and physically. I have to admit I haven't felt great of late and the studio lifestyle definitely does nothing for my middle-aged waistline. Which brings a thought: Am I still allowed, at SIXTY, for Christ's sake, to refer to myself as middle-aged? Wouldn't it be far more appropriate to refer to myself as 'old' or maybe as a senior citizen' instead?' Whichever way I look at it, I can't quite grasp the concept of actually BEING sixty, other than via the daily physical aches and pains, creaks, groans and depressions that have become impossible to ignore. And the infamous, capitulating, milestone, millstone, Bus Pass, (which I've steadfastly refused to claim). But as far as creating music goes, I feel just as motivated as before. And I suppose, for what it's worth, seven albums lined up for release in one year is something of an achievement ...for anyone, let alone a depressed sixty year old. It gets a little scary at times though...I mean, why do I feel such a compulsion to make music...and where are all these different ideas coming from? Each of the seven albums listed above has its own identity, its own tale to tell whilst still, I imagine, sounding exactly like me. But, every album I make, in some strange way, feels like it's my first, even though I've filled a small universe with albums over the years. I've contemplated these things before...they're part of an ongoing mystery that I'm reluctant to delve too deeply into for fear of short-circuiting whatever magic might be at work. Maybe if I drew back the curtain, instead of a wizard, all I'd see is an obsessive, driven, fearful, socially-inept personality suffering from low self-esteem, (hiding a desparate need to feel loved and approved). Hmmm...better not go there. I once vowed that I wouldn't allow myself to fall into these self-analytical musings in my diary entries any more but the temptation, it seems, still remains. And what was it I was saying earlier about artists flagging up their angst like a banner advertising a supermarket sale? I'll move on. My reading, over these last few busy months, has been confined to bedtime, as per usual. Books read (or still being read), are:- 'LAFF' by John Boyle. 'WHY MRS BLAKE CRIED: (William Blake and the Sexual Basis of Spiritual Vision.)' by Marsha Keith Schuchard. 'THE PALACE OF STRANGE GIRLS.' by Sallie Day. 'THE BOYS BOOK OF AIRFIX.' by Arthur Ward. 'CARTOONS AND CORONETS. (The Genius Of Osbert Lancaster.') by James Knox. 'PHILOSOPHY. The great thinkers.' by Philip Stokes. 'IN THE COUNTRY OF COUNTRY.' by Nicholas Dawidoff. 'THE ILLUSTRATORS. The Art Of British Illustration 1800-2007.' 'THE MAKING OF WAKEFIELD. 1801-1900.' by Kate Taylor. 'THE GOLDEN BUILDERS.' by Tobias Churton. 'THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE.' by Peter Marshall. As far as listening to music goes, (as opposed to making it), my pleasure tends to be restricted to the car, whilst driving. Albums recently played are: 'TOGETHER THROUGH LIFE.' by Bob Dylan. 'LAST NIGHT THE MOON CAME DROPPING ITS CLOTHES IN THE STREET.' by Jon Hassell. 'HALLMARKS.' by Jim Hall. ''I, FLATHEAD.' by Ry Cooder. 'HISTORY, MYSTERY' and also 'FOLKSONGS.' by Bill Frisell. ' WRITTEN IN CHALK.' by Buddy and Julie Miller. 'FINGERPICKING GUITAR DELIGHTS.' by various artists. 'HANK WILLIAMS-The Absolutely Essential Collection.' by Hank Williams. 'SO MUCH GUITAR!' by Wes Montgomery. 'GREEN STREET.' by Grant Green. 'ELLA FITZGERALD SINGS COLE PORTER.' by Ella Fitzgerald. 'EAST!' by Pat Martino. 'GIL EVANS.' by Gil Evans. 'SWING IS THE THING.' by The Mills Brothers. 'THE BEST OF GEORGE FORMBY.' by George Formby. 'PORGY AND BESS.' by Miles Davis. There are various other happenings, doings, commentaries, observations, trials and tribulations that I might have added to this diary entry, if only I'd found more spare time to bring the reader completely up to date...but I've already spent far too much time typing when I really should be working on Nelsonica preparations and projects. Already, despite several omissions, this long overdue entry has taken a couple of days to assemble. So, I'll close here. Hopefully, another entry before too long...or at least a little sooner than it took for THIS one to appear. I'll attempt to include a few more of the events of the last six months in it. For now though, it's back to the mixing desk and the drawing board. But back with you soon, given a little luck and a following wind. ***** Attached images are:- 1: Django in my studio. 2: Some of the guitars I use for jazz tones. 3: A self-made 'Fancy Planets' advert. 4: Another variation of same. 5: Just one of several recent wedding floral arrangements by Emiko. 6: Nelsonica 09 T-shirt design. Top of page

Albums Discography Menu Clicking on a cover below will take you to a full page devoted to that album. Orchestra Futura - Live At Nelsonica & Clothworkers Hall 2025 album Studio Cadet 2024 album Powertron 2024 album Starlight Stories 2023 album All The Fun Of The Fair 2023 album Stupid/Serious 2023 album Marvellous Realms 2023 album Electra (In Search Of The Golden Sound) 2022 album My Private Cosmos 2021 6-CD box set album Mixed Up Kid 2021 album Dazzlebox 2021 double album New Vibrato Wonderland 2020 album The Jewel 2020 album Old Haunts 2019 album The Last Lamplighter 2019 album Stand By: Light Coming... 2019 album Auditoria 2018 3-CD album Dynamos And Tremolos 2018 album Drive This Comet Across The Sky 2018 album The Unrealist 2018 album That Old Mysterioso 2018 album Songs For Ghosts 2017 double album Tripping The Light Fantastic 2017 live album Luxury Wonder Moments 2017 album Kid Flip And The Golden Spacemen 2017 album The Awakening Of Dr Dream 2017 album Six String Super Apparatus Painting With Guitars Volume Three 2016 album New Northern Dream 2016 album All That I Remember 2016 album Special Metal 2016 album Perfect Monsters 2016 album Loom 2015 album Electric Atlas 2015 album Plectrajet Painting With Guitars Volume Two 2015 album The Years 2015 album Swoons And Levitations 2015 album Quiet Bells 2015 album Astroloops 2015 album Shining Reflector 2014 album Stereo Star Maps 2014 album Fantastic Guitars 2014 album Pedalscope 2014 album The Sparkle Machine Several Sustained Moments 2013 album Albion Dream Vortex 2013 album The Tremulous Doo-Wah Diddy - Blip! 2 2013 album Blip! 2013 album The Dreamshire Chronicles 2012 double album The Palace Of Strange Voltages 2012 album Return To Tomorrow These Tapes Rewind: Volume One 2012 album Joy Through Amplification The Ultra-Fuzzy World Of Priapus Stratocaster 2012 album Recorded Live At Metropolis Studios 2012 album The Last Of The Neon Cynics 2012 album Songs Of The Blossom Tree Optimists 2012 album Model Village 2011 album Signals From Realms Of Light 2011 album Hip Pocket Jukebox 2011 mini-album Fantasmatron 2011 album Fables And Dreamsongs A Golden Book Of Experimental Ballads 2010 album Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus 2010 album Modern Moods For Mighty Atoms 2010 album Picture Post 2010 album Non-Stop Mystery Action 2009 album Theatre Of Falling Leaves 2009 album Dream Transmission Pavilion 2009 album Fancy Planets 2009 album Here Comes Mr Mercury 2009 album Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow 2008 album Clocks And Dials 2008 double album Mazda Kaleidoscope 2008 album Illuminated At Dusk 2008 album Silvertone Fountains 2008 album And We Fell Into A Dream 2007 album Secret Club For Members Only 2007 album Gleaming Without Lights 2007 album Arcadian Salon 2006 album Return To Jazz Of Lights 2006 album Neptune's Galaxy 2006 album The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill 2005 album Orpheus In Ultraland 2005 album Rosewood - Volume 2 2005 album Rosewood - Volume 1 2005 album Wah-Wah Galaxy 2004 album Dreamland To Starboard 2004 album Satellite Songs 2004 album Custom Deluxe 2004 album Plaything 2004 album The Romance Of Sustain Painting With Guitars Volume One 2003 album Luxury Lodge 2003 album Whimsy 2003 double album Astral Motel 2002 album Noise Candy 2002 6-CD box set album Caliban And The Chrome Harmonium 2001 album Whistling While The World Turns 2000 album Atom Shop 1998 album Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer 1997 album Excellent Spirits 1996 album After The Satellite Sings 1996 album My Secret Studio Music From The Great Magnetic Back Of Beyond 1995 album Practically Wired 1995 album Crimsworth 1995 album Automatic 1994 album Blue Moons And Laughing Guitars 1992 album Luminous 1991 album Simplex 1990 album Altar Pieces 1990 album Demonstrations Of Affection 1989 4CD box set album Optimism 1988 album Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights 1987 double album Map Of Dreams 1987 album Iconography 1986 album Chameleon 1986 album Living For The Spangled Moment 1986 mini-album Getting The Holy Ghost Across 1986 album Trial By Intimacy The Book Of Splendours 1985 album box set Savage Gestures For Charms Sake 1983 mini- album Chimera 1983 mini- album The Love That Whirls Diary Of A Thinking Heart 1982 album La Belle Et La Bête 1982 album Das Kabinett 1981 album Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam 1981 album Sounding The Ritual Echo 1981 album Sound On Sound 1979 album Drastic Plastic 1978 album Live! In The Air Age 1977 album Modern Music 1976 album Sunburst Finish 1976 album Futurama 1975 album Axe Victim 1974 album Northern Dream 1971 album Discography Menu

Believe in the Promise of Tomorrow ep - 2000 Honeytone Cody Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Wah-Wah Galaxy Bill Nelson album - 6 November 2004 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Wah-Wah Galaxy No.1 02) Bridge Across The Void 03) After Midnite (Twang, Echo, And Hoedown) 04) The Six Coiled Serpent 05) Confessions Of A Psychedelic Dandy 06) Skylark's Rise 07) Blue Sparks Flying 08) Nothing Is The New Something 09) Old Weirdola 10) The Orson Welles Memorial Sleighride 11) My Sputnik Sweetheart 12) Rattlin' Trams 13) Trip Thang 14) Pure Joy 15) Duane's Dream 16) De Soto ALBUM NOTES: Wah-Wah Galaxy is an album of guitar instrumentals issued exclusively for Nelsonica '04 . It was pressed in a limited run of 500 copies on the Almost Opaque label, the final release to appear on this label. Nelsonica '04 attendees could purchase a second copy and forward to fans unable to attend the event in person. Copies that remained after Nelsonica were sold through SOS, and were sold out by the time Nelson launched his new website Dreamsville in April 2005. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Bridge Across the Void": "three minute twenty six second sound collage that painstakingly evokes the piece's title. A soundtrack for an imaginary film sequence as might be co-directed by David Lynch and Walt Disney after experiencing a neo-religious, mystical epiphany." _____ "De Soto": "Those of you into American car culture will know that a 'De Soto' is an early 1960's, big finned, chromium plated, gas-guzzling monster of an automobile. The kind of car I once dreamed of driving in my early teens. My track is inspired by that particular go-go-machine. It's an atomic guitar instrumental that sounds as if it is being played by a punk cowpoke as he zooms down an electric highway at hyper speed. Neon cacti flash past as our hero puts the pedal to the metal and vamooses into a vast desert sunset, cackling and crackling like a demented country geetar wrangler. Hi-ho silver strings awaaayyyy!!!" _____ "The album cover is pure 'computer painting', an abstract art piece I created from scratch on my Mac for both the album and the Nelsonica poster that matches it." FAN THOUGHTS: BobK: "One of my all time favourite BN albums. I think it is the sheer scope and variety. Rock, pop, ambient, weird, funny. You name it, it is there. In fact it is 'Pure Joy'." Peter: "This album opens with a kick-ass rocker of a title song...Bill showing his absolute mastery of the wah-wah pedal. A blistering, rollicking rocker. The rest of the album features a diverse collection of songs...loud ones, smoothly melodic ones, quirky ones...a microcosm of Bill's work in one album (except for the long-form instrumental). "Skylark's Rise" has that singing e-bow, "Blue Sparks Flying" has Bill letting loose and getting a bit nasty (with a great bass line), "Nothing is the New Something" is a simply mind-blowing thing, and on and on right through to the closing track, "De Soto" which put a BIG smile on my face -- just a fun one, believe me! Another Bill Nelson treasure." Parsongs: "Confessions of a Psychedelic Dandy": "wow, this one really hit home...with one of Bill's trademark extended endings! "The final trio of songs, "Pure Joy", "Duane's Dream", and "De Soto" are all awesome, and could have been bonus tracks on any of the CDs from this set, which includes Dreamland to Starboard and The Romance of Sustain ." KEVWILKINS: "Wah Wah opening track is just theeee most uplifting, pulse-quickening groove-tastic track for me. If I'm needing a boost, it's either that or "Take It Off and Thrill Me (rock version)". Life changing stuff." Holer: "Nice companion to Custom Deluxe actually. Has the same sense of adventure and anything-goes variety. Great headphone ear candy too. Bill does so much crazy stuff that gets buried in the mix. "Nothing is the New Something" is a personal favorite, as is "Confessions of a Psychedelic Dandy"." "Another indispensable guitar album. If you like Custom Deluxe or Plaything , this is right in line with those albums." Albums Menu Future Past

Now Available! find it here

Return To Tomorrow Bill Nelson album - 29 September 2012 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Piano-Guitar 02) Give A Damn My Dear 03) Walking On Thin Air 04) The Mysterious Bath 05) Madhouse 06) You Freak Me Out 07) Chills For You 08) The Plastic Flower Show 09) Send The Rain 10) Always And Everywhere 11) Feeling Floating Away 12) Lucis 13) Secret Song (Oh, Emiko) 14) She's Got The Power 15) Flowers Within (Version 2) 16) Rehearsal Of Thought 17) Dark Eyes 18) Not As Easy As It Looks 19) Deep December (Bright & Shiny Day) 20) Lazy, Lazy Bones 21) Cowboy Song 22) We Two In Love Forever Dreaming 23) Ripples On A Blue Pool 24) Let's Dance ALBUM NOTES: Return to Tomorrow (These Tapes Rewind: Volume One) is a vocal album, issued in a single print run of 1000 copies on the Discs of Ancient Odeon label. The album was first made available to attendees of Nelsonica 12 , included within the ticket price of that event, before going on general sale 2 days later through S.O.S. The material contained on Return to Tomorrow was compiled in July 2012, and is drawn from Nelson's "PCM-F1 archives", recorded in the period between 1984 and 1995. Fans had received a sample of these archives when they were first raided for the Hip Pocket Jukebox mini album issued a year previously. Further volumes taken from these archives are planned for the future. The album sold out in February 2019. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Hip Pocket Jukebox , Luminous , My Secret Studio , Blue Moons & Laughing Guitars , Practically Wired , Confessions of a Hyperdreamer , Whistling While the World Turns , Noise Candy , The Romance of Sustain BILL'S THOUGHTS: "From the mid '80s and into the early '90s, my home studio ("The Echo Observatory"), used a reel-to-reel analogue tape recorder, initially a 4-track machine, then an 8-track and finally a 16-track. I mixed down the recordings I made on these multitrack recorders via a modest analogue mixing desk onto a very early digital stereo machine, a Sony PCM F1, which used Betamax video tape as its storage medium. Whilst I released several albums recorded this way, there was a huge amount of material left "on the shelf". These were demos, rough sketches, unfinished songs, outlines of ideas for advertising commissions, library music, TV drama soundtracks and various late-night experiments. I chose not to release these recordings as I considered them flawed, either with regard to the technical failings of the mixes themselves or inconsistencies in the performance and execution of the material. For many years I chose not to listen to them or consider the possibility of their release... In 2000, my studio equipment was updated to what was then the latest digital domestic home studio multitrack system. A few years previously, my Sony PCM F1 machine had given up the ghost, so there was no way to retrieve or re-archive the material that had been stored on the old F1Betamax tapes. By this time, the unreleased '80s recordings had become legendary amongst fans, particularly those fans to whom the '80s represented their first introduction to my work. However, although I still had no great desire to release these "lost tapes" I thought that they should be transferred to a more current storage medium for posterity's sake. After some research, a working PCM F1 machine was found and purchased via contributions from fans. My good friend Jon Wallinger volunteered to take on the task of archiving this vast amount of material, copying any unreleased tracks from the PCM machine onto recordable CDs. It was a long and slow process and Jon ended up with a huge number of discs containing hundreds of unreleased recordings. These discs then gathered dust in my current home studio until very recently. It is only now, in 2012, that I've had the curiosity or inclination to listen through this archive of old recordings. I was surprised by what I found. Whilst the flaws mentioned earlier still exist, they do not detract from the imagination and vitality of the music. In fact, they often add to its charm. I've selected 24 of these recordings to present here as the Return to Tomorrow album, Volume One in the "These Tapes Rewind" series. Other volumes will follow...I hope you will enjoy this first glimpse into my private archive." _____ "Let's Dance": "It's my version of the old Chris Montez song, which I loved way back in my teens. I recorded it in my home studio, just for fun, back in the '80s. I didn't have a copy of the original lyrics, so this version has some that I remembered but some that are probably made up on the spot..." FAN THOUGHTS: Holer: "Wow. This may be a collection of home recordings, but it sure sounds like a great 'lost' 90's Bill Nelson album to me. A choice batch of exuberant, quirky pop songs, most of which seem to be about the first blush of new love..." "You sound like you're having the time of your life playing a lot of these cuts and enthusiasm often transcends imperfection, especially when it comes to Rock & Roll." "So many stand-out cuts; this is an instant classic to my ears." Billy Wakefield: "I too detect a joyous feel to the album, and if these are outtakes, give me what's on the studio floor! Not trying to be presumptuous Bill, but whilst I appreciate your incredibly high standards of Sonic excellence, I can also appreciate a rougher, less polished piece of work. In many ways I think it can add a certain quality to a track!" Puzzleoyster: "The PCM Era has taken a lot, if not all of us by very pleasant surprise! Open mouthed agog as how comes most, if not all these songs and sketches found themselves down the back of the Proverbial PCM Settee!!??? and did not get a release, then again, when listened to...the PCM are timeless!" "(Frankly I Don't) Give A Damn My Dear!" is an instant classic...it's an awesome jubilant song and works perfectly." chymepeace: "I am glad that Bill's quality control is high but also allows us a glimpse of what didn't quite make the grade (for him) so we get to appreciate a 'lost' gem like "Piano-Guitar". I hope Bill keeps his single-mindedness and lets us hear what he wants us to hear." Peter Cook: "Like a warm blanket, there are some tracks that send me back quite a few years to My Secret Studio and other albums of that era. At this point in time I am drawn back to "Piano-Guitar" over and over. Reminds me of some of the work Bill did with David Sylvian." WalterDigsTunes: "Everything on here feels like a lost pop gem. It really does get better with every play." "If you dig Luminous , Return to Tomorrow will be a must-have!" Prey: "Good music seldom sounds dated. Even though it contains selections from years past, they still sound fresh. I enjoyed all of it, another fine release." mitchellmichael: "I have been waiting for soooo long to hear these tapes and this release did not disappoint!! Can't wait for more in the series!!!" Albums Menu Future Past

Between the Worlds Be-Bop Deluxe single - 7 February 1975 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Between The Worlds B) Lights ORIGINALLY: "Between the Worlds" is an earlier recording of a song better known as a Futurama album track. "Lights" is a non-album track that later appeared as the 'B' side of the follow up single "Maid in Heaven". NOTES: Between the Worlds was the third Be Bop Deluxe single issued during the band's existence. The single was issued in a generic white sleeve and quickly withdrawn. Promo copies exist with the words "Demo Record Not For Sale" and a large 'A' printed on the label, and gives the intended release date of (7.2.75). It appears the release date slipped a week. PAST RELEASES: "Lights" would first appear on album on The Best of and the Rest of Be Bop Deluxe (1978), and both tracks would be included on the Singles As and Bs compilation (1981). Both tracks would also be included as bonus tracks when the album catalogue first appeared on CD, "Between the Worlds" on Futurama , and "Lights" on Drastic Plastic (1991). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The single is long deleted, but both tracks can be found on the Cherry Red/Esoteric Recordings reissue of Futurama (2019) - both in physical form and as a digital download. Singles Menu Future Past

Original Album Series box set - 2 June 2014 Be-Bop Deluxe Collections Menu Future Past NOTES: A 5CD box set issued at a budget price that comprises all 5 studio albums issued by Be Bop Deluxe in its lifetime. Each album is presented in a mini version of the original vinyl sleeves but with no lyric sheets or booklet to inform the uninitiated. Compared to Futurist Manifesto (which offers all five albums plus bonus tracks and previously unreleased material), this release is clearly the less desirable to most fans. However for anyone discovering the band at this late stage who wants to delve a little deeper than the few tracks they might hear on radio these days, but doesn't want all the bells and whistles, it's a decent enough place to start. PAST RELEASES: All the material presented in this box set can be found in the Futurist Manifesto box set, and each of the five albums was previously available on CD separately in jewel cases with lyric books and sleeve notes (initially issued in 1990). Prior to their appearance on CD each album appeared on vinyl and cassette between 1974 and 1978. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The box set is now out of print. Collections Menu Future Past

Gagalactyca collection - 1990 Lightyears Away/Thundermother Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on the tracks listed under "Chris Coombs & Lightyears Away" (side A). Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

All The Fun Of The Fair Bill Nelson album - 3 November 2023 Albums Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Beams Of Light 02) Beep, Beep, Beep 03) Roundabouts And Swings 04) Man Of Dreams 05) Electric Atlanta 06) Push The Button, Spin The Dial 07) Wanderings 08) One AM 09) Chelsea Flash 10) All The Fun Of The Fair 11) Madam Midnight 12) Dance Of The Sonic Culture Gods 13) Running From My Own Shadow 14) The House Of Morpheus 15) The Silent Hour 16) Keep Your Telescope Focussed On The Stars Purchase this CD Purchase this download ALBUM NOTES: All the Fun of the Fair is an album comprising a mixture of song based and instrumental material issued on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 1000 copies. The album grew from the surplus material assembled for Marvellous Realms , mainly recorded between November 2021 and May 2022, but with four tracks, namely 'Beams of Light', 'Roundabouts and Swings', 'Electric Atlanta' and 'Wanderings' being recorded later, between May and October 2022. All the Fun of the Fair was actually in the running to be used as the title of Marvellous Realms , when that album was known by its original title 'Man of Dreams'. Three songs, 'Man of Dreams', 'Running From My Own Shadow' and 'All the Fun of the Fair' were among the first group of thirteen tracks that Nelson published on the Dreamsville Forum as potential tracks for Marvellous Realms , but which ultimately would appear on All the Fun of the Fair . The idea for a second album to be made from these recordings, initially called 'Here on Earth', was announced by Nelson on the Dreamsville Forum on 11 March 2022. By this point a total of 33 tracks had been completed for the two albums, although no indication was given regarding which would appear where. In fact, nine of the songs featured on All the Fun of the Fair were on that list. Further progress on the album was reported on 1 June 2022, when Nelson posted in the Dreamsville Journal that he had by then completed a total of 53 tracks for the new album projects, again without revealing which tracks would appear where. Comparing that list with the final track selections, reveals that he had by then completed a total of twelve tracks that would eventually make up the All the Fun of the Fair album. All the Fun of the Fair was mastered at Fairview Studios by John Spence week commencing 21 November 2022, the artwork however, wasn't tackled by Nelson and passed over to Martin Bostock for preparation until September 2023. Pre-orders details for All the Fun of the Fair were announced by Burning Shed on 5 October 2023 with a release date of 3 November. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "All The Fun Of The Fair is a merry-go-round of an album, recorded in 2022. Its 16 tracks take the listener on a colourful journey, with the 'Fair' of the album's title representing a metaphoric symbol for life itself. Song-based vocal tracks make up the majority of the contents along with just a few instrumental interludes. I hope you'll enjoy its various rides and mysterious sideshows!" Albums Menu Future Past

Discography Menu Singles Clicking on a cover below will take you to a full page devoted to that single. All Dressed Up In Your Art School Clothes 2023 Saras Dream Foundation charity download single Brave Flag 2022 charity download single The Lockdown Song 2020 download single The Rumbler 2017 download single Starland 2013 Sara's Hope download track Think And You'll Miss It 2012 download single Holey Moley, It's A Parallel World 2010 Sara's Hope download track Soluna Oriana 2010 Mick Karn Appeal download track Rocket To The Moon 2009 Sara's Hope download track I Hear Electricity 2008 download single A Million Whistling Milkmen 2008 Sara's Hope download track Dreamsville Poetry Experiment 2007 download track Contemplation 2007 2007 download track Six Strings For Sara 2007 Sara's Hope download track The Dead We Wake With Upstairs Drums 1992 single Life In Your Hands 1989 single Secret Ceremony 1987 single Cote D'Azur 1986 fan club ep Wildest Dreams 1986 single Sex-Psyche-Etc 1985 ep Giants Of The Perpetual Wurlitzer 1984 fan club ep Acceleration 1984 single Hard Facts From The Fiction Department 1984 fan club ep The World And His Wife 1983 fan club ep Touch And Glow 1983 single Dancing On A Knife's Edge 1983 fan club ep King Of The Cowboys 1982 fan club ep Flaming Desire 1982 single Eros Arriving 1982 single Sleepcycle 1982 fan club ep Tony Goes To Tokyo (And Rides The Bullet Train) 1981 single (b-side) Living In My Limousine 1981 single Youth Of Nation On Fire 1981 single Banal 1981 single Rooms With Brittle Views 1981 single Do You Dream In Colour? 1980 single Revolt Into Style 1979 single Furniture Music 1979 single Electrical Language 1978 single Panic In The World 1978 single Japan 1977 single Hot Valves 1976 compilation ep Kiss Of Light 1976 single Ships In The Night 1976 single Maid In Heaven 1975 single Between The Worlds 1975 single (withdrawn) Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus 1974 single Teenage Archangel 1973 single Discography Menu

Bill Nelson - photography and diary archive. The Dreamsville Archive Diary Of A Hyperdreamer Dreamsville Rocket Magazines & Interviews Radio Interviews Museum Of Memory Live Show Archive Album Listening Notes Guitar TAB

Stranger Things Have Happened single - 1985 Yukihiro Takahashi Production/Contribution Menu Future Past NOTES: B1) Yukihiro Takahashi - "Bounds of Reason, Bounds of Love". Bill: Guitar, Bass, Keyboard, Vocals and Co-writer. B2) Bill Nelson - "Metaphysical Jerks", including Mick Karn on bass. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Rain Tree Crow album - 1991 Rain Tree Crow Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on three songs: "Big Wheels in Shanty Town", "Blackwater" and "Blackcrow Hits Shoe Shine City". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists Bill Nelson album - 9 January 2012 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) The Blossom Tree Optimists 02) Standing On Tiptoes, Reaching For The Sky 03) Memory Is A Data Cloud Forever Primed With Rain 04) Rambling Through The Meadows (Wonder Wise) 05) Garden Of Cascades 06) My Botticelli Angel 07) When Boys Were Lost For Words 08) Lovers In The Pleasure Gardens 09) The Buzz, Buzz, Buzz Of The Forever Bee 10) The Girl Who Was Electrically Carried Away 11) One Summer Night 12) Silent Glides My Armstrong Siddeley 13) These Are The Dreams 14) Gathered In At Gloaming 15) The Blossom Tree Optimists (Alternative Mix) ALBUM NOTES: Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists is a vocal album released on the Sonoluxe label issued in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album grew out of the early recordings for Model Village , once Nelson had decided to make that album entirely from instrumental tracks. Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists was the second release that Nelson designated as part of his 'Super Listener Series', which indicated it to be a more challenging prospect. The series has currently run to four albums, with the prospect of continuing in the future. Physical copies of the album sold out in December 2020. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Model Village , All That I Remember , The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill , Stereo Star Maps , The Years , Fables and Dreamsongs , Rosewood One , Rosewood Two , Northern Dream , New Northern Dream BILL'S THOUGHTS: "A personal homage to a kind of long-lost, romantic, utopian 'Englishness'. Many of the songs on these albums attempt to capture an elusive, ancient spirit, a spirit of a place inhabited by quiet ghosts unique to old Albion, an English Arcadia, an imaginary Eden that only exists in the gentle souls of artists and poets. It's quite artificial, dreamlike, ethereal, a figment of Faerie, a Midsummer Night's Dream...Beautiful, fragile and utterly, seductively unreal." _____ "Something just struck me about the Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists album that I'm currently working on. Some of the tracks could almost constitute a new Northern Dream album...a Northern Dream for the 21st Century. It has a sort of rusty-rustic vibe, a similar innocence and charm. "I was aiming for an album that used acoustic guitar and orchestral sounds but there are moments when it hints at some of the approach I used 40 years ago on Northern Dream . This wasn't something I planned, but, magically, it seems to offer a weird echo of certain aspects of that early album." _____ "This album can be appreciated as a companion piece to last year's Model Village or as an independent project in its own right. It is a song-based album with the emphasis on vocals and acoustic guitar but with added orchestral colours and percussion to give a neo-baroque flavour to the music. The album could also be thought of as the missing link between Northern Dream , Rosewood and The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill. " _____ "It's a warm, heartfelt fantasia with lots of detail and cross-references. An album for grown-ups who can appreciate music that paints pictures." _____ "The cover image comes from an antiquarian print I bought in Paris, several years ago now. In fact, it was this image that conjured up the album's title. The entire project grew from me wanting to use that image on an album cover...then, after some years of it hanging on my bedroom wall, the title finally rose to the surface and the fun of writing and recording the music began. So, the album was actually inspired by that particular image, rather than the image being chosen afterwards." FAN THOUGHTS: felixt1: "A breath of fresh air, the sounds of a hopeful spring and better times ahead. Fond memories, words of love - beautiful playing, singing and a song writer's muse showing no signs of diminishing - quite the opposite...all these factors combining to lift the spirits and help to believe that hope really does spring eternal... Utter brilliance, one of Bill's absolute best. I cannot give higher praise than that, the music alone changed how I felt for the better, it healed me. If Bill had released nothing else in his life, that one album served to produce a profound effect on me in what was a relatively dark time. If any of us can have that effect on another person at least once in our lives, our work is almost done. I know for a fact having read the pages here in Dreamsville , that Bill has achieved this time after time over the years..." "I have not been able to get this album off my player...it's simply just a stunning album... How do you keep coming up with all these amazing compositions Bill?" Analog: "This is a totally beautiful album, different from anything that went before and possibly my personal top favourite of Mr. Nelson's more recent output (Or his total output for that matter. Love the Be-Bop Deluxe albums of course, great rock of my youth...just had to say. Lots of great music came my way from Mr. Nelson in the years between then and now. Long may it continue.) Hard to pick a top one from as fabulous a catalogue as Mr. Nelson has produced, but this would have to be it. This, though, is quite a different beast from all the rest. A very soothing, cohesive album that paints a lovely sonic picture-scape, truly evocative of dreamy pastoral vistas. A 'Put the feet up and kick back', type of album." chymepeace: "Pure joy. Each release you never know what you're going to get and that's part of the thrill and anticipation. I've pretty much everything Bill. Model Village has gone into my top 6 or 7 and Blossom Tree may be hard on its heels. How this consistent level of quality is achieved I have no idea. Thanks Bill. Please keep doing what you're doing - no pandering! Eternally grateful." Lonnie: "Not since Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights have I been soooo moved by one of Bill's albums. It just takes me away." novemberman: "I got to the "Buzz Buzz Buzz Honey Bee" track, and I was sold, the rest of the album was wonderful. "As is with so many of Bill's albums they require more than a cursory listen. His styles are so diverse any album should be treated with an open mind, and see where it takes you." play my theremin: "Well, I'm always late to the party, but I love this album. I live right on the north east coast, and Blossom Tree made an absolutely magical and uplifting soundtrack to my frosty early morning walk by the pier and along the promenade. "As for favourite tracks, so far the title track (alt mix), "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz of the Forever Bee" and "When Boys were Lost for Words" particularly grab me. But as with most of Bill's albums, the tracks that end up as my absolute favourites tend to lie in wait for a while and hit me by stealth." "If anyone else has yet to buy this album, I recommend it!" MG: "I can't help myself: "Silent Glides" is like a head on collision with a rainbow after a sun-shower. This is a truly illuminated set, this CD." alec: "May I just state that the title track of Songs of The Blossom Tree Optimists must certainly be up there very near the top of Bill's Top 10 Best All-Time Vocal Performances. "The guitar trickles all throughout the listener like dancing diamonds upon rivers, streams, leaves of grass, blossom trees, clouds, etc., brings immediately an idyllic state of conscious, 'a glorious domain is shining' indeed." stpetelou: "Always especially appreciate Bill's vocal works. His voice has been a soothing and warm companion throughout a good part of my life, enhancing good times and helping to diminish bad times." DWGBG: 2012 Poll: "I have all these excellent albums, but one stands head and shoulders above all of them and that is Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists . It should get two votes from me as the bg half of dwgbg completely agrees with me." "Bill's most uplifting album ever. Without it I wouldn't be here. I have been in a very dark place for about seven months now and listening to this album has saved my life on more than one occasion. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Bill, for making it." Oracle: "Washes over you like a warm, peaceful blanket and soothes the spirit! Spoken like a true poet, ahem!" andygeorge: "What a lovely collection of songs! Bill's knack of combining imagery and melodic tunes are very strong on here and I was very taken first time with some of the songs... "The Buzz, Buzz, Buzz of the Forever Bee"...Arthur Askey comes to mind! Oh, what a wonderful thing to be, A healthy grown up busy busy bee." "The Girl Who Was Electrically Carried Away"...couldn't stop singing this all day yesterday! "My Botticelli Angel"...another track destined to be a Bill favourite. ...So, mission accomplished Bill...you've done it again with another album that will, I'm sure, be considered a classic in years to come... ...if you're still not sure about getting this CD, DON'T hesitate...get it now!" Ged: "This is one of my fav Bill albums already. Wonderful lyrics and great melodies - I would strongly recommend those of you who are thinking about buying the album - go for it - you won't be disappointed." Peter: "Waiting for the next Bill Nelson creation is SUCH sweet torture, ain't it? I mean, I have had Songs of the Blossom Tree Optimists for what, 2-3 weeks? And loving it. And yet talk of another album in the works has me all excited again. Just can't get enough! Yeah...I have an addiction! But one that I enjoy greatly, that enhances my life and that I see no reason to quit." Albums Menu Future Past

Leaving the Electric Circus album - 2010 Sea of Wires Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Co-Producer, Guitar and mixing on one song, "The Sunglass". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Dynamos And Tremolos Bill Nelson album - 2 July 2018 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) City Of Tomorrow 02) Electric Railway Overhead 03) Baby Robot 04) Tales Of The Intergalactic Glee Club 05) The Beautiful Machine 06) Dynatron 07) Sine Waves Singing In A Silver Tower 08) Quick As A Flash 09) Halogen 10) Happy Little Hovercar 11) Spaceship Away! 12) Echoes Of The Age ALBUM NOTES: Dynamos and Tremolos is an instrumental album issued on the Sonoluxe label. The album was recorded in August and September 2015 and began life as an '80s synth retro album, before Nelson elected to mix in half a dozen guitar based tracks to provide an element of contrasting styles and sounds. Soon after the album was commenced in mid-August 2015, Nelson began to experience intermittent problems with his second Mackie mixing desk, bought second hand six months earlier, to replace his original machine which he had purchased at the beginning of his move to digital recording back in 2000. The mixing desk limped through the making of Dynamos and Tremolos (and the subsequent project Luxury Wonder Moments ) before finally packing in completely before the end of 2015. When completed, Dynamos and Tremolos joined an ever expanding backlog of unreleased material having to wait its turn for release alongside over a dozen albums' worth of material. Consequently Dynamos and Tremolos would lie dormant for two and a half years until Nelson began to assemble artwork for it in February 2018. The album was mastered at Fairview on 12 March 2018 at the same session as Drive This Comet Across the Sky. It was released as a 500 copy Limited Edition Digipak CD simultaneously with a Bandcamp Digital Download. It took just a few weeks to sell out, yet some extra copies were found and passed over to Burning Shed, these remaining copies sold out in just a couple of days. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Have been working on a new album project: I was planning an '80s retro-synth album. Well, I've decided to modify it a bit. I now have six pure synth tracks completed, very '80s in their own way, quite poppy, despite being instrumentals. But I've decided to make variations on the theme by recording six more tracks with synth and guitar. I'll alternate the pure synth tracks with the synth and guitar tracks to contrast and compliment each other. "Already completed one synth/guitar track titled 'Dynaflow.' Almost completed another, as yet untitled. I think this approach will make for a more interesting album than limiting it just to synths. Best of both worlds, so to speak. Working title for the album is 'Dynamos And Tremolos.' " ____ _ "Deliberating with myself over which images I've made will best suit a couple of upcoming albums. The main focus of attention at the moment is the 'Dynamos And Tremolos' album. I've built up more images for this than will be needed but I'm undecided as to which might be the most appropriate selection in terms of overall design. "The album is a combination of synths and guitar sounds and my initial idea was to reflect this using images of retro synthesisers and old guitars. But I also wanted to bring on board a more sci-fi touch with antiquated, distressed robot pictures." ____ _ "I should warn any '80s synth fans that it's not quite the retro-electronica excursion you might imagine it to be. It offers an affectionate nod to those old synth stylings, but sets them in a much more contemporary context." ALBUM REVIEW: Review by Jeff Brown FAN THOUGHTS: Alec: " 'Dynamos and Tremolos' is a unique album. It's got a giggle and smirk to it. Works well with physical activity, a soundtrack to accompany chores or a walk. Impossible not to find y'self in a giddy state, contemplatively giddy, at times when listening." John Mentzer: "This is a rare synth-centric offering from Bill Nelson which should wildly appeal to that certain subsection of fans! But worry not! There is still plenty of lush, amazing guitar work to go with it! Bill calls it "80s" but this is Bill we are talking about! Nothing sounded like him then and nothing does now! Singular talent!" Ronald Nelson: "Another brilliant album, they just get better all the time - just like a good wine, cheers." David Briggs: "Lots of melody and understated inventiveness." Albums Menu Future Past

Wildest Dreams Bill Nelson single - 3 March 1986 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 7" Single: A) Wildest Dreams (Single Version) B) Self Impersonisation 12" Single: A1) Wildest Dreams (Wild Mix) A2) Self Impersonisation B1) Wildest Dreams (7" Version) B2) The Yo-Yo Dyne ORIGINALLY: A, A1 & B1 are exclusive mixes of a song from the Getting the Holy Ghost Across album. B, A2 & B2 are exclusive non-album tracks. NOTES: Wildest Dreams was the only single taken from the Getting the Holy Ghost Across album to be granted a commercial release. The single was pressed in 7" and 12" formats. Both formats were issued in picture sleeves, and a limited edition signed art print (with printed signature) was included in approximately 400 copies of the 12" pressing. PAST RELEASES: B2 was included as a bonus track on the Sonoluxe reissue of the Getting the Holy Ghost Across album (2006). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All four songs are available on the remastered 2CD set of Getting the Holy Ghost Across (Cherry Red/Esoteric/Cocteau Discs, 2013). Singles Menu Future Past