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Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Seven - Published September 1983 Back to Top

Tripping the Light Fantastic Bill Nelson live album - 5 September 2017 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Introduction 02) Hypnos 03) Luxeodeon 04) Golden Dream Of Circus Horses 05) Gloria Mundae 06) Mars Welcomes Careful Drivers 07) If I Were The Pilot Of Your Perfect Cloud 08) The Awakening Of Dr Dream 09) Beyond These Clouds, The Sweetest Dream 10) I Always Knew You Would Find Me 11) The Raindrop Collector 12) Beatniks From Outer Space ALBUM NOTES: Tripping the Light Fantastic is a live album of guitar instrumentals released on the Sonoluxe label in a limited print run of 500 copies, with a simultaneous download release via Nelson’s Bandcamp page. The album was first mentioned on the Dreamsville Forum on 14 June 2017, and released on 5 September 2017 . The album was recorded at the New Northern Dream album launch held at The Cloth Workers' Hall, Leeds, in October 2016. Nelson's full set performed that night is featured on the album. On 15 September 2017 it was announced on the Dreamsville Forum that the album had sold out. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Though out of print as a physical release , Tripping the Light Fantastic is available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Tripping The Light Fantastic is only the second live album I've ever officially released. The first was Be Bop Deluxe's Live In The Air Age album, way back in the distant 1970's. A great deal of 'time saturated' water has flowed under all our rickety bridges since then, but this new live album captures a brief moment in that same flow of time. "Sensibilities change, both on the part of the audience, and also every artist worthy of the term 'artist' over the years, but I'm very happy to say that my audience has grown with my own development and peculiar sensibilities throughout the years. This isn't music from then, but music from 'now,' (though the now is always in flux and shifting, as am I.) "So, it is to those loyal, enthusiastic, brilliant listeners that I dedicate this album." _____ "One of the things that might throw some extra light on the live album is that I was very unwell at the time of its recording. I was suffering from a nasty 'flu virus which had threatened to cancel the event. But, there was no way, short of being totally bed-ridden, that I could do such a thing, so I forged ahead and hoped for the best. And that is why my voice might sound a little nasal, and also why, at the conclusion to the performance, I said that I'd managed to get through it without falling over. Those of you who were not there, (and some of you who were), might not grasp the meaning of that pronouncement, or my impaired voice quality. It was a bit of a struggle but the adrenalin rush helped me through it..." FAN THOUGHTS: Peter: "Oh, boy....what a treat. I have had the pleasure of seeing Bill perform in this format (with backing recordings) on a handful of occasions, and found this very much an accurate capturing of the experience. This is a wonderful selection of songs, all superbly performed. I was struck while listening by how amazing Bill's playing is...in far too many instances, seeing a musician live reveals shortcomings that the studio can hide...but Bill sounds as amazing live as he does in recordings. Thank you SO much for releasing this one, Bill." Returningman: "Hypnos": "This was a spine-tingling start to a magical hour of music." "Just love live recordings and this one is a stunner. Many thanks Bill." market: "Eeeeeee lad it's flippin' great... Wish I'd been there... At least I can listen..." RMD: "Another great offering from Bill - a genuine "live" album. My favourite track is "The Awakening of Dr Dream" - sublime playing even by Bill's standards." Big Dunc: "A truly magnificent masterpiece... Mars, welcomes careful drivers = Superb." Merikan1: "Just arrived. I am halfway thru first listen. It sounds amazing. Thanks for this one Bill." Captain Custard: "This is bloody brilliant Bill, yet another fantastic gift to us." alec: "Listening often to this. The production is quite robust and satisfying at loud volume through earbuds or through big, proper headphones." Albums Menu Future Past

Rosewood Volume One Bill Nelson album - 25 May 2005 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Blues For Orpheus 02) Escondido Oleander 03) Lumia 04) Filament 05) Lacuna 06) Cascade (Improvisation For Three Harp Guitars) 07) She Swings Skirt 08) Mexico City Dream (For Gil Evans) 09) Ventura 10) The Girl In The Park In The Rain 11) Apollonian Tremolo 12) Giant Hawaiian Showboat 13) Cremona 14) The Land Of Lost Time 15) Sleepless In The Ticking Dark ALBUM NOTES: Rosewood Volume One is an album of acoustic guitar instrumentals issued in a single pressing of 1000 copies. The CD gave birth to the Sonoluxe label, which Nelson has continued with for his major releases, including reissues and digital download compilations. The album was the first to be issued after the launch of Nelson's official website Dreamsville, which went live in April 2005. Sales of Rosewood benefited from an increased profile provided by the website's forum, The Dreamsville Inn, to which Nelson is an avid contributor. The combination of having easy access to the artist, and the reliable and dedicated staff of the Sound of Sound website, created an enticing and reassuring combination for fans of Nelson's music. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Rosewood Two , And We Fell Into A Dream , Quiet Bells , Dreamland to Starboard , Illuminated At Dusk , Silvertone Fountains , Neptune's Galaxy , New Northern Dream BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The two Rosewood albums are amongst my proudest achievements, particularly Volume One which still manages to surprise me when I hear it. For me, this is one of those few albums of mine that I'd rescue from the metaphorical burning building. An album I can listen to with the warm glow of satisfaction." _____ "It was the slightly off-centre American acoustic guitar players such as John Fahey and Leo Kottke that ultimately inspired me the most. I also was immersed in blues music as a late teen, not just the modern, urban electric blues but rootsier country blues too... (Tampa Red became a favourite, amongst others). Rosewood's roots are firmly planted in such left of centre inspirations, rather than the style of more popularly regarded virtuoso acoustic guitarists." _____ "Cascade": "The entire track is made up of a harp guitar multi-tracked three times. The harp guitar belonged to Brendan Croker of the 'Nottinghillbillies' who let me borrow it for a few days. A beautiful instrument hand made by York master luthier Ralph Bown." _____ "One of the reasons I'm so proud of Rosewood is because it's one of the few albums I've made that has actually hit my personal creative bullseye and achieved what I intended it to do. As Harold Budd said to me when he first heard it...'Now THAT'S the album you've always wanted to make!' Harold loved it and that's praise enough for me." FAN THOUGHTS: John Izzard: "The acoustic guitar is such an open, honest instrument - almost naked - and it's used here with exquisite taste and in such a beautifully innovative way. "As much as I love the lush, decorative arrangements of the previous few albums, which suit the generally bigger sound, I'm struck by the lighter touches employed here. 'Craftsmanship' is an overworked - and often undeserved term, but here it is almost an understatement... "I had high expectations for Rosewood. They've just been exceeded." Ged: "In my opinion its one of the most beautiful selection of pieces of music I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, an absolute joy to the ear. Its warmth and simplicity are wonderful. Julie and Faye (16 weeks old today) are equally impressed (I've just been playing it in the car) - Julie commented that it was beautiful and calming and Faye 'cooed' with delight. A fabulous CD I'd recommend to everyone." Alan: "Beautiful piece of work...Another great chapter in the ever evolving life of Bill Nelson. Mr Nelson never ceases to amaze me. Definitely the most versatile artist I know of. Keep up the good work." steve lyles: "Listening to Rosewood vol 1 and it hit me (not for the first time) that Bill Nelson's music is so beautifully honest and direct. It doesn't try to be another's work - it's not money or fame motivated. It is "musical...well expressionism" in its highest form." "Absolutely beautiful emotive music." Alan Cawthorne: "I don't think I've heard a more original, relaxing and beautiful album in a long time...Nice to hear intelligently thought out and written pieces." Radium Girl: " Rosewood Vol.1 is one of the most gorgeous sonic masterpieces ever!" BobK: "Sounds fantastic. Very beautifully produced, guitars sound gorgeous, tunes are, well, beautiful and gorgeous!!! (Need to check out thesaurus methinks...). It sounds so full of emotion and melody." Mozo: "I know it sounds corny but...just like a good wine...the man's strumming and technique seems to just get better with age! Amazed and impressed with the "feeling and maturing" of his style on this one! Somewhere Bill Frissell, Fred Frith, and Django Reinhardt are smiling after listening to this monster!!! But the really cool part about it is that was just my first listen. It's only going to get better with every fleeting listen! I'm floored Bill." Peter Roche: "I haven't played number 2 yet, as I can't get off number 1 . It is my favourite BN CD to date. The electronic additions, for me, add a great deal of texture and greater depth than would be there if it were absent. I would like to wax lyrical about it, but don't know what to say, except it's brilliant. Thanks." paulnery: "Escondido Oleander": "impressed me...although the beauty of the entire album is evident...the atmosphere of the CD is spiritual almost all of the time, probably with the exception of "She Swings Skirt", maybe some distraction during a meditative state...The sound of the acoustic guitars, full of harmonics, is simply wonderful." old_goat: "Lush like a field of wheat in a gentle breeze..."Filament", what a perfect title for what I heard... "Escondido Oleander" is absolutely hypnotic; felt transported back 30 years. I remember this little creek that ran by my house in California. It was lined with oleanders; I used to go there with a cold soda and lay in the shade and listen to the sounds of the creek and the life it held. I don't know how much thought Bill puts in to some or all of his titles, but there are plenty that seem to fit like a glove; it seems like the more I listen to his work, the more appropriate the titles become." Earthling: "Not like anything else in the collection. Do we ever worry when we buy a Bill Nelson creation? I think not." johnofdeath: "Glad I took the day off work. The postman decided he couldn't fit the CD package through my letter box and was heading off down the road. I had to chase after him but it was worth it. Just listened to Rosewood for the first time and it sounds great. Very laid back - my wife might even like it!!" Albums Menu Future Past

Feels Like Winter Again single - 1982 Fiat Lux Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Teenage Archangel Be-Bop Deluxe single - 1973 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Teenage Archangel B) Jets At Dawn ORIGINALLY: "Teenage Archangel" and "Jets at Dawn" (in the early version) were originally both non-album cuts - although the latter was re-recorded for Axe Victim (1974). NOTES: Teenage Archangel was the debut release by Be-Bop Deluxe, and Nelson's final independent release until "Do You Dream In Colour?" (1980). The single was issued in a plain white sleeve, and was a limited edition intended to be sold in Wakefield Record Bar and at local gigs. PAST RELEASES: The single would be re-pressed in 1979 and 1980 in limited pressings, but without the knowledge of the artist. Both tracks appeared on the Postcards From the Future CD compilation (2004, now out of print). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The single is long deleted, but both tracks can be found on the Cherry Red/Esoteric Recordings reissue of Axe Victim (2020) - both in physical form and as a digital download. Singles Menu Future Past

Youth of Nation on Fire Bill Nelson single - 29 May 1981 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 7" Single: A) Youth Of Nation On Fire B) Be My Dynamo Double 7" Single: A) Youth Of Nation On Fire B) Be My Dynamo C) Rooms With Brittle Views D) All My Wives Were Iron ORIGINALLY: A) is an edited version from the recently released Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam album. B, C and D) were non-album tracks, B) and D) having been previously unreleased. C) had a few drumbeats edited off the intro of the original single. NOTES: Youth of Nation on Fire was the third single taken from Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam . With a running time of 3' 00", "Youth of Nation on Fire" was slightly sped up for 7" release, and faded out a full minute from the end of the track compared to the album version. This edit remains exclusive to the 7" pressings. The double 7" single was the more desirable in 1981 - it coming with the extra disc. And for those not used to using mail order facilities, it presented a more practical solution to getting hold of the "Rooms with Brittle Views" track. When included on compilation albums or as a bonus track, the full length intro is favoured. PAST RELEASES: B, C and D) were all available on The Two Fold Aspect of Everything comp (unfortunately out of print). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: B) Added to the remastered 2005 CD reissue of Quit Dreaming , and The Practice of Everyday Life box (2011). C & D) were included on the remastered 2005 CD reissue of Quit Dreaming . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The thought of whether something was 'cool' or not never crossed my mind when I made those [first two] albums. I was just, to use a phrase from a Les Paul documentary, 'chasing sound.' The guiding principle has always been the music, rather than any desire for rock industry celebrity. That's my approach now as ever. "I'm just chasing something that interests me, something that feels true to my own life, both as a person and as a musician. What the media or the industry might consider 'cool' is neither here nor there. I'm in this for the long haul...not the brief trot down some vague fashion catwalk." Singles Menu Future Past

Savage Gestures for Charms Sake Bill Nelson mini-album - 9 December 1983 Albums Menu Future Past TRACKS: 1) The Man In The Rexine Suit 2) Watching My Dream Boat Go Down In Flames 3) The Meat Room 4) Narcosis 5) Another Happy Thought (Carved Forever In Your Cortex) 6) Portrait Of Jan With Moon And Stars ALBUM NOTES: Savage Gestures for Charms Sake is a 6 track mini album of instrumentals issued on the Cocteau Records label. Initially issued on vinyl (with free art poster) and cassette, this mini-album was Nelson's first commercial release issued since the Mercury deal had lapsed. It was comprised of five outtakes from The Love That Whirls sessions, and one track of Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam vintage. PAST RELEASES: When Savage Gestures for Charms Sake appeared on CD (Cocteau, 1987), it was coupled with Chimera for the UK market, and later given its own stand-alone release in the US (Enigma, 1989). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Currently this mini-album is out of print, but will be made available as a digital download at some point in the future . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Watching My Dreamboat Go Down in Flames": "demonstrates how multiple e-bow overdubs can create an orchestral wall of sound. I almost always use the bridge pickup with my e-bow, but I apply the guitar's tone control to shave off the brighter edges, (though I open it up for contrast on some phrases). A foot volume/swell pedal can sometimes be useful for controlling the attack, giving a smooth initial fade-in to the note, but just sliding the e-bow on and off the pickup's 'hot spot' will increase and decrease the intensity and harmonic content of the sound too. The e-bow is a very expressive device when used with some sensitivity." FAN THOUGHTS: James Ellis: "Contains the BEST Bill Nelson instrumental ever, "The Man in the Rexine Suit"." stormboy: "I really like the harder edge of "The Man in the Rexine Suit" as a starter, whilst "Portrait of Jan with Moon and Stars" is a sublime ending - one of Bill's best outings with the trusty ebow in my opinion." John Izzard: Forum Topic Question: Bill's Greatest Love Song?: "Portrait of Jan with Moon and Stars...Who needs words when music can whisper so deliciously as this?" Mozo: "As the years have passed, I find that if I have Das Kabinet , 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. Am I getting older (Brrr), mellowing, maturing?" Albums Menu Future Past

Tuesday 20th December 2005 -- 7:00 pm Such a long time since the last diary entry. Why? Well...partly an insane Christmas preparation schedule and partly the November tour dates. Five concerts in all...Not the 15 to 20 that were originally rumoured. A real disappointment that it ended up being so few after all the effort I put into preparing new material and video for the shows. (I'll draw a discreet veil over the reason for this.) Nevertheless, it was far from disastrous, despite a gremlin-infested first date. Here's my take on the tour, for what it's worth: The concerts I enjoyed the most (and thought musically the best), were the Bilston Robin 2 concert followed by the Manchester Life Cafe event. Enthusiastic and warm audiences at both, particularly at The Robin 2. And, surprise, surprise...more females in the audience than I'd seen for a while. Thank heavens that a set comprised of mainly instrumental guitar pieces had enough of a hint of, (ahem), the 'erotic,' to attract at least a few attractive ladies to say "hello" afterwards. As much as I enjoy talking to male fans about guitars and so on, female input is most welcome! Leeds and Liverpool tied for second place but London, I have to admit, was something of a struggle. It also was the first date of the tour but really should have been left until last. So many technical problems on stage that first night. A monitor system that sounded like it was infested with insects, a pa system without enough headroom, effects pedals that didn't work and a cock-up over projection screen hire. Plus a very nervous Bill Nelson, still trying to get to grips with the new set and the malfunctioning equipment. One good thing about the London show, though, was the contribution made by Theo Travis, whom I'd met for the first time at Harold Budd's concert at the Brighton Dome earlier this year. Theo played fabulously, completely unfazed by the monitoring problems. I'm glad that there was someone up there with me who actually knew what he was doing. I did end up feeling quite depressed about that particular concert though. Really wished I'd not agreed to make it the first date on the tour. Just as the tour came to a close, I was finally starting to relax and get the measure of things, playing much better and getting to use more suitable, better quality pa systems. Given more concerts, I suspect that it would have gone from strength to strength. Unfortunately, after concert five, it was time to pack the gear away for at least another year. Video projection duties on these shows were shared by Paul Gilby and also superfan Ian Clarke who, gallantly and efficiently, stepped in at the last minute to take over the shows that Paul wasn't able to do. When I perform these solo concerts, the video back drops are an essential part of the presentation. Psychologically, they help me to feel that I'm not entirely alone up there. (I like to think that I'm not the only point of visual focus for the audience.) Plus, of course, the videos provide a suitable counterpoint to the music, each piece being created to reflect the content of the songs. I do get stressed out about playing live without a band though. The solo concerts put a lot of pressure on one person playing alone for just over a couple of hours, especially as I'm not the most natural of performers...It's always a bit of an ordeal for me. One of these days, I'll retire back to the studio environment, as I did in the mid-'80s, and leave the live thing alone. The new thing about these concerts however, was the inclusion of some vocal pieces, something that I'd previously only felt comfortable performing within a band situation. But singing and playing guitar to backing tracks wasn't quite as traumatic as I'd expected. In fact, from what members of the audience told me afterwards, it seemed to provide a surprisingly workable solution and it is certainly something I'd consider including again in future solo shows. Already though, those November concerts are fading into memory. Other projects are already occupying my time and more are hovering on the horizon. I've been trying to read through the as yet unpublished 'Music In Dreamland' book, written by Paul Sutton-Reeves. Just before the tour began, I received a proof of the book (in email form), for me to read through. I'm told by the author that approximately 30,000 words may have been trimmed by the publisher from the original text, so it is important that we check for continuity errors as well as factual ones. Because of the tour and other duties, time has only now become available to work through the book. Nevertheless, I'm finding that, because of Christmas, I'm not as readily available as I'd like to be. I have spotted various things that might be corrected, (as has Paul), but there's a certain amount of pressure on us both to get the book corrected and out there...particularly as it has languished in the publisher's office for over a year since the author completed it. As of writing this diary entry, I haven't had available time to deal with it for several days. In fact, I've really only scratched the surface. I'm hoping that there will be more time after Christmas to give it proper attention. I would really like to do whatever I can to check any factual errors or misunderstandings but I expect that a certain amount of compromise will be necessary. Other projects looming on the horizon: 1: I have to mix the Be Bop Deluxe 'Decca Audition' tapes for release as an album. 2: Negotiations are underway for me to produce another recording by the Russian band 'Nautilus Pompilius' who are now known as 'Jupiter.' This may happen in February. 3: I would like to assemble a new guitar instrumental album based on the live pieces that I've incorporated into my solo shows this last two years and which have previously not been available. This means recording my solo guitar onto the various backing tracks and properly mixing everything to create a finished album of instrumentals. The album will include tracks such as 'Blackpool Pleasure Beach and The Road To Enlightenment,' 'Time Travel For Beginners,' 'Blue Amorini,' 'Sexy Buddha,' 'Electric Milk Cart Blues,' I Always Knew You would Find Me,' and 'A Telescope Full Of Stars' amongst others. They will become part of an album with the subtitle: 'Painting With Guitars, Volume 2.' 4: I intend to go through some of my '80's and '90's archive material and release an album of previously unheard music from those eras. There is a tremendous reserve of material from the past that would definitely be of interest to the committed listener. 5: I have already made a (very) slight inroad into what will eventually emerge as an autobiographic/poetic video about my life, told via images, dialogue and music. I hope to find enough time during this coming year to complete a larger section of it. 6: Nelsonica 06 requires planning. I'd like to take the current high standard a little higher this coming year. Research a new venue and add even more to the curriculum. I also need to create a new Nelsonica limited edition album for convention attendees. This one will most likely include the songs 'Snow Is Falling' and 'Ghost Show,' amongst others. 7: I'm burning to begin work on a brand new album. The bar has been raised by the 'Sailor Bill' project and the next step must be equally, if not more, important. This means working very carefully and abandoning anything that doesn't hit the target. A time consuming process. Right now, I'm favouring something a little more stripped down than the orchestral 'Sailor Bill,' BUT until I get to grips with the writing, it's hard to say which way things will go. Titles and mood are already falling into place though. 8: I need to consider what form any live concerts may take in 2006. I have some ambitious ideas but, whether they are practical or not will depend on the support I get from fans and business associates alike. One possibility is that they won't be in the form of a trek around the country's arts centres. I may attempt just two shows, one North, one South, but with a much more ambitious production than this year's concerts, and covering a great deal more musical ground than of late. Something really special is what I'm aiming at. It may be that I need to schedule this for '07 rather than '06, simply to get everything properly in place. But at my time of life, I can't afford to be cautious. Cocteau said that 'A young man should not make safe investments...' Well... I might add that an older man cannot afford to make safe investments! Time is of the essence as my youth is increasingly far behind me now. Speaking of which, it was heart warming to receive so many good wishes from fans on my recent 57th birthday. Frightening to think that, in a mere three years, I will be sixty. However, in my age-addled head, I'm still a seventeen year old. (O.K...twenty three at a push!) One really exciting bit of news is a connection that has been forged between myself and an American guitar designer by the name of Dean Campbell. I recently came across a Campbell 'Precix' guitar in Music Ground's store in Leeds and was knocked out by the instrument's sheer playability. It's a solid body guitar, hand made in New England, U.S.A. and is a very practical but high quality instrument. Dean Campbell's workshop is staffed by luthiers who have, in the past, worked for Guild guitars. I've had a Guild X500 archtop guitar since the '70's so I know just how skilled those people are. Dean and I have been in contact these last few weeks and he is building me a Precix model, tailored to my needs. The really exciting thing is that we are going to bat ideas back and forth about a brand new design that Dean has on the drawing board. He's asked for my input as to the ongoing development of the instrument and I'm thrilled to be able to add my thoughts to the project as it develops. The Precix model that I've been trying out, (and am keeping well within inspirational playing distance, an arm's reach from me as I type these words), has an action and response that really makes me want to play. It's one of those guitars that is difficult to put down, once picked up. I'm looking forward to using this instrument on my next set of recordings as it has a precision, resonance and clarity that is very special. For readers of this diary who are also guitarists, I recommend that you check out Dean's website at www.campbellamerican.com Well, there is probably much more to write...but I really seem to have exhausted my reservoir of memory for this particular diary entry. Life has been a blur of late and every day rushes by without enough hours in it to fulfil my intentions. For now, this will have to suffice. To all those who read these words, I wish you the HAPPIEST CHRISTMAS and a PEACEFUL AND HEALTHY 2006! May all your dreams come true... Thanks also to everyone who has given their time, their talent and their interest throughout 2005...Thank you so much for helping me to manifest my dreams. I'm eternally grateful and couldn't achieve any of this without you...At the start of 2005, there was a brand new website to design and construct. Then four new albums to create, plus the Nelsonica convention extravaganza and a solo concert tour. (And a few other bits and pieces.) Let's see what next year brings. Cheers!!! Top of page William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) December 2005 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013

Think and You'll Miss It Bill Nelson download single - 17 December 2012 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Think And You'll Miss It 02) Beat Street NOTES: "Think and You'll Miss It" and "Beat Street" are two exclusive instrumentals issued as a free 2 track digital single on the same day that Nelson issued his cover version of "Silent Night". "Think and You'll Miss It" was premiered at Nelsonica 12 (the final such event in all likelihood) on 29 September 2012 when it was part of Nelson's live solo set. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available as a free digital download on this page, or in the Free Downloads section . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "I've made a special Christmas Gift to all my friends and fans in the form of a FREE downloadable single! Hopefully, a nice surprise... It has an 'A' and a 'B' side. The A-side is titled "Think And You'll Miss It". This free download track is a studio version of a new instrumental which was performed, (and premiered), at this year's Nelsonica. It's a piece full of shiny electric guitar. The B-side of the free single is titled "Beat Street", and is a cool, but angular, jazzy guitar instrumental. "PS: I've also created a simple cover image for you to download and place in your mp3 players to accompany the single. Hope you will enjoy both tracks! Merry Christmas, chums!" Singles Menu Future Past

Publication of 'The Dreamsville Rocket' has ceased, these archived issues are still available for you to read. Issue 1 - May 2005 Issue 2 - June 2005 Issue 3 - September 2005

Buy Bill Nelson's music directly from the artist. The Dreamsville Store Support the artist...please buy from these outlets! Official Bill Nelson Merchandise Store - Click Here! Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam Release due May 2025 (Original release May 1981) 3-CD & 1-Blu-Ray Deluxe Box Set For album info - Click here Pre-order box set £57.99 + P&P After The Satellite Sings Digital release May 2025 (Original release April 1996) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Astroloops Digital release April 2025 (Original release January 2015) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Luminous Digital release March 2025 (Original release April 1991) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Northern Dream Digital release February 2025 (Original release 1971) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT The Two-Fold Aspect Of Everything Digital release January 2025 (Original release February 1985) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Studio Cadet Released December 2024 For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase CD album £15 + P&P A Catalogue Of Obsessions Digital release November 2024 (Original release January 1985) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Pavilions Of The Heart And Soul Digital release October 2024 (Original release January 1985) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Chamber Of Dreams (Music From The Invisibility Exhibition) Digital release September 2024 (Original release January 1985) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT The Summer Of God ' s Piano Digital release August 2024 (Original release January 1985) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Sounding The Ritual Echo Digital release July 2024 (Original release May 1981) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights Digital release June 2024 (Original release November 1987) For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase download £10 + VAT Powertron Released 3rd May 2024 For album info and audio clips - Click here Purchase CD album £15 + P&P Juke Box For Jet Boy Digital release April 2024 (Original release December 1995) For album info and audio clips - 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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) September 2008 Jan Feb Aug Oct Thursday 4th September 2008 -- 5:00 pm The following diary entry was begun two days ago but I only now have found time to complete it and post it... I'm in a mood...and a low one at that. It may be exhaustion, or stress, or the depression that I always try to deny I suffer from, or all three demons colluding together. Whatever the cause, I wish I could escape it. Nelsonica is only eight weeks away and there's SO much still to do. I accept that there's always going to be a lot of pressure to get everything ready in time for the convention, but this year it feels even more extreme than usual. There have been lots of good intentions but the practical side is far more complicated than it might appear. One serious concern for me is that we're making little, or very slow progress regarding the confirmation of a band for the live concert side of Nelsonica. The band proposal has been on the agenda for several weeks now, yet it's no further advanced than it was when I last wrote about it in an earlier diary entry. Almost everything needed to make the band materialise, (apart from the time-consuming task of choosing, preparing, learning and rehearsing the songs), is in place. But there's still ONE essential component as yet unconfirmed. And unless this firms up soon, I fear that the whole idea will sadly have to be abandoned. Unfortunately, assembling and rehearsing a seven-piece band is not something that can be done at the drop of a hat. It needs the right combination of people plus a lot of careful planning and thought. The other tricky thing is that I really, here and now, should be finalising what material to assemble for the Nelsonica live performance. IF a band IS to be part of the day's programming, my solo set needs to be appropriate for that inclusion, both in length and in musical content. If the band set finally doesn't take any part in the day's schedule, then a much longer solo set will be required from me, and of a different nature. Not only do my solo performance backing tracks have to be chosen, then mastered at Fairview (and rehearsed) so that they make up a balanced and cohesive live concert, but I have to choose appropriate video backdrops to fit the set too. Once the sequence of music is settled upon, the video master-disc must be assembled with everything in the correct order of performance. I also have a couple of specially composed new solo instrumental pieces that I'd like to include amongst the older material but, at this point in time, there are no video backdrops to fit them. This will require the creation of new video pieces within what is rapidly becoming a frighteningly short space of time. I have to admit that my earlier feelings about completing all this work to a sufficient standard have not been particularly positive. I suspected that the idea of putting a band together and getting it rehearsed to a suitable level of accomplishment, within a less than ideal time frame, was going to be a risky proposition from the off. The fact that there have already been so many other pressing problems and commitments this year has not helped me either. I've been wondering whether I should not have not taken the band proposal on board to start with and instead just concentrated on the other things I need to do for the convention. Well...it's difficult to forsee how things might develop. I suppose there IS still a possibility, (albeit a faint one), that the band thing might come together, but it's looking very tight right now. Far more than I'm comfortable with. Unfortunately, I'm not the sort of person who can casually accept a poorly prepared performance as being o.k. I can't just scrape through then walk away and shrug it off as if it isn't particularly important. My basic attitude is, and has always been: 'if it's not good enough, bin it.' I'd also hoped to avoid an ill-prepared and manic few weeks before the event itself, to have a more enjoyable and less stressful lead-up to the day, (and throughout the day itself too). But this now seems highly unlikely. Something will have to give, something will be unavoidably compromised. There's just too many other Nelsonica-related things that I'm duty-bound to take care of within the time that remains. The fact is, my day to day life has been punishingly intense throughout the last 8 months, for all kinds of reasons. My tiny studio's output has been astonishing for that length of time...constant, obsessive, compulsive creativity. More than SIX album's worth of compositions recorded already, a massive amount of expended energy by anyone's standards. I still have no idea how I've been able to accomplish all this, considering the time-consuming domestic concerns that I've had to deal with, (especially my mother's ongoing and very stressful legal situation). Anyway, whatever the reasons for it, my self-imposed, highly driven work schedule has had a debilitating effect. To put it bluntly, I feel shattered, exhausted and drained by it all. Yes, I know I often complain about such pressures in this diary but, this time, it's gone just that little bit beyond what any sensible person would consider to be their reasonable limit. My own fault, to some extent, I suppose. So why did I jump through these particular hoops? To escape from other worries? Sheer stupidity? Concerns about income? A sense of time running out...sand slipping far too fast through the hour-glass? A kind of ego-driven mortal desperation? Or just trying to reach new heights within my personal dark sky? There's no real rationale involved whatsoever, (though trying to keep my head above the economic waters has to be one real-world motivating factor). Sometimes, I really should try to locate the off' switch, the 'not now' button, the 'pause' control... In fact, I really should let go of it ALL for a while, let it drop, float away, forget it, take a holiday. (A holiday? No chance whatsoever of that.) So here's the state of play as of this moment:- The recent instrumental trilogy is about to be completed with the upcoming release of the 'Mazda Kaleidoscope' album. A lovely, floating, drifting canvas of colours. Music to glide in, or swim in, or bathe in. (But the release date now delayed until the 8th Sept. Apparently a manufacturer's glitch.) I've also finally completed work on the vocal album, 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow,' nailed down its 18 song track-list and got the whole shebang mastered over at Fairview Studios with John Spence tweaking the frequencies. It's a darkly rich collection of songs which will take the listener a little while to absorb. Black lava reflecting ancient starlight. Actually, John paid me a wonderful compliment whilst we were listening to this material. He said he's not heard anyone else get such a warm and rich sound from digital recordings. I'm flattered as this is exactly what I'd hoped to achieve. The album seems to have taken on a character of its own. It's more like a location, an environment, than a set of songs. For me, it feels like a city from a long-forgotten tomorrow, the kind of place we wander through in our dreams, lost but unafraid, a labyrinth of memory and shadows, lit suddenly by lightning and sunbeams. The final running order for 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow' is now as follows: 1: 'Welcome To Electric City.' 2: 'Once I Had A Time Machine.' 3: 'Summer Hums In The Bee-Loud Glade.' 4: 'Frosty Lawns. (Snowballs And Oranges.)' 5: 'God Glows Green In Small Town Park.' 6: 'My Empty Bowl Is Full Of Sky.' 7: 'When Aeroplanes Were Dragonflys.' 8: 'Night Is The Engine Of My Imagination.' 9: '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.)' Besides the above, I've also made an adjustment to the track-list of CD 2 of the Nelsonica 'Clocks And Dials' double album whilst transfering all 38 tracks and before signing them off for mastering. This, again, over at Fairview with the professional and talented help of my long-time friend John Spence. The track-list adjustment is as follows: The instrumental track titled 'Dreamland Airships' has been removed and substituted with a new vocal track titled 'Clocks Wind Slow.' (And all better for it, I think.) As mentioned previously, I've also been working with David Graham on the packaging art for the 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow' album. We've just last night finalised that particular challenge. It looks fabulous and enforces the 'Busby Berkley Of The 22nd Century' mood that the music evokes. Now we're attempting to start on the 'Clocks And Dials' digi-pack artwork. I've spent most of yesterday and all of today trying to come up with images that I can adapt and tweak and send to Dave for him to lay out in the digi-pack format. Still lots more images required though. A LOT more. Putting these package designs together is not an exact science. Sometimes it can fall into place over a couple of days...othertimes it can take a couple of weeks or more. It's not nearly as quick and easy as it might seem. Unfortunately, due to holidays and other distractions, we don't yet have a template for the digi-pack. I need to chase up Paul on that score. (But he's away on holiday too.) Work that I still have to do before Nelsonica: Create a selection of drawings/artwork for the Nelsonica auction. Make new stage backdrop videos to fit the new solo-set pieces. Create this year's 'Nelsonica Workbox' art and contents Choose and master backing tracks and rehearse my solo set performance. Prepare performance charts for above. Choose and learn and rehearse a band set performance. (SHOULD the band finally materialise.) Prepare performance charts and lyric sheets for the above. Choose, repair and set up an appropriate selection of guitars/instruments for the live performances. Dismantle all musical equipment needed for the performances from my studio, (processors, cables, pedal boards, guitars, stands, etc, etc). Pack everything up and haul it downstairs ready to transport to rehearsals and convention. (There's a LOT of gear and it's damned heavy and I seem to get weaker and creakier every year!) Get a haircut! Choose and dry-clean my stage clothes and pack them ready for the event. PLUS: Several other things the Nelsonica team have asked me to do but that I've since pathetically forgotten. (Senior moments...don't ya just love 'em!) Enough already...I'm changing the subject. My mother's 80th birthday just over a week ago. I booked an Italian restaurant in Wakefield and her remaining family gathered around her to help her celebrate. She's had a very difficult six or seven months since her husband passed away, as noted in my previous diary entry. A rotten time for her which has been compounded by the hard-nosed calculations of others. My eldest daughter Julia and my grandson Luke came up from London just for the day. Also my youngest daughter Elle, my nephew Julian, my sister-in-law Diane and Julia's friend Michael attended the dinner, as did Emiko and, of course, myself. Unfortunately, Elliot was working and couldn't make it. My nephew Louis and nice Lucy were also unable to attend but it turned out to be a very pleasant evening with good food and warm conversation. My mother was much cheered by the support of her family. She is very much in need of love right now and that's exactly what we gave her, along with cards, flowers and birthday gifts. It's unfortunate that she still has all the unpleasantness of the legal struggle regarding her late husband's will to contend with. No love from that quarter whatsoever, it seems. The legal dispute is ongoing but is now moving firmly towards litigation. I've been helping my mother to deal with the preparation of witness statements for her Barrister and progress IS being made. We all want to see things sorted out for her and the support she is recieving from her close family is incredibly important, particularly in view of the shabby treatment she's received from what I'll simply refer to as 'the other side.' What else to tell? Something positive: My new Peerless 'Deep Blue Custom' guitar arrived and has helped to lift my own flagging spirits. Somewhere between a Gretsch and a Gibson but yet entirely its own thing. It's a beautiful matte-finish blue colour, a thin-line semi-acoustic without 'f' holes. It has a 'varitone' control similar in function to that on my Gibson 345 stereo guitar. It's also beautifully bound with abalone markings and feels comfortable and inspiring to play. I'm really enjoying playing it and have been using it on some new recordings. I've always been fond of guitars that don't strictly conform to popular or mainstream taste so the 'Deep Blue Custom' suits my personality and sounds great too. A character instrument, like the 'Monarch' archtop I've also been recording with of late. Every instrument has its own unique personality and inspires different aspects of one's creativity. A guitar's tone, shape, colour and feel are all factors that contribute to the playing experience. Choosing the appropriate guitar for any given piece of music is like choosing brushes and paint to work on a blank canvas. And I'm very lucky to have some wonderful instruments to work with. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to line up several of my favourite guitars at Nelsonica and play them all in public. (Instead of keeping them to myself in the studio!) The Campbell Nelsonic, the Gus G1, a couple of Eastwoods, a Gretsch, a D'Angelico, and the two Peerless models should, between them, help to make the day a colourful one. Whilst on the subject of guitars: Most readers of this diary will be aware that I took up the guitar many years ago, around 1959. I started out messing around with a small toy guitar my brother Ian received as a Christmas gift, then I was given a slightly larger plastic 'Elvis Presley' toy guitar of my own, made by Selco. But what REALLY inspired me to continue with this initial interest and gave me the desire to aquire a full size, proper instrument, was hearing a particular guitar instrumental on the radio. Its title was 'Because They're Young' and it was recorded by Duane Eddy. Hearing Duane play that tune literally changed my life. Duane Eddy was my first guitar hero, followed by Hank B. Marvin of The Shadows. Then it was The Ventures, Chet Atkins, Les Paul and others. But Duane was the first. It's probably impossible for a youngster of today to understand what a mighty impact electric guitar instrumentals made on musically inclined 1950's schoolboys back then. It was the start of something that has, over the years, become a taken-for-granted aspect of popular musical culture. But it was startlingly fresh, even shocking, at the time. The reason I'm talking about this is because of a feature in the latest issue of 'Twangsville,' the newsletter/magazine of the 'Duane Eddy Circle,' (of which I'm a proud and honary member). The feature comprises an article with photographs relating to a recent special concert held at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. It was a 50 year anniversary concert celebrating the half-century since the Hollywood Bowl first put on rock n' roll concerts. This famous venue was originally intended for classical and light music but in 1958 it gave way to the tidal wave of rock and roll and put on its first rock concert. One of the stars of that original 1958 show was Duane Eddy who was enjoying hits with his raunchy, twangy guitar instrumentals at that time. The recent anniversary show, held in June of this year, brought Duane back to the Hollywood Bowl along with B.B. King and Liza Minnelli and an 80 piece orchestra. Duane opened the second half of the show with 'Rebel Rouser' and closed the concert with a epic rendition of 'Peter Gunn' featuring added guitar parts by B.B. King and the full strength of the 80 piece orchestra. (Plus Liza Minelli dancing on stage to the whole thing.) Sounds like a blast! But there's a nice and very personal aspect to this 50th anniversary concert: The special programme that was printed for the event contained a biography of Duane Eddy's career. (It's reproduced in the 'Twangsville' magazine, which is how I know about it.) The biography concludes with Duane talking humbly about how many world-famous guitarists have cited him as being the reason they first took up the guitar. And a handful of those guitarists are name checked in the Hollywood Bowl programme's biography: George Harrison, Hank Marvin, The Ventures, Mark Knopfler, Bruce Springsteen and...surprise, surprise! yours truly! I know I've been playing a long time now and I should be cooly jaded about such things, but to see my name listed alongside Duane, Hank Marvin, George Harrison and The Ventures in the official programme of such a special Hollywood Bowl concert gave me a genuine thrill. Still an awe struck kid with a guitar and a lot to learn? You bet I am! Still on the subject of guitars and guitarists...(and fandom.) I recently bought a copy of a new book titled 'The Les Paul Legacy.' It deals with the early years of Les Paul's career and makes a nice companion volume to the more elaborate limited edition Les Paul autobiography that I already own and treasure. I also recently received a message from a very kind fan in America who has obtained an autograph for me from Les, personally signed to myself. It's being sent to me soon and I intend to frame it and proudly display it on my studio wall. Les Paul plays every Monday evening at the Iridium Club in New York...two sets per evening, and he's now in his 90's! Inspiration? In spades! He even signed a Nelsonic Transitone guitar that the above mentioned fan owns...an honour in itself. A copy of my 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' album was also passed to Les. Hope he'll find time to give it a listen. Once again, another long diary entry, 'though I've missed out quite a few details. Actually, I may leave the diary alone for a while, perhaps until after Nelsonica. Every minute counts at the moment as there are so many pressing duties to attend to and not nearly enough time. As always, we'll see... Back to work. ***** The images accompanying this diary are:- 1: Flyer/advert for the 'Clocks And Dials' limited edition double album. 2: Advert for the Visu-Luxe DVD series, to be launched later this year. 3: Bill's Peerless 'Deep Blue Custom' guitar. 4: Another photo of the 'Deep Blue Custom.' 5: First of a series of 'dream' albums that don't actually exist. 6: Another 'Visu-Luxe' advert. Top of page Tuesday 9th September 2008 -- 9:00 pm Three hours ago, I returned home after a trip to Manchester airport. Emiko is winging her way to Japan as I write these words. I'm alone in the house and will continue to be so for the next two weeks and two days, until Emi returns. We had to arrange Emi's trip very quickly, consequently the last few days have been hectic. The reason for her departure is both unfortunate and unexpected. On Friday we received news that her mother had been admitted to hospital in Tokyo, suffering from intestinal cancer. Her mother, who is in her 80's and quite frail, must undergo an unavoidable operation this coming Thursday. It never rains but it pours. Naturally Emi became extremely concerned and wanted to fly to Tokyo to be with her mum. It's been two years since we last visited but we were hoping that we'd both be able to go to Japan again at the end of this year. This worrying news suddenly made the issue a much more urgent one. I desperately wanted to travel with Emi to Tokyo but I have so much personal responsibility here, (Nelsonica preparations and supporting my own mother with her litigation problems, amongst other things), that it would be impossible for me to just drop everything and fly to Japan. There are simply too many problems for me to deal with here and not even enough time to deal with them properly. But, clearly, it's extremely important that Emi sees her mother. The doctors seem to be reasonably optimistic about the outcome of the operation, at least at the moment. It seems that the cancer may be confined to one area. They'll know more as the surgery progresses but we're praying for a positive outcome. The last time Emi and I spent any lengthy time apart was around twelve years ago. I know that some married couples welcome a chance to get away from each other, but not us. We're a very close couple who genuinely enjoy being together, so parting at the airport this afternoon was a traumatic experience for both of us. I felt as if the world was suddenly empty when I travelled back from Manchester on the train after seeing Emi safely through the check-in proceedure. We'd had a stressful morning, trying to catch the Manchester airport train from York. The station car park was full when we drove into town so I dropped Emi at the station forecourt with her luggage and drove off to find alternative parking, telling Emi that I'd meet her on the platform as soon as I could. The search for an alternative car park ended up being a race against the clock. It seemed that there were no available spaces at any of the car parks within reasonable walking distance of the station. I finally found somewhere but I was then faced with a frantic dash to meet Emi on the platform and catch the train. In my haste, I hit my head on the car boot lid whilst grabbing my shoulder bag, resulting in a nasty cut to the top of my scalp. These days there's not much hair growing in that nebulous region to cushion any bangs or scrapes, I'm afraid. It hurt like hell and is still throbbing as I write these words. Anyway, after a heart-pounding scramble to get to the station, I made it back to Emi just in time for us to hop on the train. The route to Manchester airport took us through Dewsbury and Huddersfield, both towns holding old memories for me. When I was a schoolboy my mother and father used to take me to Dewsbury Market after school on Wednesdays. My father had a 'half-day' off work on that day and this meant he was free to meet me from school in the family jalopy. (An old 1940's 'Jowett'.) We would drive over to Dewsbury and browse amongst the market stalls and around the town. I recall getting a 'David Nixon Magic Set' from a shop there once. (David Nixon was a well known conjurer with his own tv show at that time.) Haven't really been there since though. Huddersfield figures a little later in my life. In the 1960's I had a three-piece psychedelic blues band called 'Global Village.' We had a fairly regular gig at a venue in Huddersfield called 'The Builder's Exhange Club.' It was an exploratory time for me, (and musically a magical time for anyone of my generation). The small club used to be packed to the rafters when we played there, a fabulous atmosphere, exciting and energetic. We took our cues from bands such as The Yardbirds, early Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. I related these memories to Emi as we trundled past the towns on the way to the airport. Soon we were out in the hills and then rattling through the Pennines, ancient mills crumbling in the rain... After we'd tearfully parted at the entrance to the departure lounge, ('ticket holders only past this point'), I walked back to the airport station, feeling sad and lost. The trip back to York was filled with brooding thoughts and dark clouds. It was raining when I alighted on the platform and started the walk back to where I'd parked the car. I hit rush hour, people commuting away from the city. As I drove beyond the city centre, my mobile 'phone rang. It was Emi. She had already landed at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris where she was to make her connection with her flight to Japan. We spoke as I drove towards our home. I stopped in the lane that leads to our house and we talked for a few more minutes before she had to go to make the next leg of her long journey. When I opened our front door, our cats, Django and Tinkerbell came to greet me, then looked around for Emi. They've gone off into the surrounding fields now, as they usually do about this time, but it's clear they're wondering where she is. So, here I am...an enforced bachelor of sorts for the next two weeks and two days. I had a microwave meal at dinnertime and haven't done the washing up yet. I came up here to the studio to write this diary entry in the hope that it might ease my feeling of solitude. I need to keep myself occupied and try not to be too miserable. It's not as if I have nothing to do...in fact there's far too MUCH to do. And without my wife to help back me up with day to day 'real world' issues I'm going to feel even more stressed than before. Nevertheless, I must try to get on with it. Nelsonica is getting nearer and nearer with every panicky moment. Talking of which: one previously uncertain Nelsonica task has now been confirmed. There WILL definitely be a seven piece band performing at Nelsonica, although the component I was hoping would fall into place didn't actually materialise...but someone else has bravely offered to take up the challenge and help make the band more than just an idea. I'll try to post something on my website forum soon, revealing the members names and the band's name. (I've yet to decide upon the latter. It won't be 'The Lost Satellites' but something new.) I may even write another diary entry in order to record my bachelor misery for posterity. Or at least for Emiko to know how much she's missed. Right now, I'm going to go and mope into a glass of wine. Top of page

Whistling While the World Turns Bill Nelson album - 16 June 2000 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Manipulating The Phonograph 02) Dreamland Avenue 03) Unforgetting 04) The Boy Who Learned Everything 05) Space Ranch 06) Big Yellow Moon 07) Sleepy Snakes 08) Roses, Haloes, Crown Of Thorns 09) Parklands Drive 10) All This And A Girl Like You 11) Quiet Planet 12) Whistling While The World Turns 13) Fortune Favours The Fall Guy 14) Ghosts Of Invisible Things 15) Sunny Bungalows 16) Older Joe 17) Autumn Stars ALBUM NOTES: A new millennium, a new record deal, this time with Lenin Imports, a London based independent label. Whistling While the World Turns is a collection of previously unreleased tracks from Nelson's archive, and covers a range of styles mixing instrumental and vocal pieces. The album was intended as a taster for the 6CD box set Noise Candy , the most elaborate Nelson release of his career (up to that point), but delays to the box set would lessen its impact somewhat. Whistling While the World Turns is really more of a companion release to Noise Candy , since 11 of the 17 tracks are actually exclusive to this release. The album would remain on catalogue for over 3 years, and having gone out of print, was soon fetching high prices on Amazon and eBay (on the occasions that copies turned up). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Whistling While the World Turns does carry enough non-Noise Candy tracks to make it interesting in its own right." _____ [The artwork on the front cover] "is an old Russian woodblock print that I bought years and years ago at an antique fair. No info about the artist on it though." FAN THOUGHTS: Kalamazoo Kid: "What sets it apart is that it is truly conceived as an album, whereas Noise Candy consists of something more like six vessels into which Nelson sorted like-minded songs. Whistling , on the other hand, somehow combines an extremely broad range of music into a mesmerisingly coherent hour. BN labours over his selection and sequencing, and his care pays off really big on Whistling ... The exclusive songs alone are amazing. "The Boy Who Learned Everything" makes my top ten BN songs list without a second thought. It's an incredibly catchy tune that shares nothing with other BN pop melodies. It merges the found vocals and BN vocals superbly. And the lyrical conceit is genius. Super sexy. "Fortune Favours the Fall Guy" is great in its own right and absolutely astounding as something constructed on an analogue system. How BN managed to achieve the timing and syncopation of great jazz (and great jazz singing, and beat poetry), in a contemporary techno setting, with a laborious analogue-sampling set-up, is totally beyond me. But he did. And "Fortune Favours the Fall Guy" is among the masterpieces of the '94-'00 period. If the term "Tripop" exists, BN is the originator." Wasp In Aspic: "Unforgetting": "from Whistling While the World Turns is so beautiful and moving it can almost reduce me to tears." tom fritz: "Unforgetting": "has such a haunting kind of sad-joy theme. One of the best! Cheers to you, Bill." Hudsonuk: "Fortune Favours the Fall Guy": "is one of those tracks I have overlooked for quite a long time...the track is a nice length to get your teeth into, it' s the style of Bill singing I really enjoy, plus who could resist the "Running Away" hook-line..." Comsat Angel: "The found voices on Noise Candy , Atom Shop , Whistling While the World Turns are some of my absolute favourite tracks." Parsongs: "Whistling sounds just as fresh today as it did then." Peter: "This one has a little bit of everything. Which makes sense, being a glimpse into the Magnum Opus that is Noise Candy . Quirky, bluesy, jazzy, space cowboy, rock, sci-fi, dreamy, romance...it is all here. (Don't miss "Sunny Bunglalows". Wow.)" Albums Menu Future Past

A Million Whistling Milkmen Bill Nelson download single - 18 December 2008 Singles Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 1) A Million Whistling Milkmen NOTES: "A Million Whistling Milkmen" is a song Bill composed and recorded exclusively for the Sara's Hope Foundation . The charity's aim was "to provide holiday breaks for children living with cancer, giving them smiles, hope, and precious memories". Fans could download the song in return for a modest donation to the charity. The track was premiered at Nelsonica 08 on 1 November 2008, with a special playback of the finished recording in advance of its eventual release on Nelson's 60th birthday. The track was re-released on a special 'Bill Nelson (Charity Single)' Bandcamp page on 30 October 2023. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available to purchase from the Bill Nelson (Charity Singles) Bandcamp page. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It's about the 'milk of human kindness', using the metaphor of other-worldly milkmen as 'angels' delivering kindness and compassion to the world, fresh each day. It seems ideally suited to Sara's Hope Foundation's goal." _____ To Ged (Sara's father): "I'm pleased that I've been able to contribute something in some small way. What you are doing, what you HAVE done, is generous and compassionate. Sara, I'm sure, is so proud of you and your family. You've honoured her in such a positive and beautiful manner. I hope that Sara's Foundation will help many families who are suffering from the difficulties that the Foundation was set up to relieve. You're a very special soul and an inspiration." Singles Menu Future Past

The Awakening Of Dr Dream Bill Nelson album - 27 March 2017 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) The Awakening Of Dr Dream 02) Hypnos 03) The Celestial Travelator 04) Starward-Ho! 05) Quarter To Eleven 06) The Light Fantastic 07) A Voice Without A Face 08) Retronauta 09) Mysteryworld 10) Cosmic Country Ghosts 11) Pink Trick Panties 12) Jollytown 13) Spring Will Come 14) Interlooper ALBUM NOTES: The Awakening of Dr Dream is an instrumental album issued exclusively as a digital download release on March 27th, 2107, via the Tremelo Boy label. The album was recorded in October 2016 during preparations for Nelson's first live performance in three years, as part of the New Northern Dream album launch party. Nelson first announced the track listing on Dreamsville on 17 October 2016 under its original title of Starward Ho! The album at this point had 13 tracks (something that Nelson actively avoids), including 2 tracks played at the New Northern Dream launch party on 29 October 2017, "Hypnos" and "The Awakening of Dr Dream". Sure enough, when Nelson revealed on February 18th, 2017 that he had renamed the album The Awakening of Dr. Dream , the track listing had been adjusted with the addition of a track called "Interlooper". On the day of the album's release Bill debuted a video he created to accompany the title track, "The Awakening of Dr Dream", which can be found here: Bill's Solo Videos CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "One thing I need to stress is that you should not think, (just because so many albums have been released by me,) that each album is simply a 'throw away' event...quite the opposite. Every single album comes from an awful lot of concentration and hard work, both physically, mentally and spiritually. "Every individual album represents a different corner of my soul, an insight into my deepest thoughts and feelings, which I hope reflect some of the feelings of others. There's nothing trivial or superficial about any of it...it all comes at immense personal cost and investment of time and energy. More than you might presume. It's meant to be the best of my achievements, every time. And because I don't feel I've achieved that yet, then onwards I must go, chasing the gold at the end of the rainbow. "The fact that there are so many albums to get your teeth into is not a sign of comfort or ease on my part...there's never a complacent, lazy moment in making these recordings. But, they represent a totality of meaning, purpose and creativity. A wholehearted embrace of life and how I see my place in that life, and how others might hopefully share in the experience to their advantage. "It may seem like a lot to take in for some people, but for others, they will see and appreciate the connections, the unity, the joy, and be able to hear the single thread of music that unites all the albums, whilst allowing each one it's own particular place in the story." _____ "The artwork is a collaboration between Martin [Bostock] and myself. I created the images and Martin made the layout and typography.” FAN THOUGHTS: scooter59: "There seems to be so much energy shining out of these virtual grooves. You can hear the absolute joy of playing the instrument. The album pretty much grabbed me from first listen, but I'm exploring deeper into the groove with headphones today and it's really revealing itself. Amazing." RMD: "From the point of view of a (very limited) guitar player I'm finding that there is so much to enjoy about this album - the range of sounds, the range of styles (although the jazz influence is never far away) and at times it's very subtle. Layers of guitars everywhere - heaven. Congrats Bill on such a fine offering, but then I think as fans we do get spoiled by you." CoachMatt: "Great album here. Bill's flowing ebow at its best. Heard it all the way through and the running order is so very well done. Really enjoying this one!! Hats off to you Bill!! "Furthermore I like to add, putting headphones on, as I just had the pleasure of doing, really puts this album up there as one of Bill's best for me. Those back bottom beats really come to life. The layering of sounds are just incredible, very magical indeed. Through the years you know what you are going to get from Bill talents with putting your headphones but this album is out there on a different level." andygeorge: "The title track is worth the money on it's own! Music to feed the imagination!" neill_burgess: "Loving it! Smooth as silk..." wadcorp: "Hey, Bill. This album is really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really good." major snagg: "Boy am I glad I didn't pass on this one. This album is fantastic...through the main speakers and through headphones. Another stunning album. I've burnt a cd with the wav files and another from the MP3 files. Both sound crystal clear and punchy as hell. Another great instrumental album. Respect! " Albums Menu Future Past

Listening Notes Occasionally, Bill provides 'Listening Notes' to accompany an album Joy Through Amplification Dreamshire Chronicles Blip! Albion Dream Vortex All That I Remember New Northern Dream Songs For Ghosts

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

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Five - Published April 1983 Back to Top

Here Comes Mr Mercury Bill Nelson album - 20 July 2009 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Never A Dull Day (For Les Paul) 02) Coop's Place 03) Six String Skyway 04) The Standard Fireworks Stomp 05) Teatime In The Republic Of Dreams 06) Soda Fountain Swing 07) Attempt To Re-Assemble My Fragmented Self 08) Autumn Noodle No. 1 09) 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 NOTES: Here Comes Mr Mercury is an instrumental album issued on the Sonoluxe label in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album was - alongside Fancy Planets – the first Bill Nelson CD to feature 'CD text' allowing you to see the title of each track as it played on certain in car and hi-fi systems. The album sold out in February 2019. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Return to Jazz of Lights , Secret Club For Members Only , Arcadian Salon , Dreamland to Starboard , Luxury Wonder Moments , Illuminated at Dusk , Silvertone Fountains, Mazda Kaleidoscope BILL'S THOUGHTS: "What I've been moving towards, in an organic and natural way, over many years, is a genre of my own where all the different aspects of my work, the various combinations of instruments, the various approaches to composition, (ambient, rock, electronic, jazz, pop, avant, roots, twang, modern classical etc), simply become fused together to create something that is uniquely mine. "There's no singular jazz approach, or rock approach, or whatever, in the music...ALL these tints and shades are actively combined in my imagination, ALL the time. My music simply reflects everything I've ever absorbed in 61 years of listening, from infant nursery rhymes through my father's 1940's big band swing, rock n' roll, easy listening, psychedelia, folk, country, jazz, classical, experiments with pure sound and so on...everything that has ever touched me. It's a vast panorama of sound. "So...I personally don't lock my music in sealed stylistic boxes anymore, (although I'm sometimes asked to describe it in orthodox terms for the purpose of this website). In my head, (especially when I'm actually creating), I'm not thinking of my music as rock, pop, jazz, blues, ambient and so on, it's just MUSIC and sound, one seamless, natural flow of expression." _____ "Those of you with an interest in mythology AND science fiction, will spot the album title's underlying theme of 'Hermes/ Mercury'. "It also connects with a childhood comic book hero of mine, 'Jack Flash, The Flying Boy From Mercury' who featured in 1950's 'Beano' comics. Drawn originally by the legendary Dudley D. Watkins, Jack had tiny ankle wings that enabled him to fly like a bird. "When I was a very young boy, I'd cut out pairs of wings from cartridge paper, attach them to my shoes and race around the house pretending to be Jack Flash. Never got more than a few inches off the ground though!" _____ "Coop's Place" - "The title refers to a real place, a lovely little bar-cantina in New Orleans where Harold Budd and I used to spend our evenings, drinking Corona beer together, after working through the day on his album 'By the Dawn's Early Light'. I enjoyed the 'mud bugs', (crayfish), they boiled up and served in bowls...and the 'po-boy' sandwiches. I think Coop's Place vanished in the floods of a few year's back. But what a wonderful time I had there in New Orleans at Daniel Lanois' fabulous studio, with Harold, B. J. Cole and the rest of the gang." FAN THOUGHTS: Holer: "Bill, I don't know how you do it. With as many instrumental albums as you've dropped in recent years, you still keep coming up with creations that build upon past entries but stand on their own as unique musical experiences. Mr Mercury just grabs the ears and does not let go. Each song seems to shift effortlessly into the next and yet every one is so unique that they really stand out as their own little miniature sonic world. Standout tracks? "Teatime", "Fragmented Self", "Dream for Ian", "Careful Drivers"...on and on. If I had to pick one, I'd say "Pagan Energy Ghosts", but I can tell it's going to change and evolve as I continue to listen." "You never cease to suprise and amaze, Bill..." December Man: "A cracking good guitar in 5th gear album." Merikan1: "Bill, you rock dude. You may see yourself as sliding into old gitdom, but that lusty, degenerate rocker is still lurking about in there. Listening to "Coop's Place". "It don't mean a thang if it ain't got that twang!" Good ole boy music. I kept hearing Satchmo. Thanks again, Bill. Is Wunnerful." istvan: "I just can't stop listening to this groovy record...Mercury shines all around, very tasty, at times thick layered, than light and fleeting, I hear cowboys and geishas, above the clouds and below with Cerberus, melodic and dancable, it lightens my spirit. Thanks Bill, amigo de musica." Peter: "Here Comes Mr Mercury is sublime...it is yet another absolutely gorgeous sonic tour de force. Some of it just made me melt..." "Deeply dazzled by both "Autumn Noodle No.1" and "A Dream for Ian". I mean, the whole album is wonderful, but these two are SO good...my god, Bill, but you have the gift. It is interesting that I believe the songs you have done in tribute to Ian are all stunningly beautiful. Clearly, the emotion that inspired them takes the music to another level. Such powerful and moving beauty at your fingertips...thank you for sharing." Alan: "While some of this album is in the jazz vein, most of it doesn't fall in that category, in my opinion. Personally, I think this album is a must for any Nelsonian. And no, I don't work for Sound On Sound, or Bill. But, this album does have some great guitar throughout." Angie: "It really is a gem of an album. For me, the overall feel of it is extremely uplifting, and what a variety of musical styles there is!! An absolute treat of an album." andygeorge: "Here Comes Mr Mercury is Bill at his beautiful best, a classic collection of just lovely, lovely music that just oozes class...and all this on the first few plays! Cheers Bill, you never fail to please..." alec: "Coops Place": "The guitar sounds like many different instruments, including a trumpet solo, in this little number, seamlessly gliding through many related genres of instrumental music. I like that unbridled laughter at the track's end. Much praise to this CD's cover art. Each panel its own world." felixt1: "Here Comes Mr Mercury is one of Bill's absolute best guitar instrumental albums - so many great compositions, not least "Never A Dull Day (For Les Paul)", "Six String Skyway" and "A Dream For Ian". Some of Bill's best guitar playing on this one - a must have." Albums Menu Future Past

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

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

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

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

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

Ieyasu compilation track - 1982 Jobson and Nelson Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Background music on the only track credited to Richard Jobson and himself. NOTES: Found on the cassette music magazine SFX, issue #5. The track was later collected on the Cocteau Records compilation Signature Tunes . Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

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

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

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

Monday 5th June 2006 -- 9:00 am Spent most of today at Fairview studios with John Spence. We mastered my two newest albums in preparation for their manufacture. I'm hoping to release 'Neptune's Galaxy' in July, although this has yet to be confirmed. 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' will be held over until autumn. It's a relief to know that the musical and technical aspects of these two projects are finally complete. All that remains for me to do is work with David Graham on the tidying up of each album's packaging art. John was kind enough to comment on the quality of the recordings as he mastered each album. He's always positive and supportive and understands that, recording alone as I do, encouragement and appreciation of my work is very much needed. Sometimes I feel as if I'm working in a vacuum and that only a small number of people grasp the implications of the music I make. But that's partly a result of ploughing an individual furrow, or because I willfully ignore pressures to either conform to my own past or to someone else's present. Occasionally it's tough but it's absolutely the correct way forward. Ultimately, I have no regrets or qualms about any of the difficulties that this approach throws up. I follow where the muse leads and damn the consequences. Is this why the character of Orpheus has always fascinated me? Or Don Quixote? My trip to Japan soon...very soon. In fact just over a week away. I have to start packing clothes. I'll probably take too much, as usual. (I find it impossible to travel light.) Like Don Quixote, I need my armour. I'm not looking forward to the flight. It's not a direct to Tokyo one as there's a long wait at an airport in Holland for our connection to Narita. I don't enjoy flying at all, hate it actually, so I'm now wondering whether I should have stuck to my original plan of staying at home. But, if I'd done that, I'd have been terribly lonely without Emiko and not taken care of myself properly. I'm hopeless at self-sufficiency, at least in real world terms. In creative terms, I'm the captain of my own ship, but that seaworthiness limits itself to the world of art and music. Elsewhere, I'm a fish out of water. Emiko has become my life support system as well as my wife, lover and friend. So...off to Tokyo I go! Actually, it will be good to see my mother-in-law and my two brother's-in-law. Plus my old friend Nick and his wife Yoko. And there's bound to be a guitar adventure or two. We're staying in a inexpensive business hotel in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. When I say 'inexpensive' I mean inexpensive by Tokyo standards. It's still a largish chunk of cash for Emi and I, even though it will be a room the size of a broom cupboard. At least I know the surrounding area like the back of my hand and will be able to find my way around. Shibuya is quite lively and we'll only need the cupboard for sleeping. We're planning a trip out to Kamakura and the Gretsch guitar company have invited me to visit their factory which is about two hours out of Tokyo by train. (In Nagoya, I think.) When I return, a long list of work projects awaits my attention:The EMI box set's live recordings need mixing. I also have a long list of Nelsonica 06 tasks to work my way through. (The annual conventions get more and more elaborate, partly my own fault for trying to raise the bar each year.) Then I have to seriously get down to business with the film I must make for next Spring's contemporary music festival at Leeds University....such a lot of work needed for that. I made a sort of start last week when I paid a visit to Wakefield Museum to talk about the possibility of accessing their archives for info and still photographs.The film is intended to be a poetic, autobiographical exploration of memory. It's working title is 'Ghosts Etched On Glass.' I've also discovered two film archives, one in London, one in York, that may be able to supply me with some historical footage that I'd like to weave into the film. At a price though, from what I can tell. When I get back from Japan, I have to make an appointment to see the curators of Wakefield Museum and also of the two film archives. Just researching this project will take time, before I even begin to deal with its creative practicalities. Nevertheless, I have an outline vision of how this thing should develop and I'm prepared for it to be a long and ongoing process. It's initial showings will be as 'a work in progress' rather than a completed film. I've been speaking with Dean Campbell about my Transitone signature guitar. I gave him a list of my thoughts after working with the prototype model. The prototype plays extremely well but Dean tells me that the finished model will be even better. He seems to think that he can accomodate the majority of things I've suggested. Looking forward to seeing the finished item! Emi and I went to Whitby yesterday. It took ages to get there as a section of the road over the North Yorkshire Moors had been closed by the police due to an accident that apparently killed a biker. A large, yellow, air-sea rescue helicopter was brought in. It landed, just ahead of us, on the road at the site of the crash. After an extensive wait, the police directed us towards an alternative route, a long way 'round but picturesque. We eventually got to Whitby, only just in time for lunch last orders at 'The White Horse And Griffin.' But I couldn't stop thinking about the biker and how his family's life had been changed in the instant of that accident. After lunch, we walked out on the harbour walls to the very end, where the two small stone, lighthouses stand.The sea and sky blurred into one another, a smear of pastel pink and hazy blue, small white-sailed yachts floating in the early summer sunday luminescence, big blue sky arcing overhead. It was blissfull, transcendant. And I hadn't brought my camera. Then, on our way home, we stopped off at Robin Hood's Bay and marvelled at the view from the top of the hill that leads down to the old village. Again, absolutely sublime, so magnificently beautiful, the cliffs of the far coastline framing the bay, sea stretching out to horizon. I turned to Emi and said, " This is what makes life worth living. A place like this and someone to share it with..." Emi said, "That's the important thing, someone to share it with.." We both treasure the times we can get out into the Yorkshire countryside together. No surprise to us that North Yorkshire has just been voted the most beautiful county in the whole of England. I'm intimately connected to this particular landscape. My heart beats in it. Visited my brother's grave last week with my Mother and Emi. We laid flowers. I need to speak with Diane about our plan to raise a headstone for Ian. I must call her before I leave for Japan. For now, that's all I can write. Tired. I'll try to write another diary entry before my trip to Japan. Oh, still reading Lindsay Anderson's diaries and have four new books to take to Tokyo with me. (Or one if I can make up my mind which one to read first.) They are: 'The Necropolis Railway' by Andrew Martin, (author of 'The Blackpool Highflyer'). 'The Mysterious Flame Of Queen Loana' by Umberto Eco. 'Attention All Shipping' by Charlie Connelly and 'Strange Angel' by George Pendle. But right now, I'm going to sit downstairs with my wife and eat strawberries and ice cream. ***** The images attached to this diary entry are as follows: 1. The latest cover art for 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' (The model is Emiko, photographed in the 1960's.) 2. A view of Robin Hood's Bay. Photo by Bill Nelson. 3. An early Campbell Transitone Bill Nelson signature model sketch Top of page Monday 12th June 2006 -- 12:00 pm Only two and a half days until the start of my trip to Japan and I'm feeling unwell. Last Thursday, I awoke in the middle of the night with an excruciatingly sore throat, really painful.This continued for three days before easing off a little but has been replaced by a flu-like lethargy and clamminess. My chest is a bit tight too, irritated but not a fully blown cough. It feels virus-like but is sort of veiled, fogged over. Maybe my system is trying to fight it off or maybe it hasn't yet fully developed. Whatever it is, it's come at a bad time as I have had so much to prepare before we leave for Tokyo. I've been taking my usual daily multi-vitamins and have supplemented these with echinacea which is reputed to boost one's immune system. I just hope that I can shake this thing off before Thursday. All those hours cooped up in an aeroplane won't help matters at all. I've put a few things in place before we leave. Album artwork for 'Neptune's Galaxy' and 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' has now been fully completed and signed off. I need to speak to Paul (Gilby) before leaving to let him know that 'Neptune' is all ready to go to the pressing plant. 'Jazz' can go a little later, once 'Neptune' has been available for a while. I've also made an image for the central 'logo' of Nelsonica 06. It's a fairly free-handed drawing of a satyr-like creature with ram's horns and goatee. I've framed the original. Not sure if I should keep it for myself or offer it for auction at Nelsonica. Further refinements to my Campbell Transitone signature model guitar and another drawing sent off to Dean. Maybe there will be something solid for me to look at when I get back from Tokyo. I've packed everything, suitcase-wise, now. Just a few final toiletries to cram in on the morning of our departure. I had second thoughts about some of the clothes I'd packed and did a bit of a swop around. A token attempt to cut back on the bulk. I think I've got fractionally less in there now but it still feels damn heavy. Emi's case is smaller. (But then she's a lot smaller than me anyway. Her clothes take up less room, even when the quantity is the same as mine.) Have also packed my carry on bag. I need to charge my camcorder batteries before packing that though. All that boring waiting around at Amsterdam airport will give me plenty of time to wander about the concourse with video and still cameras. See if I can come up with images that could be used in future creative projects. I have two pairs of trousers to collect from the alterations shop this afternoon. Damn! Does this mean I'll have to find space in my case for them? Probably. Have been trying to catch up with emails again but with only partial success. People must think that I don't care to respond but I'm actually full of good intentions to do so. It's just that my life is so full of distractions. One has only to look at my creative output to understand that. Went over to Wakefield to visit my sister-in-law Diane last week. Life has hit her hard again...her mother has just passed away, only six weeks after she lost her husband, (my brother Ian). I couldn't believe it or come up with anything to say that would have been of any solace. I just felt absolutely inadequate. It's mind-numbingly sad. Her mother was buried at the weekend in a plot directly behind Ian's. Diane's mum and he were actually very fond of each other, not at all the cliched comedy relationship of 'mothers-in-law' perpetuated by the likes of Les Dawson. I'd last seen Diane's mum two days after Ian's funeral. I'd gone with my mother to visit Ian's grave and, by coincidence, Diane and her mum and dad had also chosen to visit the cemetary at the same time. Diane's mum was in a wheelchair and she'd shed a tear at Ian's graveside. She spoke warmly of him. My generation has reached an age when the harshness of mortality is brought home to us on a fairly regular basis. Knowing that doesn't make it any easier to accept though. Diane told me that she missed Ian even more at this sad time. He would have been a pillar of strength for her in such a situation. After years of marriage, he understood her emotional responses more than anyone and knew exactly how to steer Diane away from too much despair. Other, less depressing news: Emi and I took my son Elliot out for a meal last week. A local Tapas place. We sat on the roof terrace surrounded by sun-tanned girls in skimpy vests. A bit of a cleavage exhibition. Of course, I'm far too old and decrepit to notice such things, (but Emi sometimes points them out to me... She knows I'm an art lover). Got an email from my daughter Elle in London. She's picking up some work designing websites at the moment. The plan to licence my 'Getting The Holy Ghost Across'/'On A Blue Wing' album from Sony is going ahead. It's ironic that I have to pay them an advance and a royalty share as part of the deal for them to give me permission to re-issue the album on my own label. But that's what happens when you dance with the galloping majors. I just hope that enough people want to buy it to warrant me paying out so much to Sony. Still...it will be the first time its officially beenavailable on CD. I really want to start work on 'Romance Of Sustain' volume two. I have several unreleased guitar compositions that I've been performing live over these last two or three years. They should be put onto an album. I still need to dub the lead guitar parts onto the backing tracks, though, and mix them carefully. It shouldn't be too difficult a process as most of the 'writing' is done and the basic recording too. (Nevertheless, I'd like to write at least a couple of brand new pieces for the project.) I'm thinking of calling this album, 'The Last Of The Gentleman Rocketeers.' (Or perhaps have one of the instrumentals called that.) But...before I can even contemplate starting on the project, I have to mix the ancient Be Bop Deluxe live recordings for EMI RECORD'S forthcoming box set. And begin work on my 'Ghosts Etched On Glass' film. Plenty to do. Now I have to attempt to weigh our suitcases. Emi called from work just now to say that she'd heard that new airline regulations restrict the weight of individual cases, rather than the collective weight of the total. If this is so, there may be a last minute frennzy of re-packing to distribute the tonnage between both our cases. As if the trip to Japan wasn't difficult enough already. I do get so stressed out by travel these days. I'll try to take a notebook to Tokyo to jot down some day to day happenings so that I can write them up in this diary when I return. Hopefully, I'll have some photos to attach too. ***** The images attached to this diary entry are: 1. Bill Nelson's drawing for Nelsonica 06 'Arcadian Salon.' 2. Another of Bill's sketches for his Campbell signature guitar. 3. Another photo of Emiko from the 1960's. Top of page Thursday 29th June 2006 -- 7:00 pm THE TOKYO CAPER: PART ONE. Returned from our trip to Tokyo last night. A long journey and a busy, exhausting time in Japan. Far too frought and intense to be called a holiday, but we were not really expecting it to be anything other. I'm feeling jet-lagged and sleepy but Emiko went to work at the flower shop this morning so she's had a much tougher day than me. I spent the day unpacking suitcases and gifts for friends and family and then headed off to town and later to the supermarket to stock up on food and other essentials. It now feels as if we've not been away at all but while we were in Tokyo it felt like we'd been there for at least a month, so much activity did we cram in to our stay. There's too much to tell in a single diary entry and I'm too tired to tell it all in one attempt anyway, so I'll spread it out via two or three entries over the next few days. I also have several photo's to add to the forthcoming diary entries so will select three images for each. I returned to find dozens of emails and Dreamsville Forum private messages awaiting my attention. And a pile of posted mail in the letterbox. (Various bills, unfortunately.) I will only be able to deal with the most pressing correspondence as there is a long list of work-related projects to catch up with. My list of 'things to do' seems to have doubled since I've been away. The most recent of these is the task of photographing my musical instrument collection for a Japanese magazine called 'Player.' This magazine, one of the largest musician's magazines in Japan, interviewed me whilst I was in Tokyo for a six page feature which will appear in an Autumn issue. They arranged a two hour photo session along with the actual interview. Emi acted as translator. It was the first time I'd been in a proper photographer's studio for several years and I wasn't really looking forward to it, (nor was I 'sartorially prepared'), but, as it turned out, it was reasonably painless. I've attached two rough polaroids from the sessions to this diary entry along with a self-portrait that I snapped whilst visiting Zen Master Dogen's memorial monument in Kamakura. The most difficult part of the Player magazine feature is the photographing of my musical instrument collection. The editor wants me to take individual photos of every guitar, mandolin, banjo, ukelele, keyboard, amplifier etc, etc, that I own. The magazine also wants a list of all the serial numbers of the instruments, (a typically Japanese thing, detail being everything) and also would like photos of my recording room from various angles. The individual items must each be photographed against a plain background, keeping the proportions identical. As there are no plain backgrounds in our house, (due to shelves of books, ceramics, paintings, prints, etc), I'll need to go out and buy a roll of plain coloured cloth to pin and drape from the house's ceiling beams to provide a suitable backdrop to photograph the instruments against. Once the photographs are taken, I have to get them burned to a CD to post to Japan...and they must have them by July 10th if the feature is to meet their Autumn schedule/deadline. It looks as if I'll have to make a start very soon as it will take at least a couple of days to photograph everything, if not longer. On the positive side, it will provide an opportunity for me to catalogue my collection and will also double up as source material for the Dreamsville site's 'Guitar Arcade.' As my computer doesn't have a disc burner, I'll have to enlist the help of a more technically articulate friend to get the pics stored to disc for posting to Japan. I desperately need a more up-to-date Mac but can't afford it at the moment as there are so many other, more pressing, domestic problems around the house. Both Emi's car and mine are in need of repair too and I've just booked them in for servicing, repairs and MOT examinations. They have to go in to the garage next week, one at a time so that we're not without transport. Of course, the Tokyo trip has been mind-numbingly expensive. Despite talk of the Japanese economy being less strong these days, we were horrified by how much things still cost. A small glass of fresh orange juice, an iced-tea and an iced- coffee at the hotel cafe came to just over 15 pounds. A two-hour trip from Tokyo to Nagoya to visit the Terada guitar factory cost us one hundred pounds each. A similar length trip from here to London and back can be had for around thirty pounds each, so we were shocked by the quite dramatic difference. Nevertheless, the Japanese Shinkansen is a superb way to travel and makes our British rail system seem antiquated and slow. The trains in Japan are marvels of engineering, clean, fast, smooth and silent...I was seriously impressed. I was also tremendously impressed by my visit to the Terada guitar factory, a family business begun back in 1915. I was expecting something very high tech and modern but it's a very old-fashioned set up and labour intensive. This factory is number one in Japan for building artchtop guitars. They build for Gretsch, D'Angelico, D'Aquisto, Sadowsky and some other makes. the quality and attention to detail is remarkable. I took some camcorder footage of the craftsmen at work which I'll try to assemble into a little video documentary- souvenir of my Japan trip to show at this year's Nelsonica convention in October, (another addition to the day's events. It's going to be a jam-packed convention this year). Tomorrow I have to hunt for plain fabric for those 'Player' magazine guitar photograph backgrounds so I'll keep this diary entry brief. But much more to follow over the next few days. Stay tuned. ***** The images attached to this diary entry are:- 1. Bill Nelson 'Player' magazine Polaroid number one. 2. Bill Nelson 'Player' magazine Polaroid number two. 3. Bill Nelson 'Self Portrait at Zen Master Dogen's memorial, Kamakura, Japan. All photos taken in Japan during Bill and Emi's visit in June 2006. Top of page Friday 30th June 2006 -- 6:00 pm THE TOKYO CAPER: PART TWO. Perhaps I should start at the beginning of my recent trip to Japan, see if I can recall all the relevant details. It seems to have already become a distant blur but this may partly be due to my jet-lag and low energy level. As noted in my diary entry of 12th June, I wasn't feeling well two days prior to leaving. This was due to a virus I'd picked up and, in fact, I was feeling even worse the night before we were due to leave...(so much so that I seriously considered not going at one point). I couldn't imagine how I could endure the long journey. I'd been dosing myself with all the usual remedies but to little avail. I felt weak and decidely virus-stricken. Nevertheless, I decided to pack as much 'medicine' as I could, 'Night Nurse' tablets, vitamins, sore throat tablets, pain killers, etc, etc...(my carry on bag resembled a mobile pharmacist's shop), and made the effort to get myself half-way around the world to Japan, for Emi's sake, if nothing else. I hardly slept the night before the flight, a combination of anxiety and sickness. Our friends Steve and Julia had generously offered to drive us to the airport but we still needed to be up early to get there two hours ahead of our scheduled take-off time. When we got up at the crack of dawn, I was in grumpy old man mood from lack of sleep. My mood didn't improve when we arrived at the airport to find that the airline had seated Emi and I in totally separate parts of the aeroplane, on both legs of the journey. (We were flying first to Amsterdam's Schipol airport, then transferring to another flight to travel to Tokyo.) On top of this, due to new cabin baggage restrictions, one of our carry-on bags was deemed too heavy so some items had to be taken out. During this messing about, my electric razor fell on to the floor and broke. Time for a beard development fortnight, I thought. Eventually we made it through to the departure lounge and grabbed a light breakfast from the cafe before boarding the plane to Amsterdam. Luckily, we were able to wangle two seats together which cheered me up a little. The trip to Amsterdam was short, around 55 minutes actual flight time, but we then had a long wait in the transit zone of Schipol Airport before boarding our Boeing 777 for the connecting flight to Tokyo. We passed some of the time sitting in one of airport's many cafe bars. I nursed a glass of red wine which, in turn, nursed me. By the time we boarded the aeroplane, I was feeling pleasantly, er...shall we just say 'vague?' Once again, we negotiated to obtain seats sitting next to each other and finally succeeded, 'though it was in a row of three. As it happened, our third party companion spoke nary a word throughout the 12 hour flight. After taking off, I had my cutomary Bloody Mary cocktail, something that I only ever seem to drink whilst on long-haul flights. (It's a habit going back to the days of Be Bop Deluxe touring America in the 1970's.) Anyway, it did the trick and my virus-stricken discomfort was slowly buried under a rapidly increasing alcoholic haze. I looked through the list of movies available on the in-flight entertainment centre, a surprisingly large selection covering several tastes. Of course, each seat has its own integral video screen nowadays and each occupant their own individual selection of films and entertainment, but I can recall when things were somewhat different. On those long-ago Be Bop Deluxe U.S. tours of the mid 1970's there was just one solitary screen at the head of each section of cabin and an equally solitary RGB projector suspended from the cabin's roof. As far as having a choice of films goes, there simply was no choice at all, passengers just watched whatever was selected by the airline. Usually, there was a main feature plus a supporting one. (A bit like the old, early '60's days of British cinema minus the ice-cream lady, the cinema organist and the agonisingly slow attempt to slide your hand beneath your new girlfriend's angora sweater, then under her bra...Oh, what sweet joy when the target of one's lust was reached...) But even those 1970's Be Bop American tour long-haul single screen flights seemed high-tech to us back then. I can recall an incident when Charlie Tumahai, a little 'worse for wear', decided to start up a running commentary on the film being shown. He did this in a loud, pantomime 'aussie' style accent, shouting out perceptive phrases such as 'He's behind ya, yer dim-brained bastard!!' and 'I'd shag the arse off that Sheila, mate!" He was always ready with a sophisticated turn of phrase. When the cabin staff asked him to stop spoiling the film for the other passengers, he sulked for a couple of minutes before coming up with the idea of using his hands to cast shadow puppet images onto the screen.These hand shadows, representing birds, elephants, foxes, etc, interacted amusingly with the various characters in the film, although the other passengers seemed to think otherwise for some reason. Eventually, cabin staff and the rest of Be Bop Deluxe had to pursuade Charlie to cease and desist. It wasn't easy to get him to stop but eventually, with the aid of a trip to the toilet for him to smoke a clandestine 'jazz woodbine', he'd settle down and eventually drift off to sleep for the remainder of the trip. A right card was our Charlie...I still miss him. Back to the 21st century and our KLM flight to Tokyo: I decided to watch the recent re-make of King Kong which was listed on the in-flight movie menu. I hadn't gone to the cinema to see it when it was released, (last year?) as I'd always been fond of the black and white original with Fay Wray and didn't feel that a new version would add anything to that. However, after watching the first 15 minutes or so, I was sufficently impressed to decide to rent it out on video when I returned to the U.K. and view it on a larger screen, rather than watch it on the tiny one built into the seat on the aeroplane. So I stopped the playback of 'King Kong' and selected 'Wallace And Gromit And The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit' instead. Well, in the absence of 'Meshes Of The Afternoon' or 'The Testament Of Orpheus', what did you expect? After an amusing chuckle at the wayward adventures of the much celebrated animated plasticine man and his dog, I settled down to read 'The Necroplis Railway' by Andrew Martin which turned out to be not too bad at all. (Now there's a riveting, perceptive review-cum-advertising quote for you:- "Not too bad at all"... Bill Nelson, KLM Airlines.) The author skillfully evokes a vivid picture of the sooty, grim, steam-driven London of the early 20th Century. The fact that the central character hails from Robin Hood's Bay, just outside Whitby, is an extra bonus for me. At this point in time, I'm just over half-way through the book, having found little time to read whilst in Tokyo, but I've been gently entertained by the story so far. Perhaps Mr. Martin and myself have some interests in common. The flight to Japan seemed endless. I slept fitfully, sporadically. Actually, it wasn't sleeping at all, just a semi-unconcious state, the Boeing's engines droning like a million bees in a metal hive, a constantly humming background to the half-stupor I found myself in. The in-flight meals were slight and inconsequential but the little bottles of wine that came with them found whatever edge I had left and hammered, then smoothed it into a rusty bluntness. After what felt like an eternity, we landed at Tokyo's Narita Airport. Emiko, because she is still a Japanese passport holder, was able to go through passport control/immigration like a knife through butter. Myself, being a foreigner, (or 'Gaijin'), went through it like a feather through stone. I joined the back of a long, long line of non-Japanese and awaited my turn to be given entry to the country. After such a long flight, this long wait proved difficult. I felt dizzy and exhausted but eventually I reached the head of the line and presented my passport to the immigration officer. After a few moments of checking on his computer screen to make sure that I wasn't on any list of known terrorists, football hooligans, drug smugglers or people who cross the road whilst the little walking-man signal is still on red, I was waved through to the baggage reclaim area where Emi was waiting patiently for me. But our journey was not yet over. We now had to haul our luggage onto the Airport Limousine. This vehicle is actually not nearly as glamourous as it sounds. The 'limousine' is nothing more than a plain old bus that ferries passengers from Narita airport into Tokyo. We bought our tickets and climbed on board and found two seats at the back, settling down for the two-hour drive into Tokyo itself. Not exactly Tokyo airport at all, really, as Tokyo is a two-hour ride away. But that's Japan. I dozed as the bus swept along the motorway but woke as we hit the first traffic snarl-ups that signalled that we were entering the city at last. We finally, gratefully, got off at the Hotel Excel, (one of the buses several scheduled stops) and wearily hauled our luggage to a taxi to drive to another, much less expensive 'business hotel' that we'd pre-booked from England.The taxi driver, much to my annoyance, stood by and watched me struggle to load our heavy and bulky cases into the boot and the back seat of his cab. Not once did he offer to help me. I was, by this time, beyond verbal complaint and felt like a mere robot switched to automatic...A suitably appropriate condition for Tokyo life. Our cheap business hotel was in Shibuya, up a little hill on a small side road, not too far from Shibuya station. The hotel was due to close down, three days after our check-in, but for now, it was to be our home. The room was tiny, the bathroom even more so, almost microscopic but we were too exhausted to care and simply unlocked our cases, took a bath and wandered out into the neon Shibuya night. It was as if I'd never been away from the place. Tokyo is a kind of glittering hell, a consumer orgy lit by advertising signs, giant video screens and scored by dozens of discordant broadcasts from loudspeakers situated on every building.The message is simple, "Buy me! Buy Me! Buy Me!" It is, as so many first-time vistors say, 'just like Blade Runner'...but the more often you visit, this romantic, futurist impression is diluted and then replaced by something far more mundane. In fact, Tokyo is neither 'Blade Runner' nor 'Lost In Translation' but instead is a city of millions of lives banged up together in a desperate fight for either survival or aquisition. In many ways, it embodies everything that has gone awry with human society, even though, as the tour salesmen say, there is much less crime than in the West. But in Tokyo, to one degree or another, nothing is as it seems and almost everything is fake, simulated or appropriated from somewhere else. I've known this from the beginning of course but, with each subsequent visit, it becomes more and more apparent, less interesting, less humourously ironic, less 'post-modern'. Eventually, it simply becomes something to be endured. A candy-coloured purgatory that can only be safely navigated by a wallet full of cash and a credit card willingly sacrificed to the max. Outside of Tokyo though, Japan has its compensations, its unique solaces. Emi and I spent a day with two of her Tokyo friends visiting Kamakura, a not too long train ride out of Tokyo, near the coast. Kamakura has become a kind of spiritual theme park. It has what seems like an endless collection of old temples which one can visit. A tourist thing, not just for westerners but for the Japanese too. We crammed several of these into one day and it became something of a blur. I can't recall the various names of them, 'though I paid attention to each one that we visited. Each temple seemed to involve the climbing of a hill. In the June heat and high humidity, this was even more strenuous than normal for me. But there were one or two brief moments of grace and beauty. And some very good, locally brewed Kamakura beer. No wonder those Zen monks were looking so blissed out. At one point on our tour of the temples, I got Emi to take a snapshot of me standing in one of the Zendo rooms, where the monks would sit in meditation. I wanted to climb up onto the sitting area mats and pose in Buddha fashion but Emi said I'd better not. Perhaps I would have profaned the space with my lazy Buddha posture... But this opportunity to behave like tourists was an anomaly as the rest of our time in Japan was taken up with a punishing schedule involving meetings with Emi's relatives and friends, plus the Player Magazine interview and photo session and my visit to the Terada guitar factory in Nagoya. (Actually, this last was the highlight of the entire trip for me.) Now I'm tired again so I'll continue with the story in a day or two's time. Meanwhile, don't touch that dial. ***** The photographs attached to this diary entry are as follows:- 1. A Kamakura Temple. 2. Kamakura Beer. 3. Bill Nelson in a Kamakura Zendo. Top of page William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) June 2006 Jan Apr May Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013

Castles in Spain single - 1985 The Armoury Show Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Co-Writer of "Ring Those Bells", a B-side on the 12" single. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past