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Astroloops Bill Nelson mini-album - January 2015 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Purple Loop 02) Sky Loop 03) Slippery Loop 04) Sun Loop 05) Blue Loop No 1 06) Jazzy Loop 07) Honey Loop 08) Blue Loop No 2 09) Space Country Loop 10) Fantasmo Loop 11) Wonky Loop 12) Lazy Loop ALBUM NOTES: Astroloops is a CDR release issued on the newly established Astrotone imprint in a very limited edition (just 24 copies) to purchasers of the Astroluxe Custom Ltd. guitar produced by Eastwood Guitars. This release is a mini-album due to its relatively short playing time. News of the project was first announced on the Dreamsville forum in July 2014, with orders being taken for the guitar from 2nd September (initially only 12 were to be manufactured but this was doubled to 24 within 2 days due to the level of demand). By the 26th of September it was confirmed that all 24 copies of the guitar had been purchased although buyers had to wait until mid-late January 2015 before the goods had been delivered, with the US customers getting their hands on the music before those in the UK for a change! Fans that either couldn't afford the guitar, or couldn't play the guitar, or simply missed out in getting their order in on time, will hopefully get the chance to hear this very limited item one day. When asked of the possibility of this, Nelson indicated that it might require Eastwood Guitars to give permission for this to happen and warned fans that they may have to wait for 1 - 2 years before reissuing it as a download. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It's an interesting set of recordings, quite spontaneous and relaxed...not concerned with being perfect, but beautifully raw and charmingly naked. It's all done using only the 'Astroluxe' prototype guitar which has the ability to sound like a soaring rock beast, a smooth n' sweet jazz archtop, or an alien twang machine, and all at the flick of a pickup selector switch plus my Fractal Audio Axe-FX unit!" _____ "Just guitar improvisations over guitar loops, with no other instruments. Recording very quietly to minimize the ear problem." _____ "Astroloops is an album of instrumental improvisations based on looped guitar patterns. It is limited to an edition of 24 copies only and is given exclusively to those who have bought one of the 24 Eastwood 'Astroluxe Custom Ltd' Bill Nelson signature model electric guitars. "My own prototype 'Astroluxe' guitar has been used to record the album and all the guitar parts you will hear are performed exclusively on that instrument. There are no keyboards, bass or percussion overdubs on these recordings, (with the exception of a couple of tracks where extremely minimal use of keyboard has been added). "All the guitar sounds were processed via a Fractal Audio Axe-FX digital device and a first generation Line 6 Pod 2 modeller, recording direct to a Mackie HDR 24/96 digital multitrack machine. "The music was created spontaneously and offers a glimpse of the raw first-take, stream of consciousness approach that often provides the foundation for my more commercially available work. In this instance, however, I've resisted the temptation to attempt perfection or modify/flatter the recording and instead allowed its inherent flaws to become a component of the music itself. I hope you will enjoy this private peep behind the magic curtain!" Albums Menu Future Past

Acquitted By Mirrors Acquitted By Mirrors was a quarterly magazine first published in 1982, given as part of the annual subscription to Bill Nelson's fan club of the same name. Issue 1 - Published Early 1982 Issue 2 - Published June 1982 Issue 3 - Published October 1982 Issue 4 - Published December 1982 Issue 5 - Published April 1983 Issue 6 - Published August 1983 Issue 7 - Published September 1983 Issue 8 - Published January 1984 Issue 9 - Published April 1984 Issue 10 - Published July 1984 Issue 11 - Published November 1984 Issue 12 - Published July 1985 Issue 13 - Published September 1986 Issue 14 - Published Autumn 1987 Issue 15 - Published early 1990 Please reload

Sister Surprise single - 1983 Gary Numan Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Co-Producer on b-side, "Poetry and Power". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) August 2008 Jan Feb Sep Oct Tuesday 5th August 2008 -- 3:00 pm Was my previous diary entry really six months ago? A shockingly quick passing of time and the longest gap in my journal so far. There are several reasons for this, as I'll attempt to explain, 'though some of those reasons must, for purposes of practicality and discretion, only be superficially touched upon. The really short story is that it's been a tough period, one way or another and continues to be so. Work, as always, has made it difficult for me to allocate enough time to write these pages but personal complications have contributed even more to my silence. There have been far too many depressing moments, things I haven't particularly wanted to write about... But where do I start? How can I fill in the gaps in a manner that will be quick, practical and sparing of text? Thinking back through these last six months, there has been so much going on that a brief resume would not do events justice. Nevertheless, I'll attempt to keep this entry as economic and concise as possible whilst still retaining the essence of the situation. The major topic of my previous diary entry was the death of my stepfather. Unfortunately, the aftermath of that event has caused my mother untold grief. Not only has she suffered the emotional anguish of bereavement but has since been forced to seek legal advice regarding what appears to be her late husband's lack of adequate and fair provision for her within his will. I don't intend to go into specific details here as there is now an ongoing legal dispute, a dispute that must eventually be settled by a judge in a court of law. However, I WILL say that, when my mother's friends, neighbours and family heard about the way she had been dealt with, their reaction, without exception, was one of shock and anger. The most commonly used expression seems to have been 'shameful.' Everyone said she should not ignore this, that she should stand up for her rights as a dutiful wife of long-standing. As a result, she has sought professional advice, first from solicitors and latterly from Queen's Council and has been assured that, in their experienced opinion, the 'provision' made for her by her late husband is both unfair and inadequate. Not wanting to enter into confrontation, she tried to talk reason with the beneficiaries of her late husband's estate in the hope of achieving some sort of settlement. Sadly, all attempts to negotiate have so far proved futile. In fact she seems to have been cruelly 'cut-off' by the aforementioned beneficiaries, a development which, some might say, speaks louder than words. As you might imagine, my own thoughts on the whole sorry mess are not only damning but unprintable... Everyone I've spoken with considers it unforgivable that my mother has been made to endure such stress and anguish on top of all else she's suffered in recent years. The really sad thing is that this current unpleasant situation could have been avoided if fairness and love had prevailed in certain quarters. It's not just the financial issues, but also the ethical, personal and emotional ones. It's stresfull, hurtful and absolutely uncalled for. Whatever happens, I'm determined to help mum to see things through to the end, (and, all being well, to finally resolve the problem). Nevertheless, these events have left a bitter taste in the mouth, tainting memories and relationships that, in more reasonable circumstances, would never have have been tainted at all. My mother was married to George for 28 years, helped raise his children through their teens, looked after him through various illnesses, including his final, terminal one, and much more besides. Everyone has said that she deserves far more respect, consideration and kindness than has been shown to her. Enough of this, I'll move on to other topics:- Yet another negative development in our domestic life has been Emiko's unfortunate redundancy of a few months ago. This was due to a re-structuring/downsizing of the flower business where she'd been employed for the last eight years. Her income was always basic but, nevertheless, the loss of it has created a noticable and negative impact on our finances. Her input was of tremendous help to us in dealing with the cost of living. Now things have become even more of a struggle. Finding alternative work for her has proved difficult, partly because of Emi's age, (like me, she will be 60 this year), and partly because of the lack of genuine artistry and sophistication in so many of the local floral businesses. Many people just want generic, predictable floral arrangements. Emi approaches her work as an artist and finds it difficult to dumb things down for the mass marketplace. (Sounds familiar this, doesn't it?) Of course, the current economic climate hasn't helped matters much either. Small businesses are taking a battering, particularly independent ones. Still, Emi's genuiness and natural talent will, I hope, eventually win the day. At least, that's my idealistic opinion. Right now, she needs all the support she can get. I'm trying to guide her towards setting up an independent, bespoke floral design service aimed at discerning customers who appreciate something special, a little more personal and refined than the approach offered by high street florists. But neither of us have much of a business head on our shoulders, being more focussed on creativity and quality, rather than chasing profits. Besides that, my own work is so constantly intense that it's difficult for me to find enough time to help Emi as much as I'd like. But, we'll see. Here in our home town, there seems to be more empty shop premises than ever. Locally-based firms appear to be going under on a daily basis. Walking around the streets can be quite depressing, especially when you come across businesses such as the renowned and long-established Scotts the butchers who, it seems, have finally shut up shop for good. It even seems that being featured on James Martin's tv celebrity chef show hasn't saved them. I visited a local independent music store to buy some guitar strings the other day, ('Rock-Ola Music'). Whilst there I had a conversation with the shop's owner about the outrageous rates charged to small businesses by the local council. It does seem terribly unfair. What this city needs is more independents, not less. Much more diversity and not so much of the same old chain-store, corporate, identi-kit businesses that proliferate in every town and city in the U.K. We really should buy far more regularly from these independent, local businesses than we do... and from recent experience, I can confidently point people in the direction of 'Rock-Ola Music' (in York), for helpful, knowlegable service. AND they stock 'Peerless' guitars! Talking of which, my recently aquired (and very beautiful) Peerless 'Monarch' archtop guitar continues to be an absolute delight. I've been incorporating it continuously on recent recordings. It's one of those rare guitars that immediately win a permanent place in a player's heart. My musical life has always been eclectic, incorporating many contrasting musical inspirations and aspirations and my guitar choices are subsequently dictated by a wide range of creative needs. Whilst my initial career was predominately built on whatever reputation I'd established as a rock guitarist, jazz has always been an important, if subtle, element of my style. I was listening avidly to the great jazz guitarists long before I became a professional player with Be Bop Deluxe and I've always 'had a thing' about the sound and feel of a traditional archtop acoustic-electric guitar. My recent instrumental music fuses these long-time jazz leanings with rock, avant and ambient tendencies...it's not 'fusion' music but something beyond that, something personal. The recently released instrumental albums, 'Silvertone Fountains' and 'Illuminated At Dusk,' provide particular examples of this approach. The guitar playing on them mixes more traditional, rich and luxurious jazz guitar sounds with bright n' shiny rock n' roll tones. (The former from my Peerless 'Monarch,' the latter courtesy of my Campbell 'Nelsonic Transitone' signature solid-body guitar and my Eastwood/Airline retro-styled instruments.) I've always derived a perverse pleasure from playing games with musical expectations, whether those expectations are mine or my audience's. As I've mentioned before in these diary entries, my passion for guitars and guitar-based music has been dramatically re-kindled in recent years. Not the guitar styles of current '70's revivalist young bands but something that bridges the gap between the more distant past and a romantic, imaginary future.., anything that avoids current predictable popularisms. Difficult to accurately describe, (which makes it difficult to market), but, hopefully, it speaks for itself to those ready to hear it. Whilst on the subject of guitar-based bands, I came across an old photo of Be Bop Deluxe taken at the time when we were just a trio, prior to Andy joining the band. I was taken aback with my own appearance in it...I look like the mutant love-child of Rufus Wainwright and Prince! It WAS a long time ago but, my oh my, how the years rob us of our youthful good looks. Nowadays, I can't bear to see photos of my current self, too sad, too depressing, too worn and weary. But perhaps that's probably just vanity on my part. Daily life in my home studio has become hyper-intense in recent months, even by my usual workaholic standards. I've written and recorded a tremendous number of vocal and instrumental tracks, often working late into the early hours to keep things on course. It's been a punishing schedule and I've become acutely aware of the negative effect it's had on my health...I'm feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. Some days I feel as if my soul has been scattered across some nebulous interior universe like the atoms of an exploding star. I wonder if this kind of self-inflicted insanity can ever be justified, bearing in mind the small and specialist audience my music attracts. The practical reward, (in terms that most people would understand as a reward for such non-stop hard work), is pitifully small in comparison to the concentration and energy expended. Nevertheless, here is a list of tracks currently awaiting release in one form or another. It's up to date at the time of writing but is still being added to every few days:- VOCAL TRACKS:- 1: 'Welcome To Electric City.' 2: 'I Saw Galaxies.' 3: 'Once I Had A Time Machine.' 4: 'Oh Moon In The Night, I Have Seen Thee Sailing.' 5: 'Fountains Are Singing In Cities Of Light.' 6: 'Electric Trains, Clean Oceans, Clear Skies, Pure Air.' 7: 'Summer Hums In The Bee-Loud Glade.' 8: 'Time's Quick-Spun Globe.' 9: 'My Empty Bowl Is Full Of Sky.' 10: 'Help Us, Magic Robot.' 11: 'God Glows Green In Small Town Park.' 13: 'The Old Nebulosity Waltz.' 14: 'When Aeroplanes Were Dragonflys.' 15: 'Until All Our Lights Combine.' 16: 'Night Is The Engine Of My Imagination.' 17: 'When Rain Made Us Shine.' 18: 'The Golden Roundabout Rides Again.' 18: 'A Town Called Blue Tommorow.' 19: 'Mystery Vortex, (Oberon Touchstone.)' 20: 'A Million Moonlight Miles.' 21: 'The Sparkling Of Frosty Lawns. (Snowballs And Oranges.)' 22: 'No Time Says The Clock.' (Version One.) 23: 'No Time Says The Clock.' (Version Two.) 24: 'Yonder Gleams Your Star.' 25: 'How Many Miles To Babylon?' 26: 'Curate's Egg In Cup Of Grass.' 27: 'Strange And Wonderful, (That's My Life.)' 28: 'A Certain Thought Passed Through My Mind.' 29: 'Rain Falls Fast On Faded Ruin.' 30: 'Dig The Sparkles.' 31: 'Searching For An Island, (Off The Coast Of Dreams.)' 32: 'Just A Kid And All That Sky.' 33: 'Test Card.' 34: 'I Travel At Night.' 35: 'Signals From Earth.' 36: 'The Experimental Time Traveller.' 37: 'The Silver Darkness Whispers Yes.' 38: 'Heaven Is A Haunted Realm.' 39: 'Distant Years From Now.' 40: 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow.' 41: 'Cinnamon And Mint.' 42: 'The Emperor Of The Evening.' 43: 'The Rainiest Day In TheWorld.' INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS: 44: 'Mellophonia.' 45: 'Attempt To Re-Assemble My Fragmented Self.' 46: 'Rocket Billy Blues.' 47: 'Dance Of The Duane Eddy Twanglobots.' 48: 'Music For A Victorian Steam Cottage.' 49: 'Dreamland Airships.' 50: 'Artismo Loco.' 51: 'The Birthday Gift From Outer Space.' 52: 'Twang Rings True.' 53: 'Mars Welcomes Careful Drivers.' 54: 'Table Top Trainset.' 55: 'Thunder Heralds The Fairylight Parade.' 56: 'Cyclotron.' 57: 'The Phonograph Bird.' 58: 'Clear Skies A' Coming.' 59: 'The Standard Fireworks Stomp.' 60: 'Rotorbell.' 61: 'The Lost Art Of Doing Nothing.' 62: 'The Marvellous Model Kit.' 63: 'Frankie Surfs The Milky Way.' 64: 'The Walls Of Which Are Made Of Clouds.' 65: 'Ghosts Of Christmas Past.' 66: 'Teatime In The Republic Of Dreams.' 67: 'Dynatron Blues.' 68: 'The Way Things Go.' 17 of the best vocal tracks will make up a forthcoming vocal album release titled 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow.' 38 other tracks, (a mixture of vocals and instrumentals), will go onto a special, limited edition Nelsonica convention DOUBLE album, to be titled 'Clocks And Dials.' The left-over tracks will form the basis of a further album, (as yet untitled), to be released towards the end of the year. The majority of these pieces, particularly the vocal-based ones, (and particularly the 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow' tracks), are quite complex, epic works. They're constantly evolving compositions that rarely conform to standard rock or pop songwriting forms. Some pieces bring together several contrasting genres within the space of a single song, starting off in one place and ending up in an entirely different musical environment. They are not designed for quick, easy consumption but are perfect for listeners who enjoy following a progression of ideas, an interplay of details and layers. They're packed with melodies and sound textures. I was hoping to announce running orders for both projects in this diary entry but I'm still fine tuning things on 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow.' However, I CAN disclose the running order for the Nelsonica double album, 'Clocks And Dials.' The track listing on the two discs will be as follows:- CD 1: 1: 'Thunder Heralds The Fairylight Parade.' 2: 'Mystery Vortex (Oberon Touchstone.)' 3: 'Test Card.' 4: 'Clear Skies A' Coming.' 5: 'Rain Made Us Shine.' 6: 'Music For A Victorian Steam Cottage.' 7: 'A Town Called Blue Tomorrow.' 8: 'Searching For An Island Off The Coast Of Dreams.' 9: 'Signals From Earth.' 10: 'Frankie Surfs The Milky Way.' 11: 'I Travel At Night.' 12: 'Just A Kid And All That Sky.' 13: 'Rain Falls Fast On Faded Ruin.' 14: 'Artismo Loco.' 15: 'Dynatron Blues.' 16: 'No Time Says The Clock.' (Version 1.) 17: 'How Many Miles To Babylon.' 18: 'The Rainiest Day In The World.' 19: 'Twang Rings True.' ----------------- CD 2: 1: 'The Phonograph Bird.' 2: 'The Experimental Time Traveller.' 3: 'Dig The Sparkles.' 4: 'The Golden Roundabout Rides Again.' 5: 'Mellophonia.' 6: 'Electric Trains, Clean Oceans, Clear Skies, Pure Air.' 7: 'Yonder Gleams Your Star.' 8: 'Cinnamon And Mint.' 9: 'The Marvellous Model Kit.' 10: 'Curate's Egg In Cup Of Grass.' 11: 'Rocket Billy Blues.' 12: 'Distant Years From Now.' 13: 'A Certain Thought Passed Through My Mind.' 14: Oh Moon In The Night I Have Seen Thee Sailing.' 15: 'Dreamland Airships.' 16: 'Strange And Wonderful. (That's My Life.) 17: 'A Million Moonlight Miles.' 18: 'The Silver Darkness Whispers Yes.' 19: 'No Time Says The Clock. (Version 2.) For readers awaiting these new albums, I can say that both the 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow' and the 'Clocks And Dials' albums will initially be made available at this year's Nelsonica 08 Convention on Saturday November 1st. They will then be released more widely on the following Monday via the Dreamsville on-line store. As always, the quantity and availability of the convention album ('Clocks And Dials'), post-Nelsonica, will depend upon how many are left over once ticket holders have claimed their inclusive copies. This year's Nelsonica convention is meant to be a little special as it will act as a sort of early birthday celebration party, as well as a fan convention. (As mentioned above in this diary entry, I'll be 60 in December.) Preparation for Nelsonica 08 is already underway, not least with regard to the 38 track double album but also in terms of the integral concert performance and other programme events for the day. There's an increasingly strong possibility that a full band will be assembled to perform some older favourites, as well as my usual solo performance. In fact, there's just one component to put in place, band-wise, before I can confirm this as 100% certain but it does look as if there will be a SEVEN PIECE BAND performing at the convention, plus a solo set (and possibly an Orchestra Futura set too). The concert aspect of the convention has always been popular with attendees but the inclusion of a full band will make this year even more memorable. Full details of the band, its line-up and the name I'll eventually choose for it, will be announced both here in my diary and also on the Dreamsville Inn Forum and Nelsonica webpages as soon as the above mentioned final component is put in place. Those people who have already secured tickets for the event will be guaranteed a rare oppportunity to hear a live performance of some classic back catalogue songs from the Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise era, as well as some more recent contemporary solo instrumental pieces. For those who haven't yet got their tickets it may be wise to secure some sooner, rather than later, especially if hearing me perform some old favourites with a live band appeals. Ticket numbers are limited and once capacity is reached, there will be no further opportunity to see something like this for a long time, or, who knows, maybe ever, again. As with all recent Nelsonicas, the biggest problem is how to fit everything into a single day. Once the convention's doors open, it's non-stop until closing time, around 11pm. It's always a tightly packed schedule of presentations and the live concert is just one of the highlights. So much work yet to do, for both myself and the team and time is rushing on. Before all this, there is still one more new album release in the pipeline. This is 'Mazda Kaleidoscope,' the third part of the triolgy begun with 'Silvertone Fountains' and 'Illuminated At Dusk.' The first two albums of the trilogy have been very well received by those who obtained copies. 'Mazda Kaleidoscope' carries the concept a little further with much longer pieces and a slightly more abstract approach. It is, even if I say so myself, a beautiful and mysterious set of tunes. The packaging artwork is now complete and the album should be available towards the end of this month (August). Here's the final track list/running order for 'Mazda Kaleidoscope':- 1: 'ALL THE WORLD FLIES KITES TONIGHT.' 2: 'BLUE SKIES LISTEN, THE UNSTRUCK BELL.' 3: 'THE NEBULOUS ADVENTURES OF NEWTON KYME.' 4: 'LAMPS ARE LIT IN THE LAND OF TOMORROW.' 5: 'YES AND ALWAYS AND FOREVER.' 6: 'EVENING ILLUMINATOR.' 7: 'MAZDA KALEIDOSCOPE.' 8: 'THE TRACE WE LEFT WHEN ALL WAS GONE.' Despite my heavy work schedule and time spent helping my mother, there have been a couple of snatched moments where I've been able to get away from my studio, if only briefly. I actually managed to attend two concerts in June. The first of these was a celebration of the work of composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams who passed away 50 years ago this year. The concert was held at York Minster on June 21st and was performed by the York Musical Society Choir and Orchestra, (A full orchestra of strings, brass, woodwinds, harp, percussion, etc plus a choir of 115 singers.) The programme featured Vaughan-William's 'Five Mystical Songs' as well as the evergreen 'The Lark Ascending, (A Romance For Violin And Orchestra)'. Well, what can I say that might do the experience justice? It was simply stunning, achingly gorgeous, wonderfully performed and rapturously received by a packed minster audience. Emi and I were both moved to tears by the poignancy and sheer beauty of the music. Unmissable. The second concert was an open-air affair, Eric Clapton in concert at Harewood House near Leeds on June 29th. Emiko and I had generously been provided with guest tickets by Eric's management and we had a very enjoyable evening despite it becoming a little chilly once the sun had dropped to the horizon. Our guest status allowed us to use a separate hospitality enclosure with bar and toilets which made matters a little more comfortable. We're both unused to festival type concerts so anything that made it a little more comfortable for such 'old folks' as us was most welcome! Our friends Steve Cook and Sarah had bought tickets for the concert too and we met up with them, pre-show, for drinks and a snack at a nearby pub. When Eric took the stage, we joined Steve and Sarah in the audience to enjoy the concert. Eric was an important inspiration to me in the 'sixties, from his Yardbirds period, through John Mayall, Cream and Blind Faith. My band 'Global Village' actually covered a couple of Blind Faith songs, back in the day! We'd also cover Cream numbers, literally learning them from the albums on their day of release. We'd be playing them in local blues clubs the following night, before many people had actually heard the album that they were taken from. I'd last seen Eric perform 'in the flesh' at 'The Last Waltz' in San Francisco in the 'seventies. My band, Be Bop Deluxe, were playing the same venue the following night and we were booked into the Miyako Hotel where all the musicians involved in The Last Waltz seemed to be staying. I was given guest tickets to that event and a backstage pass too. I've documented my experience before in this diary and on the Dreamsville Forum so won't repeat it here, other than to say it was a fabulous show, as anyone who has watched Martin Scorcese's film of the event will know. At Harewood House, Eric's playing was sublime and his band were faultless. A great choice of numbers too, not purely blues but some other items including a standout performance of George Harrison's 'Isn't It A Pity' and a wonderful rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's 'Old Rockin' Chair.' Eric continues to inspire musicians and does so with dignity and grace. It was also my pal Steve's birthday so the concert was an apt way to celebrate. One particularly nice surprise in recent weeks was receiving a lovely letter from Robert Douglas, author of the marvellously atmospheric and moving autobiographical book 'Night Song Of The Last Tram.' Regular readers of this diary will be aware that the book became the inspiration for a track of the same title that I composed and recorded for my 'And We Fell Into A Dream' album. Mr. Douglas had been informed of this fact by his publishers and they'd sent him a copy of the album along with my diary reference to his book. He then wrote to me to tell me how flattered he was. The truth is it is me who is ultimately flattered as I was absolutely bowled over to receive Mr. Douglas' generous and kind letter. I've been meaning to write back to thank him but, due to pressures of work and family as mentioned above, I'm deeply embarrased to say I have yet to drop him a line. I MUST try to do this very soon and also see if I can dig up a spare copy of my published diary to send him as a thank you. But it was a great and extremely pleasant surprise. Moments like that are rare jewels in this 'business' of making music. I treasure them. Whilst on the subject of literature, I continue to slowly inch my way through a mountain of books at my bedside. A few minutes of reading every night, before my eyes close, is all the time I've been able to spare, book-wise, of late. Here are a few of the ones I've attempted to digest: 'The Best Of Jazz' by Humphrey Littleton. 'Duke Ellington And His World' by A.H. Lawrence. 'The Longest Cocktail Party' by Richard DiLello. 'The Secret History Of The World' by Jonathan Black. 'Music Downtown' by Kyle Gann. 'Considering Genius' by Stanley Crouch. 'Moondog, the authorised biography' by Robert Scotto. I've been particularly impressed by the 'Music Downtown' book, a collection of published articles and essays on various American contemporary composers and musical artists. It's one of the most perceptive, passionate and entertaining critiques of modern music I've ever had the good fortune to read. I found it stimulating, informative and intelligent but would dread laying my own work in front of this fellow for his assesment! He has good things to say about my pal Harold Budd though. Supposedly the height of summer here in the u.k. but rain hitting my studio window as I type. It's been a very poor summer so far. I did manage to take my mother out for a day at the Yorkshire coast, just over a week ago, when the sun actually shone allday long. It was a glorious day...we drove first to Reighton Gap, a place my mother hadn't visited since the 1950's when we used to holiday as a family there. I've written about this place in earlier diary entries but the basic story is that my mother and father were good friends with a couple called Herman and Ada Ackroyd. They owned a wooden, pre-war seaside bungalow at Reighton Gap. They allowed Mum, Dad and me, and later Ian when he was born, to have holidays there in the 1950's. There are photos of that time in my 'Memory Codex' video. Anyway, I have very fond memories of those holidays and thought I'd take mum back there to see how little or how much it had changed over the intervening years. The old wooden bungalows on the clifftop have long gone, replaced by large, static caravans but the line of the surrounding landscape is just the same. We wandered a little further along the clifftop to a fairly isolated spot and gazed out at the sea for a while. Just before we were about to drive away, I spread my map open on the car boot to plot our next route. A car pulled up nearby and a man got out and walked towards the cliff. As he passed by he looked over in my direction, then paused and came over to me. I thought he may be needing directions and perhaps, as I had a map in my hands, presumed he was about to ask me the way. I was totally surprised when he spoke. He said: "Excuse me, aren't you Bill Nelson?" When I replied that I was he then said, "I'm a huge fan of your music. Your music changed my life!" Well...what an amazing compliment and how nice to be recognised in such an out-of-the-way spot! It made my day. Later, Mum and Emi and I drove to Flamborough Head and had ice cream at the little cafe nearby the lighthouse before taking a gentle stroll around the surrounding cliffs. The sky and sea were a wonderful blue, so warm and delicate. It was a tonic for mum, and for me. I've spent far too much time indoors this year and being out in that east coast sunshine, albeit briefly, really lifted my spirits for a while. From there we drove to the village of Sewerby and to an unfortunately fly-infested pub called 'The Ship' where we ate fish and chips for dinner before driving back to Wakefield via the Yorkshire Wolds. Since then, it's been back to the busy work schedule, solicitor's meetings and associated concerns, and helping my mum with her supermarket shopping. I travel over to Wakefield a couple of times per week to take her out and I telephone her every morning and evening to check on her well being. My other pre-occupation is finalising the running order for 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow' and working with David Graham on the packaging artwork for the album. Next up will be artwork for 'Clocks And Dials.' Looks like this one will be a digipak. Then I'll need to master the 38 tracks for 'Clocks And Dials' and the 17 tracks for 'Golden Melodies.' This will mean booking studio time at Fairview with my friend John Spence. There's also a long list of work I need to do in preparation for Nelsonica 08. Plus, I'm hoping to put together a compilation album for release early next year, focussing on some of my favourite instrumental guitar tracks, an album I may place with a distributer to put into shops and out for review. I plan to call this album 'Plectrajet,' something to attract possible listeners who may not have previously been aware of my work in this area. I'll maybe do the same with a vocal compilation album too. Try to spread the music a little wider? So still no proper respite or chance to take a decent break. A proper holiday would be wonderful but it is a luxury I cannot afford, either time-wise or economically at the moment. Maybe next year. Yet another long diary entry...and still I haven't told the whole story of the last six months. This will have to do for now...I'm all typed out. ***** The images included with this diary entry are as follows:- 1: Some of Bill's favourite archtops from his collection. The Peerless Monarch is lower centre. 2: A 'Golden Melodies' flyer. 3: Bill with his Peerless Monarch jazz guitar. 4: Be Bop Deluxe in trio form. (1970's.) 5: Bill and his Mum at Reighton Gap, 2008. 6: 'Plectrajet' teaser ad. Top of page

Code album - 1987 Cabaret Voltaire Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on five songs: "Don't Argue", "Here To Go", "Trouble (Won't Stop)", "White Car" and "No One Here". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Live Archive Pl ectronica A celebration of Bill Nelson at 70 A picture gallery from Bill's official photographer Martin Bostock

La Belle Et La Bête Bill Nelson album - 25 June 1982 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this reissue TRACKS : 01) Overture 02) The Family 03) Sisters And Sedan Chairs 04) In The Forest Of Storms 05) The Castle 06) The Gates 07) The Corridor 08) The Great Hall 09) Dreams (The Merchant Sleeps) 10) Fear (The Merchant Wakes) 11) The Rose And The Beast 12) Magnificent (The White Horse) 13) Beauty Enters The Castle 14) The Door 15) The Mirror 16) Candelabra And Gargoyles 17) Beauty And The Beast 18) Transition No. 1 19) Transition No. 2 20) The Hunt 21) The Gift 22) The Garden 23) Transition No. 3 24) Transition No. 4 25) The Tragedy 26) Transition No. 5 27) The Enchanted Glove 28) Tears As Diamonds (The Gift Reverses) 29) The Beast In Solitude 30) The Return Of Magnificent 31) Transition No. 6 (The Journey) 32) The Pavilion Of Diana 33) Transformation No. 1 34) Transformation No. 2 35) The Final Curtain ALBUM NOTES: La Belle et la Bête is an instrumental album released on Mercury Records in 1982. The material was recorded at The Echo Observatory, Selby, England in early 1982 as a soundtrack for a stage production commissioned by The Yorkshire Actors Co. It was initially released as a limited edition free album available with both vinyl and cassette copies of The Love That Whirls . It was packaged in its own album sleeve that slipped inside The Love That Whirls cover (on vinyl), or simply as side two of the cassette edition. PAST RELEASES: La Belle et la Bête was reissued on vinyl as a double album with Das Kabinett (Cocteau, 1985), sporting new artwork. It was given its first and only US release on CD (Enigma, 1989) as two albums on one disc (again with Das Kabinett ). La Belle et la Bête was reissued by Esoteric/Cocteau Discs in December 2017 as part of a 3-CD set of Bill's early soundtrack work, entitled Dreamy Screens . CURRENT AVAILABILITY: La Belle et la Bête will be made available as a digital download in the near future. BILL'S THOUGHTS:: "Of course, the big 'hit single' in Cocteau's film canon is 'Beauty And The Beast'. An absolutely magical telling of a magical fairy tale. It's stunningly beautiful to look at and the scenes in the Beast's castle have a dreamlike quality that, once seen, will haunt you forever." _____ "All the music on my Beauty and the Beast album was created for a stage production of Cocteau's classic film. I attended rehearsals of the play, (which was being staged by 'The Yorkshire Actor's Company'), and with a stopwatch timed each sequence of the action, filling a notebook with information about specific dramatic points and so on. "I then spent a couple of weeks in my home studio writing and recording the music whilst working from the notebook and timings I had taken. The finished music, (which was recorded on very basic equipment), was then delivered to the Yorkshire Actor's Company who then used it in their live theatre performances of the play. It was in the form of stereo reel-to-reel analogue tape mixes as there were no CDs or digital formats back then. The theatre music soundtrack depended upon an operator sitting with a reel-to-reel machine, cueing each piece of my music manually, wherever the live action required it. It actually worked extremely well in live performance. "The album uses exactly the same music and mixes as was used in the theatre, though the album was released as an afterthought. The music wasn't created with an album in mind or as a 'stand-alone' listening experience...it was meant purely as an atmosphere creating device and as a sonic punctuation to the physical/visual drama of the stage-production." _____ "In some ways, that period of my life was very exciting as there seemed to be a very open-minded spirit in the air. People were, it seems, a little less less conservative than now and more ready to experiment and foster a more artistic approach to popular music. "These days it seems as if there's a reluctance to open up to beauty and wonder, an element of dumbing everything down to the lowest common denominator. It’s as if cynicism and pessimism has triumphed over good faith and optimism. Cocteau's work celebrates the artistic vision and the inner life and does so without shame, irony or embarrassment. Beauty is the brave hero and the Beast is subdued by her power. A lovely metaphor for the civilising influence of Art." _____ "Context has a lot to do with it. Also, not to beat around the bush, it's an 'art' piece, not pop, rock or ambient. It was also made with very slender resources, minimal recording gear, (four track), and primitive instrumentation. It's music to accompany a theatrical performance, but, if you can dig it, it also works on its own as semi-abstract sonic fragments, little vignettes of sound. It's a bit like painting. Close your eyes and let your imagination project pictures. It might help to see Cocteau's film, (the music fits it almost as well as it fitted the stage production). If you like it, great, if you don't, no problem. "Sometimes I make music for lots of people to enjoy, sometimes for just a few to enjoy. Of course, I personally enjoy making ALL of it and I think of it as just one continuous expression of my creative life. But, some people might say that Be Bop and Red Noise comprise my mainstream, mass market work, the 'ambient' instrumentals are for folks who like to float, dream and chill, and things like Beauty and The Beast , Caligari and Crimsworth are for art gallery and theatre goers... and so on, (add your own categorisations according to taste, personal bias, etc). At the end of the day, they're all just aspects of my personality, reflecting my interests, curiosity and passions. "I've often talked about the wide range of music that I enjoy listening to and the equally wide range of film, art and literature. Add a dash of occultism, esoterica and left of centre philosophy and you'll get an idea of what all this diversity adds up to when I choose tones, textures and forms to express my own inner life. There's no escaping the fact that its deeply personal music and that it only entertains by accident, rather than design. But...when in doubt, simply shove it all in a big box and simply call it MUSIC. Nothing more, nothing less. Everyone knows music...It’s the food of LOVE. And we're ALL forever hungry for that." FAN THOUGHTS : Numbat: "It was much later that I first saw Cocteau's film. Its beauty and gentle strangeness obviously inspired Bill to create his own modest yet sumptuous "sound-play" to suit the Yorkshire stage production of the classic story. I reckon Bill did a fantastic job, using his clunky old analog technology to great artistic effect, lending the whole work a misty, autumnal "old world" feel. Nice one, Bill!!" zeitgeist: "I made the fatal mistake of dimming the lights, so that only a bat could navigate around the room. Then I tripped over the table to put the light up, and retrieve my 'phones. Once again settled, I lay back in the dark, along with the shadows, and relaxed. Then the eerie calls of: 'La Belle..La Belle', the grunts of the Beast, and the dreaded thumping heartbeat section just about put the willies up me." tommaso: "What I really like about this album (and many other of the early instrumental works) is the synths sound. Very unique, as if Bill had put them through some distortion device or something, creating a sound that is at once 'broken' and 'poetic' (for want of a better word). So, not to be missed, surely, and an ideal complementary album to The Love That Whirls ." Albums Menu Future Past

Listen album - 1983 A Flock of Seagulls Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer on one song: a new re-recording of "(It's Not Me) Talking". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Starland Bill Nelson download single - 16 January 2013 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Starland NOTES: "Starland" is a track 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. Starland was announced by Nelson on the day of release, an especially poignant date, as it was the 12th anniversary of Sara Hoburn's passing. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Currently unavailable but may be made available again as a charity download at some point. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It began life as a backing track for this year's Nelsonica solo live performance but I've overdubbed guitars onto it and it's turned into a very nice instrumental piece with a similar vibe to "For Stuart". Those of you who like "For Stuart" will definitely enjoy "Starland" too!" "I know that as many of you as possible will support Sara's Hope Foundation and help bring a little sunshine into the lives of children, (and their families), who are suffering as a result of cancer." Singles Menu Future Past

Blip! Bill Nelson album - 15 June 2013 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Bats At Bedtime 02) You Do Like Music? (Blip No 1) 03) Where You Is, Is Where You Are 04) Bell Weather (Blip No 2) 05) Your Name Completes This Frequency 06) A Dream Of Thee (Blip No 3) 07) The Fabulous Mr Futurismo 08) Sparklette (Blip No 4) 09) Your Sexy Thunder 10) Meteor Bridge (Blip No 5) 11) In A Cloud Of Stars 12) Bright And Glittering (Blip No 6) 13) Whirlwind Winters Wind The Clocks Of Spring 14) Flutterbye (Blip No 7) 15) Painting Your Sky With Marvellous Birds 16) Pure Imagination (Blip No 8) 17) No Two Thoughts 18) Aeolian Magic (Blip No 9) 19) Darling Star 20) Dazzle (Blip No 10) 21) After All These Years 22) I Danced In A Dream (Blip No 11) ALBUM NOTES: Blip! is an album mixing vocal and instrumental pieces, issued in a one off print run of 500 copies released on the Sonoluxe label. From this point onwards, Nelson would limit most of his releases to 500 copies. The material recorded for Blip! began life as part of a project called Grand Auditoria , which was initially revealed to the Dreamsville community in July 2012. When Nelson reviewed the work completed to date though in March 2013, he considered the material to be unsuitable for the original concept behand Grand Auditoria , and renamed the album Blip! . The finished album was premiered at a special launch party held at Leeds University on 15 June 2013, attended by approximately 150 guests. Included in the ticket price was a copy of Blip! , and everyone who attended the event was given a free companion CDR of out-takes, entitled Blip 2 (See separate entry). The remaining 350 or so copies of Blip! went on general release through S.O.S. two days after the launch party, and were reported as sold out on 24 June 2013. The superfast sales of Blip! led to a few dissenting voices on the Dreamsville forum, mainly linked to the inevitable appearance of copies on eBay at inflated prices, which led in turn to Nelson quickly releasing the album as a digital download on 26 July 2013. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The Grand Auditoria album I was working on was originally intended to be a compendium of as many of the various styles of music I've created over the years as I could cram onto a disc, (at least without it turning into some sort of self parody). Well, that was my intention, but, for some reason it didn't quite work out that way...The Muse seems to have had different ideas and instead I ended up with a skewed pop-rock album which, as you probably know, I've recently titled Blip!" "Hmmm...wrong-footed by the Muse again...Naughty girl!" _____ "I think that the album needs a few short instrumental interludes in between the vocal pieces to break things up a bit, (in similar fashion to the instrumentals between the vocal tracks on the Joy Through Amplification , album, but, of course, in a different style). "I've just finished recording the first of these little instrumentals. This is titled "Blip One". It's a kitsch, mad little waltz, very short and designed to make you smile. I'll begin mixing it this evening. I think once I've scattered several cute instrumentals between the other pop-rock vocal tracks, 'BLIP' will be a fun album." _____ "The vocal tracks are generally in a sort of pop-rock style, but with the usual skewed approach you would expect of me. The instrumentals, (which occur between the vocal tracks), are quite short, melodic and synth/keyboard-based and radiate a quirky charm. Whilst they are totally different to the instrumental moods on the Joy Through Amplification album, they function in a similar fashion, acting as an 'album within an album', a kind of between main courses musical sorbet." _____ Bill's Listening Notes for the album: 'Blip!' Listening Notes FAN THOUGHTS: hypnohighball: "Bill, you've outdone yourself this time. I can't remember when I was this elated listening to one of your new albums. Not to say I don't love them all now, but this one hit me HARD." "I'm honestly not just saying this, but I think this is one of Bill's best. Lots of vocals and electric guitar, which I like, but also a lot of everything else tossed into the mix make this some tasty head candy for the ears. Love the short "Blip" musical interludes between each song - even though all 22 tracks are nothing alike, they all fit together into a unified piece. I highly recommend reading Bill's album notes while you are listening - his way with words is just as imaginative and talented as his musical creativeness. Can't remember the last time I put on an album, sat back, looked out the window and just listened to it straight through with a big smile on my face half the time and the other half shaking my head in wonder/disbelief." Man in the rexine pyjamas: "I just want to go on record as saying it is a corker. Twenty two tracks, eleven songs and eleven instumentals (or Blips!). Some fantastic songs that I'm humming already after only a couple of plays (probably the bluesy "Your Sexy Thunder" being my favourite). The Blips are the really interesting pieces, and if I had a wish, it would be that Bill takes one or two of these quite brilliant musical ideas and runs with them to twenty odd minute pieces. Heaven!" "It is a very strong album indeed, like most of Bill's work, giving you more the more you hear it. I would say I prefer it to JTA , and that is very strong praise indeed in my book (like trying to chose your favourite child)." tom fritz: "I've been "Blip" - ing out of my mind. How does one guy make so much happen, in the space of one song? So fantastic, no words really. The inspiration is strong, that's for certain. Thanks Bill!" paul.smith: "You Do Like Music": "is top stuff...that slightly sinister carnivalesque sound coupled with a seemingly innocent question...but repeated to the same sinister effect as the voice continues...reminds me of the old Twilight Zone for some reason...deliciously creepy is my interpretation!! As always, the music on these two grows with those all important repeated listenings...'familiarity breeds content" as it were." felixt1: "Overall, I can confidently say that Blip! will be a hit with anyone who particularly enjoys Bill's more upbeat, up-tempo pop/rock music. There are some great lyrical, melodic and guitartastic moments, but also some great synth. The album certainly deserves to have sold so quickly." Holer: "I do think, after all these years, that I love your music when you are in 'Playful' mode the best. This latest batch of tunes reminds me in spirit of things like Atom Shop , Whimsy and Noise Candy before it, like you are just having a blast knocking out these little tunes and that sense of fun is so infectious, I can't stop listening to it. I love the Blip concept too. I think the Blips are just as strong as the pop tunes...Nobody makes noises like your particular noises." December Man: Bill's Magnum Opus?: "Blip! It just has everything I've come to love about Bill's music and more..." "It feels like a retro-future mixture of Bill's and "progressive" music's full potential." "It's as if Bill has meshed together all of his musical influences, styles and experiences and the sum total of these various parts have all coalesced into one amazing inevitable whole! Loving this, Bill!" WalterDigsTunes: "After listening to quite a few 21st century BN releases, I have to say that Blip! stands out as a high-point in the catalog. It's got a little of everything but at just the right dosage. The little Blips that peep in between songs are a nice little EP, if you choose to look at it that way. The vocal songs that makes up the bulk of this album also rank among my personal favorites. Note the brash opener, the smoky love song, and all those winking smiles you can't help but responding to. Let's not forget Bill's delivery: sentiment, cadence and words all coalesce perfectly across this record. I also can't help but praise the well-implemented (but never merely incidental or overly-dominating) guitar work. "Am I praising the balance or the excess? I have no idea. I just know that if I had to recommend one Bill Nelson disc from the current crop, Blip! would be it." Face In The Rain: "Have just downloaded both Blips and have been completely blown away. Bill is always good but this is just fabulous stuff. Was shaking my head in wonder so much that my good wife thought the download had crashed the system!" Albums Menu Future Past

King of the Cowboys Bill Nelson ep - 29 October 1982 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A1) King Of The Cowboys A2) Shadowland B1) Carnival B2) Spring ORIGINALLY: All three tracks were non-album tracks exclusive to this EP. NOTES: King of the Cowboys EP was the second in the series of Cocteau Club EPs issued exclusively to members of Bill Nelson's Official Fan Club, and was included in Acquitted By Mirrors Issue 3. All four tracks were recorded at the Echo Observatory. PAST RELEASES: Up until 2020, none of the 4 tracks on this EP had appeared on previous Bill Nelson compilations, nor as bonus tracks. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All tracks are available on the retrospective compilation album Transcorder (The Acquitted By Mirrors Recordings) . Singles Menu Future Past

The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill Bill Nelson And His Lighthouse Signal Mechanism Orchestra album - 6 November 2005 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) The Lighthouse Keeper's Waltz 02) The Ceremonial Arrival Of The Great Golden Cloud 03) Here Comes The Sea 04) Dream Of Imperial Steam 05) Sailor Blue 06) Ship Of Summer, All Lights Blazing 07) Illuminated Promenade 08) The Ocean, The Night And The Big, Big Wheel 09) A Boat Named St. Christopher 10) Moments Catch Fire On The Crests Of Waves 11) The Sky, The Sea, The Moon And Me 12) My Ship Is Lost To Semaphore ALBUM NOTES: The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill is a mainly vocal album issued on the Sonoluxe label in a single print run of 1000 copies. It was first made available on the opening night of Nelson's UK tour on 6 November 2005, which went under the banner of Popular Music From Other Planets . The remaining stock was then sold through SOS. The album represented something of a departure for Nelson as it was a concept album centered around his childhood memories of time spent near the coastland of North East England. The album went out of print in October 2007 and in 2013 tentative plans were announced on the Dreamsville Forum for a physical reissue as 2CD set with the companion album Neptune's Galaxy , but alas nothing came of this. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It wasn't conceived as a 'concept' album, at least in the usually perceived sense. It is, as the subtitle reveals, a 'suite of songs' dealing with a central theme. But many albums of mine either start with, or eventually develop, a 'concept'. This doesn't have to be some grand operatic thing, just a shining thread on which to string the musical beads. This album started with me feeling my way forward a bit at a time, like a blind man with a cane. I'd originally intended doing a very simple, stripped down set of songs that might easily be reproduced live but, somewhere along the line, the coastal, oceanic thing emerged and hijacked my original intentions. Before I knew it 'The Lighthouse Signal Mechanism Orchestra' had entered the frame, and it became clear what the muse was demanding of me. The instrumental interludes...were designed to both 'bridge' and further elaborate the various songs. The album is meant to be taken as a single, constantly unfolding piece of music. It contains a strong sense of place, of landscape and seascape, of characters and visual impressions. A kind of Ealing Studios film rendered as song." _____ "On a personal level, the album preserves these memories in sound and lyric as a meditation on loss and longing. On a more general level, it's an impressionistic album of seascapes and landscapes and the beautiful nature of our English coastline." _____ "One of my favourite tracks, "The Ceremonial Arrival of the Great Golden Cloud" works on several levels: 'The Great Golden Cloud' could actually be the name of a big sailing ship, its arrival in harbour after a trip to exotic lands being celebrated by those on dry land. It could also be a literal cloud, turned golden by the setting summer sun, watched by my boyhood self whilst standing on the east coast cliffs with my late father. The song makes a clear reference to my father who, 'loved the sea'. He and I used to walk on the empty beach together at dawn and explore the cliff tops at Reighton Gap and Witherensea. I recall he and I watching wild waves hit the harbour at Ilfracombe in Devon too. That song has many personal resonances." _____ "Re: 'The Lighthouse Keeper's Waltz' - it is intended to act as an 'overture' to the Sailor Bill album, setting the atmosphere and visual mood for the songs that follow. The lighthouse keeper is a romantic character for me, living in harmony with the elemental forces of the sea and providing a light for sailors to steer by. There are obvious metaphysical symbolisms involved here. The circular and spiral nature of the lighthouse evokes a kind of oceanic carousel. The coda section of the piece is meant to conjure up the idea of mermaids or sea-sirens singing on the rocks beneath the lighthouse, trying to lure the sailors to their doom. The textures, melodies and instrumentation of the piece are deliberately chosen to paint exactly that picture. It's one of my favourite compositions, not only on that album but generally, because it felt, when I'd finished it, as if I'd painted an epic picture of the scene as I'd originally imagined it." _____ "I invested a lot of time and thought in the project and I think this shows in the multi-faceted nature of the finished result. Its structures, textures and economical use of language were carefully chosen to convey both interior and exterior states of experience. It's filled with personal metaphor and symbolism and deals with innocence, experience and memory. It attempts to address the poetic nature of life and our longing for spiritual transcendence , but without spelling it out in those terms. I wanted it to have more than one level of meaning but also a 'secret key' that, once discovered and turned, would open the whole thing up like a treasure trove. "Ultimately, it's an album about the process of inner development, the possibility of transcendence mirrored by our interpretation of the world as it impacts on us in moments of wonder and lucidity. It's my attempt to read the mystery of my own life through the interpretation of memory and imagination. Conceptually ambitious? Perhaps so, and perhaps an unattainable goal. But it provided me with a personal revelation, simply by approaching it from that angle. I discovered a lot about myself in the process of making the album. In that sense, it really was a voyage of discovery and adventure, beyond the island of my past." _____ "If someone asked me to define my true self, the 'inner man', with just three albums, I'd point them to Sailor Bill , Rosewood Volume One , and Dreamland to Starboard with Sailor Bill occupying the number 1 slot. Of course, with such a large body of work to my name, there are quite a few other essential 'signifier' albums I could add to the essentials list, but, those three are the ones I'd save from the fire first. In some ways, they'd be the most suitable albums from which my soul and personality could be accurately reconstructed after I'm gone from this earth. I think of them as a kind of 'hologram' of the 'real me', the creative essence of myself." _____ " Sailor Bill is the classic, the timeless one, the BIG statement and the one you should give your undivided attention to. THIS is the one I passionately want you to hear above all others!" _____ "Give Sailor Bill' s musical ship of dreams time to reach your harbour...it's an epic, extended song-suite, rather than a collection of disconnected songs. It's almost operatic in its scope, a kind of concept album where each track makes up just one facet of the overall picture. I spent several months creating the album and it really requires proper listening to appreciate all the detail that went into it. But give it time and patience and it should unfurl its sails and carry you off to a coastal dreamland. Enjoy!!" FAN THOUGHTS: John Izzard: "More than lives up to the descriptions and promises Bill had made about this recording. Bill's albums always ooze artistry, creative energy and intelligence, but this album is simply on fire! I'm amazed that a musician with so many albums behind him, can produce something as beautifully fulfilling and desperately passionate as this. Incidentally, it is dedicated to Bill's late Father, his Mother and the memories of childhood seaside holidays. To the unconverted, if you want to see/hear a player at the very top of his game, you're not 25 years too late - IT'S NOW!" Martin Bostock: "Living, and indeed having grown up in a seaside town, the songs for me conjured up personal childhood memories of Tram rides, sandcastles and rain soaked-windswept trips through Blackpool Illuminations. Indeed, after we had listened to the CD and stepped out into the cool October evening air, I had that same excited feeling I would get when, as a boy, my Grandparents would take me to the 'Lighthouse Toy store' and would return home clutching some new piece of treasure. The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill is a treasure chest, with each piece therein a finely polished & many faceted gem. Destined to become one of those must have Bill Nelson classics." jetboy: "Everything about this album is BIG...Sweeping Orchestras that would work well as soundtrack music, haunting melodies, seagulls, wind, distant Wurlitzers, somewhere a 60's beat combo plays on the end of a pier...it's a very romantic album, each track an epic. I've never heard anything like it before, and it's going to go down as a classic Bill Nelson album." Peter: "What a jewel. As always, Mr. Nelson reaches and connects...interesting, multi-layered, dynamic, emotional, evocative, imaginative and challenging, yet familiar, another lovely musical adventure for us all to take." "To this day it blows me away...rich, complex, elegant and full of passion. A rewarding stew of nostalgia, genuine emotion and the brilliant musical explorations I expect from Bill. And the guitar...what can I say? "A Boat Named St. Christopher" is so achingly beautiful I want it to last forever. 'Moments Catch Fire"? C'mon...that one is so gorgeous!" wonder toy: "WOW! What an outstanding album. Bill, you sound the best in every way I can imagine, your voice sounds amazing, your guitar playing is better than ever (which is saying a lot). EVERYTHING! The keyboard parts, arrangements, lyrics. I could go on and on. You have raised the bar once again as I suspect you will very soon again too." Steve Whitaker: ' The Alchemical Adventures ...are 'musical paintings' of the landscape of place and memory, and they do draw you in. In objective terms, there's nothing striking or startling about the topography of the North East Yorkshire coast (I must have visited 200 times in my life), but the process of assimilation acquired over donkey's years of familiarity leaves a mutable, absolutely personal, mental imprint. Alchemical Adventures are an aesthetic exploration of these imprints, and it's a testament to Bill's genius that he can take you to Whitby or Robin Hood's bay, or some ghostly historical resonance of same, in the 'stationary, supine' journey of your bathtub." BobK: "This album, although hinted at on previous recordings, is different stylistically to previous albums. Mainly sweeping Orchestral arrangements. The music has emotional depth and resonance . Frankly, it rather affected me. I think it is clear that it is a very personal album. The album has 12 'tracks'. Though it must be said that so many melodies appear, disappear and reappear within them that it seems an insult to refer to them as 'tracks'. I think this is one of those collections that demand the listener listen to it as an entirety rather than dipping 'in and out'. The tracks flow and blend into a rather intense listening experience. The album is full of glorious melodies and moving lyrics. Beautifully played, beautifully sung. The arrangements are cleverly arranged, complex and transport the listener through a full range of emotions. The words that come to mind are: Epic, majestic, emotional and melancholy. In addition it made me smile. It seems unfair to pick 'standout' tracks. I will simply say that ' The Sky, The Sea, The Moon And Me' is a truly affecting piece of music that brought a tear to my eye. I feel this will be remembered not simply as a hugely enjoyable album but as a key album in a glorious career. Yep, I kinda like it. Thanks Sailor Bill." Honeymoon on Mars: "Put quite simply, Sailor Bill is a masterpiece which produces such a reservoir of emotion it takes the breath away. I found it more accessible than many of his other works, and although I am a guitarist, I did not rue the lack of that instrument in any way." Parsongs: "Well, just when you think Mr. Nelson can't get any more diverse, he gives us The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill . I can't put into words how deep and rich these compositions are. Bill has a natural gift for orchestration, I really think he needs a good publisher for his music (yes, notes on page), and a contract for a good film score. I'm really impressed by this new direction." Swan: "I've got a theory about why Bill (and some of his fans) may consider it to be one of his finest works: It's about the sea, powerful, dangerous, mysterious, atmospheric and calming. It's about genuine emotional attachments that we can all relate too. Bill's vocals fit the music perfectly and are at their strongest in recent years. The songs stand alone as does the piece as a whole. "Those of you that don't have it in your collection should commit heinous crimes in order to obtain it!!" Sue: "I could listen to all this music back to back, day in and day out and never be bored. And every time you listen, you hear something you didn't hear the last time, there is just layer upon layer of deliciousness waiting to be unpeeled. Every song tells a story and every story holds a memory. And there is nothing more precious than that." machman767: "I was fortunate to hear it at Nelsonica, the track "The Ceremonial Arrival of the Great Golden Cloud" had a lump in my throat both then and now as I type. It must rate as one of the most powerful tracks Bill has ever created. Unbelievable." Tourist in Wonderland: "I think the guitar solo on "Moments' is as close to perfection as is possible within a song, to these ears anyway, it makes me want to hear/experience it again and again...and that's no mean feat...goosebumps..." Kalamazoo Kid: "Ship of Summer": "The tightest distillation on the album of the simultaneously tragic and salvific power of memories. Lyrically, the song is the most direct statement of loss on the album, and the most direct expression of renewal and ecstasy. It also establishes an explicit metaphor for the dynamic interplay of past, present, and future. ("Ships come sailing..."). If anything on the album is the thematic summation, I'd say it's "Ship of Summer"." alec: "My first experience listening to The Alchemical Adventures was one of simultaneously watching a film in muted colours and an overwhelming sense of nostalgia for people, places and things both known and unknown. That first listening experience was so overwhelming in fact that I'd had to hide from the CD for a couple of months, and then certain tracks kept calling me...Just as ocean waves draw one towards the ocean...I believe the first track to call me back was "Sailor Blue' and then it was "Moments Catch Fire on the Crest of Waves." It's now a favourite of mine." Wasp In Aspic: "I would say that The Alchemical Adventures of Sailor Bill is one of the key works of Bill's career... Sailor Bill is one of those albums that is much more than the sum of its parts. It's an holistic experience. As always with Bill, modern; yet a journey through time to the English seaside of the fifties and sixties and you can almost taste the candyfloss. A rosy glow of a multi-faceted nostalgia trip. The closing instrumental, "My Ship is Lost to Semaphore" not only perfectly evokes the picture of a compass-deprived ship drifting and lost to eternity on a fog-cloaked sea, but also captures the feeling of loss of youth and naivety and carefree times." steve lyles: " Alchemical Adventures is an apt title. The "blending" and mutation of sounds and textures is hypnotic and an amazing endorphin rush. The music is epic, surreal and at the same time very intimate - arm tingling stuff. I just love the mix of Bill's vocals and the orchestral washes - I must admit it has taken several listens to 'unlock' the magic - I had to remove my Rosewood , Satellite Songs and Custom Deluxe filters which were almost permanently attached after the last few months. There are some of the most magnificent musical moments I have ever heard in this music - I actually get the vision of flying over the scenes Bill creates with the music and lyrics. I am and always have been in absolute awe of Bill's ability to create such Beautiful music...Many thanks Bill for such a wonderful creation." andylama: "Although it is radically different from any other of Bill's albums, it is quite easily one of his best, ever. Instant classic material, IMO. Bill's singing is very strong here, as is the songwriting and orchestration. I particularly love the self-harmony bits. Very nice. A must-have for any self-respecting BN fan. Thanks Bill; you continue to move me--25 years and going strong." Ged: "When Sailor Bill began it was magical and each piece brought back childhood memories, hidden surprises and a wonderful voyage on the high seas of Nelsonica . The orchestrations are epic and grand and it is a wonderfully theatrical and atmospheric piece of work, as always there is a twist and listening to each track brought many a smile to my face. Sailor Bill is a very personal album and I can honestly say that in my opinion it is one of Bill's finest pieces of work to date." "I only hope Sailor Bill receives the recognition it deserves - anyone who hasn't heard it, I'd definitely recommend buying a copy - in my opinion it is one of Bill's finest pieces of work." Albums Menu Future Past

Confessions Of A Hyperdreamer 2-CD album set - 10 February 1997 Bill Nelson Albums Menu Future Past CD 1 - Weird Critters: 01) Rain And Neon 02) Candyland 03) Birds And Blue Stuff 04) Radiated Robot Men 05) Coney Island 06) Weird Critters 07) Golden Satellites 08) The Brotherhood Of Sleeping Car Porters 09) Quarter Moons And Stars 10) Wonder Story 11) Cool Blue Heaven 12) Far Too Flip 13) Realm Rider 14) Angels In Arcadia Purchase this download CD 2 - Magnificent Dream People: 01) Sun At Six Windows 02) Bird Ornaments 03) My Favourite Atom 04) The Girl I Never Forgot 05) Circle The World In A Paper Canoe 06) Queer Weather 07) Astro-Coaster 08) Brutal Tinkerbell 09) The Waltz At The End Of The World 10) Secret Agent At Science Park 11) The Twentieth Century 12) Aura Hole 13) Radiant Nature Knows Not The Worker's Sorrow 14) Essoldo Stripshow Purchase this download ALBUM NOTES: Confessions of a Hyperdreamer is the fourth and final album for Resurgence and was a double album of archive material recorded over the period 1992-95, issued on the Populuxe imprint. The set forms the second volume of the My Secret Studio series of releases and comprises two albums, Weird Critters and Magnificent Dream People . The albums were presented in separate jewel cases inside an outer slip case with no extra paraphernalia, and very little information beyond a simple sleeve note. Three quarters of the material was recorded at Tape Recorder Cottage, with the rest coming from Fairview. Although publicised on the artwork, the fan club Nelsonian Navigator would soon be no more, having lasted for just 6 magazines (considerably fewer than Acquitted by Mirrors). Nelson's career from here on would rely almost exclusively on websites as a publicity platform. PAST RELEASES: Just over a year after its release as a double album, the component parts of Confessions of a Hyperdreamer would be reissued as two separate albums, again on Populuxe. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Both Weird Critters and Magnificent Dream People are available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . SAMPLES: The samples in "Rain and Neon", "Radiated Robot Men", "Bird Ornaments" and "Circle the World" are lifted from Charles Bukowski reading his poetry. "Brutal Tinkerbell" (from Magnificent Dream People ): "There are several thousand questions…I'd like to ask you" - Sam Jaffe (as Professor Jacob Barnhardt) from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). BILL'S THOUGHTS: "[The small black-and-white drawing seen at the upper-right-hand corner of the covers of Magnificent Dream People and Weird Critters is] a very quickly executed rough sketch I made to send to the package layout designer to represent the collage I'd made for the front cover of the set. (I often sketched out my design ideas in rudimentary form to show how I wanted the finished thing to look). In this instance the package layout artist, (who, if I recall correctly, was Mike Innes), said that he really liked my rough sketch and that he'd like to incorporate it into the package design in some way. So it was used as a little motif throughout the package. If you have the original complete set, you will see that this drawing represents the front cover with the dreaming man in his armchair, the jukebox and the flying car." _____ "Of course, the guitar is the focus of my instrumental energies and seems to be what people generally associate me with, but I do take care over the other instrumentation on my recordings. When it comes to synths, pianos, marimba, bass guitar, mandolin, harmonica, drums or drum-programming, I do try to find something that works within the song. But I'm no virtuoso so it can sometimes take me awhile to get it right! I've no formal education in music so can't deal with it in academic terms...it's simply trial and error and instinct...like a potter putting his hands on wet clay and pushing it around until a shape emerges. You might say that it involves a great deal of trust, the belief that something worthwhile will be the result of the initial uncertainty. Anyway, it works for me..." _____ "Only yesterday Emiko was remembering her spoken performance on "Astro-Coaster", which really brings some charm to that track." FAN THOUGHTS: jetboy: "gorgeous, sexy, MAGNIFICENT indeed..." Paul Andrews: Weird Critters : "I love that album, there's a lot of humour and playfulness involved in it." Johnny Jazz: Magnificent Dream People : "I just never tire of listening to this one. Such an all encompassing snapshot of instrumental style." eddie: Magnificent Dream People : "This is an overlooked masterpiece." Returningman: Weird Critters : "Just listened to this album in detail on the headphones and wanted to state again that it's a thing of beauty. From the Charles Bukowski snippets, the sublime backwards (and forwards!) guitars lines, the nod back to Quit Dreaming , this is one perfect album. The other half of this set (Magnificent Dream People ) is as magnificent as the title would indicate as well." Holer: "I've been stuck in a Weird Critters mode again too. Another great 'sleeper' record from Bill's back catalog. I love it when Bill gets the Weirdness bug up his ass from time to time, and that album is a prime example of sheer weird goofy fun." stormboy: "My favourite track by a long way is "Aura Hole" - the breakbeat/piano mix is inspired - one of the best bits of keyboard work in the whole of Bill's catalogue in my humble opinion...I love the flow of this piece - it feels like you just let yourself go and hit everything just right...The production is fantastic, too - from the stereo panning of the beat to the absolutely-right reverb on the piano - fantastic!" Dar: "Secret Agent at Science Park": "Now THAT'S some wankin', crankin', spankin' GUITAR work." "Candyland": Some of Bill's nastiest playing, and lyrically, right up there with "He and Sleep Were Brothers", for Mondo-A-Go-Go imagery." aquiresville: "Astro-Coaster" and "Secret Agent at Science Park": "...both super-tasty, jet-packin' superior Bill instrumentals (wildly wonderful guitar muscle-flexing on "Secret Agent!") "Angels in Arcadia": "is also one of my morning "must play" tracks -- such a wonderful power, tinged with sad-smile melancholia, a golden "walk into the sunset/end credits" ballad! Lovely!" Parsongs: "Bird Ornaments": "The e-bow tone sends shivers up my spine every time..." alec: "Far Too Flip": "always feels like...a sense of something to do with a Jazz Woodbine-like chuckle with an I'm-Super-Baad swagger, a sense of bemusement and optimism, and built-in coolness, especially as personified by the bass. I'd have to say that "Far Too Flip" is also a 'Surreal' 'n 'Sensual', maybe even 'Lusty' as well." "Golden Satellites": "is kind of slinky and sexy, weird and quirky, finger-snapping, chug-along, like finding a stack of unmarked cash." Phil: "I had to smile whilst reading Volume 1 of Bill's autobiography and discovered that his first two-wheeler bicycle was a 'Dawes Realm Rider'. I just had to dig out my copy of Confessions of a Hyperdreamer : My Secret Studio Volume II and play the "Realm Rider" track from the Weird Critters album. Now, the track does conjure up all sorts of images for me, but I wouldn't list a bicycle amongst them. Maybe the inspiration for the track also lies within the pages of the autobiography, when Bill mentions that in the imagination the bike was transformed into a trusty steed." Merikan1: "Try Confessions of a Hyperdreamer . This is sort of a "bridge" between the older and newer styles." Comsat Angel: "Weird Critters /Magnificent Dream People were the albums that I re-discovered Bill with, and caused me to buy sixty albums or so over the following 8 months..." Albums Menu Future Past

Ships in the Night Be-Bop Deluxe single - 16 January 1976 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Ships In The Night B) Crying To The Sky ORIGINALLY: "Ships in the Night" was an edited version of the Sunburst Finish album cut, whereas "Crying to the Sky" was lifted unchanged from the same album. NOTES: Ships in the Night was the fifth Be Bop Deluxe single issued during the band's existence. The single was issued in a generic record company sleeve. UK Promo copies exist with the words "Demo Record Not For Sale", and a large 'A' printed on the label. US Mono/Stereo promo copies were pressed to encourage airplay on both AM and FM radio. PAST RELEASES: Both tracks would be included on the Singles As and Bs compilation (1981). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The single is long deleted, but both tracks can be found on the Cherry Red/Esoteric Recordings reissue of Sunburst Finish (2018 ) - both in physical form and as a digital download. Singles Menu Future Past

Cinema Menu Bill Nelson Videos A collection of videos Bill has created for his music, with a couple of 'guest' videos that Bill enjoys. The Studio Tour Here's a video showing a walk around Bill's studio in intimate detail... It features the tracks 'The Raindrop Collector' and 'A Perfect Night - The Dawn Rejoices'. September 2018 Video and music by Bill Nelson Drive This Comet Across The Sky 'Drive This Comet Across The Sky' is an album now available to download from Bandcamp. It's an album with a number of rock-pop songs on it and a single instrumental track. Here is a simple little video I've made to give you a preview of the title track. Hope you enjoy it! Bill Nelson, January 2018 Video and music by Bill Nelson Instromix Created in October 2017, 'Instromix' includes manipulated photographs and images to the backing of five fantastic guitar -based instrumental tracks Video and music by Bill Nelson The Awakening Of Dr. Dream The title track from the 2017 album 'The Awakening Of Dr. Dream' Video and music by Bill Nelson Hyperluminal From the 2016 album 'Perfect Monsters' Video and music by Bill Nelson Only A Dream But Nevertheless From the 2015 album 'Plectrajet' Revisiting Wakefield and the ruins of memory... A personal odyssey through the decaying landscape of my past Video and music by Bill Nelson The Boy Who Lived In The Future Taken from the 2013 album 'The Sparkle Machine', this video was premiered at the Hepworth Gallery concert in Wakefield in September 2013 Video and music by Bill Nelson Albion Dream Vortex The title track from the 2013 album 'Albion Dream Vortex' Featuring Bill's photography throughout the years Video and music by Bill Nelson Let's Dance This track from the 2012 album 'Return To Tomorrow' is Bill's cover of the Chris Montez hit. Julian Hanford has done a fantastic job of coupling the music to a dance sequence from the 1969 Universal Pictures film 'Sweet Charity'. Music performed by Bill Nelson, written by Jim Lee Film footage by Bob Fosse Video produced by Julian Hanford Model Village Take a trip with Bill around some of his favourite Yorkshire Landscapes. Featuring the tracks 'Windmill Interlude' and 'Cross Country', from his 2011 album 'Model Village' Video and music by Bill Nelson The Golden Days Of Radio From the 2009 album 'Fancy Planets' Video and music by Bill Nelson Once I Had A Time Machine Taken from the 2008 album 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow', this video was premiered at the Songs For Ghosts launch party in October 2017 Video and music by Bill Nelson Young Dreams Whirled Away From the 2008 album 'Silvertone Fountains' Video and music by Bill Nelson Astron From the 2007 album 'Secret Cub For Members Only' Video and music by Bill Nelson The Ceremonial Arrival Of The Great Golden Cloud From the 2005 album 'The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill' Music written and performed by Bill Nelson Video produced by Julian Hanford incorporating footage from various sources Be Bop Deluxe In The South Of France Footage shot by Bill during the recording of the Drastic Plastic album in 1977. The material remained unseen until Bill found it, digitised it and made this film...first shown during the 'Be Bop and Beyond' tour of 2004 Video and music by Bill Nelson Pink Buddha Blues Taken from the 1995 album 'Practically Wired (Or How I Became Guitar Boy)'. The music is Bill's, but the video sequence isn't... However, Bill very much approves of the video, which is why it is featured here in the Essoldo Cinema. Music by Bill Nelson Video uploaded by Zastava Flaming Desire From the classic 1982 album 'The Love That Whirls' Music and video by Bill Nelson Do You Dream In Colour? A very well spruced up video of this classic single from the 1981 album 'Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam' Video and music by Bill Nelson Cinema Menu

Battle Of Big Soup album - 1993 Bogus Brothers Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer, additional guitar. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Live Archive Be Bop & Beyond Tour - 2004 During October 2004, Bill assembled his 'occasional' band, The Lost Satellites, to embark on a UK tour celebrating 30 years of Bill Nelson's music. The band consisted of... Bill Nelson - Guitars & Voice, Nick Dew (Be Bop's original drummer) - Drums, Ian Nelson - Saxophone & Keyboard, Ian Leese - Bass & Backing Vocals, Dave Standeven - Guitar, Steve Cook - Keyboards, Jon Wallinger - Keyboard & Acoustic Guitar. The tour kicked off with a 'secret' warm-up gig at The Duke of Cumberland in North Ferriby, near Hull, with the band going under the guise of 'The Sex Gods Of Disneyland'. Shows were then put on in Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Newcastle and two nights in London, before finishing with a performance at the annual Nelsonica convention, again at North Ferriby. Concert running order: Part One: 'Bejeweled Dream Of Electric Guitars' A short solo instrumental performance from Bill Nelson featuring live improvised guitars over interactive pre-recorded tracks with his own video creations as backdrop. Part Two: 'Eight Millimetre Memories...Be Bop Deluxe In The South Of France' A thirty minute film by Bill Nelson assembled from archive home-cine footage originally taken by Bill in 1977 during the recording of Be Bop Deluxe's 'Drastic Plastic' album in Juan-Les-Pins. The film utilises several of Bill's instrumental recordings as a soundtrack. Part Three: 'Jukebox From Another World: Be Bop Deluxe And Beyond' Bill Nelson And The Lost Satellites perform selected songs from albums recorded over the last thirty years. Here's a few pictures...if you have any you would like to add, please get in touch!

Working For The Yankee Dollar single - 1979 Skids Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer and Keyboards on the b-side, "Vanguard's Crusade". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Astral Navigations album - 1971 Lightyears Away/Thundermother Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on three of the songs credited to Lightyears Away: "Yesterday", "Today (North Country Cinderella)" and "Tomorrow (Buffalo)". On "Tomorrow", Nelson sang some vocals as well. Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Raiding the Divine Archive Be Bop Deluxe retrospective collection - March 1987 Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: A1) Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus A2) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape A3) Maid In Heaven A4) Ships In The Night A5) Life In The Air-Age A6) Kiss Of Light A7) Sister Seagull B1) Modern Music B2) Japan B3) Panic In The World B4) Bring Back The Spark B5) Forbidden Lovers B6) Electrical Language The CD version added the following tracks: 14) Fair Exchange 15) Sleep That Burns 16) Between The Worlds 17) Music In Dreamland NOTES: Raiding the Divine Archive is a compilation offering the new listener an introduction to Be Bop Deluxe. The LP appeared first in March 1987 on vinyl and cassette, and featured 13 tracks. PAST RELEASES: All the songs on this compilation album were taken from the six albums released in the band's lifetime, issued between 1974 and 1978. When this compilation was issued on CD in April 1990, it was the first time Be Bop Deluxe material had been presented on CD, and as such, confined itself to their best known material. The CD version featured new artwork and added four extra tracks. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This compilation is now out of print in physical form, but is available to download from online stores. Collections Menu Future Past

Songs For Ghosts Bill Nelson double album - 28 October 2017 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download CD 1 - King of Dreams: 01) A Thousand, Thousand Ghosts 02) Ever The Dreamer 03) Beyond The Sun 04) Heaven Lights Its Lamps 05) Astrophysical 06) Move Through This World 07) Here Comes The Big Blue Moon 08) In The Wings 09) Planet Of Ghosts 10) Zodiac 11) When Day Is Done 12) The Almost Invisible Man 13) The Curious King Of Dreams 14) Baby Buddha CD 2 - Tower of Jewels: 01) The Future Life 02) Music From Another Star 03) Forward Motion 04) 2000 Miles To Midnight (My Ghost Burns Fire) 05) Illumination Fascination Blues 06) 1948 07) Man Or Astroman (Cat Or Mouse) 08) Billy Beyond (Everyone's Clean In Paradise) 09) Late Transmission: This Song Is History 10) The Mirror Maker's Daughter (Other Fish To Fry) 11) The Dreamlike Day-To-Day 12) Tower Of Jewels 13) Travelling In Mind 14) His Astral Form ALBUM NOTES: Songs For Ghosts is a double album of vocal pieces released on the Sonoluxe label in a limited run of 650 copies. Signed copies of the album were first made available to attendees of the Songs for Ghosts launch party held on 28 October 2017 at The Cloth Workers' Hall, Leeds. The remaining copies of the albums were then sold through SOS. The album was first announced on the Dreamsville forum on 15 March 2017 before a note of music had been recorded, Songs For Ghosts being an album title that Nelson had wanted for use for some time. However, it wasn't too long before work got underway on the album with 4 songs completed by 5 April 2017. By the end of April 14 song titles were revealed for possible inclusion, with confirmation in May that the project was developing into a double album with extra special attention being given to the packaging. With 28 tracks completed by 12 June 2017, the album's running order was finally confirmed on 18 June 2017 along with confirmation that 2 tracks recorded in the first batch of songs - "Serene in Silver" and "On Gilded Tracks" - would be held back for a future album. It didn't take Nelson long to confirm his intentions with the surplus material. On 20 June 2017 it was announced that the 2 remaining tracks would be added to with 2 newer songs for release as a download only EP, provisionally titled No Ghosts Here . Nelson's plans were expanded by the end of the month as he added five new songs to the project turning it into a proposed mini-album, now provisionally titled Spooky Annexe . To add to his dilemma, Nelson was also considering one of the new songs, "Special Beings with Special Senses", for inclusion on the Songs For Ghosts album. An eighth song was completed on 1 July called "Singing in the Ether", which also became another contender for the mini-album's working title. Further tracks were completed later in July at which point Nelson decided that the quality of the overflow material was sufficiently high to warrant a full length album, which he initially referred to as Songs For Ghosts Part 3 . It remains to be seen how this additional album project will be handled and when it will appear. The album sold out on the 6 December 2017. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: New Northern Dream , Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus , Kid Flip , Clocks and Dials , Special Metal Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , The Dream Transmission Pavilion , Perfect Monsters , Electric Atlas BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Kid Flip was a real electric guitar hard rocker, so maybe I'll move in a completely different direction for the next album. Perhaps something abstract, diffuse, nebulous. I have an album title that I've wanted to use for some time: Songs For Ghosts . Maybe that's the starting point for my next adventure." _____ "Home from a day in Fairview spent with mastering engineer John Spence. We transferred all the 28 tracks of Songs For Ghosts over to Fairview Studio's computer ready for John to work his mastering magic on. I hadn't heard the double album for a while and had forgotten how eclectic and, er, strange some of the songs are...surreal lyrics, non-linear arrangements, abstract sounds and free-form codas mixed with pop styles and things pulled in from several other musical forms. It's definitely one which will take some concentrated listening to unlock...it's both dirty and nebulous." _____ "Songs For Ghosts is a double album of predominately vocal oriented songs with a couple of mellow instrumental excursions. The initial concept was centred around a vague feeling of melancholia, a sadness at the heart of things, but, as is usual with my work, that first idea was modified during the actual recording process. I wanted to maintain a sense of 'diffusion', songs that were not quite linear, songs that refused to 'solidify' to a certain extent, with free-form elements brought to bear and lyrics that were slightly more stream of consciousness than anything literal or relating to specific situations. Enigmatic and automatic, like trance induced creations, unconscious communications from somewhere suggestively 'elsewhere.' But, inevitably, as the recording of the album progressed, this concept merged with rather more straightforward, prosaic elements, and, indeed a couple of the songs have turned out to be quite direct and specific. (I suppose my pop sensibility will never really desert me.) Nevertheless, something of the originally intended 'vagueness' or 'ghostliness,' remains...these are songs directed at realms beyond, perhaps couched in a kind of mutant pop language, but still recognisably, 'other'." _____ B ill's Listening Notes for selected tracks from the album: ' Songs For Ghosts' Listening Notes FAN THOUGHTS: CoachMatt: "Songs for Ghosts is a stimulating odyssey of the living and moreover, those who have passed on. You never know with Bill what came first, the music, the lyrics, the title, an image, a thought? The album seems to gather strength in the departed having more knowledge and wisdom than the living, being, they gained more through their experiences than the living. The music coincides with the arrangements nicely with no lack of Bill's abilities to play many different instruments and styles. I cannot say I have a favorite track within this double album and I always have my favorites. I believe this album needs to be listened to as a whole with its reflections on immortality, mortality, and maturity. Bill again delivers a fine work of art that seasoned listeners can enjoy and relish in the complexities of sound and dreams." MondoJohnny: "I totally agree that this feels like a nexus of the various Bill's we've seen and known. A meeting place. In some ways its as if Bill has multiple "ghosts" inside him and he acts as a medium, conjuring them up for us. Sometimes I feel that way spending so much time watching the movies of the departed, listening to their words and their music. Electric ghosts indeed. Do we keep them alive? If I could be a vessel for these ghosts, so that they could live on, I would be. "I want to say that I love when I see the witty playful side of Bill. It's something of a rarity, as he's focused on much more personal and emotional material recently, almost with a seeming sense of urgency. Perhaps there is a sense of wanting to cast off what is seen as frivolous and impermanent, but this album feels like all of Bill. The whole thing! I love it for that! "I've never felt like I have "known" another musician like this, and there are times when I feel I'm holding this delicate and precious treasure in my hands. It feels almost too pure and too honest to hold. It makes me feel ashamed of all that I hold back. "I've surrendered to the experience of being a Bill Nelson fan and I just want to say that though I may make some silly comments about wanting more synthesizers and all that, I'm along for the rest of the ride. I don't want or expect Bill to ever be the kind of man to deliver me a product. There is no menu. To choose would be to lessen." John Fisher: "What a cool album! I think the songs have a really 'laid-back' vibe. You notice I didn't use the word 'mellow'. Far from it. And despite the inclusion of a few jazz-oriented tracks, like 'Astrophysical' (one of Bill's favourites), it's much more of a rock album. Yes, it's wonderful to see Bill improvising live on stage. But for me, perhaps more rewarding is this extended snapshot of Bill as a master songwriter. The songwriting exudes confidence, as he contemplates life both physical and metaphysical. Bill sounds like an artist truly inspired, and completely at home in his skin." BobK: "Ghosts falls into the rock genre I suppose. It is a collection of wonderfully melodic tunes, nicely sung with fabulously tasteful guitar playing throughout. Typically there is a lot going on behind the vocals, some cool percussive sounds and of course blippy noises and oddness. The tunes, in keeping with the title, have an ethereal, subtle - dare I say 'Ghostly'- quality to them. The top line melody sometimes takes a while to hit the spot. The most enjoyable listens are driving home in the dark on a peaceful and quiet motorway with the volume cranked up. It is a terrific collection." paul.smith: "Absolutely love a couple of the instrumentals almost immediately, and 'Zodiac' and several of the vocal tracks are 'coming through' after the proverbial 'repeated listenings'...Very eclectic group of tracks that are seemingly destined to be reeling 'round my head in the fullness of time." steve lyles: "My copy of songs for ghosts arrived a couple of days ago and is as my usual way with Bill Nelson's music l immerse myself in its warmth and complexity...its twists and turns the virtuosity and unique rhythmic backdrop...I've pondered why no one has said anything about the album and after several spins believe it's related to Bill's vocal stylings...on this album being very "free form jazz" it's like Joni Mitchell's Mingus or blue, a voluptuous cocktail of sound from a master musician at the top of his creative brilliance...it's an instantly accessible album with distinctly paradoxical elements...Bill you're a bloody genius...more please." alec: "Enjoying the many surprising twists and turns that, cat-like, all land on their feet . An instant favourite is 'Man Or Astroman (Cat Or Mouse)'... "And much dappled light, sonic splashes and some splotches, as well as Noir b&w, Technicolor and sepia wobble and fade into one another, jump cuts from dissolves, that these calico tracks slink about in... "One second tranquility, another second a shiver of paranoia... "Sun throws long shadows from these passing cars, gold and burnished in the evening air. " Albums Menu Future Past

Days in Europa album - 1979 Skids Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer and Keyboards Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) January 2008 Feb Aug Sep Oct Tuesday 22nd January 2008 -- Morning A difficult diary entry. My stepfather George, who had an operation for cancer several months ago, is not well. After his operation, it was thought that the problem had been eradicated. Then, a few weeks before Christmas, he was re-admitted to hospital after suffering a further health set-back. After a week in hospital, where various scans and tests were conducted, we were given the depressing news that the cancer had returned with a vengance and that George was beyond the reach of further operations or treatment. We're all deeply saddened by this and are feeling particularly helpless, 'though we're all trying to encourage him to take as positive an attitude as possible. I still believe that the mind has a tremendous influence over the body and that life can surprise us with quiet miracles. Nevertheless, the news inevitably brought a dark cloud to the festive season and it's impossible to ignore that George's condition has deteriorated since. As well as thinking about George, I'm very concerned about my mother who is, by nature, a worrier. I'm doing my best to be supportive to them both but I have to admit to feeling helpless and inadequate. I won't go further into the situation here in this public web-diary as it's a very personal matter. Of course, it's impossible for me not to at least touch on the situation. I'm not particularly good at disguising these things but I am, as you may have realised, struggling to find a way to convey matters which are, at core, quite painful. George is at home at the moment, very fragile, feeling terribly ill some days and slightly better on others. It's these better days that we're hoping will allow him some respite from the illness. I suppose that, in terms of chronology, the above news should have been part of my previous diary entry and, in fact, that was originally the case...but I then thought it best to wait until after Christmas. So I removed the relevant paragraphs and decided to wait until now to document developments. Actually, I'm not even sure if I should write about it at all but the emotional impact of the situation on day-to-day life will, I fear, be impossible to disguise. So that's it. A different subject: Christmas now feels long gone, as does New Year. Already, 'though it's still only January. Time accelerates, pushing into 2008 with a restless violence dulled only by the lingering, self-inflicted hangover of seasonal over-indulgence and fruitless escape. I spent the 'holiday,' (is that really what it is?) in a kind of stupor...the usual desperate chasing after more innocent times, but this all too soon abandoned to the dubious charms of oblivion. It's a kind of seasonal psychosis, common to those of us inclined towards a dark disposition and cursed by the weary accumulations of years. But, there we go...anything to keep the beast at bay. In an attemt to counterbalance all this, I've plunged back into the whirlpool of work in search of creative solace and satisfaction. I'd begun to re-work aspects of my 'SILVERTONE FOUNTAINS' album before the Christmas break but have now virtually abandoned all but four or five of the original 16 pieces of music I'd selected for it. As a result, I've recorded 15 brand new pieces for possible inclusion on the album, 'though not all of these will make the final cut. Consequently, there are more than enough abandoned or 'left over' pieces to fill this year's limited edition Nelsonica convention album. In fact, the connvention album may have to be a double disc set this time. And why not...it is the year of my 60th birthday after all. A good reason to push the boat out, I think. As for 'SILVERTONE FOUNTAINS,' well, I think it's one of the richest sounding, most complex instrumental albums of my career, but it has innocence, spontaneity, charm and melody too. It pulls together the stylistic traits of the last half-dozen albums I've recorded but does this in a manner that I hope will shine new light, (and shade), on the music. The album also contains one of the trickiest, retro-hip, jump-jive guitar instrumentals I've ever committed to a recording. It's part of a piece which develops, out of the blue, from a reflective, melancholy meditation on transcience to a fast-paced, joyous collusion of mind, fingers and strings. The piece is called 'Young Dreams, Whirled Away'. (The 'whirled away' part of the title referring to the aforementioned speedy guitar section.) This piece, for me, provides one of the album's highlights. Overall though, the album is a heady mixture of dreamy melancholy and ecstatic celebration. It is, (arguably), a slightly more demanding or challenging listen than the original album I'd assembled under the 'Silvertone Fountains' title last October, but all the better for that, in my opinion. Having said this, there's nothing overtly 'avant-garde' about it, just a gentle twist of sound here and there, a faint suggestion of the surreal, a faded dream wrapped up in silver filigrees and golden clouds of buttery guitar. Whilst on the sunject of guitars, there's quite a nice selection of them on this album, the most featured being my Campbell Nelsonic signature model, my Eastwood Airline 'Map' guitar and my newly aquired Peerless Monarch archtop, plus a touch of Gretsch twang and a sprinkle of Telecaster bright-spangled shine, (this last courtesy of an instrument on generous loan to me from my friend Johnny Moo). There are still adjustments to be made to the track selection though. I've today come to the conclusion that two of the tracks, maybe, don't sit as neatly into the overall feel of the album as I'd like and I might yet replace these two pieces with either a couple of the original album's tracks or even switch on my recorder again to create two more new pieces. I'll decide about this over the next few days or so. Meanwhile, Emi and I are driving over to Wakefield this afternoon to visit my mother and George. POST SCRIPT: Things have changed since writing the above, a few days ago. I originally hoped to post this entry much sooner but was planning to take some photographs to include with it. Circumstances haven't allowed enough time to do this and now the situation mentioned above in relation to my stepfather George's health has become even more critical. I'm just about to drive over to Wakefield again but this time to a hospice to which George was admitted this morning, (29th January). A 'phone call from my mother, a short while ago, informed me that things have deteriorated dramatically, even though George has been fighting the condition to the point of exhaustion over the last few days. There's not much more I can say at this point, so I must leave it at that and hurry over there. Top of page

Tramcar to Tomorrow retrospective collection - 31 August 1998 Be Bop Deluxe Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Third Floor Heaven 02) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 03) Mill Street Junction 04) 15th Of July (Invisibles) 05) Maid In Heaven 06) Stage Whispers 07) Sister Seagull 08) Blazing Apostles 09) Crying To The Sky 10) Peace Of Mind 11) Panic In The World 12) Love In Flames NOTES: Tramcar to Tomorrow was a natural follow up to Radioland issued four years previously, in that gave the first official release to a selection of Be Bop Deluxe BBC studio session recordings made for The John Peel Show . It wasn't a definitive collection by any means, but it was a start for those fans who had spent part of their youth recording this material onto cassettes either from the original Peel programmes or from various re-broadcasts on the Alan Freeman show or the Friday Rock Show presented by Tommy Vance. Sourced from 4 different sessions and giving the first release to the lost song "15th of July" (recorded for a 1974 Peel session), Tramcar to Tomorrow provided a decent overview of the band's BBC recordings made to promote the albums Axe Victim , Futurama , Sunburst Finish , and Drastic Plastic . The omission of the three tracks from a 1973 Peel session ("Axe Victim", "Bluesy Ruby" and "Tomorrow The World"), plus one track from the 1975 session ("Lights") and two tracks from the 1978 session ("Superenigmatix" and "Love in Flames") was disappointing to those looking at least for complete sessions, if not a complete anthology of such recordings. The subsequent release of At the BBC 1974-1978 (2013), with the inclusion of the previously omitted tracks from the 1975 and 1978 sessions, was a huge step in the right direction, but frustratingly three tracks found on Tramcar were omitted from the 2013 box set release. The Peel session from November 1973 wouldn't see an official release until the Cherry Red/Esoteric Recordings reissue of Axe Victim in 2020. PAST RELEASES: None of this material was previously available on official releases. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This compilation is now out of print. Collections Menu Future Past

Signals From Realms of Light Bill Nelson album - 1 October 2011 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) I Am The Universe 02) Past And Present (And The Space Between) 03) Beam Service 04) The Spirit That Remembers 05) Happy Realms Of Light 06) Days Of Golden Dreams 07) Dark And Bright ALBUM NOTES: Signals From Realms of Light is an instrumental album released on the Sonoluxe label issued in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album's concept was first announced on the Dreamsville forum in June 2011 having grown out of an album titled The Mysterious Echo Chamber of Priapus Stratocaste r. A change in musical direction and difficulties in realizing appropriate artwork for an album with that title led to a revised working title of Greetings from the Realms of Light . Nelson then decided that the material he had assembled for the project was best split across two quite different albums, and the tracks initially created with the Priapus Stratocaster album in mind were removed to allow the Signals From Realms of Light album to develop along the lines we know from the finished album. Pre-release copies of the album were first made available at the The Art School Ascended on Vapours of Roses event held at Leeds University along with Model Village on the 1st of October, 2011, before going on general release through S.O.S. just 3 days later. Signals From Realms of Light sold out in November 2019. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Non-Stop Mystery Action , Theatre of Falling Leaves , Mazda Kaleidoscope , Palace of Strange Voltages , Gleaming Without Lights , Wah-Wah Galaxy , Dreamland to Starboard , Neptune's Galaxy , Map of Dreams BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It's a hybrid sort of album which, whilst entirely instrumental, (save for several 'found voice' samples), contains long-form, reflective, quite serene moments as well as the aforementioned psychedelic guitar thrashings. The latter serve as interludes for the longer, more introspective pieces but I think the real key to the album will be those much longer, slowly evolving, exploratory tracks... The new working title is 'Greetings From the Realms of Light' . ('Light' being a recurring theme/symbol in some of the voice samples). As always though, until the album is mastered and manufactured, this could be subject to change!" _____ "The mood is that of a series of sound paintings, gathered from a romantic, imaginary future that never arrived." FAN THOUGHTS: Puzzleoyster: Re: Which album do you consider to be Bill's Magnum Opus? "Back against the wall, it has to be Signals From Realms of Light . A complete Life-affirming 68 minute miracle, delivered sonically in the Bill Nelson Style...No words spoken or delivered - the instrumentation delivers the words if you know the language." paul.smith: "Possessing everything I love about Bill's abstract instrumental albums - absolutely stunning and full of layers - each time I have the pleasure of playing it I get something new - fantastic..." alec: "Getting pretty addicted to SFRofL . It's a deep one. Turns the mind into a cinema." Serge Ruel: "WARNING/INTICEMENT: Listening to this record will shift your consciousness. If you want an album that reflects many/many/many of Bill's recent themes and their development; this is the one. BRAVO/BRAVO - An artistic tour de force! More than worth the price of admission! Thanks for keeping on (continuing to develop)!!!" johnofdeath: "I've always loved the way Bill uses samples of voices in his music and these longer pieces contain lots of them. Really nostalgic/atmospheric...(At one stage I was a bit concerned about the repeated use of "recalculating" until I realised it was my Sat Nav telling me I'd taken a wrong turning but it did fit in with the music!!!)" tom fritz: "I've just been loving "Past and Present", from Signals From Realms of Light - 22 minutes of "pure joy". A real treat for the guitarists - we're all wired that way. At the 4:00 mark, the e-bow shines in, chills abound & the day starts over." andygeorge : "I am the Universe"...Just how f*****g good is that blistering guitar sound when it kicks in...the tone, the texture, the body...I literally stopped what I was doing when I heard it the first time, had to savour the moment and not miss a note...Bloody marvellous Mr Nelson!!!" aquiresville: "Sorry, Fellas, but it's "Beam Service" all the way 'til Friday. Such a perfect soar-worthy, slick-n-slide Bill guitar solo! Only one artist sounds like that!" mthom: "I think Bill's new stuff is truly the best. I oftentimes go back to the old stuff and think, wow, this sounds kind of primitive. But in a good way, but not so textured and...full. Signals From Realms of Light continues to amaze me, with some of the best damn guitar playing I have heard in a long time. So textured and...full. There's a lot going on there, and it seems to get better with repeated listens. Hooya!" felixt1: " Signals From Realms of Light is one of those albums with instant reward. It's got all of the attributes that Nelsonians of all vintages will enjoy. Gorgeous guitar, chimes, piano, lush synths, cool science fiction type sounds, they're all there in abundance. An absolute triumph, I am instantly hooked on this album. "The long form track in particular, "Past and Present (and the Space Between)" is a corker with many a twist and turn and lots of nice guitar...and some nice chilled ambient moments. Buy it !!!" Analog: "This has my favourite found voice piece, without doubt, (possibly my favourite track of all for a single piece of music from any artist ever!) - and when you hear it I'm sure you'll agree that it is outstanding - "Days of Golden Dreams", and my second favourite found voice piece - "The Spirit That Remembers", though my favourite could not exist in its delightful form without the other which comes first on the album. "Overall an album that is a MUST buy as it really sets a mood as only Mr. Nelson can, and what a great mood. (Listening as I type - typing ceases, listening now! THE TRACK...Ah, Yes! Repeat play for that track! Bravo Mr. Nelson. Always does it for me. Creativity in its finest. Needed that. I feel better now.)" Paul Andrews: "Bill unleashed from standard song format to a truly creative peak." Albums Menu Future Past

Modern Moods For Mighty Atoms Bill Nelson album - 20 September 2010 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) One Thing Leads To Another 02) Sky Scooter 03) Speedboats From Another World 04) In An Aeroplane 05) The Dream Of The Unified Field 06) Binky And The Dancing Astronomers 07) Real Worlds And Dream Worlds 08) The Kid With A Cuckoo Clock Heart 09) What Station Is This? 10) After The Rain, Pick The Fruit 11) Binky's Blues 12) Another Slice Of Wonder Cake 13) Buddha And The Rain Cloud 14) The Day That Came And Went 15) Wing Thing ALBUM NOTES: Modern Moods for Mighty Atoms is a mixture of vocal and instrumental pieces released on the Blue Shining Fountain label in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album was born out of unused material composed and recorded at the time Nelson was compiling Fables and Dreamsongs and Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus (the album compiled especially for Nelsonica 10 ). With a number of high quality tracks that didn't fit within the style or concept of those two albums, Nelson set about the task of adding a handful of new tracks written especially for the album and soon had a third new album to master. Modern Moods For Mighty Atoms sold out in August 2019. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "These tracks were originally made for the forthcoming albums in this new series of releases [Fables and Dreamsongs and Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus] , but either they didn't fit in terms of concept, or there was simply no room left on either album to include them. So, in a sense, Modern Moods is a compilation of 'left-overs'. But the amazing thing was that these left-overs actually fitted together in an interesting way and have created a rather nice album with lots of variety." FAN THOUGHTS: BenTucker: "It really is an absolute stunner - it will blow a lot of people's minds, I suspect." BobK: "I love the variety. Rocky, poppy, jazzy, up-tempo, slow tempo, some with vocals, some instrumentals, and some 'strange ones'. My goodness, that IS variety. Well variety is nice, but it helps that every single track is very impressive indeed." andygeorge: "First impression? An absolute corker of an album! "If anybody had any doubts about Mr Bill Nelson being able to 'cut it' anymore, I defy them to listen to this and not be blown away by the sheer genius of the man. As Bob has said, variety rules here...something and more for anybody's taste buds to savour...Love it! "And these are 'cast offs' Mr Nelson?...Well, roll on the next chapter! "..."Another Slice of Wonder Cake?"...Yes please! "...enough of this, back to the music..."Sky Scooter" is playing now...Love it!" MondoJohnny: "I love it! All the tracks grab me instantly. I particularly like the vocal tracks so far." "It just gets better and better with repeat listens! "Sky Scooter" is great! I think it's greatest hit material, even though there aren't any lyrics." "I was blown away by how much energy this album had. When most artists start getting older they adopt a more "mature sound" which usually seems to mean that they throw out all the whistles and bells, and produces really low pulse thoughtful music. Bill seems able to still capture high energy pieces, but he infuses them with his working knowledge of life, and his technical mastery and restraint. It is a winning combination to be sure." Holer: "Hi Bill - Just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying the new record. It's fun to hear an album where all of your moods and styles are on display. It really confounded my expectations at every turn and that's a good thing. I am particularly enamoured of the instrumentals "What Station is This?" and "Wing Thing". I've always had a soft spot for your penchant for high weirdness, and those tunes really fill the bill. (oops pun.) I could literally listen to hours of that kind of stuff (and often do...). "Anyway, thanks once again for delivering another elpee of cracking tunes." Pathdude: "A true classic with tremendous vocals and instrumentals of all types. It seems to touch upon every mood. One of my absolute favorites." "This one is too good to miss." JMH: "What Station is This?": "I literally had to pull to the side of the road, stop the car and listen to this wondrous piece. The artist and his definitive art of perfect invention are in superb form on this track...takes me backwards and forwards in time...little does Mr. Nelson realise , perhaps, that he is the preeminent inventor/arbiter of Modern Western Musical Mysticism...I certainly got misty eyed listening to this track." "This was a stop-dead-in-your-tracks awe inspiring listen." Alan: "I can say that this one hooked me on the first listen. I love every track on it. I'm off work tomorrow and can hardly wait to listen even more closely. "If anyone is wondering whether or not to get this album, I say go for it." Albums Menu Future Past

Non-Stop Mystery Action Bill Nelson album - 25 November 2009 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) This Is Like A Galaxy 02) Welcome To The Dream Transmission Pavilion 03) Yes And No 04) When The Invisible Circus Comes To Town 05) Materialisation Phenomena 06) The Departure Of The 20th Century In A Hail Of Memory ALBUM NOTES: Non-Stop Mystery Action is an instrumental album issued on the Sonoluxe label in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album is a collection of lengthy instrumental pieces, three of which are soundtracks to videograms that Nelson produced in 2008 and 2009. These are 'Welcome to the Dream Transmission Pavilion', 'Materialisation Phenomena' and 'The Departure of the 20th Century in a Hail of Memory', all of which were included on the Picture House DVD issued in 2010. Nelson's first announced the Non Stop Mystery Action album in his online diary, dated 21 July 2009, at which point the album had seven tracks, including three that failed to make the final cut: "Like a Woman Levitating", "Machines of Loving Grace" and "Stranger Flowers Now Than Ever". These were replaced with "Materialisation Phenomena" and "When the Invisible Circus Comes to Town". The final track listing was confirmed on 1 November 2009, with all artwork and mastering commitments completed ready for its pre-Christmas release. Non-Stop Mystery Action sold out in December 2020. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "I'm currently working on the assembly of what will be my next CD album release, the NON-STOP MYSTERY ACTION album. It looks like the album will only contain six tracks...but they are all 'long-form' pieces...some of them very long. It is also shaping up to be one of the strangest albums I've ever released. Nearly all the tracks have voice samples and one features my own spoken voice-over. "This is not an album for casual listening, playing in the car, (too many quiet and subtle details will be lost), or for tapping toes to. But it IS an album for those of you who appreciate being taken on strange and somewhat dark journeys. No orthodox arrangements here, just a magnetic, hypnotic continuum of sound and atmosphere, a stream-of-consciousness flow on which to sail your paper boats of dreams. "I'm trying not to underestimate my audience's capacity for enjoying a little weirdness with this one. I've deliberately kept it quite single-minded and 'pure' in that sense. There are no sops to orthodox tastes. In fact, there's little to hang on to if you're not used to being cast adrift in strange oceans without a life-belt. But, I'm going to take the gamble that some of you will be equal to the challenge. Are you up to it?" _____ "The album's style ranges from dark, industrial improvised blues loops to extended, long-form compositions incorporating found-sounds, digital noise, treated voice samples, neo-classical orchestrations, spoken word narratives, sliced n' diced samples of once popular songs, jazzy guitars, towers full of bells, bad-acid psychedelia, autobiographical commentary, subtle irony and melancholic, time-travelling whimsy." _____ "Non-Stop Mystery Action functions as a kind of 'sonic cinema'. Extended pieces that project flickering, dream-like images on the screen of the listener's imagination. In fact, three of the pieces on the album, (tracks 2, 5 and 6), were created as soundtracks to video artworks that I screened at the 2008 and 2009 annual Nelsonica conventions. These three 'long-form' pieces provided me with the starting point and concept for the album. The other three tracks were created to contrast and compliment them. So, dim the lights, sit back and let the dreams unreel..." _____ "Materialisation Phenomena": "Oh, I forgot to mention: the album also has a track that features ten minutes of digitally-delayed acoustic 'thumb-piano' improvisation. "A 'thumb piano', for those of you scratching your heads, is a small gourd with seven rusty bits of metal attached to it. These are 'sort of' tuned to a series of notes. (The 'sort of' indicates that they're not actually in-tune at all, at least in the normal sense). The notes are sounded by flicking the metal bars with one's thumbs. It sounds like a music box from hell (at least it does after ten minutes of the damned thing!) Still, in the mix, I occasionally fade it out to be replaced with a swathe of tinkling wind chimes. And a LOT of sampled windy weather and rustling leaves. "Those of you already complaining about my musical perversity and single-mindedness will be pleased to know that, at the end of the ten minute improvisation, my thumbs were actually cut and bleeding and took a few days to heal, although copious amounts of antiseptic cream were applied to counteract the toxic effects of the rusty metal. Then again, YOU, dear listeners, may require more than antiseptic cream to counteract the deliriously toxic effects of the track itself. One must suffer for one's art, don't cha know!" FAN THOUGHTS: John Spence: "Dark, scary, intense, moody, joyful, uplifting and humorous, but above all beautifully sequenced and laid out. Not an album to "dip in to" I suspect, more a listening experience from start to finish. After we'd finished mastering and Bill had gone I sat and listened to the production master all the way through again. 'Nuff said...enjoy (and I'm not on commission !)" jetboy: "I'm not very good at reviews as such, especially music reviews, but here goes...Listen to this album in one sitting, decent volume and a 'do not disturb' sign on the door, then be carried away, totally immersed in sound...imagine yourself in a dream and are walking across a landing, at the end of the landing lies a door, phosphorescent light seeping out of the keyhole and from under the door...open the door and see a figure from the back, hunched over a worktop or bench surrounded by vials, bell-jars glass tubes, brass machinery, dials, clocks, amp-meters dusty valve radio sets, all kinds of electrical paraphernalia ...there's random voices, radio broadcasts just picked up from some alternative yesterday (was it 1932 or is it tomorrow? It could be one and the same)...flashes of light, crystal guitars, shimmering keyboards touches of infra-bass...welcome to the Sound Laboratory of Professor Nelson...! Buy it and be spellbound." Martin Bostock: "You'll certainly be having some very strange, dark & wonderful dreams after listening to this! Especially with the beautifully dark "This is Like A Galaxy" and "Materialisation Phenomena"...superb stuff!!" G. Vazquez: "I must say this CD is one of the most fantastic musical trips I have ever had. It's overload with emotional power. It seems to me that every note carries a profound significance. Yes there's static, wind chimes, wind, etc. but when out of the blue comes a note, it hits like a lighting strike. Who am I to say this, but I believe those songs came from a very deep, personal chamber from Bill Nelson's heart..." Holer: " Non-Stop has been playing, well - non-stop, and it's still thrilling, chilling and fulfilling me, particularly the main piece, which has that magical ability to sound different almost every time I hear it. It is an absolute feast for the deep listener in all of us. I recently came across a copy of John Cage's book, Silence, a truly great book of essays, and in it, he talks about how, when confronted with new and different types of music, it is the listeners DUTY to strip away any pre-conceptions and experience it without our judgmental little mind chattering away in the background. Beginners Ears, I guess you could call it. I think that's exactly the kind of attention Non-Stop deserves..." "Materialisation Phenomena": "is really one of the most evocative and interesting tracks Bill has ever done - I don't think it has any precedent in his canon - I can't say - oh it reminds me of this or it sounds like an extension of that - it's just a completely different direction for Bill and one I find damned exciting. The whole album is a stunner, but that particular track has a real vapor lock on me right now - chimes, thumb piano and all." "Bill's always been able to move in multiple directions at once - I just hope that this is one direction he continues to explore. I truly think this is one of the most significant albums of his long, lustrous career." noggin: "I find myself enjoying NSMA immensely, and find the music thoroughly engrossing. I also generally prefer the more accessible (if that's the right description) music that Bill creates, but this album has got me well and truly hooked. It's also totally unique." stpetelou: "I LOVE it! It's obvious how much work and care went into "The Departure of the 20th Century in a Hail of Memory", not to mention the other tracks. I listened to the entire album early this morning while still lying in bed, and though I was wide awake, I felt as if I was floating through a dreamscape. A stunningly beautiful album." Peter: "This one is something different and genuinely special. Bill likes to paint with guitars...this one conjures a whole different mood and atmosphere. I really like it." Alan: "When I first heard about this album, it sounded like something that would interest me, but it's much more than I expected. Once again, Bill has taken us to another corner of the musical world, and has done it with style." A Kinder Light: "I'm really enjoying Non-Stop Mystery Action . It's difficult to add anything else other than to say that it's an expansive piece of work that ranks amongst the best of the Sonoluxe catalogue. And I'm not saying that just the for the sake of mentioning it. Wait 'til you all have a chance to get lost in this thing! Truly amazing, Bill...truly amazing. BenTucker: "It's an extraordinary-sounding album. Not to separate elements of it, but the guitar in "Yes and No" has to be heard to be believed (or perhaps you still won't believe it even after you've heard it), and the opening to "The Departure of the 20th Century"...is (to understate things) haunting. You'd have to be insane not to order a copy of this immediately." Albums Menu Future Past

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) October 2009 Jan Jul Aug Sep Nov Dec Monday 5th October 2009 -- 12:00 pm Have just been speaking on the 'phone with Emi who is still in Japan. She's been away for 10 days now and there's still no indication of when she'll be coming home. Today is her 61st birthday. It's the first time since we've been a couple that we've not been able to go out for a meal together to celebrate it. Before she left England, I gave her two birthday gifts. The main one, (a watch), she opened there and then. The second birthday gift was packed unopened in her suitcase, to take with her to Japan, with strict instructions from me not to unwrap it until today. It's a very nice gold and turquoise blue dress ring with a silver dragonfly set on top of the stone. She's now opened it and says that she loves it and that it fits fine. But we're missing each other terribly and the days just seem to drag and drag. Emi's back problem is still bothering her so she's visited a Tokyo physiotherapist for treatment and has booked another appointment for next week. Her mother seems to be a little better than she was on Emi's previous visit. I'm told that she is eating and communicating more than before and gives the impression of being a little more positive in her outlook. But, despite her mother's slight improvement, the general picture out there remains vague. It's a trait of Japanese culture that nothing is as clearly or directly expressed as it would be here in England. There's lots of hinting and reading between the lines but getting a straight answer is hard work. I'm still amazed that anything gets done in Japan at all, so diffused and foggy are the decision-making proceedures. Nothing is ever hit 'head-on.' I know that many western people living or working there find this facet of Japanese culture difficult to understand and often frustrating. Life here without Emi became even more stressful last week. On Thursday, I returned home from town around 6 pm to be greeted by the sight of Django, (my cat,) in the garden, waving his tail around in a very odd, agitated manner. I sensed something was amiss and as I walked towards him saw that there was something wrong with the end of his tail. It was at a strange angle and when I looked closer could see that the end section of the tail was almost cut right through. I tried not to panic but, in a state of shock, immediately 'phoned the nearby vetinary surgeon where our two cats are registered. The lady who answered the 'phone said they were just about to close but that I should call their emergency number. This connected me with a different vetinary practice which, from what the voice on the other end of the telephone told me, was in the process of 'taking over' our usual vet's business. I was instructed to take Django to a different surgery which was somewhere over the other side of town. I put Django into his transport box,which is always a struggle as he hates going in it, (and to the vets), and set off in the car. When I arrived somewhere in the general vicinity of the new vet's surgery, I parked the car and carried Django in his box along the street towards where I thought the surgery was located. My sense of panic increased when, after walking some distance, I couldn't see anything remotely to do with a vet. Maybe I'd gone in the wrong direction. I turned around and walked several hundred yards along the main road in the opposite direction with Django becoming more and more stressed inside his box. And still I couldn't find the place. I tried calling the vet's number on my mobile phone but got only an answering machine. Eventually, I asked someone passing by if they knew where the vet's surgery was and they pointed me back in the opposite direction, where I'd just come from, but said that it was quite a way further along the road than I'd originally presumed. By this time, I was as stressed as Django, my heart pounding like a drum. After an about face and further walking I eventually arrived, breathless, at the surgery which was located in an imposing Victorian town house, quite some distance from where I'd parked the car. I was instructed by the receptionist to wait in a high-ceilinged, brightly lit room until the vet arrived. When he did arrive, he very carefully examined Django's tail, indicating the protruding bone and informed me that it was almost completely severed and could not be stitched together. The only solution was to amputate the latter part of the tail. This would involve Django staying at the surgery overnight prior to an operation to remove the damaged part of the tail the following morning. Meanwhile, the vet gave Django two injections, one a pain-killing solution and the other an antibiotic to try and stop the wound from becoming infected. I explained how I'd come home to find Django in the garden with the injury and couldn't think what might have caused it. The vet said that it appeared as if someone had deliberately slammed a door on his tail, almost severing it completely. Now, Django and Tink both spend a lot of time outside. There are fields beyond our garden although we're flanked on both sides by neighbours. That afternoon, when I'd gone into town, Django and Tink were outside in the garden, lazily enjoying the autumn sunshine. Django was perfectly fine with no signs of injury. This was around 3:30 in the afternoon. Our cats have always been o.k. when I've needed to go out. They'll happily terrorise the local rodent population for a few hours and usually come home when they hear us return, or sometimes a little later when they become hungry. They're both quite independent creatures yet, at the same time, a delightfully domesticated and inseparable part of our family. Both cats are very affectionate and bring a great deal of joy and warmth into our lives and, as readers of this diary know, Django and I have a particularly magical relationship. But I'm at a loss as to exactly what or who caused this injury to Django's tail. I've been deeply upset by it and wish I knew what the cause was. Anyway, I had to leave Django with the vet and I drove back home alone, feeling shocked and concerned. I'd earlier been given an invitation to have dinner with some good friends who live just down the lane, but in the end I had to call them to apologise and explain that I was in no fit emotional state to be anything other than the most miserable of guests. That night, I couldn't sleep, worrying about Django's condition and being angry at the thought that someone may have deliberately done this to him. The next morning, I called the vets to ask how things were but they said that Django hadn't had his operation yet but would be having a general anaesthetic soon, prior to the amputation. Around 11:45 am I received a telephone call from the surgery to say that he had now undergone surgery and that I could collect him around 2:30 pm. I drove to the vets, this time knowing exactly where it was, and informed the receptionist who I was and that I'd come to collect my cat. I paid the £250 bill for the operation and was directed to a waiting area at the rear of the building where, after a few minutes, a lady nurse appeared with Django in his box. As soon as he heard my voice, he called out to me. The nurse gave me some medication called 'Metacam' and instructed me to administer this to Django orally, every day, via a kind of needle-less syringe. I was also told that he must not be allowed to lick his tail and was given a transparent plastic, cone-shaped collar which I would have to fasten to his neck if he showed any signs of doing so. I was also told that he was not to be allowed outside the house for at least ten days. Now, all of the above conditions are guaranteed to be a form of torture for poor Django. In fact, almost as soon as I got him home, he began his cleaning/grooming routine, something he likes to do at least a couple of times per day. And, of course, his tail is always part of this proceedure. Now though, because of the amputation, his tail is a sorry sight...a couple of inches shorter than before and shaved of fur. The shortened tip of the tail bears sutures and looks sore. As I expected, Django attempted to lick his wound which meant there was no option but to fix the cone-like restrictive collar to his neck. The result was most upsetting, Django desperately trying to get the cone off by banging it into doors and furniture, walking backwards as if to walk away from it, pawing at it and finally sitting stock-still with a kind of catatonic stare, gazing at the wall as if in deep shock. It was heartbreaking to watch, or at least it was for me. I'm terribly sensitive to the plight of animals and empathise with their struggles...far too emotional I suppose. I'd make a terrible vet...I'm afraid I'd be shedding tears at the first sign of an animal in distress. Pathetic, really, but that's how I've always been. After the cone collar had been on for a while, Django finally sat by the front door, crying to be allowed outside. As mentioned above, I'd been strictly told that he must remain in doors for at least ten days, so I had to refuse to let him out. He looked up at me like I was some kind of monster. Well, that was Friday and the situation continues in similar fashion. Django can't get to his food bowl with the collar on so I have to remove it at certain points in the day when he shows signs of wanting to eat something. It's then a struggle to get it back on afterwards, (and another bout of stress for both of us). On Saturday, I slipped out to the supermarket to get some much needed litter-tray material, (he normally goes outside to do his 'business' but that's out of the question for quite a while). When I got back, he'd somehow managed to get a front leg jammed into the cone of his protective collar and was limping around the house in some discomfort. I freed his leg and tried to adjust the collar a fraction tighter to prevent it happening again. But even so, he sneaked off into some dark corner of the house and, three times now, miraculously managed to get the collar off completely. Consequently, I need to know exactly where he is at all times so that I can guard against him getting to his amputated tail and causing more damage to it. Night times are difficult too as he's always enjoyed being 'out on the tiles' (or rather, out in the fields). Not being allowed to leave the house makes this impossible. Instead I've attempted to have him sleep on the bed with me where I can, hopefully, keep a weary eye on him. He sleeps for a while, curled up in the curve of my arm, but then wakes up and, perturbed by the cone, goes on a bender from room to room, trying to get it off. The last couple of nights I've managed but a few hours sleep, and these only at intervals throughout the whole night. I'm feeling exhausted and frustrated by it all, especially as Emiko is not here to help me deal with it. I'm confined to the house along with Django, frightened to leave him on his own for long. Both of us suffering from cabin fever. Tomorrow morning, I have an appointment to take Django back to the vet for a post-op examination. Inevitably too, the ordeal of the cat travel box once more. This unfortunate and untimely episode has brought my work, (and just about everything else, including visiting my mother), to a halt as my life now seems to centre around Django's well-being and the struggle to keep his tail from further damage. But he is a rather special cat, and worth the effort. As I've mentioned before in the diary, it seems to have been one thing after another these last few years. Nothing for it but to just keep going, I suppose....So that is what I will do. ***** The images attached to this diary entry are:- 1: Bill's Gus G1 midi guitar and his live processing equipment. 2: Just a few of the Nelsonica 09 guitars, backstage in Harrogate. 3: Poorly Django. 4: Django with post-op tail. 5: An early 1980's photo of Bill signing autographs. 6: A recent snapshot of Bill's studio. Top of page

Rooms With Brittle Views Bill Nelson single - 13 February 1981 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) Rooms With Brittle Views B) Dada Guitare ORIGINALLY: A & B) were both non-album tracks NOTES: Rooms with Brittle Views is a one-off single released by Les Disques du Crepescule. This single was initially released as a Belgian import, issued in 2 different picture sleeves. The single was a popular seller on import, and effectively became a UK 7" when the exact same record was included in the Permanent Flame box set of 7" singles in 1982. A slightly different edit of the A side was included in the limited edition double 7" single of Youth of Nation on Fire later in 1981. PAST RELEASES: A) and B) were included on The Two Fold Aspect of Everything comp (out of print). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: A) Available on the remastered Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam CD (Mercury, 2005). B) Available on the various artist compilation: Auteur Labels: Les Disques Du Crépuscule (LTM, 2008). BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The Rooms With Brittle Views single and the track on the From Brussels With Love cassette were only ever intended as one-offs. There wasn't an ongoing deal with the label. The tracks were recorded at home, (not in Belgium), on the eight track machine I had back then." "The way it came about was that I was invited to contribute a track to a limited edition cassette titled From Brussels With Love , issued by 'Les Disques Du Crepescule', a Belgian post-punk art label. Other artists approached and included on the cassette were Michael Nyman, Brian Eno, Gavin Bryars and Harold Budd, (amongst others). I believe that Harold heard my music for the first time on this cassette...a piece titled "The Shadow Garden ", (very much in the same musical area as my Sounding the Ritual Echo album from the early 1980s.)" Singles Menu Future Past

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Fifteen - Published early 1990 Back to Top