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

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

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

The Two-Fold Aspect of Everything Bill Nelson retrospective 2LP collection - February 1985 Collections Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: Original UK 2 record set: Eaux D'Artifice A1) Acceleration (Remix) (Acceleration single, 1984) A2) White Sound (Living in My Limousine single, 1981) A3) Living In My Limousine (Remix) (Living in My Limousine single, 1981) A4) Flesh (Eros Arriving double single, 1982) A5) Eros Arriving (Single Version ) (Eros Arriving single, 1982) A6) Hope For The Heartbeat (Remix ) (U.S. promo single, 1982) A7) The Passion (Flaming Desire single, 1982) B1) Ideal Homes (Do You Dream In Colour? single, 1980) B2) Instantly Yours (Do You Dream In Colour? single, 1980) B3) Atom Man Loves Radium Girl (Do You Dream In Colour? single, 1980) B4) Mr. Magnetism Himself (Banal single, 1981) B5) The Burning Question (Flaming Desire 12" single, 1982) B6) Haunting In My Head (Eros Arriving single, 1982) B7) He And Sleep Were Brothers (Eros Arriving double single, 1982) Confessions Of A Four Track Mind C1) Connie Buys A Kodak (Sleepcycle club ep, 1982) C2) Be My Dynamo (Youth Of Nation On Fire single, 1981) C3) Touch And Glow (single from the Permanent Flame box set, 1982) C4) Love Without Fear (Touch And Glow single from the Permanent Flame box set, 1982) C5) Dada Guitare (Rooms With Brittle Views single, 1981) C6) Turn To Fiction (Banal 12" single, 1981) D1) Rooms With Brittle Views (non-album single, 1981) D2) Love In The Abstract (Living In My Limousine single, 1981) D3) Hard Facts From The Fiction Department (title track from a non-album club ep, 1984) D4) Hers Is A Lush Situation (Banal 12" single, 1981) D5) When The Birds Return (Sleepcycle club ep, 1982) D6) All My Wives Were Iron (Youth Of Nation On Fire 12" single, 1981) 1989 UK single CD: Same running order as above, but deleted the following: A1, A2, A3, A6. 1989 US 2CD set: Same track listing as the original vinyl release, except: A1 was replaced with "The Beat That Can't Go Wrong Today" (Sleepcycle club ep, 1982) , and D3 was replaced with "Daily Bells" ( Hard Facts From The Fiction Department club ep, 1984) NOTES: The Two-Fold Aspect of Everything was initially issued as a double album on vinyl on Cocteau Records (the first of just two releases in the Cocteau Collectors series). The double vinyl was condensed into a single CD for UK release, removing tracks that had been issued as bonus cuts on the CD versions of Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam and The Love That Whirls (both 1986) and/or included on Duplex (1989) All editions of this compilation are out of print, but half of the original double album is available on the following reissues: Quit Dreaming (Mercury, 2005): contains A2, A3, B4, C2, D1, D2 and D6. The Love That Whirls (Mercury, 2005): contains A4, A6, A7, B6 and B7. Chimera (Mercury, 2005): contains D3. The Practice of Everyday Life (Esoteric, 2011): contains A7 and B4. Transcorder (Sonoluxe CD052): contains C1 and D3, CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The UK single CD version is available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . Collections Menu Future Past

Discography Menu Retrospective Collections Clicking on a cover below will take you to a full page devoted to that album. Bill Nelson - Transcorder The Acquitted By Mirrors Recordings 2020 album Bill Nelson - Dreamy Screens Soundtracks From The Echo Observatory 2017 box set Be Bop Deluxe - Original Album Series 2014 box set Bill Nelson - The Dreamer's Companion Volume Two Songs Of The Bel-Air Rocketmen 2014 download album Bill Nelson - The Dreamer's Companion Volume Two In This I Reveal My Secret Identity 2014 download album Bill Nelson - The Dreamer's Companion Volume One How I Got My Secret Powers 2014 download album Be Bop Deluxe - At The BBC 1974-1978 2013 box set Be Bop Deluxe - Futurist Manifesto The Harvest Years 1974-1978 2012 box set Bill Nelson - The Practice Of Everyday Life 2011 box set Be Bop Deluxe - Postcards From The Future 2004 album Orchestra Arcana - The Hermetic Jukebox 2003 album Be Bop Deluxe - Tremulous Antenna 2002 album Bill Nelson - Electrotype The Holyground Recordings 1968-1972 2001 album Bill Nelson - What Now, What Next? The Cocteau Compendium 1980-1990 1998 album Be Bop Deluxe - Tramcar To Tomorrow 1998 album Be Bop Deluxe - Air Age Anthology 1997 album Be Bop Deluxe - Radioland BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert 1994 album Bill Nelson - The Strangest Things A Collection Of Recordings 1979-1989 1989 album Bill Nelson - Duplex The Best Of Bill Nelson 1989 album Be Bop Deluxe - Raiding The Divine Archive The Best Of Be Bop Deluxe 1987 album Be Bop Deluxe - Bop To The Red Noise 1986 album Bill Nelson - The Two-Fold Aspect Of Everything Demo tapes, minor arcana and artificial pop from the archives of Bill Nelson 1985 album Bill Nelson - Vistamax 19845 album Bill Nelson - Permanent Flame The Beginner's Guide To Bill Nelson 1982 singles box set Be Bop Deluxe - Singles As & Bs 1981 album Be Bop Deluxe - Best Of And The Rest Of Be Bop Deluxe 1978 album Discography Menu

Fantasmatron Bill Nelson album - 8 August 2011 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) When God Was A Rabbit And Buddha Was A Mouse (Over The Moon Two) 02) The Captain's In The Wheelhouse (Fabled Quixote) 03) Everything Changes With The Weather 04) Fantasmatron 05) Melancholia Lagoons 06) Signal Destinations 07) Slinky Incantations 08) Kaleidoscopic Windows 09) Lights Shine When We Dream 10) Lampdownlowland 11) A Reliable Bicycle And A Map Of The Heart (Trip Two) 12) My Wild Atomic Wedding Day 13) The Thought That Counts 14) Art Is Long And Time Is Fleeting ALBUM NOTES: Fantasmatron is an album of vocal pieces released on the Sonoluxe label issued in a single print run of 1000 copies. The album was first mentioned by that name in a diary entry posted in April 2011, but in fact had slowly taken shape over the previous seven months, having begun life as Lamplowdownlowland . Progress on the album had to compete with other priorities including overseeing reissues (for Esoteric/Cherry Red and EMI) and preparing material for live performances included a projected tour in November that unfortunately never took place. The album sold out in July 2019. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The closest I can come in an attempt to describe the music it contains is 'neo-psychedelic' pop-rock with a subtle hint of twisty electronica. (One clue is in the album's title:- a combination of the words 'fantasy', 'phantasm' and 'electronic.') It's a melodic, 99.9% vocal based guitar and keyboard driven album with plenty of colourful textural details and semi-surreal twists and turns." _____ "Fantasmatron ? Ooooh, darling! Pop via strange antennea...Crystal Set music for sensual supermen, erotic noise for sexy sailors and sailorettes, big blue dreams for dig it now, kids, rough and tumble for the refined of mind. Be there with it, or forever be square!" "Lampdownlowland": "a rather emotive track for me too...It attempts to capture those moments of quiet melancholy sitting in front of a fire on a cold winter's night when our thoughts turn to matters of mortality and the poignant beauty and suffering of the human condition. Ghosts of the past, distant memories, a kind of universal garden of eden from which we have all been, too soon, expelled." FAN THOUGHTS: neill_burgess: "Just had my first listen to Fantasmatron , and I have to say I am blown away. This is the album I've wanted Bill to make for years (even if I could not have defined what I wanted before hearing it!). "While still recognisably a BN album, to my ears it goes somewhere new, combining some of the spikey instrumental pieces we've heard previously with matching, edgy vocals. In some ways, it could be seen as a successor to the similarly "experimental" vocal album Golden Melodies , but whereas that had pastoral instrumentation the music here is more avant-garde rock... So, from me it's definitely a big thumbs up from the first listen - well done Bill!" steve lyles: "I am absolutely blown away by Bill's new album. I love the atmospheres and "feel" of this music...I find myself getting huge emotional surges as I am listening....no drugs required - just me and the music and it's a chemical romance. The track "Signal Destinations" is so truly epic...it's like a 21st century hymn...as I have thought hundreds of time before with Bill Nelson's music...just how does it get better than this ?...and then it does...extraordinary..." BobK: "Must say, I am blown away as well. This well and truly hits the spot. "I suppose you could describe the album as a collection of melodic, almost trippy, tunes. The word 'ethereal' springs to mind. Has hints of Golden Melodies and Fables about it and a suitable amount of strangeness. There are so many beautiful melodies here and some great stuff going on behind the top line melody, (listen on headphones!). "What more can ya say? Bill sings wonderfully, some terrific guitar playing, beautifully produced and mastered and loads of jolly nice weird blippy noises. I love it!" alec: "I'm all about Fantasmatron lately. Can't get enough of it. Can't make up my mind what my favourite track from it is!" Holer: "Holy crap! This one caught me completely by surprise. It's nice going into a new BN record with absolutely no idea as to what to expect. Honestly, I thought it was going to be another trippy instrumental record, which would have been more than alright with me, but POW! So much more! "I enjoy all of Bill's releases at some level, but every few years, he releases an album that really makes a statement - Sailor Bill , Golden Melodies , the Mazda trilogy, Non-Stop Mystery Action , among others. I think Fantasmatron is one of those records. Another classic, and one of Bill's weirdest pop albums to date! Hey, that's a GOOD thing!" Chimera Man: "Everything Changes with the Weather": "is simply gorgeous and I can't stop playing it... I do love it when Bill hits us with a laid-back vibe (is that adjective still in use?!), a sumptuous melody line and a really rich sounding composition." JohnR: "My favourite albums from Bill's recent output change with time, but there is still one that stands out for me as the No. 1, and that is Fantasmatron . It's got everything, including my favourite spine-shivering track - "Everything Changes with the Weather". Andre: "Art is Long and Time is Fleeting": "and your voice is untouched by time. Your voice sounds as warn as it did 40 years ago!" "Fantasmatron , to me, has got to be easily the best Bill Nelson has put out." "It kills me, because something like "Everything Changes with the Weather" should be all over the radio. We live on one strange planet!" Serge Ruel: "What an absolutely superb fusion and development of your musical avenues. Wow, am I ever so glad to be around to hear this...a dream come true." Alan: "Once again, Bill takes us along on his musical journey through new regions in Nelsonic lands. Like so many of Bill's albums, this one has its own personality." "Definitely one of my favorites. If you don't have this one, do yourself a favor and buy it now." Returningman: "My own favourite (and choosing one is not an easy task) is the album I just keep returning to - Fantasmatron . In my eyes (and ears) it is Bill's most rounded and complete set of musical statements in many years." "Like a fine wine this album gains depth with age (and playtime). Worth digging out the headphones for this one as there is lots of stuff deep in the mix. "Most artists of a "certain age" recorded their best work many moons ago. Bill seems to be in a golden phase of his artistic career at present, and is releasing some absolute gems." novemberman: "Fantasmatron instantly hit me as exceptional. I didn't want it end!" Albums Menu Future Past

Nelsonian Navigator - Issue Five - Published March 1997 Back to Top

Brave Flag Ukrainian download single Click image for cover Artwork Download single in support of the Ukrainian humanitarian charities appeal - Released October 2017. A-Side: BRAVE FLAG Currently unavailable on any album B-Side: MONDO BRAVADO Currently unavailable on any album "I'm sure you will all be aware of the illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces under the direction of Vladimir Putin. I've watched the situation unfold from its beginning with increasing horror. The Ukrainian people are suffering loss of life and homes due to the cruel onslaught of Russian missiles, shelling and bombing. There have also been gross atrocities and war crimes committed by Russian troops that will shock and disgust anyone with an ounce of decency. "I wanted to help, even if only in a small way, so have created a special single, the 'A Side' of which is titled 'Brave Flag'. The 'B Side' is titled 'Mondo Bravado'. Both tracks are instrumentals in the rock genre and feature epic guitars. The tracks come straight from my home studio and are in unmastered form. "I'm making the single available to fans for FREE as a digital download. All I ask in return is that everyone who downloads the free single should please donate a minimum of £5 to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukrainian humanitarian charities appeal. Every donation, no matter how small, will help to provide vital humanitarian relief for those in need in Ukraine. "Thank you for your generosity and compassion. Enjoy the single!" Performed, recorded and produced by Bill Nelson. All rights Bill Nelson 2022. Donate here

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Living in My Limousine Bill Nelson single - 20 August 1981 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 7" Single: A) Living In My Limousine (Remix Edit) B1) Birds Of Tin B2) Love In The Abstract 12" Single: A1) Living In My Limousine (Remix) A2) White Sound B1) Birds Of Tin B2) Love In The Abstract ORIGINALLY: The lead track was remixed for both 7" (edited to 3' 40") and 12" (extended to 4' 20"). A2, B1 & B2) were non-album tracks. NOTES: Living in my Limousine was the fourth and final single released from Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam . The single made good use of multiple formats, with an exclusive edit on the 7" and another 3 bonus cuts gathered together on the 12". The artwork is a stylistic indicator of many future Nelson releases – vintage imagery housing futuristic music (even if most of it was now over 2 years old!). Note that "White Sound" is printed as "White Sounds" on the record sleeves and labels, and that the song was listed as "White Sound" on its later appearances (see below). Interesting note: consider the possibility that Bill recorded this song a few months before Gary Numan premiered his hit, "Cars" in a June 1979 Peel session. PAST RELEASES: A1) the remix of "Living in My Limousine" appeared on The Two Fold Aspect of Everything (Cocteau, 1985 & 89). It replaced the album mix on the CD version of Quit Dreaming (Cocteau, 1986), and was included on the Duplex compilation (Cocteau, 1989). A2) was included on the 1986 and 1989 CD issues of Quit Dreaming , as well as The Two Fold Aspect of Everything (UK vinyl and US CD editions). B2) was included on The Two Fold Aspect of Everything comp (unfortunately out of print). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All these tracks except for the edited 7" mix were added to the remastered 2005 CD reissue of Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "When I made the Red Noise album, it proved unappealing to many Be Bop fans who found it too aggressive or edgy. When I made the Quit Dreaming and Love That Whirls albums, some Red Noise fans found them too 'synthetic' and cold. But oddly, nowadays I often meet people who tell me how important and seminal those albums were for them. The albums seem to have found more fans now than they ever did back then. Strange." Singles Menu Future Past

Luxury Lodge Bill Nelson album - 14 August 2003 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Flux Of Desire 02) Golden Balloon 03) Relaxin' With Bill At Luxury Lodge 04) I Swear That The Girl In The Painting Moved 05) The Birds In The Sky Say Hi! 06) Smoke And Vine 07) Pretty Little Bubble Of Dreams 08) Hank And Duane In Reverbland 09) Wonder Of The Moment 10) Moon Rocket Highway ALBUM NOTES: Luxury Lodge is an album issued exclusively for Nelsonica '03 , in the then customary limited pressing of 500 copies on the Almost Opaque label. As with The Romance of Sustain , it had appeared as a pre-release item at the Gateshead showing of Flashlight Dreams and Fleeting Shadows ahead of its official launch at Nelsonica '03 . Copies were also sold at Nelsonica , allowing attendees the opportunity to purchase a second copy and forward to fans unable to attend the event in person. Although this was repeated for the Nelsonica '04 release (Wah Wah Galaxy ), this practice would cease for Nelsonica '05 (Orpheus in Ultraland ), in order to give overseas fans a fairer chance of getting hold of the unsold stock. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Wonder of the Moment": "As far as I remember, (and I think John Spence can back me up on this), I created the song in a moment of inspiration whilst working on a recording session at Fairview Studios, (it may have been the Practically Wired sessions). Emiko was away in Japan and I was missing her terribly and that feeling became the emotional foundation for the song. I recorded it fairly spontaneously at Fairview with John engineering and later released it on a Nelsonica album...I later expanded the lyric to make the song suitable for a live performance." _____ "The album contains some favourite tracks of mine from that period, including "Flux of Desire" and "Golden Balloon". Also, one of the instrumentals from the 1990s live shows, "Moon Rocket Highway" features, along with the vocal "Wonder of the Moment" which later made an appearance in the 2004 'Be Bop Deluxe And Beyond' tour. This is a rare and richly varied album which will appeal to all fans of my work." FAN THOUGHTS: Parsongs: "It's great to see folks discovering this album! It combines some of the old songwriting styles with a new vision and energy somehow. It surprised me a bit when it came out, the ease Bill has of crafting a perfect pop song. "I've come back to this album a lot when I want to play a Bill CD, but can't decide which one. "This disc has some hidden gems and a connection to Atom Shop that I can't explain - something about the rhythms and the upbeat nature of the songs." Lonnie: "Never thought I'd ever hear this album, having not been able to attend the Nelsonica . Thank you soooooo much Bill, from one of your biggest fans. "The songs are great. A perfect representation of your sound at the time. A Guitar lover's feast." Chimera Man: "A cracking album. "Wonder of the Moment" is one of the most beautiful songs Bill has released - one of his best vocals too." Merv Mash: "Am presently away form my wife and family in China...The opening lines of "The Wonder of the Moment" are so right just now: When you're sleeping Can you hear me, far away now, over oceans, When the wonder of the moment strikes you down. In the silence Can you hear me, in the darkness, in the distance When the wonder of the moment turns you round. Thanks Bill." Johnny Jazz: "Wonder of the Moment": "Hauntingly beautiful." aquiresville: "Golden Balloon": "What a perfect golden nugget of Pop-Rock loftiness (mixing metaphors here). I love this track!" paul.smith: "The Wonder of the Moment": "is just sublime..."Relaxin' with Bill" - superb...and the closing "Moon Rocket Highway" has some of the best guitar running all the way through...what a great album - rich pickings throughout..." "Pretty Little Bubble of Dreams": "Can't stop putting it on repeat - fantastic pop song - just right for this warm weather..." MG: "Pretty Little Bubble of Dreams": "Some vibes from pop heaven..." wompy2 : "All I can say is how can you listen to "Moon Rocket Highway" and not smile?" Pathdude: "Flux of Desire": "is one of my most favorite tracks ever. Worth the price of admission alone." Albums Menu Future Past

Simplex Bill Nelson album - November 1990 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Awakening 02) Almost Unchanging 03) Bittersweet 04) Ringing True 05) Celestial East 06) Some Distant Time 07) The Profaned Sanctuary Of The Human Heart 08) Forms In Open Spaces 09) Raindrum 10) Female Form 11) Archetypes 12) Solid Spaces 13) Abstracted 14) Heptarchia 15) Climbing 16) Waiting For Rain 17) Aqua Magica 18) Summer Shower 19) Hammertheme 20) The Cloud Of Unknowing 21) Bending A Knee At The Altar Of Sacrifice 22) A Parting Of The Ways 23) Bronze 24) To Jan From The Shining Stars 25) Arrangement Of Roses 26) Likewise Is Said Elsewhere 27) Child Of The Dream 28) The Enclosed Garden 29) The Christmas Gift 30) Heros De Lumiere 31) Your Morning Blessing Digital download version bonus tracks: 32) Wondering Why? 33) The Celestial Steam Locomotive 34) That's The World 35) Bliss And Abyss 36) True North ALBUM NOTES: Simplex is an instrumental album initially issued on Cocteau Records by Nelson's then manager Mark Rye, without the artist's permission. This period of Nelson's career was mired in managerial misdemeanours, which was not helped by the unstable relationship that existed between the artist and Mark Rye at the time. Nelson also had the distraction of a failing marriage to contend with. Nelson had previously mentioned the Simplex album within the pages of Acquitted by Mirrors as a future project, and it had even been assigned a US catalogue number as part of the Enigma series of reissues (released just ahead of that record label's collapse). One track from the album even appeared on the US Enigma compilation The Strangest Things : A Collection of Recordings 1979-89, but the full album release never came to fruition. Simplex 's first appearance occurred in late 1990 when Mark Rye apparently took it upon himself to press up approximately 1000 copies of the CD, and offered a copy to each of the 295 members of The Cocteau Club in lieu of issue 16 of Acquitted By Mirrors . The magazine and Club EPs had appeared with decreasing regularity since 1986. Surplus copies of the CD were eventually released to UK high street record shops, most likely resulting from further business dealings centring around Mark Rye's activities. Nelson has stated on a number of occasions that none of this activity was done with his knowledge or approval. PAST RELEASES: Simplex was finally given an official release in 2000 (with redesigned artwork) when issued on the Toneswoon label. Sadly, even this release of 500 copies appears to have not directed the due royalties to the artist. The album was deleted in this form sometime around 2004. Simplex was then reissued in 2012 in a third sleeve design as part of the Esoteric/Cocteau Discs series of releases. Although this album is out of print as a physical CD, it is available as a digital download via major online retailers. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: In June 2025, Simplex was released as a digital download. This specially extended version contains five previously unreleased bonus tracks which were selected from material gathered from the original recording sessions. Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Simplex contains only a fraction of the music I made for the film ['Henry Moore and Landscape']. Simplex isn't meant to be a soundtrack album as such, the vast majority of the music on the album was created quite separately from the film's soundtrack and has no real connection with the documentary. However, the recordings were made in a similar frame of mind and could be said to be in the same short-form, minimalist style." _____ " 'Short form' or 'miniature pieces' can be very beautiful, simply because of their brevity and directness...kind of musical 'haikus'. (A Haiku is a very short Japanese zen poem). I made an entire album of these musical haikus once...it's called Simplex and contains lots of tracks but each one is relatively brief. For those of you who don't know this album, it's well worth checking out. One of my own favourite projects from the past." _____ "Part of their charm is that they were recorded using very basic, (and by today's standards, primitive), technology. The Trial By Intimacy box set and Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights are particular favourites of mine from that period and point towards my more recent keyboard based adventures. Simplex is another favourite of mine from that time. "Like all forms of artistic self-expression, music grows and develops along with the artist's personal development. Those albums paved the way for many of my more recent recordings, albums such as Theatre of Falling Leaves , Gleaming Without Lights , Mazda Kaleidoscope and Non Stop Mystery Action . (To give just a few examples). The Signals From Realms of Light album, (to be released later this year), also has its roots in that sort of thing. So, the core attitudes and concepts behind those early instrumental albums is still influencing my work but expressing itself in increasingly sophisticated ways and using a richer pallette of tonal colours." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review by Dmitry M. Epstein FAN THOUGHTS: alec: "What a top-flite collection!! Whether you're locked into specific era(s) of Bill or if you're like me and you hear Bill's oeuvre as one great era, Simplex is essential! It revives the weary and leaves room for deep dreaming and contemplation. It is like pure water for a parched throat. Two thumbs up." ianthomas37: "What a wonderful album, this has gatecrashed my top five." Debtworker: "Simplex is a really beautiful CD, full of ambient sounds that are in the same vein as Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights - a must have for any serious fan of Bill. You will not regret buying Simplex , it's one of my favourite CDs." paul.smith: "In my opinion Simplex is one of those albums which proves the point that sometimes 'less is more' - an album which conjures up great atmospheres and 'landscapes of the mind' as they say - love it." felixt1: "Absolutely brilliant! Bill, your more ambient works like this are for me, pretty much as good as it gets... Genius." Palladium: "Simplex is off-the-scale sublime in my opinion. An essential album." Alan Cawthorne: "How Bill got some of those sounds from his keyboards at the time is beyond me. Some sound manipulation. It just goes on and on and on. No fillers whatso...Masterpieces." BenTucker: " 'Awakening' (first track) would get my vote for most evocative piece of music under 2 minutes long ever recorded. Other remarkable pieces: 'Archetypes', 'Summer Shower' (and many others - the album is full of them)." swampboy: "This is an album that needs to be heard on a good stereo system or headphones. It contains many details and nuances that might go un-noticed if you were to try to listen to it in your car (I tried) or on a mediocre system. This album made me feel like I was wandering through a different place with each piece. I got distinct impressions of large spaces like caverns and cathedrals, rolling hills and outdoors imagery, and many other images, that are strangely, all in black and white. I wish I could see the images that Bill attached these pieces to, as to see his original intention. I'm glad that I took the chance and got this album. It evokes feelings and imagery that seem to change with each listen. I think that I am going to enjoy this album for a long time to come." Albums Menu Future Past

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Masquerade single - 1979 Skids Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Co-Producer and Keyboards Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

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

Charade single - 1979 Skids Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer and Keyboards Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Cinema Menu Created For Nelsonica & Live Shows Films created by Bill to be shown as part of live events Visions, Hauntings, Hallucinations First seen as the backing visuals to the 'Old Haunts' CD preview, the video with a running time of a little over an hour, now has its original backing tracks, taken from a selection of Bill's solo instrumentals from across the years... Piano Meditations This 12 minute video was used as an opening piece to Bill's 'Old Haunts' CD launch party, held at The Clothworker's Hall, Leeds - November 9th 2019. 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party...Part 1 - Flyers First shown at his 'Songs For Ghosts' CD launch party in October 2017. Bill produced an hour-long video containing various aspects of his visual work. The full-length video has been divided into five sections... Here's Part 1 - Flyers... 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party...Part 2 - Photography First shown at his 'Songs For Ghosts' CD launch party in October 2017. Bill produced an hour-long video containing various aspects of his visual work. The full-length video has been divided into five sections... Here's Part 2 - Photography... 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party...Part 3 - Artwork First shown at his 'Songs For Ghosts' CD launch party in October 2017. Bill produced an hour-long video containing various aspects of his visual work. The full-length video has been divided into five sections... Here's Part 3 - Artwork... 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party...Part 4 - Studio First shown at his 'Songs For Ghosts' CD launch party in October 2017. Bill produced an hour-long video containing various aspects of his visual work. The full-length video has been divided into five sections... Here's Part 4 - Studio... 'Songs For Ghosts' launch party...Part 5 - Bill With Guitars First shown at his 'Songs For Ghosts' CD launch party in October 2017. Bill produced an hour-long video containing various aspects of his visual work. The full-length video has been divided into five sections... Here's Part 5 - Bill With Guitars... Wakefield Via Time Machine This hour-long video shows hundreds of pictures of Wakefield dating from the 1800's to the late 1900's. Originally shown as the backing video for the album playback at Bill's 'New Northern Dream' launch party in October 2016, it is shown here with the original soundtrack...a collection of sublime instrumental pieces from Bill's later solo work. Over The Years First shown at the launch party for the 'New Northern Dream' album in 2016. This 49 minute video contains a series of Bill Nelson's photographs throughout the years, together with a selection of his music from the 21st century. Materialisation Phenomena A two-minute clip of the film created for Nelsonica 09 The Dream Transmission Pavilion A two-minute clip from the intro film created for Nelsonica 09 The Departure Of The 21st Century In A Hail Of Memory (Part 1) Part 1 (of 2) of the specially created intro video for Nelsonica 08, the annual fan convention celebrating the music of Bill Nelson. The Departure Of The 21st Century In A Hail Of Memory (Part 2) Part 2 of the specially created intro video for Nelsonica 08, the annual fan convention celebrating the music of Bill Nelson. Cinema Menu

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

Das Kabinett Bill Nelson album - 25 November 1981 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this reissue TRACKS: 01) The Asylum 02) Waltz 03) The Fairground 04) Doctor Caligari 05) Cesare The Sonambulist 06) Murder 07) The Funeral 08) The Sonambulist And The Children 09) Caligari Disciplines Cesare 10) Caligari Feeds Cesare 11) Caligari Opens The Cabinet 12) Jane Discovers Cesare 13) The Attempted Murder Of Jane 14) The Dream Dance Of Jane And The Sonambulist 15) Escape Over The Rooftops 16) The Unmasking 17) The Shot 18) The Cabinet Closes ALBUM NOTES: Das Kabinett (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) is an instrumental album recorded at The Echo Observatory. The music was composed for a theatre production of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, staged by The Yorkshire Actors Company. Das Kabinett was the first full length album to be issued on Cocteau in November 1981. The album sleeve displayed the title as "Das Kabinet", whereas the label had the correct spelling. PAST RELEASES: Das Kabinett was reissued on vinyl as a double album with La Belle et la Bête (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 La Belle et la Bête ). Das Kabinett 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: Das Kabinett will be made available as a digital download at some point in the near future. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "In 1919, German film director Robert Weine made what was to become one of the classics of the silent cinema, The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari. Using stark, expressionistic sets and highly stylised acting techniques, Weine created a nightmare world with insanity and murder at its core. "Some sixty-two years later, early in 1981, I was approached by The Yorkshire Actors Company, to provide a musical score for a modern adaptation of the Caligari story. The Company's director, Andy Winters, wanted to preserve the stylised, expressionistic gestures of the film whilst introducing elements of the mime and even dance. The production would rely heavily on the performers acting techniques as very few stage settings or effects were to be employed. Although this was not the first play I had been involved in musically (I provided an electronic score for a production of Ibsen's "Peer Gynt" in 1966), I found the whole idea extremely challenging and set to work taking notes and timings during the play's early rehearsals. "The story starts and ends in an asylum presided over by Dr. Caligari. The action in between involves, amongst other things, a fairground, a caravan, a prison, and the crooked streets and rooftops of a small medieval town known as Holstenwall. "The music was recorded on the same domestic four-track machine I had previously used to create the Sounding the Ritual Echo album, and as the music had to be delivered to the Yorkshire Actors Company in time for them to complete their final rehearsals, a high degree of self discipline was in order. After several days intense work and a certain amount of last minute editing the soundtrack was complete." FAN THOUGHTS: UrbanCanvas: "What a fantastic atmospheric album this is, I have fond memories of The Yorkshire Players doing excerpts of this during The Invisiblity Exhibition, something that is etched in my mind forever." tommaso: "There is a lot of interesting detail here, and as usual, marvellous and unique sounding synths, creating an appropriately spine-chilling character in places." Mozo: "As the years have passed, I find that if I have Das Kabinett , Trial By Intimacy (The Book of Splendours) and Savage Gestures for Charms Sake playing in the background, I seem to become more creative at anything that I happen to be doing, at the same time I'm listening. So I've come to appreciate the different facets of Bill's creativity all the more. Am I getting older (Brrr), mellowing, maturing?" Albums Menu Future Past

A Flock of Seagulls album - 1982 A Flock of Seagulls Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Producer on re-recorded version of "(It's Not Me) Talking". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Home Studio Recording Home Studio Recording was a UK monthly music magazine which reviewed equipment and interviewed musicians about how they recorded their music. Editor Ian Gilby travelled to Yorkshire to interview Bill in his home studio which was called The Echo Observatory. The interview was probably the most in-depth any musician had given the magazine, running to some nine full pages, and provides a wonderful insight into what equipment Bill was using at the time. In 1984 Bill's trusted Fostex B16 was at the leading edge of multi-track home recording technology and was used to record many albums over the years. When the time came to 'retire' the ageing analogue gear and acquire a Mackie digital system, Bill sold off many items from his studio and Ian was fortunate to purchase the B16 which he still owns today. Also seen pictured in the studio at the time is a Sony PCM F1 stereo digital recorder. In the interview Bill mentions how he had given up mastering onto his 2-track Revox and was now using this new 'digital technology'. By the early 1990s the PCM was broken and many album's worth of material lay in the studio on digital tape inaccessible for years to come. Then around 2005 a second-hand machine was located and purchased with the help of fans. The tapes were transferred to CDr and as of 2012, Bill is now in the process of re-mastering these archive recordings for selective release under the series title 'These Tapes Rewind'. The first album in the series is 'Return To Tomorrow'. The interview was published in two parts in the HSR Dec 1984 & Jan 1985 issues. Click to download the PDFs below (or right-click and save). Part 1 Part 2

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

Axe Victim Be Bop Deluxe album - June 1974 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this double CD TRACKS: 01) Axe Victim 02) Love Is Swift Arrows 03) Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus 04) Third Floor Heaven 05) Night Creatures 06) Rocket Cathedrals 07) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 08) Jets At Dawn 09) No Trains To Heaven 10) Darkness (L'Immoraliste) ALBUM NOTES: Axe Victim is the debut album from Be Bop Deluxe, recorded at Air Studios, London during March 1974. The album was the first Be Bop Deluxe recording made after signing to EMI, providing Nelson with his first opportunity to record in a professional studio. The line-up for this record was Bill Nelson (guitars and vocals), Ian Parkin (rhythm guitar), Rob Bryan (bass guitar, vocals) and Nicholas Chatterton-Dew (drums). The album appeared on vinyl and cassette, and was promoted by the release of the single Jet Silver backed with another album track "Third Floor Heaven". Neither release resulted in any significant commercial success, although the album would be discovered by Be Bop Deluxe fans as their career developed in particular after their commercial breakthrough in 1976. The album was released in a gatefold sleeve which contained the lyrics and musician credits. With the track "Rocket Cathedrals", Rob Bryan holds the distinction of being the only musician to have provided (and sung) an original song for a Bill Nelson/Be Bop Deluxe album. When reissued on CD in (Feb) 1991, EMI elected to enhance the album by adding 3 live bonus tracks (taken from the band's official live album Live! In the Air Age ). Given that the live album was also part of the same reissue campaign, this was a missed opportunity, and the inclusion of the band's debut single would have certainly appealed to collectors far more. If you no longer kept your vinyl copy of Axe Victim , and require song lyrics, then this CD edition satisfies that need, and the informative sleeve notes penned by Kevin Cann provide useful context. In April 2017 Cherry Red and Esoteric Recordings, who from 2011 to 2018, had done so much to raise the profile of Bill Nelson's solo recordings from the period 1980 to 2002, acquired the rights to release the Be Bop Deluxe and Red Noise material issued between 1973 and 1979. While this resulted in the deletion of existing physical editions, Cherry Red kept Axe Victim on catalogue from 1 June 2017 via the usual download sites such as Amazon and iTunes while an expanded edition was prepared for a 2020 physical release. On 17 July 2020 Axe Victim became the fourth Be Bop Deluxe album to be issued as a Deluxe Edition comprising: a freshly remastered version of the original album. a 2020 remix of the full album. 2 alternate mix studio recordings. 2 alternate version recordings. a previously unreleased John Peel session from November 1973. previously unreleased tracks recorded for a 1973 Decca session. a previously released John Peel session from May 1974. the original album presented in a 5.1 mix. The album is presented in a fold out digi-pack and contains a 68 page booklet with an essay of recollections penned by Bill Nelson, previously unseen photographs from the period, postcards and a replica record store poster. A 2CD edition of the album is also being released at the same time as the Deluxe Edition featuring Discs 1 and 2 which will also replace the standard download edition. The full track listing for the Deluxe Edition is: Disc 1 1. Axe Victim 2. Love Is Swift Arrows 3. Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus 4. Third Floor Heaven 5. Night Creatures 6. Rocket Cathedrals 7. Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 8. Jets At Dawn 9. No Trains To Heaven 10. Darkness (L'Immoraliste) 11. Teenage Archangel (1973 Single) 12. Jets At Dawn (1973 Single Version) 13. No Trains To Heaven (First Mix) 14. Axe Victim (Album Version - First Mix) Disc 2 1. Axe Victim 2. Love Is Swift Arrows 3. Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus 4. Third Floor Heaven 5. Night Creatures 6. Rocket Cathedrals 7. Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 8. Jets At Dawn (Full Version) 9. No Trains To Heaven 10. Darkness (L'Immoraliste) 11. Axe Victim (First Version) 12. Night Creatures (Spoken Word Version) 13. Rocket Cathedrals (First Version) Disc 3 1. Axe Victim (BBC Session November 1973) 2. Bluesy Ruby (BBC Session November 1973) 3. Tomorrow The World (BBC Session November 1973) 4. Axe Victim (Decca Session 1973) 5. I'll Be Your Vampire (Decca Session 1973) 6. Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape (Decca Session 1973) 7. Bluesy Ruby (Decca Session 1973) 8. Third Floor Heaven (BBC Session May 1974) 9. Mill Street Junction (BBC Session May 1974) 10. 15th Of July (Invisibles) (BBC Session May 1974) 11. Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape (BBC Session May 1974) Disc 4 1. Axe Victim (5.1 Surround Mix) 2. Love Is Swift Arrows (5.1 Surround Mix) 3. Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus (5.1 Surround Mix) 4. Third Floor Heaven (5.1 Surround Mix) 5. Night Creatures (5.1 Surround Mix) 6. Rocket Cathedrals (5.1 Surround Mix) 7. Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape (5.1 Surround Mix) 8. Jets At Dawn (Full Version) (5.1 Surround Mix) 9. No Trains To Heaven (5.1 Surround Mix) 10. Darkness (L'Immoraliste) (5.1 Surround Mix) 11. Axe Victim (First Version) (5.1 Surround Mix) 12. Night Creatures (Spoken Word Version) (5.1 Surround Mix) 13. Rocket Cathedrals (First Version) (5.1 Surround Mix) PAST RELEASES: The original edition of Axe Victim was deleted sometime around 1979/80, but was reissued as a budget release in 1983 by EMI as a double album, combined with the band's second album, Futurama . CURRENT AVAILABILITY: The 2-CD set is available for purchase in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "As was hinted at in the song "Axe Victim", my guitar is a time machine, and the entire history of music is within reach of its glowing dials. Past, present and future are my natural territory and I feel free to dance joyfully and positively within it." _____ "Jets At Dawn" - "was actually written on the first of August, sometime back in the early '70s, probably 1972 or '73. Around 46 years ago. It was before the band made any recordings and definitely before we recorded it as the b-side of the Teenage Archangel single, which was independently released on my 'Smile' label, quite a bit before the EMI deal. "This was the first line-up of Be Bop Deluxe and we were driving home after a gig somewhere in the far north of England. The gig had a very late finish and by the time we'd got the equipment dismantled and packed away it was the early hours of the morning. "As we entered the Yorkshire area in our van, the dawn came up, a glorious day was promised as the sky was a beautiful deep blue and the rapidly rising sun tinted the few clouds that were there with gold. I was looking out of the van's window at this and noticed vapour trails of aeroplanes high above. It sparked a childhood memory of laying on my back in my parent's front garden, gazing up at the clouds and imagining WW2 Spitfire pilots flying their aircraft across the skies. "As a boy I'd briefly had a thing about becoming a pilot and used to read stories such as 'I Flew With Braddock'. I also had copies of 'Flying Review' and 'Flight' magazine and built many model aeroplane kits, which I proudly displayed in my bedroom. "This memory, coupled with seeing the vapour trails in that August dawn sky, got me thinking about making a song which might capture something of the magic of my childhood flying fantasies coupled with the feeling of wonder that filled me when I looked out of the band's van window. "The first line of the song, ( 'The calendar said first of August') came straight to me, right there and then. The rest of the lyrics, along with the song's chord structure, was written at home that same morning. It's a tale of aeroplanes returning home in peacetime, after a war, on a glorious morning with their womenfolk hanging out washing in the gardens below, and who are waving at the pilots as they sail overhead. A celebration, not so much of victory, but of a long awaited peace." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review by Julian Cope on Head Heritage Review on Hi-Res Edition Review on Music Republic Magazine Review on Fabrications HQ Review on Louder Sound Review on Louder Than War Review on At The Barrier Review on The Progressive Aspect Review on Music News Review on Pocketmags Review on Music Street Journal Review by Dmitry M. Epstein YouTube review by Pete Pardo Review by Zachary Nathanson FAN THOUGHTS: Mark Hodkinson: "Axe Victim established several musical and lyrical themes that became Nelson trademarks: blistering guitar runs, an obsession with his native Yorkshire, a deep interest in French film director and writer Jean Cocteau (one of his quotes was reprinted on the sleeve), and the analysing of his own status as a 'victim' of his art/axe. This last element was suggested by the cover painting by John Holmes, of a skull incorporated into the shape of a guitar body." (Record Collector, December 1997) Geetar Homer: "The computer I'm typing this post on stands in the exact spot where the record player stood 40 years ago on which I first played Axe Victim (a loaned copy from a school friend). I remember being blown away by the power of the opening title track even though the deck was a cheap low quality device. Didn't get my own copy until a couple of years later but its still the Be Bop album I play most often. Even if I was stone deaf I would get it out on a regular basis and just look at the sleeve smiling inanely. :) "Had a period (80s/90s) when I viewed it less than favourably, even with embarrassment. Now I love it for the exact same reasons I disliked it then. I think I've come to the conclusion it's a 'keeper'...Oh! and it's improved my air guitar playing no end." Parsongs: "Winter of 1976 was when I bought it. I had seen the Sunburst Finish tour, with BBD supporting Kansas; the Earl Slick Band opened the show. First paycheck after the show, I bought Sunburst Finish . Next paycheck it was Modern Music and Axe Victim . When I saw the latter, I thought hey, these aren't the guys I saw in concert! I thought they all looked a little glam compared to the suits on Modern Music ! Loved the music within though, a real rocker that one." paul.smith: "In the summer of '76 my brother and I were looking through LPs in the branch of WH Smiths in Bolton when I came across this rather fetching cover - all black and skull and guitar as I remember...pointing it out to him he was immediately interested, having heard it at some mate's place, and immediately bought it...he was the older brother with the cash - I had the bus fare home and bugger all else as I remember. Anyway, the said album became the soundtrack to that fantastic summer that went on and on and on...we played it constantly, and later made inroads into other Be Bop stuff and, of course, the rest is history as they say... It's a kind of silly thing to be asked to select your favourite song of all time, but "Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape" comes very, very close...my memories of playing as a kid in the semi-rural/semi-industrial landscape of Wigan/Blackrod/Rivington/Horwich of that time are so evoked in the lyrics and music of that song, that it sometimes makes me ache inside for a timeless flight of childhood that has gone forever... I knew it was a great song when I was a kid...it just got better with 'repeated listenings'." RJR: "Bill, out of the hundreds (thousands?) of songs you have created in your career, "Jets at Dawn" remains my favorite song of all time. Axe Victim was the second BBD album I had purchased in 1978 (Drastic Plastic being the first) -- and I was so amazed at how different the two albums were, but equally awesome. "Jets" was, for some reason, the first song I played on the a album, and it quite simply blew me away. Being an amateur artist, I have created many "renditions" of that song in many forms of media (pen and ink, oils and even Photoshop). In my mind, there is a ragged soldier walking along a valley-like pasture with a dog in tow, looking up at a large and ancient church in front of him. Of course, there are clotheslines in the distance and a trio of jets making their way across the sky. I remember being 16 years old and having a high fever and listening to that song over and over while I lay in bed blanket in hand. For some reason, the song touched me and has remained with me to my post middle aged days." yorkshiretb: "I remember marvelling at how BN managed to be so creative in his guitar playing as the album is chock full of guitar solos each one a composition to fit the song as opposed to a solo. The version of "AIAYL" here has for me the most lyrical guitar solo I have ever heard, all contained in a wistful ballad evocative of a journey through my home county. But it was also the songs that I remember as well as to me it was all very different to anyone else I'd heard despite later reading of what journos put in as Bowie comparisons. I guess like BBD and Bill's later work each record is self contained as it is a shot at the time and the style is not repeated for the next album or record - entirely frustrating for rock journos trying to categorise I guess? My fun categorisation of Axe Victim is that it's a baroque, gothic, romantic, free form, folk, orchestral pop and rock record." Gavin Baker: "Well, I would travel all around South Yorkshire to see Be Bop Deluxe with my mates & would hear the songs from that album time & time again. I still have "Teenage Archangel"/"Jets at Dawn" single I bought at a gig in Bolton Upon Dearne. Being a wanna-be guitarist I've lots of influences but in them days it used to be Nelson, Kossoff & Hendrix. Loved your music then Bill, love your music now." Albums Menu Future Past

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

Official Bill Nelson merchandise provided by Dizzyjam Music Store Dreamsville Merchandise Official Bill Nelson merchandise provided by Direct ... Featuring album covers, Bill's original artwork and designs by Stephen Weis. Make sure you select your preferred colour before adding to the cart!!! Before purchasing clothing, please check out their sizing guide!

Loose Routes: Two album - 1991 various artists Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Guitar on one song: "From King John's Christmas". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

download single - 21 December 2017 Variation on the Theme of a White Christmas Bill Nelson Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) Variation On The Theme Of A White Christmas NOTES: CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available as a free digital download on this page, or in the Free Downloads section . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "My younger brother, Ian, (who passed away almost 12 years ago now,) and I shared some very poignant memories of Christmas together. Those Christmases, in the late 1950s, were uncorrupted by the kind of 'knowing' that children have today. We were naive and innocent, in a way which would be now thought of as embarrassingly 'uncool,' yet the memory of those times burns bright and warm and meaningful. "I remember he and I sharing a bed on Christmas Eve and me reading to him from a book which contained the story of 'Peter And Pam's Christmas,' beautifully illustrated by an artist that, to this day, sadly, I have no idea of who he was. "Ian and I would become so excited by the story and what it promised for Christmas morning and, even though I suspected that Santa Claus was really just mum and dad, I never revealed my suspicions to Ian who still held on to that magical idea of a white-bearded old man with a jolly laughing face coming down the chimney with the gift of toys. "My father, (who worked as the manager of 'Broughton And Son's' shop in Hunslet, Leeds,) always made a great effort to create a magical Christmas Day morning for us. The shop sold, amongst other things (such as radios and televisions,) a selection of Dinky Toys, Meccano construction kits and Hornby 'Dublo-O' Train sets, which always found their way onto the lavish, (as I remember it,) display laid out on our living room floor on Christmas morning. "Ian and I would wake early in much excitement and await our parent's permission to go and see what 'Santa' had brought us...and it always was wonderful. "Not only Dinky Toys, Hornby trains and Meccano sets but Dan Dare ray guns, Roy Rogers cowboy outfits, magnetic Driving Test games, Magic Robot Quiz games, Eagle, Dandy, Beano, Beezer and Topper annuals, sweets and chocolates and a host of other goodies. These things would keep my brother and I occupied throughout the day whilst we had visits from relatives, my grandma, sometimes my aunt and uncle or neighbours. "And somehow, though I now know it's not really accurate, those childhood Christmases always seemed blessed by snow. There was certainly snow at times, though whether prior to, or after the Christmas festivities I'm not sure. But I can vividly recall building snowmen and, one time, an actual Igloo in the front garden of our house at 28, Conistone Crescent on Eastmoor Estate, an Igloo which was built and shared in collaboration with our upstairs neighbour's daughter (and childhood friend,) Bronwyn Jackson, who was just a little bit older than myself. She was someone I had a very warm friendship with, back in those long ago 1950s childhood days." Singles Menu Future Past

The Cote D'Azur ep Bill Nelson ep - 8 October 1986 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A1) A Dream Fulfilled A2) Familiar Spirit B1) Palais Des Marine B2) Letter To Jacques Maritain B3) Villefranche Interior ORIGINALLY: All five songs were non-album tracks, although B3 would appear on Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights (Cocteau, 1987). NOTES: The Cote D'Azur EP was included in Issue #13 of the fan club magazine, Acquitted By Mirrors , and would turn out to be the final Cocteau Club EP. Although the label would exist for another 3 years, the magazine would struggle to appear with anything like the regularity of 1982-84, and eventually would stop altogether with Issue 15. The single was housed in a green die cut Cocteau sleeve, and oddly while side 2 was pressed at 33 1/3 rpm, when you play it, B2 should be played at 45 rpm. PAST RELEASES: B3 was included on Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights (Cocteau, 1987). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All tracks are available on the retrospective compilation album Transcorder (The Acquitted By Mirrors Recordings) . BILL'S THOUGHTS: from the Acquitted by Mirrors fan magazine: "The music on the E.P. was recorded on my return from holiday in Villefrance-sur-Mer and it is an impressionistic soundscape of my 'adventures' there. On the track "Familiar Spirit" you may recognise the voice of one J. Cocteau (conjured into The Echo Observatory by various nefarious rites). The track "Letter to Jacques Maritain" features yours truly reading Cocteau's words from the aforesaid letter. I hope you find some things to enjoy within these hallowed grooves." _____ "I venture to suggest that a big percentage of my soul belongs to the South of France, particularly the Cote D'Azur... the one place I feel I could live in a sort of artistic exile, (provided I could return once in a while to the raw beauty of the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire coastline)." Singles Menu Future Past

Sleepcycle Bill Nelson ep - April 1982 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A1) Sleepcycle A2) Konny Buys A Kodak B1) When The Birds Return B2) The Beat That Can't Go Wrong Today ORIGINALLY: All four tracks were exclusive to this EP. NOTES: Sleepcycle is a 4 track EP featuring two vocal tracks and two instrumental pieces. This 7" EP was the first of seven EPs issued exclusively to members of Bill Nelson's Official Fan Club, Cocteau Club , which was active between 1982 and 1990. Sleepcycle was included in Acquitted By Mirrors Issue 1, the official fan club magazine. All tracks were recorded at The Echo Observatory. PAST RELEASES: A2 and B1 were later included on The Two Fold Aspect of Everything (Cocteau, 1985). B2 was included on the US 2CD edition of The Two Fold Aspect of Everything (Enigma, 1989), and the US CD version of The Love That Whirls (Enigma, 1989). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All tracks are available on the retrospective compilation album Transcorder (The Acquitted By Mirrors Recordings) . Singles Menu Future Past

Studio Cadet Bill Nelson album - 6 December 2024 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this CD TRACKS: 01) A Splendid View 02) Phantom Island 03) Crystal Springs 04) Barely There 05) The Ecstatic Transfiguration Of The Great Northern Twang Magus 06) An Interval 07) Dance Of The Anti-Gravity Enthusiasts 08) Deep Sky 09) Space Age Dreamer 10) Slow Smoulder 11) Sunglasses After Dark 12) My Giddy Levitation 13) I Saw You In A Sailplane 14) Night Boats Pass Beneath The Stars Purchase this download ALBUM NOTES: Studio Cadet is an album of guitar instrumentals issued on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 1000 copies and simultaneous digital download. The album was first mentioned by Nelson as 'half finished' in a Dreamsville forum post dated 20 May 2015 and was later confirmed as complete with confirmed track listing on 1 June 2015. On 14 July 2015, a week after completing work on his very next album of new material, Magnetic Travels , Nelson announced plans to release both albums as a double CD initially to be entitled The Grand Imaginarium (Intergalactic Rhapsodies for Electric Guitar) , although the word 'Intergalactic' was dropped later the same day. A few months down the line however Nelson had reverted back to his initial plan of releasing Studio Cade t and Magnetic Travels as two standalone albums and this plan remained despite Nelson's continued uncertainty of the format. The album was mastered at Fairview Studios by John Spence in February 2024, with artwork compiled by Martin Bostock using images selected by Nelson as the album approached release. Pre-orders for Studio Cadet were announced by Burning Shed on November 1st with a release date scheduled for December 6th. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available to pre-order here in the Dreamsville Store. BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Studio Cadet is one of several previously unreleased albums tucked away in my archives. Recorded in 2015 it contains 14 guitar-based instrumental tracks. The atmosphere is relaxed and sometimes dreamy. The album comes in a triple-fold digi-sleeve with a four page booklet insert. A gleaming guitar melodic soundscape." ALBUM REVIEWS: Review on Plus One Albums Menu Future Past