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Permanent Flame Bill Nelson retrospective box set - November 1982 Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: Do You Dream In Colour? A) Do You Dream In Colour? B1) Ideal Homes B2) Instantly Yours B3) Atom Man Loves Radium Girl Bill Nelson's Be Bop Deluxe A) Panic In The World B1) Maid In Heaven B2) Electrical Language Bill Nelson's Red Noise A) Revolt Into Style B1) Stay Young B2) Furniture Music Touch And Glow A) Touch And Glow B1) Dancing In The Wind B2) Love Without Fear Rooms With Brittle Views A) Rooms With Brittle Views B) Dada Guitare NOTES: Permanent Flame is that rather unusual beast, a box set of 7" singles, which was compiled to provide fans with a novel compilation covering the period 1975 to 1982. It therefore contained Be Bop Deluxe, Red Noise and Bill Nelson material and contained a useful discography sheet and badge. Two of the Bill Nelson singles were presented in the same form as they had appeared when originally issued, whereas the Be Bop and Red Noise discs were essentially EP compilations that were newly compiled in exclusive picture sleeves. The fourth disc was the previously unreleased Touch and Glow single which provided the long term fan with 3 new tracks. PAST RELEASES: The box set is long out of print. Collections 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

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

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

The Lockdown Song (It's All Downhill From Here) download single - 24 November 2020 Bill Nelson Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) The Lockdown Song NOTES: 'The Lockdown Song (It's All Downhill From Here)' was recorded during the first UK lockdown resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, but when the situation eased up it, Nelson felt the track became redundant, so it just became a curio. But once the second lockdown happened, it seemed appropriate again and was made available as a free download, here in its unmastered state! CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available as a free digital download on this page, or in the Free Downloads section . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Titled 'The Lockdown Song (It's All Downhill From Here)', it was recorded during the first UK lockdown, but still seems it might be appropriate for the current moment. It's one of the Cubase recordings that I've amassed and will appear here in its raw, unmastered and naked state. (Heck, you're getting it for free, so don't expect it to be polished to burnished!)" _____ Regarding the Cover image: "Actually, it's not Pinocchio, though I can see why you might think it was. It's a paper mask of a 'funny' man with a moustache which I attached to an antique wooden wig stand. The hat is a children's party hat which I bought because it resembles a hat that Rupert Bear wore at a Christmas party in an old 1950s Rupert Annual story. I added it to the creation to bring more of a comic element to the image. I then placed it in our garden shed, a dusty, cobwebbed place, and photographed it through the window as if the man was looking out at the world from his confinement." 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

Whimsy Bill Nelson double album - 17 June 2003 Albums Menu Future Past DISC ONE: Whimsy 01) Nostalgia (For The Future) 02) Slumberlite 03) Let Flow The Wine 04) Switch Off That Desert Sunset 05) Magnetism Made Me Do It 06) A Simple Thought Flashes Through My Mind 07) Senor Mysterioso 08) Ocean Full Of Wishes 09) Swept Away 10) Islands In The Sky 11) Always Summer 12) The Fundamental Blues 13) My Favourite Urban Chrome-Green Sky 14) Dizzy In The Head 15) I Looked At The Sea 16) The Girl Who Disappeared Into A Cloud 17) Whimsy 18) So Far 19) The Violins Of Autumn 20) Will Purchase this download DISC TWO: A Garage Full Of Clouds 01) Showtime 02) Dumb Palooka 03) Garage Full Of Clouds 2 04) Organola 05) Perfect Bliss 06) Powder Blue 07) Here We Go 08) When We Were Young 09) Fairyland Before The Fire 10) Cowboy Christmas 11) Struck Dumb By Beauty Again 12) Don't Be A Stranger 13) The Light This Universe Attracts 14) Sing Ye Golden Sunbeams, Sing 15) Superslippy 16) The Fabulous Fountain Of Your Savoir Faire 17) A Star Named Desire 18) Buzz Was Honey 19) Over The Moon 20) Close Your Eyes (The Sleepytown Symphony) Purchase this download ALBUM NOTES: Whimsy /Whimsy Two is a double CD issued on the Fabled Quixote label in a single print run believed to be of 1000 copies. The album was commenced in February 2001, a month after Nelson took delivery of a new digital recording set-up and had become accustomed to the digital sound (and a few operational gremlins that plagued his early use of the equipment). The album was originally planned as a single album to be called A Garage Full of Clouds (before a note of it had been written or recorded), but in the end this became the sub-title of the second volume (Whimsy Two), completed in the same period. By June 2001 a total of 15 tracks had been recorded, at which point Nelson had decided on Whimsy as a title for an interim album, quite separate in style to the original planned A Garage Full of Clouds album. However by the end of January 2002 the number of tracks completed had grown to fill a double album comprising 40 tracks initially recorded for the two separate projects. In March 2002 Nelson announced that the second album, now officially called Whimsy Two (A Garage Full of Clouds) , would be a limited edition companion album to Whimsy , and that both would be handled by Voiceprint. With completed tracks transferred to Nelson's DAT machine, technical problems caused unrepairable damage to a number of masters which reportedly resulted in Nelson having to replace those tracks with new material. At Nelsonica '02 , held on 7 September 2002 at The Duke of Cumberland in North Ferriby, those in attendance were treated to a preview of 18 tracks from Whimsy a full nine months ahead of release. By then the format of the album had been confirmed as a double CD, Nelson having abandoned the idea of restricting Whimsy Two to a few hundred copies. After mastering the album later in September 2002 and getting artwork prepared and ready for the printers early in 2003, Whimsy was finally released in June 2003 in a fold out digi-pack sleeve complete with lyric booklet. With a few copies having been sent out mail order, the fanfare was then muted somewhat when it became clear that the CD labels had been juxtaposed requiring a re-print to be ordered. The album was back on sale in July 2003 ahead of the special 'preview showing' for the Flashlight Dreams and Fleeting Shadows DVD on 14 August 2003, and the 2 day long Nelsonica '03 (once again staged at The Duke of Cumberland in North Ferriby on 19/20 September 2003). Thanks to the marketing power of Voiceprint combined with the CD being a strong seller on the merchandise stalls at various Nelson live shows staged in 2003/2004, Whimsy sold out of its print run within 2 years of going on sale. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Both Whimsy and Whimsy Two: A Garage Full Of Clouds are available to purchase as digital downloads here in the Dreamsville Store . FAN THOUGHTS: A Lad Inane: "Immediately, the artwork intrigued me and lunged me headfirst into Bill's retro-nostalgia world. Likewise, the song titles struck me as incredibly original, intelligent, and rife with imagery. I was hooked...When I got back into my car, I put on the first CD and was immediately taken with the sonic complexities, bubbling charm, and DIY instinct of "Nostalgia (For the Future)." "Whenever I listen to Whimsy , I envision a little boy in 1950's smalltown America sitting before a Christmas tree and playing with a toy train. And then, in my daze, I accidentally drive my car off an embankment." paulnery: " Whimsy is a great album, starting by the wonderful cover!!! I think that just the graphic art already makes the album a "must buy"...but the music is even better." Quinault: "I love Whimsy ! It was one of my personal recommendations to everyone seeking new musical enlightenment." JohnR: Favourite solo album: "For me, this has to be Whimsy , and for very personal reasons. When this came out, it was the first of Bill's albums I had bought for a while. The music was a revelation and I could not stop playing it over and over again." sauropod: " Whimsy is one of my favorite Bill albums and is the album that got me back into his music after an extended hiatus. "Nostalgia for the Future" is absolutely brilliant." Timbaugh: "From the classy sophisticated pop with a twist of "Always Summer", to the infectious riff in "Magnetism Made Me Do It", the album exudes class...The use of spoken word samples is inspired – adds another dimension." Holer: "I think these are some of Bill's sunniest, catchiest tunes yet, and stylistically, there are some really unique numbers ("Let Flow the Wine", "Fundamental Blues", "Dumb Palooka", etc. etc.). Bill is a real chameleon on the guitar here also. Just wanted to say thanks Bill, and give Whimsy a proper shout out as an album that deserves attention. I know Magnetism made you do it!" tomk: " Whimsy never gets "Old" to me. There's so much going on and it's always a new experience to me. I have always admired Bill's Vocals. "Always Summer" is my fav. I find it quite mysterious, haunting, sad and uplifting..." james warner: "A double album of weird and wonderful vocal tracks, lyrically looking back with fondness to more innocent times. Voices from the past are blended with electronic sounds of things to come, while Bill's vocals and guitar exist in both realms at once. This is retro-futurism in musical form." "Slumberlite": "is THE classic track from Whimsy ." alec: "A Simple Thought Flashes Through My Mind": "from the amazing Whimsy is a lovely combination of samples. Love this song, and the way Bill sings "under control" in the very low register." paul.smith: "Powder Blue": "My wife Sam's favourite song has always been this track off Whimsy . It's a great summer song and full of pure pop sensibility. Burnt sienna as rich dark shadows and powder blue as a cloudless sky on those timeless flight days we all remember as children. Very evocative of all those days spent in a semi-rural landscape for both of us at different times at different ages." stormboy: "It's easy enough to recognise the Bill Nelson Spirit of Adventure in all his work. I love all of Bill's work and applaud his commitment to following his creative nose (can I say that? Yes, I think so), and enjoy the results of his audio excavations. I was worried when Bill switched to digital, as I feared for the loss of some of the BN sound, but I needn't have worried... reliable as ever, he proved he can still stand out from the crowd. Bless his cotton socks." Gary Lensman: " Whimsy was my first Bill Nelson purchase just over a month and half ago after a gap of far, far too long. Bought quite a few since then. Major musical addiction now - I've heard there's no known cure this far from Galactic Central for the Nelsonian Rocketeers on board the Lightship Silvertone pulsing towards Andromeda ." 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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2013 William's Study (Diary Of A Hyperdreamer) September 2008 Jan Feb Aug Oct Thursday 4th September 2008 -- 5:00 pm The following diary entry was begun two days ago but I only now have found time to complete it and post it... I'm in a mood...and a low one at that. It may be exhaustion, or stress, or the depression that I always try to deny I suffer from, or all three demons colluding together. Whatever the cause, I wish I could escape it. Nelsonica is only eight weeks away and there's SO much still to do. I accept that there's always going to be a lot of pressure to get everything ready in time for the convention, but this year it feels even more extreme than usual. There have been lots of good intentions but the practical side is far more complicated than it might appear. One serious concern for me is that we're making little, or very slow progress regarding the confirmation of a band for the live concert side of Nelsonica. The band proposal has been on the agenda for several weeks now, yet it's no further advanced than it was when I last wrote about it in an earlier diary entry. Almost everything needed to make the band materialise, (apart from the time-consuming task of choosing, preparing, learning and rehearsing the songs), is in place. But there's still ONE essential component as yet unconfirmed. And unless this firms up soon, I fear that the whole idea will sadly have to be abandoned. Unfortunately, assembling and rehearsing a seven-piece band is not something that can be done at the drop of a hat. It needs the right combination of people plus a lot of careful planning and thought. The other tricky thing is that I really, here and now, should be finalising what material to assemble for the Nelsonica live performance. IF a band IS to be part of the day's programming, my solo set needs to be appropriate for that inclusion, both in length and in musical content. If the band set finally doesn't take any part in the day's schedule, then a much longer solo set will be required from me, and of a different nature. Not only do my solo performance backing tracks have to be chosen, then mastered at Fairview (and rehearsed) so that they make up a balanced and cohesive live concert, but I have to choose appropriate video backdrops to fit the set too. Once the sequence of music is settled upon, the video master-disc must be assembled with everything in the correct order of performance. I also have a couple of specially composed new solo instrumental pieces that I'd like to include amongst the older material but, at this point in time, there are no video backdrops to fit them. This will require the creation of new video pieces within what is rapidly becoming a frighteningly short space of time. I have to admit that my earlier feelings about completing all this work to a sufficient standard have not been particularly positive. I suspected that the idea of putting a band together and getting it rehearsed to a suitable level of accomplishment, within a less than ideal time frame, was going to be a risky proposition from the off. The fact that there have already been so many other pressing problems and commitments this year has not helped me either. I've been wondering whether I should not have not taken the band proposal on board to start with and instead just concentrated on the other things I need to do for the convention. Well...it's difficult to forsee how things might develop. I suppose there IS still a possibility, (albeit a faint one), that the band thing might come together, but it's looking very tight right now. Far more than I'm comfortable with. Unfortunately, I'm not the sort of person who can casually accept a poorly prepared performance as being o.k. I can't just scrape through then walk away and shrug it off as if it isn't particularly important. My basic attitude is, and has always been: 'if it's not good enough, bin it.' I'd also hoped to avoid an ill-prepared and manic few weeks before the event itself, to have a more enjoyable and less stressful lead-up to the day, (and throughout the day itself too). But this now seems highly unlikely. Something will have to give, something will be unavoidably compromised. There's just too many other Nelsonica-related things that I'm duty-bound to take care of within the time that remains. The fact is, my day to day life has been punishingly intense throughout the last 8 months, for all kinds of reasons. My tiny studio's output has been astonishing for that length of time...constant, obsessive, compulsive creativity. More than SIX album's worth of compositions recorded already, a massive amount of expended energy by anyone's standards. I still have no idea how I've been able to accomplish all this, considering the time-consuming domestic concerns that I've had to deal with, (especially my mother's ongoing and very stressful legal situation). Anyway, whatever the reasons for it, my self-imposed, highly driven work schedule has had a debilitating effect. To put it bluntly, I feel shattered, exhausted and drained by it all. Yes, I know I often complain about such pressures in this diary but, this time, it's gone just that little bit beyond what any sensible person would consider to be their reasonable limit. My own fault, to some extent, I suppose. So why did I jump through these particular hoops? To escape from other worries? Sheer stupidity? Concerns about income? A sense of time running out...sand slipping far too fast through the hour-glass? A kind of ego-driven mortal desperation? Or just trying to reach new heights within my personal dark sky? There's no real rationale involved whatsoever, (though trying to keep my head above the economic waters has to be one real-world motivating factor). Sometimes, I really should try to locate the off' switch, the 'not now' button, the 'pause' control... In fact, I really should let go of it ALL for a while, let it drop, float away, forget it, take a holiday. (A holiday? No chance whatsoever of that.) So here's the state of play as of this moment:- The recent instrumental trilogy is about to be completed with the upcoming release of the 'Mazda Kaleidoscope' album. A lovely, floating, drifting canvas of colours. Music to glide in, or swim in, or bathe in. (But the release date now delayed until the 8th Sept. Apparently a manufacturer's glitch.) I've also finally completed work on the vocal album, 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow,' nailed down its 18 song track-list and got the whole shebang mastered over at Fairview Studios with John Spence tweaking the frequencies. It's a darkly rich collection of songs which will take the listener a little while to absorb. Black lava reflecting ancient starlight. Actually, John paid me a wonderful compliment whilst we were listening to this material. He said he's not heard anyone else get such a warm and rich sound from digital recordings. I'm flattered as this is exactly what I'd hoped to achieve. The album seems to have taken on a character of its own. It's more like a location, an environment, than a set of songs. For me, it feels like a city from a long-forgotten tomorrow, the kind of place we wander through in our dreams, lost but unafraid, a labyrinth of memory and shadows, lit suddenly by lightning and sunbeams. The final running order for 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow' is now as follows: 1: 'Welcome To Electric City.' 2: 'Once I Had A Time Machine.' 3: 'Summer Hums In The Bee-Loud Glade.' 4: 'Frosty Lawns. (Snowballs And Oranges.)' 5: 'God Glows Green In Small Town Park.' 6: 'My Empty Bowl Is Full Of Sky.' 7: 'When Aeroplanes Were Dragonflys.' 8: 'Night Is The Engine Of My Imagination.' 9: 'The Old Nebulosity Waltz.' 10: 'Help Us, Magic Robot.' 11: 'Time's Quick-Spun Globe.' 12: 'Fountains Are Singing In Cities Of Light.' 13: 'The Emperor Of The Evening.' 14: 'I Saw Galaxies.' 15: 'Until All Our Lights Combine.' 16: 'Heaven Is A Haunted Realm.' 17: 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow.' 18: 'Golden Coda, (Farewell To Electric City.)' Besides the above, I've also made an adjustment to the track-list of CD 2 of the Nelsonica 'Clocks And Dials' double album whilst transfering all 38 tracks and before signing them off for mastering. This, again, over at Fairview with the professional and talented help of my long-time friend John Spence. The track-list adjustment is as follows: The instrumental track titled 'Dreamland Airships' has been removed and substituted with a new vocal track titled 'Clocks Wind Slow.' (And all better for it, I think.) As mentioned previously, I've also been working with David Graham on the packaging art for the 'Golden Melodies Of Tomorrow' album. We've just last night finalised that particular challenge. It looks fabulous and enforces the 'Busby Berkley Of The 22nd Century' mood that the music evokes. Now we're attempting to start on the 'Clocks And Dials' digi-pack artwork. I've spent most of yesterday and all of today trying to come up with images that I can adapt and tweak and send to Dave for him to lay out in the digi-pack format. Still lots more images required though. A LOT more. Putting these package designs together is not an exact science. Sometimes it can fall into place over a couple of days...othertimes it can take a couple of weeks or more. It's not nearly as quick and easy as it might seem. Unfortunately, due to holidays and other distractions, we don't yet have a template for the digi-pack. I need to chase up Paul on that score. (But he's away on holiday too.) Work that I still have to do before Nelsonica: Create a selection of drawings/artwork for the Nelsonica auction. Make new stage backdrop videos to fit the new solo-set pieces. Create this year's 'Nelsonica Workbox' art and contents Choose and master backing tracks and rehearse my solo set performance. Prepare performance charts for above. Choose and learn and rehearse a band set performance. (SHOULD the band finally materialise.) Prepare performance charts and lyric sheets for the above. Choose, repair and set up an appropriate selection of guitars/instruments for the live performances. Dismantle all musical equipment needed for the performances from my studio, (processors, cables, pedal boards, guitars, stands, etc, etc). Pack everything up and haul it downstairs ready to transport to rehearsals and convention. (There's a LOT of gear and it's damned heavy and I seem to get weaker and creakier every year!) Get a haircut! Choose and dry-clean my stage clothes and pack them ready for the event. PLUS: Several other things the Nelsonica team have asked me to do but that I've since pathetically forgotten. (Senior moments...don't ya just love 'em!) Enough already...I'm changing the subject. My mother's 80th birthday just over a week ago. I booked an Italian restaurant in Wakefield and her remaining family gathered around her to help her celebrate. She's had a very difficult six or seven months since her husband passed away, as noted in my previous diary entry. A rotten time for her which has been compounded by the hard-nosed calculations of others. My eldest daughter Julia and my grandson Luke came up from London just for the day. Also my youngest daughter Elle, my nephew Julian, my sister-in-law Diane and Julia's friend Michael attended the dinner, as did Emiko and, of course, myself. Unfortunately, Elliot was working and couldn't make it. My nephew Louis and nice Lucy were also unable to attend but it turned out to be a very pleasant evening with good food and warm conversation. My mother was much cheered by the support of her family. She is very much in need of love right now and that's exactly what we gave her, along with cards, flowers and birthday gifts. It's unfortunate that she still has all the unpleasantness of the legal struggle regarding her late husband's will to contend with. No love from that quarter whatsoever, it seems. The legal dispute is ongoing but is now moving firmly towards litigation. I've been helping my mother to deal with the preparation of witness statements for her Barrister and progress IS being made. We all want to see things sorted out for her and the support she is recieving from her close family is incredibly important, particularly in view of the shabby treatment she's received from what I'll simply refer to as 'the other side.' What else to tell? Something positive: My new Peerless 'Deep Blue Custom' guitar arrived and has helped to lift my own flagging spirits. Somewhere between a Gretsch and a Gibson but yet entirely its own thing. It's a beautiful matte-finish blue colour, a thin-line semi-acoustic without 'f' holes. It has a 'varitone' control similar in function to that on my Gibson 345 stereo guitar. It's also beautifully bound with abalone markings and feels comfortable and inspiring to play. I'm really enjoying playing it and have been using it on some new recordings. I've always been fond of guitars that don't strictly conform to popular or mainstream taste so the 'Deep Blue Custom' suits my personality and sounds great too. A character instrument, like the 'Monarch' archtop I've also been recording with of late. Every instrument has its own unique personality and inspires different aspects of one's creativity. A guitar's tone, shape, colour and feel are all factors that contribute to the playing experience. Choosing the appropriate guitar for any given piece of music is like choosing brushes and paint to work on a blank canvas. And I'm very lucky to have some wonderful instruments to work with. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to line up several of my favourite guitars at Nelsonica and play them all in public. (Instead of keeping them to myself in the studio!) The Campbell Nelsonic, the Gus G1, a couple of Eastwoods, a Gretsch, a D'Angelico, and the two Peerless models should, between them, help to make the day a colourful one. Whilst on the subject of guitars: Most readers of this diary will be aware that I took up the guitar many years ago, around 1959. I started out messing around with a small toy guitar my brother Ian received as a Christmas gift, then I was given a slightly larger plastic 'Elvis Presley' toy guitar of my own, made by Selco. But what REALLY inspired me to continue with this initial interest and gave me the desire to aquire a full size, proper instrument, was hearing a particular guitar instrumental on the radio. Its title was 'Because They're Young' and it was recorded by Duane Eddy. Hearing Duane play that tune literally changed my life. Duane Eddy was my first guitar hero, followed by Hank B. Marvin of The Shadows. Then it was The Ventures, Chet Atkins, Les Paul and others. But Duane was the first. It's probably impossible for a youngster of today to understand what a mighty impact electric guitar instrumentals made on musically inclined 1950's schoolboys back then. It was the start of something that has, over the years, become a taken-for-granted aspect of popular musical culture. But it was startlingly fresh, even shocking, at the time. The reason I'm talking about this is because of a feature in the latest issue of 'Twangsville,' the newsletter/magazine of the 'Duane Eddy Circle,' (of which I'm a proud and honary member). The feature comprises an article with photographs relating to a recent special concert held at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. It was a 50 year anniversary concert celebrating the half-century since the Hollywood Bowl first put on rock n' roll concerts. This famous venue was originally intended for classical and light music but in 1958 it gave way to the tidal wave of rock and roll and put on its first rock concert. One of the stars of that original 1958 show was Duane Eddy who was enjoying hits with his raunchy, twangy guitar instrumentals at that time. The recent anniversary show, held in June of this year, brought Duane back to the Hollywood Bowl along with B.B. King and Liza Minnelli and an 80 piece orchestra. Duane opened the second half of the show with 'Rebel Rouser' and closed the concert with a epic rendition of 'Peter Gunn' featuring added guitar parts by B.B. King and the full strength of the 80 piece orchestra. (Plus Liza Minelli dancing on stage to the whole thing.) Sounds like a blast! But there's a nice and very personal aspect to this 50th anniversary concert: The special programme that was printed for the event contained a biography of Duane Eddy's career. (It's reproduced in the 'Twangsville' magazine, which is how I know about it.) The biography concludes with Duane talking humbly about how many world-famous guitarists have cited him as being the reason they first took up the guitar. And a handful of those guitarists are name checked in the Hollywood Bowl programme's biography: George Harrison, Hank Marvin, The Ventures, Mark Knopfler, Bruce Springsteen and...surprise, surprise! yours truly! I know I've been playing a long time now and I should be cooly jaded about such things, but to see my name listed alongside Duane, Hank Marvin, George Harrison and The Ventures in the official programme of such a special Hollywood Bowl concert gave me a genuine thrill. Still an awe struck kid with a guitar and a lot to learn? You bet I am! Still on the subject of guitars and guitarists...(and fandom.) I recently bought a copy of a new book titled 'The Les Paul Legacy.' It deals with the early years of Les Paul's career and makes a nice companion volume to the more elaborate limited edition Les Paul autobiography that I already own and treasure. I also recently received a message from a very kind fan in America who has obtained an autograph for me from Les, personally signed to myself. It's being sent to me soon and I intend to frame it and proudly display it on my studio wall. Les Paul plays every Monday evening at the Iridium Club in New York...two sets per evening, and he's now in his 90's! Inspiration? In spades! He even signed a Nelsonic Transitone guitar that the above mentioned fan owns...an honour in itself. A copy of my 'Return To Jazz Of Lights' album was also passed to Les. Hope he'll find time to give it a listen. Once again, another long diary entry, 'though I've missed out quite a few details. Actually, I may leave the diary alone for a while, perhaps until after Nelsonica. Every minute counts at the moment as there are so many pressing duties to attend to and not nearly enough time. As always, we'll see... Back to work. ***** The images accompanying this diary are:- 1: Flyer/advert for the 'Clocks And Dials' limited edition double album. 2: Advert for the Visu-Luxe DVD series, to be launched later this year. 3: Bill's Peerless 'Deep Blue Custom' guitar. 4: Another photo of the 'Deep Blue Custom.' 5: First of a series of 'dream' albums that don't actually exist. 6: Another 'Visu-Luxe' advert. Top of page Tuesday 9th September 2008 -- 9:00 pm Three hours ago, I returned home after a trip to Manchester airport. Emiko is winging her way to Japan as I write these words. I'm alone in the house and will continue to be so for the next two weeks and two days, until Emi returns. We had to arrange Emi's trip very quickly, consequently the last few days have been hectic. The reason for her departure is both unfortunate and unexpected. On Friday we received news that her mother had been admitted to hospital in Tokyo, suffering from intestinal cancer. Her mother, who is in her 80's and quite frail, must undergo an unavoidable operation this coming Thursday. It never rains but it pours. Naturally Emi became extremely concerned and wanted to fly to Tokyo to be with her mum. It's been two years since we last visited but we were hoping that we'd both be able to go to Japan again at the end of this year. This worrying news suddenly made the issue a much more urgent one. I desperately wanted to travel with Emi to Tokyo but I have so much personal responsibility here, (Nelsonica preparations and supporting my own mother with her litigation problems, amongst other things), that it would be impossible for me to just drop everything and fly to Japan. There are simply too many problems for me to deal with here and not even enough time to deal with them properly. But, clearly, it's extremely important that Emi sees her mother. The doctors seem to be reasonably optimistic about the outcome of the operation, at least at the moment. It seems that the cancer may be confined to one area. They'll know more as the surgery progresses but we're praying for a positive outcome. The last time Emi and I spent any lengthy time apart was around twelve years ago. I know that some married couples welcome a chance to get away from each other, but not us. We're a very close couple who genuinely enjoy being together, so parting at the airport this afternoon was a traumatic experience for both of us. I felt as if the world was suddenly empty when I travelled back from Manchester on the train after seeing Emi safely through the check-in proceedure. We'd had a stressful morning, trying to catch the Manchester airport train from York. The station car park was full when we drove into town so I dropped Emi at the station forecourt with her luggage and drove off to find alternative parking, telling Emi that I'd meet her on the platform as soon as I could. The search for an alternative car park ended up being a race against the clock. It seemed that there were no available spaces at any of the car parks within reasonable walking distance of the station. I finally found somewhere but I was then faced with a frantic dash to meet Emi on the platform and catch the train. In my haste, I hit my head on the car boot lid whilst grabbing my shoulder bag, resulting in a nasty cut to the top of my scalp. These days there's not much hair growing in that nebulous region to cushion any bangs or scrapes, I'm afraid. It hurt like hell and is still throbbing as I write these words. Anyway, after a heart-pounding scramble to get to the station, I made it back to Emi just in time for us to hop on the train. The route to Manchester airport took us through Dewsbury and Huddersfield, both towns holding old memories for me. When I was a schoolboy my mother and father used to take me to Dewsbury Market after school on Wednesdays. My father had a 'half-day' off work on that day and this meant he was free to meet me from school in the family jalopy. (An old 1940's 'Jowett'.) We would drive over to Dewsbury and browse amongst the market stalls and around the town. I recall getting a 'David Nixon Magic Set' from a shop there once. (David Nixon was a well known conjurer with his own tv show at that time.) Haven't really been there since though. Huddersfield figures a little later in my life. In the 1960's I had a three-piece psychedelic blues band called 'Global Village.' We had a fairly regular gig at a venue in Huddersfield called 'The Builder's Exhange Club.' It was an exploratory time for me, (and musically a magical time for anyone of my generation). The small club used to be packed to the rafters when we played there, a fabulous atmosphere, exciting and energetic. We took our cues from bands such as The Yardbirds, early Fleetwood Mac, Chicken Shack, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. I related these memories to Emi as we trundled past the towns on the way to the airport. Soon we were out in the hills and then rattling through the Pennines, ancient mills crumbling in the rain... After we'd tearfully parted at the entrance to the departure lounge, ('ticket holders only past this point'), I walked back to the airport station, feeling sad and lost. The trip back to York was filled with brooding thoughts and dark clouds. It was raining when I alighted on the platform and started the walk back to where I'd parked the car. I hit rush hour, people commuting away from the city. As I drove beyond the city centre, my mobile 'phone rang. It was Emi. She had already landed at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris where she was to make her connection with her flight to Japan. We spoke as I drove towards our home. I stopped in the lane that leads to our house and we talked for a few more minutes before she had to go to make the next leg of her long journey. When I opened our front door, our cats, Django and Tinkerbell came to greet me, then looked around for Emi. They've gone off into the surrounding fields now, as they usually do about this time, but it's clear they're wondering where she is. So, here I am...an enforced bachelor of sorts for the next two weeks and two days. I had a microwave meal at dinnertime and haven't done the washing up yet. I came up here to the studio to write this diary entry in the hope that it might ease my feeling of solitude. I need to keep myself occupied and try not to be too miserable. It's not as if I have nothing to do...in fact there's far too MUCH to do. And without my wife to help back me up with day to day 'real world' issues I'm going to feel even more stressed than before. Nevertheless, I must try to get on with it. Nelsonica is getting nearer and nearer with every panicky moment. Talking of which: one previously uncertain Nelsonica task has now been confirmed. There WILL definitely be a seven piece band performing at Nelsonica, although the component I was hoping would fall into place didn't actually materialise...but someone else has bravely offered to take up the challenge and help make the band more than just an idea. I'll try to post something on my website forum soon, revealing the members names and the band's name. (I've yet to decide upon the latter. It won't be 'The Lost Satellites' but something new.) I may even write another diary entry in order to record my bachelor misery for posterity. Or at least for Emiko to know how much she's missed. Right now, I'm going to go and mope into a glass of wine. Top of page

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

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

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

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

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

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