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

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

Acquitted By Mirrors - Issue Nine - Published April 1984 Back to Top

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Rosewood Volume Two Bill Nelson album - 29 July 2005 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Tinderbox 02) Aliumesque 03) Little Cantina 04) Rolling Home (Yorkshire Raga No.1) 05) Sunbeam 06) Bramble 07) William Is Wearing The Cardigan Of Light 08) The Autumn Tram (Yorkshire Raga No.2) 09) Hi Lo La 10) Rising Sap 11) Blue Cloud 12) See-Through Nightie 13) Ordinary Storm, Waiting For Rain 14) The Light Is Kinder In This Corner Of Corona 15) Your Whole Life Dreaming ALBUM NOTES: Rosewood Volume Two was written and recorded alongside Rosewood Volume One , and like its predecessor, comprises a similar selection of acoustic guitar instrumentals. Issued in a single print run of 1000 copies, the album took approximately 7 years to sell out. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Rosewood One , 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: "A perfect companion piece to Rosewood Vol. One , still based around acoustic guitars but with a slightly different feel, featuring more percussion and a slightly more 'mainstream' approach." _____ "On the Rosewood albums, there's a combination of miked-up acoustic guitar parts and acoustic through my Line 6 Vetta 2 amp's effects, (fed direct to the mixing desk). I wanted to use both a natural and treated acoustic sound. In that respect, it's not really a pure acoustic album but then, nothing I ever do on my albums could be considered particularly pure or fundamentalist." _____ "The Light is Kinder in This Corner of Corona": "A pastiche Tex-Mex acoustic twanglomania from the Rosewood Volume 2 album. Tongue in cheek but warm and wonderful. Reminds me of US tours back in the '70s and the illusions we post-war English boys harboured about the romance of American border towns...not the most sophisticated track from the album but one of the sweetest." _____ "I'm very proud of the Rosewood albums...They're definitely on my small list of 'albums I'd like to be remembered by'." FAN THOUGHTS: TomR: "This is really excellent. On first play a much jauntier record than Vol 1 . There are not many players than make me think of Roy Smeck, Steve Howe, John McLaughlin and Andy Roberts in the space of sixteen bars. I've laughed out loud a few times already, and that doesn't happen with a CD very often." John Izzard: "As others have stated, I found it much more immediate than Volume 1 . Some real surprises in there too. It twists and turns, introducing new ideas and themes, almost all the time. Yet for all of its diversity, it remains a coherent and ultimately lovely piece of work." paulnery: "Vol II is less calm than Vol. I . Some tension can be noticed in the tracks...and the tracks are faster, people can dance to these tunes...While Vol. I is more Yin , Vol. II is more Yang." "The Light is Kinder in This Corner of Corona": "is very nice, reminded me of The Shadows in some moments. Beautiful instrumental." alec: "Listening to Rosewood Volume 2 for the third time and I'm struck by how, though it's instrumental, I hear voices in some of the pieces -- like the first piece for example, "Tinderbox"." PhilK: "Seriously though it is a beautiful piece of music, I initially started to pick favourite tracks ("Sunbeam", "Blue Cloud", "Bramble") but by the third listen I came to the conclusion it is an album to listen to completely rather than odd tracks out of sequence." Mr.Ilektrik: "Both albums are beautiful, I can't pick a favourite out of the two albums or even pick out favourite tracks. They are ALL wonderful ornaments & graces." JovialBob: "I've just been playing Rosewood while some friends were here, and they wanted to know who was responsible for the wonderful music, so there's another two fans to add to the ever growing number..." swampboy: "I have grown to really love both discs, and find the guitar sound very appealing, but isn't that just like Bill, to give us something that is both familiar, yet unique. I was really hesitant to buy either of these discs, as I wasn't sure if I'd like Bill doing acoustic, but I find myself returning to them again and again. I've heard a lot of acoustic guitar over the years, but nothing that sounds quite like this." wadcorp: "The Rosewood volumes should be next on the list of 'Catching up to Bill' albums?" "Without question. Those discs contain some of the most amazing acoustic guitar. You will not be disappointed." Albums Menu Future Past

The Last Of The Neon Cynics Bill Nelson album - 21 May 2012 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Riding The Go-Tubes 02) Interstellar Courier 03) Decimal Point For The Thousand Races 04) Jericho's Armband Counsel 05) Cassidy's Electric Campfire Song 06) The Colonel Has An Anti-Decimal Scheme 07) The Blue Taint 08) Mathematical Prairie 09) Do Space Trams Dream Of Fictitious Passengers? ALBUM NOTES: The Last of the Neon Cynics is an instrumental album (with a single vocal track) released on the Sonoluxe label issued in a single print run of 500 copies. The album was a collaboration with illustrator Matt Howarth that was commenced in 2003. At one point it had been hoped that the artwork would be presented in book form with the accompanying CD but manufacturing costs ruled this out. Instead, the album was pressed as an Enhanced-CD, with the Howarth's illustrated story included as s a PDF file, accessed by loading the CD onto a PC. On May 4th, 2012 (Star Wars day!) a taster track "Decimal Point for the Thousand Races" was officially released through Soundcloud with the full album finally available on May 21st, 2012. The limited nature of the release (Nelson's first CD restricted to just 500 copies since Arcadian Salon in 2006) meant that collectors had to be alert to get their hands on a copy. Consequently on June 26th an announcement was made on the Dreamsville forum that the CD was almost sold out, with the last copy being snapped up on July 2nd. A few lucky latecomers though were able to get autographed copies by ordering from Matt Howarth's website in October that year. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Neon Cynic is a collaboration between myself and respected American comic book artist Matt Howarth. Its full title is The Last of the Neon Cynics , a project I began working on quite a few years ago now, (in 2003 to be exact). "The Last of the Neon Cynics was conceived as a sci-fi comic book/graphic story, about a cosmic cowboy called 'Cassidy' who has a robot guitar as his side-kick. Cassidy travels the multiverse in an inter-dimensional tram that utilises galactic wormholes to get from one place to another. The story takes in his battle with an evil entity called 'The Blue Taint'. "Matt wrote and illustrated the tale, (after we originally discussed the idea, way back when), and I have, over the last seven years, written, performed and recorded the musical soundtrack for it. "This project has taken a very long time to come to fruition, mainly my fault due to my unrelenting, intense work-schedule which has only allowed me to devote time to the Neon Cynic music in between other projects. And as Dreamsville citizens know, there are virtually no 'in-between' times in my schedule at all!" [2010] _____ "Whilst there are only nine tracks on the album, they're all long ones and act as a 'soundtrack' to the sci-fi story contained within the CD, (you'll be able to access this by popping the disc into your computer). All the tracks are instrumental with one exception, a rather novel song written and sung from the central character's point of view. The song also features a kind of robot guitar that can play any style of music, (in the song's case, with touches of Jimi Hendrix and Chet Atkins!)" FAN THOUGHTS: BenTucker: "It has a lot of really incredible guitar, and it's mostly instrumental (just one song with vocals). It's an essential purchase for any aficionado of Bill's guitar music." "The Colonel Has an Anti-Decimal Scheme": "How outrageously great is that track!! Just incredible..." mitchellmichael: Best Bill Nelson release of 2012 Poll: "No puzzle here! For me it wins hands down. Great concept, great art/artist, and great music!!! Download Neon Cynics . Best BN release of 2012!" martin jordan: Best Bill Nelson release of 2012 Poll: "Overall my vote has to go to The Last of the Neon Cynics - I love every track and the guitar playing is incredible!" swampboy: "While I think that all of the albums released this year [2012] are very good to excellent, I still think that The Last of the Neon Cynics was the best release out of the bunch. Tight, concise songs with layers of gorgeous guitar." "The whole CD is a smorgasbord of aural delights." Iron Man No. 28: " The Last of the Neon Cynics is the standout release for me: particularly like hearing the music in sync with reading the comic. Personal favourite track is the coda, "Do Space Trams Dream of Fictitious Passengers", for its incredible sense of yearning and regret for what might have been. When I put it on, it's like I've died and gone to Twangolia Heaven. Transcendentally wonderful. Thanks, Bill." GettingOnTheBeam: "Some very heavy rock oriented instrumentals in this one. This CD is extremely underrated." felixt1: "On "Cassidy's Electric Campfire Song", Bill is channelling - Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck! On the following song, "The Colonel Has An Anti-Decimal Scheme", Bill delivers a bit of a guitar tour de force along similar but different lines to "Machines of Loving Grace"." novemberman: "Mr. Nelson you've done it again - another masterpiece! After one play through, stand out moments are "Interstellar Courier" and "The Colonel Has an Anti-Decimal Scheme". Now I've got to have a look at the book to find out what these tantalising titles are all about." Albums Menu Future Past

Viva Lava Liva 1980 - 1983 album - 1984 Sandii & the Sunsetz Production/Contribution Menu Future Past BILL: Nelson is credited with writing the lyrics for one song, "Walk Away". Production/Contribution Menu Future Past

Satellite Songs Bill Nelson album - 3 October 2004 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Times Of Our Lives 02) Like Rain (Rust's Dim Lustre) 03) Sphinx 04) Hollywood Still Burning 05) Garden In The Sky 06) Somewhere Else Is Here 07) Infinity Meets The Moment 08) The Rise Of Pandemonium And The Fall Of Kingdom Come 09) The Wind Blows Silver And The Bees Hum Gold 10) Evening Tide 11) Forever Blue Sings The Sky 12) Sweet William's Epiphany ALBUM NOTES: Satellite Songs is a vocal album issued in a single pressing of 1,000 copies on the Sonic Masonic Records label. The album was intended as a band recording using musicians that occasionally had appeared with Nelson, billed as the Lost Satellites. Had it proved financially viable, Nelson had his sights on returning to Fairview Studios for the recording of Satellite Songs . In the event, Nelson had neither the time nor funding to fulfill these plans, and ended up recording the album alone at home. But the band would perform with him that autumn on the Be Bop Deluxe and Beyond tour. Satellite Songs was put on sale at the start of the Be Bop Deluxe and Beyond tour, simultaneously with both Custom Deluxe and Dreamland to Starboard . After the tour had finished, the album was sold exclusively through S.O.S. The album eventually sold out in 2006. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . IF YOU LIKED THIS ALBUM, YOU'LL PROBABLY ENJOY: Orpheus in Ultraland , Fancy Planets , Joy Through Amplification , Special Metal , Blip! , Blip 2 , Fantasmatron , Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus , Electric Atlas , Golden Melodies of Tomorrow , New Northern Dream BILL'S THOUGHTS: "Forever Blue Sings the Sky": "Moody romanticism, a lovely melody and some complex jig-saw puzzle guitar." _____ "Nearer to rock music in style is Satellite Songs . A kind of contemporary take on what Be Bop would possibly have been doing today, had I kept the band together." FAN THOUGHTS: wadcorp: "A stunner of an album. When I discovered Dreamsville & was reconnecting with Bill Nelson after a long absence, this was one of the very first I picked up when I ordered. I was hooked from the first play. Great tunes throughout." james warner: "A companion piece to the Be Bop and Beyond retrospective concert of 2004, this album of vocal tracks seems like Bill's personal reflections on where he had been and where he was then. The songs hint at things remembered and lost, a grudging acceptance of things as they are and hope in the final revelatory track, "Sweet William's Epiphany", a long ethereal journey punctuated by bursts of energy." ModernMusic: "To my ears, I have always thought that Satellite Songs contains many throwbacks to BBD...the extended soloing on the first track, "Times of Our Lives", for example, is one that is very reminiscent of the Live in the Air Age guitar playing. Subtle throwbacks throughout that entire album but refreshingly new!" Panoramicon: "Times of Our Lives": "A quintessential Bill tune, evoking bright, sunny memories of (my) youth in England. If this is nostalgia, I'm all for it. Great chorus (I sing this out loud in the car while driving, much to the chagrin of my daughter in the back). But then, what does he give us? First, a fine melodic solo 'fore the final chorus, and then...oh my, a vista opens up above three simple strummed chords and we get two (two!) beautiful solos. The phrases like poignant, fading memories; red-shifting into the past like those distant galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. I could also mention the terrific swaggering guitar on "Sphinx", the reflective beauty of "Sweet Williams Epiphany"...so many albums, so much wonder...Bless you Bill!" Mozo: "S.S. is one of the best Nelson releases ever! Especially for all the hep cats out there who keep a yearning for the pre-Red Noise era Bill. "Hollywood Still Burning" rocks with the best of any Be-Bop released. And I still say that "Sweet Williams Epiphany" is a condensed version of Bill's career in a nutshell. That's my story and I'm sticking to it." stpetelou: "This is a wonderful collection of music from Bill. Some of the songs sound to me as if they could have been from the late BBD era and Bill plays some fantastic guitar throughout. The song "The Wind Blows Silver and the Bees Hum Gold" is worth the price alone!" tommaso: "Well, for me it HAD the WOW factor! So catchy melodies, beautiful arrangements, and Bill REALLY singing tunes again (this last aspect I really missed on Atom Shop or Whimsy ), just like in the old times. "Time of our lives" must be one of my all-time Bill faves, just as "Evening Tide"." RJR: "BN's most underrated tune? "Sweet William's Epiphany" from Satellite Songs. Superb!!!" "This CD is an absolute goldmine of excellent pieces." aquiresville: "Sweet William's Epiphany": "Gorgeous Nelsonic pastoral guitar progression, with Bill's wonderful sweet-and-high singing, and those wonderful thundercloud Superstar shred-solo breaks, it's a beautiful example of Past-and-Present Bill, all rolled into a nine minute slice of musing (Yes, it even includes some "found voice" Orchestra at the end -- "Every atom, belonging to me."). It's truly one of my Favorite Songs, for the moment. Thank you, Bill!" Parsongs: "One of my favorite "vocal" albums, it's on my player quite often. Not a bad song on it; all hits. "Sweet William's Epiphany" - one of my favorite songs by Bill. I wish it could go on forever. The extended ending is there too." chromiumlad: "I absolutely love Satellite Songs . One that grabbed me instantly and never let go." Alan: "Satellite Songs is a brilliant album all the way through. The music and the vocals are stellar, if I may say." "Definitely a must have. This CD has great lyrics, vocals and instrumentation. If you don't have it yet, buy it soon." Albums Menu Future Past

The Dreamsville Gallery Bill Nelson Pictures Ancient Guitars Essoldo Cinema Memorabilia

Astral Motel Bill Nelson album - 7 September 2002 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Whistleworld 02) Noonday Venus 03) Unsaid (Starry Lamps And Blazing Comets) 04) Autumn And Spring 05) Dippety-Doo 06) Nothing Up My Sleeve 07) Incident At Astral Motel 08) Beyond Recall ALBUM NOTES: Astral Motel is an album issued on the Almost Opaque label exclusively for Nelsonica '02 . Astral Motel was the first of Nelson's albums to be restricted to a single print run of 500 copies, a situation that in time would become the norm. After Nelsonica '02, the album was sold exclusively through the Rooms With Brittle Views website, where it remained on catalogue for approximately 1 year. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . FAN THOUGHTS: Marshall: "A terrific and very coherent piece of work with a little bit of everything -- kitschy pop tunes, gorgeous ambient pieces, soaring guitar instrumentals, all in one tasty package." Dar: "Astral Motel is a true gem, nothing less." Mick Winsford: "My favourite song at the moment in all of this is a fairly obscure track called "Beyond Recall" (final track on Astral Motel which is currently haunting my conscious and unconscious mind). That little keyboard motif that is used throughout the song just keeps spinning around my head and I can't get rid of it." paulnery: "It has one of Bill's best tunes - "Beyond Recall" - simply wonderful!" dbodom: "Nothing Up My Sleeve": "In my top five best BN tracks. The guitar work is fantastic and it's so Bill, if you know what I mean. "Here...I'll set the metronome...". " Peter: "This album is worth it for the solo on "Nothing Up My Sleeve" alone. I also really like "Beyond Recall". Very majestic and uplifting. And the rest of the album is pretty damned good too!" Alan: "Beyond Recall": "is wonderful, as are all the tracks. I have to say I listened to Astral Motel all weekend and every track is fantastic." Albums Menu Future Past

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

The Dreamshire Chronicles More Listening Notes Go to Album Listening Notes to accompany the album The Dreamshire Chronicles by Bill Nelson DISC ONE: 1: 'Prelude: The Night Is Lit By Diamonds.' A gentle electronically treated piano and reverse guitar lead to a processed percussion loop. Chorused, echo chamber guitar floats languidly. A two minute forty four second instrumental. It suggests starlight shimmering above the slumbering towns and villages of Dreamshire, settling and centering the listener's mind in preparation for the movie in sound about to begin. 2: 'Welcome To Dreamshire.' (Monitor Mix.) A heavily treated percussion loop underpins this mid-tempo vocal ballad. A romantic but melancholy song whose opening lyrics are: "I dream of cities that don't exist, faces of people I've never met, empty streets bejewelled with rain..." Instrumental textures combine strings and woodwinds with Hammond organ and electric guitars. A couple of liquid, melodic, sustained guitar solos enhance the song. A brief toy xylophone line concludes it. This is the first of two mixes of this song. (The second appears on disc two.) This one is a monitor mix which is more or less as it sounded whilst I was still working on the piece in my home studio. It has a simple, intimate quality which I liked, hence its inclusion here. 3: 'The Pleasure Boaters.' Somewhat dark and mysterious. A one minute and thirty six second instrumental. Brushed drums and chiming guitars lead to an Indian orchestra and reverse guitar conclusion. Brief but moody. 4: 'This Everyday World.' (Vocal version.) Spooky opening cuts suddenly to piano and orchestra for this melodic song which is a distant cousin to certain tracks on 'The Alchemical Adventures Of Sailor Bill.' Time signature fluctuates between 4/4 and 3/4 (Waltz time.) Lyrics open with: "This everyday world is a haunted place...This everyday world, far from commonplace..." The song's coda shifts pace as a steam driven percussion loop enters and tremolo guitars accompany the repeated refrain "Voices in the darkness..." 5: 'Rainboy And Whistledog.' Thunder and rain opens this charming, chiming, freely improvised instrumental. A latin percussion loop suggests a mutant mix of cha-cha and bossa nova. (Spot the piano quote from 'Begin The Beguine.' ) Squelchy synth bass underpins twangy guitars and ghostly strings as Rainboy and his Whistledog wander the cobbled streets of a gaslit Dreamshire town sparkling with night rain. 6: 'Young Marvelman.' Opens with needle static, brushed snares, raindrop-piano and dreamy guitars, leading to a strange and moody song inspired by the 1950s comic book character 'Young Marvelman' who, in my imagination is a denizen of Dreamshire.' Lyrics include: "Young Marvelman hovers in halogen, miraculous powers under control...Ladies in lavender gaze at the bolt from the blue...so there he goes and everyone knows, Young Marvelman..." 7: 'Garden Railway.' A whimsical little instrumental which opens with synthesised 'steam' effects leading to electronic percussion, piano melody, choral motifs, plucked strings and backward harps as a miniature railway train puffs its way happily around the garden of one of Dreamshire's more eccentric lords of the manor. 8: 'The Shimmering Threshold (On Your Bike Emperor Ming.)' A vocal ballad this, beautiful but not a little strange. A sample of the lyrics: "Mandolin by the sea, broken clarinet, mandolin by the sea....My location on your dial, my name on the edge of your smile, roller coaster century...And there we stood, on the hilltop, looking at street lamps and stars...Chimney stacks and viaducts, smoke that blows away, blows away...The shimmering threshold..." An oriental melody enters followed by lyrics referencing 'Emperor Ming' from the old 'Flash Gordon' Republic film serials of the 1930s. A combination of orchestra and electric guitar leads to a change of tempo and fast synthetic phased drums as a weird coda kicks in with cellos, electric guitars and a lyric which sings, "Oh my God, this looks like, oh my God this looks like, some weird kind of apparition..." The song ends with a burst of heavily distorted guitars, running in both forward and reverse gear. 9: 'Evening Star Electric Park.' An eight minute forty six second instrumental featuring slightly oriental Marimba patterns with improvised jazzy guitar overdubs. Has an overdriven guitar break leading to a piano section, then key change into a four to the floor rhythm with fuzz guitar then a return to marimba and jazzy improvisation. Mood alternating throughout between jolly and sinister. Other worldly voices enter, leading to a 'musical box' loop coda over which Gretsch guitars intertwine and twang. A Mini-Moog synth enters and snakes its way through the undergrowth before vanishing. Ghostly voices return to conclude the piece. What exactly lurks in this mysterious Park? Sacred monsters or creatures of Faerie? 10: 'Sailing To The Moon.' A single sub-bass note begins this two minute and twelve second vocal-based song as a swell of processed guitars and soaring strings set the opening mood. A guitar loop enters and the vocal begins "This garden is a theatre in which colour casts its spell...This window is a portal through which ghosts are bid farewell..." A gigantic orchestra enters then dissolves as a woodwind loop gently ends the track. Short but widescreen. 11: 'The Milky Way (Burning Bright.) An abstract opening to this instrumental featuring 'found' voices. Insect-like high speed percussion kicks in and the textures shift between guitar, synth and strings, ending in a bizarre, haunted sound collage. 12: 'The Sparkling Idea.' Feedback guitar starts this song before tremelo guitar pattern enters with Indian orchestra, sitar, Moog and medium tempo drums. The lyrics begin: "My left hand holds a key, my right hand holds another...My mind defines the centre and all extraneous thoughts are dimmed..." A heavy guitar riff underpins an instrumental theme from the Indian Orchestra. More lyrics, "My left hand beats the drum, my right hand calls the thunder...Sometimes I'm struck by lightning, sometimes I'm struck by wonder..." A huge orchestra crescendo leads to quiet coda and oceanic synth and piano ending. 13: 'Ghosts Wind The Parlour Clock.' A one minute and twenty one second instrumental combining sample-and-hold synth sounds with strings, woodwinds and harp.The tick of the parlour clock sets the tempo. But who's hand is winding it? 14: 'Spooky Little Thing.' A poppy vocal in this whimsical song which cheekily references titles from several of my albums. (I won't quote from the lyrics on this one as it will spoil your fun!) Guitars, drums, slide guitar and orchestra all combined to create a melodic, catchy and concise number. 15: 'Now I Come To Think Of It.' This is one of my favourite vocal tracks on the album...psychedelic, trippy, fractured, non-linear. A sample of the lyrics: "Oh yes, now I come to think of it, oh no, maybe some mistake...Oh, yes, now you come to mention it, I guess, we were wide awake..." Guitars, synths, sitars and strings interact throughout. Enigmatic and dreamlike. 16: 'Spinning Pentagrams.' Weird opening that sounds as if the guitar has been put through a washing machine on spin cycle, over which a sampled voice speaks of 'the dark mystery of time and space.' This mysterious song develops into a strange kind of blues riff whose reverberating guitar hints at Howling Wolf mashed up with David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks.'. Here's a peek at some of the lyrics: "Here in the future, in an ancient England, pentagrams spin within electrical circuits...Swan boats drift on a beautiful river, beyond these oak trees, the glorious sea...who can tell if this is real or unreal, who can tell if this was meant to be..." The bridge section vocal has a subtle hint of mock-Cockney, Dick Van Dyke cheeky-chappie pronunciation about it as it sings, "Some days I feel special, some days I feel strange, some days I'm all metal, some days...disarranged..." An orchestral middle section then enters complete with cocktail piano and ripe flutes, sounding as if they're seeking refuge from a 1960's kitsch television spy series. The song suddenly finishes...but a shimmering loop of vari-speed guitars enters a heartbeat later and initiates a coda featuring underlying dark noise and overdubbed voice samples. Does this song suggest a bizarre fusion of '60s camp detective Jason King with Elizabethan occult Magus Dr John Dee? Hmmm...Orson Welles would say, "probably." 17: 'The Ruins Of Youth, The Twang Of Tomorrow.' A one minute and forty nine second instrumental with rippling piano and wiry electric twang guitar which quickly evolves into a picked blues feel. Phased noise ends the piece and ends Disc One of 'The Dreamshire Chronicles.' DISC TWO: 1: 'The Reality Of Imagination.' A five minute and thirty three second instrumental with various voice samples. The voices speak of 'The tomorrow people' and 'The reality of imagination.' The first two minutes of this piece feature guitar, synths and electric piano floating freely through a cathedral-like space...a low, compressed bass drum pulse enters, suggesting the tune's time signature. It is joined by cymbals and high percussion. The main guitar line is then fed through a modulating Leslie cabinet effect, which makes it sound like a hybrid of guitar and Hammond organ. The pulse gradually fades away leaving the guitar suspended in space as the track ends with more voice samples. The concept is of imagination being the key component in the worlds we create around ourselves. 2: 'Smoke Drifts Silent In Autumn Air.' Grand piano intro then tremolo guitars open this atmospheric and fragile vocal piece. Here are a few lyric examples: "Smoke drifts silent in Autumn air...over rooftops, chimney tops, here, there and everywhere...Colour coded, copper, bronze and gold...wonders to behold, wonders to behold....so pure, so clear, so far, so near..." Massed strings and underwater guitar enter as the vocal gains strength and rises to sing of "ghosts and shadows." Brass and woodwinds are added to the orchestra as the song's key changes, leading to a piano and flanged rhythm guitar section as the lyrics sing "Kiss me now and light the fire..." The electric rhythm guitar changes to an acoustic guitar and the lyrics tell of "walking in the sunshine...searching for a skyline..." French horns enter with a lovely theme, then strings and chugging electric guitar dropping away to acoustic guitar and piano and a re-iteration of the first verse's lyrics. Ends on chunky guitar chords, string figure and electric piano. All in all, an ecstatic evocation of a glorious Dreamshire autumn. 3: 'Bubbledreamer.' This one's a mid-tempo guitar instrumental in major key mode, underpinned by drums, dancing filigrees of silvery strings and filtered keyboards. A light, jazzy feel with delicate blues overtones as the guitar explores the spaces created by the various instrumental textures. Three minutes and forty one seconds of pleasantly bubbling, gentle euphoria. 4: 'My Little Book Of Secret Knowledge.' Opens with found voice samples talking about ritual Cabalistic magic. Leads into a piano led riff with lyrics which tell of "My little book of secret knowledge, the mirror in my hand...that old immortal blooming rose in the suburbs of the damned..." Spooky theremin-like sounds, cymbalon, piano and guitar followed by lyrics singing of "Beautiful phantoms..." A series of unusual and texturally contrasting instrumental changes begins, (including a heavy guitar riff,) as the song winds to a voice sample conclusion. Seems as if one of those grand gilded ruined mansions of Dreamshire is inhabited by an ancient Magus and his library of forbidden knowledge. 5: 'Robots On Parade.' This is a fun, whimsical instrumental, suggestive of clockwork and electric toy robots marching around a strange Dreamshire toyshop at night. A sampled voice interjects the word "electricity" as guitars and synths create a contemporary version of the English beat group instrumentals of the early 1960s. Think Joe Meek resurrected in the 21st Century and given digital technology to play around with. 6: 'Dark And Complicated.' Opens with the sounds of a mysterious electro-chemical laboratory, followed by spooky piano and guitar. Here are the opening lyrics to this constantly mutating song: "It's dark and complicated, deep and still...the chair in the corner sings of its own free will..." Piano, guitar, woodwind and string combinations rise and fall. More lyrics: "Ghostly apparitions, unbidden visions, strange traffic goes through this room..." A neo-classical instrumental section follows to be joined by rippling electric guitar as the opening lyric re-appears. Another song dealing with the elusive phantoms who populate Dreamshire. 7: 'Blue Beams.' (No drums mix.) A pure, clean sounding electric guitar duet, one instrument handling chords the other soloing freely over. No drums, no keyboards, no bass...just two guitars sweetly circling around each other. Music played for a Dreamshire night club ghost after the patrons have all gone home. 8: 'More Than Glory, More Than Gold.' Brushed cymbals and a lone guitar open this romantic vocal piece. Sweet lyrics: "Sunbeams dappled on ancient walls, Autumn rises as apples fall....sooner or later Winter calls and pours icing sugar over it all...When I stand naked, frail and old and every sound I've made has been bought and sold, I will love you more, truth be told, more than glory, more than gold..." Chiming, chromium guitars throughout with an orchestral middle section. A beautiful, melancholic love song. 9: 'The Lost Planet Of Sunday Afternoon.' Arpeggio guitar underpins this miniature instrumental. Overdubbed harmony lead guitars build to the track's conclusion. One minute and thirty eight seconds of pure yearning. 10: 'Mass Equals Energy.' A quirky little song in waltz-time. Surreal lyrics: "Spooky malfunction sparks arc of memory, upsets the applecart, mass equals energy..." Guitar reiterates the vocal line whilst a heat haze of soft synths hum in the background punctuated by raindrop piano. More lyrics: "Isn't this the strangest world in the universe?" More silvery guitar before a brief Giorgio Moroder style sequenced synth coda enters to end the song. It's the musings of a Dreamshire scientist, hunched over his microscope in a small art deco laboratory hidden in the heart of a misty forest. 11: 'The Light Gathering Garden Of Omar Kadiz.' Minimalist percussion and synthetic choir open this instrumental which features a simple but hypnotic piano melody, reverse guitars and lots of space. Orchestral counterpoint enters here and there, as does retro Moog synth in places. TR808 style hi-hats and hand-claps give an old-school trip-hop feel but the orchestra, electric guitars and choral parts hint at a kind of neo-classical sensibility whilst the guitar adds add a touch of psychedelia. Imagine a mystical garden where flowers glow with an inner neon-like light and trees shimmer silver against a dark thunderstorm sky. 12: 'Windsong Of The Flying Boy.' A vocal, slightly up-tempo with electric, filtered percussion. A song of the seasons. Some lyrics: "Rosy skies of Evening-land, apple blossom mercury...windsong of the flying boy, all seasons shall be sweet to thee..." More vocals, followed by a change of key then : "Speedboats from another world, mysterious comets, sounds that come and go, teenage electronics..." Which leads to a middle section featuring a wild, non-linear guitar solo before settling back into the melodic verse structure. More lyrics: "Thoughts set sail on silver ships, lost in clouds of mystery, windsong of the flying boy, all seasons shall be sweet to thee..." A melodic, clean guitar solo follows and a percussion break with hovering synths...a return to verse one...lap steel guitar and reverse guitar loop ends the song. 13: 'Henrietta Through The Looking Glass.' A climbing guitar instrumental with orchestral punctuation and piano cascades. The Henrietta of the title is legendary Soho sub-culture character Henrietta Moraes who was a model for Francis Bacon in the 'fifties. In my imagination she is now one of Dreamshire's gentle ghosts. In this piece she dances, languid and naked, smiling beatifically whilst several elderly gentlemen, dressed in tweed, watch in admiration through her window. 14: 'Luna On The Beach.' This song was originally recorded for the 'Joy Through Amplification' album but didn't make the final cut. It's a pop-rock thing with lots of wild wah-wah guitars. Some lyrics: "Give me a signal, wondrous being, draw down the power, the fire and the spark...send me a postcard, fabulous creature, bring me a souvenir from the realm of the heart..." A nice, fat, chunky guitar riff underlines the chorus. The bridge has these lyrics: "Elusive thoughts luxuriate in limpid pools of thoughtful gems...Venus swims amongst the fishes, far beyond the rings of Saturn...Rockets glimpsed in evening skies..." A wonderfully chaotic arrangement. 15: 'Neither Puck Nor Pan.' A moody, minor-key instrumental featuring processed guitars and electric piano. It evokes and conjures the more shadowy denizens of Dreamshire. 16: 'Welcome To Dreamshire.' [LuxeMix.] This is a more 'shiny' or polished mix of the song on Disc One. It brings 'The Dreamshire Chronicles' album almost full circle. 17: 'This Everyday World.' (Instrumental Version.') Whilst working on the vocal version of this piece, I realised that the 'backing track' could work in its own right with a couple of extra overdubs and a little tweaking. This is the result of that process and it ends the album in fine orchestral style as the listener bids farewell to Dreamshire...until the next time! Music and Lyrics Copyright Bill Nelson 2012 All Rights Reserved. More Listening Notes Go to Album

Atom Shop Bill Nelson album - 12 September 1998 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download TRACKS: 01) Wild And Dizzy 02) Dreamsville 03) Magic Radio 04) Pointing At The Moon 05) Train With Fins 06) Popsicle Head-Trip 07) Propellor Of Legend 08) Viva Le Voom-Voom 09) Billy Infinity 10) She Gave Me Memory 11) My World Spins 12) Rocketship 13) Girlfriend With Miracles 14) Spinning Dizzy On The Dial 15) Atom Shop (Is Closing) ALBUM NOTES: Atom Shop is another album of demo material recorded in 1996-97, that Nelson had planned on re-recording with outside musicians, but financial constraints led to this more modest approach. The album was licensed to Robert Fripp's label DGM, and initially was available as a mail order item via the DGM website before gaining a more general release a couple of weeks later. Nelson purchased the remaining stock from DGM to sell through Sound On Sound, the album sold out in February 2018. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "The album was recorded at home on my old analogue 16 track system and the songs were originally intended as demos as I had hoped to re-record them with Mitchell Froom producing, (another tremendous world-class record producer). Mitchell told me that I'd be wasting my money employing a producer for those recordings as I'd got the songs to work in exactly the way they needed to. "In terms of the actual recordings, though, that 'demo' thing can be psychologically misleading, (as I've come to realise over the years). It's both a relative and a subjective term. What I personally think of as 'demos', others might think of as finished pieces and vice-versa. It's sometimes entirely dependent upon just how I describe them in my sleeve notes or in interviews. Minds are soft and vulnerable and, as William Burroughs once said, 'words are a virus.' Perhaps I've sometimes been too dismissive of some of my work, maybe I should have dressed it up in glad rags more... "Did the demo tag indicate an unfinished work there or not? With hindsight, that particular album sounds like a complete, finished statement to me now, 'though I referred to it as a collection of demos and sketches back when it was released." _____ "Atom Shop , like many of my albums, was considered a little bit odd by some fans at the time of its release. These days though, most listeners will realise that many of my recordings exist in a kind of suspended gravity...ie: It sometimes takes a while for the penny to drop!" FAN THOUGHTS: Johnny Jazz: " Atom Shop is bloody wonderful...A most wonderous and charming collection. A perfect blend of bluesy poppy jazz in our Bill's own inimitable style." Twilightcapers: "Thought I would just say how great Atom Shop is. Love those Jazzy Drum 'n' Bass tunes. If you like After the Satellite Sings you'll love this." Ishikawa: "On Atom Shop , Bill seemed to be exploring a whole new approach to structure, and the use of powerful, resonant sounds. I was about to list a few songs of note, but it ended up being about 90% of the whole thing. "Train with Fins"... boy, does that one moooove. Suffice to say, it's a cracker..." Parsongs: "If you're a jazz fan, be sure to track down a copy of Atom Shop by Bill Nelson. By far the coooolest contemporary jazz this side of fliptown." "I often think Atom Shop was overlooked by the music press. It's the most alternative of the alternative rock records..." donger: " ATOM SHOP is the coolest Bill Nelson release and "Dreamsville" is his hippest song." alec: "And how cool is the track "Dreamsville" from Atom Shop ? I always think of that track when I'm here at this cool place. Dreamsville, drivin' thru Dreamsville. Love everything about the track not LEAST of which is the AWESOME wah-wah guitar and disjointed be-bop trumpet." james warner: "I have always had a particular soft spot for "Propeller of Legend". Apart from the gloriously wigged-out guitar, the marimba riff has me thinking of baby elephants as it reminds me of the kind of theme used in those sixties safari movies." BobK: "One morning about 7 years ago me and Mrs K were awoken, by the sound of "Popsicle" blaring out on the CD player. Very strange we thought, particularly as BN sounded a bit out of tune and in an uncomfortably high register. Strolled downstairs to find our 4 year old had put it on, pulled out the lyric sheet and was happily singing along!" TheGlassGuitar: "It grew on me slowly and incessantly, to the point where it's now one of my favourites ." Telecat: " Atom Shop is one of my favourite albums which brought to a close one of Bill's best periods. Along with The Hyperdreamer set and the superb After the Satellite Sings they represent a period when the albums were rarely off my system." wonder toy: "Go listen to Atom Shop again and report back. That guy IS cool." Albums Menu Future Past

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

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

At The BBC 1974 - 1978 box set - 30 September 2013 Be Bop Deluxe Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: CD1 John Peel Session, May 1974 01) Third Floor Heaven 02) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 03) Mill Street Junction 04) 15th Of July John Peel Session, March 1975 05) Maid In Heaven 06) Stage Whispers 07) Sister Seagull 08) Lights In Concert, January 1976 09) Life In The Air Age 10) Sister Seagull 11) Ships In The Night 12) Maid In Heaven 13) Third Floor Heaven 14) Blazing Apostles CD2 In Concert, October 1976 01) Maid In Heaven 02) Bring Back The Spark 03) Kiss Of Light 04) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 05) Fair Exchange 06) Ships In The Night 07) Twilight Capers 08) Modern Music (Medley) 09) Blazing Apostles CD3 John Peel Session, January 1977 01) Mill Street Junction 02) Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape 03) Still Shining In Concert, January 1978 04) New Precision 05) Superenigmatix 06) Possession 07) Dangerous Stranger 08) Islands Of The Dead 09) Panic In The World 10) Lovers Are Mortal 11) Love In Flames 12) Blazing Apostles John Peel Session, January 1978 13) Superenigmatix 14) Panic In The World 15) Possession 16) Love In Flames DVD Old Grey Whistle Test, July 1975 01) Maid In Heaven 02) Sister Seagull Old Grey Whistle Test, January 1976 03) Fair Exchange 04) Ships In The Night Old Grey Whistle Test, November 1976 05) Forbidden Lovers 06) Down On Terminal Street Sight And Sound In Concert, February 1978 07) New Precision 08) Superenigmatix 09) Possession 10) Dangerous Stranger 11) Islands Of The Dead 12) Lovers Are Mortal 13) Panic In The World NOTES: A 3CD + DVD box set which very nicely brings together most of the band's BBC recordings for the John Peel show, In Concert, and The Old Grey Whistle Test. The set comes with a nicely illustrated if short booklet with sleeve notes from Nelson and recording information for each session or show. Be Bop Deluxe's BBC output had appeared on a number of previous releases (see Past Releases below), but this was the most comprehensive collection that had appeared officially, and is unlikely to be surpassed or supplemented in future. Notable inclusions on this set are the previously unreleased John Peel Session from January 1977; the two previously unreleased tracks from the January 1978 John Peel Session; the three previously unreleased tracks from the Sight and Sound In Concert recording from February 1978 (including two tracks that were never broadcast); and the thirteen tracks from the OGWT /Sight and Sound performances from 1975, 1976 and 1978, twelve of which were previously unreleased. There are also five tracks that prior to the appearance of this box set were only available as digital downloads. The only confirmed omissions (using Ken Garner's In Session Tonight book as reference) are the band's 1973 session for John Peel, which is assumed to be lost, and another John Peel Session from 1976 that was included on the Tramcar to Tomorrow CD in 1998. PAST RELEASES: More than 50% of the material presented in this box set had appeared on previous releases on either CD or as digital downloads, but much of this was long out of print by the time At the BBC 1974-1978 was released. The majority of the In Concert/Sight and Sound material had already appeared up to three times: on the Radioland CD (from 1994), its remastered equivalent Tremulous Antennae CD (from 2002), and the two In Concert downloads (from 2010), thus making these past releases completely redundant. Of the John Peel Session material, all but five tracks had appeared either on the Tramcar to Tomorrow CD issued in 1998, or the John Peel Session download (from 2010), but the former contains exclusive material in the form of the 1976 Peel Session omitted from this box set. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Currently out of print, but the included material may appear as part of Cherry Red's re-issue program. Collections Menu Future Past

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

New Northern Dream More Listening Notes Go to Album Listening Notes to accompany the album New Northern Dream by Bill Nelson General introduction: 'New Northern Dream' is a sequel to 'Northern Dream,' the album I recorded way back in 1970, when I was 22 years old, and released independently as my first ever solo album in 1971. Whilst 'New Northern Dream' doesn't attempt to copy the original album's style, it does have something of the early 1970s about it, albeit viewed through post-modernist glasses. There's a psychedelic tint to some tracks, along with a hint of irony and gentle humour. I think it reflects some of the subject matter of those long lost days, but with a subtle twist and an affectionate 'wink', acknowledging their innocence and naivety. It also contains new versions of two tracks that were actually on the original album, ('Photograph' and 'Northern Dreamer' plus a couple of references to 'Everyone's Hero.') Otherwise, it's an entirely different creation, perhaps, more 'pop' in flavour than you would expect of me these days. What I found interesting about making this album was the challenge of putting aside some of the 'sophistication' (for want of a better word,) that inevitably accumulated over the 46 years since the original album was recorded. I'm not quite sure you can 'undo' that stuff and return to a more naive state, but that was partly the intention. In 1970, I was younger and had no experience of being a professional musician, just a kid living in the West Yorkshire City of Wakefield, dreaming dreams which somehow found their expression in music. I had little hope of becoming a 'professional' musician at all. It seemed such a thing was out of reach, an impossibility, something which happened to other people, but not to me. I had, of course, been playing guitar for several years prior to recording 'Northern Dream,' in various local bands on the pub and working men's club circuit. A necessary 'dues paying' exercise. However, I first became interested in playing the guitar at the age of 10 or 11. A long time ago now. The years get rather blurred when you arrive at the age of 68, which, much to my astonishment, I'll be, this coming December. As some of you may know, it was Duane Eddy, whose 'Because They're Young' single, first fired up my enthusiasm for the electric guitar. This was followed by the recordings of The Ventures and The Shadows and eventually led to the discovery of Chet Atkins and Les Paul. Things progressed from there and before long I was listening to Django Reinhardt, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell and Jim Hall, along with several more obscure instrumentalists. It really was a time of revelation, an eye and ear opener...and a mind opener too. But, I've harboured a love of music in all its forms since I was an infant, possibly due to my father being a saxophonist and big band leader in the 1940s. I didn't possess the academic knowledge required to completely dissect and understand what the great guitarists were doing, but I had a deep rooted emotional and spiritual response to their work. Even today, I'm not an 'proper' musician in the sense that I don’t have at my fingertips a knowledge of scales, modes or theories of harmony and other formulas that are essential to most musicians. I approach music in a totally intuitive way, which comes from years of trial and error, from the heart coupled with the imagination. It seems to flow from a natural foundation, something hard to rationalise, almost a spiritual thing. Now, I'm not saying that this approach is better, or for that matter, worse than a more formal approach. But it's all I have to work with. I generally throw myself off the roof of the academically acceptable, and trust that the music will guide me to a safe landing. That's all that's possible under the circumstances. Right, let's get into the album: 1: 'Photograph: A New Beginning.' This is an instrumental version of the short 'Photograph' song that appeared at the start of the original 'Northern Dream' album. I've replaced the original vocal line with a layered guitar section playing the vocal melody in stacked harmonies. The track then goes into a brief quote from 'Everyone's Hero' which also featured on the original album but is treated here purely as an instrumental. 2: 'Indigo Trees Hold Back The Stars.' A mood setting instrumental featuring an acoustic guitar simulating an Eastern sitar sound but with a Celtic feel. An electric guitar recorded with fairly clean, ambient echo enters part way through before giving way to the sitar-guitar again. Part folk, part psychedelia, the Incredible String Band meets Davey Graham perhaps? 3: ‘Consolation Street.’ A play on the words 'Coronation Street,' a nod to the long running tv soap series. But, in this song, it's a kind of dreamy street filled with odd characters. A brass band enters with a poppy hook before an electric guitar solo and a brief vocal reference to 'Everyone's Hero' from the original 'Northern Dream' album. Elements of psychedelia, images of 'Mr and Mrs God' sitting in front of the fire, a surreal but happy atmosphere and a drifting, long, semi-ambient coda. Mixing up some of my past musical approaches with more recent ones. 4:‘Time Stops Here.’ This track sounds very early '70s to me. It features acoustic guitars and electric guitars plus a big orchestral component. It captures the feelings I have about 'old yorkshire' and its vanishing past. The lyrics, (which I won't detail here,) paint nostalgic and melancholy pictures of a period in time which has vanished but which stays close to me heart. One of my favourite tracks from the album. 5: ‘The Trip.’ As the title suggests, this is a very late '60s, early '70s styled song. It has a trippy but poppy feel. A flowing, outpouring sensation with plenty of old-school guitars, ecstatic and free, but with a note of cynicism in the final bar of the music. 6: ‘November Fires.’ Another hippy-trippy song with a reference to 'Keep Your Feathers Fine,' one of my earliest songs. Brass bands feature here to give it that 'Northern' vibe. Also about my childhood memories of 'Bonfire Night', on November 5th, when neighbours would gather around a bonfire in the back garden of the house to celebrate the gunpowder plot. 7: ‘Between The Seasons.’ This carries a direct reference to 'End Of The Seasons' on the original 'Northern Dream' album. It's a waltz, as was the earlier song, but has a slightly different, and perhaps more melancholic feel, as is to be expected 46 years after the earlier song was recorded. It has a slightly country feel with the guitars emulating pedal steel at times, swathes of strings and an epic atmosphere. The lyric concerns a man "in between seasons, drifting away..." 8: ‘The Lamp Of Invisible Light.’ A song about the tides of time and my love of old gaslit Yorkshire and its East Coast. Lyrics include "These words are forged by fire and time, the savage languor of midsummer..and I am drunk with love and wine, but we're not getting any younger...” I guess it tries to record the passage of time and the 'wonder in the air' available to us all if we simply open up to it. The 'Lamp Of Invisible Light' is something we each carry within us, according to our individual capacity for illumination. 9: ‘New Northern Dreamer.’ Perhaps the closest reproduction of a track from the original album. A deliberately straightforward rendition of the main theme but taking the psychedelic coda a little further out, using reverse wah-wah guitar, (as on the original,) but extending things into somewhat more drifting territories over a longer running time than the first recording. 10: ‘Daydreaming.’ A gentle acoustically driven song with electric and orchestral overdubs. The lyrics refer to a state I fall into sometimes, a state of nostalgia and drifting into past reveries. An attempt at some sort of continuity against the odds. We're all 'running scared' as the lyrics state. Mellotron flutes and archaic string samples are for those of us old enough to remember the psychedelic '60s. 11: ‘The Pond Yacht.’ This piece could easily have found a place on the 'Sailor Bill' album as it attempts to capture the simple joy of sailing a boyhood pond yacht in the 1950s. Mainly acoustic driven but with electric overtones, it's a totally instrumental evocation of those times. 12: ‘In A World Of Strange Design.’ Contains the lyric "I met the ghost of my former self, he didn't speak to me, he was somewhere else..." Funny how your former self chooses not to acknowledge your present self, isn't it? This is another poppy, sweetly psychedelic song with lots of guitar and straight forward rock drumming. Lyrics also state: "It's almost supernatural, the way God plays with time, the days go by so quickly, feels like a pantomime..." 13: ‘Miracles To Happen.’ Features accordian and brass band quite predominately, along with acoustic rhythm guitar and strident lead guitar. Lyrics state: "I am drunk with holy water" and, "The scene is set for miracles to happen..." Reads like a screenplay in some ways but is another blatantly old fashioned pop song. 14: ‘The Legendary Spaceman Blues.’ A sly nod to 'Bloo Bloos' from the original 'Northern Dream' album. I guess had to include one blues number as a homage to the earlier album. Lyrically, it has its tongue firmly in its cheek, (as did the original track come to think of it.) But it does give me a chance to air my blues playing in public! Lyrics state: "I'm driving through heaven, I've got the spaceman blues...Lost in the cosmos, with those old spaceman blues." 15: ‘A Month Without A Moon.’ Perhaps the most romantic song on the album. Big guitars, big orchestra, big chord changes, tender vocals. As the lyrics say: "How bravely Autumn paints the sky..." 16: ‘A Northern Man.’ One of my personal favourite songs from the album. I tried to hint at a really old fashioned music hall feeling with some of it, particularly the vocal and waltz time tempo, adding in early '70s guitar playing, Yorkshire brass bands and a touch of that old psychedelia again. The lyrics are an affectionate pean to the dated and cliched view of Yorkshire, (and Northern,) men, as flat capped, ferret and pigeon rearing innocents, somewhat unsophisticated, but honest, decent and hard working. In this song, I try to portray the typical old school Northern Man as a sensitive and philosophical soul, walking in the park and smelling the flowers. It both reinforces and destroys the stereotype, setting up ambiguities in the listener's mind as to whether the song celebrates or satirises that particular view of a 'Northern Man.' I'll leave it up to you to decide! 17: ‘Hymn Of The Old Albion Co-Operative Society.’ When I was a child, my mother and grandmother would visit the Wakefield Co-op, which occupied a vast area of the Unity Hall. It was like a glamorous department store in some ways, with corridors leading to various departments, from food to clothing and furniture. It was originally established in Victorian times and really hadn’t changed much in the early 1950s when I recall going there. My grandmother also used to collect 'dividends' from the Co-Op as a regular customer. The 'Divy' man called at her house in Marriot's Buildings every week to allocate the latest 'divy' to her. This final track on the album may seem like years away from that time but I hope it contains some of the old fashioned charm that made a visit to the Co-Op in those days seem magical. New Northern Dream, released November 2016 as a limited edition pressing of 500 CDs. More Listening Notes Go to Album

Live Archive Old Haunts A launch party previewing the new CD - Saturday 9th November 2019 - During a 'Nelsonica Team' get-together, back in June 2019, Bill happened to mention that he would like to put on a launch party, to celebrate the release of his 'Old Haunts' album which he was then working on. Even though it was very late in the day to start making the arrangements, a launch party was duly arranged. Due to the previous year, when many fans missed out on buying tickets because of how quickly they sold, an announcement was made, giving fans a date and time that they could purchase tickets. This seemed to give everybody a much fairer chance and tickets sold out in less than 24 hours. The event was again held at the Clothworker's Centenary Hall at the University of Leeds. After the success of the previous year's live streaming of the event, it was decided to offer the same service this year, to enable those fans that couldn't make it the opportunity to see the live performance. Unfortunately, due to technical failures with the venue's equipment, the live broadcast failed completely. Luckily, the live show was recorded and the video was made available to view 'On Demand'. The show kicked off with a new 12 minute video entitled 'Piano Meditations' that Bill had prepared - this can be seen here in Dreamsville here at the Essoldo Cinema. For the live show, Bill played a set of instrumental pieces and introduced a different guitar for each of the 12 tracks that he played . Set List:- 1: 'Gloria Mundae' 2: 'I Always Knew You Would Find Me' 3: 'Hypnos' 4: 'Elliptic Waterfall' 5: 'Luxeodeon' 6: 'The Awakening Of Dr. Dream' 7: 'Antique Gods' 8: 'The Raindrop Collector' 9: 'A Dream For Ian' 10: 'Mars welcomes Careful Drivers' 11: 'Beyond These Clouds, The Sweetest Dream' 12: 'Sleepwalk' (Encore) Bill Nelson was a patron of the charity Sara's Hope Foundation. For this event, Eastwood yet again kindly donated one of their guitars, a fabulous Eastwood Airline - Coronado '59 which Bill decorated. The guitar was raffled off, raising a great amount for the charity and it meant that a very lucky ticket-buyer took this fantastic guitar home with them. Once the live set was finished, Bill took a short break and then returned to the stage to present his new album ' Old Haunts' . Using a backdrop of a new video he had created, Bill introduced each track from the album, giving a brief explanation of his thoughts behind each track - these album notes can be found here. After the album playback, Bill said his farewells and said he MAY be back again sometime...Let's hope so!!! PICTURE GALLERY If you have any pictures of the event that you would like to share - please get in touch! MARTIN BOSTOCK PICTURES FAN PICTURES BILL'S THOUGHTS: Regarding the brief vocal rendition of the old Elvis Presley song 'Mystery Train,' it was a spontaeous, unrehearsed piece, prompted by the fact that the Peerless SC guitar that I was playing at that point in the performance was basically a copy of the gold-topped Gibson archtop that the legendary guitarist Scotty Moore played on those early Elvis rock n' roll recordings. Not only were the audience taken by surprise but John Spence, up in the crow's nest where he was mixing the live audio, was also unaware of what was coming and had to cope with the unscheduled inclusion of a brief vocal performance. It was entirely off the cuff and just a bit of nostalgic rock n' roll fun, a nod to my roots. One of the earliest records I heard as a kid was 'Jailhouse Rock' by Elvis Presley and Scotty Moore's wonderful electric guitar sound was a major inspiration for me, along with Duane Eddy's equally inspirational 'Twangy' sound. FAN THOUGHTS: Gary Warner: Unlike most people at the event this year's album launch was the first one I've been to. I found Bill's music somewhat late totally by accident. Whilst looking through some vinyl in a second hand shop I came across a copy of Modern Music and Drastic Plastic. I had managed to miss Be Bop totally growing up in the 70's and only remembered Bill from the Red Noise era. I thought I would give them a go and soon found myself massive fan. So I worked forwards, through Be Bop and solo as far as I could, then onto selected current stuff not on Apple music to the present (still ongoing). I was too late for last years event but managed to get a ticket this year. I didn't know what to expect, but it far surpassed my expectations. Firstly queuing to get in I immediately felt at home with others who love Bill, then going in hearing the piano renditions of Be Bop songs whilst getting some merchandise was wonderful. The people I spoke with were friendly and a nice atmosphere of anticipation. The event itself was fantastic, the live pieces, some I knew some I was unfamiliar with, were all impeccably played and the number of beautiful guitars used was an unexpected treat for me. Bill's introductions were both witty and interesting. The album launch and accompanying visuals were great and fit together well. Even though the songs were new to me, I knew the album was going to be a favourite. I will never forget being part of the audience for the launch. For me, coming in so late, it's difficult...half of me because I haven't experienced the early songs live and want to hear them (even if in new arrangements to suit Bill now). The other half likes the fact that Bill is constantly moving forward and doesn't want to be a greatest hits act, like most of his contemporaries. He's doing his own thing, left of field, which is why I love him. I think the album is some of his best work and to be releasing new music in the quantity and quality at this stage of his career is amazing. The music and lyrics fit just right for this stage of my musical journey through life, the shadows are there but always hope and light. The guitar playing and ambient sounds all fit perfectly. So I'm late getting here, but I hope this year's event will be the first of a few more to come. I'm in for the rest of the journey. Rob Lucas: Just have to say it was a great evening and a pleasure meeting so many like minded people! Watching the master again plying his artistry in many ways! tobyhoward: What a fantastic performance! That's it really! Thought Bill was on cracking form, seemed to be enjoying himself. What a treat. returningman: A big thank you to Ian and the other helpers for making this wonderful event happen. Bill you were relaxed and in great form. The Mystery Train interlude was magic! Looking forward to next year...again!!! Peter Fricker: What a brilliant evening it was, your playing and chat was spot on. And I look forward to watching the live concert when it is available. Well done and see you next year?? David Inch: I wasn't expecting this at all on the guitar change to his golden 'Scotty Moore' Peerless Gigmaster SC guitar, on what initially appeared to be no more than a little interlude on the strings we were treated to a rendition of Elvis Presley's 'Mystery Train'. I nearly fell off the edge of my seat...what an amazing night we all enjoyed.

The Strangest Things Bill Nelson retrospective collection - 4 October 1989 Collections Menu Future Past TRACKS: 01) The Strangest Things, The Strangest Times ( Giants Of The Perpetual Wurlitzer EP, 1984) 02) Acquitted By Mirrors (Furniture Music single, 1979) 03) The Spirit Cannot Fail (Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights, 1987) 04) Fellini's Picnic (Map Of Dreams album, 1987) 05) Dancing In The Wind (Touch And Glow single in the Permanent Flame box set, 82) 06) Instantly Yours (Do You Dream In Colour? single, 1980) 07) Heroes De Lumiere (Simplex album, 1990) 08) Um, Ah Good Evening (extra track from the UK CD version of the Optimism album, 1988) 09) Several Famous Orchestras (Sex-Psyche-Etc EP, 1985) 10) A Dip In The Swimming Pool Reactor (Chamber Of Dreams album, part of the Trial By Intimacy set, 1985) 11) Youth Of Nation On Fire (Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam album, 1981) 12) Eros Arriving (The Love That Whirls album, 1982) 13) Short Wave (extra track from the UK CD version of the Optimism album, 1988) 14) Life In Your Hands (non-album single, 1989) NOTES: The Strangest Things is a compilation album issued by Enigma Records covering the ten year period immediately after Nelson had disbanded Be Bop Deluxe and is exclusive to the US market. While the UK market got Duplex , the US were treated to this rather different compilation, which is best described as falling somewhere between Duplex and The Two Fold Aspect of Everything . The collection (issued on CD and cassette) mixed album tracks with rarities, acting as a sampler for the Enigma series of reissues, but offering the collector something beyond that at the same time. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: There are no plans to reissue this compilation, although all but track 14 have been reissued fairly recently, or are expected to be again in the near future. Collections Menu Future Past

Living For The Spangled Moment Bill Nelson mini-album - 8 September 1986 Albums Menu Future Past Available on this reissue TRACKS: 01) Heart And Soul 02) Living For The Spangled Moment 03) Feast Of Lanterns 04) Illusions Of You 05) Word For Word 06) Finks And Stooges Of The Spirit 07) Nightbirds ALBUM NOTES: Living for the Spangled Moment is a mini album issued by Portrait Records, comprising five tracks that had appeared as bonus tracks on the UK cassette edition of Getting the Holy Ghost Across . As a special bonus, two exclusive tracks, "Feast of Lanterns" and "Nightbirds", were added to the mini-album to encourage those who had bought the cassette edition to add this to their collection. Although marketed as a mini-album, the record was packaged more like a 12" single, in a thin card sleeve with no inner sleeve. PAST RELEASES: All 7 tracks were added to the Sonoluxe reissue of Getting the Holy Ghost Across (2006). CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All 7 tracks can be found on the Esoteric/Cocteau 2CD reissue of Getting the Holy Ghost Across (2013). FAN THOUGHTS: Peter: "I REALLY love Living for the Spangled Moment and several others [from that period], both because they are especially good and because they struck those emotional chords at the time (and to some extent still do, even now). That's what makes music special to me, how it connects with my thoughts, feelings and view of the world...and for me, no one does it better than Bill somehow." felixt1: "Word for Word": "has just finished playing and it totally stopped me in my tracks. A great song that I have heard many times has suddenly just clicked with me. Great lyrics and vocal from you there, Bill." finlay street: "Living for the Spangled Moment" - "just the most perfect, beautiful song." russellsmith: "Spangles: FOR THE UNINITIATED and our friends across the water... Spangles were fruity boiled sweets, with a very slight fizz about them. You could suck them thinner and thinner until you felt like you could cut your tongue on them, but upon trying they would always snap in your mouth. 'Old English' spangles were a more 'traditional' boiled sweetie, with flavours like butterscotch and humbug rather than a non-medicinal version of Tunes (a cold sweet). They were a kind of aniseed/boiled molasses/cough medicine flavour and were the sort of sweets you ate for penitence. They came in a black and white packet. At one point, Spangles launched a 'guess the mystery flavour Spangle' competition. There were two in a normal packet and they were wrapped in white waxed paper covered in question marks." Albums Menu Future Past

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

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

Nelsonian Navigator - Issue Four- Published September 1996 Back to Top

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

My Private Cosmos Bill Nelson 6-CD album set - 17 December 2021 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this 6-CD Set DISC ONE TRACKS 01) Are You Listening? 02) My Private Cosmos 03) I Dream Of Giant Telescopes 04) Lightning Strikes The Steeple 05) Hang This Moment On A Sigh 06) They Tell You This, They Tell You That 07) Driving Through England 08) Light Rain 09) Set Your Dials For Dreaming 10) Kingdom Of The Sky 11) Kirkella Bells 12) Living On The Moon Tonight 13) The Dusk Before The Dark 14) Glittering Figures (A Gnostic Lullaby) 15) Days Of Wonder 16) Picture Perfect DISC TWO TRACKS 01) Thunder, Perfect Mind 02) With All The Will In The World 03) The Crystal Gazing Room (No Sleep For The Alchemist) 04) The Astronomy Of The Heart 05) On An Ocean Of Dreams 06) This Land Is Haunted 07) Friday In The Future 08) Mists Of Time 09) In The Chapel Of Her Sparkles 10) The Trees Are Full Of Whistling Birds 11) Dreaming Of Another World 12) Time's Tide (The Dreams That Escape Me) 13) Your Secret Sign 14) Under Fading Stars 15) Forever Ago DISC THREE TRACKS 01) I Watch The World 02) Through My Window 03) Another Rainy Day 04) When The Wind Blows All Away 05) Time Stops Right Here 06) I Was Speaking With Orson Welles 07) Techno Punk Gets Rhythm 08) Merry And Bright 09) Old Brown Town 10) Lanterns Are Lighting 11) The Universe Is Fast Asleep 12) Seven Keys To This City 13) Osram Diadem 14) Fantastico 15) The Paradox Machine 16) The 21st Century DISC FOUR TRACKS 01) Silver Sparks And Coloured Stars 02) Helios In Memoryland 03) Gazing Through Golden Windows 04) The Navigator 05) An Acre Of Sunshine 06) The Light In The Mirror (The Bone Beneath The Skin) 07) Ghosts Dance In Ghostland 08) The Memory Museum (Room One) 09) Silver Stars Will Shine 10) Ghost Trains Travel On Phantom Tracks 11) I Recall Jets At Dawn 12) There's A Star Somewhere 13) The Spectral Waltz Of Venus 14) My Private Cosmos (Part Two) 15) Curiosity's Domain DISC FIVE TRACKS 01) A Dip In The Sparkle Jar 02) This Clockwork World 03) When We Were Beautiful 04) Hi-Tone Saturday 05) Mechanical City One 06) Dreamlike World 07) Coasting 08) Some Days It's Orange, Some Days It's Blue 09) In The Land Of Nothing Doing 10) Magic And Mystery 11) The Super Sensualist 12) White Falcon Two 13) Far Side Of Nowhere 14) The TV's On The Blink 15) And All The World Was Ours DISC SIX TRACKS 01) Moonlight Rider 02) Ancient Angels Watching Me 03) The Long Lost Summer 04) The Roy Rogers Radio Ranch 05) Space Cowboys 06) White Falcon One 07) Wonder Kid 08) Puzzlepop 09) My Catalogue Of Dreams 10) The Infernal Machine 11) Until Tomorrow 12) Comic Cuts 13) The Listening Station 14) There Are Stars Beyond The Night 15) Celluloid Ghosts 16) Hey Ho, There You Go 17) Mortal Coils Purchase this download Purchase this download Purchase this download ALBUM NOTES: My Private Cosmos is a 6CD box set of mainly song based material issued on the Sonoluxe label in a limited edition of 1000 copies. The newest material included on the album was recorded between March and July 2021, immediately on the back of completing work on Dazzlebox . However, the full content of the album represents a greater recording period going back well into 2020 and comprises 94 new tracks. My Private Cosmos represents the third Bill Nelson album to be released since he moved to his recently established Cubase recording set-up assembled in 2019 and which he began utilising from January 2020. It also has gone some significant way to clearing his archive of unused material written and recorded during the past 18 months. Plans for the album were first announced on the Dreamsville website in a Journal entry on 11 April 2021 when Nelson revealed the title of his next project as well as indicating that some of its content would comprise tracks from his Cubase archive that hadn’t been chosen for inclusion on the previous two albums. By mid-July 2021 Nelson revealed, in a follow up Journal entry, that he now had sufficient material for the proposed release to fill a triple album although he remained unsure if the actual release itself would be a humble single album or perhaps a double. In fact, from the list of potential tracks Nelson had to choose from, provided in the same piece, there were then 76 different tracks available from which to compile My Private Cosmos . That would be enough to fill five albums' worth of material with the promise of still more to be recorded. By 19 July 2021 Nelson revealed through a post on the Dreamsville Forum that he was still not quite sure how big a project My Private Cosmos would turn out to be, wavering between a 2CD and 3CD set. Three days later, in a follow up forum post the indecision was still there but by now the choice was between a 3CD and 4CD boxed set. The fans' response to the suggestion of a 4CD set was resoundingly positive with almost everyone that stated a preference encouraging Nelson to opt for the 4CD route. In another subsequent post, on 25 July 2021, Nelson confirmed that he was set upon the idea of a 4CD set, comprising 57 tracks, going as far as posting the track listing for it, but admitted he was toying with the idea of offering more material as download exclusives sufficient to fill up a fifth disc. This option would most likely have affected physical sales as some fans would undoubtedly have only committed to buying the full digital download to acquire the 15 exclusive tracks. Having pondered the situation some more, on 29 July 2021 Nelson confirmed that he had decided to commit to a full 72 track 5CD physical set which although adding to the cost would at least allow all fans to buy just one edition of the album and in doing so get all the material on offer. However, over the coming days not only would Nelson add some additional music to the 5 CD set, bringing the total number of tracks to 75, he couldn't resist also adding a sixth disc's worth of material that would appear separately as an exclusive download album available through Bandcamp, to be entitled The Listening Station (My Private Cosmos Sector Six) . With the digital album comprising 16 tracks this brought the combined package to an impressive 91 tracks. Further deliberations over the next couple of weeks would see Nelson add a further 3 tracks to the proposed album but more importantly he would reach a decision on the format, confirming this to be a 6CD physical set after all, with no additional exclusive digital material. Not only did the musical content of My Private Cosmo s develop with time, so did the proposed artwork, as did how the set would be presented. Initially, with the album appearing to be a 5CD set, Nelson envisaged My Private Cosmos as being presented in a 'digital - box' but when he added a sixth CD to the proposed set, his thoughts on this changed, preferring it to be housed in an 'ear-book', complete with lavishly illustrated attached booklet of notes and images. This is best described as a 10" hardback book with the discs held on the inside faces and is the first Bill Nelson release to be housed in such a way. As usual Nelson selected and provided the images for the artwork and enlisted the services of Martin Bostock to design it. My Private Cosmos was mastered at Fairview Studios by John Spence from 17 August 2021 taking a week to work through the entire 94 tracks featured. The set also includes an exclusive plectrum and postcard, with early pre-order customers receiving their postcard signed. Two lucky pre-order customers, drawn at random, will also win the original line-drawing artwork that was used as part of the package design. Pre-orders for My Private Cosmos were announced by Burning Shed on 21 October 2021 with it being released on 17 December. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: This 6-CD box set and digital version of Disc One and Disc Two are available to purchase in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: (The following comments detail how this album's content evolved from Bill's initial concept through to the final decision ...) "I'm slowly making my way through a mass of tracks recor ded on my Cubase software system. These recordings cover the entire period since the system was installed, right up to the present day. Already New Vibrato Wonderland and the double album Dazzlebox have taken tracks from this archive, but I'm now attempting to assemble a future album, an album which currently bears the title My Private Cosmos. The trick is to select tracks which feel as if they belong together or at least relate to one another in some way, either conceptually or tonally. With such a diversity of tracks covering so many different moods, it's not an easy task... " _____ "I continue to record new music. I've amassed a hu ge number of tracks for the My Private Cosmos album, far more than I need, probably enough for three albums at least. The more tracks I accumulate, the harder it gets to choose which ones to put on the album. One way to deal with it, is to make it another double album of course. I'm in two minds about that. Many of the songs are complex and lengthy and so may need repeated listens to fully appreciate. Keeping the number of tracks to a manageable amount may help speed that process. But on the other hand, that would leave so many other curious and interesting tracks out. I'm certainly not ruling out the double album route. We'll see..." _____ "I've begun to assemble the track list/running order for My Private Cosmos. I think it's going to present something of a challenge to those listeners who gravitate more towards the 'straight rock' end of my musical spectrum. Whilst there are plenty of electric guitar parts featured, the structures and surrounding framework of the songs are not exactly orthodox. There's something dark and mysterious about several of the tracks. "How to describe things? Some might think of the tracks as resembling 'ambient, psychedelic avant-garde pop songs.' And that's not a bad description, despite its convoluted connotations, but it's only part of the story. Sonically, there's a deep, cavernous quality to several of the tracks, a 'lost in the void' feeling that requires a simpatico response from the listener. "There are grandiose moments too, set against stripped back, minimalist verses. Electronic distress gets mixed up with smooth, tuneful guitar tones to create a feeling of gleaming chrome blighted by rust and decay. The album pulls together several threads of my musical interests and weaves them into an obscure, perhaps 'baroque' tapestry. It's sometimes familiar sometimes bizarre. Certainly not an album to be grasped and appreciated in a superficial listen, but, I hope, one that will blossom fully from extended plays. It's a slightly weird work, a little different from my usual, but also perfectly reflecting and extending some aspects that you may have become familiar with over the last few years. Oh, and at the moment, it's going to be a double album, maybe even a triple masterwork..." _____ "Well, I'm considering a bold step: I've now already worked out a running order for three discs, (a triple album,) but still have other tracks I'd like to include. As a result of that, I'm thinking about the possibility of making it a quadruple album, perhaps in a box. I've never done this with my 'cottage industry' releases before, so not sure what the manufacturing costs would be for a relatively small run of pressings, nor how many fans would support such a Quixotic adventure..." _____ "I've decided to release a complete set of five CDs in a DVD shaped digital-box with a connected (not loose), book inside containing all the relevant info and images. I've also now copied the 72 songs to a flash drive ready to take to Fairview for mastering. This is, in total, a mammoth work. Months of recording, mixing and sorting running orders out to get to this stage, but more work yet to be done. Sometimes I wonder if projects as epic as this one are worth it. Well, it's what it is, an architectural monolith of an album..." _____ "I've now added some extra songs to the five discs, making it 15 tracks per disc. That's 75 tracks on the five cd set in total. I do, however, still have several tracks left over from these sessions so will gather them together to form a mini album which I'll make available as a digital download 'annexe' to My Private Cosmos on Bandcamp. This entire project is insane, a mad folly, but I'm going to ignore reason and get it all out there intact..." _____ "The 'left over' tracks from the five CD set are more than enough for a further sixth disc. There are 16 extra tracks that I want to release from these sessions so, what I'm hoping to do is to create a sixth 'virtual' disc and release it under its own steam as a digital download only...Utter madness indeed!" _____ "Now, my first idea is to make this sixth disc a stand alone, download only album, a kind of bonus item. I'm, thinking of giving it the title 'The Listening Station, (My Private Cosmos Sector Six).' This way people have the option of downloading an extra 16 tracks or to just stick with the five physical CD box set. The other option is to include the 16 bonus tracks as a physical CD, as part of the main set, basically expanding it from five CDs to six." _____ "I've added a further three tracks to the set, though their inclusion will depend on there being enough space on the discs to take them. John [Spence] will gradually assemble each disc and will then be able to judge if there is room to add the three extra tracks. If there is room the total track count will be 94 songs. I'm still awaiting costings for a possible 'ear book' package and I am thinking of all six discs being included, rather than five and a stand alone download." Albums Menu Future Past

The World and His Wife Bill Nelson ep - 7 November 1983 Singles Menu Future Past TRACKS: A) The World And His Wife B1) Dream Car Romantics (In Death's Garage Antics) B2) Dancing Music ORIGINALLY: All three tracks were non-album tracks exclusive to this EP. NOTES: The World and His Wife is a three track EP featuring two vocal tracks and one instrumental piece. This was the fourth in the series of Cocteau Club EPs issued to fan club members, included in Issue #7 of the club magazine, Acquitted By Mirrors . All three tracks were recorded at the Echo Observatory. "Dream Car Romantics" is a fairly abstract instrumental dub mix of "Living in My Limousine". PAST RELEASES: Track A was released on the 1989 Enigma US CD release of Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: All tracks are available on the retrospective compilation album Transcorder (The Acquitted By Mirrors Recordings) . Singles Menu Future Past

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

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

The Dreamshire Chronicles Bill Nelson double album - 27 November 2012 Albums Menu Future Past Purchase this download DISC ONE TRACKS: 01) Prelude: The Night Is Lit By Diamonds 02) Welcome To Dreamshire (Monitor Mix) 03) The Pleasure Boaters 04) This Everyday World (Vocal Version) 05) Rainboy And Whistledog 06) Young Marvelman 07) Garden Railway 08) The Shimmering Threshold (On Your Bike Emperor Ming) 09) Evening Star Electric Park 10) Sailing To The Moon 11) The Milky Way (Burning Bright) 12) The Sparkling Idea 13) Ghosts Wind The Parlour Clock 14) Spooky Little Thing 15) Now I Come To Think Of It 16) Spinning Pentagrams 17) The Ruins Of Youth, The Twang Of Tomorrow DISC TWO TRACKS: 01) The Reality Of Imagination 02) Smoke Drifts Silent In Autumn Air 03) Bubbledreamer 04) My Little Book Of Secret Knowledge 05) Robots On Parade 06) Dark And Complicated 07) Blue Beams 08) More Than Glory, More Than Gold 09) The Lost Planet Of Sunday Afternoon 10) Mass Equals Energy 11) The Light Gathering Garden Of Omar Kadiz 12) Windsong Of The Flying Boy 13) Henrietta Through The Looking Glass 14) Luna On The Beach 15) Neither Puck Nor Pan 16) Welcome To Dreamshire (Luxe Mix) 17) This Everyday World (Instrumental Version) ALBUM NOTES: The Dreamshire Chronicles is a double album mixing vocal and instrumental pieces, issued in a single print run of 1000 copies on the Sonoluxe label. The album was first announced on the Dreamsville forum in February 2012, and though it was completed inside two months, a busy schedule throughout the year meant that its release was held back in deference to other albums. The Dreamshire Chronicles sold out in July 2021. CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Available for purchase as a digital download here in the Dreamsville Store . BILL'S THOUGHTS: "It contains a wide variety of styles, all of which have proved popular with many fans these last ten or fifteen years...and every track sounds, I'd say, just like 'me'. "As for 'rock' music, there are a couple of tracks on the 2 discs that are direct outakes from the Joy Through Amplification sessions, ("Luna on the Beach" being the most obvious of these). But there are also tracks that would have fitted perfectly on albums such as Clocks and Dials , Non-Stop Mystery Action , Fables and Dreamsongs , Captain Future's Psychotronic Circus , Fancy Planets and Fantasmatron , amongst others...The only way to describe it is for you to hear it. It's a cornucopia type of album, mixing styles and genres as if they were ingredients in a sonic cocktail. A track may start out in one mood but mutate through several others to end in a completely different place. It's music to listen to and follow as if you were reading an adventure story." _____ "Dreamshire is richly blessed with golden and beautifully artificial orchestras. The whole kit n' imaginary caboodle! It also has warped blues guitars, sublime jazz guitars, ambient keyboards, broken beats, ethereal loops, haunted lyrics and oblique arrangements. It's not in the least 'experimental', as I know exactly what I'm doing with it...but it will challenge anyone who thinks a few synth bleeps equals adventure. This is adult music and not a throwback to '80s big-shoulder, analogue fashion, or '70s rock guitar macho chest-beating histrionics. It will confuse the bejesus out of anyone expecting the obvious pop 'avant-garde' signifiers. (At least, that's what I'm hoping for...) "Speed of light, speed of sound, stand back, mind the blast! This will be a sublime listening experience for those whose lightbulb is switched on! It's neither experimental nor rock, it's kind of beyond those categories." _____ "It's like a bunch of different coloured fireworks going off at once and I just enjoy the individual bangs and whooshes, then try to decipher patterns from it all later, when the smoke clears." _____ "Dreamshire isn't meant to be an exterior location...it's an inner landscape, located in some mysterious backwater of the mind, surreal and illogical." _____ "A thought struck me as I was listening through this album to prepare the listening notes: If there was to be such a thing as a Bill Nelson 'steampunk' album, The Dreamshire Chronicles might well qualify. There's something antiquated, rustic yet futuristic about this one, a kind of neo-Victorian rock n' roll, steam-powered guitar amps and Tesla-coil keyboards coupled with a symphony orchestra staffed by women in long leather dresses and tall hats. Patinated copper pipe flutes and oboes, drums fashioned from old stoves and railway engine boilers, guitars that resemble a cross between crystal sets and concert harps. Everything lit by candlelight." _____ Bill's Listening Notes for the album: 'Dreamshire Chronicles' Listening Notes FAN THOUGHTS: BenTucker: "May I recommend Bill's latest, The Dreamshire Chronicles , for your listening pleasure (assuming you don't already have it). If you could imagine what Be Bop Deluxe would sound like in the second decade of the 21st century, then this is it. Intoxicating melodies, amazing guitar...the works! And it's a double album. Basically unmissable!" "Much that's instantly addictive, with rich melodic hooks & glorious guitar in abundance. All the songs seems like stand-outs to me." "Spinning Pentagrams"...an incredible song - from a quite amazing 2 CDs of material...It's one of those albums that leaves you speechless. A very heady, potent and mysterious brew. References? For me, Fables and Dreamsongs type no-holds-barred psychedelic romantic adventurousness with alternate-universe dark Victorian JTA atmospheres... Star rating? Completely off the scale, obviously. You really have to buy this one." Prey: "Dreamshire arrived today, and I'm pissed! How can one man be so talented?! I'm beginning to think I got short changed in life... Amazing work Mr Nelson, I was left speechless." Stumpybunker: "This is such a superb work, one that is growing on me daily with each listen. It is amazing that Bill can excel himself with each release so repeatedly (not that I am surprised, or complaining!), to provide us all with such masterpieces. Long may this state of affairs continue! Many thanks Bill." felixt1: "You're getting there Bill, with a bit of practise...who knows? Very much enjoying "Evening Star Electric Park". I love the piano on this also. Seriously, some absolutely awesome guitar playing on this album." "The Dreamshire Chronicles is one of those albums, like Fantasmatron before it - that gets better and better with each listen. Definitely an essential release. Whilst there is always great new music to look forward to from Bill, I must admit I look forward to albums of this type (multi-layered, lush strings, mixture of vocal and instrumental, utilising an uninhibited sonic canvas) perhaps most of all..." aquiresville: "Smoke Drifts Silent in Autumn Air": "Be Bop Deluxe LIVES, Baby! Bill, I absolutely love the singing style that you re-visit for this track, as well as the musical cues (the electric piano track-out notes, at the end of the song, perfect!) A lovely, lovingly sly-aside, wink-and-a-nod slice of music! Wonderful, Bill!" BobK: "Dreamshire Chronicles really is brilliant isn't it?... For an album that is so stylistically diverse it really hangs together well. Just love the way the vocal tracks blend and compliment the instrumentals and vice versa. By the end of each CD it is almost like you have been through a rather wonderful journey. So many highlights it feels a bit unfair to single out individual tracks, (could probably pick almost ANY of them and rave), but one track no-one has mentioned is "Henrietta Through the Looking Glass". Wow. It is damn catchy and melodic throughout with plenty of twists and turns and quirky strangeness throughout. For me this is up there with my all time fave BN albums. A list that does seem to be getting longer each year!" swampboy: "Bubbledreamer": "This is one of my favorite cuts from The Dreamshire Chronicles . As a matter of fact, you could make a stunning mini-album out of just the instrumentals from this set. The whole album sounds like it was recorded in The Palace of Strange Voltages ." Holer: "It is jaw-droppingly good. The songs are just outstanding and it definitely plays like a soundtrack of sorts, conjuring and evoking." Asinbasil: "There is something very deep and profound about this album...Personally, I don't think this is Bill's most immediate album, but it is a highly intriguing and desirable one that will demand many listens from you. I also think that in the not too distant future, some of us will look upon this work as amongst Bill's very finest, maybe even his magnum opus? I love "Spooky Little Thing", but the song "More Than Glory, More Than Gold" is a song right up there with the finest love songs ever written. Thank you for this album Bill, it truly is a thing of beauty and one you should be justifiably proud of." Albums Menu Future Past