Dear Friends,

This editorial comes to you courtesy of British Rail. I am writing this on a train from Yorkshire, bound for London, en route to Tokyo. At four o'clock this afternoon I will be winging my way half way 'round the world to Japan where I'm to play guitar on a series of Yukihiro Takahashi Live concerts.

Things have been very hectic of late as usual. I've only just returned home this week from production duties on a forthcoming album by The Units, an electronic combo par excellence from San Francisco, with whom I have worked before. The few days I've had since then have been filled up with haircuts, dry cleaning, ironing and packing in preparation for Tokyo...........Yes folks, it's a hard life in the popular music industry!

Talking of which, the latest development in my eternal career (?) is the unceremonious parting of the ways between Phonogram and myself. Never ones to set themselves on fire for the Nelsonian cause, I happily bid them a somewhat careless farewell and go off in search of better things. I shed no tears for their fears (Ho-Ho !)

Anyway, more news next issue along with details of my recent jaunt to the South of France, a report on the Japanese Concerts, (perhaps with photographs) and another exclusive club E.P. Well, I must fly....... wish me a safe return....... Regards, Bill Nelson

We have had lots of requests for more information about Bill's brother Ian who has turned up at various stages of Bill's career and is now embarking on his own. Over to you Ian:

There is about an eight year gap between Bill and myself. The first time I ever became interested in music was when we bought a small ukulele, a small plastic one, which Bill instantly nicked off me and learnt to play. That did me in for a few years until I started tinkering around with a xylophone and later on clarinet when I was at school. By this time Bill was actually playing around in the local clubs and doing all that sort of thing, so it was quite encouraging having an elder brother doing all that sort of thing. I got myself into all the school bands and when I decided it was all for me, I got a place at the Huddersfield School of Music. I studied various things there for four years, clarinet and the general theory of music mainly. I discovered that I liked the light side of music, jazz, pop, avant garde rock things.

By this time I had been bequeathed a saxophone by my dad, which was in very bad shape. Rather than take tuition on it I thrashed around and taught myself to play . Well Bill invited me to play on "Ships in the Night" which was the first ever recording experience that I had. I was eighteen at the time, and it got me into the idea of recording studios. Then I left college and thrashed around with various local spontaneous music ensembles and local bands until I joined a band called The Actors who lasted for about three years without doing anything spectacular.

Shortly after that Bill asked me to join Red Noise. I was playing a bit of Sax and Keyboards and that became my role in the band. Sax, clarinet and some back-up keyboards to Andy Clark. That was the first professional gig I ever had and it lasted a year and a bit. I carried on working with Bill, I did the "Quit Dreaming" sessions although there was a long period before its release. I got into production on a local level for indie labels and did some sessions. There was a record which came out under my own name along with Ada Wilson and Dave Whittaker (who is now in Music for Pleasure ) called 'Tattoo hosts vision on' and also a couple of Ada singles. Around that time we did the concert in Brussels, the first of the Souvenirs of Impossible Events/Invisibility Exhibition which has now become a sort of recurrent theme. I had never done anything like that before, it was purely intended as a one off. We had discussed 'improvisation' but that was the first time that we were publicly able to do it. We had improvised in the studio before, but the idea of putting tapes together and going out was unique to that event. We subsequently re-did it at The Black Boy in Nottingham and the Festival in Edinburgh and then on to the first four dates of a full concert. I actually enjoy the challenge of that more than, maybe, working with a band, because it is less structured and less rigid and I like the element of chance there. It gives you much more scope for improvisation and experimentation its nice when things lock in and its different every night.

After that it was The Practical Dreamers, which was a band formed to perform music from the belated album "Quit Dreaming" It was a short lived project but it did a tour of the UK and the States. It was my first time in the States, I guess I was quite bemused at the time, but looking back on it I had a spectacularly good time. From that time on work was very sporadic and I got a series of day jobs. I still did some sessions with various people, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and Time in Motion and I did some production for a friend, and some more Invisibility Exhibitions.

During this period I renewed an acquaintance with Steve Wright who I had first met on the Practical Dreamers tour when he worked as part of the Yorkshire Actors. I knew that Steve had done some work with Bill on a prospective single (which turned out to be Feels Like Winter Again) although I had not heard it at the time. I went to see Steve and Dave Crickmore playing in a local club under the unlikely name of 'Dead Herman' They were just a two piece working with some fairly primitive tapes. Almost for a joke, as my musical links were fairly tentative at the time, we decided to get together and have a bash at a gig. It was very well received and there was a steady series of gigs which led to a sort of crystallization of Fiat Lux which was when the name began to stick.

The name had been thought up in the studio with Bill. I did not play on the first record, there was no such band as Fiat Lux in those days. Bill played nearly all the instrumental parts and did the arranging- Then the single came out and started all the record company interest which culminated in us signing to Polydor (Steve, Dave and myself) almost six months ago. We went into the studio with Bill producing but the record company was not happy with the result and messed Bill around- By then he was already committed to do something else. We have finally recorded with Hugh Jones, best known for Echo and the Bunnymen, at a variety of studios and a single should be out sometime soon. Photography c/w Aqua Vitae. Then there are some new tracks some of which I co-wrote. We are now discussing extending the line up, the use of backing tracks is all very well for two people, but not the most exciting thing in terms of a band performance. We are now working with a drummer and a bass player, it then becomes a question of seeing how much Dave and I can handle between us.

Well the compilation album for overseas release has changed its name again. The new working title for it is 'Vistamix'. This replaces all previous titles, and was I believe an old cinematic term. Current plans are for the band to promote the compilation scheduled for the autumn to work under this title. Thus there is a strong chance that Bill Nelson's Vistamix will be touring this autumn.

We recently managed to buy from Phonogram a small quantity of Chimera posters. These are available to club members at £1.00 inc p&p

We are also doing a new T-shirt of the design shown on pages 10/11 It is a four colour design and is on all sizes of white shirts. Now just known as 'Design G' to club members it is £4.50 inc pp (It is more than the other shirts because it is more complicated to print ) If you want either item please add to mail order form if you still have one or just write.

The best interview of Bill for you musical buffs of late, is in the August issue of Electronics and Music Maker. It also includes the music score to The Real Adventure (and a colour picture of Bill's haircut)

In September EMI are going to release Axe Victim and Futurama as a two for the price of one. Sunburst Finish is already out at mid-price. So all you Bebop fans who want new copies the LP number is EDP1546793 and the cassette TCEDP1546799

The Real Adventure

A rebel thought in my state of mind, My hungry heart, In the hands of time.... A secret risk, the harder line, The price of love For the perfect crime.... The real adventure....... Another place, Another time, A certain grace, Your hand in mine, Like a miracle Our hearts combine, The slow embrace, A love divine.... The real adventure

Acceleration

Burn my boats, burn my money, Time to make some changes, Time to hit and run, Build on hope, Hope lasts for ever, Time to take some chances, Timed to hit and run, Acceleration...... Kissing the pink, Making some trouble, Time to ring the changes, Time to work it out, Chasing my tail, I'm seeing double, Time to make a move, Time to sort it out, Acceleration.......

Every Day feels like another new Drug

Hand on hip, the way we live, The give and take, The take and give.... Hand on heart, the way we love.. The stop and start, The push and shove... I can't remember feeling so sad, Changing places, going back, Walking in the night.... Push my luck and take your chance Make my dreams come true, Break this trance.... Hold your tongue and bite my lip... Fatal fascination, Lose my grip... I can't remember feeling so strange, Changing phrases, words rearranged, Walking in the night... Every day feels like another new drug, Drink my fill, Still can't get enough....

Tender is the night

Running, Hiding, Seeking, Finding out about you, Dancing, Jiving, Changing my Timing, Chiming for you... Tender is the night... Sleeping, Walking, Dreaming, Aching, Shaking for you.... Living, Dying, Feels like I'm flying Into the blue... Tender is the night... Laughing, Smiling, Falling and rising, Shining for you... Waving, Drowning, Floating around in an ocean of you... Tender is the night... My heads in a spin Now I'm walking on water with you... Tender is the night y heart's in my mouth When I'm walking on water with you...

Glow World

Her jewels are the stars tonight, I watch as her thieves arrive, I watch them with jealous eyes From my window this world is aglow She drifts in an endless curve Through shadows and metaphor Boy signal and semaphore From my window Their eyes are aglow... She laughs as the pains begin I swoon in the grip of sin Alone with her burning skin For a moment, this room is aglow.....

She sleeps in my arms tonight, I watch as her dreams arrive, I watch her with hungry eyes, In my mirror, Her face is aglow... Glow world..... Glow world.....

Another Day. Another Ray of Hope

So now the summer's gone We live our lives alone Beneath these winter stars Our silver turns to gold

Another Day, another ray of hope Another way to say hello What can I say How can I help you cope How can we hold on to today

So now our time has come we chase the autumn sun Across the burning fields Our tears begin to run

Another day another ray of hope Another day, another ray of hope

Record Companies: The reason that artists sign to big record companies is money and being able to sell records internationally. Not bad reasons really as both are quite desirable items. Most small labels (Cocteau included) tend to find the first point a problem at times, and the international market can be a long slow process. For the big companies it is easy, they have a company in most major countries and as for money, they either have successful acts or they get taken over (viz EMI) The profits they make on successful acts they invest again in the next signings. If you contract to a company you are normally giving them the exclusive rights to own, sell and market your records, and they can do this in any way they want. They would normally contract for a couple of singles or one album in the first year. Then they would have a series of options to call for further records over the next x years if they wanted to. Once you are signed you are their property and you cannot record for another label (this is why some records remain in the can for so long, the record company has paid for it, does not think they want to release it, and will not let you take it elsewhere unless you pay them lots of money) In exchange for all of this they pay you money when you sign to them. The Advance. This is an advance against the royalties they pay you on each record that they sell. If you do not sell many records they cannot normally ask for their money back and they lose money on you. They then decide to cut their losses and not keep you under contract. Record companies are divided into four parts: A/R, Sales, Marketing, Administration.

A/R means Artists and Repertoire, this is the bit that signs bands. A/R men get sent boxes and boxes of tapes from aspiring bands, they also go and see hundreds of bands live. If they like you enough they may offer you a contract. As well as looking for new acts they have to work a lot with the people who are already signed arranging studios, musicians, producers etc It depends from band to band how much the record company does and how much the band and their management does. Sales - The sales men and ladies are the people who do the leg work, visiting shops with a list of forthcoming releases, albums and singles. Try and persuade your dealers to buy a lot of copies of that months releases. Marketing - When the artist has made a record then it becomes the turn of the marketing dept. They co-ordinate the manufacture and then the sales and promotion activities. They arrange the ads in papers or radio, put displays in shops. The promotion dept is a sub-section of marketing and these people try and get records played on the radio or TV. They employ people called 'pluggers' who go and see each individual radio and TV producer that they consider might play it. Likewise you have a press department who talk to all the journalists. Lastly you have administration - my general term to cover accountants, lawyers, tea ladies, personnel officers and everyone else. In a separate place you have of course the factory and distribution outlet, where records are pressed and dispatched to all the various people who have accounts with the record distributor. You very often find that one factory will manufacture and distribute all different labels that you might think would be in competition with each other. This might be so, but the sheer cost of a factory is so large that few people can set them up, and so you find that EMI distributes Virgin. The big difference between record labels is not who presses and distributes, but in who signs which groups and how they are treated and promoted. That is down to the people who work there.

Music Publishers are another side of the business. Every time a record is played on radio or TV the composer of the song gets paid for having his copyright used. Likewise every record that is sold, the composer of the song gets paid a royalty. These are now the two main sources of income to a song writer. Before the sale of records became so widespread, the main source was from having your song printed as sheet music, so that people could buy your song learn it and play it in music halls etc. The people who used to print the music sheets were music publishers. They have remained, but their business has changed amazingly. Now they concentrate much more on collecting the fees for Radio and TV performances and collecting the money from the record companies. They take a percentage and pass the balance on to the song writer They sign song writers to their company, just like record companies sign performers, and just like a record company they pay advances to be recouped at a later stage from the money that they hope will be earnt. Some publishers have just become glorified bankers. However there is a role that publishers can perform now-a-days, and the good ones do. 1. If you write songs and do not perform them (well !), then you should try to get other people to record them. This means knowing artists and record producers who are looking for songs. 2. If your band does not have enough money to make good demos, publishers might give you studio time in exchange for the future publishing rights 3. They deal with the record companies all the time, so they can probably get through the A/R maze faster than an outsider.


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Since the last news section Bill worked for about six weeks with Gary Numan (see I've learnt how to spell his name) producing his new album. Bill having finished it, Gary remixed it all in about two days. Bill listened to the mixes and then asked for his name to be taken off the credits. It will be released this autumn.

BBC TV came to Nelson towers to record a piece for the new series of Riverside. They filmed Bill in the Echo Observatory (see page 15 for photo of the studio) doing some drawing, talking, playing, acting. As per normal they cannot give me a screening date yet - so watch them all, it will be early on.

Bill then moved on to working again with The Units. Of whom you have heard before in ABM. Last time Bill flew to San Francisco, the bands home, and they recorded an album in a local studio. The band then fell out with their label and the record has remained in the can ever since due to the contractual problems with 415 Records. The Units have now signed to Epic Records and once again asked Bill to produce them. On this occasion they came to Rockfield Studios in Wales and the recording went very well indeed.

Due to the schedule over-running a couple of tracks will have to be mixed when Bill returns from:

Japan. As you gathered from the preface Bill has gone to Japan to play guitar for Yukihiro Takahashi on his tour called "Are you receiving Me ?" They play five dates in all: 13th Aug Hakone Open Air 15th Shibuta Kokaido 16th Shibuta Kokaido 18th 0saka 20th Chiba Baseball Stadium.

In addition to Yuki and Bill musicians are alleged to be, Keiichi Suzuki (Moon Riders) Hajime Tachibana ("H") David Palmer (ex ABC)

Whilst there Bill is planning to record a single with Yuki, to come out under their joint names. This will be done at Yuki's Japanese record company studio - Alfa Records and be released by them there and Cocteau here.

So far I have heard tales of earthquakes during the rehearsals, but all will be told in the next issue quite soon I trust. Now that Bill is no longer under contract to Phonogram you may all look forward to a series of records finally getting released. The box set of instrumentals is coming you will hear about it here in good time. Who knows maybe we could even release a single on a record label. We have been trying to for months, but you need to have a record company that is capable of belief. Bye bye Phonogram

Blackmail Corner is proud to bring you another candid snap from the Nelson Book of Shame.

This one from his Gibson IV period. 'Music for all occasions'