Hello dear reader,

Since the last issue of ABM I've completed the long-awaited American tour with a great deal of success) despite endless technical problems both before and during the tour itself.

The band turned out to be one of the best combinations of individual musicians I've ever had the privilege to work with and I think I can be justified in saying that we left our American audiences duly impressed.

Unfortunately as a result of re-scheduling on the record company's behalf the English tour looks like being postponed until the autumn or winter. This means of course re-forming the band (or even having to start from scratch again) sometime later in the year. Don't worry it is as frustrating for me as it is for you

More disappointing news:- The single 'Age of Reason' that was promised for May release has been cancelled. I spent a lot of time and energy completing the mix on my return from the USA only to learn later that its release (for reasons best known to CBS) has been postponed indefinitely Sometimes it is like hitting your head against a brick wall....

I was currently fighting to acquire the minimum amount of equipment necessary to complete the conversion of 'The Echo Observatory' (perhaps the world's most elegantly intelligent recording studio) from eight to sixteen track operation so that I can commence work on my forthcoming album. Once again, because of the time it takes to get the wheels of the music industry turning, even this humble project has fallen far behind schedule. For the last few weeks I've felt like a painter with no means of buying paint. 

Hopefully with my faithful batman and all-round renaissance technician Leon Phillips, the studio should be complete and operational in just over two weeks time. If nothing else, it will provide me with a small degree of independence from the expensive process of 'mainstream' studios and perhaps in the long run, a means of total creative independence beyond the narrow confines of the exceedingly ugly 'pop' industry.

As you can guess, our William is more than a little frustrated with the state of things at the moment. Oh well, on to other matters....

Not long after returning from America, Jan, the children and myself tried to grab a desperate holiday in Paris, which turned out to be something of a disaster. The hotel we had booked was awful and it rained solidly all week ! Still Paris is always special and despite the weather, I succeeded in being deeply moved by the spiritual beauty of Notre Dame and the glorious stone angels of Sacre-Coeur. Without a doubt Paris is for me one of the most beautiful cities in my admittedly small world. I also managed to visit a small exhibition devoted to Cocteau's theatrical works which proved exciting (for me at least)

Social gossip time:- I hope some of you managed to catch my somewhat nervous guest spot on BBC 2's "Eight Days a Week" TV programme. Yes there I was trying to hide the scars of a sleepless night whilst offering up my hastily assembled opinions alongside such mega-stars as Sandie Shaw and Gary Kemp. I felt about as natural as a square egg !

The following week I was invited by David Sylvian to the opening party for his photographic exhibition. David proved to be much more sensible and down to earth than I had expected and his solo album "Brilliant Trees" is certainly worthy of your attention.

Since the last issue, I have received a few more letters of protest from 'born-again' Christians, condemning me for my spiritual pursuits and informing me of their concern for my welfare in these matters. It is too involved and laborious to go into here, but I would just like to say that, whilst grateful for your prayers, you have unfortunately missed the point by a few thousand light-years. Look to yourself before you look to others. Spiritual intolerance is as evil as racial intolerance. Spiritual truth comes by the grace of God to each person individually The zeal and hypocrisy of much of today's so called Christianity is nothing more than the power politics of the souz. Billy Graham, to some eyes, could be seen as the Anti-Christ etc etc I can trying to control what I feel to be an honest rage, so I'll hold my tongue, but if nothing else, to presume to sit in judgement on my very personal spiritual values is nothing less than a downright act of rudeness. Sorry.

The best tape I have heard this year comes from ' Man Jumping ' a group of musicians culled from 'Lost Jockey' who the enlightened amongst you will have heard of. If everything goes to plan, I hope to release an album of their work on Cocteau within the next few months. Watch out for it, it comes highly recommended.

One of the side projects I have been working on, is a biography of my life and times to date which is currently being written by Kevin Cann. You may have heard of Kevin as he's recently had published an informative biography of David Bowie which garnered some critical acclaim. We have been sorting through endless press-cuttings, photographs and memorabilia in search of source material. The book will obviously take some time to finish and print but should hopefully be very accurate and entertaining. A must for all you hard-core Nelsonians.

This month's optional extras:- Here amidst the elegance of Nelson acres. I've found myself listening more than once to the new Miles Davis album 'Decoy' which I've found to be one of the best Miles albums for a while. Check it out, particularly side one. Current books on my bedside cabinet are 'Hermetic Masonry' by Frank C Higgins, 'Symbols, Signs and Signets' by Ernest Lehner and 'Hidden Symbolism of Alchemy and the Occult Arta' by Herbert Silberer. Favourite formal wear has been a dark grey Jean Paul-Giraud suit and favourite casual wear my birthday suit. Food has been Fish and Chips (Yorkshire variety only) Strawberries and creme, garlic bread, French hot-dogs, Pate on toast and the occasional Lobster Thermidor. Drink has been anything that makes me smile and cologne has definitely been 'Hermes' What other items of useless information can I tell you ? Oh I don't know.... life has been fraught..... Until next time then 

I think you deserve a quick potted account of the tour around the USA (and one in Canada lest we forget). Auditions started in Leeds with Preston Heyman on drums and percussion. He had played on the Chimera album. On bass we had lain Denby who had played in a band with Leon Phillips and who Bill had seen then This gave Bill the rhythm section, he then needed Keyboards and Sax. 

We decided to take musicians by recommendation if possible so as to be able to cut down the amount of time it can all take. This gave us Andy Davis from Bath who has amongst other things been playing with Tears for Fears and had just finished touring with Julian Cope. Mike Simmonds was the next - timing being a problem as he was at the end of a support band tour - but with a few dates to go. So Mike had lots of commuting to do. Ian Nelson was on tour with Fiat Lux and so we needed a new Sax player who could also play keyboards. Andy Davis suggested a music student he knew called William Gregory who also lived in the West country. William joined and rehearsals moved to London for a week. But things were not moving fast enough and we decided to move things around a bit and continue rehearsals in Los Angeles where we would have everyone together. So we hired a studio on a film lot and locked the door. So while Bill worked, Jan went shopping in LA. 

Soon we found ourselves playing the first night, at the lovely Beverly Theatre in Los Angeles. First nights are hard but the music won a lot of hearts. The show was sold out, but one of the people who made it was Greg Heet - the E-Bow man, who brought Bill a present of two new black E-Bows. Excellent !! Afterwards a visit to Trader Vics to sample the drinks list, and a chance for Mike Simmonds to show us all how to pass out in the clubs. He was brought to by a lovely lady from Simmonds with an incredible mixture of Japanese acupuncture-based-manipulation, and the use of heat in the form of cigarette and ice cubes held near the skin in succession. He lived to play again. 

The next night the show was a short drive away to Long Beach to a strange venue called the Fender International Ballroom just across from the Queen Mary. Nice people-strange hall.

The next day we drove to San Diego to a college campus where Bill was special guest on a bill with Berlin. Sadly they were at the start of their tour and a shambles. We got no sound check and the technical problems were rife. The three keyboard players were all using DX7s. Preston was using a Linn drum and a Simmons kit - a technically complicated arrangement that needs lots of time to set up plus very good monitoring.

The next day we eventually flew to San Francisco. I say eventually because they had overbooked the flights as airlines often do. They equipment was driven overnight and we found ourselves with crew on all sorts of different flights. But we got there in the end.

There had originally been three dates planned in the Bay area. But because of the changes we had to cut it down to one (On the only day off). Greatly enjoyable show with things all starting to work. We all had a chance to meet up with Scott and Rachel of the Units afterwards. The following day we flew to Toronto getting in late after an all day flight. We had the rest of the night off. The following day the show was at a small club called the El Mochombo I am told it had been sold out for weeks. It was the first time Bill had been to Canada for about six years. Great show and a nice city.

That night a van drove overnight to Boston with all the gear because we had to go through customs back into the USA. It can take up to 24 hours if they don't like you. The crew took an 8.30 am flight, we followed in the afternoon. When we got to the venue to soundcheck at about 7pm, we discovered that the club had not provided most of the equipment specified to enable us to do the show - and that they would not be able to get it all for about three to four hours - not in time for us to do the show. In disgust we had to cancel the show and go back to the hotel. Not what we had come to Boston to do !! The next day, some flew and some drove to New York and then out to Long Island for a show complete with technical gremlins at My Fathers Place in Rosslyn.

Next day The Savoy Theatre, New York. All was well except for a lack of film projector and afterwards a small record company reception, and then a nice meal where lain Denny 'fell asleep' in the gents with his head down the toilet seat. Such high living. After the excesses of New York we drove to Washington. We arrived to find the stage was not as big as we needed and had been promised. But that was eventually solved and after a magnificent meal (the best of the tour by far) Seth the promoter had his dreams come true as the band played two sets into the early hours.

Bill through-out the tour to date had been being woken up at about mid-day either to travel and then do interviews or to have breakfast and then do interviews to be followed by soundchecks-ironing-dressing and concerts. Whilst the band and crew drove to Newark and then flew to Detroit. Bill and I flew to New York and had a night off. A welcome respite from the pace.

When we arrived in Detroit the following day we were regaled with tales of how Preston and Mike had almost got mugged trying to find something to eat at night. It seems they stepped out into some of the less wholesome areas of Detroit. Leon and Iain had meanwhile decided to experience the joys of a truckers life in the USA.

Portrait Records are releasing a twelve inch disc with a remix done in New York by John Luongo of' 'Acceleration'. There is a long version, short version and a dub plus 'Hard Facts from the Fiction Dept'. Release date is the end of July.  Catalogue number 4R905058

We will be releasing the same record here on Cocteau so that you do not have to buy the American pressing in view of the exchange rate.  'Hard Facts' has been included due to the incredible number of requests from the public.  We hope you don't mind one song from your club EP being a little more widely available.  Catalogue number in the UK will be COQ 15 and COQ T 15 Release date mid-August

At the end of August we should have available a double pack cassette of Das Kabinet and Beauty and the Beast Cat No TC-JC 4 It will sell at the same price as a single album.  It seems rather useful to put Bill's two theatre soundtracks together like this, I am sure you agree.

We have just acquired the UK rights to the Bill/Yukihiro Takahashi single that they recorded last year.  This means we can schedule it for release probably straight after the Acceleration remix.  You will be advised.

Whilst we have had a fair response to date on our top ten solo Nelson songs poll (To date your faves are: Flaming Desire, Do you dream in colour, Private View, Glow World, The Passion'-in that order) I would like you all to write because that way I get an accurate poll.  So the prizes!!  You see, always the incentive, Yes the prizes are for names on cards pulled out of the hat. so make sure you put your name and address on the card.  We have five copies of Vistamix signed by all the band members on the USA tour.

Lists by return please if you want to participate.

As we are so late on our schedule we are not going to be able to do some British dates this summer.  With all the logistics, planning and the amount of time rehearsals take the next set of dates will be around the time of the new album release.  When we know some more I will know when we can all get together for a meeting

As we go to press Bill is finally able to start work in the Echo Observatory.  So it is rather hard to say how long things will take.  A work of art should not be hurried.  We will just have to see.

As for Sensoria - we are just waiting to find out if CBS's classical label Masterworks wishes to release the box set.  I hoped- to be able to tell you before we went to press, but it takes so long

I will try and find a slot for some kind of Remixes/B sides etc compilation in our life soon.

Please do not write in yet about the biography that Kevin Cann is working on. It is not yet finished and book publishers take much longer than we do (Yes it is possible) It is unlikely that it will be on sale before the second half of 1985.  I will however get Kevin to write us some articles for future ABMs