Acquitted by Mirrors, Issue 14

Press Release - Bill Nelson

Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights

In our materialistic and consumerist society, nothing seems to confuse the public more than talk of Mystical Experience which, by its very nature, is highly subjective and evades rational appraisal. When granted access to these experiences, one can only surrender to their inherent 'otherness', realizing that any attempt to convey their essence in the form of creative works is to openly invite misunderstanding and abuse.

That we live in an age of hypocrisy and willful ignorance in relation to our spiritual potential hardly needs pointing out, yet to acknowledge this whilst refusing to act is to become an accessory to the crime. For this reason I have felt it appropriate to express something of my own pilgrimage amongst these nebulous realms, regardless of any misinterpretation that might arise.

Although I struggle with its possibilities now as much as when I first began, music has, for several years, been my 'prima materia', my personal field of action.... To my shame, it is the only 'way' I know. Nevertheless, music has provided that key to a rich variety of inner experience, the ramifications of which extend well outside the boundaries of musical expression.

The work assembled on 'Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights' represents the various offspring of what I can only describe as a musical and mystical marriage, that of Tone and Light. In a more mundane sense, it is the third component in a series of recordings which began with 'Sounding The Ritual Echo' and continued with 'Trial By Intimacy'. As with those albums, there is little attempt here to dazzle the listener with displays of technical virtuosity, the music being realized on relatively simple equipment with as little intervention and correction by myself as possible. I appreciate that, to some, it will seem a strange beast to let loose in the marketplace of popular music but it is a work born of necessity rather than opportunity. Ideally, its goal is that of true Magick, not the glamourous artifice of the conjurer.... I can assure you that there is nothing up my sleeve whatsoever. Those few hearts in which it will strike a resonance will have no need of further explanation.

Bill Nelson, autumn 1987

Welcome to yet another appallingly late issue of A.B.M. As always I offer my apologies, 'though explanations are somewhat harder to come by.

Before going further, I'd like to express appreciation to those of you who wrote in response to last issues editorial. The clouds of gloom which surrounded me at that time have not completely cleared but they have certainly been lightened by your kind works of encouragement. I was deeply touched by the concern shown in your letters and it is reassuring to know that there are still people out there who understand. For the time being, however it seems my work will be limited to the output of Cocteau Records which will at least allow me some kind of creative freedom.

As an example of this, I am proud to unveil a new double album and limited edition EP collectively known as "CHANCE ENCOUNTERS IN THE GARDEN OF LIGHTS". Album One is the collection known as 'The Angel At The Western Window' and Album Two is 'The Book Of Inward Conversation' The limited edition EP, known as 'Ecclesia Gnostica (Music For The Interior Church)' will be packaged as part of the double album set for the initial copies only. Those of you who enjoyed 'Trial By Intimacy' will, I hope, find this latest work equally enjoyable. The gatefold sleeve features further examples of my photography and is rich in colour and symbolism. The music, from the archives of The Echo Observatory, is both magical and mystical in purpose. Track listing and further details will be found elsewhere in this issue.

With the completion of the new album, my next project is to score the music for a new British film called DREAM DEMON. It is being made by Palace Pictures who were responsible for 'Company Of Wolves'. Whilst it is a low-budget movie, the accent is on style and class so, hopefully, the music will follow to suit. By the time you read this I will be occupied with the complexities of fitting music to picture; and as the project must be completed in December it looks as though I shall have little time for anything else.

More news:- I have been approached to play the part of AUSTIN OSMAN SPARE in a dramatized documentary film about his life and work. Filming should start early next year and, providing other commitments allow, I will at last, have the chance to portray one of my heroes. I attended the opening of a recent exhibition of Spare's work in London at the Morley Gallery and it proved a great inspiration. Spare as some of you may know, was both a gifted artist and an adept with a unique approach to magical practice and theory. His works have been rarely seen since his death in 1956 but are well worth searching out. If you are curious to know more, check out 'The Collected Works Of Austin Osman Spare' published by The Sorcerer's Apprentice Press.

Sometime next year I hope to release an album of new songs as opposed to instrumentals. Whether it will be on Cocteau or a 'major' label remains to be seen Pop Music is such a fickle creature. Definitely in the pipeline is another ORCHESTRA ARCANA album which I would like to release in the New Year. All the material has already been recorded, it merely requires assembly. Much of this material is of a lighter nature than the 'Iconography' album but no less entertaining. There is so much music waiting for release in the Echo Observatory that I am tempted to start a subscription service of highly limited edition, hand numbered and signed albums to those who are willing to pay a little bit more for records that would be exclusive to their subscriptions. What do you think ? Write and let me know if it seems worthwhile, I'll give it a shot. It's also about time I put a new book of photography together, I captured some nice images on my visit to the South Of France earlier this year (Some of which are used on the cover of 'Chance Encounters In The Garden Of Lights' album and in this ABM). One of the trip's more memorable moments was a visit to the little church of Eze. On entering I beheld the gloriously unexpected sight of a dozen evening suited cellists and violinists performing modern French classical music to an enraptured audience, The Mediterranean sun streamed through ancient stained glass windows and the moment was filled with exquisite poetry. There is an elegance in the French soul that never fails to touch my heart no matter how often I visit that country.

Meanwhile as England prepares itself for the worst of winter, I have to contemplate more mundane matters how to pay the electricity bill and clothe the kids, you know the kind of thing still, even dreamers can dream Much love to you all BILL

Welcome to what will prove to be the first and last ABM of 1987. By default the first and last I hasten to add, but then what's new ? Thank you for all your steady stream of letters, sorry if sometimes we fall behind in replying. We are hoping to get a phone line soon on which we can put an answer phone to give you an easy update. Otherwise where appropriate, I hope you got the postcard updates on TV broadcasts featuring Bill's work. For obvious reasons these were not sent to you people overseas.

Apologies to those of you who got ABM 13 with a page missing and the rest in the wrong order. We have now managed to get them reprinted (the printers changed hands and they lost the plates) If you still have an incorrect copy write and let us know. Your membership is valid for the next two issues of ABM so you do not have to worry about that - however long they take.

1987 started with the showing on Channel 4 in England (not Wales, Scotland or Ireland I am told - is this true ?) of MAP OF DREAMS .

The four fifteen minute programmes were commissioned by Andy Park, then of Channel 4 and later BBC Scotland, he had been introduced to Bill by a mutual acquaintance and was very taken with Bill and his work. All the music for the programmes was composed specially by Bill and a company called After Image was responsible for putting it together. They arranged all the sets, the dancers and the filming. This was after many, many meetings and discussions between them and Bill. The final programmes were not however as originally conceived by Bill - when first talked about Bill was to be responsible for the whole package and he was to be given the facilities to do whatever he wished, and make whatever programmes he wanted. Then Andy Park left Channel 4 and things got changed around a fair bit to satisfy the desires of the new commissioning editor. This just serves to highlight the things that can stop you along the way from doing things as you like it done.

The programmes are being sold overseas by The British Arts Council but they are not at all good at telling us what countries they have done licensing deals for - this means we cannot give some of you any news at all of when they will be shown on a TV near you.

I can tell you however that it is unlikely to turn up on a legal video as the powers that be did not obtain all the necessary contractual clearances for such a release. Seems daft to me but then again it costs them more money up front to do all that. I guess they were economizing. So I suggest if you have not yet seen MAP OF DREAMS in all its glory, that you beg, steal or borrow a private copy. The soundtrack album came out on Cocteau (JC 19) and we have recently managed to release it on Compact Disc (JCCD 19) continuing our policy of trying to put as much as we think viable onto this medium - the quality is wonderful and perfectly suits Bill's ability to mix everything digitally. This means the end of 50% of the tape hiss, no more clicks or pops on the quiet bits.

Around this period of '87, Bill's contract with CBS New York came to a mutual end. As you will have gathered, things were not working out too well (good British understatement eh ?). For you discographers CBS released a 12" version of "Contemplation" on Portrait (RAS 2399). Containing an edited version at 3:10 and a 5:34 version. The final straw for me was a remix of "Because Of You" that CBS had Justin Strauss and Murray Elias do (RAS 02568 / RAS 2574). After hectoring Bill to 'play more guitar' and choosing all the noisier songs - they took the guitar off on all the remixes. Amazing.

There were two different 12" versions pressed. The Radio version RAS 02568 has "Because Of You Popstand Remix" at 7:37 the LP version and a radio remix edit 5:08; whilst the club version RAS 2574 has "Because Of You Nailed To The Club Version"7:40, "B.O.Y. Dubbed To The Drums Version" 6:06 and "B.O.Y Popstand Remix" 7:37 We list them for your knowledge and not necessarily for your recommendation. What ever became of the agreed Compact Disc release we have no idea. They agreed the release, we have never seen it in the shops or received any copies, they must have changed their minds yet again.

CBS UK released a hard to find mini LP (BN 1) called "Living For The Spangled Moment" with almost all the tracks from the Holy Ghost sessions, some of which were on the US release plus the addition of two new instrumental tail pieces. We still have a few in the warehouse if you did not get it.

Final track listing was:

Heart And Soul
Living For The Spangled Moment
Feast Of Lanterns
Illusions Of You
Word For Word
Finks & Stooges Of The Spirit
Nightbirds.

EMI's library music division released an album of Bill's music entitled "Chameleon" (TIM 1050). The sleeve features the drawing by Bill that was the centre spread in ABM 13, but reproduced in full colour.

Library Music is a complicated thing to explain, as it is a quirk of the British broadcasting rules. Library music operations supply albums or CDs to the Film, TV, Radio Stations and Advertising Companies for them to use, at a cost, as the background music when 'the sun sinks below the horizon' or 'the horse rides through the lush green valley'. I am sure you know the sort of thing I mean. It is the often unnoticed background music, or sometimes it is a two minute piece of slow motion action.

The producers can either use the music they want from a commercially released record and try and get clearance from both the music publisher and the record company, or they can use these special library music recordings and just pay for every 30 seconds they use. It is a sort of off the peg way for them to buy just exactly what they need for their programmes and films.

Watch out for some of "The Summer Of God's Piano" on a Clive James programme soon and pieces from "Das Kabinett" on LWT and Central TV . I am sure there are also lots of others we do not know about as well.

And the answer is Yes to the person who wanted to know if it was Bill who did the music for a TV ad for Goblin Cleaners/Teasmaids.

Back to "Chameleon" however, this is not available in your shops. All the titles were changed for the release from their original state. I guess the company thought they were too hard for the poor harassed producer to understand. On some of the pieces Bill was also asked to put a final chord rather than a fade-out. These people have their own way they like things to be done. The music however remains very Bill. To irritate some of you even more I am bound to say Bill will be doing some more of these albums soon and they will still not be in the shops - sorry.

Next came BROND produced by a Scottish production company again for Channel 4 TV It is a three part thriller, each episode one hour in length and it was shown in May. It starred newcomer John Hannah and Stratford Johns who was best known for Barlow, Softly Softly and Z Cars. The production was directed by Michael Cayton-Jones in his first full length production. Based on the best-seller by Frederic Lindsay BROND was filmed entirely in and around Glasgow. Stratford Johns explains Brond "He is amoral, with his own strict code. He is soft-spoken and at times humorous, and at the same time he is omnipotent and ruthless in his power over the lives and deaths of those who threaten his cause. He is the quintessence both of good and evil - depending on which side you are on".

Again the commission for the music came via Andy Park who was acting as musical coordinator. His brief was Opera and Hard Electronic Music. It was he who introduced Bill to Daryl Runswick who writes and performs Avant Garde choral work with his quintet ELECTRIC PHOENIX. Daryl who has scored various film work before, wrote all the vocal parts.

Bill and Daryl timed all the parts of the programmes and decided what length and what kind of pieces were needed for each part of the programme. Then Bill retreated to the Echo Observatory and recorded all the music beds - the basic backing tracks. The 16 separate tracks of backing tracks were then 'bounced' onto 24 track tape at The Angel Studios in Islington, London. The vocals were then added and all the pieces mixed by Bill and Daryl.

Although CBS UK wanted to release the theme, time was against us and we rushed it out on Cocteau (COQT 21) in about 4 days flat under the name SCALA. it got to 125 in the national charts despite no play at all by the BBC (it being a Channel 4 programme). A point worth noting is that we did press 400 seven inch copies of "Wiping A Tear From The All Seeing Eye" for radio with that track on both sides. A collectors item in the making there I suspect.

BROND was a very pleasurable experience to work on and has yielded Bill various further leads; probably the theme tune to a new series in production called EUROCOPS and Bill's first feature film DREAM DEMON which he is currently hard at work on. More about that else where.

Next Bill played on Cabaret Voltaire's album "Code" (Parlaphone PCS 7312) and the two singles taken from it "Don't Argue" and "Here To Go". He even played guitar for them on one of their videos.

Due to come out in the Autumn was the LP re-issue of CHIMERA, but this has been delayed to '88. Although we have put out the two mini albums CHIMERA and SAVAGE GESTURES FOR CHARMS SAKE on a single CD (JCCD 17).