Dear Friend,
Welcome to the first issue of 'Nelsonian Navigator', the journal of the Bill Nelson Information Service.
Those of you who used to subscribe to 'Acquitted by Mirrors' may have wondered why information has been so scarce these last few years... Well, it's a long story and it is impossible to relate here. However, I CAN say that various business management problems have led to radical changes in both my career and my personal life.
One of my central concerns has been to bring litigation to bear on my
ex-manager in an attempt to open up accounts which had previously been
hidden. This process is ongoing and I am hoping to bring the matter
to court for trial in October of this year.
.A sad consequence of the pressures caused by the above was the breakdown
of my marriage 'in 1991 and subsequent divorce in 1992 . It is difficult
to elaborate elaborate than this, and I hope you will understand why .
Meanwhile, I have been learning to roll with the punches and have been rebuilding, brick by brick, a new base of operations. The 'Nelsonian Navigator' will, I hope, be a line of communication between us so that you will be more aware in future of new developments and new projects as they happen .
I am very grateful to Richard, who volunteered to put the 'Navigator' together in his spare time. It is he who you should thank for this first issue that you now hold in your hands . Richard is new to this kind of thing, but I'm sure his dedicated efforts will provide you with a magazine that is worth reading. I myself will try and contribute an editorial for each issue and supply as much information as is at my disposal. Hopefully, this will dispel some of the clouds that have gathered of late .
On a more positive note, a recent liaison with 'Voiceprint/Resurgence records has given birth to two upcoming projects . The first is a two-volume boxed-set of previously unreleased material, all of which are 'Home-studio' recordings . These are vocal/guitar/drums orientated recordings from my personal archives and there will be eight albums in total, one box of four albums per volume. The first volume has been edited and assembled and now awaits the completion of artwork for which I am now fully occupied.
The second project begins at the end of August when I begin work on a four week recording project to create an album of new songs . The album will be called 'After the Satellite Sings' and it will be the first 24-track 'proper' studio recording of vocal material I've made since the mid-80's . I'm very much looking forward to this and, if all goes to plan, it will be a further pushing back of the boundaries. Although the project is still 'low-budget', it's very much 'high-attitude' . . . I cant wait to start !
Before closing I want you to know that Richard and myself will be pleased to receive all your letters and 'in doing so get some all-important feedback which will help us improve each issue of the 'Nelsonian Navigator'. Please write in with any questions or suggestions you may have. Bear in mind that the magazine is produced with very limited resources but we will endeavour to do the best we can within these constraints .
Finally, I would like to say a heartfelt 'Thank-you' to all of you who have continued to keep the faith all through the years . Your support and encouragement makes everything worthwhile.
I'm glad you're there!!
Much Love, Bill Nelson. July 1995.
Encyclopedia Nelsonica
An ongoing collection of Bill Nelson minutiae, or notes for a future autobiography -
BORN: 18th December 1948.
STAR SIGN: Sagittarius.
FATHER: Walter Nelson. (Now Deceased).
MOTHER: Jean Nelson.
BROTHER: Ian Walter Nelson.
CHILDREN: Julia Tuesday Nelson. (24 years old), Elle Gabrielle Nelson.
(16 years old), Elliot Walter Bevis Nelson. (14 years old).
EDUCATION:
The Collegiate School, (Wakefield Academy) Yorkshire.
The Wakefield Tutorial School, Wakefield, Yorkshire.
Saint John's Junior School, Wakefield, Yorkshire.
Ings Road Secondary Modem School, Wakefield, Yorkshire.
Wakefield College of Arts and Crafts.
OCCUPATION BEFORE MUSIC:
Local Government officer, West Riding county supplies department.
FIRST PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RECORDING:
An album called, 'A to Austr' on the Holy Ground label. This
was a collaboration with a Wakefield musicians collective in the late 60's
early 70's .
SECOND AVAILABLE RECORDING:
'Astral Navigations', which was the follow-up to the album above .
THIRD AVAILABLE RECORDING:
'Northern Dream' an album of early songs released on the 'Smile' record
label .
FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE:
A School Christmas concert at Ings Road secondary modern as half of
a guitar-duo with Ian Parkin. He later became rhythm guitarist in
first line-up of Be Bop Deluxe.
FIRST BE BOP DELUXE RECORDING:
A single, 'Teenage Archangel'/Jets at Dawn' on the Smile record label.
(Now a Rarity).
FIRST GUITAR: My brothers toy plastic 'Elvis Presley' guitar.
SECOND GUITAR: A second-hand 'Zenith' cello-bodied guitar. It was bought by my father.
FIRST ELECTRIC GUITAR:
An 'Antoria' solid body with three pick-ups which was again bought
by my father. This time as a Christmas present.
FIRST GUITAR AMPLIFIER: A 'Rossetti' 'lucky Seven' in green and cream. (Tasty!!) .
SECOND GUITAR AMPLIFIER: A Vox AC 30 Top boost twin.
FIRST BANDS:
The Strangers, The Cosmonauts, (Both School Bands), The Teenagers,
Group 66, The Gibson Four, Purple Tangerine Snowflake, Axis, Global Village,
Buffalo Canvas, Flagship, and Gentle Revolution.
FIRST MUSICAL RECOLLECTIONS:
My father playing alto-saxophone in his own dance band at the 'Unity
Hall' 'in Wakefield in the early 50's .
FIRST SINGLE BOUGHT:
'Because They're Young' by American guitarist Duane Eddy on London
records.
FIRST INFLUENTIAL CONCERT ATTENDED:
A Rock-and-Roll show featuring various artists at the 'Playhouse' cinema
in Wakefield in the early 60's, (l think!!). The headline act were
The Shadows who were my favourite band at the time . The Earth moved for
me .
EARLIEST MOVIE RECOLLECTIONS:
Disney's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea', 'Singing in the Rain' and
'The Long, Long Trailer' (Featuring Lucille Ball) .
FIRST LOVES:
Nomby train sets, Dinky toys, English comic papers, (Eagle Dandy, Beano,
Topper, Beezer, Hotspur, Lion, TV Comic, 'Radio fun, Film Fun, Wizard,
Rover and The Rocket. (If anyone can turn up a copy of the last title,
please let me know!), Pedal cars, Tricycles, Ray Guns, Meccano Sets, Model
Kits, Crayons, Paints and Plasticine.
EARLY HEROES:
'Dan Dare', 'Jack Flash', 'General Jumbo', 'Marvelman', and 'Peter
Pan'.
FIRST HOLIDAY:
At Saint Leonards, near Skegness in a Caravan which was owned by a
friend of my parents . (Early 50's).
MOST NOSTALGIC CHILDHOOD MEMORY:
My father's shed in the back of the garden of my parents home in Eastmoor,
Wakefield, where dad built Radios and our first TV set, (Again, early 50's)
The shed smelled of electricity and solder like a mad scientists laboratory.
My mother carried me across the garden and into the Cathode-Ray gloom of
his workshop every evening to say goodnight to him. I was wide-eyed
at the visions he was always conjuring up with what seemed, to me, nothing
more than wire, fire, and glass . And to this day, I still don't understand
how he did it.
HAPPIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY:
Oh, so many. But Christmas eves and Christmas mornings were always
fabulous and magical.
FIRST DANCE HALL EXPERIENCE:
'The Twist' by Chubby Checker, 'Let there be drums' by Sandy Nelson,
'Roadrunner' by Junior Walker, 'The Locomotion' by Little Eva, and 'Can't
you hear my Heartbeat' by Goldie and the Gingerbreads . I heard all of
these at the 'Mecca' in Wakefield.
FIRST CAR:
Austin A30 Saloon. Cost L40.
BEST CAR MY DAD EVER OWNED:
A 1960's blue Ford Zodiac, with fins and tons of chrome. Cool,cool,cool!!!
.
WHEN HE WAS A BOY HE WANTED TO BE:
A Pilot of a Jet plane or a Spaceman or failing that, a train driver.
(Steam of course
to be continued .............................
From then ... Till Now.
Its been a while since 'Aquitted by Mirrors' the old fan-club, so I will attempt to put you all up to date with what Bill has been up to the last few years .
Despite the problems, Bill has managed to keep himself busy both on his own projects and other peoples. For many, including me, how good it is to see that the sheer creativity has never waned.
Bill tells all of the last few years,
"The most major thing over the past few years would have to be the 'Channel Light Vessel' album 'Automatic'. It was done at Peter Gabriel's studio near Bath. It was a five way collaboration between myself, Roger Eno, Kate St John, Laraaji, and Mayumi Tachibana. This was the idea of the record company who had seen that line perform with Roger Eno. Roger had released 'The Familiar', and we were brought together to put the music together for live performance . It the end of each show, we would improvise a few numbers and it was these improvisations that caught the ear of Polydor Japan who were the record company out there who did Roger Eno's solo album. So the suggestion was to put all together again, in the studio, to record new songs .
"So we got together in August 1992 and improvised a hole series of new music . It was then given to me to mix and to add vocals on certain tracks . That's really how 'Channel Light Vessel' came into being. Later, while I was still in Japan, I also recorded an album with a Japanese girl called Yumico Morioka who is a friend of mine. She is a Composer and a Keyboard player and she had an ongoing project called 'Culture Mix' and I produced the first 'Culture Mix' album. We did a second as a collaboration here in Yorkshire but it hasn't been released yet It soon, I hope, will be released in this country on 'Voiceprint' Records .
"I also worked with another Japanese artist called Joe Hisaishi . He's also a Japanese Composer and I did some lyrics and singing on his album, and I think a bit of guitar also .
"Another release was the 'Radioland' Be Bop Deluxe In Concert CD, which was on the 'Windsong' Label. It came out last year, and there are also plans for a forthcoming Be Bop Deluxe album on EMI. One album is going to be a compilation of already released Be Bop tracks, and the other in the set is going to be an album of out-takes and backing tracks . Basically, they are just things that are left, or were left, in the studio . I have to sort them out from the tapes to the final release .
"Looking ahead again a little, the box-set of course which will be released on 'Voiceprint' records . Its all unreleased home studio stuff from 1988 to 1992 . Its envisaged that the box will have four Cd's, a book and the same format will be followed for the Volume Two of 'My Secret Studio' which will contain a similar amount of tracks.
"But the one I'm looking forward to in the future is the 24-track studio recording of new songs, which will be called 'After The Satellite Sings' and will be released again through 'Voiceprint Records. Like 'Practically Wired', it will be made as we do it in the studio, - and the sessions begin at the start of August running for a period of four weeks . I have so many new ideas to try musically, and I want to experiment as much as possible with the record. It's one I'm particularly looking forward to".
"I know a lot of letters state the wish to see me perfoming live, and we have been looking into it. 'All Saints Records' wanted me to tour, but its all down to cost. I would have to start a band from scratch, book time for rehearsals, equipment, paying the musicians, and the obvious things like transport and Hotel fees . It came to a lot of money, so at the moment no. But in future, I really hope to tour"
"Thinking about it, I would love to do some live work, but only on the same grounds as before. I would want the shows to be polished, well rehearsed, and sharp. I would want people to go away ecstatic, rather than disappointed".
"I want to broaden my audience. I want access to TV, radio, these video networks . Even the 'Late show' with Jools Holland!!"
"One thing I would love to do, maybe through the 'Nelsonian Navigator', would be to offer to all those who like my music a compilation video of things like 'Do you dream in Colour', 'Flaming Desire' and also the Channel Light Vessel 'Testify' video. But this is all in the future. But having said that, I hope all of the things above do happen".
Bill Nelson, July 1995.
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