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Biography
refimprove|date=April 2007Infobox musical artist | name = Be-Bop Deluxe| image =| caption =| image_size = | background = group_or_band| origin = Wakefield , Yorkshire , England | genre = Progressive rock Glam rock Protopunk New Wave music|New Wave | years_active = 1972–1974 1974–1978| label = Harvest Records|Harvest | associated_acts =| website =| current_members =| past_members = Bill Nelson (musician)|Bill Nelson Robert Bryan Ian Parkin Nicholas Chatterton-Dew Paul Jeffreys Milton Reame-James Simon Fox Charlie Tumahai Andy Clark (musician)|Andrew Clark Ian Nelson (musician)|Ian Nelson Be-Bop Deluxe were an English progressive rock band who achieved critical acclaim and moderate commercial success during the mid to late 1970s.
History
Be-Bop Deluxe was founded in Wakefield , Yorkshire , England , by Bill Nelson (musician)|Bill Nelson in 1972. They started off playing the West Yorkshire pub scene, with one regular venue being the Staging Post in Whinmoor, Leeds. They never played bebop music, but instead came out of the blues-based British rock scene of the late 1960s. At first they were compared to the more successful David Bowie , but Nelson never tried to copy Bowie, and appears to have disliked comparisons or being pigeon-holed. This artistic restlessness eventually led him to disband Be-Bop Deluxe altogether and pursue less commercial paths of expression.
Influences upon the band's music included David Bowie , Roxy Music , King Crimson , Pink Floyd , Van der Graaf Generator and Frank Zappa . The band's sound emerged as a mixture of glam rock , progressive rock|prog rock and straightforward rock and roll . Science fiction imagery (e.g. robot s) was common in Nelson's lyrics, along with the more traditional themes of love and the human condition (albeit often hidden beneath Nelson's quirky lyrical and musical metaphors).
Nelson was acclaimed as one of the finest guitarists in British rock at the time, and the music showed that, with his distinctive tones adorning most tracks. Stylistically, the songs took elements from progressive rock, glam rock (the band had flirted with make-up in the early days) and hard guitar rock. Ships in the Night was their most successful single in the UK and US.
Drastic Plastic , recorded under the influence of Punk rock|punk , New Wave music|new wave and David Bowie 's 'Berlin' albums was a substantial stylistic change from the progressive / guitar rock of the early Be-Bop Deluxe. Eager to embrace the changing musical landscape, Nelson dissolved Be-Bop Deluxe and immediately formed a new band, Bill Nelson's Red Noise , retaining Andy Clark on keyboards, and adding Nelson's brother Ian, who had previously contributed to Be-Bop Deluxe albums, on saxophone.
The only album to emerge from this lineup, Sound on Sound (1979) can be viewed as the last Be-Bop Deluxe album; the personnel changes were limited, it continued the themes of 'Drastic Plastic', and was the last rock band album founder Bill Nelson made before moving into the introspective solo projects that were to dominate his subsequent career.
Personnel
Bill Nelson (musician)|Bill Nelson was always the principal songwriter for the band. He also played lead guitar and sang singer|lead vocals on all but one song. The original Be-Bop Deluxe line-up was as follows:
Ian Parkin : rhythm guitar|Rhythm and Steel-string guitar|Acoustic Guitar .
Robert Bryan: bass guitar|Bass and Backing Vocals.
Nicholas Chatterton-Dew: drum kit|Drums and Percussion
That line-up only lasted for one album, Axe Victim (1974), and a short tour. Nelson disbanded the group and reformed with various musicians, finally settling on:
Milton Reame-James: keyboards. Formerly with Cockney Rebel . Now with Banana Rebel. http://www.bananarebel.com/milton.htm Banana Rebel: Milton Reame-James
Simon Fox : drum kit|Drums and Percussion . Later with Blazer Blazer. http://nwobhm.info/nwobhm/index.php? option=com_content& task=view& id=296& Itemid=42 nwobhm.info
However, the line-up did not last long, and only Nelson and Fox remained in the band. Shortly afterwards they added:
Charlie Tumahai : bass guitar|Bass and Backing Vocals. He was added in late 1974, after extensive auditions. He recorded the Futurama album.
Andy Clark (musician)|Andrew Clark : Keyboard instrument|Keyboards . He originally was a guest keyboardist for the Futurama tour, but joined shortly afterwards to record the remaining albums.
The album Futurama was recorded with Nelson, Fox and Tumahai; Clark was added for the tour. This is the lineup that recorded Sunburst Finish (February 1976), Modern Music (September 1976) and Drastic Plastic (February 1978).
When Be-Bop Deluxe was planning to reunite in the 1990s, Ian Nelson (musician)|Ian Nelson , brother of Bill, was one of the members of the new line-up, but the reformation came to nothing.
Discography
Singles
"Jet Silver and the Dolls Of Venus" / "Third Floor Heaven" (1974)
"Between the Worlds" / "Lights" (1975)
"Maid in Heaven" / "Sister Seagull" (1975)
"Ships in the Night" / "Crying to the Sky" (1976) - UK Singles Chart|UK #23& Albums">cite book
| first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 45
Bill Nelson, Northern Dream (1971). Bill Nelson released this solo album prior to Be-Bop Deluxe.
Bill Nelson, Luminous (1991). Includes material originally written by Nelson for a possible Be-Bop Deluxe reunion.
Futurist Manifesto
In 2011 EMI upgraded the Be Bop Deluxe catalog remastered by Peter Mew featuring all of the band's original albums. EMI and Bill Nelson chose to include all of the band's albums, single edits and b-sides as part of this release with the exception of the Smile independently released single "Teenage Archangel"/"Jets At Dawn" as part of this set. Although Nelson did not supervise the release he gave final approval on the remasters and agreed to provide a disc of rarities to help sell the set if EMI paid him royalties on the release.
The fifth disc in the "Futurist Manifesto" boxed set included the following previously unreleased tracks: # The Saxophonist Demo 3:52 # Visions of Endless Hopes Demo 2:20 # Blueas a Jewel Demo 5:12 # Speed of the Wind Demo 4:27 # Possession Rough Mix 2:37 # Maid In HeavenTop of the Pops Backing Track 2:30 # The Modern Music Suite Live 11:53 # Forbidden Lovers Live 4:41 # Down on Terminal Street Live 10:32 # Swan Song Live 6:46 # Heavenly Homes Flashman Remix http://billnelson.com
Trivia
Despite their commercial success, Bill Nelson stated that he had never received royalties for the earlier CD release of his back catalog on EMI until the 2011 CD reissue/remaster of his back catalog. http://www.jagshouse.com/music/billnelson.html Jagshouse.com
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.billnelson.com/usarchives/bebopdeluxe/discography.htm Discography at the Bill Nelson Permanent Flame site
Category:English progressive rock groups Category:Harvest Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 1972 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1978
