Be Bop Deluxe
Encyclopedia
Be-Bop Deluxe were an English progressive rock
band who achieved critical acclaim and moderate commercial success during the mid to late 1970s.
, Yorkshire
, England
, by Bill Nelson
in 1972. 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
, 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
, 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.
was always the principal songwriter for the band. He also played lead guitar
and sang lead vocals on all but one song. The original Be-Bop Deluxe line-up was as follows:
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:
However, the line-up did not last long, and only Nelson and Fox remained in the band. Shortly afterwards they added:
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
, brother of Bill, was one of the members of the new line-up, but the reformation came to nothing.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band who achieved critical acclaim and moderate commercial success during the mid to late 1970s.
History
Be-Bop Deluxe was founded in WakefieldWakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, by Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson (musician)
Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
in 1972. They never played bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
music, but instead came out of the blues-based British rock
British rock
British rock describes a wide variety of forms of music made in the United Kingdom. Since around 1964, with the "British Invasion" of the United States spearheaded by The Beatles, British rock music has had a considerable impact on the development of American music and rock music across the...
scene of the late 1960s. At first they were compared to the more successful David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, 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
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator
Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
and Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
. The band's sound emerged as a mixture of glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
, prog rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and straightforward rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. Science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
imagery (e.g. robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
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
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
(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
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
'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
Bill Nelson's Red Noise
Bill Nelson's Red Noise, or called simply Red Noise, was a "synthpop/new-wave" band, formed by Bill Nelson , his brother Ian , Andy Clark , Rick Ford and Steve Peer , around 1978....
, 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 NelsonBill Nelson (musician)
Bill Nelson is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter and experimental musician...
was always the principal songwriter for the band. He also played lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and sang lead vocals on all but one song. The original Be-Bop Deluxe line-up was as follows:
- Ian ParkinIan ParkinIan Parkin was a musician who played rhythm guitar with the first incarnation of Bill Nelson's Be-Bop Deluxe....
: RhythmRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and Acoustic Guitar. - Robert Bryan: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Backing Vocals. - Nicholas Chatterton-Dew: Drums and PercussionDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
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:
- Paul JeffreysPaul JeffreysPaul Avron Jeffreys was an English rock musician and bassist. Jeffreys played bass on the first two albums of Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and later worked with a number of British bands, including Be-Bop Deluxe, Warm Jets and Electric Eels...
: bass guitar. Formerly with Cockney Rebel. - Milton Reame-James: keyboards. Formerly with Cockney Rebel. Now with Banana Rebel.
- Simon FoxSimon FoxSimon Andrew David Fox is a drummer who played in different rock bands during the 1970s and the 1980s, most notably the progressive rock group Be-Bop Deluxe.His earliest band was Hackensack, during the 1970s...
: Drums and PercussionDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Later with Blazer Blazer.
However, the line-up did not last long, and only Nelson and Fox remained in the band. Shortly afterwards they added:
- Charlie TumahaiCharlie TumahaiCharles Turu Tumahai was a New Zealand singer, bass player and songwriter who was a member of several noted rock groups in New Zealand, Australia and the UK...
: BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Backing Vocals. He was added in late 1974, after extensive auditions. He recorded the Futurama album. - Andrew ClarkAndy Clark (musician)Andrew Clark is an English rock composer and performer who is best known for his work on keyboards and synthesizer in the 1970s, playing and recording alongside Mick Hutchinson, in Clark Hutchinson, alongside Jeff Beck with his involvement in Upp and on the album Wired, and alongside guitarist...
: KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. 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
Ian Nelson (musician)
Ian Walter Nelson was an English New Wave musician, and younger brother of Be-Bop Deluxe singer and guitarist Bill Nelson, whom he accompanied in different musical projects...
, brother of Bill, was one of the members of the new line-up, but the reformation came to nothing.
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) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#23 - "Kiss of Light" / "Shine" (1976)
- "Hot Valves EP" (1976) - UK #36
- "Japan" / "Futurist Manifesto" (1977)
- "Panic in the World" / "Blue as a Jewel" (1978)
- "Electrical Language / "Surreal Estate" (1978)
Studio albums
- Axe VictimAxe VictimAxe Victim is the debut album of art rock band Be-Bop Deluxe, released in June 1974. It was recorded in AIR London, Audio International Studios and C.B.S. Studios, all located in London, England....
(1974) - FuturamaFuturama (album)Futurama was the second album by the band Be-Bop Deluxe and released in 1975.After the line-up of Be-Bop Deluxe changed the band recorded the album with Bill Nelson , Charlie Tumahai , Simon Fox and Andrew Clark...
(1975) - Sunburst FinishSunburst Finish (album)Sunburst Finish is the third studio album by art rock band Be-Bop Deluxe, released in February 1976. It was recorded in Abbey Road Studios, London....
(1976) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#17 - Modern Music (1977) - UK #12
- Drastic PlasticDrastic PlasticDrastic Plastic is the last album of Art rock band Be-Bop Deluxe, released in February 1978. It was recorded in Chateau Saint Georges, Juan-les-Pins, in the south of France in the summer of 1977....
(1978) - UK #22 - Sound on Sound (1979) (as Bill Nelson's Red NoiseBill Nelson's Red NoiseBill Nelson's Red Noise, or called simply Red Noise, was a "synthpop/new-wave" band, formed by Bill Nelson , his brother Ian , Andy Clark , Rick Ford and Steve Peer , around 1978....
)
Live albums
- Live in the Air Age (1977) - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#10 - Radioland - BBC Radio One Live In Concert (1994)
- Tramcar to Tomorrow (1998)
- Tremulous Antenna (2002)
Compilation albums
- The Best Of and the Rest Of (1978)
- Singles A's & B's (1981)
- Bop To the Red Noise (1986) (mixture of BBD and Red Noise material)
- Raiding the Divine Archive (1987)
- Air Age Anthology (1997) (double CD)
- Very Best Of (1998)
- Postcards From the Future (2002)
- Futurist Manifesto (2011)
Solo albums
- 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.