S9E478 - Bill Nelson 'Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam' with Kevin Chanel
This week's guest, record/hot sauce purveyor Kevin Chanel (Grooves Inspiralled Vinyl, El Enojado Hot Sauce), brings us singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer, painter, video artist, writer and experimental musician Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe) and his 1981 solo release 'Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam'. Originally recorded in 1979 as an intended follow up album to his 'Bill Nelson's Red Noise' project, EMI declined to release the recordings and the material remained unreleased until Bill licensed the original stereo mixes of the album to Mercury Records, who issued the album in the Spring of 1981. Already far ahead of the 80s New Wave curve, it's a futuristic, forward-looking art-pop gem of a record!
Songs discussed in this episode: Do You Dream In Colour - Bill Nelson & The Gentlemen Rocketeers (Live at Metropolis Studios, London); Steamboat Stomp - Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers; Hey Hey - Big Bill Broonzy; Near East - Bill Nelson; Don't Touch Me (I'm Electric) - Bill Nelson's Red Noise; Ships In The Night - Be Bop Deluxe; Stay Young - Bill Nelson's Red Noise; Acceleration, Banal - Bill Nelson; Candy-O - The Cars; Maid In Heaven - Be Bop Deluxe; Living In My Limousine, Vertical Games - Bill Nelson; Underpass - John Foxx; Disposable, False Alarms - Bill Nelson; Charade - Skids; Decline And Fall, Life Runs Out Like Sand, A Kind Of Loving, Do You Dream In Colour - Bill Nelson; Do You Dream In Colour - Cate Le Bon ft. Parquet Courts (Live); U.H.F. - Bill Nelson; Elephant Talk - King Crimson; Youth Of Nation On Fire, Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam, Instantly Yours - Bill Nelson; Death Riff U.S.A. - Ghetto Scheist; Lonesome Cowboy Bill (Velvet Underground cover) - Bill Nelson & the Roy Rodgers Rocketeers
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Born in San Diego, CA. Grew up in National City and Chula Vista (neighborhoods of SD). Turned onto rock (Cooper, Bowie, Sabbath, etc., then punk rock) as it was happening. Started playing in groups in 1980, urged by a love of The Saints, Ramones, Metal Box, XTC, Gang Of Four and other groups.
1982 joined The Front and took on the management of Scheming Intelligentsia Records (with which we released our 2nd album - "Man You Gotta Move"), which I maintained until 1996, having released around 40 titles.
Moved to SF at that time, where I went corporate, got married in 99, had a kid in 2006. In that time started (and ended) ChinMusic! Magazine - a RnR/baseball zine. 2003 started Punk Rock Confidential magazine with my wife Sunny, and Fat Mike of NOFX. After a few years that died. In 2016 we inherited Grooves Inspiralled Vinyl from Sunny's late father Ray Andersen, which we still run. In 2019 I began El Enojado Hot Sauce, now up to 12 flavors.
Currently I also play bass for The Zeros, and sing for a Saints tribute band - Kid Galahad And The Eternals.