Be Bop Deluxe

thumb|320px|right|Maid In Heaven (Old Grey Whistle Test 1975)
Be-Bop Deluxe were an English progressive rock band who achieved critical acclaim and moderate commercial success during the mid to late 1970s. The band was founded in Wakefield, 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 ... (read more at Wikipedia)
== Links To Peel ==
Peel, who had played tracks from Bill Nelson's 1972 solo LP 'Northern Dream', was a strong supporter of Be-Bop Deluxe, as is shown by the fact that he booked them for six sessions. On 27 November 1973, when their first session was braodcast, he was full of praise for them; "It's amazing really, when you think about it, that a band as good as that, doesn't have a recording contract, when you think of some of the hideous people, that are busy working on their fifth and sixth LP" 
They were one of his favourite bands of the period and he mentioned them often, both on air and in his journalism, including a Sounds feature at the end of 1974 when he chose them as Best New Band of the year. (see John Peel Section, and External Links below for other examples). Later, when their work was reissued on CD, he revisited it, the last known play of a track by the band being in July 2002.
Peel's voice was sampled on the track 'Modern Music' from their 1976 self titled album.
== Festive Fifty Entries ==
None
== Sessions ==
*Six sessions. Sessions #1, #2 released officially on Axe Victim (3xCD+1DVD box, Esoteric, 2020); #2, #3, #4 and #6 on Tramcar To Tomorrow (Hux, 1998); #2, #3, #5, and #6 on At the BBC 1974–1978 (Parlophone, 2013); #4 on Sunburst Finish 3×CD box set reissue (Esoteric, 2018); #6 on Drastic Plastic 4CD/2DVD Box Set (Cherry Red, 2021).
1. Recorded: 1973-11-06. First broadcast: 27 November 1973. Repeated: 15 January 1974
*Axe Victim / Bluesy Ruby / Tomorrow The World
2. Recorded: 1974-05-09. First broadcast: 23 May 1974. Repeated: 20 June 1974
*Third Floor Heaven / Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape / Mill Street Junction / Fifteenth Of July (Invisibles)
3. Recorded: 1975-03-11. First broadcast: 17 March 1975. Repeated: 28 April 1975
*Maid In Heaven / Stage Whispers / Sister Seagull / Lights
4. Recorded: 1976-02-10. First broadcast: 23 February 1976. Repeated: 21 April 1976, 27 December 1976
*Blazing Apostles / Crying To The Sky / Peace Of Mind
5. Recorded: 1977-01-17. First broadcast: 25 January 1977. Repeated: 06 April 1977
*Mill Street Junction / Adventures In A Yorkshire Landscape / Still Shining
6. Recorded: 1978-01-30. First broadcast: 06 February 1978. Repeated: 02 March 1978, 27 March 1979.
*Superenigmatix / Panic In The World / Possession / Love In Flames
== Other Shows Played ==
The information below is incomplete and compiled only from the database of this site. Please add further information if known).
;1970s
*19 July 1973: Jets At Dawn (single b-side 'Teenage Archangel') Smile
*24 July 1973: Teenage Archangel (single) Smile
*24 July 1973: Jets At Dawn (single b-side 'Teenage Archangel') Smile
*30 January 1975: Between The Worlds (7") Harvest HAR 5091
*06 June 1974: Jet Silver (7" - Jet Silver / Third Floor Heaven) Harvest
*04 July 1974: unknown (sourced from David Cavanagh's Good Night & Good Riddance book)
*10 May 1975: Between The Worlds
*19 December 1975: Maid In Heaven (7 inch) Harvest
*01 January 1976: Fair Exchange / Heavenly Homes / Ships In The Night / Crying To The Sky / Sleep That Burns (album - Sunburst Finish) Harvest SHSP 4053
*02 January 1976: Beauty Secrets / Life In The Air Age / Like An Old Blues / Crystal Gazing / Blazing Apostles (album - Sunburst Finish) Harvest SHSP 4053
*28 July 1976: Kiss Of Light (7" - Kiss Of Light / Shine) Harvest
*24 August 1976: Four unknown tracks from (album - Modern Music) Harvest SHSP 4058
*31 August 1976: Orphans Of Babylon (album - Modern Music) Harvest SHSP 4058
*03 September 1976: Twilight Capers(album - Modern Music) Harvest SHSP 4058
*07 September 1976: Modern Music(album - Modern Music) Harvest SHSP 4058
*01 November 1976: Blazing Apostles (7" EP - Hot Valves) Harvest HAR 5117
*01 November 1976: Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus (7" EP - Hot Valves) Harvest HAR 5117
*John Peel 70s Mixtape 1A: Shine (LP - Live! In The Air Age) Harvest
*John Peel's 70's Mixtape 3B: Mill Street Junction (LP - Live! In The Air Age) Harvest
*05 October 1977: Maid In Heaven (LP - Futurama) Harvest
*04 January 1978: Panic In The World (7") Harvest
*19 January 1978: Dangerous Stranger (album - Drastic Plastic) Harvest SHSP 4091
*19 January 1978: Superenigmatix (album - Drastic Plastic) Harvest SHSP 4091
*19 January 1978: Visions Of Endless Hopes (album - Drastic Plastic) Harvest SHSP 4091
*19 January 1978: Possession (album - Drastic Plastic) Harvest SHSP 4091
*19 January 1978: Islands Of The Dead (album - Drastic Plastic) Harvest SHSP 4091
*01 March 1978: Possession (album - Drastic Plastic) Harvest SHSP 4091
*12 April 1978: Surreal Estate (album - Drastic Plastic) Harvest SHSP 4091
*18 May 1978: Electrical Language (7") Harvest HAR 5158
*21 November 1978: Blue As A Jewel (LP - The Best Of And The Rest Of)
*02 January 1979: Quest For The Harvest Of The Stars (LP - The Best Of And The Rest Of) Harvest
;1980s
*03 June 1980: Teenage Archangel (7 inch) Smile
*02 February 1981: Axe Victim (album - Axe Victim) Harvest SHVL 813
*11 May 1981: Jet Silver And The Dolls Of Venus (Album, Comp.: The Singles A's & B's) (Harvest Heritage)
*12 May 1981: Between The Worlds (LP - Singles) Harvest
*13 May 1981: Maid In Heaven (LP - Singles A's & B's) Harvest
*14 May 1981: Ships In The Night (LP - Singles A's & B's) Harvest
*18 May 1981: Kiss Of Light (LP - Singles As and Bs) Harvest
*19 May 1981: Japan (single) Harvest
*19 May 1981: Maid In Heaven (Peel Session) (LP - Tramcar To Tomorrow) Hux
*21 May 1981: Electric Landscape (LP – Singles A's & B's) Harvest
*Karl's Tape March April 1983: Maid In Heaven
;1990s
* August 1998 (FSK): Sister Seagull (CD - Tramcar To Tomorrow) Hux
*11 August 1998: Third Floor Heaven (CD - Tramcar To Tomorrow (BBC Sessions)) Hux
*18 August 1998: Maid In Heaven (Peel Session) (LP - Tramcar To Tomorrow) Hux
*25 August 1998: Sister Seagull (CD - Tramcar To Tomorrow) Hux
*03 September 1998: Blazing Apostles (CD - Tramcar To Tomorrow) EMI
*06 September 1998 (BFBS): 15th Of July (Invisibles) (CD-Tramcar To Tomorrow) Hux
*24 September 1998: Crying To The Sky (CD - Tramcar To Tomorrow (BBC Sessions)) Hux
*04 November 1998: Sister Seagull (CD-Tramcar To Tomorrow) Hux
;2000s
*12 June 2002: Third Floor Heaven (LP - Tremulous Antenna) Hux
*20 June 2002 (Radio Eins): Third Floor Heaven (album - Tremulous Antenna) Hux
*04 July 2002 (Radio Eins): Third Floor Heaven (album - Tremulous Antenna) Hux
== See Also ==
*1974 Top Ten Albums
*1975 Top Thirty Singles
*Album Plays
*John Peel Section
*Singles Reviews
*Sounds Playlist
* Sounds
== External Links ==
*Wikipedia: Be Bop Deluxe
*Bill Nelson official site
*Permanent Flame
Category:Artists