Top Of The Box » Synth Pop

Bill Nelson, Do You Dream In Colour?

Terry Lane — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:13:58 +0000

Bill Nelson is probably best known as a highly praised guitarist who started his career with 1970’s art rock group Be-Bop Deluxe. But at the height of their fame Nelson decided to disband Be-Bop Deluxe and change musical direction by forming Red Noise which erred more towards an electronic-etched rock music with singles such as Revolt into Style and Furniture Music.

In the early 1980’s Bill Nelson made a complete break with his past and by and large replaced is guitar with synthesizers and machines by releasing solo material on his own Cocteau label. But without major label backing Nelson’s intelligent electronic synth pop songs only grazed the top 40 even though he was producing his most commerical sounding music in this period.

Perfect pop singles like Banal, Living In My Limousine and Do You Dream In Colour I believe should have gained Bill Nelson the same level of commerical success as his contemporaries Gary Numan and David Sylvian but for whatever reason it wasn’t to be.

On March 26th 2011 ITV filmed a special concert in London with Bill Nelson. The ITV Legends DVD is now available to buy.

Soft Cell – Say Hello Wave Goodbye – Live 1982

John Williams — Fri, 28 May 2010 10:45:25 +0000

Here is a brilliant performance from Soft Cell taken from the Oxford Road Show in 1982.

Having conquered the UK charts in 1981 with their reworking of the classic 1964 Gloria Jones track Tainted Love, the song was a monster hitting number one in seventeen countries including the UK.

Say Hello Wave Goodbye was the final track on the 1981 classic album Non Stop Erotic Dancing, which also featured Tainted Love and Bedsitter as well as the controversial Sex Dwarf.

The album was recorded on a low budget in New York at the height of the Manhattan gay club scene and the early days of the drug ecstasy which was allegedly used by Soft Cell throughout the recording.

Although the recording took place in New York the content unashamedly reflects the seedy underworld of eighties England.

Soft Cell – Say Hello Wave Goodbye

Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough – Live 1982

John Williams — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:12:49 +0000

Here is something you don’t see much of these days – Depeche Mode dancing, singing and enjoying themselves!

Just Can’t Get Enough was the breakthrough single for Depeche Mode at the start of their career in 1981, the single reached the UK top ten and is perhaps the most well known of all their tracks to date.

This performance was recorded live in 1982.

Depeche Mode – Just Can’t Get Enough – Live 1982

Tubeway Army – Are Friends’ Electric? / Gary Numan – Cars, Top Of The Pops 1979

Terry Lane — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:21:55 +0000

Tubeway Army – Are Friends’ Electric? / Gary Numan – Cars, Top Of The Pops 1979

After the success of Are Friends Electric? as Tubeway Army, Gary Numan decided to ditch the band and embark on a solo career. A career that started with the all-time synth pop classic, Cars.

Here are Top Of The Pops appaearances for both Are Friends’ Electric and Cars from 1979.