BE BOP DELUXE
THE ALBUMS 1976 - 1978 (3CD CLAMSHELL BOX)

Recorded in June and July 1976 at Abbey Road Studios, MODERN MUSIC was the fourth album by Be Bop Deluxe and the second to feature the line-up of BILL NELSON (vocals, guitars, keyboards), CHARLES TUMAHAI (bass, vocals), ANDY CLARK (keyboards) and SIMON FOX (drums). A top twenty hit in the UK, the album followed on from the success and critical praise for the band’s previous album SUNBURST FINISH and was once more co-produced by BILL NELSON and JOHN LECKIE. Much of the material appearing on the album was conceived by Bill Nelson whilst Be Bop Deluxe were undertaking their first tour of the USA in March 1976.

The legendary LIVE! IN THE AIR AGE was released in July 1977 and would prove to be the band’s most successful album, peaking at number 10 in the UK charts. The album was issued at a time of growing commercial success for the band and followed on the heels of two highly acclaimed studio albums in 13 months, ‘Sunburst Finish’ and ‘Modern Music’. ‘Live! In the Air Age’ would be the band’s only live record and was recorded on a series of dates in the UK in February and March 1977 on the Rolling Stones mobile unit with John Leckie, who had engineered co-produced the band’s previous two albums, supervising the location recordings.

DRASTIC PLASTIC would be the final Be Bop Deluxe album and was recorded in the summer of 1978 in the South of France at The Villa Saint Georges, Juan-les-Pins, utilising the Rolling Stones mobile studio, with final sessions taking place at The Manor Studio and Abbey Road Studios. The record saw BILL NELSON (vocals, guitars, keyboards), CHARLES TUMAHAI (bass, vocals), ANDY CLARK (keyboards) and SIMON FOX (drums) venture into new musical styles, with the album being ground-breaking in its move to more art rock and new wave influences. In many ways it can be sign as the signpost to where Bill Nelson would head with his RED NOISE project with a desire to continue to progress as an artist by pushing musical boundaries.