Bill Nelson

[FULIGIN%UMass.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (Peter E. Lee)]

     Well since Doug doesn't remember seeing my original posting about this,
and nobody else bothered to reply, I will assume that the message didn't
make it through...
     In an earlier posting I stated that the domestic version of Bill Nelson's
"Getting The Holy Ghost Across" (the US version is called "On A Blue Wing")
had been plagued by closed-minded/paranoid record company executives and that
the final product had been significantly changed for US release without the
support of the artist.  IED seems to believe that I made this up, so I will
back up my statements.  The following information is gleaned from 3 sources,
1) Melody Maker of 5 or 6 months ago (when the LP was first released in the
UK), 2) direct communication between the music director at the radio station
at which I work and CBS records (Bill Nelson's domestic record label), and
3) a rather lenghty interview in Rockpool in which Mr. Nelson either directly
states or at least affirms all of the following :
1)  The big-wigs at CBS decided that the title "Getting The Holy Ghost
  Across" and the cover (a 16th century painting by Cirvelli that hangs in
  England's national gallery) would offend born again Christians in this
  country.  They ordered him to change both.
2)  He submitted a painting of himself as the new cover.  It was based on a
  Self portrait by Cocteau, and featured the artist's name in stars.  The
  company thought that these looked like hexagrams and decided it would be
  taken as un-christian.  They asked for another cover.
3)  He submitted the current cover, along with the new title.
4)  The executives listened to the album and decided that two of the songs
  that were outtakes would have more appeal to American audiences than two
  that were there.  They exchanged songs and changed the running order.
5)  The artist states in the interview that there is a unifying theme and
  concept to GTHGA, but that the above-mentioned changes have removed them
  from the American release.
     Based on this information, I reccomended (and still do recommend) that
people who don't mind spending the extra couple 'a bucks buy the import, so
that they can get the original concept as envisioned by the artist.
     My opinion of "Living For The Spangled Moment" (the mini-LP of those
songs that didn't make the final cut of GTHGA) has risen considerably with
repeated listenings.  If you spot it and like Bill Nelson, I'd say it's well
worth the price of a 12" for the 7 songs...

              Riding the crystal elevator in the palace of God dept. store,
                                      -Peter
Fuligin%Umass.bitnet@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
---
"You broke the code,
 But not the spell.
 So what's the difference?
 Who can tell?"
                     -Bill Nelson