Be-Bop Deluxe: Axe Victim - Limited Edition 3CD/1DVD Deluxe Boxset

• A DELUXE 4 DISC LIMITED EDITION BOXED SET OF THE CLASSIC 1974 DEBUT ALBUM BY BE BOP DELUXE COMPRISING
3 CDs and A DVD (NTSC / REGION FREE)
• NEWLY REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES
• FEATURING AN ADDITIONAL 41 BONUS TRACKS DRAWN FROM NEW 5.1 SURROUND SOUND & STEREO MIXES FROM THE ORIGINAL MULTI-TRACK MASTER TAPES, BBC RADIO SESSIONS FROM 1973 / 1974, INCLUDING THE PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED “LOST” BBC JOHN PEEL SESSION FROM NOVEMBER 1973, BOTH SIDES OF THE RARE SMILE RECORDS ‘TEENAGE ARCHANGEL’ SINGLE FROM 1973, COMPLETE (& NEWLY RE-MIXED) PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED BE BOP DELUXE DECCA SESSION FROM DECEMBER 1973 & PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED OUT-TAKES FROM THE ALBUM SESSIONS
• INCLUDES A LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED 68 PAGE BOOK WITH MANY PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN PHOTOGRAPHS &
NEW ESSAY BY BILL NELSON / ALSO INCLUDES A REPLICA RECORD STORE POSTER & POSTCARDS

Esoteric Recordings is proud to announce the release of a new re-mastered four-disc deluxe expanded boxed set limited edition (comprising 3 CDs and a DVD) of AXE VICTIM the legendary 1974 debut album by BE BOP DELUXE.

Recorded in the Spring of 1974 at several studios in London, AXE VICTIM was released by EMI’s Harvest label in June 1974 to much critical praise and introduced Be Bop Deluxe to the record buying public. The album featured the band’s first line-up of BILL NELSON (vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, piano), IAN PARKIN (rhythm & acoustic guitars, organ), ROB BRYAN (bass guitar, vocals) and NICHOLAS CHATTERTON-DEW (drums).

AXE VICTIM was a fine debut and was championed by DJ John Peel (who had been an advocate of Bill Nelson’s work since the release of the rudimentary self-released album “Northern Dream” in 1971) as one of his favourite releases of 1974. Although Bill Nelson was still finding his creative feet, AXE VICTIM featured some fine material including the classic ‘Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape’, along with other fine material such as ‘Night Creatures’, ‘Third Floor Heaven’ (which featured Babe Ruth vocalist Jenny Haan guesting), ‘Jets at Dawn’ and the superb ‘Darkness (L’Immoraliste)’.

This expanded reissue has been newly re-mastered from the original master tapes and features an additional 41 bonus tracks drawn from stunning new 5.1 surround sound & stereo mixes of the album from the original multi-track tapes by award winning engineer Stephen W. Tayler, along with two complete BBC Radio One sessions from November 1973 and May 1974 (including the previously unreleased “lost” John Peel session from November 1973), both sides of the rare Smile Records single ‘Teenage Archangel’ b/w ‘Jets at Dawn’ released by the band in 1973 prior to being signed to EMI. Also included is the complete previously unreleased Be Bop Deluxe audition session for Decca Records from December 1973 (mixed from the original 16 track tapes by Stephen W Tayler) & previously unreleased out-takes from the original album sessions.

Another highlight of this limited-edition boxed set is the lavishly illustrated 68-page book with many previously unseen photographs and an essay of recollections by Bill Nelson. Additionally, the set includes a facsimile Record Store poster and postcards. This special deluxe limited edition boxed set of AXE VICTIM is a fitting celebration of a wonderful debut album and a tribute to the creative vision of Bill Nelson.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE: CD
AXE VICTIM
THE ORIGINAL ALBUM REMASTERED:

1. AXE VICTIM
2. LOVE IS SWIFT ARROWS
3. JET SILVER & THE DOLLS OF VENUS
4. THIRD FLOOR HEAVEN
5. NIGHT CREATURES
6. ROCKET CATHEDRALS
7. ADVENTURES IN A YORKSHIRE LANDSCAPE
8. JETS AT DAWN
9. NO TRAINS TO HEAVEN
10. DARKNESS (L’IMMORALISTE)
BONUS TRACKS
11. TEENAGE ARCHANGEL (1973 SINGLE)
12. JETS AT DAWN (1973 SINGLE VERSION)
13. NO TRAINS TO HEAVEN
(FIRST MIX) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
14. AXE VICTIM (ALBUM VERSION - FIRST MIX)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

DISC TWO: CD
AXE VICTIM
THE NEW STEREO MIX:

1. AXE VICTIM
2. LOVE IS SWIFT ARROWS
3. JET SILVER & THE DOLLS OF VENUS
4. THIRD FLOOR HEAVEN
5. NIGHT CREATURES
6. ROCKET CATHEDRALS
7. ADVENTURES IN A YORKSHIRE LANDSCAPE
8. JETS AT DAWN (FULL VERSION)
9. NO TRAINS TO HEAVEN
10. DARKNESS (L’IMMORALISTE)
BONUS TRACKS
11. AXE VICTIM (FIRST VERSION)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
12. NIGHT CREATURES (SPOKEN WORD VERSION) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
13. ROCKET CATHEDRALS (FIRST VERSION) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

DISC THREE: CD

BBC RADIO ONE “JOHN PEEL SHOW” SESSION
6th NOVEMBER 1973

1. AXE VICTIM (BBC SESSION NOVEMBER 1973)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
2. BLUESY RUBY (BBC SESSION NOVEMBER 1973)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
3. TOMORROW THE WORLD
(BBC SESSION NOVEMBER 1973)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

THE DECCA SESSION – 13th DECEMBER 1973:

4. AXE VICTIM (DECCA SESSION 1973)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
5. I’LL BE YOUR VAMPIRE (DECCA SESSION 1973)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
6. ADVENTURES IN A YORKSHIRE LANDSCAPE
(DECCA SESSION 1973)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
7. BLUESY RUBY (DECCA SESSION 1973)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

BBC RADIO ONE “JOHN PEEL SHOW” SESSION
9th MAY 1974

8. THIRD FLOOR HEAVEN (BBC SESSION MAY 1974)
9. MILL STREET JUNCTION (BBC SESSION MAY 1974)
10. 15TH OF JULY (INVISIBLES)
(BBC SESSION MAY 1974)
11. ADVENTURES IN A YORKSHIRE LANDSCAPE
(BBC SESSION MAY 1974)

DISC FOUR: DVD
AXE VICTIM
THE NEW 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIX, NEW 96 KHZ / 24-BIT STEREO MIX AND 96 KHZ / 24-BIT ORIGINAL STEREO MIX

1. AXE VICTIM (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
2. LOVE IS SWIFT ARROWS (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
3. JET SILVER & THE DOLLS OF VENUS (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
4. THIRD FLOOR HEAVEN (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
5. NIGHT CREATURES (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
6. ROCKET CATHEDRALS (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
7. ADVENTURES IN A YORKSHIRE LANDSCAPE
(5.1 SURROUND MIX)
8. JETS AT DAWN (FULL VERSION) (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
9. NO TRAINS TO HEAVEN (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
10. DARKNESS (L’IMMORALISTE) (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
BONUS TRACKS
11. AXE VICTIM (FIRST VERSION)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
12. NIGHT CREATURES (SPOKEN WORD VERSION) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) (5.1 SURROUND MIX)
13. ROCKET CATHEDRALS (FIRST VERSION)
(PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) (5.1 SURROUND MIX)