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Be Bop Deluxe Axe Victim

Our remastered & expanded Be Bop Deluxe reissue series continues, with a deluxe collector's edition of AXE VICTIM coming in July!

Axe VictimWe are very proud to be releasing a new re-mastered four-disc deluxe expanded boxed set limited edition (comprising 3CDs and a DVD) of AXE VICTIM the legendary 1974 debut album by BE BOP DELUXE this July!

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..

The title will also be available as a 2CD expanded and remastered edition.

Find out more, get the track list & pre-order here!.