Tim Bowness

Last updated

Tim Bowness
No-man @ klub studio (8098155684).jpg
Bowness with No-Man in 2012
Background information
Born (1963-11-29) 29 November 1963 (age 60)
Warrington, Cheshire, England, United Kingdom
Genres Art rock, dream pop, post-rock, ambient
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active1982–present
Labels One Little Indian
Inside Out Music
Kscope
Member of
Formerly of
Website Official site

Tim Bowness (born 29 November 1963) is an English singer and songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band No-Man, [1] a long-term project formed in 1987 with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson.

Contents

Music career

In addition to recording albums with No-Man (for record labels such as One Little Indian, Sony/Epic, and Kscope), Bowness has appeared on albums by US artists OSI and David Torn, Italian artists Alice, Saro Cosentino, Fjieri, Nosound and Stefano Panunzi, Norwegian groups White Willow and The Opium Cartel, and others.

In 1994, he recorded an album with Porcupine Tree/Japan/Rain Tree Crow keyboard player Richard Barbieri, called Flame . [2]

Bowness has been a core or occasional member of several other bands. He has sung for German band Centrozoon and British electro-improvisers Darkroom on the more vocal-orientated projects performed and released by each group. He is the lead singer and guitarist for Henry Fool and also sings for Memories of Machines. He was singer (and occasional second guitarist) for Samuel Smiles between 1992 and 2000. Bowness also has a longstanding duo collaboration with Peter Chilvers (with whom he has worked in Samuel Smiles and Henry Fool). This project has so far produced two albums, California, Norfolk (2002) and Modern Ruins (2020).

Bowness's debut solo album, My Hotel Year was released on One Little Indian in 2004. The album made use of Bowness collaborators both old and new, and featured Roger Eno and Hugh Hopper amongst others.

In 2009, Bowness co-wrote and co-produced Talking with Strangers , an album by former Fairport Convention singer, Judy Dyble.

Warm Winter, the debut album by Memories of Machines (a collaboration with Nosound's Giancarlo Erra), was issued on Mascot in April 2011, and the self-titled debut release by Anglo Estonian project Slow Electric was released on Panegyric in October 2011.

Bowness's second solo album Abandoned Dancehall Dreams was released on 23 June 2014 on Inside Out Music. Produced by Bowness and mixed by Steven Wilson, collaborators included Stephen James Bennett. Pat Mastelotto, Colin Edwin and Classical composer Andrew Keeling. Richard Barbieri and Grasscut provided mixes for the bonus disc. Abandoned Dancehall Dreams came out to some of the best reviews of Bowness' career. Receiving positive endorsements from Prog and Classic Rock, the album reached No. 18 in the official UK Rock charts and No. 1 in Prog magazine's July 2014 and August 2014 charts.

A follow-up to Abandoned Dancehall Dreams, Stupid Things That Mean the World , was released on 17 July 2015 on Inside Out Music. Bowness admitted similarities between the two albums, in both the musical approach and artwork, calling it the second part of a new chapter that began with Abandoned Dancehall Dreams. [3] Produced by Bowness and mixed by Bruce Soord, collaborators included Stephen James Bennett, Peter Hammill, Colin Edwin, Phil Manzanera and David Rhodes. The album reached No. 10 in both the official UK Rock and UK Vinyl charts, and No. 1 in Prog magazine's July 2015 and August 2015 charts. In September 2015, Stupid Things That Mean the World was No. 9 in the first ever Official Charts Company Progressive Albums chart.

Tim Bowness's fourth solo album Lost in the Ghost Light - a concept album revolving around the onstage and backstage thoughts of a veteran musician - was released on 17 February 2017 on Inside Out Music. The album garnered very positive reviews from the Rock media - Prog, Powerplay, Classic Rock, Shindig! - as well as in more mainstream publications such as The Daily Express, [4] Mojo and Classic Pop. Produced Tim Bowness with Stephen James Bennett, the album mixed and mastered by Steven Wilson and alongside performances by regular collaborators such as Stephen James Bennett, Bruce Soord, Colin Edwin and Andrew Keeling, featured guest appearances from Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, and ex Camel/Happy The Man keyboard player Kit Watkins. Lost in the Ghost Light reached No.5 in the official UK Rock chart, No.8 in the official UK Progressive chart and won "Album Cover of the Year" at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards. [5]

Flowers at the Scene was released on 1 March 2019 on Inside Out Music. Like its predecessor, the album garnered extremely positive reviews from the Rock media in Britain and Europe, as well as in more mainstream publications such as The Daily Express, [6] Mojo and Classic Pop. Produced by Tim Bowness with Steven Wilson - as No-Man - and Brian Hulse, the album featured guest appearances from Peter Hammill, Kevin Godley, Andy Partridge, Jim Matheos, David Longdon, Colin Edwin, Dylan Howe and others. Flowers at the Scene reached No.5 in both the official UK Rock and UK Progressive charts, No.24 in the official UK Vinyl chart, and No.38 in the official UK Physical sales chart.

Late Night Laments , Bowness's sixth solo album, was released on 28 August 2020 on Inside Out Music. A more intimate and atmospheric work than any of his previous solo albums, guest players included Richard Barbieri, Kavus Torabi and Colin Edwin. The album was mixed by Steven Wilson, mastered by Calum Malcolm, and reached No.45 in the official UK Physical sales chart, No.4 in the UK Progressive charts, and No.56 in the official Scottish chart. The album was No.14 in Prog Magazine's Best Of 2020 critic's list.

Butterfly Mind , Bowness's seventh solo album, was released on 5 August 2022 on Inside Out Music. Seen as the most eclectic and dynamic of his solo releases, high-profile guests such as Ian Anderson, Dave Formula, Peter Hammill, Nick Beggs, (ex-Elbow drummer) Richard Jupp and others contributed to the album. Butterfly Mind generated the most positive reviews of Bowness's career, alongside his highest UK chart placings.

Business

In 2001, Bowness co-founded the online record label and store Burning Shed with Peter Chilvers and Pete Morgan. [7] Originally a label dedicated to producing online, on-demand CDRs of experimental side-projects by the likes of Bass Communion, Hugh Hopper and Roger Eno) it quickly evolved into hosting official online stores for No-Man, Porcupine Tree, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Andy Partridge, Big Big Train, Will Sergeant and many other artists.

The Album Years

In May 2020, Bowness launched 'The Album Years', an audio-only podcast with his partner in No-Man, Steven Wilson. It was very successful upon release, charting highly all around the world on Apple Podcasts. [8] Starting in March 2024 new video episodes of the podcast were recorded and released.

Charting songs and albums

Album / SongChartPositionYear
Taking It Like a Man (with No-Man)US Billboard Dance/Club Play [9] 341994
Viaggio in Italia (with Alice)Italian Albums [10] 162003
Abandoned Dancehall DreamsUK Rock Albums [11] 182014
Stupid Things That Mean the WorldUK Rock Albums [12] 102015
Stupid Things That Mean the WorldUK Top 100 Physical Albums [13] 752015
Stupid Things That Mean the WorldUK Vinyl Albums [14] 102015
Stupid Things That Mean the WorldUK Progressive Albums [15] 92015
Heaven Taste (with No-Man)UK Vinyl Singles [16] 52016
Heaven Taste (with No-Man)UK Top 100 Physical Singles [17] 82016
Lost in the Ghost LightUK Rock Albums [18] 52017
Lost in the Ghost LightUK Top 100 Physical Albums [19] 642017
Lost in the Ghost LightUK Vinyl Albums [20] 352017
Lost in the Ghost LightUK Progressive Albums82017
Flowers at the SceneUK Rock Albums [21] 52019
Flowers at the SceneUK Top 100 Physical Albums [22] 382019
Flowers at the SceneUK Vinyl Albums [23] 242019
Flowers at the SceneUK Progressive Albums52019
Flowers at the SceneOfficial Scottish Albums Top 100 [24] 652019
Love You to Bits (with No-Man)UK Top 100 Physical Albums [25] 442019
Love You to Bits (with No-Man)UK Vinyl Albums [26] 232019
Love You to Bits (with No-Man)UK Top 100 Albums [27] 942019
Love You to Bits (with No-Man)Official Scottish Albums Top 100 [28] 572019
Love You to Bits (with No-Man)UK Progressive Albums42019
Late Night LamentsUK Top 100 Physical Albums [29] 452020
Late Night LamentsUK Progressive Albums42020
Late Night LamentsOfficial Scottish Albums Top 100 [30] 562020
Butterfly MindUK Rock Albums [31] 42022
Butterfly MindUK Top 100 Physical Albums [32] 162022
Butterfly MindUK Vinyl Albums [33] 212022
Butterfly MindOfficial Scottish Albums Top 100 [34] 252022
Butterfly MindUK Progressive Albums62022

Select discography (Outside No-Man)

Solo albums

With Peter Chilvers

With Plenty

Other albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japan (band)</span> English new wave band

Japan were an English new wave band formed in 1974 in Catford, South London by David Sylvian, Steve Jansen (drums) and Mick Karn, joined the following year by Richard Barbieri (keyboards) and Rob Dean. Initially a glam rock-inspired band, Japan developed their sound and androgynous look to incorporate art rock, electronic music and foreign influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Barbieri</span> English musician

Richard Barbieri is an English musician, composer and sound designer. Originally a member of new wave band Japan, more recently he is known as the keyboard player in the progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, which he joined in 1993. Aside from the founder Steven Wilson, he is the longest tenured member of Porcupine Tree.

The Sea Within are an international rock supergroup founded in 2017, formed by Swedish guitarist and singer-songwriter Roine Stolt, bassist Jonas Reingold and guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw, German drummer Marco Minnemann, and American keyboardist Tom Brislin. Their self-titled debut album was released on 22 June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No-Man</span> English art pop duo

No-Man are an English art pop duo, formed in 1987 as No Man Is an Island (Except the Isle of Man) by singer Tim Bowness and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson. The band has so far produced seven studio albums and a number of singles/outtakes collections (including 2006's career retrospective All the Blue Changes). The band was once lauded as "conceivably the most important English group since The Smiths" by Melody Maker music newspaper, and a 2017 article of Drowned in Sound described them as "probably the most underrated band of the last 25 years".

The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on Fridays. It is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and found on the OCC website as a Top 100 or on UKChartsPlus as a Top 200, with positions continuing until all sales have been tracked in data only available to industry insiders. However, even though number 100 was classed as a hit album in the 1980s until January 1989, since the compilations were removed, this definition was changed to Top 75 with follow-up books such as The Virgin Book of British Hit Albums only including this data. As of 2021, Since 1983, the OCC generally provides a public charts for hits and weeks up to the Top 100. Business customers can require additional chart placings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Official Charts Company</span> British record chart company

The Official Charts Company is a British inter-professional organisation that compiles various official record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.

Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything but the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well as the compilation album Pillows & Prayers. In addition to releasing new music, Cherry Red also acts as an umbrella for individual imprints and catalogue specialists.

The discography of British punk rock band the Damned includes twelve studio albums, twenty-two live albums, twenty-eight compilations, four box sets, five extended plays and forty-five singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theo Travis</span> British saxophonist, flautist and composer

Theo Travis is a British saxophonist, flautist and composer. He is a member of Soft Machine which he joined in 2006 while the group was still using the "Legacy" suffix and was a member of Gong from 1999 to 2010.

Stephen (James) Bennett is an English musician, writer and film maker born in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. He plays various keyboards, drums and the guitar. He first came to public attention in the band LaHost in the 1980s as part of the New wave of progressive rock who had headlined at the Marquee Club in London.

<i>Schoolyard Ghosts</i> 2008 studio album by No-Man

Schoolyard Ghosts is the sixth studio album by British art rock band No-Man.

Peter Chilvers is a Cambridgeshire-based British musician and software designer.

Samuel Smiles were an intermittently active English ambient-folk band. Their best-known lineup featured singer Tim Bowness of the band No-Man.

Michael Bearpark is an English scientist and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grice Peters</span> Musical artist

Grice Peters, also known as GRICE, is a South London-born English art rock musician, singer-songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Peters formed and fronted underground Britpop flavoured bands Laugh Like a Madman, the Burning Martyrs, the Martyrs, SWANSTON and the avant-garde art rock outfit Hungersleep, before starting his solo career.

<i>Abandoned Dancehall Dreams</i> 2014 studio album by Tim Bowness

Abandoned Dancehall Dreams is the second solo studio album by the English singer-songwriter Tim Bowness. It was originally released on 23 June 2014 by the label InsideOut Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Lancaster</span> British record producer

Dan Lancaster is a producer, mixer, songwriter and artist from the UK.

<i>Flowers at the Scene</i> 2019 studio album by Tim Bowness

Flowers at the Scene is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Tim Bowness. It was released on 1 March 2019 on Inside Out Music / Sony.

<i>From a Page</i> Yes album

From a Page is a mini-album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 25 October 2019 by Yes Records. It contains four previously unreleased tracks originally recorded by the 2008–2011 line-up of the group and intended for release on an album, but ultimately weren't included on Fly from Here. During this time, the lineup included bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, singer Benoît David, and keyboardist Oliver Wakeman. Wakeman, who wrote most of the material on From a Page, was inspired to release it following Squire's death in 2015.

<i>Closure/Continuation</i> 2022 studio album by Porcupine Tree

Closure/Continuation is the eleventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree. It is their first since 2009's The Incident. Despite public uncertainty of the band's future after frontman Steven Wilson's focus on a solo career in 2010, the album was recorded intermittently in complete secrecy among Wilson, Gavin Harrison, and Richard Barbieri across the course of the following decade, without longtime bassist Colin Edwin. With the COVID-19 pandemic putting members' separate plans on hold, the band found time to finish the record in September 2021. Towards the end of the year, the band's reformation was announced, alongside the album's release date of 24 June 2022. Four singles were released ahead of the record—"Harridan", "Of the New Day", "Herd Culling", and "Rats Return".

References

  1. "no-man biography - no-man official website". No-man.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  2. Ned Raggett. "Flame - Richard Barbieri | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  3. "Diary". Tim Bowness. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  4. Daily Express (13 February 2017). "Lost In The Ghost Light review". Daily Express . Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  5. "Marillion, Anathema, Steve Hackett among Progressive Music Award winners". teamrock.com. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  6. Daily Express (26 February 2019). "Flowers At The Scene review". Daily Express . Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  7. "Specialist online music label and shop". Burning Shed. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  8. May 2020, Jerry Ewing22 (22 May 2020). "Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness launch new podcast". Prog Magazine. Retrieved 23 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. "No-Man - Chart history". Billboard. 28 May 1994. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  10. "Music Charts - αCharts". αCharts. Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  11. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  12. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  13. "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  14. "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  15. Masters, Tim (3 September 2015). "Progressive music gets an official chart '45 years too late'". BBC News . Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  16. "Official Vinyl Singles Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  17. "Official Physical Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  18. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  19. "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  20. "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  21. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  22. "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  23. "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  24. "Official Scottish Albums Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  25. "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  26. "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  27. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  28. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  29. "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  30. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  31. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  32. "Official Physical Albums Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  33. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  34. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  35. "It Could Be Home - Plenty | User Reviews". AllMusic .
  36. https://www.facebook.com/timbowness [ user-generated source ]
  37. "Warm Winter " Speak". Timbowness.wordpress.com. 4 May 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2012.