Tim Bowness has released an official music video for “Sing To Me”, the track from Stupid Things That Mean The World, his third solo album, released back in July via InsideOut Music.

Tim comments: "Originally a no-man demo called “Best Boy Electric”, I heard this for the first time in over 20 years when Steven Wilson sent it to me in October 2014 for consideration for the reissue of no-man's Lost Songs album.
 
“I’d completely forgotten the song, and on hearing it again couldn't believe we'd not pursued it further. The no-man version was skeletal with an improvised, incomplete lyric. It also featured a bizarre coda in 7/8 featuring me doing uncharacteristic choking and screaming noises as SW randomly pounced on a Hammond Organ like a frenzied toddler. It was written soon after Flowermouth had been released in the Summer of 1994. In retrospect, I can only guess that the idea was dropped as it was something that didn't fit our idea of where we wanted to take no-man on the band's next album. Regardless of the reason, it was quickly abandoned.
 
“On re-hearing the song in 2014, it immediately felt special to me and I knew where I'd like to take it musically. A new lyric was written as were a couple of new instrumental themes. The demented 7/8 coda was ditched (though attempted) and Stephen Bennett suggested doubling the first half of the song, which led to my demand for epic Bearpark and Phoebe solos (transforming them into Classic Rock 'foot on the monitor' titans!).
 
“One of my favourite songs on the album, it reminds me of aspects of the early no-man that I loved, while also feeling very much a part of the music I'm currently making."
 

Tim had this to say about the new album: "If Abandoned Dancehall Dreams was something of a bolder and more dynamic extension of No-Man's Schoolyard Ghosts, I'd say that the new album is something of a bolder and more dynamic extension of Abandoned Dancehall Dreams. It's a logical step forward with some surprises, I hope. It's been really exciting working with my live band on most of the pieces and getting some special contributions from the likes of Anna Phoebe, Peter Hammill, Phil Manzanera and David Rhodes. Bruce Soord's mixing and additional guitar parts have also taken the material to a higher level, I think."

Produced by Bowness and mixed by The Pineapple Thief's Bruce Soord (who also adds some choice guitar parts), the album features a core of Bowness along with members of the No-Man live band (Stephen Bennett, Michael Bearpark, Andrew Booker) and Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree), augmented by contributions from Peter Hammill, Phil Manzanera, Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), Anna Phoebe, David Rhodes (Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Scott Walker), and Rhys Marsh. As on Abandoned Dancehall Dreams, Classical composer Andrew Keeling, best known for his work with The Hilliard Ensemble, Evelyn Glennie and Robert Fripp, provides striking string arrangements. The album was mastered by The Pineapple Thief's Steve Kitch.

 

 

The beautiful artwork for the album was once again done by I Monster's Jarrod Gosling. The album will be available as Double CD Media book featuring a companion disc of alternate mixes and demos (including an unreleased No-Man demo from 1994), as well as a gatefold vinyl LP with CD & digital download.

Tim Bowness is primarily known as vocalist/co-writer with the band No-Man, a long-running collaboration with Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree). In addition to releasing six studio albums and a documentary DVD with No-Man, Tim has worked with popular Italian artist Alice, Robert Fripp, Hugh Hopper (Soft Machine), OSI and Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera (amongst many others), and is a member of the bands Henry Fool and Memories Of Machines.