Tim Bowness (born 29 November 1963) is an English singer and songwriter primarily known for his work as part of the band

No-Man 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 ...

, a long-term project formed in 1987 with

Porcupine Tree Porcupine Tree are an English rock band formed by musician Steven Wilson in 1987. During an initial career spanning more than twenty years, they earned critical acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, developed a cult following, and became ...

Steven Wilson Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corrosi ...

Music career

In addition to

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

albums with No-Man (for

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

s such as

One Little Indian One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In ...

, Sony/Epic, and

Kscope Kscope is an independent record label that is part of Snapper Music, and a sister-label of Peaceville. It is dedicated to artists in the progressive rock genre. The label has released albums by Steven Wilson and his projects Porcupine Tree ...

), Bowness has appeared on albums by US artists OSI and

David Torn David M. Torn (born May 26, 1953) is an American guitarist, composer, and producer. He is known for combining electronic and acoustic instruments and for his use of looping. Background Torn has contributed to recordings by artists as diverse ...

, Italian artists Alice, Saro Cosentino, Fjieri,

Nosound Nosound is an Italian alternative rock band started in 2002 by Giancarlo Erra. The group plays music in several different genres, including alternative rock, post rock, electronic, and ambient. All their early recordings were composed, perfor ...

and

Stefano Panunzi Stefano is the Italian form of the masculine given name Στέφανος (Stefanos, Stephen). The name is of Greek origin, Στέφανος, meaning a person who made a significant achievement and has been crowned. In Orthodox Christianity the ach ...

, Norwegian groups White Willow and The Opium Cartel, and others. In 1994, he recorded an album with

/ Japan/ Rain Tree Crow keyboard player

Richard Barbieri Richard Barbieri (born 30 November 1957) is an English musician, composer and sound designer. Originally a member of new wave band Japan (and their brief 1989–1991 reincarnation as Rain Tree Crow), more recently he is known as the keyboard ...

, called ''

Flame A flame (from Latin '' flamma'') is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction taking place in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density they ...

''. 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 ''Henry Fool'' is a 1997 American black comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Hal Hartley, featuring Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak, and Parker Posey. Set like previous Hartley films in less affluent parts of Long Island, it recount ...

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 Peter Chilvers was an inventor, engineer and promoter of sailing and windsurfing. He is credited with an early version of a sail powered surfboard. He died from lung cancer on 26 February 2015. Life Chilvers had been an engineer for Lotus a ...

(with whom he has worked in Samuel Smiles and

). 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

in 2004. The album made use of Bowness collaborators both old and new, and featured

Roger Eno Roger Eugene Eno (born in Woodbridge, England, in 1959) is an English ambient music composer. He is the brother of Brian Eno. Early life and education Roger Eno began euphonium lessons when he was 12 years old, and entered Colchester Institute ...

and

Hugh Hopper Hugh Colin Hopper (29 April 1945 – 7 June 2009) was a British progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and other bands. Biography Early career Starting in ...

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

Judy Dyble Judith Aileen Dyble (pronounced ''Die-bull''; 13 February 1949 – 12 July 2020) was an English singer-songwriter, most notable for being a vocalist and a founding member of Fairport Convention and Trader Horne. In addition, she and Ian McDona ...

. ''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 Inside Out Music is a German independent record label originally based in Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia, and dedicated to the publication of progressive rock, progressive metal and related styles. In 2009, it formed a partnership with Century Med ...

. Produced by Bowness and mixed by Steven Wilson, collaborators included Stephen James Bennett.

Pat Mastelotto Lee Patrick Mastelotto (born September 10, 1955) is an American rock drummer and record producer. He has been a member of King Crimson, Stick Men, Mr. Mister and O.R.k., as well as working as a session drummer with XTC, The Pointer Sisters an ...

Colin Edwin Colin Edwin is an Australian musician, specialising in fretted and fretless bass guitar, double bass and guimbri. Edwin first came to public attention as a member of the British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, in which he was bass playe ...

and Classical composer Andrew Keeling.

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 Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...

, 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''. Produced by Bowness and mixed by

Bruce Soord The Pineapple Thief are a British progressive rock band, started by Bruce Soord in 1999 in Somerset, England. History Early years Founder Bruce Soord started The Pineapple Thief as an outlet for his music back in 1999. Soord released the ...

, collaborators included Stephen James Bennett,

Peter Hammill Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill (born 5 November 1948) is an English musician and recording artist. He was a founder member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Best known as a singer/songwriter, he also plays guitar and piano and ...

Phil Manzanera Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams (born 31 January 1951), known professionally as Phil Manzanera, is an English guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead guitarist with Roxy Music, and was the lead guitarist with 801, and Quiet Su ...

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 The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts in ...

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

. The album garnered very positive reviews from the Rock media - Prog, Powerplay,

Shindig! ''Shindig!'' is an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles,Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

and

Classic Pop Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...

. 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. '' Flowers at the Scene'' was released on 1 March 2019 on

. 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,

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...

and

. Produced by Tim Bowness with

- as

- and Brian Hulse, the album featured guest appearances from

Kevin Godley Kevin Michael Godley (born 7 October 1945) is an English singer, songwriter, musician and music video director. He is known as the singer and drummer of the art rock band 10cc and later as part of collaboration duo Godley & Creme with Lol Creme ...

Andy Partridge Andrew John Partridge (born 11 November 1953) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer who founded the rock band XTC. He and Colin Moulding each acted as a songwriter and frontman for XTC, with Partridge writing and sing ...

, Jim Matheos, David Longdon,

Dylan Howe Dylan Lee Howe (born 4 August 1969) is an English drummer, bandleader, session musician and composer. The son of guitarist Steve Howe with whom he has sometimes collaborated, Dylan is also noted for his work with rock band the Blockheads ( ...

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

. A more intimate and atmospheric work than any of his previous solo albums, guest players included

Kavus Torabi Kavus Torabi ( fa, كاووس تورابى; born 5 December 1971) is a British-Iranian musician and composer, record label owner and broadcaster. A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his work in the psychedelic, avant-garde rock field (prima ...

and

. The album was mixed by

, 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

. Seen as the most eclectic and dynamic of his solo releases, high-profile guests such as Ian Anderson,

Dave Formula Dave Formula (born David Tomlinson 11 August 1946, Whalley Range, Manchester, England), is an English keyboardist and film-soundtrack composer from Manchester, who played with the post-punk bands Magazine and Visage during the end of the 19 ...

Nick Beggs Nicholas Beggs (born 15 December 1961Larkin, Colin (1997) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 270-271) is an English musician, noted for playing the bass guitar and the Chapman Stick; he is a member of the Mute Go ...

, (ex-

Elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the me ...

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 In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" o ...

and store

Burning Shed Burning Shed is an independent record label established in April 2001 by musicians Tim Bowness and Pete Morgan. The label was envisaged as an artistically focused, online extension of labels such as 4AD, Factory, ECM, DGM and Mute. Burning Sh ...

with

and Pete Morgan. Originally a label dedicated to producing online, on-demand CDRs of experimental side-projects by the likes of

Bass Communion ''Bass Communion'' is a solo project of English musician Steven Wilson, best known for his lead role in the rock band Porcupine Tree. Records released under the name "Bass Communion" are in an ambient or electronic vein - lengthy drone-heavy ...

and

) it quickly evolved into hosting official online stores for

, Jethro Tull,

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

Big Big Train Big Big Train are an English progressive rock band formed in Bournemouth in 1990. The current line-up includes band founder Gregory Spawton (bass, guitars and keyboards), along with Nick D'Virgilio (drums, guitars and keyboards) and Rikard Sj ...

Will Sergeant William Alfred Sergeant (born 12 April 1958) is an English guitarist, best known for being a member of Echo & the Bunnymen. Born in Walton Hospital, he grew up in the village of Melling and attended nearby Deyes Lane Secondary Modern. He is th ...

and many other artists.

Podcast

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.

Charting songs and albums

Select discography (Outside No-Man)

Solo albums

*''My Hotel Year'' (One Little Indian, 2004) – Debut solo album *'' Abandoned Dancehall Dreams'' (

, 2014) – 2nd solo album *'' Stupid Things That Mean the World'' (Inside Out Music, 2015) – 3rd solo album *'' Lost in the Ghost Light'' (Inside Out Music, 2017) – 4th solo album *''Songs from the Ghost Light'' (

, 2017) – Lost in the Ghost Light companion release featuring outtakes, remixes and live performances. *'' Flowers at the Scene'' (Inside Out Music, 2019) – 5th solo album *''Late Night Laments'' (Inside Out Music, 2020) – 6th solo album *''Butterfly Mind'' (Inside Out Music, 2022) – 7th solo album

With Peter Chilvers

*''California, Norfolk'' (Burning Shed, 2002) – with

*''Slow Electric'' (Burning Shed, 2010) – as Slow Electric - with Peter Chilvers, UMA (Robert Jüjendal, Aleksei Saks) and Tony Levin *''Modern Ruins'' (Burning Shed, 2020) – with Peter Chilvers

With Plenty

* ''It Could Be Home'' (2018) * ''Enough'' (2021)

Other albums

*''

'' (One Little Indian, 1994) – with

*'' Ones And Zeros'' (Voiceprint, 1997) – with Saro Cosentino (guest vocals on one track) *''

Viaggio in Italia ''Journey to Italy'', also known as ''Voyage to Italy'', is a 1954 drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini. Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders play Katherine and Alex Joyce, a childless English married couple on a trip to Italy whose marriage i ...

'' (NuN Entertainment, 2003) – with Alice (guest vocals on two tracks) *'' The Scent of Crash and Burn'' EP (Burning Shed, 2003) – with centrozoon *'' Never Trust the Way You Are'' (Resonancer, 2004) – with centrozoon *''Duality'' (Holy Records, 2008) – with Rajna (guests on three tracks) *'' Lightdark'' (Kscope, 2008) – with

(guest vocals on one track) *''

Blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the cir ...

'' (Inside Out, 2009) – with OSI (guest vocals on one track) *'' Talking with Strangers'' (FixIt, 2009) with Judy Dyble (guest vocals throughout the album, co-written & co-produced by Bowness) *" Fjieri: "Endless"", (Forward Music Italy, 2009) - with Stefano Panunzi, Nicola Lori, Mick Karn, Richard Barbieri, Gavin Harrison, Nicola Alesini, Andrea Chimenti *" A Rose (Stefano Panunzi album)" (Emerald Recordings, ER-CD 01/09, 2009) - with Mick Karn, Thomas Leer, Giancarlo Erra, Theo Travis, Robby Aceto, Fabio Fraschini, Markus Reuter, Andrea Chimenti *'' Warm Winter'' (Mascot, 2011) – with Giancarlo Erra (as Memories of Machines) *" Fjieri: "Words Are All We Have", (Emerald Recordings, ER-CD 02/15, 2015) - with Stefano Panunzi, Jakko Jakszyk, Gavin Harrison, Nicola Lori *''Skyscraper Souls'' (Cherry Red, 2017) – with Geoff Downes &

Chris Braide Christopher Braide (born 1973) is an English songwriter, record producer and singer, formerly based in Malibu, Los Angeles, California, United States. Braide is known for being a pianist. First signed as a solo artist by David A. Stewart in t ...

(guests on one track) *''UBIK'' (Sweet Hole, 2022) – with Sweet Hole (guests on as UBIK voice on some tracks)

References

External links

Tim Bowness official websiteNo-Man official websiteNo-Man "A Confession"Burning Shed
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowness, Tim 1963 births Living people English songwriters English male singers One Little Independent Records artists People from Stockton Heath OSI (band) members Inside Out Music artists British male songwriters