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It’s all about tape.

I have been using tape echo units since the very beginning of my music career, kicking off in 1976 with the then ubiquitous Watkins Copycat, but soon graduated to an HH Electronic ’slider’ unit, which I used for many years until it was left on the curb following a Whitefire gig at The Derby Hall (now The Met) in Bury, England.

Following a dalliance with a Roland Space Echo RE-201, my next unit was the Maestro Echoplex EP-3, which my hero Jimmy Page used extensively.

What is an Echoplex?

The Echoplex is a tape delay effects unit, first made in 1959. Designed by engineer Mike Battle, it set a standard for the effect in the 1960s, and it is still regarded as the benchmark by which everything else is measured. The Echoplex was widely used in the 1960s and 1970s, mainly by guitarists but also by other performers.

Background

Tape echoes work by recording sound onto a magnetic tape, which is then played back; the tape speed and distance between the recording and playback heads determine the delay time, while a feedback variable (where the delayed sound is fed back into the input) allows for multiple echoes.

EP-2

The first valve/tube Echoplex units had no numerical designation, but this model was retroactively designated the EP-1 after the first revision was dubbed the EP-2. These two units were noted for their warm, round, thick echo and the sound quality of the valve/tube preamplifier section. Two of Battle’s improvements over earlier designs were key: the adjustable tape head and a cartridge containing the tape, protecting it to retain sound quality.

EP-3

Market Electronics, who originally manufactured the Echoplex, held off on using transistors while other companies made the transition. Nevertheless, in the late 1960s, they set Battle and Dixon to the task of creating the first transistorised Echoplexes.

Once the two were satisfied, the solid-state Echoplex was offered by Maestro beginning in 1970 and designated the EP-3, which offered a sound-on-sound mode plus a number of minor improvements.

The EP-3 enjoyed the longest production run of all the Echoplex models, being manufactured until 1991. Around the time of the public introduction of the EP-3, Maestro was taken over by Norlin Industries, then the parent company of Gibson.

Our EP-3

Over the years, I have bought and sold many of these units: the latest being bought from a friend in the UK. It was originally a 120V version with a separate transformer. We decided to fit an internal unit to step down the voltage from 240V to 120V, and after consulting with the wonderful Luke Horlick of T4Transformers—based in Margate, England—we fitted one of his transformers with the expert assistance of my guitar tech and great friend from the Isle of Man, Dave Swindells.

It’s unusual.

I use old-school amps with no master volume and like the sound of a guitar amp’s output section pushed into breakup, which presents a serious problem when using time-based effects.

When delays, reverbs, or modulation effects are run into the front of a distorting amp, the saturation smears the repeats and textures, often resulting in a muddy or cluttered sound.

Being a studio musician for more years than I care to think about really changes the way you feel about this, as I almost always use these effects post-recording in the mix.

It’s a struggle that clean-tone icons like Johnny Marr or Dumble clone players—and who the fuck can afford an original—avoid entirely; by using effects loops for time-based effects or pedals for distortion, they keep their echoes pristine and separated by not overdriving the output valves/tubes.

Over the years, I have developed a unique approach to creating my live guitar sound, which is unconventional, and I share this concept with a few players, notably Larry Carlton. I am going to write another article about how I deal with this issue, so watch out for it!

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Pedals.

Even though we have piles of pedals, I rarely use them when recording and mainly use them playing live when trying to recreate the sounds from our records with limited amps, et al. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and the Echoplex is one of them. For me, it’s an always-on effect.

Yes, when you push the power stage of the amp into distortion, the echo from the Echoplex seems to be compressed into the guitar sound, but blooms when the note dies away as the power valves/tubes come out of clipping; very much like an analogue version of the ‘duck delay’ setting on our vintage TC Electronic 2290. It’s pleasing, and I can live with it—in fact, I can’t live without it.

There is also nothing like the sound when you push the level and feedback to maximum and frantically jiggle the bar which governs the delay time: total uncontrolled bedlam.

The magic.

There are two distinct benefits for using a tape echo: the preamp and the sound of the tape delay.

Eric Johnson is a devotee of the Echoplex, but due to reliability issues uses the preamp section, sending the output into a digital delay. Some do a similar trick but using a solid-state, bucket brigade analogue delay.

Among Johnson's secret tone weapons are a pair of Echoplexes modded by Bill Webb of Austin Vintage Guitars. Webb has removed the tape loop and bypassed it to allow Johnson to use other effects, including a Catalinbread Belle Epoch Tape Delay and MXR Digital Time Delays, in place of tape and still get the sweetening the devices' preamps deliver.

This is cool, but you do lose the wow and flutter of the tape passing the heads, which is caused by a fucked tape, worn record/play/erase heads or dirty pinch roller—and let’s face it, nobody wants a dirty pinch roller…

On its own, these ‘imperfections’ sound very funky, but when mixed with the original signal, it creates a chorus-type effect with random detune. It’s unpredictable, and that’s the joy.

I have used it—and will again—on our recordings. Stick vocals, guitars, drums—basically anything—in an aux send on the board, then return it to a channel and boomaroono!

We are Radial Engineering artists, and here is an unashamed plug. If you want to use unbalanced guitar/bass effects in your studio or rig, you must have the EXTC stereo guitar effects interface, which also doubles as a reamper.

Emulations.

There are literally hundreds of pedals that claim to replicate the whole sound, and some that only emulate the preamp section. Apart from the Catalinbread Epoch Boost, which is championed by Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, I have tried the best-reviewed ones, but found them sadly lacking.

The one that I believe sounds closest to our Echoplex preamp is the ChaseTone secret preamp, which I have owned for many years. Kyle Chase has done a splendid job in recreating the circuit, but even though it’s good, it still doesn’t sound like mine. Why is that?

It’s all about tempering.

Any bit of analogue gear has been switched on, off, heated and cooled thousands of times, hence the components drift out of value, and therefore each one sounds different.

This is the issue I have with pedals and plugins. They may sound like the ones they have modelled, but they don’t sound like ours.

I have had many a heated discussion about this, generally with people who have never even seen an original, never mind used one in anger. It’s the same with compressors and other rack-mount studio gear. “Oh, this Urie 1176 plugin sounds just like an original”.

Every fucker seems to manufacture a digital emulation. Strymon attempt it in the Timeline and El Capistan, but having owned both, they just don’t sound the same. Pedals can be great, but with the notable exception of the OTO Machines BIM—which makes a great job of replicating the Lexicon Primetime (although with a uniquely French counterintuitive designed user interface), emulations and copies are mostly arse.

Vibe.

In isolation, they sound OK, until you compare them with an original, record them or use them in a live set, IMHO, lacklustre nonsense.

It’s not just the sound. It’s the physical connection you get with a vintage item that makes you feel different, and creativity is all about feel.

Watch Daniel Lanois work with his Lexicon Prime time, and you will see what I mean.

This seems harsh, and thousands of world-class players will disagree with me, but I can hear and feel the difference.

Digital.

A little digression here, as we do use alternative delay units both live and in the studio.

We have in our studio, the Supertone SonicLab, an OTO Machines BIM, vintage TC Electronic 2290, Eventide Eclipse, H3000 and H90, Line 6 DL4 MkII (on ’s live board) and a most excellent Meris LVX.

Talking of Starlite, she writes for Bass Musician Magazine and has done a great series on her bass journey, featuring all her gear. It’s called Walking The Bass Line and is worth a read if you have the time.

In my live rig, I currently use the H90, BIM and LVX in a wet-dry-wet configuration, but as I mentioned earlier, that’s for another article.

Tape echo reproductions.

I would be remiss not to include modern reproductions of the tape echoes.

Echofix EF-X3R Chorus Echo

We own a rack-mount version of this superb device. It’s an accurate clone of the original Roland Space Echo RE-501 Chorus Echo. The chorus effect is to die for and has a few really cool features which represent a genuine improvement over the original, such as the automatic turning off of the motor when not being used, thereby saving tape and head wear, plus individual outputs for all the tape heads.

Fultone TTE (Tube Tape Echo) / SSTE

Sadly, these models are no longer produced as recently Fultone was bought out and they have not reappeared in the product line, probably as they were very expensive to make and known to be temperamental.

We are still looking for a valve/tube version to add to our collection, or even better, find a reasonably priced EP-2 original.

Maintenance.

Maintaining these buggers is tricky, and I have to say, on a long tour, I would certainly take two.

Regular cleaning of the tape heads, pinch roller and replacing the tape is essential. I use Isopropyl alcohol on the heads, making sure it’s totally dry before rethreading the tape. I remove the roller by taking off the surclip with long-nosed pliers, then sliding it off. We have a special pinch roller cleaner which doesn’t dry out the rubber and ensures all the tape deposit is removed before replacing. A drop of light sewing machine oil on the spindle (the same stuff we use on our Hammond M100 organ tonewheel spindle) and off you go.

Degaussing.

Degaussing is not a form of sexual experimentation, but a process of demagnetising the heads, which I do every few months. This is common in regular maintenance of multitrack tape machines, but you have to be very careful, as improper use can be disastrous.

It’s all about the tape.

EchoFix sells replacement bits, including the precut to length tapes, but the cartridges are trickier to obtain, and the EC-1, which also fits the Fultone TTE/SSTE, are available from Soundgas in the UK.

We have a lot of experience with tape editing and bought a reel of 1/4” from the beautiful people at RTM, who are based in France. It’s much cheaper to buy it this way and takes about an hour to replace and reload each cartridge.

So is it worth the grief?

In a world of digital convenience, wrestling with vintage-style delays and cranked amps can feel like an uphill battle. We don’t use this gear because it’s easy; we use it because it has a character that nothing else can replicate.

Ultimately, great music is about more than just ‘correct’ audio; it’s about the feeling that a perfectly saturated tape delay or a cranked valve amp inspires in the player. That emotion translates directly to the performance.

So, for the sake of the music: yes, yes, yes—it is absolutely worth the grief.

See you next time.

Much love

Simon

Step into a world where history and art intertwine

Inspired by the laundry billowing from Portuguese balconies, I was thrilled to realise a long-held dream - to create my first public art installation in Portugal. A celebration of the women of the world: mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers and daughters.

Raising A Nation ran for a full month at the Malaica Social Art Club in Caldas da Rainha, a UNESCO City of Culture. The process took me deep-diving down some fascinating rabbit holes.

The Ritual of the Everyday

The installation reimagines the daily ritual of hanging washing as a profound act of love and a symbol of care. It transforms a simple domestic task into a testament to the tireless work that builds families and fuels communities—including those whose love now lives only in the wind and memory.

The Alchemy of Creation

Women carry the ancestral power of creation: the gift of growing life, the threshold of birth, and the alchemy of breast milk—the first food of a nation. This is more than sustenance; it is a child’s first connection to the village, a biological transmission of strength, immunity, and love.

To celebrate the female breast and the gift of milk, I created a giant boob out of papier-mâché—a labour of love that took three weeks to complete.

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A journey of sight and sound

Through striking portraits of real women, personal legacies are interwoven with the timeless wisdom of folklore and the traditions they’ve carried forward.

Raising A Nation is an immersive journey—an invitation to connect with the unyielding spirit of the women who shape, feed and fuel a nation.

Language & Lavadouros

Who would have thought there was such a deep connection to washing…

Mexericar - to gossip / to meddle.

Mexeriqueira - a gossip: the term mexerico (gossip) is deeply tied to the “mixing” and “stirring” movements of communal work, like washing or sorting grains. It describes the way a story is “rubbed” and “twisted” until it changes, much like the clothes on the granite.

O Ciclo do Mexerico: the Gossip Cycle, instead of the Wash Cycle: just as the women “stirred” the water and “rubbed” the clothes, they “stirred” the news of the town.

Visit my website to find out more about the inventions that liberated women, the history of public wash houses (lavadouros), the Right To Dry Movement and how AI is affecting our lives - it’s been a truly fascinating discovery.

Read the full story on my website

Make My Fucking Milk

This is the fifth instalment in the White Fire series of poems. I wrote this about breastfeeding as part of the installation. To read others, click the red button below.

Click here to see them all

make my fucking milk

sorry i haven’t seen 
the latest coolest film
cos i’ve been intently busy
trying to make you milk

trying to get my tits working 
human cow - I am your mother  
trying to make you milk

suck on me ‘cos you’re my baby
I will make you milk
just suck
suck 
suck on me
I will make you milk 

suck hard
deliberately 
suck hard on my human teet

suck, suck 
suck me hard
I will make you milk 

suck, suck, suck, me hard 
suck me hard but gently 
suck, suck, create demand 
don’t clamp your gums too tightly 

if you don’t suck 
suck me hard 

I can't 
make 
you 
milk

Inspired by and dedicated to my daughter, Sarah Hicks-Campbell

Listen

Words and voice by Suzy Starlite. Recorded by Simon Campbell and fucked up by the wonderful Filipe Chagas at the Supertone SonicLab. ℗ © Supertone Records, 2026.

It feels a bit surreal writing this note to you with the news that this year I will be releasing my first solo album.

My husband and musical collaborator gave a tantalising glimpse behind the music in our New Year’s article a couple of months ago. You can read it again by clicking the read button below.

Read the backstory

// 1966

Why a solo album, you may ask? It’s all my own work, lyrics and music, plus I’m singing, playing bass, keyboards and acoustic guitar—so it makes perfect sense.

The songs come from a deeply personal place, written when I had lost a sense of myself, in a place I didn’t want to be, struggling on my own with aching self-doubt.

I’m an incredibly private person and from time to time, whether it is chemical or planetary, suffer from debilitating waves of imposter syndrome and sub-zero confidence, where I don’t feel good enough—slowly drowning.

A while back now, I stayed up for a few weeks with my acoustic guitar, a bottle of Jack Daniels and Diet Coke and wrote by candlelight through the night. I was restless, felt like I had lost myself and needed to find my voice and the music inside me.

Drifting, embracing solitude, humming melodies, thinking of nothing, waiting patiently to find a glimpse of my soul. It took a few days until the music started to flow; sometimes I sobbed, sometimes I wrote with angry defiance, other times with gentle wonder.

// Year of the Fire Horse

That journey to find my voice led me back to my roots, and to the symbol that has always defined my spirit: I am a Fire Horse, born on 8th July, 1966.

With its roots in the ancient lunar calendar tradition, the Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle in which each year is represented by an animal sign: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig - attributing certain personality traits to various birth years.

Add to this the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water, and rotate—creating a 60-year cycle. Each element is believed to influence one’s traits and destiny.

For me, Fire is the element of transformation—the heat that burns away self-doubt to reveal the spirit beneath.

The Fire Horse is a rare, high-energy year. The Horse is a “yang” energy: dynamic, vital, bold. It’s an animal that symbolises strength, freedom, forward motion, courage and power. These characteristics are amplified by Fire, a flamboyant element that represents boldness, passion and action.

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The fire horse reigns. Artist Patti Smith wrote these words about the year of the Fire Horse:

“A foal breaking from his mother flying across a field as children cry keep growing, keep going. And his hooves were fitted in gold forged by the God of flame, tempered by the embers raced upon. Jump through the blazing hoop was the exalted command, yet he suddenly performed the unexpected. Without hesitation he hurdled high above it. No one saw that coming, not the Ringmaster, nor the farrier, nor the giddy children who followed him through time. Laurels were tossed about his neck, bright ribbons tied to the rings of his saddle, a silver saddle, flung from an inferno, not fashioned by the hands of man. You can do anything, they all cried, as he leapt into the maze of the future, in a ring of fire with his hair aflame.” - Patti Smith

And here is a piece written by Jesse Paris Smith, daughter of Patti.

Jesse Paris Smith

Happy Year of the Fire Horse <3

Happy Lunar New Year, everyone! The Year of the Fire Horse is upon us. I hope everyone has been doing well. This transition out of the year of the Wood Snake into the Fire Horse year has been intense and life changing, pushing forward into a brave new era, and I am ready. Are you feeling ready…

Read more

2 months ago · 435 likes · 88 comments · Jesse Paris Smith

// 1966 album preview concert

From thoughts on paper and music from the heart under the late-night glow of candlelight, I am thrilled to announce a very special 1966 solo album preview concert on Saturday, 9th May in the beautiful city of Caldas da Rainha, Portugal. Doors open at 1930.

Along with my four-piece band, I will be performing at the Atelier-Museu António Duarte, bringing these new songs to life in a space that celebrates the same creative fire that forged them.

Since the Atelier-Museu is an intimate setting, it’s going to be a rare, “in the room” experience before the rest of the world hears the record.

Due to the intimate size of the space, tickets for the event are limited; I recommend purchasing them in advance. Click the read button below to find out more and book tickets.

See you there!

Much love

Suzy

Buy tickets

All about the hounds of rock

La Vie en France

When Simon and I first got together, we left the Isle of Man seeking adventure and a new chapter. We had Hummock, our black Labrador, but decided she needed a sister for hairy beast company and other shenanigans.

If you want to find out about the backstory to Bobby, you can also read the article, Puppy Love, before moving on.

Meeting Bobby and Lola, Hummock and Bobby’s Mum

So there we were, on our way with Hummock to pick up Bobby from the depths of Cumbria in England. We stopped off at a local pub and went for a walk before we drove up to the farm at High House Labradors, where Dom and Jan Atkinson also bred horses.

All these thoughts rushed through my mind, the biggest angst being that we were about to take a puppy away from her mother. It really bothered me. However, I knew Bobby would be united with her half-sister, and we would endeavour to give her the best love-filled life ever.

Memories came flooding back of when, as a young child, my father, Rolie, had driven the whole family down to pick up Jenny, our new Springer Spaniel pup. When we got home, Dawn, Martin, Lorna (siblings), and I sat on the sofa. Jenny comedically plonked her way across the undulating terrain of our legs as if she was playing the piano; each ploddy paw and slip produced a giggled note of joy.

We arrived at High House in good time, and Jan let us into the living room, where we proceeded to sit on the floor—the best way to meet a puppy for the first time, maintaining eye contact. And then, in she bounced! Woohoo!! Dashing and bouncing and kissing and playing…

Then in came Lola, Bobby and Hummock’s mum. It was the first time Hummock had seen her since she had left home - a beautiful double-bubble moment.
We didn’t take any photos, obviously.

Bobby was everything and more that we could have dreamed of!

Highhouse Roche Moutonnée (Bobby’s official name, a combination of the breeder’s name plus a rock formation created by the passing of a glacier) was a bit of a mouthful, and we couldn’t envisage how we could use the name, so we decided to stick with Bob.

The pub

When the time was right, we left with Bobby cradled in my arms and made our way to the mighty Tempest Arms, where we would be staying overnight. It was our favourite place to stay in the area as it was homely, served great quality food and a mighty pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord bitter.

Trust us to put Bob’s lead around the table leg - she got excited, tried to run, pulled the table and simultaneously tipped over Simon’s pint, resulting in being bathed in a shower of the world’s best bitter! It did wonders for her fur coat, and of course, she licked up the residue. That’s my girl!

Recording an album and an EP at the Chairworks

After a delicious meal and a good night’s sleep, the next day we made our way to The Chairworks studio in Castleford, with our two hairy beasts.

We set up Bobby’s cage in the kitchen, and while Simon was working, I took her out numerous times every day for a jiggle in the park and a run up and down. It was such a happy and special moment in time; not only were we working in a recording studio (one of life’s ultimate experiences), but we also had a new puppy! Win! Win!

Yes, her barking pierced through acoustically treated doors just when we were trying to record guitars or vocals sensitively, yes – when over-excited, she left puddles of delight on the floor, yes, she looked so cute that it was hard to leave her in the next room and focus on our work…

The producer on Simon’s second solo album, The Knife, was Andy Seward (Martin Simpson / Kate Rusby), and he took the whole shebang well in his ubiquitous Yorkshire stride. Drummer Keith Angel (the Angel Brothers) was just like his name and a joy with the girls.

When Christian Madden (Oasis, Liam Gallagher, The Earlies) rocked up for his session, he was both comedic and gentle with the ‘Fearsome Bob: fart of a Lion.’

Then we all went out for our traditional curry at Castleford’s finest, the excellent Red Chilli!

During this period at the Chairworks, we also recorded our Electrolite EP with our great friend and analogue synthesiser guru Mark Cleator: electronica and Americana in the same session!

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Spain #1 | Music at Calle Laurel, Montesano

We had just moved to a town close to Valencia. Spain, when we picked up Bobby. It was a new start in a new house in a new town in a new country for all of us.

You can tell she likes her beer ;)

Hummock and Bobby got on famously from the start…

The Mediterranean

At the top of our list was getting Bobby into the water as soon as possible so she wouldn’t be frightened. It’s such a joyful moment watching a young pup experience the beach for the first time. She loved it and proceeded to roll around in the sand and ended up wearing half the beach on her face, now known as sand snout.

Bobby being introduced to the Mediterranean…

Spain #2 | Supertone, a residential recording studio

After a year, we decided to make a big move and open a residential recording studio in the mountain village of Estivella, about 30 minutes northwest of Valencia. We had collected all this amazing analogue gear (music is our passion), and we loved recording. Simon had been a producer for Island Records in the past, and besides our own musical experimentation and output, we also wanted to work with other musicians.

The trees of shame

The girls had a lot of space to run around, and loved hanging out in the studio welcoming our visitors; they were very much a part of the whole ‘Laurel Canyon’ vibe at our new project.

However, following a spate of food thefts, I had to make a poster to alert our clients to the potential hazards of leaving food within their snouty reach.

An American musician brought a cool box full of cheese, beer and sausages with him and left it innocently in the living room. Unbeknown to us, when we were upstairs recording, the girls were ‘up to no good’. They knocked over the cool box, stole all the food and disappeared into the garden, hiding under the cover of the trees where they proceeded to devour their stolen bounty. Hence, we renamed the area The Trees of Shame.

Another time, a client swore he’d packed a special panini for his lunch but could not find it in his bag. The next day, I discovered remnants of silver foil pieces underneath The Trees of Shame.

Then there was the incident of the massive pizza that disappeared off the side in the kitchen whilst recording a cool Spanish band; all that was left was the empty wrapper wafting around on the kitchen floor.

Don’t let them fool you with their adorable eyes: you have been warned!

Sessions at Supertone

Chris Cheek

We were really excited as uber-talented New York saxophonist Chris Cheek was flying in to record his new album Saturday Songs at the studio. Our good friend Jorge Rossy was playing drums, vibes & marimba, David Soler on pedal steel, Steve Cardenas on guitar and Jaume Llombard on bass. I lent Jaume my Gretsch Thunder Jet shortscale bass for the recording. Simon engineered the session. Take a listen to the album here:

The lump

Everything went fantastically well, and it was a fabulous experience except things took a bad turn for Bobby.

Berit, Jorgy’s partner, had found Bob choking on something in the garden and had taken something out of her mouth. There was blood, and it didn’t look good.

Simon was in the middle of the session, so he couldn’t do anything. I called Mercedes, our vet and within minutes drove Bobby over in the Van of Rock to get her checked out.

When we arrived, they immediately put an oxygen mask on her - I’d never seen such a long probing snout version before. I made sure I kept calm so that Bobby would not panic. When checking her over, they discovered a big lump hidden away in the pit of her front right leg. I didn’t understand it - we are always tactile with our girls and had never felt that before.

Mercedes decided to keep her in overnight and took some blood for testing.

There was nothing I could do, and drove back to the studio where, of course, I had to keep it professional and look after our guests.

The lump turned out to be cancerous, and they operated. We weren’t sure if she was going to make it, as they didn’t know if the cancer had spread. Mercedes said that she had done a thorough job, and all we could do was wait and see how she got on.

Happy to say Bobby survived and is still with us twelve years later - HUGE RELIEF!!!!

Moon Panda

Simon engineered a recording session at Supertone for ace Danish and American band Moon Panda, who were Master’s students at Berklee College of Music at their Valencia Campus. Bobby knows exactly the right place to be ;)

Hounds and the market in Estivella

We love shopping locally, especially with fresh produce at the market. It became a weekly ritual of ours, so much so that we even bought a cool lime green ‘grandma’ shopping trolley. I tell you now, they are a lifesaver when you’ve got a few pounds of potatoes, onions, carrots and all the veg for your weekly shop to carry! So think about it before you mock - it makes perfect sense.

We always took the girls with us to the market - after all, it was part of our family day out, and secured them next to our favourite veg stall where they would inevitably be given treats of fresh carrots to munch on!

Watch the video below - everyone loved the girls…

The girls loved the walks in our local area, through miles of orange groves and giant aloe vera plants that looked like aliens had invaded. Looking at the footage we took from these times brings back so many memories. Here is a short video showing the dried-up river bed that was suddenly full of water after a shed load of rain…

Blueberry Pie

Before Simon and I dramatically fell big-style in love, we had separate artistic and musical careers; we both wrote songs, played instruments and had our own bands.

After a year together, we decided it was time to unite musically and form the Starlite Campbell Band. For a creative challenge, we gave ourselves a time limit of writing an album in ten days. The girls were always around, inspiring us.

We called the album Blueberry Pie after a song we wrote about how much the world had changed, but not your Grandma’s home cooking. We featured a photo I took on a film camera for a school project on the front cover - it was my Nana Betty flickin’ the V sign.

Watch the official album promo video using footage from the launch gig - I think it captures the atmosphere of our time in Spain—look out for Bobby and Hummock :)

The crossroads

The album was very successful all over the world, and we had to make a choice.

It may not have been a ‘Robert Johnson’ Crossroads moment, but we were so inspired and loved our life as musicians that we seriously had to decide what to do: did we want to stay in Spain running the studio or hit the road and be free to tour and go on new adventures?

Knowing us, it was a no-brainer, and we took the latter option, waved goodbye to Spain and headed off with Bobby and Hummock to the Isle of Man, where Simon and I had first met.

We needed time to do some reconnaissance on the ground and work out which country or area would be the best for our music and creative lifestyle.

The Isle of Man

We love the island, and so do the girls. We rented a small cottage in the southern town of Castletown and quickly made ourselves at home. Our studio gear went into temporary storage with our great friend Mark Cleator, who runs Red Lyon Studios on the island, whilst we started booking tours and gigs.

I love this photo of Simon with the girls in Mark’s live room. That’s Max on the right by the way - I rescued him from a closing down shop in Manchester years ago, and he’s been my companion ever since.

There’s one thing that keeps you active, especially in the winter months, and that’s the fact that you have to go on lots of walks as hounds need the exercise and stimulation, and Bobby and Hummock were no exception. They loved running through fields and fetching sticks from the sea; they’ve probably extended our lives by years.

Just to show you how magnificent the island is, here is some stick-throwing action in winter. Spot the seal…

TT gigs

It would be remiss of me not to include a little glimpse into our epic Isle of Man TT gig marathon, where we headlined the Hooded Ram Marquee Tent on the Promenade in Douglas three times, and played everywhere across the island from campsites to pubs, clocking up a mighty 17 gigs in 16 days!! Rock ‘n’ Roll baby!!

Germany and lockdown

We decided our next move would be to Germany, which would serve as a great base for touring Northern Europe. We relocated all our studio to the village of Thören, about an hour south of Hamburg and started writing our next album, The Language of Curiosity, when Covid and the subsequent lockdown stopped the world.

The thing we didn’t know before we moved is that outside of the cities, there is not really a pub or bar culture where you can hang out and meet people. In the nearest town of Winsen-Aller, if you wanted to go out for a glass of wine or a beer, then your only option was to go to a restaurant. It felt a little lonely as we love to take the girls out and have a beer and a chat.

The only place in the village that offered a regular opportunity for a social gathering was a five-minute walk to the local Schützenhaus (shooting club), where you could get a beer between 7 and 9 pm.

UK tour

We had a short tour booked in the UK, which included concerts at The Met in Bury and The Half Moon in Putney. Early on, we met our next-door neighbours, the family Fricke: grandma, grandpa, son and daughter all lived next to each other and were adjacent to our place. They were cool, loved animals, and when we were on tour left the girls in the capable hands of Julia.

Within a week of us returning to Germany, the whole world stopped: Covid 19 was here.

I don’t want to revisit that time here, as so many experienced loss and trauma. These are some beautiful memories from our time in the village.

We made some wonderful friends, some of whom we are still in contact with to this day.

Hounds on tour

We hate leaving the girls in kennels, and whenever we can, we take them with us. They have travelled to the UK, the Isle of Man, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland, France and Spain - we just bang their cage in the back, load up the gear and off we go :)

The highlight for us was when we played a theatre in the Czech Republic and the girls were in their baskets backstage. When we were taking our bow at the end of the concert, I rushed back and brought them on stage to say hello to everyone - the whole room erupted with joy and laughter!! Brilliant!!

Rehearsals

Our ultimate European move, Portugal

We didn’t want to stay in Germany long-term. After Covid and the live music industry in tatters, we had to make a final destination choice thanks to Brexit.

It’s hard to differentiate between what you need and what you want, so we made two different lists and discussed it at length.

After living in different countries for the past twelve years, we knew we missed the Iberian way of living and definitely the climate (who wouldn’t). So after much deliberation, we decided to give Portugal a go.

On paper, there were many things we had in common. Simon had visited many years ago, and I had never been!

The house found us

Out of the whole of Portugal, there was only one house for rent that had enough space for us to relocate the studio located in the town of Samora Correia in the Ribatejo district, about half an hour north of Lisbon. We weren’t able to travel to recce the house at that point, so a video tour had to suffice. The house wasn’t great, but we were extremely limited in choice. We decided that it could serve as a good start to the next chapter; to have a base we could then start exploring the country to find out where we wanted to be if it didn’t work out.

Bobby and Hummock were used to moving and touring, so as long as we were together, that’s all they really cared about.

Mid-November, in between the two lockdowns, there was a window of opportunity, and we managed to move all the Supertone studio gear in an articulated lorry from Germany down to Portugal five weeks before Brexit. It was close…

No bones in the studio!

We don’t have many rules for the hounds, but one is ‘no bones in the studio’.

Music video shoot

We were contacted by artist and videographer Amanada Naughton, who was really interested in working with us on some video projects.

Amanda was great to work with, and she had complete artistic freedom regarding the storyboarding, filming and editing of the music video for our single release Gaslight from our second studio album The Language of Curiosity.

Bob really wanted to be in the video. We had a scene where an orange was rolled down a skateboard, and she was there, every take, doing a great job as a retriever!

Watch the outtake here and then spot Bob in the official video below.

The squeakers

At this point, we decided that we needed some new puppies in the family to keep Hummock and Bobby youthful, so they could pass on their wisdom.

Read part four to find out about our road trip to Paris to meet our new puppies, Françoise and Edith.

Foz do Arelho, Portugal

After four years in Samora Corriea we wanted to move to a creative city, and our wonderful friends David Mourato and Jo Correia invited us to Caldas da Rainha, a UNESCO City of Culture about an hour north of Lisboa on the Silver Coast.

That morning, we thought we’d visit a house for rent, and then the guys gave us a guided tour of the city. We knew within an hour this was the place we wanted to be.

After incredibly difficult and extremely stressful negotiations, we finally moved to the coastal village of Foz do Arelho in November 2024.

Supertone SonicLab

It’s never easy moving as we have so much gear, but we managed it in record time and after a few setbacks with the house, we were finally able to start setting up the studio a few months after we moved in. Read more in our recent article.

Our hairy beasts love it here, especially our trips to the Òbidos lagoon, where they love going for a swim. It’s a little taste of paradise.

It was only then that we realised Bob was going blind. We would throw a very large log-like stick into the water for her to retrieve, and she couldn’t see it, even when it was within inches of her nose. It’s even worse if the sun is bright and she’s even tried to retrieve Hummock on the odd occasion, mistaking her tail for a stick! She also transforms into bombastic Bob and runs off halfway down the beach with her prize and rolls in the sand with much gusto.

Bobby is a very happy girl and has really blossomed this last year as she bonds with the puppies, and now they are always hanging out together, sleeping with their heads on each other’s backs. It’s heart-melting!

Daily rituals

In the mornings when we let the girls out for their morning ablutions, there’s only one hound that has a high-pitched bark that can pierce through a multitude of walls and doors - yes, you guessed it - Fearsome Bob!! It’s excrutiating and you simply can’t ignore her!

Bob loves her bed and is always sneaking off.

She has the final lick of the yoghurt pot and is such a gentle, gorgeous girl.

As she approaches her thirteenth birthday, she has finally found ‘second gear ‘when out on walks. She has never been able to pace herself to walk alongside you when she is off the lead, having to circle back to try and level up. As soon as she does, a few paces more and she’s off again - Simon and I say she is always in third gear!

So there you are, I hope you’ve enjoyed sharing in the adventures of Fearsome Bob.

Here’s to more love, cuddles, fetching sticks, eating great food and having fun…

Bobby Starlite-Campbell 2026

It’s been a while, but it’s good to be back. Last year was a bit of a steep climb, and I had to step back for a while to focus on the essentials. Thankfully, things have calmed down, the coffee’s hot, the beer is cold, and we are officially back in the saddle.

2026 is looking like a cracker—I’m releasing my first solo album, and there’s a lot more in the works from Starlite & Campbell, the VIBRATIONISTS, and my session work for the lovely Trent Chapa.

I’ll be getting stuck into the bass side of things shortly, but first, in case you missed it, here’s a New Year’s greeting to celebrate a brand new chapter with you all.

All about the bass…

If you happen to stumble across this article, and to understand where it all started, it may be worth reading Walking the Bass Line #7, which is the first in my series for new bass players, or, if you want to deep dive, check out all the articles about my bass journey by hitting the red button below.

All about bass guitar

You can also find the article and other great bass-related stuff at Bass Musician Magazine where I am a regular contributor.

Let’s start a little theory

Before we continue the chronological journey through my bass career to date, we need to confront a little theory, whilst not trying to fry your head.

Track breakdown | Blow Them All To Pieces

As I mentioned in my previous article, I was hoping to do a full breakdown of two tracks for you this time, but things have been a bit of a squeeze with our current workload. Instead, I’ve dug out a video from a couple of years back where I’m playing Blow Them All To Pieces from Starlite.One. I’ll be sure to do the full ‘behind-the-scenes’ talk soon—stay tuned for that!

Working with the chords

The most important thing about the bass part in Blow Them All To Pieces is the melody and how it works with the chords, which I will be covering in the next edition. For now, let’s look at the basis—I was going to say bassis, but that would be far too cheesy—of my thinking.

I’m all about the melody—as soon as I hear a few chords, a tune pops into my head straight away. It’s how I write everything, from the songs themselves down to the bass lines.

To be honest, it can be a bit of a nightmare technically, especially when I’m doing session work. You haven’t got the luxury of sitting around for hours treading water and ‘finding the vibe’. You’ve got to be sharp, get stuck in, and nail the part right then and there. No hanging about.

When I first started playing bass, I had a bit of an epiphany: you’ve got to master the ‘safe’ notes within a chord and wrap your head around scale harmonisation. It sounds like academic heavy lifting, but once it clicks, it’s a total game-changer for your playing.

Take a piece in G Major. The major scale is G, A, B, C, D, E, F♯, and these are the likely root notes of chords you will find in the song.

When you stack these into triads (three-note chords), the landscape reveals itself: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F♯m♭5 (that lovely, bruised half-diminished sound we’ll dive into next time), and back home to the G major octave.

If a song is in G major, these are the chords most likely to show up. Your ‘safe harbour’ notes for each chord are the root, the third (major or minor), and the fifth. Now, you could just stick to the root and fifth—it’s the ‘reliable’ choice, but frankly, it’s a bit pedestrian. We’ve all heard a million country tracks that don’t dare to stray further.

Make your bass lines cool

The real trick I picked up early on? You aren’t tethered to the root. It’s far more evocative to lean into the third, the fifth, or even a cheeky seventh—which I will discuss next time. It adds a bit of grit and character to the line.

For example, take God Only Knows by The Beach Boys.

The bass line is famous for avoiding the root notes. Brian Wilson (who composed the part exactly as played) used two bassists, Ray Pohlman (electric bass) & Lyle Ritz (upright), to highlight inversions (putting the third or fifth in the bass). This creates that famous sense of ‘suspended’ emotion, where the song never quite feels like it’s landing on solid ground until the very end.

Fun fact. While many associate bass on the Pet Sounds sessions exclusively with the legendary Carol Kaye, on this track she played 12 string guitar!

If you want to try something more straightforward, try While My Guitar Gently Weeps, by The Beatles.

Remember, when playing the line, look at the underlying chords and understand which note from the chord they are using in the bass!

But that’s quite enough theory for one session.

Before we leave though, take a look at what Kid Anderson has to say about George Porter’s much-discussed note in The Meters’ track, Cissy Strut. Very, very funny and always makes me laugh…

Endorsements #2

As mentioned in my previous article, I endorse several products, but in the real world, what does that mean?

Firstly, I only endorse products I love and use. In exchange for the endorsement, I receive discounts on the products, ranging from modest to mind-bogglingly great!

Currently, I am lucky enough to be working with Curt Mangan Strings, Matamp, Scott Dixon Cases (which have saved my basses more time than you can believe), HiWatt, Fylde Guitars, Bergantino Audio Systems, TWS Pedals, Radial Engineering, ACS, Sequential, Hipshot, Mike Lull Guitars & Basses, Hudson Electronics, Headway Music Audio, Supertone, Lehle and our wonderful friend Jez Levy of Eyes on St Albans.

So, how do you do it?

You always have to remember that a commercial organisation will want something in exchange for preferential discounts, and therefore, you must have something to offer them.

If you are a famous session musician like Guy Pratt, Pino Palladino, Gail Ann Dorsey or Rhonda Smith, it’s easy. Even easier if you are a world-famous artist: I am sure companies are falling over themselves to encourage the likes of Justin Chancellor (Tool), Joe Dart (Vulfpeck), Paz Lenchantin (Pixies) and the wonderful Laura Lee (Khruangbin) to use their products!

For me, it’s just about loving the product, then contacting them. If they think you can help their brand, they will come back with an offer of some type, which usually includes promotion of the products at live gigs, social media and…

Interviews

Over the years, I have been interviewed many times, first by Joel McIver for the now-defunct Bass Guitar Magazine (Bass Guitar) in November 2018 and July 2022, I was featured on the Wonderwoman section of the ‘No Treble’ website with a feature-length article and 60-minute video interview with the wonderful Britanny Frompovitch.

2025 saw me becoming a writer for Bass Musician Magazine and the editor, Raul Amado, interviewed me. Take a look!

It’s this type of thing that encourages suppliers to work with you.

Take a deep dive by visiting the equipment section of my website by clicking the red button below.

Deep dive into my gear

Alternatively, you can…

Buy me a pint

A big surprise

I haven’t given birth to children, but on marrying my musical and life partner , I inherited two fully grown and well-trained sons, James (Jim) and Joseph (Joe). In the 13 years since we have been together, they have both married, and we now have three grandchildren: who’d have thought it, eh…

We have always lived in Europe together, but visit them as much as we can.

Several years ago, the band were staying in Brixton, London, hanging out with Jim for a couple of days after playing a gig at The Half Moon in Putney.

We had just opened our first adventurous beer of the day when in walks Jim carrying his 1974 Fender Precision and proceeds to place it in my hands, saying that he would like me to have his bass as he doesn’t play anymore, and I will make more use of it! What an amazing gift!

Here is a detailed piece on my website…

Check out my vintage Fender Precision

My amps & cabs (part three)

As mentioned in my last article, I like to play loud on stage using valve (tube) amps and big cabinets. The funny thing is—which I haven’t gotten my head around yet—is that a 200W valve amp sounds louder and more present than a more powerful, solid state (transistor) based amp.

If you have any ideas, please comment below. I am keen to find out!

Over the past few years I have seen the resurgence of lower powered valve amps, such as vintage 100W Fender Bassman stacks on stage replacing the ubiquitous—but still wonderful—Ampeg SVT. Perhaps it’s because stages are getting quieter, I don’t know.

Sunn have rereleased the legendary 60W 200S and no Nashville studio is complete without a vintage 25W Ampeg B15N Portaflex.

Bass players still love the sound of the mighty valve!!

A little history about British valve (tube) amps

In the early days, British amps were trying to be ‘clean.’ You had brands like Selmer and Watkins (WEM) popping up, but the real game-changer was Vox. Dick Denney at Jennings Musical Instruments (JMI) created the AC15 in 1958. When bands needed more volume to be heard over screaming fans, they doubled it to create the AC30 championed by The Shadows and The Beatles.

As the decade progressed, players needed more grunt. Remember, this was in the days before great PA systems, with bands relying on guitar and bass amps on stage to be heard.

Jim Marshall, a drum shop owner, started building amps because American imports like the Fender Bassman were too pricey. He took the Bassman circuit, tweaked it for British components (like the KT66 and later EL34 valves), and created the JTM45 and later SuperLead/SuperBass 100W and Major 200W models as demand for more power became prevalent.

While Marshall was all about saturation, other builders focused on clarity and military-grade construction. Enter Sound City—known as the proto HiWatt and HiWatt.

Dave Reeves’ Hiwatt amps were the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of the amp world. Used heavily by guitar and bass players of the time, they offered massive headroom—they stayed clean and punchy even at ear-splitting volumes. Yes, that’s why I own a HiWatt DR201 (200W) from the 70s and wrote about it in edition #8 of this series.

Matamp & Orange

Matamp has one of those classic British origin stories that starts in a garden shed and ends up on the world stage.

The foundation was laid by Mat Mathias, a German-born engineer who moved to the UK during WWII. Around 1945 or 1946, he started a business called RadioCraft in Huddersfield. At first, he was basically the “Radio Doctor,” fixing anything electronic, but by the late 50s, he’d opened a recording studio and was experimenting with his own amplifier circuits because he wanted a different sound from the ubiquitous Vox amps of the era.

The name we know today appeared in 1964. Mat partnered with a hi-fi engineer named Tony Emerson. This is when things got serious. They released the Series 2000, which caught the ear of a young Peter Green. Green used his Matamp to record much of the early Fleetwood Mac catalogue, giving the brand instant ‘holy grail’ status among blues-rockers.

In 1968, Mat teamed up with Cliff Cooper, who owned the Orange music shop in London. For a few years, Matamp actually manufactured the amplifiers for Orange (the legendary Orange-Matamp units) used by Wishbone Ash, Free and Led Zeppelin, amongst others.

By 1971, the partnership split because Orange wanted to move to mass production, while Mat wanted to keep things small, hand-built, and high-quality.

The Supertone Matamp 200

I love my HiWatt but it’s 42 years old, and although ultra-reliable, touring with just one amp is a dangerous business. I also needed a new sound, something bigger at the bottom end and a more prominent mid-range.

Simon has known the current owner of Matamp, Jeff Lewis, for many years. He is a troublesome Yorkshireman, in a very cool kind of way and always swayed by a pack of chocolate biscuits! Simon was having a customised 120W amp made for him, and when we met, I asked him if he could build me an old-school Matamp 200. Their current model is the Green / Matamp GT200 mkII, which features a mid-cut control, but I really wanted the original preamp circuit with a few personal tweaks.

Jeff and his amp tech Hayden Minett, built this for me under our Supertone brand, and it is available to buy :)

It’s built like a tank, totally beautiful and can be played at any level—but beware, it can tear your head off...

Another couple of pedals

If you delve into the previous articles, you will see that at this point in my career, I was using a Sonic Research ST-300 TurboTuner, Supertone Custom Bass FUZZ, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal Jr., and ElectroHarmonix POG2 polyphonic octave generator running through a Lehle RMI BassSwitch IQ DI.

Grit…

Listening to Lemmy (Motörhead), Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), and Chris Wolstenholme (Muse), motivated me to explore ‘edge’.

Loud is one thing, but getting the amp to the point of breakup is quite another. As discussed in edition #8, I have a Supertone Fuzz, which is fantastic for solos and specific parts, but I did need something for grit that would not have my band members and the audience being sonically disembowelled.

Enter the…

Hudson Broadcast

I have never played through a classic British broadcast console of the 60s, but we do have a similar type of preamp in the studio: the H2 Audio 2120. This is a faithful recreation of the preamps found in the first Helios consoles, probably best known for the installation in Olympic Studios, London and the recording of Led Zeppelin 1 along with many others including the Rolling Stones, The Who and David Bowie.

When you plug in and raise the gain, the transformer saturates, and components start to overload, giving a fabulous, gritty tone.

The Broadcast is similar but uses a discrete Class-A germanium pre-amplifier (I am not a tech head and know nothing of this; it’s straight from the Hudson Broadcast website).

They go on to say:

“In the low-gain setting, the Broadcast can cover everything from sparkling clean boost through to transparent overdrive, all with a healthy dose of volume available to push your amp. The Broadcast features a specially selected Triad steel-core transformer and a Germanium transistor. Advancing the gain on the Broadcast starts to saturate the transformer and the pedal’s discrete circuitry, giving rise to a gentle and dynamic compression coupled with subtle thickening of the mid-range. With the gain switch in the high setting and the trim control wound up, the Broadcast starts to deliver heavier distorted sounds with a warm and fuzzy edge to them.”

It’s all Japanese to me. All I know is you plug it in, turn it up, mess with the controls and hear the beauty. It’s featured right from the start of Saving Me from our latest studio album Starlite.One.

Compression

99% of every recorded track you hear featuring bass guitar or upright bass will feature compression, to a greater or lesser extent.

But what the hell is compression, and why do we need it??

To explain it in the simplest way possible: imagine you have a tiny, super-fast sound engineer living inside your amp with their hand on the volume knob. Think of a compressor as an automatic volume smoother.

When you play the bass hard and cross a certain line (the Threshold), the ‘engineer’ quickly turns the volume down. When the music gets quiet again, they turn it back up.

So basically, it squashes the difference between your loudest notes and your quietest notes. It makes your playing sound more consistent, allowing it to ‘sit in the mix’. It also adds sustain to a bass or guitar because, as the note naturally fades out, the compressor is effectively ‘turning up’ the tail of the note.

Warning: compression also make any ringing notes, pops, squeaks, or thumps louder, so your technique has to be spot on.

Origin Effects Cali76 Bass Compressor

In the studio, we tend to use rack-mounted studio compressors. Simon favours our vintage DBX 165 and Urei 1176, but there are plethora of pedals available for use in a live scenario. After testing many of them, the Origin Effects Cali76 Bass came out on top.

As you would expect from the name, the Cali76 is inspired by the world-famous Urei 1176.

They are a bit tricky to set up, and not wishing to go over old ground, there are plenty of YouTube videos out there that can help, but as far as I’m concerned its a very usable effect that really tightens up the sound.

There are two very useful controls in addition to those found on many more basic compressors.

The ‘dry’ knob varies the amount of uncompressed signal through the pedal (known as parallel compression). So, you can compress the bass heavily then add some of the original signal which allows the dynamics to shine through! It’s very useful and often used in studio as compression is like a drug; you always want more, but overuse can take the dynamics out of your tone.

The other is the ‘High Pass Filter’ (HPF), which allows you to vary the amount of bass frequencies (0-400Hz) that is allowed through the pedal without compression.

If you think about it, it’s usually the transients—god help me like those created by slap bass techniques—pick attack, and increase in volume and thinness of tone/increase in volume as you move up the neck (especially on the D and G strings) that need controlling. You want the lows to breathe!

Again, I plug it in and mess with the controls until is sounds the way I want it, but you do need to know some technical stuff to get the best out of it! Watch the video.

I always have this on and adjust the amount of signal going into it using my GigRig ATOM switching unit to accommodate my different basses, which have a huge variety of outputs. But more of that next time.

Headroom

The unit allows a power supply to deliver from 9-18V DC. The higher the voltage you give it the more headroom (the amount of level you can put in before distortion) you have. This got me thinking about power supplies: time to speak to Simon, who has been using pedalboards for most of his career. I run this at 12V, as that’s what I have.

And finally

Next month, I will feature my approach to session playing, a new big speaker cabinet, my own signature bass and of course, more pedals.

Please comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Much love

Suzy

We are incredibly excited to share the first single from our new project, VIBRATIONISTS.

While we’ve always pushed boundaries as Starlite & Campbell, VIBRATIONISTS is born from a different spark. When we meet inspirational musicians, we don’t just want them to play on a track; we want to see where a third influence will take us. It’s about stepping onto a path without knowing the destination—and that experience is priceless.

The debut single, a live reimagining of It Ain’t Right, is a true fusion of energies. Produced by Simon Campbell, the track features a deep collaboration between Simon, Suzy Starlite and Northern Irish bodhrán master Dave Boyd.

The Groove of the Unknown

The philosophy is simple: what happens if you take a song and infuse it with a totally different musical DNA? If you recorded with James Gadson on drums or Thom Yorke on loops, the groove would shift in ways you couldn’t predict. That’s the Vibrationist spirit. By bringing Dave’s unique percussive language into the mix, we’ve created a sound and a feel that is fresh, unexpected, and entirely different from the original version released on our second studio album, The Language of Curiosity.

Recorded Raw

To capture that immediate, unrepeatable spark of inspiration, we recorded the track and video LIVE at the Supertone SonicLab. There are no overdubs—just the sound of three musicians inspiring each other in real-time.

VIBRATIONISTS is a wide-open door. We don’t know what will happen next, and that’s exactly why we’re doing it.

The Video

Recorded live at the Supertone SonicLab, the official video edited by Starlite intercuts live footage with vibrant imagery, building on the visuals of the song’s inherent tension to expand the visual and sonic experience.

Much love

Suzy & Simon

It Ain’t Right - Live is available to buy and stream via Bandcamp and all major streaming services. It’s dedicated to the one and only Hummock Campbell, who left us on January 26, 2026.

Watch, buy and stream

Credits

: vocals, acoustic bass | ​⁠: guitars, backing vocals.

Featuring ​⁠Dave Boyd: Bodhrán, loops, keyboards.

Production and engineering: Simon Campbell | Assistant producer/engineer: Suzy Starlite | Music and lyrics: Suzy Starlite & Simon Campbell | Recorded live at the Supertone SonicLab, Foz do Arelho, Portugal | Mastering: Jon Astley, Close to the Edge Mastering, London, England | Photography: Rosivan Morais | Video created, directed and edited: Suzy Starlite | Live direction: Dave Boyd | Live footage shot by Raivis & Veronika Struncens at the Supertone SonicLab, Foz do Arelho, Portugal.

ISRC: GB-D5C-25-00001

℗© 2025 Supertone Records, London, England

Or perhaps…

Buy us a pint

Hello everyone!

We are always keen to make sure you are getting the best experience possible when you’re hanging out with us online. Honestly, keeping on top of everything is tricky, but with it being a brand-new year, we thought it was high time for a bit of a spruce-up.

We have taken a good look at the bits you use most often and added a healthy dose of pizzazz to the whole design. We are chuffed with how it’s looking!

Fancy a peek? Just hit the red button below to see what’s new:

Check out the new design!

// All the tunes in one place

We have given the music page a proper overhaul and wanted to make things as easy as possible, so we’ve embedded our entire discography directly from Bandcamp. This means you can hit play and stream every album and single right there on the site—no hopping around required!

While you’re there, you’ll also find:

• Spotify Discography: Links to our profile on all the major free streaming sites, plus a curated discography of all our music currently streamed on Spotify

• The Merch Stand: Direct links to our shop if you fancy picking up a fresh t-shirt or a vinyl record.

• Digital Collection: Easy links to buy our work on Bandcamp if you want to own the high-res files.

• The Big Screen: We’ve tucked in all our YouTube music videos so you can have a watch while you listen.

It’s all there waiting for you — let us know what you think!

Have a wander through the collection

// Newsletter vs VIBES

We’ve got two different ways for you to stay in the loop, depending on what you’re after. It’s entirely up to you whether you fancy one, both, or neither!

• VIBES: This is the publication you’re reading right now. It’s where we share our latest musings on life, culture, and the geeky side of music tech and art. You’ll also get the odd podcast landing in your inbox whenever we have discovered a new artist to share with you

• The NEWSLETTER: This is the one to join if you want the ‘need to know’ bits. We’ll send you occasional updates on our latest news, merch drops, and tour dates. Plus, as a little thank you for signing up, we’ll send you a free song every day for four days!

Join our newsletter

Alternatively, you can…

Buy us a pint

// Projects

If you’re a regular here at VIBES, you will know we have a few irons in the fire, and these are now featured in the projects tab of our website. At the moment, we’re busy juggling two rather exciting side projects:

• Vibrationists: This is our collaborative playground with some truly brilliant musicians. We’re actually deep in the middle of writing and recording some new bits for this right now—stay tuned!

• Starlite.One: Our home for all things mixed media. Speaking of which, Suzy has a brand-new art installation popping up next week under the Starlite.One banner. It all kicks off on February 7th at the Malaica Social Art Club in Caldas da Rainha and will be there for a month.

Space is a bit tight, so numbers are limited. The tickets are completely free, but you’ll need to bag one in advance to make sure you get in. It’s going to be a cracking night!

Reserve your place!

And finally…

Thanks for continuing to support us, and we wish you all safe passage through the turbulent waters of 2026.

Much love

Suzy & Simon

This article is dedicated to our wonderful Hummock, the oracle, who yesterday moved on to the next plane.

To read other poems in the series, click the red button below.

Click here to see them all

I could live in your house

If you die before me
I could live in your house.
I could keep it warm
when you move out.  

I could put the kettle on
the inimitable AGA
for random people
who might just stop by 
to celebrate you; 
a memory,
a moment, 
maybe even a laugh,
perhaps even a cry,
maybe even a dance
at the end of the night. 

I’d just stay home
and doss around; 
no need to spend money
when you’re not in town. 

If I ever wanted to live in your house,
I’d sit on the front step
hungry,
like a mouse
watching the wandering walkers stomp by
on their way to the swing bridge, 
’cross the River Wye
just to say
”Alright?”

I’d listen out for voices
carried in the air,
and close my eyes
and imagine you were there
with your half of cider
and my roly cigarette;
the only time
we'd usually connect.

Sat there in silence
that’s never really there.
There’s always a sound, 
a frequency we share.

I could prune your roses
even trim the hedge,
keep a tin of condensed milk
on the larder ledge. 

I could play your music
as well as my own
extremely loud;
like The Twilight Zone. 

There’d be no looking back
and no standing still. 
But there’d be logs on the fire
and the smell of time suspended. 

Cracked carbolic soap resting by the sink,
I’d raise a glass to you with my favourite drink

Petrol on

Switches off

Suck in

Contact

Chocks away…

Listen

Words and voice by Suzy Starlite. Recorded by Simon Campbell at the Supertone SonicLab. ℗ © Supertone Records, 2025.

Or perhaps…

Buy us a pint

Jimmy Page and I share a birthday on January 9th, although he has a 14-year head start on me. Others include Joan Baez, Kate Middleton, Dave Matthews and Richard Nixon.

While I usually mark the day with a simple social media shoutout, this year I wanted to write something more substantial.

I’m focusing on his prolific era as a session musician—a pivotal period that led to his time with the Yardbirds and the eventual formation of Led Zeppelin. Though often overlooked, this chapter of his career is where he honed the production, orchestration and guitar techniques that became the backbone of the Zeppelin sound.

Many of the links and quotes in this article can be found in Jimmy’s excellent book: Jimmy Page: The Anthology. If you are a fan of him and Led Zeppelin, it’s a must-buy.

Backstory.

His life is very well documented, and rather than plough the same furrow, it’s probably best to look at his very extensive Wikipedia page, but in summary:

Page was born into a middle-class family and raised in Surrey, England. He began his musical journey as a largely self-taught guitarist inspired by rockabilly and the blues. After debuting on BBC television at just 13 years old in a skiffle quartet, he made the pivotal decision to leave school at fifteen to pursue music professionally.

His early years were defined by a relentless hustle, playing in various local groups like The Paramounts and backing music for beat poets, eventually landing a consistent touring role with Neil Christian and the Crusaders. This period served as a rigorous ‘schooling’ where Page developed the technical versatility that would soon become his professional trademark.

“I was travelling around all the time in a bus. I did that for two years after I left school, to the point where I was starting to get really good bread. But I was getting ill. So I went back to art college. And that was a total change in direction. That's why I say it's possible to do. As dedicated as I was to playing the guitar, I knew doing it that way was doing me in forever. Every two months I had glandular fever. So for the next 18 months I was living on ten pounds a week and getting my strength up. But I was still playing.”

The transition toward becoming a dedicated session musician was catalysed by a health crisis; the gruelling pace of touring led to recurring bouts of glandular fever, forcing Page to briefly exit the road and enrol in Sutton & Cheam School of Art. During this recovery period, he shifted his focus from live performances to the controlled environment of the recording studio.

The session guy.

Everyone needs a break

While attending art college, Page continued to perform live, notably playing in the interval band on Thursday nights at London’s Marquee Club. It was during these performances on Oxford Street that he was headhunted for studio work, effectively launching his career as a session musician.

Page kept a pocket and desk diary, meticulously noting the time, date and location of the session. His Anthology book has piles of fascinating pictures of the entries.

“Anyone needing a guitarist either went to Big Jim Sullivan or myself. In the initial stages they just said, play what you want, cos at that time I couldn't read music or anything."

I thought it would be a good idea to collate a playlist featuring many of the songs from his sessions, and have also highlighted the performances I really like.

My favourites

Screaming Lord Such | Dracula’s Daughter

While this isn’t my favourite track, it highlights Joe Meek’s pioneering and distinctly British production/engineering style. Page’s performance is equally impressive, featuring great riffs and an outstanding guitar tone.

Interestingly Lord David Such’s album Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends was named in a 1998 BBC poll as the worst album of all time, a status it also held in Colin Larkin’s book The Top 1000 Albums of All Time, despite the fact that Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Jeff Beck, Noel Redding and Nicky Hopkins performed on it and helped write it. If you take out the vocals, the instrumental parts are pretty cool. Listen with caution.

In 1982, Such—who was a perennial parliamentary candidate and encouraged young people to participate in politics—formed the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, which contested 39 parliamentary elections.

Screaming Lord, we need you back.

Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders | Hello Josephine (1963)

One of his first sessions at Philips Studio was for Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders. Eric Stewart from 10cc was in the band at the time. You can really hear Page’s Scotty Moore influence in this track.

Donovan | Sunshine Superman (1966)

Great guitar riff on this that really makes the song, with Page using his volume control (perhaps the DeArmond volume/tone pedal) to create the repeating lines. Micky Most produced this and went on to work with Jeff Beck on his debut studio album Truth plus a pile of other chart-topping singles and albums.

It’s interesting to see how Page developed relationships with movers and shakers over the years. Later, Peter Grant, Zepplin’s ferocious manager, shared a company RAK Management and office with Most.

Them | Baby Please Don’t Go (1964)

The first time I heard this was via Stuart Hulme-Sheffield, the sound engineer with my first band, Whitefire. He was one of the guitar players in a ‘60s band, The Web and used to play this all the time.

Fuckin’ great guitar motif, and it’s disputed who played it, either Page or the band’s guitar player, Billy Harrison. Regardless, it’s very cool.

Beverly Martyn | Happy New Year (1966)

Beverly Martyn (nee Kutner and wife of John Martyn) used to live with the mighty Bert Jansch and apparently on the session for Happy New Year, Page asked her if she could play Oh Deed I Do - she said “I can’t, but I can show you the chord positions” :) Check out Nicky Hopkins’ piano. Fuckin’ A.

Of course, an interpretation—or plagiarism—of Jansch’s Black Water Side (which in itself was an arrangement of a traditional tune) appears on Led Zeppelin I.

Have a listen to both and make your own mind up.

Jeff Beck | Beck’s Bolero (1966)

There is some dispute over who actually wrote this, Page or Beck; regardless, it’s an absolute classic from an album of absolute classics. Page certainly played 12-string guitar, with the mighty Beck taking the lead and slide roles. Page and Beck are my favourite guitar players of all time.

Brian Jones | Soundtrack to Mort und Totschlag (1967)

The film stars Anita Pallenberg in the lead role of Marie, and at the time of filming, she was in a relationship with one of the founders of The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones.

The soundtrack is a landmark piece of psychedelic history, notable for being the only solo project composed and produced by Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones.

Featuring an elite lineup of session musicians including Jimmy Page, Nicky Hopkins, and Kenny Jones (from the Small Faces) the score eschews traditional orchestral arrangements in favour of an experimental fusion of R&B, bluegrass, and Eastern-influenced motifs played on instruments like the sitar and mellotron. Famously, it features Page using the violin bow on his Telecaster.

Despite its critical praise for perfectly capturing the film’s ‘New Wave’ tension, the soundtrack has never seen an official standalone release due to long-standing legal complexities, leaving it to survive primarily through bootlegs and the film’s original audio track, one of which is featured below!

Whilst with The Yardbirds…

Johnny Hallyday | Rivière... Ouvre Ton Lit (1969)

Whilst in The Yardbirds, Page did the occasional session. This one was with the French ‘Elvis’, Johnny Hallyday, and was engineered, produced and mixed by one of my favourite technicians, Glyn Johns, who featured throughout Page’s career and engineered Led Zeppelin 1, which was also released in 1969.

It’s interesting as you can hear Page’s style developing, becoming more refined and revealing his swagger.

Joe Cocker | With A Little Help From My Friends (1969)

What would this track be without those big double stop bends at the beginning? I love the way it calms right down before that remarkable vocal comes in. A fabulous recording from a beautiful album produced by Denny Cordell and engineered by Tony Visconti.

I can’t resist popping in the live version from Woodstock, which, in my humble opinion, is one of the best visual and vocal live performances of all time. Page isn’t performing here; it’s Henry McCullough, but he does a great job.

Production.

Remarkably, Page’s first production was in 1961 for Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds: he was 17.

As a fan, he paid for them to go into the RG Jones studio, where they recorded 12 tracks, which were only released 56 years later in 2021, titled The Beginning, and are only available on Page’s website.

The question I have is how he was able to pay for this? His family were not massively wealthy, and it appears he bought all his own instruments. He is well known for his ‘careful’ approach to money and was certainly a busy lad playing with a variety of bands before he started his session work in earnest. But, it remains a mystery.

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

Whilst a house producer for Immediate Records, in 1965, Page worked with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, which featured Eric Clapton on guitar. Classic shit.

Or perhaps…

Buy us a pint

The silent mentor.

What really disappoints me about the book is that there is only one, single reference to Big Jim Sullivan, who was a stalwart of the session scene in London from the late 50s. Why Page omitted their extensive collaboration is mind-boggling.

The legendary Derek Lawrence and Big Jim produced the Little Brother album Survival, where I was a songwriter and guitarist. During the sessions, I talked to him a lot about this period, and it doesn’t sync with Page’s account. Perhaps we should try to clear this up using my firsthand experience.

As background, I wrote a piece in 2020 about him. Check it out:

In a nutshell, Sullivan was the mentor figure, often recommending ‘Little Jim’ for jobs he couldn’t take or needed help with. Sullivan once noted that while he and Page shared the workload, they had a stylistic agreement: Sullivan usually handled the ‘country-style’ or technical clean solos, while Page was brought in for his ‘gritty’ rock energy.

Sullivan’s entry into session work began in the late 1950s, evolving naturally from his role as a prominent live performer. While he was playing professionally as early as 1957 (aged 16), his formal transition into the ‘first-call’ session world followed a specific timeline.

By the early 60s, Sullivan was recording an average of three sessions a day. He became the ‘resident’ guitarist for major labels like Pye and Decca, playing on tracks for Adam Faith, Frank Ifield, and Helen Shapiro. It was during this period that he earned the nickname ‘Big Jim’ to distinguish him from ‘Little Jim’ Page, who joined the session circuit shortly after.

In the London session scene, they were the two most sought-after guitarists and frequently booked as a ‘guitar team’ for the same sessions, typically with Sullivan playing lead and Page playing rhythm, though they occasionally swapped roles. I believe that Sullivan taught Page several advanced techniques during their time together, as he did later for Ritchie Blackmore.

They were the ‘first call’ guitarists for major producers like Shel Talmy, Mickie Most, and Andrew Loog Oldham, often appearing together on records.

Because many sessions from that era were uncredited, a definitive list is impossible, but they are confirmed to have played together on the following records:

Dave Berry

The collaboration here was interesting as during the recording of The Crying Game and My Baby Left Me in 1964 Jim told me he would play the actual notes and chords on the guitar, while Page would sit or kneel on the floor and manually manipulate the tremolo arm or the volume/tone knobs to create a ‘shimmering’ or ‘wobbling’ effect that was more precise or extreme than a single player could manage while trying to pick strings at the same time. This teamwork contributed to the haunting, echo-laden guitar atmosphere that became a hallmark of Dave Berry’s hits.

My Baby Left Me (1964)

Page played the lead guitar solo (which Sullivan later praised as one of the best-constructed rock solos), while Sullivan played rhythm.

The Crying Game (1964)

Page mentions in his book creating a signature sound using the DeArmond volume/tone pedal, but he doesn’t mention Sullivan in any of this. It’s clear here that Sullivan played the lead guitar and used the pedal to create a proto-wah effect: Page provided rhythm guitar.

P.J. Proby | Hold Me (1964)

A major UK hit where Sullivan played the lead guitar. He famously used a Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone pedal on this track, which he had reportedly borrowed from Page.

Brenda Lee | Is It True? (1964)

Produced by Mickie Most in London, this session featured both guitarists supporting the American star.

The Kinks | The Kinks (1964)

Although there seems to be a lot of misinformation about this, Dave Davies played the iconic lead on You Really Got Me but Page and Sullivan both contributed to several tracks on the debut album, including Page on 12-string acoustic for I’m a Lover Not a Fighter.

Billy Fury | Nothin’ Shakin’ (1964)

Part of a ‘session supergroup’ that included Page, Sullivan, John Paul Jones on bass, and Bobby Graham on drums.

Petula Clark | Downtown (1964)

Both are widely cited as having played on this massive international hit, which was part of a productive period where they dominated the Pye Records and Decca sessions.

Big Jim Sullivan | Pageing Sullivan (1967)

From the album Sitar Beat, this track features both men playing together, with the title itself being a pun on Page’s name.

And finally…

Happy birthday, Jimmy Page. As a fledgling guitar player at age 16, you were my inspiration: The Led Zeppelin albums were the foundation of my music vocabulary and changed my world forever.

Below you will find a second playlist collated by Oldays Records featuring many of Pages’ early sessions from 1963-1967 for your listening pleasure.

If you are curious to find out more from a different perspective, consider reading the excellent article on the same subject in Rolling Stone.

Thanks for reading, and please feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below - that is the fun part.

See you next time.

Much love

Simon

This is the third in the White Fire Series of poems. To read more, click the red button below.

Click here to see them all

chips

chips are very social 
you can share them in a room

but only if I offer
it’s not your place to presume 
that i'd even want to proffer
as i could be very hungry
when you reach across and steal a chip 
that makes me rather grumpy

in fact i’m kind of pissed off 
'cos your taking my food
and it puts me in a darkened state 
an extremely bad mood

wondering if i’m selfish
or if i'm making a fuss
about something over nothing
but my prerogative I trust

it may be easy pickings
my potato delights
that come in bite sized pieces 
mighty carbohydrate prize

but didnt give my permission
and i’ll defend my nutrition
with your thoughtless selfish bully tactic 
sycophantic prophylactic

you’re acting like a seagull
with intended robbery 
your satanic eyes
feathered disguise
swooping in 
opportunist sin
you steal from me
and my children

it's true and you know it
and you don't bloody care 
cos you're an evil seagull
hanging in the air
waiting for that moment
when you crap on my head
steal my chips
and fly away
before you go to bed 

it’s my secret ambition 
that you get a blinkin' shock 
next time your hand - reaches out
I'll stab you with my fork   

you didn’t ask 
and i’d say no
so don’t ask
don't say "please"
'cos my food is exactly mine
and doesn't come for free

afterall, 
in the beginning
and at the end 
it’s 
MY 
precious
food.

Listen

Words and voice by Suzy Starlite. Recorded by Simon Campbell at the Supertone SonicLab. ℗ © Supertone Records, 2025.

Or perhaps…

Buy us a pint

Greetings!

As the world inexorably plunges into 2026, we wanted to update you on our journey since June and share our plans for 2026.

It has been six months of intense contrast. We have been working tirelessly on exciting new projects while navigating a serious personal crisis that has challenged our creative output.

To our free and paid subscribers: thank you. Your presence here truly means the world to us.

Currently, we are pouring our energy into new work that is still in development. Because many of our projects—particularly Starlite’s art installations—are created purely out of passion and are entirely non-profit, your support here is what makes this work possible.

alternatively, you can…

Buy us a pint

Out and about.

I know, I know, the British are obsessed with the weather and for a very good reason, especially as a Mancunian. There, it’s either raining or about to start…

So, on to the weather.

During August, the weather was uncharacteristically poor, but apart from the occasional day, the rest of the summer was fantastic, and we enjoyed every moment. Starlite and I moved to Foz do Arelho just over a year ago, and November and December were exceptional, with dry, sunny weather. However, this year we have had a lot of rain.

Fucking tourists

We live in a town which borders the Lagoa da Óbidos and the Oceano Atlântico, which during August seems to attract every person from the Iberian Peninsula and Northern Europe. It’s chaos, but wonderful to see, mainly Portuguese families, enjoying nature at its finest.

Squoofers

Hummock is now 14 1/2, has a little dementia, and her back legs are not great, so every morning we take her, with Bob, Edith and Françoise—for those who are reading our missives for the first time, these are our four Labradors, aka hounds of rock, the girls, squoofers—for some hydrotherapy. I carry her the 40m from the van to the lagoon, and albeit with an awkward gait, she walks back unassisted…

During June-September, animals are not allowed on the beach, and although they don’t identify as dogs, many seem to think we are breaking the rules. Not the Portuguese, but the fucking Northern European tourists.

The lifeguard and beach goers start arriving at 0900, and by then, we are long gone.

Every morning, we see the same council workers, Paulo, who blows the sand off the walkway and the lady who empties the multitude of bins along the road adjacent to the lagoon and ocean. They welcome us. We now see Paulo in our local haunt, Cafe Central. We wave, and he waves back, a common courtesy to acknowledge his dedication and service to the community.

We see a lovely Portuguese couple every morning at 0800, who set up their windbreak ready for the day. They wave, say hello and greet us with a smile and a Bom Dia—no sweat. We pick up any plastic rubbish we see and deposits that the girls make, leaving with no trace except happy hounds, our memories and a little sand on our feet.

One day, there was a group of Germans/Dutch setting up at 0800. The male 50+ group leader, sporting a bucket hat, socks and sandals, shouted at us, with some aggression, saying dogs are not allowed on the beach.

I informed him that we live here and they are not dogs. Bob farted, and we carried on.

We trouble no one. Rules can always be interpreted selectively. Hummock is far more important to us…

Here’s a video from when our great drummer, Steve Gibson, who is based in the UK, was with us recording for a week.

Visitors.

As we haven’t been back to our home country for a few years now, it’s great to see family and friends from the UK. However, since we work from home, we try to restrict the numbers, otherwise we wouldn’t get anything done: everyone wants a holiday in the sun.

Rhonda & Jeff Beohlert

This wonderful couple hail from the USA, where a number of years ago they sold everything they owned and upped sticks to Portugal. They are enjoying life touring the world, dog-sitting, running marathons and hanging out at music festivals. Cool ehh…

We first ‘virtually’ met them whilst presenting our livestreams during the pandemic. They tuned in every week and became staunch supporters of the band and our music. We met in person at a wine convention in Lisboa, as Jeff wanted to give us some rare, vintage vinyl which they had recovered from their move.

They came over from Figuera da Foz to watch us play a gig and spent a couple of great nights with us, which overlapped with the visit of our youngest son, Joe, his wife Christina and our grandchildren, Emma and the newly born Finn.

Great times.

They also wrote a guest article for us about their favourite 10 tracks. Check it out.

Pauline & Jez (aka the king of eyewear) Levy

I have known Pauline and Jez for many years, was the joint best man at their wedding, and have seen their kids grow up. As I don’t have a biological brother, he is the closest thing.

Pauline works for Apple, and Jez owns an optician’s, EYES on St. Albans, which, bizarrely enough, is in the historic city of St. Albans.

It’s a treasure trove of optical excellence with customer service to die for, and where Suzy and I have our eye exams and buy all our eyewear. We are massive fans, but it’s not just us; he currently has 526 five-star reviews and counting.

We donated a guitar and also recorded a radio jingle to promote the store.

Spex, hugs and Rock ‘n Roll.

Rock ‘n Roll

We had many wonderful moments, and the day before they left, we threw a party…

The party

Since being in the Foz, we have met loads of people, mostly musicians and artists. We have never hosted a large party before in our home, and thought this would be a perfect location in which to do it.

There was a lot of planning, and it all came together magically on the day with the help of Pauline & Jez, Rhonda & Jeff and a host of Elves who arrived on the day—well, it is that season after all.

It was a musical event with an open stage and a lot of open hearts.

Shaz Bridgens & Mark Cleator

I first met Mark around 2008 when I moved to the Isle of Man. He is a great live/studio sound engineer operating the best recording facility on the Island, Red Lyon Studios.

In 2013, we collaborated on an Electronica project Electrolite, which we love dearly, so much so that I spun in my future wife to our wedding ceremony to the sound of Take Me Now.

Over the years, we have become firm friends, and along with his new partner Shaz they visited us in our old house in Samora Correia and again this year. Shaz is a great singer and front person: together they have a band called Shark.

Mark is a talented multi-instrumentalist and is about to release his latest album—The Listening Device—with another multi-instrumentalist (they are everywhere), James Craig, under the moniker of Cleator Craig. I have heard the final master, and it’s very good.

Whilst he was over, he contributed some crazy Moog Matriarch magic to Stiff, a new track we are currently working on as part of the upcoming VIBRATIONISTS album, which I discuss later in this article.

Jo Somerset & Liz Clarke

Suzy has known this wonderful couple for many years. I first met Liz when she came to stay with us—or rather in her Camper Van—whilst in Samora Correia. We celebrated Liz’s birthday in Lisboa the year after, and this year they came to stay.

Liz, now retired, was a very successful business person in Manchester with her wife Jo, who is also an author with a new children’s book out right now - Mission: Find Mum - which has attracted wide critical acclaim.

Our work.

VIBES

With all the stress we have been under, our written output has been severely restricted, but now we are firmly back in the saddle and publishing regularly.

I am really proud of as she is writing poetry like a demon, recently releasing the White Fire series, which contains a spoken word recording.

Coincidentally, ‘White Fire’ was also the name of my first band, which Starlite hadn’t connected until afterwards…

“White Fire isn't a standard dictionary term, but it usually refers to extremely hot fire (white-hot), early-stage fire producing white smoke, or metaphorically, intense passion/purity. It might also imply something exceptionally powerful or divine.”

Here is the first poem:

‘Raising a Nation’

Starlite has always made artwork, most recently the collage for our latest studio album, Starlite.One, along with DIY Pharma, Klangers and Stayin’ Alive.

On January 14th, [now February 7th due to an administrative cock up] she is presenting her very first art installation, Raising A Nation, at the very cool Malaica Social Club in Caldas da Rainha. Admission is free.

Raising a Nation is a multi-sensory installation dedicated to the matriarchs who define our history.

Inspired by the laundry billowing from Portuguese balconies, this exhibition reimagines the daily ritual of hanging washing as a profound symbol of care. It transforms a simple domestic act into a testament to the tireless love and grit that built families and fueled communities.

Through striking portraits of real women, the installation weaves personal legacies with the timeless wisdom of folklore and the traditions they’ve carried forward. Raising a Nation is an immersive journey of sight, sound, and the comforting aromas of traditional cooking—an invitation to connect with the unyielding spirit of the women who shaped a nation.

Reserve tickets for the opening night

Releases

Our last progress report revealed a few of our new projects, which, now that the studio is fully operational, have started to develop in earnest. Some, which we didn’t even consider back in June, are hugely exciting:

Ramblin’ On My Mind

In December, we released our homage to the roots of most contemporary music.

The track was originally recorded in Germany to be part of a tribute album to Robert Johnson, arguably the father of the blues.

The album hasn’t materialised, and as we loved it so much, we decided to release it as a single with a music video which chronicles our ‘Blues Pilgrimage’ across the American South in 2022.

The video documents our road trip to Memphis, Tupelo, Clarkesdale, Muscle Shoals and Nashville, which included playing at Ground Zero Blues Club, a live session on Radio Memphis, attending the Blues Awards and visiting a load of legendary recording studios, plus all the wonderful people we met along the way.

Enjoy…

It Ain’t Right

VIBRATIONISTS started as a project to reinterpret our Starlite & Campbell material in a totally new way. It Ain’t Right developed into something quite different to the original release, which appeared on our second studio album, The Language Of Curiosity.

The track and accompanying video—created and edited by Suzy (yes, she has been very busy)—is set for release on February 6, 2026 and will be available on Bandcamp, YouTube and all streaming platforms.

New music

VIBRATIONISTS | the album

We love the idea of collaboration, and this new project will be all about working with other artists. As mentioned earlier, our first is with Mark Cleator, and it’s going to be pretty eclectic, as our second is with sound designer and all-around cool guy, Filipe Chegas.

Acoustic album

Since Starlite and I got together, we have been writing acoustic-based music, which, apart from It Started Raining, has not seen the light of day. The music is based around guitars, bass and piano—with drums, percussion and a few synthesisers thrown in for good measure. It’s fun…

If you want to get an idea of where we are going with this, take a listen to:

Electric album

Again, we have a buildup of material which hasn’t yet found its place.

I wrote the riff for Saturday when in France and distinctly remember jumping out of bed, naked, and grabbing my Gibson ES335-12. It was early in our relationship, and Starlite was somewhat startled, not being used to the lack of modesty. She is now…

We recorded the track at the Chairworks studio in Castleford when tracking my second solo album The Knife back in 2013 with Keith Angel on drums and Andy Seward on bass, but replaced the drums (Steve Gibson) and bass (Starlite) when in Germany. The verse was never quite right; we recently fixed it, and it’s now ready to record.

This will be an indie rock-based guitar record. Thunderous bass, powerful drums and layered guitars. Think Suede, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Smiths, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, with a side salad of Led Zeppelin.

Gigs

With all the disruption, we really haven’t focused on live concerts, but that’s likely to change in the new year. As there is a lot of new material in the pipeline, we have plans, and of course, when we know, you will know.

We do have one gig booked for May 2nd at Atelier Museum António Duarte, Caldas Da Rainha, a fantastic and atmospheric venue.

Recording.

Rick Gonzalez

Rick came to us to record four of his songs. He was a full-time musician for many years in Arizona and has a long history of writing and performing his original music, and now lives very close to us in Óbidos with his lovely wife Terri. He sings beautifully, plays bass, guitar and produced/arranged this record.

Recently, we were honoured to be invited to their ring blessing ceremony. Cool and lovely people.

And more…

Since March, we have had a stream of clients from around the area. Meet artist, Fredi V; multi-instrumentalist Joe Mac; songwriter, Oz da Foz and multi-instrumentalist, Steve Taylor.

Production.

Whilst Suzy has been creating art, I have been very busy playing, arranging, recording and producing all this fucking music.

Of course, I have also had to get my guitar chops up to do justice to the pile of material we have started, particularly Trent’s, as being outlaw country requires Albert Lee/Chet Atkins style speed and dexterity—a big ask, but I will do my level best to rock the shit out of those Telecasters and my Gretsch G6120-1960.

STARLITE

Suzy and I first met on the Isle of Man. A meeting was arranged following a call from one of the Island’s top concert promoters, Lenny Conroy, who told me a woman was living in a wooden shack by the sea, with an unusual name and writing great songs. How could I resist?

It was a purely artistic rendezvous, as I was married at the time and Starlite was in a relationship. To cut a long story short, having heard the superb material, I asked her if she had thought of getting a band together to perform and record her music.

Being from the folk-rock world, she had never worked with a drummer, and on broaching the subject, I encountered some resistance—and if you know Starlite, that is diamond hard, and she didn’t speak to me for three weeks—but finally acquiesced, and we found ourselves in my studio—the Gay Bar, a name inspired by the mighty Electric Six—rehearsing and recording.

I was her electric guitarist, occasional bass player and producer, our friend Gypo Buggane was engineering, and Val Nelson accompanied us on bass—yes, this is before Starlite had even picked up a bass—Noah Egelnick on drums, plus myself and Mark Cleator on synthesisers. Starlite was playing acoustic guitar and singing.

We created six demos, and, being the perfectionist that I am, thought the recordings were not commensurate with the quality of the material and Starlite’s voice, so we shelved the project—until now.

Listening back, these songs were the soundtrack to our fledgling romance. We have revisited the demos and are now recording & producing them to the standard they most rightfully deserve. Naturally, Starlite is playing bass on the tracks, sometimes with a pick, which has encountered some resistance (see previous quote)—and I am back being the jobbing guitar player, engineer and co-producer. Fucking wonderful…

Trent Chapa

It’s been several years since I produced a record for someone other than ourselves: it takes a great artist to inspire us to take on such a time-consuming task.

I met Trent in a little bar in Caldas, and we jammed together. He had his songs together, and I held on to the chords the best I could. Later, it dawned on me that the songs were great, memorable, and he had a unique voice.

Hailing from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, he worked as a professional musician for many years, first in a metal band and then as the bass player in a country outfit where he toured extensively. Trent has struggled with addiction, and his lyrics reflect this: authentic, brutal and honest. He is the real deal.

This is a short lyric extract from Give Me Some More.

There’s a fire over Yoakum and I’m pissin’ on the floor
In a run down hotel room, that I did not pay for
God I’m feeling nauseous, lean me against the door
Well life is how I like it, at least awhile more
You tell me that you love me, well I'm just makin’ sure
Oh I’m sweatin’, achin’, spirit breakin’
Give me some more

Many international artists try to sing ‘Americana’, but in my not-so-humble opinion, authenticity can only be derived by living and breathing the music and culture from birth.

He will be the first external artist we have released on our Supertone label, which is a testament to the quality of the artist and material. Both Suzy and I are playing on the record, plus our favourite drummers, Steve Gibson and Hugo Danin, along with a few choice session players.

We are releasing his first single in February 2026. And, don’t bother to look for him on social media—he is not there, yet…

And finally, thanks for buying us a pint or three

We have sincerely appreciated so many of you Buying us a pint! It’s a way of making one-off tips to support our work via the website whilst applying some Northern sense of humour that makes donating a little bit more fun. Timothy Taylor is our favourite English bitter.

Wherever you are in the world, we wish you health, mental clarity and peace, when the world as we know it has changed forever. It’s up to us to keep hold of our humanity, community, friends and family - let’s make 2026 the year we celebrate each other in person and have some great times!

Much love and see you on the other side…

Our new regular feature explores the music tastes of our friends, colleagues and supporters. To see them all, click the red button below.

Supporter Picks!!

Music is our life, and we are really interested in the songs you love. If you'd like to contribute, just mail us!

Without further ado, let’s see what floats Ross’ boat.

Much love

Suzy & Simon

P.S. You can find his cool music journalism at Fabrications HQ.

Ross’ picks

The interesting thing about this list is that I actually have a “six of the best”: a sextet of songs that go beyond any other pieces of music.

So a Top Ten, as presented here (and thank you, Simon and Suzy, for the opportunity), was extremely difficult and would, frankly, be subject to change every day, as once beyond that Top Six I’d really need a Top 100.

However, here we are, with no mention of what those “six of the best” are, other than to say the 10^th track on this list is my favourite ever piece of music.

#1 | For the Want of a Nail | Todd Rundgren (1989)

As an opening, impacting statement, ‘For the Want of a Nail’ by Todd Rundgren is hard to beat, right from the initial, emotive vocalisations—backed by the powerful voice of Bobby Womack in a guest vocalist spot.

The song then hits its stride with an uplifting tempo before swinging towards its sing-along finale.

The premise of the song is the old adage of the message being lost because something first seen as inconsequential was ignored.

But ignore the details at your peril, because you will miss out on the prize.

#2 | Pirates | Emerson Lake & Palmer (1977)

The title says it all. ‘Pirates’—featuring the Paris Opera Orchestra, no less—is the musical soundtrack to all the swashbuckling tales you have read – or watched in classic Skull & Crossbones movies starring the likes of Errol Flynn.

Composed by Keith Emerson, Pirates is a sweeping, superbly arranged and beautifully orchestrated piece of music, with the colourful and evocative lyrics supplied by Greg Lake and co-lyricist Peter Sinfield.

“Who’ll drink a toast with me... to the Devil, and the deep blue sea... gold drives a man... to dream!”

ALTERNATIVE – Fan-made ‘pirate movie’ video:

#3 | Dust in the Wind | Kansas (1998 Orchestrated version)

Written by Kerry Livgren, the original power behind the American rock group Kansas, this re-recorded version from 1998 with the London Symphony Orchestra is, for me, even more beautiful and poignant than the original 1977 version.

This is also one of the songs that lyrically defines a part of me, or part of my life philosophy. Simple enough in premise, but too often taken for granted…

“Now, don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky... when it slips away, all your money won’t another minute buy.”

Don’t waste so much as one of those minutes, folks.

“Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind…”

#4 | Salisbury | Uriah Heep (1971)

Uriah Heep’s take on the orchestrated (Brass & Woodwind ensemble) rock epic is far baser in lyrical concept than ELP’s Pirates.

Salisbury is themed around the emotions of union, lust, and the reality that what might seem like forever is more akin to the moment. And while David Byron brings a strong voice to lyrical proceedings, it’s the rise and fall of the musical score that delivers the emotions described.

Fun fact: Heep guitarist Mick Box wasn’t getting the feel or inspiration he wanted for his big solo moment on Salisbury, so he retired to the local pub for a couple of pints.
Upon return, he asked for the lights to be dimmed, cranked the Marshall stack and wah-wah pedal to full and nailed it in one take (true story, as later confirmed by Sound Engineer Peter Gallen).

#5 | Goodbye To Love | The Carpenters (1972)

Goodbye To Love might well be the first power ballad (cue the debates…), but for me it’s certainly the ultimate power ballad, not least because it features the gorgeous, contralto voice and unparalleled phrasing of Karen Carpenter, one of the greatest ever female vocalists.

That it also carries beautiful melancholy, a heartbreaking lyric, and a fully fuzzed fadeout from guitarist Tony Peluso (the solo that launched a thousand air guitars) makes it even more impacting.

#6 | Steve Perry | One More Time (1994)

From one of the great female voices to one of the great male voices, certainly in the annals of high-tenor rock.

Steve Perry will forever be heard as the voice of American rock band Journey in their late 70s to mid-80s heyday and later, short-lived classic line-up reunion; Perry shone and soared on classic Journey cuts such as Lights, Open Arms, Don’t Stop Believing, Faithfully, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), and the Grammy-nominated When You Love a Woman.

But it wasn’t all about the vocal highs and that fuller-bodied rock sound. Indeed, in more intimate musical settings, Steve Perry was arguably even more captivating, as heard on the solo track One More Time.

Incredibly, this particular song was originally an outtake (B-side), as it didn’t make the final track listing for his 1994 solo album For The Love Of Strange Medicine.

Musically/ vocally, the phrase “beautiful in its simplicity” may never have been more accurate.

#7 | Rhapsody in Blue | George Gershwin (1924)

Music historians will tell you that George Gershwin’s classically influenced piano and jazz orchestra piece, Rhapsody in Blue, isn’t a definitive example of the American jazz age of the early 20^th century.

Perhaps not, but it is unarguably a superbly composed piece that captures the spirit, and the hustle and bustle, of jazz age New York (as later emphasised by the Al Hirschfeld styled caricatures that accompanied Gershwin’s glorious jazz concerto in Disney’s Fantasia 2000).

Actually, I disagree with the historians, for me it is a defining statement of popular, big band jazz of early 20^th century America – a cinematic rhapsody in blues, in rhythm, in rag-time, in jazz, and in orchestration.

#8 | Felix Mendelssohn | Hebrides Overture/ Fingal’s Cave (1833)

From New York to the wild, rugged and windswept Hebrides of the Scottish west coast, and Fingal’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa.

As a proud Scot, it’s perhaps no surprise that this is my favourite classical composition (the Overture title is misleading as it’s a full, standalone work) but Mendelssohn was greatly affected by his visit to the Hebrides, and that comes through on this stirring and striking piece which, much like Rhapsody in Blue, creates visual imagery of the subject matter in the listener’s mind.

#9 | Just One Victory | Todd Rundgren’s Utopia (1975 live version)

Just One Victory first saw the light of day as the closing statement on Todd Rundgren’s seminal and critically acclaimed 1973 album A Wizard, A True Star.

Arguably more message than musical, it became a live staple of Todd Rundgren’s Utopia by the next year; the official live version (as presented here) is from the band’s 1975 Another Live album.

JOV was also a highlight moment for the audiences of Todd Rundgren’s 2004 live shows when, after nearly twenty years of retirement, the song was performed to close the shows – it was quite a sight to see fans of all ages (including yours truly), singing, grinning, and hugging like loons, still in search of “just one victory.” Not a dry eye in the house, as they say.

#10 | Dedication | Pat Travers (1977)

My all-time favourite piece of music.

This eight-minute number by Canadian rock and blues musician Pat Travers begins with an extensive instrumental section before going into a more traditional rock ballad piece (which also includes a saxophone solo—perfect).

Lyrically, it’s the very words I would express when discussing one of the most important things in life – friendship, trust and the bond that can be struck between people who may be next door neighbours or at opposite ends of the world. Those who can be relied upon to be there when called.

“Teach yourself to be a kind person, when a friend is really down, you can send them back up to the top... now I hope you understand.”

Starlite & Campbell

STARLITE.ONE is such a highly creative work of art-rock, with deeper themes and concepts, that I couldn’t really have gone anywhere else…

The Coat

Accompanied by delicate Waldorf STVC and Prophet-5’s projected atmospheres, Suzy’s beautifully phrased vocal on a lyric about the horrible and torturous disease that is Dementia only increases the poignancy of what is unquestionably one of Suzy’s most heartfelt vocal performances.

A Part of Me is Broken, Part Two

A six-and-a-half-minute cry for humanity, the song flits from rock soundscapes to dreamier passages (think Stoner space-rock meets classic era Moody Blues) before reshaping itself around the concluding monologue from Suzy, which is philosophical, reflective and future-questioning.

This is the second in the White Fire Series of poems. To read more, click the red button below.

Read the White Fire series

I once wore a mask

I once wore a mask
hell, most of the time
saying "all’s ok"
and "everything is fine"

set the fork to the left
and knife to the right
hold the glass by the stem
keep my words airtight
when just below the surface
I was breaking apart
trying not scream
with a muffle on my heart

I once wore a mask
a shock and a fright,
the black stench of war
twice in one night
the siren had sounded
and told to vacate
to not take the lift
to the fifth floor escape

I remembered to pick up
the box with the strap
that contained a syringe
a survival map
if the warhead was loaded with
chemicals to kill
they gave me a needle
- not even a pill
when they gave us the word
had to puncture my skin
and inject my vein
with some anti-pathogen
of unknown origins
and unknown name

the mask made of rubber
stretched tight on my face
it muted my mouth
metal filter in place
to cleanse the air
of all infection
speaking with eyes
my only connection
the radio babbled hysterically
I hadn’t a clue what to believe
didn’t know the language
like a foreign band
singing with passion
but I didn’t understand
one word they said
not
one
single
word

(all I knew
was how to say
"shut up you worm"
... that’s my mistake)

in a room on the fifth floor full of strangers
and a baby on the carpet in a plastic tent,
wet towels ‘round the door,
sat awkwardly,
thoughts of my life flashing towards the end

listen out for the sound of danger
flying bombs in the midnight sky
was this the end of my adventure
not the way to say goodbye
blown up
smashed up
trapped inside
a broken building
but what would they find
what would they find
would they find me
in time
if,
against my will
I had to meet death
on some unknown hill

Listen

Words and voice by Suzy Starlite. Recorded by Simon Campbell at the Supertone SonicLab. ℗ © Supertone Records, 2025.

Or perhaps…

Buy us a pint

Ramblin’ On My Mind is the powerful new blues-rock single from Starlite & Campbell, paying homage to Robert Johnson. The song was originally recorded in Germany to be part of a tribute album to arguably, the father of the blues. They loved it so much, they decided to release it as a single.

The story

Robert Johnson’s original 1930s recording of Ramblin’ On My Mind speaks to the universal human impulse to escape, seek self-discovery, and hit the road. This theme deeply resonated with us, making the track feel as relevant today as it was nearly a century ago.

Everyone, at some point, has felt the itch to escape... that feeling of having ‘ramblin’ on your mind’ is a fundamental part of the human experience. | Simon Campbell

The video: a blues pilgrimage

The music video chronicles the couple’s ‘Blues Pilgrimage’ across the American South. It’s more than a performance—it’s a visual representation of their ‘ramblin’, featuring incredible, intimate moments like: Playing live at the iconic Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale | Behind-the-scenes tours of Sun Records, FAME Recording Studio, Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, plus Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley’s childhood home. | Playing a live session on Radio Memphis

The official music video chronicles their incredible Blues Pilgrimage from Memphis and Clarksdale, to Muscle Shoals, Tupelo and Nashville.

It also includes footage of Simon in full producer mode, recording Johnny Henderson’s Hammond organ part at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales, plus additional recent footage celebrating the origins of the band Mott The Hoople in Starlite’s hometown of Ross-on-Wye with her family, Nick Stephens and Jane Watts.

We believe this track offers a powerful blend of blues history and contemporary analogue rock production.

Much love

Suzy & Simon

Ramblin’ On My Mind is available to buy and stream via Bandcamp and all major streaming services. It’s dedicated to the one and only Nick Stephens. He loved music, especially guitars.

Watch, buy & stream

Credits

: bass guitar | : guitars & vocals.

Featuring: Steve Gibson: drums | Jonny Henderson: Hammond organ

Production and mixing: Simon Campbell | Assistant producer: Suzy Starlite | Recorded and mixed at Supertone Records Studio in Thören, Germany and Samora Correia, Portugal | Additional Recording at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales | Mastering: Jon Astley, Close to the Edge Mastering, London, England | Video creation and editing: Suzy Starlite | Words and music: Robert Johnson

℗© 2025 Supertone Records, London, England

Or perhaps…

Buy us a pint

Like an erupting volcano, a torrent of thoughts and words has compelled me to write these past few weeks. While I am primarily a songwriter, my relationship with poetry dates back to when my years were in single digits. Sometimes, it is the music of the spoken word that best expresses the most potent themes.

The resulting work is a fierce exploration of perspectives spanning the entire human experience:

• A sense of community through music

• Family and a sense of closeness

• Disappointment, betrayal and broken friendships

• Personal connection, and the ache of loneliness

• The complexities of money, having affluent parents, and the isolation of having no one

• Cultural quirks

• The temporary nature of happiness

• The value of curiosity

The series begins with skin, a contemplation of our most vital canvas, and just how important it is to simply have some.

At the foot of this article, you will find an audio file where I present skin as spoken word.

To view the series, click the red button below.

Read the White Fire series

skin

you’re so soft and smooth
a universal protection
you cover my soul
in this earthling suit

you hold me together
keep everything in place
you help me breathe
and let the toxins escape

you come in different colours 
a celebratory affair
no need to keep it boring
with only one to compare 

sometimes you’re rather hairy 
and with the passing of time 
you start to fall apart 
producing wrinkles and lines 

like the circles in trees
reveal you’ve stories to tell
you can moisturise your memories 
or cut with plastic hell

big bum
big boobs
big lips
face 
lift

you’re my biggest organ 
and my greatest protection
i’m growing old gracefully
with no intervention

you’re my biggest defender
my greatest affection
i’m growing old gracefully
i’m not a pretender

Listen

Words and voice by Suzy Starlite. Recorded by Simon Campbell at the Supertone SonicLab. ℗ © Supertone Records, 2025.

Or perhaps…

Buy us a pint

Our new regular feature explores the music tastes of our friends, colleagues and supporters.

Music is our life, and we are really interested in the songs you love. If you'd like to contribute, just mail us!

Without further ado, let’s see what floats Dave’s boat.

Much love

Suzy & Simon

Dave’s picks

First of all, I’d like to thank Suzy & Simon for giving me this opportunity to select 10 tracks which I have enjoyed throughout my musical journey.

Rather than just presenting some of the great tracks from Hendrix, Floyd, Zeppelin, The Beatles, etc., which would arguably take five minutes, I’ve decided to do things a little differently and select tracks from bands and individuals that you rarely hear played on the radio today.

I was quite fortunate in my early days. I have a brother who is 10 years older than myself and at a very young age in the 60s, I was introduced—or at least found myself—listening to music by bands such as the Animals, Stones, The Who, Spencer Davis, Procol Harum, The Moody Blues, John Mayall, Peter Green, to name a few.

These artists have become legends of music since those early days.

My brother also played in a band in the mid-60s, and I would go with my parents to watch and have my first look at music played live.

I can still remember it now, and I think all of this has influenced the type of music that I’m into and have been all of my life.

#1 | Emerson, Lake & Palmer | Karn Evil 9 – 3rd Impression

When I started senior school, my brother was married and I used to go around his place on a Sunday and have a record morning. On one of those mornings, Keith played me two albums, one was Emerson Lake and Palmer’s (ELP) Pictures at an Exhibition: a game changer for me,

This would be 1971-72, I was blown away by the music, it was fantastic. The sound that Keith Emerson was getting out of his keyboards was amazing, and I still love this album today. Money was tight so pocket money was saved and this album became the first I bought—the collection was on its way.

I became a massive fan of ELP, so for my first selection, I thought of one track which I’ve always liked and you very rarely hear on the radio, certainly nowadays, is Karn Evil 9 - 3rd Impression - the final track on side two of the Brain Salad Surgery Album.

Some great lyrics on this track, see what you think.

The video of this being played at the California Jam is amazing.

#2 | Wishbone Ash | Queen of Torture

My next selection is from another of those Sunday morning sessions and it’s by Wishbone Ash, their first album simply named Wishbone Ash. What a debut album, so many great tracks, this was another one that hit the spot straight away with the trademark twin guitar work of Ted Turner and Andy Powell, the fabulous bass and vocals of Martin Turner, driven by Steve Upton on drums.

This is such a great album, again very difficult to select one track, but I’ve again gone for a track that probably didn’t get much airplay back in the day.

From ‘Wishbone Ash’ – ‘Queen of Torture’ side One track 3 great track, enjoy.

#3 | Blind Faith | Can’t Find My Way Home

At school during 70-75 the majority of people who were into music chose ‘pop music’, however, a small group of us who had older brothers were into rock, blues and progressive music, and as I’ve mentioned, our influences came from their record collections.

My next selection is going to be from the band ‘Blind Faith’. Rick Grech, Ginger Baker Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood—the super group of its time.

I first heard this album courtesy of one of my pals at school. We were ‘round his house one day playing a few records and he got this particular one out from his brother’s collection. We sat there and listened to it and loved it. This track really showcases Steve Winwood’s vocals brilliantly.

From Blind Faith - Can’t Find My Way Home - side one track 2.

Editor’s note: We covered this track back in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Enjoy…

#4 | Deep Purple | Highway Star

Number four is going to be from the outstanding Deep Purple Made in Japan album, surely one of the greatest live albums of all time and one of the great bands of all time. The track that I’m going to select is Highway Star from side one, track 1.

This track has stood the test of time and is still used as the opener to the band’s gigs today.

#5 | Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band | Ice Cream for Crow.

I first heard Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band on the best music show of all time ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’, wow this show fronted by the great Bob Harris showcased brilliant music.

Around 1974-75 a track was played from Beefheart’s latest album Bluejeans and Moonbeams from the album of the same name. There was something about this track that attracted my attention so I went out and bought the album. I really enjoyed it, a little bit strange but the more I played it the more l seemed to get it. This seemed to follow with a lot of their albums.

I remember buying the album Trout Mask Replica after reading so many great reviews about it, I think particularly John Peel was a big fan. I did eventually buy it and the first time I played it, I couldn’t get my head around what it was all about, there seemed to be a clash of time signatures going on, out of sequence beats, if they’re the right terms to use! I really didn’t know what to make of it at all.

I just didn’t rate, so I parked it up for a few weeks until I decided to give it a few more spins, then it just suddenly seemed to click, and I guess I could see why it was highly rated, diverse, but highly rated.

Beefheart’s music is a bit Marmite, but there is some great music in their back catalogue.

My selection for Track 5 comes from Beefheart’s final studio album, Ice Cream for Crow – the title track, side one, track 1, Ice Cream for Crow

#6 | Free | I’ll be Creepin’

Featuring a Middlesbrough lad who would make good in the music world. Paul Rodgers is, without doubt one of the greatest vocalists to have come out of the UK.

His music with bands Free, Bad Co, collaborations with Queen, and solo work have showcased his vocals since the 60s.

I’ve seen him many times with Bad Co and solo performances, far too young to have seen him with Free. It’s great to see he is going to be inducted into the R&RHF with Bad Co this year……..not that I’m a fan of that establishment!

I’m going to select a track by the band Free.

My selection for Track 6 comes from the album titled Free – Side One, track 1 – I’ll Be Creepin. Great bass line on this track and of course the vocals, Free are probably one of the most underrated bands to come out of the late 60s with stellar tracks such as, The Hunter, Mr Big, Alright Now, My Brother Jake, to name a few.

#7 | Neil Young and Crazy Horse | Like a Hurricane

Neil Young, ok, some folks don’t like this and don’t like that about Neil, but for me he is one of the greatest songwriters and guitarists around, how can you choose just one track?

The first time I saw Neil was with Crazy Horse at Birmingham NEC, 40-plus years ago. In those days, you booked on a coach, ticket included, turned up on the day and time and away you went, the three-hour-plus journey from North Yorkshire was never going to be something to look forward to.

When we arrived at the NEC, before we got off the coach, the driver announced, ‘If you’re not back on the coach by 11 pm we’ll be leaving without you’! Crikey we thought it wasn’t like you could wander off anywhere, it was the gig or bust.

Needless to say, Neil and Crazy Horse were still playing at Midnight and finished their three-and-a-half-hour set something like 12.30. Nobody left the gig early, and our coach was still there waiting for us for that long journey home!

The track I’m going to select is Neil Young & Crazy Horse, from the album Live Rust – side four, track one Like a Hurricane. I need to say no more….

Editor’s note: There doesn’t appear to be video footage of Live Rust, but try this for size!

#8 | The Sensational Alex Harvey Band | The Faith Healer

As I was leaving school in 1975 to join the big outside world of engineering, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band burst into the charts with Delilah and it was a gem of a single covering Tom Jones’ hit of the 60s.

It always makes me smile when I think of the live video that accompanied it, the clothing the band wore, the showmanship, the humour, and their musicianship. But what a frontman Alex Harvey was.

I had to venture into the music, and I’m so glad I did. Some wonderful stuff, no surprise they were the most sought-after live band in the UK at the time. Sadly, like all good things, it all came to an end, but these guys left us with some great music, different, adventurous.

Sadly, I only saw them live after Alex had passed away. Max Maxwell was fronting the band, and doing a jolly fine job, but Alex was a one-off. All the band members moved on to perform in many different bands over the years and it was no surprise these bands were successful in their own right.

I had the pleasure of meeting Zal Cleminson and the late Ted McKenna, great company and chatter, happy memories indeed—Vambo Rool!

The track I’m going to select is The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – from the album Live – side one, track two - The Faith Healer.

#9 | Gary Moore | Empty Rooms

I’ve always been a big fan of Gary Moore from his Colosseum days and especially his solo stuff.

I went to the gig touring the Victims of the Future album at Middlesbrough Town Hall around 1983-84, which sold out. About halfway through there was a power cut. The show went on as Gary brought out his acoustic guitar and entertained everyone until the electrical issue was resolved. He was brilliant and I have to say, sadly missed from the music scene to this day, a fabulous guitar player.

My selection for Track 9 is from the album ‘Victims of the Future’ – side one, track four – Empty Rooms.

#10 | Ozzy Osbourne | Crazy Train

This selection is a tribute to the late great Ozzy Osbourne, what a character, entertainer, frontman.

I remember seeing him on his first solo tour, ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ at Middlesbrough Town Hall 29 th October 1980, what a show, and yes, I still have my ticket.

The band, Lee Kerslake RIP, Randy Rhoads RIP, Bob Daisley and Lindsay Bridgewater on keys: what else can you say about Ozzy that hasn’t already been said? Great memories and the ticket price was £3.00—happy days.

My selection for Track 10 is from the album Blizzard of Ozz – side one, track 2 - Crazy Train

And now two from Suzy and Simon…

Starlite & Campbell

I first saw them at Saltburn Blues Club, which did it for me. I remember Suzy coming around and chatting to everyone before the show, which was a surprise, and I have never seen that before or since. Great touch.

The album that switched me on, so to speak, to the band was Blueberry Pie. A quality record, with some great work going on and deserved more exposure to the music public in my opinion.

Love this album.

Starlite Campbell Band | Walkin’ Out The Door

Fantastic blues number, love that Hammond, great bass lines: a classy opener to the album.

Starlite Campbell Band | Shimmy

Excellent instrumental track, great groove to it. Again, classy Hammond’s and bass, great guitar work driven on by the man on the sticks.

Those of you who know us will understand how passionate we are about music.

When we first got together twelve years ago, we asked ourselves a tough but important question—what kind of lifestyle did we want to live? Importantly, not what we thought we could achieve, but the life that we ‘dreamt’ of.

No one knows how many ‘time coins’ we have left to spend and having met later in life, we were intent on spending those ‘time coins’ wisely—getting the most bang for our buck!

So what did we want?

This is the footer in Starlite’s email correspondence:

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to put to rout all that was not life and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

In a nutshell, to live a meaningful life, overflowing with music, creativity, people, and to travel the world, learning from other cultures, to laugh and love deeply, and not, when we come to die, regret a thing.

Subsequently, we have lived in France, Spain, the Isle of Man, Germany and are now based in Portugal—what a European ride!

Living here, we have learned so much about the Portuguese people, their history, and their customs. We even went back to school twice a week to learn the language, and now have our first certificate in Portuguese. OK, we now have the speaking age of a four-year-old, but it’s a start.

During this time, we had also been searching for a place to settle and put down roots—to find kindred spirits and to contribute to and be part of a creative, nurturing community.

Caldas da Rainha

In a serendipitous meeting back in September 2024, we were chatting to our friends and super-talented animators David and Jo Mourato about looking for somewhere to move to and they invited us up to Caldas da Rainha, offering to give us a guided tour of the city! Once we started walking around, we immediately knew we had found our new home.

Caldas da Rainha is also a UNESCO City of Culture, and we were blown away by all the cool people we met. It’s full af artists and musicians—it just felt right!!

Foz do Arelho

In a double serendipitous affair, that morning we also viewed a potential property fifteen minutes from Caldas in the coastal village of Foz do Arelho.

The house had six bedrooms set out over three levels with a separate flat on the top floor (now the Sky Deck) which contained a double bedroom, bathroom, lounge and balcony. On the ground level (Ocean Deck) the vast living room had a triple-height ceiling—perfect for recording drums—with a long balcony that connected all the rooms so you could walk straight out into the sunshine. The lower garden level had a large room perfect for the recording console (now the Engine Room) plus a garage which is ideal for storing flight cases.

The garden was massive with a decent-sized swimming pool, and the added bonus was the separate balcony with a built-in BBQ adjacent to the kitchen; we love to cook outdoors, and this was in our top five things we were looking for.

Admittedly, it was dirty and very neglected, having not been lived in for years, just rented out as a summer party house—but we could see the potential for our next studio adventure. The major selling point to us after the space seemed workable was the breathtaking view from the house across the Óbidos lagoon and the Oceano Atlântico. It made your heart skip a beat—a slice of paradise and absolutely stunning!!

Why open a recording studio?

When we first moved to France, we wanted to live with our equipment rather than have a separate studio. We rented an old farmhouse near Duras, outside of Bordeaux, and quickly realized that the studio was where we felt most at home. Despite having bedrooms upstairs, we decided to sleep there. After all, a room is just a room, and you get to decide its purpose. We had a futon that worked perfectly as both a bed and a sofa, so it never felt strange—it felt right.

Waking up in the French countryside, surrounded by vineyards and our instruments, with our Labrador, Hummock, snoozing at the foot of the bed, was one of the most magical periods of our lives.

That way of life felt completely right. The inspiration of living and working in our studio sparked an idea: why not open a residential recording studio? By sharing this unique experience, we could put our passion and equipment to work, helping other artists transform their creative visions into something real, tangible, and truly unforgettable.

Supertone residential recording studio, Spain.

The weather in France was not so good, and there was no nightlife nearby, so we decided to move and fancied living life in Spain for a while to see how it went.

Within a year, we rented a beautiful house in the mountain village of Estivella, just outside of Valencia, where we opened our first residential recording studio. We learned a great deal and had an amazing experience during our time there; for four years, we hosted and recorded some fabulous musicians from all over the world, including American Grammy Award nominees and renowned jazz musicians.

You can record anywhere; in a studio on an industrial estate or a room in your flat, but when you live the communal life of a musician in a fabulous part of the world, the experience is so different. You are different. You change. The music changes.

Watch the quick tour video below to give you an idea…

Welcome to the new Supertone Sonic Lab // 2025

We’ve been working really hard over the past six months, cleaning, repairing the house, and creating the recording spaces.

Now in August 2025, and via France, Spain, the Isle of Man and Germany, we are thrilled to introduce you to the newly opened Supertone Sonic Lab. A world-class recording studio set in a slice of paradise in the coastal village of Foz do Arelho on Portugal’s stunning Silver Coast.

Our coastal muse

Our location was chosen not just for the sunshine, but for the unique character of Foz do Arelho, where the serene Lagoa de Óbidos meets the Oceano Atlântico. This picturesque village, with its golden beaches and clear waters, offers a wonderfully relaxed Portuguese lifestyle. The best part? It's just an hour's drive from Lisbon Airport on quiet motorways, ensuring your artistic escape is both seamless and spectacularly rewarding.

Beyond the studio, a short drive offers plenty of culture. Just 15 minutes away is Caldas da Rainha, a UNESCO City of Culture known for its vibrant music and arts scene. A bit further, you'll find the medieval town of Óbidos, a true jewel crowned by an ancient castle—it's like stepping back in time. We recently attended the Óbidos Medieval Market, a brilliant experience where the cobbled streets were filled with knights, maidens, the scent of BBQs, and the sounds of ancient music.

A sanctuary for sound

Like the world's most renowned residential studios (think the immersive environments of Miraval or La Fabrique), the Supertone Sonic Lab offers more than just equipment; it's a profound creative experience.

This warm, characterful space, nestled in natural beauty, is crafted for you to relax, leave stress behind, and focus completely on your music. It's an invitation to an inspirational, memorable and rewarding life experience, where environment and acoustics intertwine to foster unparalleled creativity.

A relaxed atmosphere

To ensure a truly special, stress-free environment, our four friendly Labradors, Hummock, Bobby, Edith and Françoise, are always ready to offer a warm welcome and a little extra relaxation.

Perfect climate

Our location boasts a hot Mediterranean climate, reminiscent of Los Angeles, making it ideal for both creative work and relaxation. When it's time to cool off, we have a choice: take a dip in our swimming pool, or walk just three minutes to swim in either the tranquil lagoon or the invigorating Oceano Atlântico.

The Engine Room

The Sonic Lab features two primary recording spaces.

Situated on the lower garden level, the heart of the studio resides in The Engine Room, home to our magnificent 48-channel CADAC J Series analogue console, affectionately known as Betty (after Starlite’s Nana). Renowned for its rich, expansive sound, Betty delivers unparalleled depth and character to every take, a testament to authentic audio capture.

The room has an abundance of natural light and breathtaking views of the Oceano Atlântico and is equipped with ATC and vintage Tannoy studio monitors, an array of vintage outboard, plus serves as a dedicated cinema and features a green screen area for video production; a versatile space offering a unique sonic character.

The Ocean Deck

Adjacent to this, the Ocean Deck, with its impressive four-meter-high ceiling, provides an ideal acoustic environment for tracking both acoustic and electric instruments, allowing for natural resonance and clarity.

Check out our website

Outdoor sessions

For truly unique tones and an immersive recording experience, we also record directly in our beautiful garden, capturing the natural ambience and inspiring setting of Portugal's coast.

Inspired by cuisine

We think good food and good company are just as crucial as good sound. That's why our kitchen is the heart of the house, leading out to a large balcony with a proper Portuguese charcoal grill. It's the perfect spot to cook dinner, share stories about the day’s session, and just chill out.

Cooking and eating together is a huge part of the creative experience—it's often where a lot of the magic happens!

We live for the music…

Much love

Suzy, Simon, Hummock, Bobby, Edith & Françoise.

We're thrilled to announce our new band and upcoming album, VIBRATIONISTS.

After three diverse Starlite & Campbell studio albums, we felt the time was right to record an acoustic-based album—something we’ve wanted to do for years.

We’ve already written four songs for the album, some you may have heard during our live streams or duo sets. One of our favourites, It Started Raining, was released as a single way back in 2016—shit, that was almost ten years ago, can you believe it?!

// Get rhythm

We were considering rhythm section collaborators for our new album when we received a serendipitous message from , on the recommendation of our mutual friends and supporters and .

Naturally, we looked him up and arranged a lunch meeting at our favourite regular haunt, Café Central in our home town of Foz do Arelho.

Our shared life feels like an endless corridor lined with doors, each representing a chance encounter or decision. We choose a door and open it, and if we like what's behind it, we step through and spend some time in that place. Inside, we always find another door, which if you choose to walk through, leads to a new corridor and again more doors and more choices. Welcome to our world…

Suzy & Simon

/// Pissing in the park

Musicians can be a bit like dogs when they first meet. There might be a certain amount of speculative sniffing, low growling and the option of a nip on the scruff of the neck to demonstrate dominance, or there can be a joyful dash around the park together, taking turns to piss on everything. It can go either way, but suffice to say, when we met Dave, there was no growling and plenty of pissing.

“One of the things I value deeply in musical collaborations is authenticity. Music is a notoriously tough career choice, and to survive for as long as we all have in the industry involves the tricky balancing act of maintaining enthusiasm, practice, and a kind of critically honed weather eye for bullshit, of which there is a vast amount.

To find folks living just down the road in rural Portugal who do what they say they will do, stick to their artistic guns, write great songs, and groove like fiends, was something of a miracle.”

Dave Boyd

/// The Bodhrán

We decided to get together in the studio the following week and see how we got on musically.

Dave is a master of the Bodhrán (pronounced ‘bow-rawn’), the traditional Irish frame drum, and arrived at the studio with an eclectic selection of these wonderful instruments, plus other drums and lots of other strange-looking things that went, bonk, boom, shick-a-schick and ping.

While frame drums are ancient and widespread globally, Dave has developed his own unique style, utilising delays and digital effects to create impressive sonic landscapes —as we call it —‘fucking up’ the sound—making it far more interesting, especially for us.

This is a short video he sent us early on in our musical relationship—it's truly cool.

What we didn't realise at the time is that Dave also plays a vast array of percussive instruments, fabulous piano, synthesisers, sings backing harmony vocals, and is a wizard at programming, video editing, multimedia design, and arranging. Great!!

Seriously, check him out.

// We don’t do bands

Being in a band can be incredibly rewarding and creatively stimulating, or it can be a huge pain in the arse. Just look at the end stages of groups like The Police, The Beatles, and The Eagles – even they couldn't stand to be in the studio together.

Since the mid-90s, we’ve primarily worked with session musicians. While this approach has its own challenges, it's generally a lot less stressful, and we've continued this modus operandi with Starlite & Campbell.

Our new band will follow our creative ethos which will see us collaborating with a variety of musicians giving space for our individual skills and instruments.

VIBRATIONISTS // It’s all in a name…

One of the biggest challenges when starting a band is finding the perfect name—one that truly captures your sound. Dave's social media profile offered an unexpected solution: ‘Noise and Vibration specialist.’ With little hesitation, the name VIBRATIONISTS was born.

We love it because every atom and subatomic particle in the Universe is always in a state of motion or energetic fluctuation—they are always vibrating. Hence, if you think about it, WE ARE ALL VIBRATIONISTS!

If you've ever shared a stage with Starlite or stood in the front row facing her cabinets, you'll know exactly what we mean by VIBRATION—which can occasionally result in unplanned visits to the bathroom.

/// Design

As you may know from our previous posts, our local city, Caldas da Rainha, is a vibrant hub for musicians, artists, and designers.

We wanted to work with and invest in our Caldas creative community, and following a vivacious and insirational first meeting, we contracted, TURMA Creative design agency to handle the work.

We asked them to develop a design for VIBRATIONISTS, and they subsequently delivered a stunning collection of logos and icons.

Here's what they had to say about the project on Instagram. We like it…

Alternatively, you can…

Buy us a pint

// Our journey so far

Initially, we envisioned VIBRATIONISTS as a live mixed-media performance. We planned to reimagine select songs from our previous five studio albums, alongside new material, in a duo format featuring guitar, bass, fife, processed bodhrán, and vocals.

But then...

Delving into the full extent of Dave's creative arsenal, and given our love for expansive and emotional soundscapes, our collective vision unexpectedly exploded!

We have now incorporated a plethora of other instruments and sonic delights with guitar/bass effects, percussion, Wurlitzer electric piano, synthesisers, drum machines, Korg Wavedrum, Moog Taurus bass pedals— and a trusty looper pedal to tie it all together.

It's a much bigger setup and we are now writing songs for our debut VIBRATIONISTS album, slated for release early 2026.

/// So, what does it sound like?

We are primarily storytellers and songwriters, and as you will most probably know by now, don't confine ourselves to specific genres. If a song calls for a solo piano or an acoustic guitar, that's what it gets. If it needs frantic arpeggiated sequences? No problem. What about sounds that go ‘boing’ or ‘clang’? Of course. This is all a natural fit for our creative soundscapes, and together, our new band delivers all of it.

Take a look at our new website, where you'll find links to our social media channels and an option to sign up for updates, livestreams, new music and dedicated VIBRATIONISTS emails.

// What’s next

Our VIBRATIONISTS live setup is complex, which significantly increases the chances of monumental cockups, especially when we factor in videos, lighting, and back projection.

We always say that one gig is worth 20 rehearsals—that's when you truly discover what's working and find out what needs more attention. Playing live gives you a real feel for how the songs flow in the set, how the music connects with the audience, and what needs tweaking.

With this in mind, and before we book a full mixed-media tour with production rehearsals, we've decided to play a few low-key warm-up shows with the occasional live stream.

In May, we played our debut gig at Marcianus 3.0 in Foz do Arelho, and in June, played the outdoor stage at Prohibition in Óbidos—it was purely music without visual effectS—taking it slowly.

/// Video

Before we can book any shows, agents need to see our live performance. So, we decided to record a few live tracks in the studio from our back catalogue that truly showcase the new VIBRATIONISTS sound.

For our first video recording session, we reimagined It Ain't Right from our second studio album, The Language Of Curiosity (featuring Suzy on lead vocals) and had incredible help from our brilliant Latvian friends, Raivis Struncens and his wonderful daughter Veronika. They rocked up with their cameras and tripods to capture it all.

Here are three stills Raivis captured during the recording session.

// And finally… Are you a VIBRATIONIST?

Watch out for our new LIVE video released in the next couple of weeks.

Check out, subscribe (and click the bell icon to receive updates)— on our brand new VIBRATIONISTS YouTube channel.

So that’s it—come on board and let’s enjoy the ride together - after all, we are all VIBRATIONISTS.

Much love

Suzy, Simon & Dave

I tried to do my best
I gave you everything
Everything

No one can hurt you
You’ll never die
Hold you forever
Deep in my life

Everything

Everything is the fifth track from STARLITE.ONE which is available to buy on 180g vinyl and Compact Disc with download and streaming via Bandcamp. Words and music by Suzy Starlite - ℗ © Supertone Records, 2023

It’s all about identity

Over the past few weeks, we have been working with ace designers TURMA Creative on the identity for our new band, VIBRATIONISTS.

TURMA. are based in our nearest City, Caldas da Rainha which is packed with artists, musicians and designers. It hosts one of the best Universities of Art & Design in Portugal and has UNESCO Creative City status.

Starlite and I—plus our band member Dave Boyd on the VIBRATIONISTS element—created mood boards for both projects, and I started to delve into what turned me on from a design perspective, which inevitably brought me to the Haçienda, Factory Records and New Order.

Madchester

It was the late 80s, and I was in the thick of the “Madchester” scene and specifically all things Factory Records—from the bands to the legendary Haçienda nightclub—I was part of the team from WIGWAM Acoustics that designed and installed the final sound system.

Mad, mad times. Madchester indeed!

I know many of our subscribers are lovers of music history, so it’s worth delving into this legendary scene.

The Haçienda

The Haçienda was conceived by Tony Wilson and Rob Gretton of Factory Records, along with members of the band New Order. Their vision was to create a cultural hub that went beyond a typical nightclub, encompassing music, art, and fashion.

Ben Kelly's interior design was distinctive and influential. It featured industrial aesthetics with bold stripes, hazard tape, and construction bollards, reflecting Manchester's post-industrial landscape.

The Haçienda played a pivotal role in popularising electronic dance music, acid house, and rave culture in the UK.

It was a platform for international DJs plus emerging local bands like The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Oasis, Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, Inspiral Carpets, Pet Shop Boys, The Fall, The Prodigy, New Order, and many more. Even Madonna performed at the venue, recording her first-ever live UK TV appearance of Holiday for Channel 4’s ‘The Tube’.

My band at the time—The Cutting Edge—also played at the Haçienda. It was a great experience and one that I will never forget. We shot a video there which I need to dig out but sadly, there are no photos. I do have the ticket as a memento from the night, framed alongside other memorable gig tickets hanging on the wall in the Engine Room of the new Supertone Sonic Lab.

The Haç, as it was known locally, was a hugely influential venue that not only shaped the Manchester music scene but also had a lasting impact on club culture globally.

Despite its cultural significance, the club was never a financial success and eventually closed due to various factors, including drug gangs, guns, people’s safety, plus financial difficulties.

Even though the physical club is gone (the site is now apartments), the Haçienda remains an iconic symbol of a vibrant era in music history — its name and spirit are kept alive through occasional revival events and merchandise.

Play at Home | New Order (1984).

Released on 19th October 1984 by Channel 4 Television and RPM Media, Play at Home is a fascinating documentary about Factory Records.

The members of New Order interview founders Tony Wilson and ace producer Martin Hannett—oh god, those toms on Atmosphere—who speak on the philosophical and cultural purpose of their label and their associates, who mostly appear frustrated or confused.

Rob Gretton, Factory founder and manager of New Order, interviews himself. The video also includes three live performances of New Order at the Haçienda.

FAC off.

The FAC numbering system was the brainchild of Tony Wilson, one of the co-founders of the Factory record label. He was known for his avant-garde and often unconventional approach to the music industry. He treated Factory Records more like an art project than a traditional business.

It wasn't just for records but used to catalog everything associated with Factory Records, including posters, events, and even the Haçienda—FAC 51. This gave a sense of artistic and historical significance to all aspects of the Factory "factory."

While Tony Wilson conceived the idea, graphic designer Peter Saville played a crucial role in the visual presentation of these catalogue numbers on record sleeves and other Factory designs, contributing to the label's iconic aesthetic.

I love the bands, concept, artwork and design. Classic shit. Great memories.

Moving on.

One of the wonderful things in life is that you never know what will happen next, and this couldn’t be any truer since our last update in January.

The issues with the owners of the house we rent still rumble on, but we are getting somewhere. It’s a war of attrition, but one thing you don’t do is fuck around with Starlite and I—dramatic developments are afoot…

Silver and gold

We now live on the coast in a special place called Foz do Arelho, 96km north of Lisbon and just over an hour’s drive from the airport.

Foz has a very specific microclimate and is located in an area known as the ‘Silver Coast’ or locally as Costa de Prata, which derives its name from the shimmering, silvery reflection of the sun diffused through wispy clouds onto the Atlantic Ocean as it meets the coastline.

The region is known for its extensive shoreline, beautiful beaches, and clear blue sea, making this ‘Silver’ effect quite prominent.

It’s a fantastic location.

Rain, rain, rain

It’s been raining here since February with a few wonderful sunny respites, but now the warmth and the sunshine have arrived, giving us that dreamy holiday feel reminiscent of the four years we spent in Valencia, Spain.

We are used to it and manage to work effectively which for us is six days a week.

The reservoirs in Portugal are full, but the people have been empty, waiting for the summer to begin in earnest.

One thing we have learned is to ignore the weather forecasts, as the maritime climate is unpredictable and fast-moving.

Forecasts of cloud all day usually mean cover in the mornings and broken cloud in the afternoons with sun. Any percentage of rain can mean downpours or a brief spurt sometime during the day or night.

During the week, it’s great to pop down to the beach, which is only a two-minute drive from the studio and hang out in the sunshine with our girls—aka the squoofers two squeakers and two woofers—right next to the Atlantic Ocean - a real tonic for the soul. Weekends are bonkers, so we don’t venture down there and prefer to work.

Apparently, July and August are crazy busy and will report back when we have first hand experience.

Listen to the waves…

The tour is dead. Long live the tour.

As you will recall from our 2023 tour diary, touring is pretty fucked. Costs have gone sky high whilst fees have remained static or lower, and to top it off, audiences are declining.

So, what do we do?

We have formed a new band, VIBRATIONISTS, to experiment, write, record, live-stream, and tour with.

Madness, but that’s what we do.

More on all things that vibrate in the next article…

New material.

After many months focusing on other tasks, we've finally started mixing our next single release.

Hello was born ten years ago, but due to its progressive nature and considerable length of around 17 minutes, it has previously not fit onto any of our albums, making it a perfect standalone single. It's great to be working on it; the studio has never felt better.

We have an album’s worth of new material, which we are introducing into our VIBRATIONISTS live set over the coming months. Some is challenging to say the least, and we are beyond excited to start the recording process and share it with you!

We also planning a sister album which will feature roaring guitars and a lot of very, very cool stuff.

Keep an eye out for news, here and on most social media, except X.

Family.

At the end of May, we were thrilled to host our youngest son, Joe, his supercool German wife, Christina, and our two grandkids, Emma (5) and little Finn (4 months). Our home has been bursting with joy!

We don’t share much private family stuff, but here are some pictures, firstly of Joe and I. The genes are strong in this family—I am sure he was standing on a rock to look taller!

Until next time.

Much love

S&S xxx