Starlite & Campbell - Starlite.One

Once upon a time there was the largely blues-rock focused Starlite Campbell Band.  Now there’s Starlite & Campbell - a minimalist bit of rebranding to introduce some new adventures in hi-fi from Suzy Starlite and Simon Campbell, reflecting different elements of their musical tastes.  But bearing in mind some of the influences they mentioned in a Gimme 5 feature in these columns, such as Tom Yorke of Radiohead and Laurie Anderson, I approached Starlite.One with some trepidation.
Needn’t have worried though, really.  Okay, so the sounds here aren’t always in my natural

Starlite & Campbell get windswept and interesting

Pic by Paul Husband

wheelhouse, but if the direction of travel is kinda art-proggy it’s never so outré as to be alienating.  They still like to produce appealing melodies and hooks, and they know how to combine instruments combine to produce good sounds.
Opening track ‘Saving Me’ has a link to their past selves, as Campbell’s crooning, patient vocal recalls the title track of their last studio album, The Language Of Curiosity, and it has a penetrating little guitar motif to bring cutting edge to its undercurrent of throbbing bassline and Kraftwerkisch bubbling and bleeping synth sounds, as well as one of the aforementioned appealing melodies.  And ‘The Voting Machine’ burbles along with motorik pulsing, augmented by washes of keyboards, and with injections of biting, twirling guitar themes.  But this time the singer is Suzy Starlite, with her clear, pure English voice redolent of . . . who?  Julie Covington, maybe?
Suzy’s vocal precision is also evident in the brief vignette that is ‘Everything’, with spot-on tuning and phrasing over minimalist keys.  And she also takes the lead on ‘The Coat’, singing yearningly and hesitantly as she captures images and emotions from a relationship in the process of breaking-up, over a backing of tooting keys and little else, except some interpolations of atmospheric drums from Hugo Danin.
There’s a more naturalistic air to the elegiac ‘Blow Them All To Pieces’, with a soft and wistful vocal from Campbell over simple acoustic strumming and harmonium-like keys, before the strumming takes a different, appealing turn.  With the addition of some Wakeman-esque twiddly synth it takes on a Yessy pastoral-meets-electronica vibe akin to, say, ‘Wondrous Stories’ – with added filigrees of flute.  Campell then revisits his crooning mode on ‘This Time (Is Gonna Be The Last Time)’, but bending it into a Scott Walker-ish timbre (Walker being another avowed person of interest to the duo) over more squelching, shoulder-twitching synth rhythms, given extra urgency by crisp Danin drumming.
Danin’s drum elaborations also help to ground ‘Shine On The Light On Me’, a love song set to Ultravox-esque electro-bleeping, with patient harmonising from Suzy and Simon, spoken word reflections from the former, and occasionally corny lyrics about “Splendiferous isolation, you are my constellation”.
Another vignette in the form of ‘Mother’, in which spooky, sci-fi backing blends in Vocoder-like vocalisation effects doesn’t really do it for me.  But the closing ‘A Part Of Me Is Broken (Part 2) is edgily convincing, with solid, brooding guitar work over a tripping, revolving drum rhythm and an undertow of keyboard machinations.  Campbell’s guitar then gradually breaks free into some sturdy meditations, counterepointed by more swirling synths, until La Starlite adds some more spoken work musings about “memory eroded by dementia, replaced by the fallacy of eternal youth” and such-like.  Whatever you say, Suzy – the important thing is that this is the strongest track on the album, stirring up vague echoes of Steve Hillage’s ‘The Glorious Om Riff’.  Well, maybe.  How about a cover of that in your live set, Suzy and Simon?
Starlite.One perhaps won’t fit the bill for some fans of the blues-leaning Starlite Campbell Band. But there’s mileage in these here explorations.  Hop on board their spaceship, and see where it takes you.
 
Starlite.One is out now, and available here.
Starlite and Campbell are touring Britain from 29 September.

Starlite Campbell Band - Starlite Campbell Band Live! 2

Come on everybody take a trip with me, to a land where experience and enthusiasm are as important as youth and beauty; a land where hype and Spotify numbers take second place to wit and quality; a land, in fact, where more people recognise the charms of the Starlite Campbell Band.
Barely has the last chord died from Starlite Campbell Band Live!, and here are Suzy Starlite and Simon Campbell back with another collection of live cuts for your delectation and delight.  It’s an unusual step, but what the hell – rock’n’roll don’t follow no instruction manual!
. . . Live! 2 observes one of the Laws of Good Live Albums though, by serving up more than just 

Suzy Starlite and Simon Campbell - curiously good fun

the bleedin’ obvious.  Yes, there are a clutch of tracks from the duo’s two studio albums – predominantly the first, Blueberry Pie – but there’s also a selection of stuff from Simon Campbell’s 2011 solo album ThirtySix, and a clever two-fer-one cover.
‘Hot As Hell’ kicks things off, with Campbell snapping out a spiky blues riff and singing “I ain’t got no sense of humour” – pull the other one, Simon – before Steve Gibson’s drums arrive to get a good shuffle going, and Jonny Henderson weighs in with piano to colour in the background before adding a sprightly solo, with Campbell pulling out a stride-like rock’n’roll riff to catch the ear in the background.
A different shade of blues is on offer later, with the slowie ‘Still Got Time To Be My Baby’, Campbell underlining his guitar chops, as firstly he parcels out some adroitly controlled licks, and then as he delivers an imaginative solo, full of subtle changes of pace, unusual angles, and tension and release.
Elsewhere that blues tendency is blended into a broader rock sensibility, as on the swinging ‘Brother’, on which organ and bass carry much of the backing, while Campbell adds subtle embroidery.  Or the laid back ‘I Need A Light’, which is a masterclass in arrangement with its cool bass line, slinky Fender Rhodes piano motif, and loosely rolling drums.
The swaggering ‘You’re So Good For Me’ is a showcase for Suzy Starlite’s excellent bass, first as she complements a crackling Campbell guitar solo, then in the foreground to the accompaniment of some discordant, donking guitar chords, with a stirring organ solo to follow.  They pack a hell of a lot into four minutes here, including some enjoyably sly lyrics.
The title track of second album Language Of Curiosity takes things in another direction with its air of New Wave power pop electronica, with Starlite and Campbell doubling up on vocals over quick-stepping drums from Gibson, and some throbbing, wriggling bass.  But while that may be indicative of their more expansive musical tastes, their rock’n’roll smarts are underlined by a couple of other outings.  Controlled feedback from Campbell heralds the purposeful strut of ‘Peter Gunn’, the riff taken up by Starlite’s bass while Campbell scrabbles away over the top, including a couple of very Blackmore-ish licks before folding the tune into ‘Shakin’ All Over’ – nicely done, with wit and imagination.  And Campbell’s own ‘I Like It Like That’ is a detonation of crunching guitar chords, rumbling bass and snapping drums, tense and urgent until the shivering pay-off to the chorus.  It’s a ripper of a track, hinting at a Sixties rave-up vibe without ever quite going there.
‘Walkin’ Out The Door’ makes for a strong finale, with its walking bass line and ‘Green Onions’ organ, while Campbell adds flickering, shimmering guitar notes before kicking his solo into gear with distorted, nerve-jangling chords, leading to a warped, sci-fi like passage that eventually returns to earth for a shiverin’ an’ shakin’ conclusion.
. . . Live! 2 isn’t perfect.  The sequencing of tracks could be better, the lightly funky ‘Sex Is The Key’ is filler, and some distracting between songs chat could usefully have edited out.   But still, it's great fun, with musical intelligence and lightness of touch to put some bigger name bands to shame.
 
Starlite Campbell Band Live! 2 is released on 7 October, and can be ordered here.

Gimme 5 - The Starlite Campbell Band take us on a musical odyssey

As their recently released album Starlite Campbell Band Live! demonstrates, Suzy Starlite and Simon Campbell can do a classic British rock sound with the best of 'em.  But these musical nomads, currently living in Portugal, have interests and inspirations that range far and wide.  So let's join their Gimme 5 magical mystery tour as they share 5 songs that have clicked with them
lately, 5 key influences, and 5 guests - well, six, because they cheated - who they'd love to invite to a long lunch.  Start the engines, Suzy and Simon!

Gimme 5 songs, old or new, that have been on your radar recently.

‘The Same’ by The Smile:  “Simon has loved and devotedly followed Radiohead ever since he heard ‘Creep’. We think they are the most important band around right now as they continue to push musical boundaries and really love the collaboration with Nigel Godrich as a producer. The

The Starlite Campbell Band perform a rock'n'roll mind-meld!

Pic by Dario Leonetti

Smile is the latest side project from Messrs Yorke and Greenwood from the band and we saw them live early in July in Lisbon. It was a masterclass in modern rock music, the star of the show being the drummer Tom Skinner. But, it's not just the music. Yorke’s lyrics are always poignant but this particular track really speaks the language of 2022.”

‘A Minha Menina’ by Os Mutantes:  “Suzy is always off-piste with her music tastes and since being in Portugal has been investigating the music of our new adopted home. Os Mutantes are Brazilian, but of course sing in Portuguese, albeit the Brazilian version. The album was released in 1968 and feels very much a part of the psychedelic scene, but with a wonderful Latin twist and fabulous fuzz guitar.”

‘Flowers of Neptune 6’ by The Flaming Lips:  “Simon saw the Flaming Lips at Glastonbury a few years ago and became aware of them through the album Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots and later when Wayne Coyne featured as guest vocalist with The Chemical Brothers’ ‘Golden Path’. ‘Flowers of Neptune 6’ is from the album American Head which is totally wonderful, and we love Coyne’s broken vocal and childlike lyrics, both of which convey insightful messages. The production is wonderful, in parts Beatle-esque but still rooted in their chaotic Oklahoma sound. He likes dinosaurs and spaceships and that's good enough for us.”

‘That's The Way It Is’ (live version) by Daniel Lanois & Heavy Sun:  “We talk more about Lanois later, but this particular track was written for the Amazon video game Red Dead Redemption 2 and is just outstanding. We love the general vibe, guitar and vocal sensitivity of the Hammond, the falsetto vocal - basically everything.”

‘I Believe In You’ by Talk Talk:  “Talk Talk always give waves of ‘80s nostalgia with their big hits ‘Life's What You Make It’ and ‘Living in Another World’.  But to us, it’s the album Spirit of Eden that really defines the band. It was engineered by our good friend Phill Brown who has worked with an amazing array of artists from Led Zeppelin to Bob Marley. Phill’s excellent book Are We
Still Rolling? details the torturous recording process plus a plethora of fabulous anecdotes from his life as a premier league studio hound. The atmosphere, instrumentation and vocals on this track are totally spellbinding.”

Gimme 5 artists or bands who have had a big influence on your work.

Daniel Lanois:  “We fell in love with Lanois through his production of Bob Dylan's masterpiece Oh Mercy and quickly found the other records in the trilogy: Yellow Moon (Neville Brothers) and his first solo album Acadie. All three were recorded in New Orleans using fabulous local musicians plus the wonderful talents of our friend Malcolm Burn along with Mark Howard and Brian Eno, plus Larry Mullen Jr and Adam Clayton of U2. Over the years we have followed him

Bowie - A shape-shifting musical influence

with a passion, and the rockumentary ‘Here Is What Is’ is a great favourite of ours. Lanois has produced some monster albums, working with a stellar array of artists from U2 to Robbie Robertson, Peter Gabriel to Sinéad O'Connor, but it's his collaboration with Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris that really floats our boat. He works with Brian Blade, who along with Vinnie Colaiuta is one of our favourite drummers. The fact that he is a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, producer and engineer provides a deep connection with Simon who plays our vinyl copies of Acadie and Oh Mercy before every session he records  - just to set the standard. ‘Nuff said.”

Nigel Godrich:  “Godrich is Radiohead’s producer and works also on Tom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood's side projects. We just love his production sensibilities making complex music very accessible and appears to be very much a part of the creative process. But he is much more than just Radiohead. The From the Basement series of live performances is totally amazing, taking its inspiration and vibe from The Old Grey Whistle Test. Outstanding."

Jimmy Page:  Simon says, “I was born on January 9th, the same date, but not the same year as Page, and feel a real connection with his playing and production. He is a very ‘British’ guitar player, a bit sloppy - not as clean and refined as some of his American counterparts. Zeppelin III was my first introduction after an older boy at school who didn’t care for the music gave it to me. Of course, I voraciously consumed all the albums and using a reel-to-reel tape machine to slow them down, learned every track. Houses of the Holy and Zeppelin I have remained my favourites and are on regular rotation in our studio. It was these that made me want to learn how to write, arrange and produce records. To this day his slightly crunchy guitar sound always sounds great to me and made me dislike the muddy overdriven sounds of many ‘modern’ guitar players. Take a listen to our new album Starlite Campbell Band Live! and you’ll see what I mean.”

David Bowie:  Suzy says, “Who can’t love his style, avant-garde thinking, intelligence, and his constant pushing of musical boundaries. Like most artists, he was of course a musical magpie picking up musical ideas from the likes of Scott Walker and Jacques Brel. He also surrounded himself with great musicians, primarily guitarists such as Ronson, Fripp, Alomar, Slick, Belew, Rogers and Gabrels plus of course legendary producers Eno and Visconti. My all-time favourite ‘Bowie’ rhythm section is the combination of George Murray and Dennis Davis. Simon and I cried when we first heard ‘Where Are We Now’ as it was clear - to us - he was dying.”

Scott Walker:  “This enigmatic, mysterious, troublesome genius has been so influential to vast swathes of modern music. He always lurks in the British psyche with his magnificent early Walker Brothers hits, but it's his solo material that really strikes home. The later material can be a very tricky listen but totally worth it.” 

Music loving movie man Quentin Tarantino celebrates lunch invite

Gimme 5 guests you’d love to invite to your ideal long lunch.

"Of course, as a couple, we would always invite six as five is awkward so we popped in an extra chair at the table."

David Byrne:  “Byrne is of the most intelligent musicians out there and sure would be an engaging guest adding some zing to this fabulous group of people. His fabulous book How Music Works is on its second read in the Starlite Campbell house and we never tire of the groundbreaking Stop Making Sense, critically acclaimed as one of the greatest rock movies ever made.”

Tom Yorke:  “This activist, eclectic musician and visual artist would complement the other guests around the table. Witty, articulate and a very unique way of looking at the world.”

Annie Leibovitz:  “What can you say about this legendary photographer? Is it the picture she took of Ono and Lennon five hours before he was tragically murdered, or the controversy that surrounds her shots of Queen Elizabeth II, Miley Cyrus and LeBron James? In any event, we think she would make a fascinating addition to the cocktail of guests.”

Quentin Tarantino:  “Our favourite music director and lover of music. All his movies have magnificent eclectic soundtracks and we particularly love Urge Overkill’s version of ‘Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon’, Chuck Berry’s ‘You Never Can Tell’ and The Statler Brothers' version of ‘Flowers On The Wall’. We’re sure we would be a riveting guest.”

Laurie Anderson:  “Is one of the most renowned and daring creative pioneers and is bound to really make a fabulous guest. Visual artist, composer, poet, photographer, filmmaker, electronics whiz, vocalist and instrumentalist.”

Pedro Abrunhosa:  “We met Pedro at his studio in Porto last year not knowing he was one of Portugal's biggest artists. We really hit it off and a few weeks ago we went to stay with him. He again is a fabulous singer, songwriter, poet, philosopher, musician and composer. He founded Porto’s jazz school and has been immensely influential in the modern music culture of Portugal.  He is well read and has tremendous gravitas. The man has his own library - that says it all.”  [Not being remotely familiar with Pedro Abrunhosa myself, I've dug out his track 'Se Eu Fosse Um Dia O tea Olhar' by way of introduction.  Nice piano!]

Just one track – pick one of your tracks that you’d share with a new listener to introduce your music.

“We’d go for the track ‘Lay It Out On Me’, from our album The Language Of Curiosity.  We wrote and recorded the drums, bass and guitar whilst we were living in Germany. The grand piano was tracked at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales when we were in the UK on tour, two weeks before the first lockdown. Rockfield is famous for being the world’s first residential recording studio and also where Queen recorded ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, and many other monster bands have worked there including Black Sabbath, Oasis, Robert Plant et al.  For our session, Simon asked Jonny Henderson to play three versions of the song - busy, medium and sparse. We chose the sparse version which gives the track a very desolate and intimate feel. Although principally a love song, the lyric has a sense of hopelessness and brokenness and the very melodic and clean guitar adds to the atmosphere. ‘Lay It Out On Me’ has space, a naked vulnerability and we think that it's one of the best recordings we have made, and defines much that the Starlite Campbell Band were in 2021.”

_

‘Lay It Out On Me’ - Starlite/Campbell 2021

I wrote you letters, parchment to hold
You brought suspicion, or so I am told
Love is a picture, to paint and to see
Lay it out on me
 
Walk in the forest, there’s nothing to fear
I am so right, when you are so near
Love is an anger, a sign, a decree
Lay it out on me
 
Walk through the water, just in and not on
Swim in the ocean, bask in the sun
I gave you my all, your love is my plea
Lay it out on me

Starlite Campbell Band Live! is out now on Supertone Records, and can be ordered here.

Starlite Campbell Band - Starlite Campbell Band Live!

Suzy Starlite and her husband Simon Campbell aren’t averse to being a bit quirky, musically speaking, as some of the sounds on their last album The Language Of Curiosity demonstrated.  But this live excursion makes clear that at heart they’re a throwback to an earlier time, and a brand of British blues-rock in which bands treated being on stage as an adventure, stretching and bending songs to get the most out of them.
This sensibility is underlined by the closing track here, a cover of ‘Whiter Shade Of Pale’, included in this set on the basis that Hammond organ duties were undertaken by one-time Procul Harum keys man Josh Phillips.  It’s a song that has a soulful vibe, but of course also

Simon Campbell and Suzy Starlite, living it up

Pic by Peter Putters

reaches out beyond a blues framework by appropriating a bit of Bach.  Campbell may be at the edge of his vocal capabilities here, but proves it’s worth the effort with a dandy delivery.
The Hammond focus is no accident either, as the rest of the album demonstrates that Campbell, a wing-ding guitarist who can put lots of young guns to shame, loves to have an organ to bounce off.  So it is that the opening track, ‘Brother’, runs to eight and a half minutes as all concerned pinball around in pursuit of different angles.  And bounce is the operational word for a rhythmic groove centred on Suzy Starlite’s bubbling bass line.  Campbell adds stinging guitar, and on this occasion Jonny Henderson delivers the classic, surging Hammond sound. They take it down for a stuttering, Morse Code guitar solo, and do some smart call-and-response guitar and organ stuff before they’re done. Oh yeah, and it’s a good song to boot, with a nifty hook.
A couple of songs, ‘Cry Over You’ and ‘Said So’, show off different sides of Campbell’s guitar prowess.  The first is a blues ballad, but not by the numbers.  It’s a romantic affair, with clever lyrical phrasing, and Campbell reinforces the mood with a swooning, gentle solo reminiscent of Gary Moore at his most melodic.  And again, there’s a marvellous organ solo that captures the requisite sensitivity and drama.  ‘Said So’ is an altogether different animal.  At first a crunching mash-up of a ‘You Really Got Me’-type riff and a melody that owes a few quid to the Temptations, it downshifts into some moody meandering, before some wailing and bleeping guitar wrangling that sounds like it’s being transmitted from Space Station No. 5 heralds a psychedelic instrumental storm, in the course of which Campbell lets rip – to the evident satisfaction of the crowd at its conclusion.
The quality of the songs is an important factor though, as the reflective and melodic ‘Take Time To Grow Old’ demonstrates, even if its “na-na-na” vocal bridge is a bit daffy.  Campbell still comes up with a gripping guitar refrain though, controlled in both pace and tone before a more explorative solo that eventually resolves into a closing theme.  Meanwhile Suzy Starlite produces a steady, patient vocal on the contemplative ‘Guilty’, with a classy melody over a spare backing consisting of metronomic drums, locked in bass, and flurries of understated guitar and keys.
‘Misgivings’ shows just how well they swing, on a bright shuffle with a lightness of touch and another strong chorus, while the rhythm section and organ combine marvellously to underpin a Campbell solo that sizzles without burning itself to a crisp, and Jonny Henderson produces another classy Hammond excursion as they shift up a gear.  Only ‘Preacher Of Love’ – taken like ‘Brother’ and ‘Misgivings’, from Campbell’s 2011 solo album ThirtySix – leaves me wanting more.  Not that it’s a bad song – it’s got drive and an intriguing twitchiness – but to my mind they’ve got a heap of stronger options in their locker.
Be that as it may, Starlite Campbell Band Live! confirms that this husband-and-wife pairing are under-rated gems of the blues-rock firmament.  Their musicianship is top notch, they write really good, smart songs, and they’re great fun. If you hanker after that classic British rock vibe of yesteryear, then . . . Live! will satisfy your appetite.

Starlite Campbell Band Live! is released by Supertone Records on 22 July, and can be ordered here.

Starlite Campbell Band - The Language Of Curiosity

They’re a bit bonkers, I think.  Bonkers about each other, and bonkers about making the kind of music they love, the way they want to make it.  And long may Suzy Starlite and Simon Campbell be that way.  Their debut album, Blueberry Pie, was a wonderful surprise that landed in my lap nearly five years ago now.  And happily, The Language Of Curiosity is similarly appealing.
They ease into proceedings with ‘Distant Land’, the whomping backbeat from drummer Steve Gibson backed up by crunching chords, and decorated by spiralling lead guitar lines from 

The Starlite Campbell Band - ready to rock!

Campbell.  There’s a melodic bridge – they do like to do something different with a bridge - and a guitar solo that buzzes and flutters like a bee hot on the trail of nectar.  It’s catchy too – but not as much as the following ‘Gaslight’, which rides a riff that’s so Stonesy it’s coated in brown sugar, en route to a shout-it-out chorus.  It has pointed lyrics about blowhard political liars too, and some razor-sharp slide guitar fills along the way.  And the first single from the album, 'Stone Cold Crazy', has a tough strut of a fuzzy riff,  coming over like one of Purple's lighter moments.  A bit.
These tunes may reaffirm their devotion to Sixties British blues and early Seventies British rock, but it ain’t nuthin’ compared to the wig-out they deliver halfway through the album.  ‘Said So’ stomps all over the riff from ‘You Really Got Me’, then mashes it together with a snippet of the melody from The Temptations’ ‘Get Ready’.  After belting along breathlessly for a couple of verses they downshift into a contemplative bridge.  And then, my friends, they stamp on the gas pedal, the bass’n’drums of Suzy Starlite and Steve Gibson start racing each other, and Campbell goes nuts on a wild, distorted solo, tearing down the road like an F1 car.  They find the brakes, just, for another verse or so, and the whole thing shudders to a halt to the accompaniment of some Jon Lord-style Hammond B3 doodling by Jonny Henderson.
But rockin’ it up is not, stylistically, the be-all and end-all of The Language Of Curiosity, no sirree.  For one thing, Suzy Starlite was a folk-rock singer before she learned to crank out a bass guitar groove, and on ‘It Ain’t Right’ she delivers the dreamy melody in blissed-out fashion, over pattering drums, acoustic guitar strumming, and simple, warm piano chords.  Hell, there’s even a wordless harmonised passage that sounds handed down from the Mamas and Papas.  And if the closing ‘Ride On Cowboy’ evolves from a metronomic kick drum to a four-on-the-floor funky

A little bit bonkers, a whole lotta rock'n'roll

vibe, all grooving bass, chirping guitar and Fender Rhodes frills, her vocal is English rose rather than sassy soul siren – except when her other half breaks out a sizzling solo and she gets all breathy and sexy in the background.  And the title track is a real curve ball, which kicks off in jangly post-punk pop fashion redolent of ‘Echo Beach’, the two of them harmonising in lock-step, before taking a left turn into Campbell crooning like Midge Ure dancing with tears in his eyes over washes of keys.  And if that sounds mad, it’s still a bum-wiggling little winner.
Other highlights are in a more reflective vein, most impressively on ‘Take The Time To Grow Old’, where a ‘Dear Prudence’ guitar motif combines with sustained organ chords and tinkling piano, while Campbell sings about defying the dying of the light.  It’s a post-Beatles pop-rock ballad that could easily con its way into Johnnie Walker’s Sounds of the Seventies radio show, and it’s topped off by a big, ultra-fuzzy guitar solo.  ‘Lay It Out On Me’, meanwhile, is a more melancholy affair, with a ruminative bass line and delicate piano while Campbell drifts between Peter Green and Dave Gilmour stylings with some spare, almost whispered guitar work.
Simon Campbell seems like a walking encyclopaedia of classic British axe heroes.  But overall his guitar sound is his own, and it’s remarkable that he eschews effects pedals in search of it.  Just as importantly though, The Language Of Curiosity is about well-constructed songs, about infectious melodies and worthwhile words, and the couple’s co-writing fulfils those ambitions with a bit of flair.  The Starlite Campbell Band’s bonkers devotion to their musical muse has produced another crop of goodies.

The Language Of Curiosity is released on 5 November, and can be ordered here (though the vinyl edition may not be available till 2022).

Starlite Campbell Band - Bannermans, Edinburgh, 19 December 2018

My other half didn’t make it to this gig.  She’d gone out for lunch with a pal, and come down with a dose of vino excessivus. Which was a pity, because her absence depleted the audience for the Starlite Campbell Band by about 5%.  But you know what?  The small audience didn’t matter.  Not one bit.

Why is this?  It’s because the Starlite Campbell Band go the whole nine yards, that’s why.  They deliver good songs with great musicianship.  And they put on a show, regardless of the paltry audience.  Clad all in black, guitarist Simon Campbell has a penchant for a bit of Ian

Simon Campbell - "It's Edinburgh in December, it's night,
and I'm in a cellar. And I'm wearing shades.  Let's rock!"

Anderson style arm waving while he’s singing, for one thing.  And he and his bassist missus Suzy Starlite bop around the stage like a couple of unselfconscious, if not entirely sprightly, 20-year old rockers.

The set is drawn largely from their 2017 album Blueberry Pie and Simon Campbell’s solo stuff, in particular his 2011 solo debut ThirtySix.  It’s Sixties-style British blues fit for the 21st century, with sharp lyrics, and it’s great fun right from the rocking opener ‘Brother’, with sizzling guitar from Campbell over bubbling bass from Starlite and punchy drums from Steve Gibson, all the way through to the end of a near two hour performance.

Along with newly-flown-in-from-Spain keys man Gabriele Del Vecchio, they conjure up twitchy funk on the well-constructed ‘Preacher Of Love’, with its ‘Heartbreaker’-style riff. Campbell isn’t frightened to go for it, ripping out chords over a subterranean rumble of bass and whacking floor toms on ‘I Like It Like That’, before embarking on an adventurous guitar wig-out.  And then he goes and delivers an intro to the slow blues of ‘Cry Over You’ that is pure Gary Moore at his most restrained.  It’s a typically clever arrangement, to which Campbell adds a devastating solo, full of light and shade.

And so it goes on, through song after song.  Starlite is a damn fine, supple and grooving bassist, who legend has it only picked the damn instrument up four years ago.  Witty lyrics are scattered around liberally, and Campbell weaves guitar sorcery hither and yon to which Gibson adds sharp percussion accents.  And Del Vecchio, god bless him, without the benefit of any meaningful

rehearsal, gets drawn into an entertaining bout of extemporised guitar/organ interplay on the smoky Sixties-style blues of ‘Misgivings’. They even manage to get all spangly Beatle-ish on the brand new song ‘Take Time To Grow Old’.

Campbell and Starlite - mad for it

Down the stretch there’s old-fashioned boogie with picked guitar on ‘Hot As Hell’, a cover of Free’s ‘Mr Big’ on which Starlite gets a featured spot to do considerable justice to Andy Fraser on a twangy bass feature.  There’s their latest digital single ‘Heart Of Stone’, which has a grinding ‘Green Onions’ groove laced with stinging injections from Campbell.

And then – and then, folks – they close out with ‘Walkin’ Out The Door’, the opening track from Blueberry Pie.  And this slice of mid-Sixties style soulful blues, with some wah-wah atmospherics, gradually morphs into Led Feckin’ Zeppelin, the riff tipping the hat to the likes of ‘How Many More Times’ while Starlite channels John Paul Jones with an increasingly mountainous bass line.  And Campbell goes into mad axeman mode, conjuring up a howling guitar interlude with the aid of an old-fashioned echoplex box of tricks – real analogue tape, boys and girls – ahead of an echo-laden solo.  Greta Van Fleet eat your juvenile hearts out.

You probably think I’m making this up, that I had a few too many Christmas sherbets and lost touch with reality.  But I’m not and I didn’t.  This was the real deal, scintillating stuff, delivered to 20 odd people. Simon Campbell and Suzy Starlite are mad for the music, and mad for each other – and their enthusiasm is infectious.  This tour’s just about done, but if you find them coming your way in the future - go see ‘em.

The Blues Enthused Christmas Stocking 2017 - Part 1

So this is Christmas, and what have we done?  Another year over – and it’s been a pretty good one on the blues’n’roots’rock’n’rollin’ front.  It’s been a year of discoveries too.  Not necessarily all new artists by any means, and not all written about here either, but people I’ve tripped over the first time. Let’s unwrap some of the new finds Blues Enthused made in the course of the year, shall we?

Simon Campbell unwraps some 60s British blues - 21st century style

Just to prove the point that there are old timers out there you can still get acquainted with, I had fun reviewing the latest album by Washington DC’s The Nighthawks for Blues Matters magazine.  All You Gotta Do is a pretty damn enjoyable collection of old-fashioned R’n’B from a gang who’ve been around for god knows how long.  Check out this footage of ‘Livin’ The Blues’, from their earlier album 444.

Simon Campbell has also been kicking around for a looong time.  But in the company of his missus Suzy Starlite, he put together new outfit the Starlite Campbell Band to release one of my favourite albums of the year, Blueberry Pie.  It’s a crackling modern take on Sixties British blues, with strong songs, great guitar work, and sharp lyrics.  Lend an ear to these snippets of tracks from the album, and see what you think.
Just to complete a trio of oldsters, while I was on Blues Matters reviewing duty I also encountered James Litherland, once upon a time guitarist and vocalist in Colosseum.  His latest album Back'N'Blue is a classy collection of tunes showing the songsmithery of an old pro.  Often cool and funky, with clear, looping guitar lines snaking around your ears, he also weaves in some other styles with ease, and whenever I give the album a spin it's a treat.  Here he is wandering around the music shops of Soho, and going for a pint in the Angel pub - good choice by the way - to the strains of his single 'Can't Live Without You'.  Oh yeah, and there's Les Binks, once of Judas Priest, on drums!

I’ve also been introduced to a couple of truly solo performers, of the one-man band variety.  Latterly there’s been Canadian Steve Hill, who manages to get all Zep-tastic with guitar, cymbals and kick drum, all on his ownsome.  Here he is giving it big licks on ‘Dangerous’, from his album Solo Recordings: Volume 3.  And earlier in the year I reviewed High Dollar Gospel, the latest album by a fella from Virginia called Eli Cook, for Blues Rock Review.  In

Sean Webster - naturally soulful

the review I wondered why I hadn't heard of him before.  But bizarrely, I think I may have caught a bit of Cook playing live a few years back, late night in a bar in Charlottesville, Virginia.  I gather he does play with a band on occasion, but he was on his own that time, and he’s on his own here with this version of ‘Catfish Blues/Gasoline’.

Nearer to home, I reckon the newcomer making the most impact on record this year was Ash Wilson, with his album Broken Machine.  Wilson didn’t just announce himself with some bloody good soulful blues, served straight up, he chucked in a few twists of Josh Homme-like stylings for good measure.  You can also read here about how a rather iffy synth gave an edge to the title track of the album.  Wilson has ended the year taking over from Innes Sibun as guitar honcho for Sari Schorr, but here he is playing his own haunting tune ‘The Hitcher’ in London back in August.  And yes, those are indeed Bob Fridzema, Roger Inniss and Wayne Proctor making up his band.

Ash Wilson also described how he’d played previously with Netherlands-based Sean Webster, and spoke enviously of Webster’s aptitude with an emotional, soulful vocal.  By complete coincidence, it turned out Webster was the support act to King King on a jaunt I took to the Netherlands back in February, so I swiftly had the chance to catch him live

Elles Bailey - the kid shows promise

before reviewing his impressive new album Leave Your Heart AtThe Door.  Here he is performing one of my favourites from the album, ‘I Don’t Want To Talk About It’, with guest vocalist Pennyleen Krebbers, who also featured on the album version.

And it wouldn’t do to end this instalment without a contribution from the fairer sex – in this case the up and coming Elles Bailey.  The husky voiced Bristolian’s album Wildfire showed real promise, and she and her band lived up to that promise live too, straddling roots genres to good effect.  Here she is with a stripped back take on one of her best songs, the Janis Joplin-inspired ‘The Girl Who OwnedThe Blues’, from a Whispering Bob Harris session.

That little lot should keep you entertained for a while when the rest of the family decide to watch some rubbish Christmas telly.  Look out for Part 2 before the leftover turkey is finished!

Don't miss out on Part 2 of the Christmas Stocking.  Check it out here.

Starlite Campbell Band - Blueberry Pie

Picture this, a day in December.  On the bus to work at dark o’clock.  Stick the earphones in, and give a first listen to an album sent to you by some band you’ve never heard of. And then - hold the phone.  This is really, really good.

As album titles go, Blueberry Pie sounds too sweet to be wholesome.  But don’t be fooled.  This outing by the band formed by the wonderfully named Suzy Starlite and her other half Simon Campbell - a British Blues Award nominee in 2011 – is satisfying like a good malt whisky.  It may be comforting, warm and familiar, but it also has depth and bite.

"Aargh - the feedback, Suzy!" - the Starlite Campbell Band get down and dirty

Opening track ‘Walkin’ Out The Door’ comes across like a mash-up between ‘Green Onions’ and ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby’.  And if you think that sounds derivative, think again.  It’s knowing and clever, with a languid vocal by Campbell and extended, warped guitar notes from him to decorate the opening verses, progressing to a controlled, focused injection of soloing.

There’s a decidedly British Blues sensibility at work here, exploring a variety of different blues dimensions along the way.  ‘You’re So Good For Me’ rides in on a crunch of fuzzy guitar, leading up to a zinging solo over swells of Hammond organ, and a teasing bridge to a solo by keyboard player Jonny Henderson – who’s a perfect foil for Campbell’s guitar from start to finish.  But underpinning all of that there’s another hint of Sixties soul, in the vein of ‘Treat Her Right’ or ‘Mr Pitiful’.

A blast of harp from special guest Danny Boy Sanchez heralds a Chicago R&B angle to ‘Say What You Want’, but with sharp, original lyrics that give it an original twist: “Information is a bitter sweet fix / We used to wrap it in fish and chips”.  ‘Cry Over You’ is a slowie with a piercing guitar intro that brings to mind Gary Moore in ballad mode, and interestingly staccato vocal phrasing that may indicate why Campbell’s Blues Award nomination was in the vocal department.  His voice may not be earth-shattering or unique, but he knows what he’s about, evidenced by the pleasingly smoky quality he brings to ‘I Need A Light’, complementing the jazzy mood conjured up by Steve Gibson’s pattering drums and Suzy Starlite’s slinky bass.

The balance in the material is also demonstrated by excursions into Freddie King territory with the instrumental ‘Shimmy’, developing variations on a spiky guitar theme, and at the other extreme ‘Thrill You’, which is laid back blues in the manner of ‘Come Rain Or Come Shine’, featuring another smoky vocal and a good organ solo and accompaniment from Gibson.  ‘Empire’, meanwhile, is a driving and glossy take on R&B, with a fuzzy ascending riff and a stinging guitar solo.

The title track touches on Campbell’s acoustic blues interests, with nice vocal harmonies and a measured garnishing of slide, and Ms Starlite gets a featured vocal of her own on ‘Guilty’, to which Campbell adds another controlled, piercing guitar solo, perfectly fitted to the song.

Blueberry Pie isn’t ground-breaking, or wildly adventurous, but it knows where it’s coming from. It’s also fresh and modern, it’s witty and literate, it swings and it rocks, and it’s well-nigh perfectly executed.  Hell, even the cover photograph is sparky.  To paraphrase Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks, this Blueberry Pie is worth a stop.

Blueberry Pie is released by Supertone Records on 1 February 2017.