Starlite Campbell Band

The couple wrote the material for their debut album Blueberry Pie over two weeks in April 2016 and started recording in July at the Supertone Records Studio[3] in Valencia, Spain, with the album mixed and mastered in October 2016. It was produced and engineered by Campbell, co-produced by Starlite and mastered by Jon Astley[4] who is known for his work with The Who and other rock luminaries. In addition to the band and session musicians Steve Gibson and Jonny Henderson, Valencian native Danny Boy Sanchez was co opted to play harmonica on track No. 5, "Say What You Want".

The album artwork is based on a picture taken by Starlite in the late 70's of her Grandmother Betty Higgs.[5]

Blueberry Pie was released on 1 February 2017[4] and has been extensively reviewed[6] by publications in the UK, Europe, USA and Australia Blues Matters!, R2 (Rock'n'Reel), Classic Rock[7]

The band made a festive release It Started Raining on 24 December 2017. The song was recorded live at Supertone Records studio in Valencia, Spain as part of the 'Blueberry Pie' sessions with a single guitar overdub. The cover image was taken by Isle of Man-based photographer Phil Kneen and features an old caravan featured in the song's lyric.

On 12 November 2018 the band simultaneously released their new single Heart of Stone along with a limited edition, gatefold, 180g double phonograph record (vinyl) of their album Blueberry Pie. The lacquers were cut by Miles Showell[4] at Abbey Road Studios and the pressing supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council.[8]

Recorded as part of the original Blueberry Pie sessions, the track has a stinging, acidic lyric that complements the track's hypnotic rolling groove. It appears exclusively in physical form on side four of the record. The cover image was taken by Isle of Man-based photographer Phil Kneen featuring actor Rob Smith.

In May 2019 Starlite and Campbell relocated their Supertone Records studio into the countryside near Hanover, Germany, where they started recording their second British blues / British rock music album, The Language of Curiosity moving again in October 2020 to Lisbon, Portugal where they continue work on the recordings. Five singles have been released from the album which was made its debut on November 5, 2021 and has been extensively reviewed[9] by publications in the UK, Europe, USA and Australia including Blues Matters!, R2 (Rock'n'Reel),[10] Classic Rock[11]

Again, it is produced and engineered by Campbell, co-produced by Starlite and mastered by Astley. In addition to the band and session musicians Steve Gibson (drums), Gabriele De Vecchio (Grand / upright Piano, Wurlitzer and Hammond organ) and Jonny Henderson (Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer Electric piano, Vox Continental, Hohner Clavinet and Bechstein grand piano). Some of Henderson's keyboard parts were recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales. The cover photograph was taken by award-winning photographer Stuart Bebb[12] depicting dancing in the streets of Oxford following the relaxation of the COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom.

During the course of the band's career, several live recordings were made and in 2022 eight tracks were mixed and released digitally and on Compact Disc.[13] The album features highly improvised and extended versions of tracks from Campbell's solo album ThirtySixplus the bands Language of Curiosity, Blueberry Pie and Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade Of Pale which was released as a single in June 2022. The album has attracted excellent reviews.[14]

The band digitally released the accompanying album Starlite Campbell Band Live! 2 in October 2022.[15]

The couple have completed recording an Art Rock album Starlite.One, which fuses electronic elements with traditional instrumentation. The album is set for release on September 1, 2023[16] with the first single, Saving Me, released on July 7, 2023.

During 2017 and 2018, the band performed extensively throughout Spain and the Isle of Man; in July 2018 band played Linton Festival[17][18][19] to great reviews.[20]

Accompanied by drummer Steve Gibson, the band traveled to Australia to headline[21][22][23] the blues marquee at Wangaratta Festival of Jazz on Saturday 3 November 2018 to over 3000 people with great reviews and extensive publicity.[24] Accompanying the band on this show was Australian keyboard player Clayton Doley.

The Starlite Campbell Band embarked on their debut tour of the United Kingdom in December 2018 with performances in Coulsdon, Pershore, Edinburgh, Eaglescliffe, Saltburn-by-the-Sea and The Met (arts centre) in Campbell's hometown of Bury, Greater Manchester to great reviews.[25]

2019 has seen them touring Europe and the United Kingdom which included a show at one of London's longest-running and most respected live music venues, The Half Moon, Putney plus the Forum, Darlington, The Met (arts centre), Bury, Greater Manchester - which featured Josh Phillips (musician)[26] of Procol Harum on keyboards - Flirting With The Blues festival, Amersfoort, Porgy en Bess, Terneuzen and the Greystones, Sheffield.

In 2020 the band performed at The Great British Rock and Blues Festival (main stage), Skegness; Backstage at the Green, Kinross; Redcar R&B Club and the Half Moon, Putney amongst others. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, much of 2021 was rescheduled to 2022/2023.

Starlite & Campbell tour material from the band's first two albums, Campbell's ThirtySix and The Knife plus their upcoming album The Coat in venues throughout the UK and Europe to great reviews.[27]

Between December 2021 and July 2022, Starlite & Campbell broadcast a weekly live stream on YouTube, Twitter, Twitch and Facebook from the Supertone studio in Portugal.[28]

In August 2022 Starlite & Campbell announced the development of a multimedia project, Starlite.One. It is musically explorative whilst keeping the narratives of melody, emotion, soundscapes and lyrical story-telling alive. The music binds conceptual, applied and visual art which is represented physically and digitally.

From November 2015 to October 2019 Starlite and Campbell broadcast the Supertone Show, a weekly, music-inspired chat show about songs and the people who make them. It featured an eclectic mix of music from their vinyl collections, plus special shows focussing on inspirational people who have influenced and changed the sound of modern music. The show was syndicated to 14 internet and FM stations based in the Netherlands, USA, Canada,[35] and the UK.[36] Repeats are still being broadcast and an archive is available on the Starlite & Campbell website.

The show was resurrected in January 2023 and is available on Spotify and the Starlite & Campbell website.

In May 2014 the couple, with Mark Cleator, recorded a synth-pop / electronic music, extended play record under the name Electrolite.[37] Writing took place on the Isle of Man and later in Duras, Lot-et-Garonne, France and Valencia, Spain. The EP was released electronically and on 180g vinyl and features Starlite on vocals, Campbell on drum & bass synthesiser programming, MOOG E1 guitar, electric guitar, Theremin, backing vocals with Mark Cleator on an array of analog synthesizers by Moog, ARP, Dave Smith plus an original Mellotron. It was recorded at the Chairworks Studio in Castleford with engineer James Mottershead, produced by Campbell and mastered by Kevin Grainger at Wired Masters, London and in 2017 the record was licensed to Ninthwave Records. The sleeve was designed by Barry Kinder and Daren Newman.