Hi and welcome to our album ‘Shades of Suzy’ , the culmination of 2 years of gigging ,writing and recording with the band .Before going any further I’d like to thank Pete Lamb for his production on 4 of the tracks and Richard Elmes for his graphic design ideas which really capture the essence of the band. So what inspired these songs? Some of them owe their genesis purely to the fact that we gig regularly ,and although we have mastered an act consisting mainly of our own brand of covers , our songs ‘ Attraction’ and ‘Ashamed’ are band inspired tracks which come across well in the live act. The same could be said for Travelling , the riff for which came to me while I was waiting for a plane at Dublin airport. When I got back to my guitar I could still remember it - which is usually a sign of something musically worthwile! We’ve called the album Shades of Suzy because Suz has such a versatile voice, and is central to most of the songs . I think you’ll agree she’s able to interpret a sensitive ballad like ‘Came to pass’ ,while at the same time is equally convincing on the upbeat and more raunchy numbers. Being a Swindon (UK) band , and given the fact that the town seems to generally get such a drubbing by many,including its locals , Railway Town is my own personal tribute to the part of the globe that’s been home to most of us for the better part of our lives. The Swindon story is a very interesting one and is generally underplayed. I know i’ve had inspiration from the town and its surrounds and this is our way of saying ‘thankyou’. ‘Like a Bird’ is our Power Ballad, one of those songs that has ideas about reincarnation and coming of age blended together .Its rewarding to express these thoughts in song and in this respect I suppose ‘Pleasure World’ is of similar construction, being inspired by a scenario from the Kashigo Ishiguro novel ‘An Artist of the Floating World’ He conjures up real atmosphere in his recollection of balmy evenings spent in lantern - lit bars of the pleasure district of pre war Hiroshima. . ‘ Love and Hate ‘ proposes the idea of necessary and equal opposites existing to balance each other . In this case our most profound emotions being the focus. We hope you can identify with the other scenarios described in song ,although appreciate that while the events of 1978 are to some extent autobiographical , a nostalgic reminiscence of a debauched young adulthood may strike a chord with some. I certainly hope so. I would like to dedicate this song to my pals Jon Osborne and Chris Pelton who helped to make the house the shambles it really was, although I was, I’m sure, the chief offender. The album ends with Kevin’s lovely ballad ‘This Cold Heart’ This song seems naturally to say farewell but always leaves me wanting to hear it again – a natural choice to finish with, and we hope it won’t be too long before our next offering. Cheers JC Suzy Butcher – Lead vocals Doug Coulson - Percussion John Cullimore- Vocals, guitar,keyboards Kevin O’Grady – keyboards Terry Shoesmith – Bass guitar Nick Weaver – Vocals