Starship

(c’76-’81) Robert Russell (guitar/keyboard/vocals), John Russell (guitar/vocals), Peter Jones (bass/vocals), and Mike Winters (drums/vocals).

This Guildford group, described as new wave / power pop with four-part harmonies, played most of the Guildford venues, like The Royal on Sunday nights in the early 80’s; The Stoke Hotel, and The Wooden Bridge – where Robert and John organized The Rock Club in the late 70’s, aided by Ian J Davies – among them.

Jones left in the band in ’76 and was replaced by Steve Smith. The back room at The Stoke Hotel was also the bands rehearsal space. It was during one of the rehearsal sessions, in August 1976, that they used a 2-track recording machine to capture several tracks in mono. Eventually these became the self-released “Starship” 7″ vinyl EP, of which a limited 500 were released in April ’77, on their own label: Scratch Records [SCH.01]. The 4 tracks on the EP were “Vampire For Your Love”, “You Can Dance” “Hey Girl” and “Never Thought I’d See The Day” which were all written by Robert Russell.

For the record collectors among us, the record uses the Fanfare matrix number FR.2219; implying that Fanfare Records, a studio and custom-recording company based in Swiss Cottage, London, made the acetates / arranged for the record to be made. Shortly after the release, Winters, who’d replace original drummer Mick Freer, left the band and Ken ? stepped in before Steve Bye took the stool.

In the early ’80’s Ian J Davis managed to get them a couple of plays on John Peel & Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman’s radio shows through a friend that organized the playlists. When John joined After the Fire, there was no more Starship. Robert would join Whirlwind, Smith found himself in The Vapors, while Bye went to The Jetz then onto The Physicals. Robert would go on to released an album titled “Retrospection Love and Heartbreak” in 2022, where the Starship EP is rerecorded.

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