A SHORT STOP OFF
MUSICAL TRIO REMEMBERS ELVIS
Gill Sherry
March 2nd, 1960. It’s a date that’s etched into the mind of many an Elvis Presley fan. It is, of course, the one and only date that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll stepped onto British soil. It’s also a date that local singer/songwriter, Debbie Campbell, felt compelled to record a song about.
“It’s a song about the effect that Elvis had on his fans when they knew he was coming to Prestwick Airport. It’s taken from the fans point of view… how that made them feel. It was a big deal. I don’t think anyone’s ever written about that.”
The song, titled ‘A Short Stop’, was written by Debbie’s partner, Robert Neil. Debbie then put music to the lyrics with the help of her friend, local musician, Scott Nicol, with Robert also contributing to what was very much a team effort.
“I’ve always liked Elvis, I grew up listening to him, and Robert likes the rockabilly scene. I don’t sing a lot of Elvis songs, but this has made me look at his back catalogue.”
The 65th anniversary of his visit didn’t go unnoticed by the musical trio, neither did the fact that Elvis would have celebrated his 90th birthday on 8th January this year. Not only that, Debbie and Scott were lucky enough to perform on the Danny Kyle Open Stage at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of the Celtic Connections festival on 20th January, which also happened to be the date that Elvis was promoted to sergeant in the US Army.
“It all seemed to be connected,” Debbie said.
The fact that she knew people who had seen the superstar at Prestwick Airport gave her another reason to mark the anniversary with a song.
“My friend’s mum was there with her pal… and her pal actually climbed over the fence! A lot of folk think he didn’t get off the plane, but he did. I believe he went to Adamton Country House Hotel and phoned Priscilla from there. A lot of people think the visit took place on 3rd March, but it was actually the 2nd.”
So, what can we expect from the song?
“Robert wanted the song to be upbeat, and I wanted it to have a rockabilly feel but also a gospel feel because that was Elvis’ roots. The lyrics are quite humorous, and at the end it changes tempo and beat and goes into a gospel sound. We all came together with the sound; it was a collaboration. I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out. I’m so proud to sing this song.”
The song was recorded at Limelight Media Studios in Irvine, which is also where Debbie will be recording her second studio album.
“We’ve got all the songs for the album, we just haven’t recorded them yet.”
In addition to ‘A Short Stop Off’, the album will include a track called ‘Forever Sisters’ also penned by Robert Neil.
“It’s about an incident that happened in Ayr in 1876. A carpet factory owned by James Templeton caught fire and 26 people died – 25 women and one guy. Robert wrote the lyrics. It’s a really sad song but hopefully it keeps their memories alive.”
The new album, due to be released later this year, follows Debbie’s debut album, About Time which, together with ‘A Short Stop Off’ is available to purchase on iTunes or download on Spotify and other streaming platforms. Go on… it’s now or never!
