Susan Fassbender
| Susan Fassbender | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 |
| Origin | Wibsey, Bradford, England |
| Died | 1991 |
| Genres | Pop |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, piano |
| Years active | 1980–1982 |
| Labels | CBS |
Susan Fassbender (1959–1991) was an English singer, songwriter and musician, best remembered for the single "Twilight Café" which reached No. 21 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1981.
Born Susan Whincup in Wibsey, Bradford, West Yorkshire, in 1959, Fassbender began studying classical piano, clarinet and timpani (later also playing synthesizer) at age 13. Eventually, she met up with guitarist Kay Russell who would become her songwriting partner throughout her career. Both women wrote lyrics and melodies together. Prior to their collaboration, Russell was with poet Nick Toczek in a Bradford-based new wave outfit called Ulterior Motives.
Soon signed to independent record label Criminal Records after impressing their future manager Alan Brown at a musical instrument shop, Fassbender and Russell wrote "Twilight Café" which was released in 1980. Two appearances on BBC Television's Top of the Pops followed in January 1981, with a band also consisting of drummer Gary Walsh and bassist Mike Close. By this point ownership of the single had passed from Criminal to CBS Records owing to popular demand. In March 1981 Fassbender appeared on German television programme, Disco.
Two other singles followed soon after; "Stay" and "Merry-Go-Round". "Stay", the second single, was promoted by an appearance on Cheggers Plays Pop, a children's programme. Both tracks were collaborations between Fassbender and Russell. In January 1982, Fassbender and Russell appeared on another British TV show, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, to promote "Merry-Go-Round".
After the release of the latter singles, Susan Fassbender and Kay Russell both retired temporarily from the music industry, to marry and for Fassbender to raise three children. Further songs were written, separately and together, by both women, but no further interest was shown by the music industry in releasing the new material. A new album of unreleased Fassbender and Russell demos was released on iTunes and Amazon on 30 April 2012.
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