But 30 years later, she's back. And she's back with the best pop album of the year!
Back in 1992, Suzette was signed to RCA America, and, unhappy with the material she was being offered by her stateside label, travelled to the UK to work with songwriters & producers Mike Stock & Pete Waterman, the remaining two-thirds of Stock Aitken Waterman (Matt Aitken having departed by this point).
However, RCA America was unhappy that Suzette had arranged this under her own steam without their agreement, which strained their relationship. One of the 6 tracks recorded with Stock & Waterman - Free to Love Again - was however released by RCA UK, just as Stock & Waterman’s own working relationship was imploding.
Free to Love Again missed the Top 40, Stock & Waterman went their separate ways, and Suzette found herself without a label and a production team.
Marriage and family life took Suzette away from her musical ambitions, but she always thought about the unfinished business of her music career.
Which brings us to the present day, with Suzette’s debut album finally released at the end of May 2026.
With Mike Stock again at the helm, this collection of faithfully re-recorded versions of the original 6 tracks and 5 brand new tracks shows that some things are really worth the wait.
Towards the end of the Stock & Waterman years, they had gone back to their soul roots, echoing their earlier work with the likes of Princess & the Three Degrees - and that modernised soul/garage/new jack swing take was the style they went with for those initial tracks with Suzette. The new recordings of these 6 original tracks are faithful enough for the fans who have heard the leaked versions over the years, but are modernised enough for 2026 ears. Pleasingly, the new tracks fit in seamlessly, melodically and arrangement-wise, showing that Mike Stock still knows his way around a good song. Also worth mentioning that mixing duties are provided by former PWL Mixmasters Pete Hammond and Dave Ford, both of whom contribute to the sheen of this album.
Free to Love Again opens the album, and the faithful pop-house arrangement only serves to remind me that this should have been a hit back in the day. Whenever You’re Around is soulful, grown up and taps into the Japanese City Pop genre; this one took me a couple of listens, but once it gets in your head, it doesn't let go. The ultra-catchy Don’t Stop (All The Love You Can Give) leans more towards pop than soul, but some funky house piano keeps the balance. See Your Smile has a Philly sound to it, and a great call and answer verse between Suzette & the backing vocalists. Nothing to Hide is probably the tour de force track on the album, with its straight down the line pop chorus, with chunky beats and great guitar work. We Lost The Beat is the most impressive track; a mix of Chic, Donna Summer and Mel & Kim, it’s a bit off the wall but a terrific blast of disco. What the Eye Don’t See is a real 90’s dance throwback, with an incessant bassline and punctuated by a bit of Hammond organ. After You’re Gone is a midtempo track with a spiritual lyric & great harmonies. Just For A Minute is a slab of classy soul-pop, with a killer chorus. Simple Life is a perky upbeat track with a hypnotic chorus. And wrapping the album up is killer ballad Every Time We Touch, which Suzette really delivers on.
As a long time Stock Aitken Waterman fan, this is the album I always wanted but never thought I’d get. For me, it’s an absolute belter of an album. Mike Stock, along with his son James and their team, has genuinely delivered a high quality pop album that is looping in my head even when I am not listening to it (and I am currently listening to it a lot). For me, Nothing to Hide is the standout track, followed closely by We Lost The Beat, but See Your Smile is the dark horse of the album I think; its chorus is already etched into my brain.
So, if you’re a SAW fan, you should definitely check this out. And if you aren’t, it’s still worth checking out as you may be pleasantly surprised. You can find it on streaming, download, as well as vinyl and CD (with an additional deluxe edition on the latter format, also carrying 6 remixes by former PWL Mixmaster Pete Hammond).
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