Jonathan Spybey
1980-1989
Synthesizers
Sequential Circuits Pro One, Korg Poly 800, Korg MonoPoly, OsCar
Guitar
Squier Stratocaster
Drum programming
Sequential Circuits Drumtraks
Vocals, and vocoder (on 2026 releases)
Andrew White
1980-1986
Synthesizers
Moog Prodigy, Roland Juno, Roland TR606
Guitar
Squier Stratocaster
Drum programming
Sequential Circuits Drumtraks
Vocals
Nick Dunnington
1980-1984
Synthesizer
Wasp (?)
Abigail's Party began when three teens from Alford Lincolnshire discovered their mutual love for synthesizers. It was a time when synths were beyond the reach of many, and the only relatively affordable ones were monophonic (played just a single note at a time).
The three of them saved up for synthesizers - purchasing a Sequential Circuit Pro One, Moog Prodigy and one more possibly a Wasp. During this time they got through a few synths including an OsCar (brilliant monophonic synthesizer), Korg MonoPoly, Korg Poly 800 and a Roland Juno. They experimented with early recordings with help from other local musicians, Adrian Dowle, Toni Vigorito & Bram Tchaikovsky. Most Sundays were spent experimenting and practicing.
One Sunday they were round at Adi and Anne Dowle's house and were introduced to Bauhaus' The Sky's Gone Out and Joy Division's Closer albums. These blew their minds.
Pretty quickly they ditched synthesizers for an early Squier Stratocaster, a digital delay and a drum machine (Sequential Circuits DrumTraks). The following period was spent experimenting in a wide range of styles including Einsturzende Neubauten, Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft and others.
Around about 1985 they found their voice through the discovery of Cocteau Twins. Three became two and Jonathan & Andy continued the band together for another couple of years until distance became too large a barrier (Jonathan had moved to London and Andy to Lincoln).
Jonathan continued the band, initially without vocals (Andy had been the main vocalist). After a period of time Jonathan took over the vocals.
Sadly, Jonathan & Andy are no longer in touch, and while those early recordings show a great deal of creativity and promise, they never got to record professionally.
In 2023 Jonathan began to release music under the artist name Marmalade Soup. It was from a later project from the late 1990s. In 2024 and onwards he has picked up that project again releasing new material.
In 2026 he started John Three Sixteen, an innovative music project sculpting music from the Greek text of the Bible.
For a long time Abigail's Party music remained in the archives, but in 2026 he decided to rerecord selected tracks. As he and Andy are no longer touch, he focussed on tracks composed when he was the sole member, or a selected few that were 100% his own creation.
Whitby Blue is the first of those tracks to be released. Originally composed as a tribute to his grandma who died aged 95 in 1984, it tells the story of a couple who enjoyed a long marriage, contrasting it with the hopes he had at the time for something similar with his then girlfriend. It wasn't to be, and he eventually married in 2003, but the song remains.