Sunburst Finish (album)
Sunburst Finish is the third studio album by English rock band Be-Bop Deluxe, released in February 1976. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Air Studios in London, and runs 39 minutes and 47 seconds. The album was released on Harvest Records and produced by John Leckie and Bill Nelson.
The single “Ships in the Night” came out in February 1976 and reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart, giving the band one of their few chart successes.
Keyboardist Andy Clark joined Be-Bop Deluxe as a full member for this album, after contributing during the Futurama tour in 1975. He stayed with the band until its dissolution in 1978 and would later be part of Bill Nelson’s Red Noise.
Sunburst Finish was John Leckie’s production debut; Leckie would go on to produce for many major artists. The album was re-released in early 1991 with three bonus tracks.
Q Magazine called it the band’s “finest hour,” noting that Bill Nelson’s lyrical excesses are kept in check as the band delivers futuristic pop tracks. Musically, Sunburst Finish is described as art rock, pop rock, and progressive pop. All songs on the album were written by Bill Nelson.
Cover photography was by John Thornton, based on a concept by Mike Doud, with the model Nicky Howarth Dwek.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:35 (CET).