Friends & Legends with Skip Martin
Host: Skip Martin
Summary:
Bassist and songwriter Phil Soussan joins Skip Martin to trace a career that runs from twelve years of classical violin training in London to co-writing one of Ozzy Osbourne's biggest hits. Phil talks through breaking into the London scene via classified ads, the phone call that turned into the Ozzy Osbourne gig after a chance connection with Jimmy Page, and the story behind "Shot in the Dark." He and Skip swap road stories, including the origin of Ozzy's mirrored cape and a run-in with the Finnish police that ended in a Beatles singalong. Phil closes out on why he sees music, like his old restaurant, as a hospitality business, and what's next for Last in Line and his upcoming solo album.
Main Topics:
● Early musical roots - falling in love with music before age two, and a nursery rhyme record player from a cousin
● Twelve years of classical violin training and how it shaped his ear for bass
● Choosing bass over piano and guitar, rooted in classical figured bass theory
● The hard conversation with his parents about leaving pre-med for music
● Breaking into the London music scene through Melody Maker classified ads
● The chance connection through Jimmy Page that led to auditioning for, and landing, the Ozzy Osbourne gig
● Co-writing "Shot in the Dark" and the Al Jarreau influence behind its chord progression
● The sheer scale of 80s rock touring, and the story behind Ozzy's mirrored cape
● A run-in with Finnish police that turned into an impromptu Beatles singalong in a stuck elevator
● Life on the road with Steve Lukather, Jimmy Page, John Waite, Billy Idol, Vince Neil and Johnny Hallyday
● Why Phil sees himself as being in the hospitality business, on stage and as a former restaurant owner
● What's next: the Last in Line reunion and his new solo album
Intriguing Quotes:
● "I said, Nana, that's what I'm gonna do... I'm gonna make music so that when I die, people will feel like I'm still in the car with them." - Skip Martin (06:30)
● "His response was, anything but that." - Phil Soussan, on his dad's reaction to him choosing music over medicine (05:50)
● "If you find something you love doing, you'll never work a day in your life." - Phil Soussan, quoting his father (05:50)
● "I think I'm in the hospitality industry... we do something that takes people out of their day-to-day problems, their day-to-day issues, just for a short period of time." - Phil Soussan (18:04)
● "Without the fans we'd be nothing." - Phil Soussan (20:00)
Key Moments:
● [00:00] Skip welcomes Phil Soussan to the show
● [01:15] The "Odd Couple" - playing with Steve Lukather and Edgar Winter in Finland
● [02:17] Phil's earliest musical memory, a gramophone gift from a cousin
● [03:25] Twelve years of classical violin and how it led him to bass
● [04:46] The moment Phil realized music could be a career
● [05:12] Telling his parents he was quitting pre-med for music
● [07:15] Breaking into the London scene through Melody Maker ads
● [08:16] Playing with Jimmy Page and the phone call that led to Ozzy Osbourne
● [09:56] Co-writing "Shot in the Dark" and its Al Jarreau-inspired chords
● [12:18] Just how massive 80s rock touring was
● [12:51] The story behind Ozzy's mirrored cape, inspired by Diana Ross
● [16:03] The Finland police and the Beatles singalong in a stuck elevator
● [18:04] Why Phil sees music and hospitality as the same gift
● [21:22] What's next for Last in Line and Phil's new solo album
Notable Resources:
● Last in Line - Phil's band with Vinny Appice, Andrew Freeman and Vivian Campbell - touring resumes August 2026
● New solo album "Cosmo Fighters" - signed to BraveWords Records, expected release this fall
● "Shot in the Dark" - Ozzy Osbourne, Billboard Top 100 hit co-written by Phil
Connect with Phil Soussan:
Website: https://philsoussan.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philsoussan/
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