A Subtle Shade of Blue originally formed as Significant Gestures in 1984 with John Rich, Scott Martyniuk, and Chuck Yates playing bass, keyboards, and guitar respectively. All three were art students studying for Advertising design degrees at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Michigan. After a few false starts, the band reformed as A Subtle Shade of Blue after a misunderstanding by Gerald Schoenherr (another art student with a band of his own) as to the band's name. The shade of blue in question was a very peculiar but beautiful form of light cerulean in a summer sky during a Sting concert they all had attended.

Thus reformed with one less member they proceeded with many practice sessions in John's father's garage music studio. With a few new songs together they felt out new musical canvases for their ideas. One of their first songs, Children's Games, was featured on a small indie tape of Port Huron bands called Found Sounds put together by their friend Gerald Schoenherr of The Sleep Factory® including his own band Liquid Desires. Gerald also laid down his own guitars tracks on some SSOB tracks as well as producing several other SSoB songs.

SSoB reappeared as Sushäd Blu on the vinyl LP Found Sounds - The Second Gathering with Liquid Desires and Robbed.

In the spring of 2003 A Subtle Shade of Blue reformed with a new guitar player, Jame' Hepting. Currently they are working back in Port Huron at ISLE Music. Deep Blue Water is one of the first of their new songs as well as working on some new versions of old SSoB songs like Midnight Midnight and Love Off The Spill.

SSoB is currently working on these and a few other new songs for an album hoped to be released in the near future called Needle In My Eye.