Roger Chapman And The Shortlist

Roger Chapman And The Shortlist - A Turn Unstoned? - 1998 - SPV

If you only buy one Roger Chapman album,( and don't stick at one ), this is the album to buy. Rarely has one of the legends of rock music sounded so confident in delivering material that makes the spine tingle. From the opening track "Riot on the Western Front" to the gutsy "X-town", there is hardly a track that will stop you stomping you feet. Many of these songs have been penned by "Chappo" himself, and its a testament to the man, that in an age when we are treated to syrupy "ABBA" cover versions, that good solid R & B will always blow the cobwebs away. This is a fine album, and well worth the money whether you are buying it "on spec", or as a dedicated fan of one of the great voices of British rock. By & © steve(AT)day37(DOT)freeserve(DOT)co(DOT)uk (Stafford) 10 Jan 2000 © 1996-2011, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

After the Streetwalkers split, Chappo continued solo with his own band, the Short List The regular line up is Chappo, vocals, broken tambourines and the occasional bashed in mic; Steve Simpson, guitar and electric violin; Gary Twigg, bass; Ian Gibbons, keyboards; Helen Hardy, vocals; John Lingwood, drums, Pat Crumley tenor and alto saxes; Laurie Wisefield, guitars. That's a big band that packs out a big sound in true Chappo tradition. Steve has been with Chappo since the early 80's and always makes the crowd even more excited when he picks up his electric violin. For a good ten years or so, The Short List have continued with vibe created in the 60's. Chappo's new albums such as Kiss My Soul and Turn Unstoned are packed with new work and are excellent. The band work extremely hard and keep up with Chappo as he calls the tunes during the show. New songs, old songs, they know them all and play them with incredible accuracy. Family may be no more, but this band are worthy successors. Whatever you do, don't miss an opportunity to see this first rate outfit. © 2011 CannyGigs.Com

"A Turn Unstoned?" is not one of Chappo's better known albums, but it rocks. It is a more "polished" album than most of Chappo's other releases but the guy maintains his musical integrity with 11 good tracks including a cover of Ric Ocasek's "Drive". Roger penned 5 songs, co-wrote 3 with Steve Simpson, and 2 more with Jim Cregan. Roger has proved that there is still a big market out there for old fashioned rock, executed with passion, panache and professionalism. N.B: Try and find the original CD. This post is a 128 Kbps version, and the audio quality does not do the album justice. Listen to Family's classic "Family Entertainment" album, and Roger Chapman's "Mail Order Magic" album. Chappo's "Hybrid And Lowdown" album can be found @ CHAPPO/HYALO His "Hide Go Seek" album is @ CHAPPO/HIGOSE Roger Chapman And The Shortlist's "In My Own Time (Live)" is @ CHAPPO&SHLST/INMYOT and Roger Chapman And The Shortlist's "Live In Hamburg" album @ CHAPPO&SHLST/LIVEHMBG Family's "Live" album is @ CHAPPO/FAMILY/LIVE

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Riot On The Western Front - Roger Chapman 4:30
2 Wicked World - Roger Chapman 4:06
3 The Same Old Rock 'N' Roll - Roger Chapman, Steve Simpson 4:35
4 X-Town - Roger Chapman, Steve Simpson 4:12
5 Do I Leave A Stone Unturned - Roger Chapman 5:38
6 Ready For You - Roger Chapman 5:52
7 Glory Ride - Roger Chapman, Jim Cregan 5:55
8 Vapour Trails - Roger Chapman, Jim Cregan 5:02
9 City Of Souls - Roger Chapman 4:51
10 Toucan Play - Roger Chapman, Steve Simpson 4:02
11 Drive - Ric Ocasek 4:41

MUSICIANS

Roger Chapman - Vocals
Laurie Wisefield, Keith Airey - Guitar (Electric)
Jamie Moses - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
Steve Simpson - Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic), Slide Guitar, Fiddle, Vocals (Background)
Melvin Duffy - Dobro, Pedal Steel
Gary Twigg - Guitar (Bass)
Steve Stroud - Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background)
Ian Gibbons - Keyboards, Organ, Piano
Dieter Falk - Keyboards, Loops, Piano
Spike Edney - Keyboards, Piano, Vocals (Background)
John Lingwood - Drums
Graham Broad - Drums, Loops, Percussion, Vocals (Background)
Steve Hamilton - Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Paul "Shilts" Weimar - Sax (Tenor)
Pat Crumly - Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Flute
Andy Bush - French Horn, Trumpet
Alan Dunn - Accordion
Mark Feltham - Harmonica
Zoe Nicholas, Susie Webb, Helen Hardy - Vocals (Background)

BIO (WIKI)

Roger Chapman (born Roger Maxwell Chapman on April 8, 1942 in Leicester) is an English rock singer. Roger "Chappo" Chapman is probably best known for his participation in the English progressive band Family in the late 1960s through the early 1970s and subsequently, from 1973 to 1978, in Streetwalkers, a rock/R&B band. Prior to Family he had sung with this band's precursor, the Farinas. His idiosyncratic brand of on-stage showmanship and characteristic vibrato led to him becoming a cult figure on the British rock scene. Chapman once claimed he was trying to sing like both Little Richard and especially his idol Ray Charles.In the late 1970s Roger Chapman began a solo career and recorded his first solo album, Chappo. In 1983, Mike Oldfield recorded the album "Crises" featuring the song "Shadow On The Wall" sung by Roger Chapman. The song turned out to be a huge hit for Mike Oldfield (along with the even more popular "Moonlight Shadow"). As other musical styles, such as Punk Rock became more popular in England, Chapman began to have more success in other European countries, especially Germany, where he has spent much of his time since the early 1980s, winning Artist of the Year and a Lifetime Achievement Award.

MORE ABOUT ROGER CHAPMAN

Roger Chapman is best known for his barbed-wire voice, used to front British '70s rock acts Family and Streetwalkers. He began a long-awaited solo career in 1978 that has led to over a dozen full-length releases. Never heard of them? It's not surprising; album-wise, he's been camped out in Germany for 20 years. His first album and tour got high praise in his British homeland, but critics cut into him soon after. When the hassle-free German market beckoned, Chapman began to focus all subsequent work there, where he has become a musical hero, the "Working Class Artist." Chapman split with his longtime writing partner, Charlie Whitney, after the breakup of Streetwalkers in 1977. He surrounded himself with ace session musicians to cut a debut solo effort, Chappo. It was an album of strong rock which catered to the singer and not the musicians. An appearance on Germany's Rockpalast TV show and the ensuing hit single, "Let's Spend the Night Together," gave Chapman the shot of success he needed, so he set up operations in Germany. Live in Hamburg was a reassuring second album, demonstrating the live energy of this experienced yet stage-crazed performer. Studio albums over the next few years blended straight power rock with funk, R&B and soul, all topped with Chapman's characteristic vocal style. In the 1981 German music awards, Chapman was voted Best Singer, and his Hyenas Only Laugh For Fun won an award. Chapman and his backing band, the Shortlist, released two alter-ego albums in the early '80s as the Riff Burglars. These releases honored roots and classic rock by artists like Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon and Leiber & Stoller. A lead vocal on Mike Oldfield's 1983 hit, "Shadow on the Wall," also added to Chapman's diverse repertoire. Chapman's mid-'80s foray into polished studio sounds did not fare well with his audience. When his extended partnership with guitarist Geoff Whitehorn ran it's course, Chapman returned to pure rock form with 1989's Walking the Cat, which featured Alvin Lee and old friend, Bob Tench. Two compilations filled a silent period in the mid '90s, but 1996's Kiss My Soul was a comeback for the guy who never went away. It even got attention and a pressing in Chapman's British homeland, where he often tours but has no domestic releases. This was followed by 1998's A Turn Unstoned? and the 2-CD Anthology; the next year saw re-releases of Chappo and Mail Order Magic. Moth to a Flame was issued in early 2001. © Patrick Little, allmusic.com

ABOUT FAMILY / THE STREETWALKERS

FAMILY were formed in Leicester (UK) in 1967, from a band called The Farinas, formed by Charlie Whitney in 1962 when he was at Leicester Art College. They were an R&B outfit who had recorded for the Fontana label and also went under the name The Roaring Sixties. In 1967 The Farinas moved down to London where they came into contact with Kim Fowley, an American producer who suggested the name change to Family. Liberty Records signed them in the September for an excellent psychedelic single called, Scene Thru' The Eyes Of A Lens and the first indication of Chappo's unique vocal style. If you have a copy, it's worth a few bob as it didn't exactly take the charts by storm. It was also an album track on Electric Sugar Cube Flashbacks. (That title must have needed a few pints or something .... ). The most famous and their debut album was Music In A Doll's House which was co-produced by Dave Mason (Traffic). Doll's House was outstanding, fresh, vibrant, exciting, original, just the sort of music that sounded even better when the mind is relaxed. To many it was one of the Top Ten LP's of the decade and one that you had to be seen with under your arm. It still remains today, thirty plus years later, in this writers all time Top Ten. Family became established as a vital cog in the underground circuit. The live show was incredible with Chappo strutting and pouting and looking as if he would lose it at any minute, but of course he didn't. His wailing, vibrating vocals moved the walls. The Doll's House was all original material and like the Beatles great LP, Revolver, almost every track pushed back the boundaries, was different and very much of the times. The band pulled together their immense musical skills, variety of instruments and Chappo's amazing vocals and success in producing something that has truly pasted the test of time. The follow album, Family Entertainment confirmed them as one of Britain's leading rock bands. Many regarded it as impossible to follow the Doll's House, but the album had some very powerful tracks including The Weaver's Answer, Hung Up Down and Observations From A Hill. Many fans would cite Weavers Answer as Chappo at his best. The album hit #6 in the UK Charts but the singles didn't do much until November 1969 when No Mule's Fool reached #29. With success comes changes and 1969 was a year for many of them. Ric Grech left during their first US tour to join Blind Faith. He was replaced by John Weider, from an LA band called Stonehenge and had played with Eric Burdon and The Animals. While on this US Tour, the band fell out with with top American promoter, Bill Graham, an upset that probably caused their failure to make it big in the USA. Back in the UK, Jim King departed from the band. King was replaced by Poli Palmer, from Birmingham who had played in several bands including the Bakerloo Blues Line. Even with these changes more success was to come. The albums A Song For Me and Anyway hit #4 and #7 in the LP Charts and they also had three singles in the charts. John Weider departed in June 1971 to be replaced by John Wetton from Mogul Thrash and left just over a year later to join another great band, King Crimson. (note that John Wetton is also back on the road with his own excellent band) The next two albums were also successful with Fearless and Bandstand, hitting #10 and #15 in the LP charts and also giving them some long awaited success in America by reaching #177 and #183. At this point, Poli Palmer departed to set up a new band with Ric Grech which never got off the ground. Tony Ashton joined on keyboards and Jim Cregan came in from the band Stud. The best times for Family were now in the past and a move of labels from Reprise to Raft to record their last album, It's Only A Movie, failed to lift the fans by October 1973 it was all over. Chappo and Charlie Whitney formed Streetwalkers and Rob Townsend could be found in the successful Medicine Head. Chappo and Charlie Whitney recorded the first Streetwalkers album after Family's farewell tour in 1973 with help from the renowned ex-Jeff Beck guitarist Bobby Tench, plus Linda Lewis and another former Family member John Wetton. The band was not fixed with different members leaving and joining. For many Family fans, Chappo's first Streetwalkers album was a let down. On the Downtown Flyers album Chappo and Charlie Whitney were able to find a more settled band including John Plotel ex Casablanca. With the accent strongly on R&B and Soul, Chappo's unique vocal style became more mainstream than what he'd been doing with Family. However, they had more commercial successful with Red Card, which hit #16 in the Album Charts. As ever, the band found success in Europe especially Germany where Chappo remains in high regard and high demand to play live. © 2011 CannyGigs.Com