Roger Chapman

Roger Chapman - Kiss My Soul - 1996 - Castle Essential

Roger Chapman is a British rock legend, best known for for his spectacular stage presence and amazing powerful vibrato vocals, who played with the hugely talented and original British band, Family, (who called it a day in the early 70’s). During their seven year lifespan, Family had achieved an almost unequalled standard of musical output and musicianship. Arguably, at least four of their eight albums can be regarded as rock classics.. Family were regarded by critics, and by the public in general, as one of Britain's finest rock bands. John Peel, the late, great BBC Radio 1 DJ, once said that he'd travel any distance to see Chapman perform. Sadly, by the late seventies, Roger had practically disappeared from the music scene.The mechanics of the music business, e.g, glam rock, the dawn of punk, new wave, and romanticism, dictated the demise of many great rock and progressive rock bands, who had dominated the music scene, (especially in Britain), for so long. That is not to say that these new genres did not produce some great bands. However, the musical scene at this time did not suit Roger Chapman's style of music, and never one to bow to commercialism, Chapman went to Germany in the early eighties where he still spends most of his time, and is regarded as a cult figure there. He has also received well deserved Artist of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the German people. Buy his brilliant 1979 album, "Chappo." It is also a musical education to listen to Family's "Music in a Doll's House," "Bandstand," and "Fearless " albums

Roger Chapman cares little for what's trendy, popular, or in vogue. The man is a living legend, but his style of singing has always divided folks into pro-Chappo or anti-Chappo camps. Pity the fools in the anti-Chappo camps. Kiss My Soul is one of the stronger releases in Chapman's astonishingly prolific catalog of recordings made under his name. The title track Kiss My Soul and Two Pieces of Silver showcase his smoldering power. On several selections, Chappo takes his time, building up a head of steam like a coal-fired locomotive tackling a steep grade. By the time tracks such as One More Whiskey or Mistreated are nearly three-fourths finished, Chappo and his crack band will have you out of your seats. Steve Simpson, his long-time guitarist in the Shortlist, showcases his skills are many spots. Since the long-lamented passing of two of the greatest bands to come from England, Family and Streetwalker, Chappo has kept the torch burning bright. One flaw on this and some of the other solo works is that the production work is not as crisp and tight as we have become accustomed to these days. Keep in mind that Chapman has never been accorded the recording budget or perks granted to more popular but far inferior vocalists such as Rod Stewart. Postscript: I cannot help but miss the contributions of his long-time writing and performing partner, the great guitarist Charlie Whitney, whose own career has faded away. ****/5 - from "One for the money, two for the road, better get ready". . ., 10 Jun 2002 By & © loce_the_wizard "loce_the_wizard" - Published on Amazon U.S. © 1996-2012, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates © http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kiss-My-Soul-Roger-Chapman/dp/B00005AFL7
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TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Into The Bright - Chapman, Marlette, Wetton 4:01
2 Habits Of A Lifetime - Chapman, Wisefield 4:26
3 A Cat Called Kokomo - Chapman, Simpson 4:05
4 One More Whisky - Chapman, Moody 4:16
5 Kiss My Soul - Chapman, Simpson 4:06
6 Outside Looking In - Chapman 4:39
7 Beautiful Dreamers - Chapman, Cregan 6:06
8 It's All Over Now, Baby Blue - Dylan 4:34
9 Mistreated - Ballard 3:51
10 Song Of Desire - Chapman, Simpson 4:31
11 Two Pieces Of Silver - Chapman, Moody 4:27
12 Really Started Something - Chapman 3:54

MUSICIANS

Roger Chapman - Vocals, Harmonica
Jay Stapley, Steve Simpson - Guitar
Joe Chemay - Bass Guitar
Geoff Dugmore - Drums
Carol Thompson, Juliet Roberts - Background Vocals

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