| Michael Chapman | |
|---|---|
Chapman performing on 21st March 1980 in Zemun by Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Serbia). |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 24 January 1941 Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Folk, jazz |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, mandolin |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | Harvest, Deram, Criminal, Black Crow, Strange Fruit, Mooncrest, Demon Records, Rural Retreat Records, Secret Records, Market Square Records |
| Website | Michael Chapman.co/uk |
Michael Chapman (born 24 January 1941, Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire, England[1]) is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. Chapman originally began singing and playing jazz in the folk clubs of the 1960s, and eventually recorded over 30 albums.
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A former art and photography teacher, Chapman emerged from the folk scene in Yorkshire, gaining a reputation as one of England's finest original singer-songwriters.[1] He first appeared on the London and Cornwall folk music circuits in 1967, alongside John Martyn and Roy Harper. His first album was Rainmaker in 1969 on the Harvest label,[1] and he played the folk and 'progressive' circuits during the festivals of the early 1970s, with Mick Ronson, Rick Kemp and Keef Hartley.
He recorded a further three albums for Harvest. Fully Qualified Survivor which received much critical acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1 DJ, John Peel, and contained his best-known track, "Postcards of Scarborough".[1] Window and Wrecked Again followed, the latter being Chapman's attempt at a Memphis, Tennessee album. Brass arrangements featured on biographical tracks like "Shuffleboat River Farewell" and the title track. After a tour of the United States with Rick Kemp, Chapman signed to Decca's subsidiary, Deram, recording an increasingly rockier set of albums.[1] Championed by Charles Shaar Murray and John Peel he retained a high profile, a lively draw on the college circuit in the UK and across mainland Europe.
Don Nix produced, Savage Amusement, which re-worked a couple of earlier songs; the album's title would be used in the mid 1980s for a band featuring Chapman and Kemp.[1] 1977 saw the end of Chapman's Decca deal, and the beginning of an association with Criminal Records in 1978; both record labels released versions of The Man Who Hated Mornings.[1] Chapman turned his hand to the release of a guitar instruction record. He continued to gig and record consistently, varying styles and sounds, sometimes working with a full group, more often working with Kemp alone.[1]
Recording for numerous smaller record labels, and playing the folk and club circuits, the 1980s was a quieter time for Chapman. He continued to make recordings that straddled musical genres and pushed his guitar playing to the fore, but had neither the profile nor sales of the previous decade.
The late 1990s onwards represented a period of continued rebirth for Chapman. He embraced the 'elder statesman' role and enjoyed critical acclaim for albums like Navigation, Dreaming Out Loud and Still Making Rain (a wry pun title that looked back to his debut album). With the 1997 release of Dreaming Out Loud, Chapman was releasing albums at the rate of one every two years, and still attracting high praise, if not great sales.[1] Bands like Supergrass acknowledged Chapman's material and playing as a formative influence.
The new century saw Chapman exploring his guitar player roots and releasing instrumental albums alongside his song based sets. Americana and Words Fail Me feature soundscapes that recalled travels in America, and featured a dexterity and inventiveness on the guitar equal to the classic Harvest and Decca periods.
In February 2008 he hosted a charity dinner/auction where a limited edition Vanity and Pride was released featuring Ursa who added her own contribution to Chapman's music.
His own website proclaims: - "I had an art college education and on a rainy night in 1966 I went into a pub in Cornwall, but I couldn't afford to pay to go in. So I said, I'll tell you what, I don't want to stay outside in the rain, I'll play guitar for half an hour for you. They offered me a job for the rest of the summer and I've been at it ever since."[2]