Re: Another CD query

[emory!colm@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (John Falstaff)]

While I cannot tell you anything about Family or Streetwalkers CDs,
other than that I suspect that the West Germans will be the first to
release any, some of you may not realise (or care, but that's your
loss ..) that about a dozen albums have been put out by the principal
characters involved in the ten years since the Streetwalkers packed it
in.  I will provide some details here, ask the question "Who died in
October '83 ?" (see the Postscript at the end), and finally make a
plea to record companies.  However I will not concern myself with the
recent exploits of Rob Townsend and John Wetton.

Both of the groups named above were led by Roger Chapman (vocals) and
Charlie (really John) Whitney (guitar).  Family started out in
Leicester around 1967, after the usual earlier non-recording
incarnations.  They put out a single called "Through the Eye of a
Lens" (B-side unknown to me), which sank without a trace.  In 1968
their classic Dave Mason produced "Music from a Doll's House" LP was
released, and a further half dozen albums followed.  They broke up
after their most successful ever tour (sound familiar ?), in late
1973.  A year later an album called Streetwalkers was released,
credited to Chapman & Whitney.  They toured to promote it and started
using the LPs name to refer to themselves.  Three more studio albums
followed, and in 1977 a double live set brought the Streetwalkers
story to a close.

It seems that Chapman and Whitney parted company around this time.  In
the late 70's two albums were put out by Whitney's new band Axispoint.
They died a quiet death. I have no idea what happened to Charlie after
that (see the Postscript).

Chapman took a break, and in 78/79 did some club dates in Britain and
West Germany.  A live album was recorded in Hamburg, featuring new
material and a few old chestnuts (not previosly associated with him).
This album seems to have had limited European release.  A studio LP
"Chappo" followed, and a non-album single A-side "Let's Spend the
Night Together" (yes that one).  One of the songs was credited to
Chapman/Whitney (left over from a few years back ?), the rest of the
new ones were pure Chapman.  The musicians were drawn from the ranks
of Britains finest "session men", and included Ron Aspery (sax,
ex-Backdoor), Rod Argent (keyboards, ex-Zombies & Argent) and Geoff
Whitehorn (guitar, ex-If & Crawler). By the time of the next album, it
was clear that Whitehorn had assumed the role of Whitney, co-writing
many (but by no means all) of the songs , and contributing excellent
and distinctive guitarwork. At this point the band had adopted the
name "Roger Chapman & and The Shortlist" (after the Mickey Jupp song
of the same name featured on the live Chapman comeback album). There
were more LPs to follow, including a double live set, and in 1984 the
last album that I know of was released under this name, bringing the
Chapman post-Streetwalkers LP count to seven. But wait, there were two
more albums released only in W. Germany credited to the Riff Burglars,
with Chapman appearing as Sonny Spider, and Whitehorn as Reverand
Stovepipe !  These LPs feature spirited and inventive reworking of
songs which they claim (on the sleeve) have had a big infuence on
them, mostly 50's stuff like Chuck Berry and Willie Dixon.  Chapman
has also lent his unique voice to several other peoples records, as
lead vocalist of course, for instance Mike Batt and Mike Oldfield.
And if that's not enough, there are non-album cuts on various 12
inches, including the best ever cover of a Mickey Jupp song, a
stunning version of "You've Made a Fool Out Of Me", which Mickey
himself has tried twice.  Eat your heart out Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds
and Kursaal Fylers !

The moral of the story is that old rockers don't die, they just record
and tour in W. Germany where they're still appreciated (Rory
Gallagher, and maybe Frankie Miller, are other examples of this 80's
phenomenon). One of the things that setsRoger apart from most of the
has-beens is that he does not rely on past glories,but continues to
produce quality new music regularly and tour extensively.  No five
year holiday and cleverly orchestrated nostalgia-soaked comeback for
this "relic of the sixties". He never does any Family (or
Streetwalkers) stuff live, in spite of the fact that this could bring
in the old fans, and their money.  When I saw him live in Dusseldorf
three years ago I too hoped that I'd get to hear "Weaver of Life",
"It's Only a Movie", or "You Can't Come In", but I was half way home
several hours later when I noticed that he hadn't done anything from
the 60s or 70s.  He can put on a first class show without resorting to
the older, more well-known material.  That's what we doctors call a
living artist.  Could similar claims be made of behalf of ANY other
"old farts" ?  Never mind such compellingly avant garde acts as the
Stones, the Hollies, the Dead, etc..

POSTSCRIPT: On the 1984 "Leader of Men" album Chapman sings a eulogy
to a departed friend and fellow musician. "It seems that you've
reached the end of your time, I'll never forget your frienship and
fame" are some of the words. The sleeve is careful to mention that the
song was written in October 1983.  Does anyone know who this might
refer to ?  Whitney perhaps ?  This has puzzled me for the past three
years.  Rock musicians die by the cartload each year, but I can't
trace any death to this month.

ONE LAST ALBUM: A few years back the post '68 Family A-sides and
B-sides were rounded up and put out under the title "Family-from the
archives" (as I recall).  Needless to say this LP only saw a regular
release in W. Germany, but I've seen it from time to time both in the
US and UK.

FINALLY: A plea to record companies in the English speaking world - 

                           WELEASE WOGER ! 


so that all may enjoy his gravelly voice and realise that SOME men in
their 40s can still get it up.....