Michael Chapman News

New Album

Michael is looking to book studio time late 2003 early 2004 for a new album. He doesnt have any new songs yet but has songs and ideas from a few years back that he wants to look at again. Michael also wants to record some of the songs that inspired him to originally pick up the guitar and continue to resonate. He also has an idea for more instrumental recordings, speaking enthusiastically about a piece of slide playing he has 'written' called Alfie's last drive (Alfie being the black labrador on the sleeve of Dreaming out loud who died recently). This track will join Chapman's Dog related recordings like Wellington The Skellington, Dogs Got More Sense, Jumping Geordie and the unfortunately titled Lumpy Mcbumpy and numerous lyrical references. Wellington even appeared on Window adding his vocal prowess to 'came in like the 6.15'

Secret Record Album boxed set

The compilation and eventual release of the box that will bring together Deal Gone Down, Savage Amusement and Man Who Hated Mornings ,contempory home recordings, demos and a more recent solo live dvd from Barrow-in-furness. No release date yet though

MH 11 03

Marwood

Michael has been in the Studio in Preston and in nearer home at Phoenix, producing the debut album by Preston based Marwood more information when its available

Sounds of the Cities Nearly Famous by Ray Moody

Excellent book now available that alphabetically details bands and performers from Hull, the East Riding, Scarborough, York, Scunthorpe and Grimsby during the 60's. Very good section on Michael and his time in Hull. Good photos too, live and promotional shots. Details of Chapmans' Electric Army an informal band from 60's. Also details of people that Michael has played with or worked with, Rick Kemp, Roy Neave and Keith Herd.

There is a really good final section of concert posters, flyers and adverts arranged by year.

ISBN 7011506 06 £13.99

Ray has been selling them through Ebay contact him for details information or availability email Ray Moody

MH 20/04/03

Michael now has new Representation contact Charmaine Hawkins 0117 9443040 email Charmaine Hawkins@blueyonder.co.uk if you are interested in booking Michael Chapman

MH 01/01/03

Almost Alone & Still Making Rain

Re-released on Michael's Rural Retreat Records in March 2003 will be Almost Alone (augmented with radio session recordings and interview from LA circa 1981. Originally released on Black Crow in 1981 this will be out on cd for the first time. Also released at the same time will be Still Making Rain an kind of companion to Almost Alone as it features Michael playing solo (technically playing with himself, as he plays guitars, bass and percussion). This will be in a remixed version with additional radio session recordings and interview from 1981.

Michael Chapman - Americana 2 (Michael's latest album) Reviewed

It's a well kept secret that Michael's still alive and well and making great music. His latest studio album of songs (The Twisted Road) came out quietly a couple of years ago, swiftly followed by a very fine completely solo, all-instrumental venture, Americana, which was inspired by his then-recent tour of the Southern States.

I described Americana as a potent invocation of genius loci, and the same holds true for its slightly lengthier sequel. That sense of time-stands-still (or rather, inhabiting a different time-scale) is acutely strong throughout, whether on the delicate opener La Madrugada (with its distinct echoes of Miles Davis in his Spanish-sketches period) or the leisurely stretching-out of Blues For The Mother Road, or even on invigorating little vignettes like the 2½-minute Silverking (another of those perfect little encapsulations of the spirit of improvised bluesy ragtime that Michael does so well), the cheeky Dust Devils and the joyous Mingus-prayer-meeting feel of Looking For Charlie In Nogales, not to mention the timeless old-timey country-waltz of When Dottie Goes Dancing.White House (subtitled "at peace in the Canyon de Cheliy") is a luxuriant 6-minute bathe in acoustic guitar textures, and Ghosts In The Sycamores strongly recalls the melancholy of the descending chord-sequence of No Song To Sing.

The 7-minute Navajo-inspired Thunderbird Lodge finds typical Chapman ramblings elevated to high art. Michael even makes his début playing banjo on the strangely hypnotic Apache Creek, which makes inventive use of "found sounds" (rhythmic water splashes) within a musical structure wherein I detect more than a nod to Hank Marvin! In a slight departure from the earlier Americana, Michael here has the benefit of the instrumental expertise of steel guitarist Jeff Betsworth, while long-time collaborator Rick Kemp plays fretless bass on the spacious, elliptical final track (So Many Echoes).

The production is excellent, and the presentation most attractive - this time the package is enhanced by a fulsome portfolio of evocative photographs. Michael has produced another impressive album here to rank among his best.

Gus Dudgeon 30 08 42 - 21 07 02

It was with great sadness that I learnt today about the death of Gus Dudgeon. Gus, producer of Michael's Harvest albums, Rainmaker, Fully Qualified Survivor, Window and Wrecked Again died on Sunday in a road accident. He was killed when his car veered off the M4 between Reading and Maidenhead. Gus and his wife Sheila, also travelling in the car were pronounced dead at the scene.

Although more widely known for his work with Elton John and David Bowie, Gus was an important element on the EMI albums, even appearing on the sleeve of Window. As recently as a few years ago he and Michael had talked about working together again.

MH 22/07/02

Live & Unhinged

Michael has put together a for sale at gigs only 79 minute live cd he has called 'Live and Unhinged it features tracks like 'Annivesary' a stretched out version of She Moved Through The Fair that Michael is very pleased with (a treat for those people who like me throught the version on Still Making Rain stopped just as it was getting started) and a version of that perennial live cover 'High Heeled Sneekers'

This will be available from the usual grubby plastic bag or cardboard box at the concerts starting this weekend, so a reason if you needed one to go a see Michael live (hinged or otherwise). if you have heard it (I havent yet), or one of the gigs email us in a review.

MH 17/07/02

''Abandoned''

Michael has applied for funding from Northern Arts for a trip to the states to produce a book of photographs of objects that have been thrown away.

The idea was inspired by seeing ancient cars, and all manner of abandoned material including aircraft by the roadside in Arizona preserved in time by the dry desert air.

22/05/02

"..The photos are just images (as is some of the music),

there are no people in them to define the scale.."

American 2: Feb/ March 2002

Just as Americana 1 was about the soft ,soupy atmosphere of the deep South, no 2 is made with the hard edged light of the South west in mind.

We flew in to LA late at night , hired a car and got out of there quick, down the coast towards San Diego, found motel and slept. At breakfast some nutter wearing a blind man's shades tried to sell me a six hundred year old crystal. Welcome to California.

We met the wonderful Dottie at Owl Station, paused for a while and then headed for the border. There was no mention of Charlie Mingus in Nogales and we ended up in Bisbee, playing jazz guitar duets in the Silver King Hotel, everything painted white and a mysterious heating system.

Then into serious Indian Country, the ghosts of Geronimo and Cochise everywhere. Up into the Canyon de Chelly, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, being proper tourists for once. It snowed in Williams Az. Then we drove some of what remains of the old Route 66 towards California, slept in William Bendix's room in Gallup NM, saw Clark Gable's honeymoon suite in Oatman then turned off to Joshua Tree to finish the Gram Parsons cycle we had started in Waycross Ga. in '98.

The photos are just images (as is some of the music), there are no people in them to define the scale.

Recorded as usual at Phoenix with Alex Warnes.

MC 11/04/02

Voiceprint the label that have already re-released Heartbeat the instrumental album from 1987 are now keen to re-release Almost Alone from 1981 and Still Making Rain from the early 1990's. Michael wants to rework some of the material on Still Making Rain and add extra tracks to both albums. These albums should be with Voiceprint in the next eight weeks or so, will post a release date when we have them.

Michael has given the go ahead to make the tablature and details for Play Guitar The Easy Way available on the website so watch this space, he is also provided me with the patches to make sure that the tablature actually works.

Launched hopefully this May will be the first Michael Chapman record label Rural Retreat Records (abreviated to 3R). This label will be the home for Michael's future releases. 3R will also allow Michael to produce and record the artists that he likes.

The first projected releases should be albums from

Bridget St John a name familiar to anyone who has followed Michael Chapman since the 70's.

Patsy Matherson a singer who has recorded with Michael in the recent past

Journeyman click here to join Journeyman a Yahoo group for e mailed updates on live dates and anything else Chapman related

Early summer will (hopefuly) see the release of a boxed set of Michael's albums, Deal Gone Down, Savage Amusement & The Man Who Hated Mornings. The final set either over three or four discs will include the previously unavailable guitar and vocal demos for many of the tracks recorded by Michael.

spring 2002

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