-- Greg Rule, Keyboard Magazine
Bill Champlin was born in Oakland, California on May 21, 1947 to a musical family. His grandparents, mother and sisters have all been singers. Bill is married to Tamara Champlin, a singer/songwriter in her own right, and is the father of three children. His youngest, Will Champlin, is building a name for himself as a prolific songwriter with a distinct sound.
Champlin’s musical career began in 1961 when he formed a band called the Opposite Six. A year later he began writing music. After forming the Sons of Champlin in 1967 he focused his songwriting talents on producing material for the Sons. “They were breathing fire. They were the most talented of all the San Francisco bands”, said Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead. The Sons’ first album, “Loosen Up Naturally”, was released in 1969, followed by six more albums before they broke up in 1977. Many of these have been re-released as CD’s and are currently available for purchase.
After the breakup of the Sons, Bill moved to Los Angeles and worked as a session lead and background vocalist on numerous recordings from 1977-1985. Some of the artists that he has worked with include Patti LaBelle, Lou Rawls, Elton John, Boz Scaggs, Donna Summer, Nancy Wilson, George Benson, Jimmy Smith, Amy Grant, Neil Diamond and Kenny Rogers. In 1978 he released “Single”, his first solo album. In 1979 he won his first Grammy award for co-writing “After the Love is Gone”, which was later recorded by Earth, Wind & Fire. During the recent Chicago/EWF tours in 2004 and 2005, Champlin was asked to perform this song with them, as lead singer.
The National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) awarded Bill the Most Valuable Player peer award for male background vocalists in 1980. In 1981 he won another Grammy for co-writing Turn Your Love Around for George Benson, and released his second solo album that year, “Runaway”. In 1982 he joined Chicago to record Chicago 16. “Bill’s exactly what we’ve been looking for,” said Chicago’s Robert Lamm. His very distinctive and expressive vocals can be heard on Chicago's hit, "Hard Habit to Break".
In 1988 Bill’s recording of the song, “In the Heat of the Night”, was picked up as a show opener by the television show of the same name. The following year Chicago released the song of the year, “Look Away”, featuring Champlin on lead vocals. In 1990 Bill released the critically acclaimed “No Wasted Moments”. That same year he was asked to perform two songs from “No Wasted Moments” at the Tokyo Music Festival, and was presented with their songwriter of the year award.
Next came four solo albums, “Burn Down The Night” (1992), “Through It All” (1994), “He Started To Sing” (1995) and “Mayday” (1996). In July, 1997, “Here in my Heart” topped the adult contemporary charts for Chicago, featuring Champlin on lead vocals. 1997 also saw an a capella release of “West Coast All Stars”, a project he did with Jason Scheff of Chicago, and Toto’s Bobby Kimball and Joseph Williams.
The Sons of Champlin reunited in 1997, with a loyal group of enthusiastic fans traveling great distances to see them perform. They recorded “Live At The Luther Burbank Center” in 1998, as well as “Secret” (CD and DVD) and “Hip Lil' Dreams’ in 2002.
Bill’s newest release is the solo CD / DVD “No Place Left To Fall”. It was recorded at the Barber Shop Studios in Hopatcong, New Jersey for the DreamMakers Music label. It was first released by JVC Japan on September 24, 2008, as well as being release for digital downloading, and later released in Europe by Zink Music on December 10, 2008. The U.S. release by DreamMakers was on August 4, 2009.
With “No Place Left to Fall”, Bill Champlin has made the album he was born to make, a career-defining record with an honesty and immediacy that reflect his old-school approach to music – and his complete disregard for the old-model music industry.
“It’s not completely auto-tuned and processed like a lot of CDs are lately,” says Champlin. “It may not be dead-on perfect, but I think the dead-on perfect records are just that - dead.”
“No Place Left to Fall” captures the many sides of Champlin, thanks to Mark Eddinger and Dennis D’Amico at indie label DreamMakers Music who helped him sort through four CDs worth of material to find the 13 gems that best exemplified the range of his artistry. Rather than insist Champlin deliver a particular kind of album that would fit neatly within a genre bin of the now nearly extinct species we knew as record stores, they encouraged him to do it all – ballsy blues numbers, jazz, straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll, funk, R&B and achingly beautiful pop songs that don’t give a damn if they exceed three minutes. “I felt Bill deserved to make a record without having a set of rules,” says Eddinger.
“I went, ‘Wow, you mean somebody wants me to be myself? Dig that!’” says Champlin, who has time and again had to tell major label executives that no, he wasn’t interested in making an album that sounds like the latest flavor of the month. (Go to Champlin’s MySpace page and you’ll see only one artist listed after the obligatory “sounds like” section: Bill Champlin.)
“A lot of times somebody from a band puts out a solo album and you realize it’s just an extension of that band,” says Champlin, who hit the road in November in support of his new album. “That ain’t what this is. This album is an extension of what I do and where I’ve been coming from. Just wait ‘til you hear the live versions of these songs!”
Bill has also left Chicago. According to his official his press release, after 28 years with Chicago, singer-songwriter-keyboardist Bill Champlin is parting ways with the classic jazz/rock band to focus once again on his solo career. The announcement comes on the heels of the August 4th release of “No Place Left to Fall”. “This music is callin’ me,” said Champlin.
The two-time GRAMMY® award winner then launched a successful West Coast tour beginning in November of 2009, with the Bill Champlin Band promoting "No Place Left To Fall", followed by a Sons of Champlin tour in March, 2010. He was also invited to Norway last year by the Norwegian Kringkastings Orchestra to perform with his wife, Tamara Champlin, in Oslo. April 28th-30th, 2011, the Bill Champlin Band was live at the Cotton Club In Japan. The Band, since renamed "Champlin", also features Will Champlin, Tamara Champlin, Carmen Grillo, Bobby Watson and Herman Matthews. This current lineup is now performing in Kuwait and Iraq as part of Bobby Kimball's USO Tour. They will return to the States to play a showcase engagement at the Canyon Club July 7, 2011.
In the words of drummer, Billy Ward, “I became a Bill Champlin fan in the early seventies when he led, what was to me, a ground-breaking band, The Sons Of Champlin. He's written and sang on probably over 400 hit songs, the later ones with the band Chicago. His organ playing has him ranked on most peoples "A" list and he plays the heck out of the guitar as well! He is one of the finest musicians I've ever gotten the privilege to play with.” Dennis Cook, in Jambase and Relix Magazine adds, “Age has done nothing to diminish his powers, and in fact, brings nuances to the material that a young cat just can't muster.”
Angelina
Bill Champlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said you wanted to be with me
I never dreamed I had it all
But something changed hat day inside me
And I believe it changed inside you too
Yeah, Angelina, can you feel it?
Watching angels as they're dancing up above
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
They all said we'd never make it
Two crazy panthers on the prowl
They said we would only fake it for a while
But we just looked at them and growled
You were massed and tied an' cut and weary
But I said, that's okay, you can be a girl
Yeah, Angelina, can you feel it?
Watching angels as they're dancing up above
Angelina, what's come between us
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
This ain't no chance we're taking
It's a real love that we're making
Blindfolds off and now we see
Yeah, we see, Angelina, oh Angelina
Yeah, Angelina, can you feel it?
Watching angels as they're dancing up above
Angelina, what's come between us
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
Angelina, what's come between us
Could it bee the magic and the mystery of love?
Could it bee the magic and the mystery of love?
Angelina
The lyrics of Bill Champlin's song Angelina depict a story of two people in love, who overcame all the odds to be together. The song starts off with the description of a chance meeting between the two, where the singer says that he had never realized what he had until that very moment. The lyrics go on to describe how the two had faced criticism and disbelief from others who thought that they would not last long, but they proved them all wrong. The chorus, which is repeated twice throughout the song, talks about the magical and mysterious feeling that love can bring into one’s life.
The lyrics of the song suggest that the feelings of love change a person's outlook towards life, and that the magic of love can bring people together despite all the odds. The title of the song, "Angelina," is symbolic of the beauty and grace that the singer sees in his partner. The lyrics of the song are simple and easy to understand and convey a message of hope and optimism that love can overcome all obstacles. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy tune make it a perfect feel-good song for anyone who believes in the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked into an elevator and you walked into a wall
We met each other unexpectedly, but we were so drawn to each other that nothing could stop us.
You said you wanted to be with me
You made it clear that you wanted to be together because you saw something in me that was special.
I never dreamed I had it all
I never thought I would be so lucky to find someone like you who completes me and makes me feel whole.
But something changed that day inside me
That moment we met, I felt a shift within myself, and I knew that I had found someone worth fighting for.
And I believe it changed inside you too
I could see in your eyes that you felt the same way and that something had shifted within you too.
Yeah, Angelina, can you feel it?
I want to know if you feel the same connection that I feel, if you sense that there's something special between us.
Watching angels as they're dancing up above
Even though we're in the midst of daily life, it feels like there's something miraculous happening, like we're surrounded by something magical.
Angelina, what's come between us
I'm wondering if there are any obstacles that are keeping us apart, if there are any issues we need to address to keep our connection strong.
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
Perhaps the very thing that makes our connection so special is the way that love works its magic, creating a mystery that keeps us wanting more.
They all said we'd never make it
People didn't believe in us because they thought we were too different, but we knew our truth and didn't let their doubts stop us.
Two crazy panthers on the prowl
We were both wild, passionate people, looking for someone who could match our energy and accompany us in life's adventures.
They said we would only fake it for a while
People thought our connection was just a temporary thing that would soon fade away, but we knew that we had found something real.
But we just looked at them and growled
We defied expectations and proved them all wrong, showing that our connection was stronger than anyone ever could have imagined.
You were massed and tied an' cut and weary
You had been hurt in the past and had scars that needed healing, but I saw your strength and resilience, and I knew I could help you heal.
But I said, that's okay, you can be a girl
I accepted you for who you were, knowing that you didn't have to play a certain role or put up a tough exterior to impress me. I loved you just as you were.
This ain't no chance we're taking
Our connection is not something we stumbled into by accident; it's a conscious choice that we are making every day to stay together and fight for each other.
It's a real love that we're making
Our connection is not just a fleeting thing; it's a deep, real love that we are committed to nurturing and growing every day.
Blindfolds off and now we see
We were once blind to what love could be like, but now that we've found each other, we can see clearly and appreciate the true beauty of love.
Yeah, we see, Angelina, oh Angelina
We are both aware of the special connection that we have and cherish it every day, knowing that it's something rare and precious.
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
Once again, we ponder the enigmatic nature of love and how it works its magic to bring two people together in a bond like no other.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: PETER GORDENO, JOSEF LAROSSI, ANDREAS ROMDHANE, ANDRES ALCARAZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind