1) A British… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists using this name, chronologically:
1) A British rock band (1967 - 1973)
2) A disco group signed to New York Salsoul Records (1970's-1980's)
3) A Spanish indie pop band (1991 - 1993)
1) Family was British rock band from Leicester, England, active between 1967-1973. Their music has been described as a masterful blend of Blues-Rock, Prog-Rock, Art Rock and Psychedelia.
Family's debut single "Scene Through The Eye Of A Lens/Gypsy Woman" was released by Liberty in the autumn of 1967. While the single received praise from critics, it received very little airplay, due to its rather complex, uncommercial nature. Family's debut album, Music in a Doll's House, was released in July 1968 and it was produced by Traffic's Dave Mason and Jimmy Miller on a 4-track machine at Olympic Studios, London. The band's line-up: Roger Chapman (vocals/harmonica/tenor saxophone), Charlie Whitney (guitars/vocals), Rick Grech (bass/violin/cello/vocals), Rob Townsend (drums/percussion), and Jim King saxophone/flute/harmonica/vocals). Bandleader Tubby Hayes and his brass section played on "Old Songs New Songs". An extraordinarily ambitious album, 'Music In A Doll's House' marked an audacious beginning of what was a rather mixed career for Family. Many of the sounds conjured up in the studio had never been heard before - more incredible given that the album was created on a 4-track. The band's ability clearly transcended the available technology. Chapman's unusual vibrating delivery did not appeal to everyone, but it's a remarkable voice all the same. The musicianship and the unusual arrangements on this album found favour with fans who regarded it as a rather surreal musical feast. Music In A Doll's House is a truly innovative album and years ahead of it's time. The album charted respectably in the UK (reaching No. 35 in the UK album charts) and received considerable airplay from well-known British radio personality John Peel. It did not chart in the US. Interestingly, Mike Batt got his first big break in record production on this album by arranging "Mellowing Grey".
Family's 1969 follow-up, Family Entertainment, toned down the psychedelics of their previous offering, and featured their first UK hit "The Weaver's Answer." For the 1970 release A Song For Me, they developed a more aggressive sound, gaining them a larger European following. That year they played at several major rock festivals including the Isle Of Wight music festival and Holland's Kralingen Festival. Both of which were included in the documentary films Message To Love and Stomping Ground. The next release, Anyway, featured a side of a live performance of new material at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England, as well as a side of new studio recordings.
The bar was raised in 1971 with Fearless, but the band's biggest success was yet to come, in 1972's Bandstand, featuring hits "Burlesque" and "My Friend the Sun". This was followed by the underrated but enjoyable It's Only a Movie, where the band's sound was augmented by Tony Ashton of Ashton Gardner and Dyke on piano.
Family disbanded in 1973 and former members went on to play in the bands King Crimson, the Streetwalkers and Stud.
2) Family were a disco group who formed in the 1970's and released the single 'Music (Listen To The Music)', on the Salsoul label which was later re-released on the Suss'd 2007 compilation 'Deep Disco Culture Vol. 2'.
3) Family was a Spanish indie band active 1991-1993 formed by Javier Aramburu and Iñaki Gametxogoikoetxea. They released just one album in 1993 titled Un soplo en el corazón," a tribute to the film by Louis Malle. In 2003 Spanish magazine Rockdelux released an album with the same songs played by other Spanish bands to celebrate 10 years from probably one of the best Spanish albums of 90's.
Strange Band
Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heading due west, away from the east
Walking the road, leading a blind man
Staff in his hadn, and a dog that could see
Strange looking band were we
Man and his hubcaps, flashing the highway
Shielding his eyes, from the heat of the sun
Convertable mind closed permanently
Strange looking band were we
The song Strange Band by Family is a commentary on the universal idea of being different and being unaccepted by society. The lyrics tell the story of a cast of characters who are on a journey together, characterized by their unique quirks and strange appearances. The first verse describes a dog and his master walking towards the west, accompanied by a blind man with a walking stick, all of whom look strange to the average passerby. Similarly, the second verse depicts a man with hubcaps on a highway, shielding his eyes from the sun, and driven crazy by his wife Maisy's persistent nagging. The characters in each verse may seem odd and unusual when viewed through the filter of societal norms, but there is a sense of joy and freedom in their eccentricity, and they form a special bond with one another that is strengthened by their shared otherness. This connection is symbolized by the chorus line “Strange looking band were we,” which emphasizes that despite being strange or unconventional, the group is united and accepting of each other's differences.
Line by Line Meaning
Dog and his master, took out together
A canine and its owner left for a stroll
Heading due west, away from the east
They were moving in a western direction and leaving the eastern part behind
Walking the road, leading a blind man
They were walking down the street guiding a visually impaired person
Staff in his hadn, and a dog that could see
The person holding the stick had a dog with superior sight
Strange looking band were we
Their group was distinctive and peculiar
Man and his hubcaps, flashing the highway
A man braggingly showcased his shiny wheel covers to people driving on the freeway
Shielding his eyes, from the heat of the sun
He had to protect his eyes from the scorching sunlight
A wife, name of Maisy, who's driving him crazy
The fellow's wife, called Maisy, is making him feel agitated
Convertable mind closed permanently
The husband has made an unbreakable decision
Strange looking band were we
Their group was distinctive and peculiar
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN WHITNEY, JOHN WILLIAMSON, ROGER MAXWELL CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ian brierley
A blues-based band with art rock inclinations, Family were one of the more interesting groups of hippie-era Britain. Fronted by the deft and frequently excellent guitar playing of John "Charlie" Whitney and the raspy, whiskey-and-cigarette voice of Roger Chapman, Family were much loved in England and Europe but barely achieved cult status in America. While bands like Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, and the Keith Emerson-led Nice (and later Emerson, Lake & Palmer) sold lots of records, Family, who frequently toured with these bands, were left in the shadows, an odd band loved by a small but rabid group of fans.
It's Only a Movie Although the band's first official release was Music in a Doll's House in 1968, the roots of the band went back as far as the early '60s, when Whitney started a rhythm & blues/soul band called the Farinas while at college. In 1966, Whitney met Roger Chapman, a prematurely balding singer who had a voice so powerful that, to quote Robert Christgau, "It could kill small game at a hundred yards," and the two began a creative partnership that would last through two bands and into the early '80s. With Whitney and Chapman leading the way, Family became whole with the addition of bassist Ric Grech, saxophonist Jim King, and drummer Rob Townsend. Within a year they were hyped as the next big thing, and under that pressure and intense British pop press scrutiny delivered their debut record in 1968, Music in a Doll's House. Doll's House is pop music redolent of the Zeitgeist: Chapman's voice is rooted in the blues and R&B, but the record is loaded with strings, Mellotrons, acoustic guitars, and horns -- essentially all the trappings of post-psychedelia and early art rock. Almost completely ignored in the States, Doll's House was a hit in Britain and Family began a string of "less art rock/more hard rock" albums that ended, as did the band, with the release of It's Only a Movie in 1973.
After Family's demise, Whitney and Chapman formed the blues-rock Streetwalkers; other Family members (of which there were quite a few in the band's tempestuous eight years) such as John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia) and Jim Cregan (Rod Stewart) went off to find fame and fortune elsewhere. Trivia buffs note: it was Ric Grech who was the first to leave Family in 1969 to become the least well-known member of supergroup Blind Faith. Sadly, that proved to be Grech's biggest mistake, as Blind Faith imploded in a year, and Grech (whose last notable band membership was in Traffic), long plagued by drinking problems, died of liver failure in 1990. Charlie Whitney went on to play in an extremely low-key country/blues/bluegrass band called Los Rackateeros, and Roger Chapman moved to Germany, where his solo career flourished. A fine, occasionally great band, Family deserved more recognition (at least in America) than they received -- something that a thoughtfully compiled career-spanning CD retrospective might rectify.
John Feesey
Thanks.I was looking at a Blind faith wiki(having a lovely fall afternoon flashback) and this band appeared in a link.You are certainly right about completely ignored in North America.I have never heard of them.
Gilberto Ospino
Music in the doll house is an excellent album, it was my first encounter with Family, and I was stuck in that crime!
derek diamond
Great info on Roger Chapman + Family, I played in a band with Roger and Ricky Grech in 1964/65, we were called the ' X-citers ' and then called 'Jimmy Stevens and the Jackpots' , the band split up and Roger and Ricky went on to the 'Farinas ', they deserved their success, good times indeed!
arthurmee
What a band they were. Underrated of course. I regret I never got to them live. Thanks for posting these vids.
Trevor Bryant
One of the greatest bands in the history of rock and roll
Tin Man
Love this band. I think I've seen them perform live, always at Portsmouth Guildhall, UK, about a dozen times. They were a really tight band musically. Very well rehearsed, a powerhouse of sound. I think they were under rated. Listen to Music from a Dolls House. And another song of theirs I really love is Drowned In Wine. Thank you Family, you guys are the best.
massimo marchesin
Family strange band dal vivo emozionante sentire la voce di Roger Chapman che con il suo incredibile vibrato col suo timbro di cartavetrata scuote i sensi di chi ascolta Una di quelle voci che restano davvero più uniche che rare Robert Plant dei LED Zeppelin una volta disse di Roger Chapman Vorrei riuscire a cantare come lui Nutro per lui una grandissima ammirazione oltre ad essergli amico
tallnotmuchhair
Amazing, wish I'd seen them live.
anuday
They had such energy and a great band to see live!!!