With a back catalogue boasting such gems as 'Rainmaker' and 'Fully Qualified Survivor' (featuring Mick Ronson, Rick Kemp, and others), it remains a mystery to all why he wasn't afforded more mainstream recognition. With his often quirky songs and vocal style sometimes eerily reminiscent of David Bowie, one can only assume that Chapman's hardy reluctance to bow to the commercial pressures of his record companies served only to afford him scant recognition from the record-buying public. With a muse falling somewhere between Kevin Ayers and Warren Zevon, Chapman was a folk-rock, psychedelic-jazz troubadour.
Chapman first appeared on the London and Cornwall folk music circuits in 1967, including the Piper's Folk Club in Penzance, alongside John Martyn and Roy Harper. His first album was "Rainmaker" in 1969.
His 1970 second album, "Fully Qualified Survivor", again produced by Gus Dudgeon with lush strings arranged by Paul Buckmaster, received much critical acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and featured his best-known track, "Postcards of Scarborough".
After a tour of the United States with Rick Kemp, Chapman signed to Decca's subsidiary, Deram, recording an increasingly rockier set of albums. Championed by Charles Shaar Murray and John Peel, he continued to have a high profile, being a lively draw on the college circuit in the UK and across mainland Europe.
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. He continued to gig and record consistently, varying styles and sounds, sometimes working with a full group, more often working with Rick Kemp alone.
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.
The 21st 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.
A tribute album titled Oh Michael, Look What You've Done: Friends Play Michael Chapman was released in 2012 on Tompkins Square Records. It includes contributions from Lucinda Williams, Maddy Prior, William Tyler, Hiss Golden Messenger and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore.
In 2016, Chapman celebrated fifty years as a professional musician. Towards the end of his life he still played professionally and regularly toured in the UK, Europe and US.
Kodak Ghosts
Michael Chapman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching the clouds and the weather
Since you′ve been gone you know it's been a little hard
But at last I got my loneliness together
I pretend to myself that I′m much better off
No one to make me waste my time
And if I'm feeling down there's only me to blame
Maybe it's as well that I part such a thought
For ages I had nothing new to show you
But now I see your memory making love in some hotel
But when I recollect I didn′t know you
Sometimes in the night I take a lazy walk
To the tree where we made our first confession
Of love and of permanence and other vicious lies
All the things that now need no impression
Rewind
I've nothing to do but sit with the doubt
Watching the clouds and the weather
Since you′ve been gone you know it's been a little hard
But at last I got my loneliness together
In Michael Chapman's haunting song "Kodak Ghosts," the singer is dealing with the pain and loneliness of a recent breakup. He finds himself with nothing to do but sit and stew in his thoughts, watching the clouds and thinking about the weather. The absence of his former partner has left him feeling a little lost, but he has finally managed to get his loneliness under control. He draws on his own inner strength to convince himself that he is better off without the relationship, and that he is responsible for his own emotional state. However, he can't help but wonder about the memories of the relationship, and imagines his former lover making love in some distant hotel. He takes a stroll to the tree where they first confessed their love, but all the emotions there now seem like empty, meaningless cliches.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing to do but sit with the doubt
I have nothing else to do but to dwell on my uncertainties
Watching the clouds and the weather
I spend my time observing the skies and atmospheric conditions
Since you've been gone you know it's been a little hard
Ever since you left, my life has not been easy
But at last I got my loneliness together
But eventually, I learned to cope with loneliness
I pretend to myself that I'm much better off
I try to convince myself that I'm doing fine without you
No one to make me waste my time
Without you, there's nobody to distract me from productive activities
And if I'm feeling down there's only me to blame
Whenever I feel sad, I accept full responsibility for it
It's me that's on the end of the line
In the end, it's only me who can solve my problems
Maybe it's as well that I part such a thought
Perhaps it's best if I let go of certain memories or ideas
For ages I had nothing new to show you
I had nothing interesting or exciting to share with you for a long time
But now I see your memory making love in some hotel
However, now I imagine your memory being intimate with someone else in a hotel
But when I recollect I didn't know you
Although, upon reflection, I realize that I never truly knew you
Sometimes in the night I take a lazy walk
Occasionally at night, I go for a leisurely stroll
To the tree where we made our first confession
I visit the tree where we first professed our love for each other
Of love and of permanence and other vicious lies
Where we exchanged vows of undying love and promises that were not kept
All the things that now need no impression
All of those things are now meaningless and have no lasting impact
Rewind
Replaying those memories in my mind
Writer(s): Michael Chapman
Contributed by Mia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@williemctell5898
"Watching the clouds and the weather..." Fare Well, Michael and thinks for this and all the others... RIP.
@mrjamescurry
Saw him and met him tonight on s rainy night in Warsaw.
Played this well.
Didn't expect to see him, but life sometimes comes together in the right place at the right time.
Still playing well, still not recognised enough. I guess that's to our benefit.
@MrLordgiv
James Curry yesterday concert was great! best for you mate :)
@cgalla0307
Thank you Alex Turner
@FRsnakepit
I can say the same!
@roksancheb7688
and me too :)
@CIRCADES
Did Alex Turner talk about this guy? When I first heard Chapman, I though the two really sounded alike!
@cgalla0307
Henri V yes he says him and this record specifically influenced him on the 4th AM record if i'm not mistaken
@CIRCADES
cgalla0307 Thanks, yeah. Googled it, their 5th album aka AM was inspired by Chapman. That's just awesome, I love that album!
@GTNL6
Alex Turner brought me here, said he was trying to evoke the same kind of message in 'Do I Wanna Know', both are great tracks