Michael Chapman (born in Leeds on 24 January 1941; died 10 September 2021) … Read Full Bio ↴Michael Chapman (born in Leeds on 24 January 1941; died 10 September 2021) was a highly regarded English singer-songwriter and a virtuoso guitarist. Originally playing guitar with jazz bands, he became well known in the folk clubs of the late 1960s as well as on the 'progressive' music scene.
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.
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.
March Rain
Michael Chapman Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Michael Chapman:
Among the Trees Among the trees I have lain and passed my golden…
Aviator Desperation sits just like a friend upon the floor My pictur…
I'm Sober Now You took my little heart And ran it round this town Now…
It’s Too Late If you're sat in the corridor of this broken down…
memphis in winter We′re passed the end of nowhere All along the worn out…
Theme from the Movie of the Same Name "This Movie" (feat. Trevor McNevan) What, soothing, bizzare…
You Say And so I'm saying goodbye Although God knows I don't want…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@chriscampbell9191
Wow. Very poignant, and the playing is beautiful. Excellent string arrangement. Every time I hear a song off this album I always wonder why it didn't get more exposure, especially here in the US, but that's the shakes. At least it's on the 'Tube, and we all can hear it now....
@giulienf
Michael Chapman (nato il 24 gennaio 1941 Hunslet , Leeds , Yorkshire, Inghilterra [1] ) è un cantautore e chitarrista inglese. Chapman originariamente ha iniziato a suonare la chitarra con jazz band, soprattutto nella sua città natale di Leeds nel West Riding of Yorkshire. Egli divenne noto nei folk club della fine del 1960, così come il ' progressive scena musicale', e ha registrato oltre 40 album fino ad oggi.
@AnthonyMonaghan
Beautiful orchestration...reminds me of Nick Drake somewhat, apart from the voice. Thanks for this, I'm just discovering Michael Chapman. Just when you thought you'd heard them all etc....
@g1g2g3g4g5gt
+Anthony Monaghan Because they ARE similar. My friend, you love Folk Rock (especially British Folk Rock). I am listening Chapman thanks to Nick Drake too.
@AnthonyMonaghan
Wonderful...
@sequentialable12
wonderful orchestration and plucky guitar
@psyclonought22
strings arranged by paul buckmaster
@PaulineLievens
Thank you for your comment~ love the arrangements.....
@psyclonought22
.. me too chapman did a great album ,would just like to find it all in one piece on the web its all in single tracks
@bluedivide1
+edward johnson - I used to think that so if you can find all the tracks Playlist it as an Album ........ you'll be suprised by the view count but if the whole album is uploaded then favourite tracks can't be separated or compiled with other favorites so it goes both ways. As long as some respect is shown as far as sound quality and entirety are concerned both have their place.