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The Wedding Band CD

History CD

Michael's ongoing studio work has now become two albums. History is a studio album and Michael is so pleased with the live recordings from Nottingham that they are going to be their own as yet untitled album. Michael played with a trio (Bass Drums and Pedal Steel) and loud shirt and played an excellent set, so this should be well worth a listen.

Myspace - Fullyqualifiedsurvivor

Michael now has his own Myspace http://www.myspace.com/fullyqualifiedsurvivor. Couldn't have michaelchapman apparently that is already taken, as alternative fqs seemed to have the right resonance. We have a regularly changing selection of Chapman album tracks, live tracks and rarities to listen to.

Imaginational Anthem Volume Two Tompkins Square Records

1. James Blackshaw - River of Heaven 2. Peter Lang - Future Shot at the Rainbow 3. Jose Gonzalez - Suggestions 4. Jesse Sparhawk - Light Cycle/Tetrahedra 5. Michael Chapman - Leaving The Apple 6. Sean Smith - What Blooms in Summer Dies in Winter 7. Fred Gerlach - Devil's Brew 8. Christina Carter - Ascend Mem 9. Jack Rose - Cross The North Fork II 10. Billy Faier - New World Coming 11. Sharron Kraus - Looking For The Hermit's Cave 12. Robbie Basho - Kowaka D'Amour

Michael has contributed a typically atmospheric instrumental playing acoustic and electric lead to the 2nd volume of the cult US compilation Imaginational Anthem. The track leaving the apple was inspired by leaving New York.

Volume One brought together guitar players like Jack Rose, the incredibly dexterous Kaki KIng and veterans like John Fahey. Volume One had a later UK release, but vol 2 is currently only available in the US, but can be purchased on the internet. Got mine via ebay. The lavishly packaged collection (nice photo of Michael tending the cows, doing his best to look as unlike a legendary acoustic guitarist as possible) brings together expansive instrumentals that range from pastoral to decidedly avant gaude.

More Reissues - Millstone Grit - Lost

I have just completed collaborative sleeve notes with John Tobler for BGO's reissue of Millstone Grit following on from their excellent reissues of Rainmaker, Fully Qualified Survivor, Window and Wrecked Again. BGO Records.

Michael is also releasing via his own Rural Retreat Records a set of lost recordings from the early 90s. These include big production band versions of Geordies Down The Road, Elinkine, Falling From Grace, Fool In The Night and others. The recordings feature some stinging electric lead playing from Michael in what he called Carlos Santana mode and beautiful acoustic as always.

The version of Geordie is unique, with samples, programming and evil guitar, sounding like it was recorded in a foundry. Titled Lost after its current state this unique document is available now

MH 07 06

40 Years On The Road Tour

To celebrate 40 years of playing live professionally Michael is doing what he is calling the 40 Years On The Road tour. Michael is practicing some of the material he played on his first dates and is threatening to revisit some obscure material. Keep checking the concerts page as dates are still being added.

Tour T Shirts from The Bus Pass Mini Tour are available via the online sales page. See you at The Half Moon Putney

Michael Chapman's Albums of the Year

On the stereo this at the Farm recently have been Bill Frisell's East West (an amazing live cd recorded on the east and west coasts of the USA, mix of Frisells own originals and some surprising covers - great deconstructed version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine). Mary Gauthier, Filth And Fire ( fine vocalist and songwriter, Christmas In Paradise is a great festive song), Bobby Charles, Last Train To Memphis, Arvo Part, Fratres, Buddy Miller, Universal House Of Prayer, Jimmy Giuffre, The Easy Way, Dwight Yoakam, Dwight Live, Charlie Christian, The Genius Of The Electric Guitar. How does this compare to your list

Words Fail Me

Following his dates in the US, playing a set of slightly avant garde instrumental dates Michael has recorded a double album of his instrumental pieces, revisiting his material as far back as Thank You PK 1944. The recordings are solo guitar recordings with no over dubs. Michael notes that fired up from a runs of American gigs his playing was top notch, the tracks were laid down quickly and included many first takes. The album is to be called Words Fail Me.

We are now also selling the Live At The White Swan cd of Michael live with Alamo Leal on second guitar. This is available on the online sales page.

mh 12 05.

Bus Pass Tour

Michael is already putting together a few dates around his 65th Birthday (24 01 41) for what he is calling the bus pass tour

mh 02 08 05

CD Re-releases

The rights for Navigation (1995) and The Twisted Road (1999) have just reverted to Michael. Both are excellent albums and both will be available here via the online sales page from late August. Michael is currently ammending the sleeve art and working on the masters. Also in the pipeline is a live cd of solo Michael Chapman taken from a very rare double live cd he did with Alamo Leal the blues guitarist and singer. There were only a handful of copies of the cd made up by Fairview Studios with three being auctioned for charity last summer. These recordings will feature just the tracks where Michael is playing solo and should be available again via the secure sales page later this summer

mh 02 08 05

Chapman rarities of the future.

Alex at Phoenix Studios, where Michael records, has added the website address to the already reworked sleeves of The Black And White Album, Plaindealer and Live And Unhinged. This means that there are about 20-30 copies of Black and White in existance with the picture of Michael in the Jimmie Rogers Museum on gatefold sleeve but without the web address at the base of the sleeve. OK so a bit anoraky, but it does make you think.

mh 02 08 05

Online Sales Summer 2005

www.michaelchapman.co.uk is now set up for secure online sales. At the moment the Plaindealer Michael Chapman Shop (no prizes for guessing where I borrowed the graphic from) is stocked with Plaindealer, Michael Chapman The Black And White Album, Live And Unhinged and some unplayed signed vinyl copies of Heartbeat on the Coda label. The CDs are £12 with different rates of postage for UK, Europe and ROW (rest of world). Secure payment is through paypal and you will need to be set up with them to send payment (70 million worldwide users they say). We are also selling copies through ebay if you are set up with them but do not wish to use paypal then you can pay via cheque, postal orders or cash.

michael chapman shop

visit our pages on ebay - search on ebay for michael chapman (UK) - search on ebay for michael chapman (international)

Plaindealer

Michael''s latest is now titled Plaindealer after an American newspaper he found and is released through his own Rural Retreat Records. The album is available at gigs and is available here with secure online payment

click here for a track by track review

MH

Bare Knuckle Records Compilation with Michael Chapman track

have found an otherwise unreleased / unavailable Michael Chapman track on a compilation by a Jersey based label called Bare Knuckle Records.

http://www.bareknucklerecords.com/new_bomp.htm

at the bottom of this page there is a running order and a link to a streamed (but thin sounding) version of the track to whet your appetite the track must date from michaels live dates on the isles.

Dont attempt to use paypal to buy the cd, the company no longer exists and so obviously doesnt mail out

Wrytree Drift

The latest on Michael's album is that the sessions have grown to 2 albums. The first is an album now titled Wrytree Drift Interestingly the drift is the mine mine that runs close to Michael's farm. Life On The Ceiling's Prospector was written around its origins and now this album's title marks its closing a couple of years ago. This one is almost finished except for some tweeking on Deportees recorded with vocals by Maddr Prior that doesnt sound ethereal enough yet.

Michael has also lined up studio time for Simple a album of covers recorded solo just guitar and vocals. Tracks lined up include Nick Drakes Which Will originally recorded for the first album and I Want A Little Girl by Jimmy Rushing

Simple by Rod Clements

Posted by Rod on 22/3/2005, 12:00 pm,

Oh, all right then! On January 24th (Michael Chapman's birthday, as it happens) I answered his summons and went via his house (to collect him) to his friendly local recording studio in Brampton, Cumbria. The recordings I was to play on were 90% completed but Michael wanted me to add some electric slide to a couple of tracks and a bass part (replacing his own original) to one of them. This I did, using my Strat and a bass that was hanging on the studio wall. As I'd brought the dobro (just in case), Michael identified an additional track that it could work on, so I played on that as well. I don't know what any of the songs were called but they sounded fine. If you're an MC fan you won't be disappointed, and if you haven't heard him yet you should check him out.

Job done, we went back chez Chapman and thence to the Centre of Britain in Haltwhistle for a birthday tea in a party which included Andru (Mrs MC), Marie, Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp, and a grand time was had by all.

This is reprinted from Rod Clements' own website which is well worth a look

rod clements site

very vibrant notice board

MH 30 03 05

Simple (anything but no doubt)

Michael is currently in the studio recording a new album. Titled after an instrumental it features some new songs. Some covers including Woody Guthries deportees, which I saw Michael play with Dave Gardner, . A studio version of Anniversary and a reworking of Bon Ton Roolay. Jeff Betts again appears on pedal steel and hopefully Maddy Prior and Rose Kemp will add vocals to Deportees.

Last time I spoke to Michael, he said that Rod Clements had been adding some guitar and bass parts to the tracks for the album. Rod & Michael first played live together during the 70s and recorded together on The Man Who Hated Mornings and Looking For Eleven.

John Peel 1939 - 2004

John Peel dj at Radio one since the begining and unerring champion of the alternative side of ccutting edge music has died while on holiday in Peru. John was a champion of Michael Chapman in the early days. Such was the frequency with which Michael sessioned on the Peel show or the regularity that John played Chapman tracks that people wrongly presumed they were great mates. The music was their only connection and Michael recalls only ever meeting Peel once.

John listed Fully Qualified Survivor among his three favourite albums of 1970, Postcards Of Scarborough was listed in his Peelenium a look back at the 20th ccentury in music. More recently John had played Postcards one of his wife Sheila's favourite tracks as a get well while she herself had being recovering from serious illness.

full obituary and more news within bbc site

mh 26 10 04

reissues: Rainmaker Fully Qualified Survivor Window Wrecked Again

BGO records' Rainmaker / Fully Qualified Survivor double cd set is now in the shops. The set features new comprehensive sleeve notes, excellent quality remastering and an excellent reproductions of the sleeves.

BGO link

Window the final chapter....

Bizarrely some 34 years after EMI accidently pressed it up unfinished Michael has gone back into the studio to 'finish' Window. It was he says a strange experience listening to 'dead people on the between track studio chatter (Gus Dudgeon producer, Robin Cable engineer and Richie Dharma drummer are all no longer with us). The resulting cd features extensively tweeked recordings with Michaels guitar restored (contempory reviews of the album commented unfavourably on the thin or invisible guitar. Changes have been made to Among The Trees and other tracks. 6.15 has some of the more 'relaxed' vocals removed, Michael couldnt even find Andrus and Arthur Dog's vocals on the track masters, suggesting that EMI may not have even used the correct masters anyhow.

Also added are unreleased takes of On My Way Again substantially different to the version released as an extra track on the Rainmaker cd in 1998 and a solo recording of Hobo's Lamentations recorded at the sessions. The completed tapes are with Michaels publishers but there is no release date or label as yet

Simple

After a long block Michael has starting writing songs again. Out getting coal a song recalling touring in Spain dropped into his head. He excitedly reports having other bits of songs on the go and having rediscovered 'Youth is wasted on the young' and another song he recorded with Thurston Moore and Jim O'Rourke for the Thurston and English project. Michael is booked into the studio at the end of this month to work on an album he has titled 'Simple' after a new instrumental piece

reissues: Michael Chapman Dangerous When Sober An Alternative History

Sanctuary Records are putting out a Michael Chapman compilation on 23 08 04. It is titled Michael Chapman Dangerous When Sober An Alternative History. It is an excellent title, the double set features photos from Michaels personal collection and images from my own archives, but it is as a glance at the running order below will show a tasteful cherry pick through the 3 albums that Michael released through Mooncrest (Growing Pains Volume One, Growing Pains Volume Two and the expanded reissue of Pleasures Of The Street.

So an excellent set with some fine photos if you dont have the Mooncrest cds or like me are a completist. But otherwise it contains fine material (acoustic live stuff from the late sixties and early seventies), the Fairview demos - Michaels earliest available recordings, fine mid seventies live recordings from Hamburg and the studio live set by a version of the Chapman big band, taken from the Mooncrest cds. Michael is talking to Sanctuary / Castle Music about putting out Growing Pains Volume 3 a collection of collaborations with people like Rick Kemp and Maddy Prior as a future possibility. Sanctuary with their excellent distribution and high presence may result in a raised profile for Michael and some good reviews though

MH 07 04

link to Sanctuary Records Group

DISC 1 Key To The Highway (Demo) See See Rider (Demo) Let Me Go Home Whiskey (Demo) Parchman Farm (Demo) Rockport Sunday Andru's Easy Rider Indian Queens Not So Much A Garden (More Like A Maze) Anniversary It Didn't Work Out Thank You P.K1944. Melody-Daisy Bell/Naked Ladies & Electric Ragtime Reason To Believe Wrecked Again Rabbit Hills A Scholarly Man

DISC 2 Party Pieces Among The Trees In The Valley Shuffleboat River Farewell Firewater Dreams Wrecked Again Deal Gone Down Sea Of Wine Hero Returns Time Enough To Spare Devastation Hotel The Secret Of The Locks How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live? Here We Go Again (Demo) Running For Cover (Demo) Lonely By The Mile (Demo) Dangerous When Sober (Demo)

 

Michael Chapman & Peter Ratzenbeck January 2005

Michael will be in Phoenix Studios with Austrian Guitarist Peter Ratzenbeck producing a album by Peter. Ratzenbeck is an accomplished player who was inspired after seeing Michael supporting John Mayall in Gratz in 1973. He is a long time fan of Michaels. I have got an album of his, Over the Years (Shamrock 1990) on which Peter does an excellent version of Wellington The Skellington. As well as material from the playing of John Renbourn & Davey Graham and songs by Peter himself.

Michael is producing and doesnt rule out the possibility of playing but said

"will play if he wants me to but its not my job to crawl all over his album"

There is also a two leg European tour with Michael and Peter playing through Spring and Autumn 2005 will post details when I have them.

MH 27 06 04

 

Reissues 'Dogs Got More Sense' Decca Years Box, Harvest Albums reissued

The long awaited box set that brings together 3 albums that Michael released through Decca (Deal Gone Down, Savage Amusement & The Man Who Hated Mornings) along with demos, an excellent aborted single version of Dogs Got More Sense, a single b side and a 53 minute DVD interview with Michael in his living room is out now. There are some atmospheric photos on the cover, extensive sleeve notes and card versions of the original LP fronts. Go to Secret Records site to get your copy.

Plans continue to reissue the Harvest albums and Millstone Grit. Michael's Publishing company for the Harvest material 'Bucks Music' have announced that they have unreleased material from the original sessions, out takes, studio chat between Michael and Gus Dudgeon and Michael working out material for Rainmaker. Bucks Music are also organising studio time for Michael to remix and add to Window, this being that album that EMI famously released while Michael was in Europe and before it was finished. The plan is that Michael replaces some of the guitar parts that are only there as guides and adds in the parts that he never had chance to. The intention is to have original versions and 'as they were intended' versions on the same disc if space allows.

Michael Chapman Maddy Prior & Rose Kemp live Friday 22nd May 2004 updated

go to live reviews and click on photos to see a photo from this exclusive gig for the many people who couldnt get there

This is a fundraiser for The Ethiopian Village Medical Appeal a charity Andru and Maddy will be doing a sponsored trek for later this year. Tickets are £15 the event is being put on in an intimate venue in Bewcastle, Cumbria. Morew information and ticket ordering details on the concert page. Promises to be a unique concert by three highly individual and accomplished performers (anyone how hasnt heard Rose's album glance (out on park records) really should

Journeymen : Live on The Tweed DVD Advanced copies of the Secret Records DVD 'Michael Chapman, Journeyman Live on the Tweed are now out (well I have mine). Sound and video are excellent. Sounds amazing through the stereo. Taped in the Cellar Bar at the Barrels Ale House in Berwick-on-Tweed. Highly recommended

Running order: Looking for charlie in nogales, It aint so, Sensimilia, One time thing, Sometimes, The Mallard, Ponchatoulah, Sweet little friend from georgia, Dust devils, Theme from the movie of the same name, Postcards of scarborough, Memphis in winter, Anniversary, Shuffleboat river farewell, After all this time, Rabbit hills, Bon ton roolay, Faheys flag, Kodak ghosts.

actual release date 08 03 04 Catalogue number SECDVD122.

Link to Secret Records

february 2004

Life on the Ceiling & Heartbeat

We have unplayed original vinyl copies of Life on the Ceiling (Criminal Records 1979) & Heartbeat (Coda 1987) these have all original inserts and been signed by Michael. Both are available for £10 each plus £1.80 UK postage. Email for payment details, you can also buy through paypal (marchiggins@hotmail.com)

december 2003

Re-releases for 2004

Michael has given me a timetable for releases for spring 2004.

March-April see the release of Rainmaker, Fully Qualified Survivor, Window, Wrecked Again & Millstone Grit on BGO records. The cds will feature new sleeve notes and Michael is still in talks about changes to the cover art on Wrecked Again and a remix for bits of Window.

May 2004 sees the release of the Secret Records boxed set that includes Deal Gone Down, Savage Amusement, The Man Who Hated Mornings with a forth disc of demos and home recordings. Incidently if anyone has any interesting relevant anecdotes that relate to any of these albums or contempory live appearences I would love to hear them

Also out through Secret Records will be a live DVD with interview footage. The DVD recorded at Barrels Ale House in Barrow-in-furness features a solo concert. Incidently Michael doesnt currently have a catchy title for the DVD, Secret suggested 'Live on the tweed' (hmmm). Any suggestions gratefully recieved. There has to be a title around 'words and pictures' or a lyrical quote from one of the songs.

Voiceprint Records have done a lot of apologising about the misunderstandings around Still Making Rain & Almost Alone. Still Making Rain is to resequenced with the full interview as intended and the session tracks. Michael said that there will be a return arrangement so that people can exchange the 'wrong' Still Making Rain for the 'right' one with the full running order. Personally I shall be hanging onto my copy as a Chapman rarity in the making.

The remainder of the session and more live tracks including one of Michael's long medleys of material will be on Almost Alone.

december 2003

Harvest Albums

BGO records are in the process of putting together Michaels Harvest albums for release on cd early in 2004. Also included in this cd release program will be Millstone Grit and Lived Here the compilation. Millstone Grit was originally going to come out through Harvest EMI and Lived Here is a compilation of material from that period.

Rainmaker & Fullly Qualified Survivor have been re-released before. Indeed Michael thinks Survivor has been in print on one label or another since its original release. EMI, Criminal Records, See For Miles/Edsel, Repertoire and now BGO. An indication he says that they (Michael, Rick, Mick Ronson, Barry Morgan, Gus Dudgeon and co) got something right when they recorded that one.

Wrecked Again, Window and Millstone Grit have never been re-released since their original vinyl release and have never been available on cd. While the Record Collector Guide book price of £225 is a typo, Window is generally felt to be the rarest of the Harvest quartet of albums. Michael and Andru remember a big promotional campaign for the album, coming after Fully Qualified Survivor there was a big push with an ads and showcase gigs at the Queen Elizabeth Rooms (co-incidently the site of my first Michael Chapman concert some 16 years later) and Drury Lane Theatre in London. However such was Michaels enthusiasm for getting it out before Christmas 1970 that he rushed the mixing. He talks about his dissatisfaction with the mix in a Sounds interview, "I tried to get it withdrawn; but it was too late because 20,000 copies had already been printed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael felt that the albums presumed scarcity might be because he discouraged people from buying it at the time as he was dissapointed with it. Talks are underway at the moment between Michael, his publishers and BGO about the possibilty of a remix or even adding new guitar parts to create tracks they way they were intended. These could then be used as replacement or additonal tracks on Window This is dependant on BGO feeling that it is worth spending money on studio time and that someone can find the original 16 tracks masters.

Wrecked Again should also have had another photo of Michael and Rick behind the striking text on the front of the gatefold sleeve. Michael is keen to get the unused photo onto the sleeve of the reissue.

There is no information yet about whether the original sleeves will be reproduced like the Repertoire reissues of Rainmaker & Fully Qualified Survivor. Of if there will be any additional tracks. Michael has always maintained that he always wiped unused material and was surprised by the existence of the tracks that bolstered up the Repertoire Rainmaker reissue. In an January 71 Sounds interview Michael talks about the fact that 'On My Way Again' was recorded for Rainmaker, Fully Qualified Survivor & Window. He was very pleased with the Window sessions version with Johnny Van Derek which turned up on the Rainmaker German Cd, being left off at the time as it was too long.

Anyone reading this could email BGO and state how more happy they would be to buy Window and Wrecked Again with either further studio work for additional tracks or ammended artwork. email BGO records

October 2003

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 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'

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