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{{Short description|English singer-songwriter}}
{{Short description|British musician (1941–2021)}}
{{Refimprove|date=September 2021}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Michael Chapman
| name = Michael Chapman
| image = Michael Chapman - Ramblin Roots - Utrecht NL.jpg
| image = Michael Chapman by Zoran Velesinovic.jpg
| caption =
⚫
| caption = Michael Chapman during the Ramblin' Roots Festival 2017, [[TivoliVredenburg]], [[Utrecht]], Netherlands
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1941|01|24}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1941|01|24}}
| birth_place =[[Hunslet]], [[Leeds]], England
| birth_place = [[Hunslet]], [[Leeds]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2021|9|10|1941|01|24}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2021|9|10|1941|01|24}}
| death_place =
| death_place =
| instrument = Vocals, guitar, bass, banjo, piano, percussion
| instrument = Vocals, guitar, bass, banjo, piano, percussion
| genre = [[Folk music|Folk]], [[jazz]]
| genre = [[Folk music|Folk]], [[Folk rock]], [[jazz]]
| occupation = Musician, songwriter
| occupation = Musician, songwriter
| years_active = 1966–2021
| years_active = 1966–2021
| partner = Andru Chapman<ref name="Craft">{{Cite web |title=Andru Chapman – Knitwear Designer |url=https://www.craftinfocus.com/andru-chapman |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=Craft in Focus}}</ref>
| label = [[Mooncrest Records ]] [[Secret Records]] [[Secret Records limited]] [[Harvest Records|Harvest]], [[Deram Records|Deram]], Criminal, [[Black Crow Records|Black Crow]], [[Strange Fruit Records|Strange Fruit]], [[Mooncrest Records|Mooncrest]], [[Demon Music Group|Demon Records]], Rural Retreat Records, [[Secret Records]], [[Market Square Records]], [[Blast First Petite]], [[Tompkins Square Records|Tompkins Square]]
| label = [[Mooncrest Records|Mooncrest]], [[Secret Records|Secret]], [[Harvest Records|Harvest]], [[Deram Records|Deram]], Criminal, Black Crow, [[Strange Fruit Records|Strange Fruit]], [[Mooncrest Records|Mooncrest]], [[Demon Music Group|Demon]], Rural Retreat, [[Secret Records|Secret]], [[Market Square Records|Market Square]], [[Blast First Petite]], [[Tompkins Square Records|Tompkins Square]]
| associated_acts =
| associated_acts =
| website = {{url|http://www.michaelchapman.co.uk/}}
| website = {{url|michaelchapman.co.uk}}
}}
}}


'''Michael Chapman''' (24 January 1941 – 10 September 2021)<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |first=Steven |last= McDonald |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p16391/biography|pure_url=yes}} |title=Biography by Steven McDonald |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=20 January 2009}}</ref><ref name="Stereo"/> was an English singer-songwriter, and virtuosic guitar player. Chapman originally began playing guitar with [[jazz]] bands, mainly in his home town of Leeds in the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]]. He became well known in the [[folk club]]s of the late 1960s, as well as on the '[[Progressive rock|progressive]]' music scene, and released over 50 albums.
'''Michael Chapman''' (24 January 1941 – 10 September 2021)<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |first=Steven |last= McDonald |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p16391/biography|pure_url=yes}} |title=Biography by Steven McDonald |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=20 January 2009}}</ref><ref name="Stereo" /> was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist who released 58 albums, displaying a "fusion of jazz, rock, Indian and ragtime styles [that] made him a cult hero".<ref name="graniad1">{{Cite web |last=Deneslow |first=Robin |date=23 September 2021 |title=Michael Chapman obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/23/michael-chapman-obituary |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=TheGuardian.com}}</ref> He began playing with [[jazz]] bands, mainly in his home town of [[Leeds]], and became well known in the [[folk club]]s of the late 1960s, as well as on the [[Progressive rock|progressive]] music scene. Having celebrated fifty years as a professional musician in 2016, he continued to regularly tour the UK, Europe and US.


The significance of Chapman's work underwent several favourable reappraisals, particularly in the 1990s and 2010s.<ref name="graniad2">{{Cite web |last=Male |first=Andrew |date=2 February 2017 |title=Interview: "Michael Chapman: the man who connects Elton, Bowie, Nick Drake and Sonic Youth" |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/feb/02/michael-chapman-the-man-who-connects-elton-bowie-nick-drake-and-sonic-youth |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=TheGuardian.com}}</ref> [[Thurston Moore]], with whom Chapman collaborated, cited him as an inspiration in the formation of [[Sonic Youth]].
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.


==Biography==
== Biography ==
===Early life===
Chapman was born in [[Hunslet]], [[Leeds]], Yorkshire, England. He attended art college in Leeds and then worked as an art and photography teacher at [[Bolton College]], Lancashire. At the time he was playing mostly jazz guitar standards as he was heavily influenced by American jazz performers. Listening to other English guitar players such as [[Ralph McTell]], Chapman evolved his own distinctive style of playing incorporating jazz, folk & ragtime stylings.
Michael Chapman was born in [[Hunslet]], Leeds, [[Yorkshire]], the son of James Chapman, a steelworker, and Jane (nee Wheelan), who worked for a mail-order company. While at Cockburn grammar school he played in a skiffle group, before attending Leeds College of Art.<ref name="graniad1" /> A move to [[Bolton College]] followed, where he taught in the photography department. At this time, Chapman "started a relationship with one of his students, Andru Makin", who was to remain with him for the rest of his life. He played jazz guitar standards, and was heavily influenced by American performers. Listening to other English guitar players such as [[Ralph McTell]], Chapman evolved his own distinctive style of playing incorporating jazz, folk and ragtime stylings.


===Folk beginnings, Harvest and Decca===
He 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 (singer)|Roy Harper]]. His first album was ''Rainmaker'' in 1969. The producer was [[Gus Dudgeon]] who also produced records by [[Elton John]], [[David Bowie]], [[Steeleye Span]] and many others. ''Rainmaker'' was released on the EMI progressive label [[Harvest Records|Harvest]],<ref name="AMG" /> and Chapman played the folk and [[Progressive folk|progressive]] circuits during the festivals of the early 1970s, with [[Mick Ronson]], [[Rick Kemp]] and [[Keef Hartley]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}}
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 (singer)|Roy Harper]]. His first album was ''Rainmaker'' (1969), produced by [[Gus Dudgeon]], who also worked with [[Elton John]], [[David Bowie]] and [[Steeleye Span]], and released on the EMI progressive label [[Harvest Records|Harvest]].<ref name="AMG" />


While living in [[Kingston upon Hull]], Chapman recorded a further three albums for Harvest. ''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 contained his best-known track, "Postcards of Scarborough".<ref name="AMG"/> ''Window'' and ''Wrecked Again'' followed, the latter being Chapman's attempt at a [[Memphis soul|Memphis]] album. [[Brass instrument|Brass]] arrangements featured on biographical tracks like "Shuffleboat River Farewell" and the title track. After a tour of the United States with Rick Kemp, Chapman signed to [[Decca Records|Decca]]'s subsidiary, [[Deram Records|Deram]], recording an increasingly rockier set of albums.<ref name="AMG"/> Championed by [[Charles Shaar Murray]] and John Peel, he retained a high profile, a lively draw on the college circuit in the UK and across mainland Europe.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}
While living in [[Kingston upon Hull]], Chapman recorded a further three albums for Harvest. ''Fully Qualified Survivor'' (1970), again produced by Dudgeon and with lush strings arranged by [[Paul Buckmaster]], received much critical acclaim from the likes of [[BBC Radio 1]] DJ [[John Peel]], and contained his best-known track, "Postcards of Scarborough".<ref name="AMG" /> It "included some of his finest and most varied songs" and featured [[Mick Ronson]] on guitar, who collaborated with David Bowie immediately afterwards, with some critics noticing similarities in Bowie's [[Hunky Dory]] (1971).<ref name="graniad1" /><ref name="graniad2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Max |date=17 May 2022 |title=Mick Ronson: the Rise and Fall of Glam-Rock's Greatest Guitarist |url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/mick-ronson-the-rise-and-fall-of-glam-rocks-greatest-guitarist |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=GuitarPlayer.com}}</ref> [[Rick Kemp]] played bass and [[Barry Morgan (musician)|Barry Morgan]] was on drums and congas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Chapman - Fully Qualified Survivor |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1789005-Michael-Chapman-Fully-Qualified-Survivor |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=Discogs.com}}</ref> [[Keef Hartley]] was a frequent collaborator during this period.


''Window'' (also 1970) and ''Wrecked Again'' (1971) quickly followed, the latter having a [[Memphis soul|Memphis]] flavour and featuring brass arrangements on the title track and "Shuffleboat River Farewell". After a tour of the United States with Kemp, Chapman signed to [[Decca Records|Decca]]'s subsidiary, [[Deram Records|Deram]], recording an increasingly rockier set of albums.<ref name="AMG" /> Championed by [[Charles Shaar Murray]] and John Peel, he retained a high profile, a lively draw on the college circuit in the UK and across mainland Europe. The record producer [[Don Nix]] worked on the album ''Savage Amusement'', which included several songs from the past. Chapman and Kemp used the album's title for a band in the mid 1980s.<ref name="AMG" />
The record producer [[Don Nix]] worked on the album ''Savage Amusement'', which included several songs from the past. Chapman and Kemp used the album's title for a band in the mid 1980s.<ref name="AMG"/> 1977 saw the end of Chapman's Decca deal, and the beginning of an association with Criminal Records in 1978 and the two labels produced versions of ''The Man Who Hated Mornings''.<ref name="AMG"/> Chapman released a record of guitar instruction, and continued giving concerts and [[sound recording and reproduction|recording]] in a variety of styles and with varying formations.<ref name="AMG"/>


===Post-Decca independent releases===
Chapman then started a period of prolific recording activity, recording for numerous smaller record labels, and playing the folk and club circuits. 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.
Chapman's Decca deal ended with the release of ''The Man Who Hated Mornings'' (1977), which was almost immediately re-issued as part of his association with Criminal Records, in 1978.<ref name="AMG" /> He followed this with an LP of guitar instruction, and continued giving concerts and [[sound recording and reproduction|recording]] in a variety of styles, and with varying formations.<ref name="AMG" /> Chapman then started a period of prolific recording activity, recording for numerous smaller record labels, and playing the folk and club circuits. 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, and "for a while he supplemented his income by delivering cars".<ref name="graniad1" />


===Renaissance and reappraisals: 1990s onwards===
[[File:Michael Chapman by Zoran Velesinovic.jpg|thumb|upright|Chapman performing on 21 March 1980 in [[Belgrade]], [[Yugoslavia]] ([[Serbia]])]]
⚫
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). Chapman released albums about every two years, receiving praise but without great sales, ending with the 1997 release ''Dreaming Out Loud''.<ref name="AMG" /> Bands like [[Supergrass]] acknowledged Chapman's material and playing as a formative influence.
⚫
[[File:Michael Chapman - Ramblin Roots - Utrecht NL (cropped).jpg|thumb|Chapman during the Ramblin' Roots Festival 2017, [[TivoliVredenburg]], Netherlands]]
⚫
The new 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.


⚫
In February 2008, he hosted a charity dinner/auction where a limited edition ''Vanity and Pride'' was released featuring Ursa who added her own contribution to Chapman's music.
⚫
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). Chapman released albums about every two years, receiving praise but without great sales, ending with the 1997 release ''Dreaming Out Loud''.<ref name="AMG"/> Bands like [[Supergrass]] acknowledged Chapman's material and playing as a formative influence.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}


⚫
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 (musician)|William Tyler]], [[Hiss Golden Messenger]] and [[Sonic Youth]]'s [[Thurston Moore]].
⚫
The new 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.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}

⚫
In February 2008, he hosted a charity dinner/auction where a limited edition ''Vanity and Pride'' was released featuring Ursa{{Clarify|date=December 2010}} who added her own contribution to Chapman's music.

⚫
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]].


Chapman's back catalogue for [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] has been re-released by US based label [[Light in the Attic Records|Light in the Attic]] in both heavyweight vinyl and CD formats. He also recorded several instrumental albums for [[Tompkins Square Records]], including ''Fish'' in 2015.
Chapman's back catalogue for [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] has been re-released by US based label [[Light in the Attic Records|Light in the Attic]] in both heavyweight vinyl and CD formats. He also recorded several instrumental albums for [[Tompkins Square Records]], including ''Fish'' in 2015.


His website stated:
His website stated:
"I had an art college education and on a rainy night in 1966 I went into a pub in Cornwall, but I couldn't afford to pay to go in. So I said, I'll tell you what, I don't want to stay outside in the rain, I'll play guitar for half an hour for you. They offered me a job for the rest of the summer and I've been at it ever since."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://michaelchapman.co.uk/|title=Michael Chapman Homepage|website=Michaelchapman.co.uk|access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref>
"I had an art college education and on a rainy night in 1966 I went into a pub in [[Cornwall]], but I couldn't afford to pay to go in. So I said, I'll tell you what, I don't want to stay outside in the rain, I'll play guitar for half an hour for you. They offered me a job for the rest of the summer and I've been at it ever since."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://michaelchapman.co.uk/|title=Michael Chapman Homepage|website=Michaelchapman.co.uk|access-date=8 February 2019}}</ref>


===Personal life and death===
Chapman died on 10 September 2021, at the age of 80.<ref name="Stereo">{{cite web |last1=Helman |first1=Peter |title=Folk guitar great Michael Chapman dead at 80 |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2160379/folk-guitar-great-michael-chapman-dead-at-80/news/ |website=Stereogum.com |access-date=10 September 2021 |language=en |date=10 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Snapes|first1=Laura|title=Michael Chapman: British folk musician dies aged 80|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/11/michael-chapman-british-folk-musician-dies-aged-80|work=The Guardian|date=11 September 2021}}</ref>
Michael and Andru Chapman never married but entered a civil partnership in 2020, having lived "in a farm house in Northumbria, just south of Hadrian’s Wall" since the early 1970s.<ref name="graniad1" /><ref name="Craft" /> He died on 10 September 2021, at the age of 80.<ref name="Stereo">{{cite web |last1=Helman |first1=Peter |title=Folk guitar great Michael Chapman dead at 80 |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2160379/folk-guitar-great-michael-chapman-dead-at-80/news/ |website=Stereogum.com |access-date=10 September 2021 |language=en |date=10 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Snapes|first1=Laura|title=Michael Chapman: British folk musician dies aged 80|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/11/michael-chapman-british-folk-musician-dies-aged-80|work=The Guardian|date=11 September 2021}}</ref>


==Select Discography==
== Select discography ==
'''Albums'''
'''Albums'''
* ''Rainmaker'' (UK LP, [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] SHVL 755, Jul 1969), reissued (US LP, [[Light in the Attic Records]]<ref name=":0"/> LITA 079, 2012)
* ''Rainmaker'' (UK LP, [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] SHVL 755, Jul 1969), reissued (US LP, [[Light in the Attic Records]]<ref name=":0" /> LITA 079, 2012)
* ''Guitar Music'' (UK LP, Standard Music Library ESL.103, 1969)
* ''Guitar Music'' (UK LP, Standard Music Library ESL.103, 1969)
* ''Fully Qualified Survivor'' (UK LP, [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] SHVL 764, Mar 1970, [[UK Albums Chart|UK]] No. 45<ref>{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=David|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|year=2006|publisher=Guinness World Records|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|pages=100}}</ref>), reissued (US LP, [[Light in the Attic Records]]<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Fully Qualified Survivor Info Page|url=http://lightintheattic.net/releases/524-fully-qualified-survivor|website=Lightintheattic.net}}</ref> LITA 060, 2011)
* ''Fully Qualified Survivor'' (UK LP, [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] SHVL 764, Mar 1970, [[UK Albums Chart|UK]] No. 45<ref>{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=David|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|year=2006|publisher=Guinness World Records|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|pages=100}}</ref>), reissued (US LP, [[Light in the Attic Records]]<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Fully Qualified Survivor Info Page|url=http://lightintheattic.net/releases/524-fully-qualified-survivor|website=Lightintheattic.net}}</ref> LITA 060, 2011)
* ''Window'' (UK LP, [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] SHVL 786, Dec 1970), reissued (US LP, [[Light in the Attic Records]]<ref name=":0"/> LITA 124, 2015)
* ''Window'' (UK LP, [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] SHVL 786, Dec 1970), reissued (US LP, [[Light in the Attic Records]]<ref name=":0" /> LITA 124, 2015)
* ''Wrecked Again'' (UK LP, [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] SHVL 798, Nov 1971), reissued (US LP, [[Light in the Attic Records]]<ref name=":0"/> LITA 101, 2013)
* ''Wrecked Again'' (UK LP, [[Harvest Records|Harvest]] SHVL 798, Nov 1971), reissued (US LP, [[Light in the Attic Records]]<ref name=":0" /> LITA 101, 2013)
* ''Millstone Grit'' (UK LP, [[Deram Records|Deram]] SML 1105, 1973)
* ''Millstone Grit'' (UK LP, [[Deram Records|Deram]] SML 1105, 1973)
* ''Deal Gone Down'' (UK LP, [[Deram Records|Deram]] SML 1114, 1974)
* ''Deal Gone Down'' (UK LP, [[Deram Records|Deram]] SML 1114, July 1974)
* ''Pleasures of the Street'' (GER LP, recorded live at Onkel Po's Carnegie Hall, Hamburg, Nova 6.22321 AS, 1975)
* ''Pleasures of the Street'' (GER LP, recorded live at Onkel Po's Carnegie Hall, Hamburg, Nova 6.22321 AS, 1975)
* ''Savage Amusement'' (UK LP, [[Decca Records|Decca]] SKL-R 5242, 1976)
* ''Savage Amusement'' (UK LP, [[Decca Records|Decca]] SKL-R 5242, 1976)
* ''Michael Chapman Lived Here 1968-1972'' (UK compilation LP, Cube Records GNAT 1, 1977)
* ''Michael Chapman Lived Here 1968–1972'' (UK compilation LP, Cube Records GNAT 1, 1977)
* ''The Man Who Hated Mornings'' (UK LP, [[Decca Records|Decca]] SKL-R 5290, 1977), reissued (UK LP, Criminal Records STEAL 3, 1978)
* ''The Man Who Hated Mornings'' (UK LP, [[Decca Records|Decca]] SKL-R 5290, 1977), reissued (UK LP, Criminal Records STEAL 3, 1978)
* ''Play Guitar The Easy Way'' (UK LP, with instruction manual, Criminal Records STEAL 2, 1978)
* ''Play Guitar The Easy Way'' (UK LP, with instruction manual, Criminal Records STEAL 2, 1978)
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* ''Heartbeat'' (NL LP, Coda/New Age 832 223-1, 1987)
* ''Heartbeat'' (NL LP, Coda/New Age 832 223-1, 1987)
* ''Still Making Rain'' (1991/3) – Self Release 1991 / Making Waves 1993
* ''Still Making Rain'' (1991/3) – Self Release 1991 / Making Waves 1993
* ''Navigation'' (1995) – Planet Records
* ''Navigation'' (UK CD, Planet Records PLAN CD007, 1995)
* ''Dreaming Out Loud'' (1997) – [[Demon Records]]
* ''Dreaming Out Loud'' (1997) – [[Demon Records]]
* ''Michael Chapman Black And White'' (1998) – Rural Retreat Records
* ''Michael Chapman Black And White'' (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 1998)
* ''BBC Sessions 69–75'' (1998) [[Strange Fruit Records]]
* ''BBC Sessions 69–75'' (1998) [[Strange Fruit Records]]
* ''The Twisted Road'' (1999) – Mystic UK
* ''The Twisted Road'' (1999) – Mystic UK
* ''Growing Pains'' (UK CD, compilation of previously unreleased material recorded 1966-1980, [[Mooncrest Records]] CRESTCD 046, 2000)
* ''Growing Pains'' (UK CD, compilation of previously unreleased material recorded 1966–1980, [[Mooncrest Records]] CRESTCD 046, 2000)
* ''Growing Pains 2'' (2001) – [[Mooncrest Records]]
* ''Growing Pains 2'' (2001) – [[Mooncrest Records]]
* ''Americana'' (2001) – Apropos / reissued on Blueprint
* ''Americana'' (2001) – Apropos / reissued on Blueprint
* ''Live And Unhinged'' (2001) – Rural Retreat Records
* ''Live And Unhinged'' (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2001)
* ''Kule 2 B Blue with Alamo Leal'' (2001) – Rural Retreat Records
* ''Kule 2 B Blue with Alamo Leal'' (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2001)
* ''Americana 2'' (2002)
* ''Americana 2'' (UK CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2002)
* ''Dogs Got More Sense'' (2004) – [[Secret Records]]
* ''Dogs Got More Sense'' (2004) – [[Secret Records]]
* ''Journeyman Live DVD'' (2004) – [[Secret Records]]
* ''Journeyman Live DVD'' (2004) – [[Secret Records]]
* ''27 06 05 Live in Brighton'' (2005) – Rural Retreat Records
* ''27 06 05 Live in Brighton'' (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2005)
* ''Plaindealer'' (2005) – Rural Retreat Records
* ''Plaindealer'' (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2005)
* ''Lost'' (2005) – Rural Retreat Records
* ''Lost'' (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2005)
* ''Words Fail Me'' (2007)
* ''Words Fail Me'' (2007)
* ''Vanity and Pride'' (2008) – self release – [[limited edition]] – Michael Chapman and Ursa
* ''Vanity and Pride'' (2008) – self release – [[limited edition]] – Michael Chapman and Ursa
* ''Sweet Powder'' (2008) – Rural Retreat Records
* ''Sweet Powder'' (UK CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2008)
* ''Time Past & Time Passing'' (2008) – Electric Ragtime
* ''Time Past & Time Passing'' (2008) – Electric Ragtime
* ''And Then There Were Three Live in Nottingham 1977'' (2010) – [[Market Square Records]]
* ''And Then There Were Three Live in Nottingham 1977'' (2010) – [[Market Square Records]]
* ''Wrytree Drift'' (2010) – Rural Retreat Records
* ''Wrytree Drift'' (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2010)
* ''Trainsong: Guitar Compositions 1967–2010'' (CD, [[Tompkins Square Records]] TSQ 2530, 2011)
* ''Trainsong: Guitar Compositions 1967–2010'' (CD, [[Tompkins Square Records]] TSQ 2530, 2011)
* ''The Resurrection and Revenge of The Clayton Peacock'' (UK CD, Blastfirst Petite PTYT 068, Feb 2012)
* ''The Resurrection and Revenge of The Clayton Peacock'' (UK CD, Blastfirst Petite PTYT 068, Feb 2012)
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* ''Fish'' (LP, Tompkins Square Records TSQ 5203, Oct 2015)
* ''Fish'' (LP, Tompkins Square Records TSQ 5203, Oct 2015)
* ''50'' (US/UK LP, Paradise of Bachelors PoB-29, Jan 2017)
* ''50'' (US/UK LP, Paradise of Bachelors PoB-29, Jan 2017)
* ''EB=MC2'' (2017) (Ehud Banai & Michael Chapman) – Nana Disc
* ''EB=MC2'' (2017) (Michael Chapman & [[Ehud Banai]]) – Nana Disc
* ''[[True North (Michael Chapman album)|True North]]'' (US/UK LP, Paradise of Bachelors PoB-044, Feb 2019)
* ''[[True North (Michael Chapman album)|True North]]'' (US/UK LP, Paradise of Bachelors PoB-044, Feb 2019)
* ''Another Story'' (UK, Record Store Day Limited Edition compilation LP, Secret Records SECLP 210, Apr 2019)
* ''Another Story'' (UK, Record Store Day Limited Edition compilation LP, Secret Records SECLP 210, Apr 2019)
* ''Plaindealer + Twisted Road'' (2020) Double album – [[Mooncrest Records]]
* ''Plaindealer + Twisted Road'' (2020) Double album – [[Mooncrest Records]]
* ''Americana'' (LP, Secret Records CRESTLP 108, Apr 2020)
* ''Americana'' (LP, Secret Records CRESTLP 108, Apr 2020)
* ''Michael Chapman - Sweet Powder & Wrytree Drift'' Double CD (2020) [[Mooncrest Records]]
* ''Michael Chapman – Sweet Powder & Wrytree Drift'' Double CD (2020) [[Mooncrest Records]]
* ''Michael Chapman - The Decca Years 1974-77'' - 8 Panel Digipack (2021) [[Mooncrest Records]]
* ''Michael Chapman – The Decca Years 1974–77'' – 8 Panel Digipack (2021) [[Mooncrest Records]]


'''Singles'''
'''Singles'''
* "It Didn't Work Out" b/w "Mozart Lives Upstairs" (UK 7" Harvest HAR 5002, 1969)
* "It Didn't Work Out" [[b/w]] "Mozart Lives Upstairs" (UK 7" Harvest HAR 5002, 1969)
* "The Banjo Song" b/w "Dumplings" (UK 7" Deram DM 407, 1974)
* "The Banjo Song" b/w "Dumplings" (UK 7" Deram DM 407, 1974)
* "Lovin' Dove" b/w "Steel Bonnets" (UK 7" Decca FR 13658, 1976)
* "Lovin' Dove" b/w "Steel Bonnets" (UK 7" Decca FR 13658, 1976)
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* "That Time of Night" b/w Lucinda Williams, "That Time of Night" (UK Limited Edition 10" Tompkins Square Records 12653, Nov 2012)
* "That Time of Night" b/w Lucinda Williams, "That Time of Night" (UK Limited Edition 10" Tompkins Square Records 12653, Nov 2012)


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
== External links ==
* {{discogs artist|Michael Chapman (2)}}
* {{discogs artist|Michael Chapman (2)}}


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[[Category:English male guitarists]]
[[Category:English male guitarists]]
[[Category:English male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:English male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:English singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:People from Hunslet]]
[[Category:People from Hunslet]]
[[Category:Decca Records artists]]
[[Category:Decca Records artists]]

Latest revision as of 05:34, 2 September 2024

Michael Chapman
Background information
Born(1941-01-24)24 January 1941
Hunslet, Leeds, England
Died10 September 2021(2021-09-10) (aged 80)
GenresFolk, Folk rock, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, bass, banjo, piano, percussion
Years active1966–2021
LabelsMooncrest, Secret, Harvest, Deram, Criminal, Black Crow, Strange Fruit, Mooncrest, Demon, Rural Retreat, Secret, Market Square, Blast First Petite, Tompkins Square
PartnerAndru Chapman[1]
Websitemichaelchapman.co.uk

Michael Chapman (24 January 1941 – 10 September 2021)[2][3] was a British singer-songwriter and guitarist who released 58 albums, displaying a "fusion of jazz, rock, Indian and ragtime styles [that] made him a cult hero".[4] He began playing with jazz bands, mainly in his home town of Leeds, and became well known in the folk clubs of the late 1960s, as well as on the progressive music scene. Having celebrated fifty years as a professional musician in 2016, he continued to regularly tour the UK, Europe and US.

The significance of Chapman's work underwent several favourable reappraisals, particularly in the 1990s and 2010s.[5] Thurston Moore, with whom Chapman collaborated, cited him as an inspiration in the formation of Sonic Youth.

Biography

[edit]

Early life

[edit]

Michael Chapman was born in Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire, the son of James Chapman, a steelworker, and Jane (nee Wheelan), who worked for a mail-order company. While at Cockburn grammar school he played in a skiffle group, before attending Leeds College of Art.[4] A move to Bolton College followed, where he taught in the photography department. At this time, Chapman "started a relationship with one of his students, Andru Makin", who was to remain with him for the rest of his life. He played jazz guitar standards, and was heavily influenced by American performers. Listening to other English guitar players such as Ralph McTell, Chapman evolved his own distinctive style of playing incorporating jazz, folk and ragtime stylings.

Folk beginnings, Harvest and Decca

[edit]

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 (1969), produced by Gus Dudgeon, who also worked with Elton John, David Bowie and Steeleye Span, and released on the EMI progressive label Harvest.[2]

While living in Kingston upon Hull, Chapman recorded a further three albums for Harvest. Fully Qualified Survivor (1970), again produced by Dudgeon and with lush strings arranged by Paul Buckmaster, received much critical acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, and contained his best-known track, "Postcards of Scarborough".[2] It "included some of his finest and most varied songs" and featured Mick Ronson on guitar, who collaborated with David Bowie immediately afterwards, with some critics noticing similarities in Bowie's Hunky Dory (1971).[4][5][6] Rick Kemp played bass and Barry Morgan was on drums and congas.[7] Keef Hartley was a frequent collaborator during this period.

Window (also 1970) and Wrecked Again (1971) quickly followed, the latter having a Memphis flavour and featuring brass arrangements on the title track and "Shuffleboat River Farewell". After a tour of the United States with Kemp, Chapman signed to Decca's subsidiary, Deram, recording an increasingly rockier set of albums.[2] Championed by Charles Shaar Murray and John Peel, he retained a high profile, a lively draw on the college circuit in the UK and across mainland Europe. The record producer Don Nix worked on the album Savage Amusement, which included several songs from the past. Chapman and Kemp used the album's title for a band in the mid 1980s.[2]

Post-Decca independent releases

[edit]

Chapman's Decca deal ended with the release of The Man Who Hated Mornings (1977), which was almost immediately re-issued as part of his association with Criminal Records, in 1978.[2] He followed this with an LP of guitar instruction, and continued giving concerts and recording in a variety of styles, and with varying formations.[2] Chapman then started a period of prolific recording activity, recording for numerous smaller record labels, and playing the folk and club circuits. 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, and "for a while he supplemented his income by delivering cars".[4]

Renaissance and reappraisals: 1990s onwards

[edit]

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). Chapman released albums about every two years, receiving praise but without great sales, ending with the 1997 release Dreaming Out Loud.[2] Bands like Supergrass acknowledged Chapman's material and playing as a formative influence.

Chapman during the Ramblin' Roots Festival 2017, TivoliVredenburg, Netherlands

The new 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.

In February 2008, he hosted a charity dinner/auction where a limited edition Vanity and Pride was released featuring Ursa who added her own contribution to Chapman's music.

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.

Chapman's back catalogue for Harvest has been re-released by US based label Light in the Attic in both heavyweight vinyl and CD formats. He also recorded several instrumental albums for Tompkins Square Records, including Fish in 2015.

His website stated: "I had an art college education and on a rainy night in 1966 I went into a pub in Cornwall, but I couldn't afford to pay to go in. So I said, I'll tell you what, I don't want to stay outside in the rain, I'll play guitar for half an hour for you. They offered me a job for the rest of the summer and I've been at it ever since."[8]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Michael and Andru Chapman never married but entered a civil partnership in 2020, having lived "in a farm house in Northumbria, just south of Hadrian’s Wall" since the early 1970s.[4][1] He died on 10 September 2021, at the age of 80.[3][9]

Select discography

[edit]

Albums

  • Rainmaker (UK LP, Harvest SHVL 755, Jul 1969), reissued (US LP, Light in the Attic Records[10] LITA 079, 2012)
  • Guitar Music (UK LP, Standard Music Library ESL.103, 1969)
  • Fully Qualified Survivor (UK LP, Harvest SHVL 764, Mar 1970, UK No. 45[11]), reissued (US LP, Light in the Attic Records[10] LITA 060, 2011)
  • Window (UK LP, Harvest SHVL 786, Dec 1970), reissued (US LP, Light in the Attic Records[10] LITA 124, 2015)
  • Wrecked Again (UK LP, Harvest SHVL 798, Nov 1971), reissued (US LP, Light in the Attic Records[10] LITA 101, 2013)
  • Millstone Grit (UK LP, Deram SML 1105, 1973)
  • Deal Gone Down (UK LP, Deram SML 1114, July 1974)
  • Pleasures of the Street (GER LP, recorded live at Onkel Po's Carnegie Hall, Hamburg, Nova 6.22321 AS, 1975)
  • Savage Amusement (UK LP, Decca SKL-R 5242, 1976)
  • Michael Chapman Lived Here 1968–1972 (UK compilation LP, Cube Records GNAT 1, 1977)
  • The Man Who Hated Mornings (UK LP, Decca SKL-R 5290, 1977), reissued (UK LP, Criminal Records STEAL 3, 1978)
  • Play Guitar The Easy Way (UK LP, with instruction manual, Criminal Records STEAL 2, 1978)
  • Life on the Ceiling (UK LP, Criminal Records STEAL 5, 1979)
  • Looking For Eleven (UK LP, Criminal Records STEAL 9, 1980)
  • Almost Alone (UK LP, Black Crow Records CRO 202, 1981)
  • Guitar Solo (UK LP, April Music APR 1004, 1982)
  • Original Owners (BE LP, Michael Chapman and Rick Kemp, recorded live at Nettlefield Hall, London, Konexion Records KOMA 788003, 1983)
  • Heartbeat (NL LP, Coda/New Age 832 223-1, 1987)
  • Still Making Rain (1991/3) – Self Release 1991 / Making Waves 1993
  • Navigation (UK CD, Planet Records PLAN CD007, 1995)
  • Dreaming Out Loud (1997) – Demon Records
  • Michael Chapman Black And White (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 1998)
  • BBC Sessions 69–75 (1998) Strange Fruit Records
  • The Twisted Road (1999) – Mystic UK
  • Growing Pains (UK CD, compilation of previously unreleased material recorded 1966–1980, Mooncrest Records CRESTCD 046, 2000)
  • Growing Pains 2 (2001) – Mooncrest Records
  • Americana (2001) – Apropos / reissued on Blueprint
  • Live And Unhinged (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2001)
  • Kule 2 B Blue with Alamo Leal (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2001)
  • Americana 2 (UK CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2002)
  • Dogs Got More Sense (2004) – Secret Records
  • Journeyman Live DVD (2004) – Secret Records
  • 27 06 05 Live in Brighton (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2005)
  • Plaindealer (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2005)
  • Lost (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2005)
  • Words Fail Me (2007)
  • Vanity and Pride (2008) – self release – limited edition – Michael Chapman and Ursa
  • Sweet Powder (UK CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2008)
  • Time Past & Time Passing (2008) – Electric Ragtime
  • And Then There Were Three Live in Nottingham 1977 (2010) – Market Square Records
  • Wrytree Drift (CD, Rural Retreat Records, 2010)
  • Trainsong: Guitar Compositions 1967–2010 (CD, Tompkins Square Records TSQ 2530, 2011)
  • The Resurrection and Revenge of The Clayton Peacock (UK CD, Blastfirst Petite PTYT 068, Feb 2012)
  • Pachyderm (LP, Blastfirst Petite PTYT 070LP, 2013)
  • The Polar Bear (LP, Blastfirst Petite PTYT 078LP, Nov 2014)
  • Live At Folk Cottage, Cornwall 1967 (UK DLP, TreeHouse44 TH44LP0201, 2014)
  • Fish (LP, Tompkins Square Records TSQ 5203, Oct 2015)
  • 50 (US/UK LP, Paradise of Bachelors PoB-29, Jan 2017)
  • EB=MC2 (2017) (Michael Chapman & Ehud Banai) – Nana Disc
  • True North (US/UK LP, Paradise of Bachelors PoB-044, Feb 2019)
  • Another Story (UK, Record Store Day Limited Edition compilation LP, Secret Records SECLP 210, Apr 2019)
  • Plaindealer + Twisted Road (2020) Double album – Mooncrest Records
  • Americana (LP, Secret Records CRESTLP 108, Apr 2020)
  • Michael Chapman – Sweet Powder & Wrytree Drift Double CD (2020) Mooncrest Records
  • Michael Chapman – The Decca Years 1974–77 – 8 Panel Digipack (2021) Mooncrest Records

Singles

  • "It Didn't Work Out" b/w "Mozart Lives Upstairs" (UK 7" Harvest HAR 5002, 1969)
  • "The Banjo Song" b/w "Dumplings" (UK 7" Deram DM 407, 1974)
  • "Lovin' Dove" b/w "Steel Bonnets" (UK 7" Decca FR 13658, 1976)
  • "While Dancing the Pride of Erin" b/w "The Man Who Hated Mornings" (UK 7" Criminal Records SWAG 1, 1978)
  • "Blue Season" b/w "Theme from the Movie of the Same Name" (UK 7" Criminal Records SWAG 6, 1979)
  • "Lescudjack" b/w "Wrecked Again" and "Deal Gone Down" (recorded live in Hamburg) (UK 12" Criminal Records D SWAG 7, 1979)
  • "East Coast" b/w "White Night Starlight" (UK 7" Criminal Records SWAG 13, 1980)
  • "That Time of Night" b/w Lucinda Williams, "That Time of Night" (UK Limited Edition 10" Tompkins Square Records 12653, Nov 2012)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Andru Chapman – Knitwear Designer". Craft in Focus. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h McDonald, Steven. "Biography by Steven McDonald". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 January 2009.
  3. ^ a b Helman, Peter (10 September 2021). "Folk guitar great Michael Chapman dead at 80". Stereogum.com. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e Deneslow, Robin (23 September 2021). "Michael Chapman obituary". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b Male, Andrew (2 February 2017). "Interview: "Michael Chapman: the man who connects Elton, Bowie, Nick Drake and Sonic Youth"". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  6. ^ Bell, Max (17 May 2022). "Mick Ronson: the Rise and Fall of Glam-Rock's Greatest Guitarist". GuitarPlayer.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Michael Chapman - Fully Qualified Survivor". Discogs.com. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Michael Chapman Homepage". Michaelchapman.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  9. ^ Snapes, Laura (11 September 2021). "Michael Chapman: British folk musician dies aged 80". The Guardian.
  10. ^ a b c d "Fully Qualified Survivor Info Page". Lightintheattic.net.
  11. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records. p. 100. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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