Every month we get inside the mind of one of the biggest names in music. This issue it’s Roger Chapman. The former rock’n’roller joined Leicester band The Farinas in ’66, just before they became Family and entered the UK Top 40 with their debut album, Music In A Doll’s House. The distinctive vocalist was their main songwriter, co-writing the hit singles In My Own Time and Burlesque, and stayed with the band until their disintegration in ‘73. Post-Family, Chapman co-founded Streetwalkers, released his first solo album, Chappo, in 1979 and even sang on a Mike Oldfield tune. In 2013, he took part in a brief Family reunion and now, a decade later, he returns with a new solo album, Life In The Pond. He looks back on his career so far and reveals his thoughts on those reunion shows and what it was really like working with the musician behind Tubular Bells.

Words: Mike Barnes

Asa teenager Roger Chapman would take the mic “for a laugh” when the dance band at his local palais ran through some of the rock’n’roll hits of the day. He tried to emulate the likes of Little Richard, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry, but he never dreamt that he would become a singer, let alone one of the most original vocalists of his generation. Chapman sang with bands on the Leicester gig circuit, including the Rocking Rs and The Exciters, then in 1966 he joined rhythm and blues band The Farinas who soon became Family. Over the next seven years Family developed through the psychedelia of their debut Music In A Doll’s House (1968) into one of the most imaginative and respected groups of 70s progressive rock era. Their wide stylistic remit encompassed rock, folk, blues, jazz and eastern influences. They went on to release another six albums, and their singles the Strange Band EP (1970), In My Own Time (1971) and Burlesque (1972) all entered the UK Top 20.

Chapman’s latest, Life In The Pond.

PRESS/GRAHAM TROTT

When Family split in 1973 Chapman and guitarist John ‘Charlie’ Whitney continued, initially as a duo, and took a rockier route on their 1974 album Chapman-Whitney Streetwalkers. The line-up morphed into the five-piece Streetwalkers, who toured extensively in the US and UK with The Who, 10cc and Wings, but didn’t achieve the success that their albums had promised and they split in 1977.

Chapman recorded a debut solo album Chappo in 1979 and has since been a popular live draw on mainland Europe, particularly in Germany, with his backing group The Shortlist. His most high-profile guest spot was singing Shadow On The Wall on Mike Oldfield’s 1983 album Crises, which was also released as a single. Family reformed in 2013 and played concerts and festivals on and off until 2016.

Chapman had been gigging regularly before the pandemic and in 2021, at the age of 79, he released the acclaimed Life In The Pond, his first solo studio album since One More Time For Peace in 2007, which was expanded and reissued as Peaceology seven years later, and the 2009 compilation Hide Go Seek.