Chappo

Interview with Roger Chapman - March 1979

Thanks to Trevor Gardiner for the following interview transcript. While at Oxford University Trevor got to interview Roger on behalf of Sennet Magazine (Oxford Studio Union). This was around the time of the release of Rogers' first solo album, Chappo, and was held at the offices of the Acrobat record label.............

TG: How did the album (Chappo) come about?

RC: It was just the natural thing to do; like I was pissed off with groups, I mean the whole group thing. I’ve wanted to do an album of me own for about 3 or 4 years, but never really had the time when I was involved with bands.

TG: What’s the difference between working with a band and making a solo album then?

RC: Well, it’s the easiest thing I’ve done in me fuckin’ life. I mean with a band, well, the sort of bands we had, everybody would make suggestions and we’d end up with a compromise, but for me on this one I didn’t have to ask anyone really – I picked the musos I wanted because I respect the way they play and I just told them how I wanted it. It was just so easy, I mean we recorded the album in a week, like the 3 month job in the group sense, and there’s NO way I ever want to do that again.

TG: Is that the main reason Streetwalkers split then, because you were fed up with the group thing?

RC: No, no, it was a financial thing, a management thing. (pause) I mean at one point we were really steamin’ as a band, then we got all these bummers and your morale goes down and you start getting pissed off with each other.

TG: You and Charlie had been together for quite a while.

RC: Yea, about 12 or 13 years.

TG: Is the split permanent?

RC: Oh Yea.

TG: Was it a personal thing?

RC: Oh no, we’re still great friends, it’s just that he wanted to get into production and I wanted to do something like this. I mean I’m not into production, it fuckin’ bores the arse off me.

TG: This tour is quite a small one in fact, mostly colleges, do you like student audiences particularly?

RC: Oh, I do like those gigs, I mean everybody’s around you and I do like the college sort of live thing.

TG: Have you been aware of the change rock has gone through in the last few years?

RC: Of course I see it, but I don’t take a lot of fuckin’ notice. I mean, if I did, I’d be worried and I ain’t worried.

TG: Why would you be worried and why aren’t you worried?

RC: Well it seems that the business went through that thing, you know “Oh it gave the industry a kick up the arse”, I can see that in a way, it frightened a few people and a lot of record companies lost a few bob, which is quite good news (laughs). If we’re talkin’ about competition, I don’t see anything I’ve got to compete with!

TG: What happened after the Streetwalkers split?

RC: Well. It wasn’t a good time. I mean a lot of people I talked to about a deal started TELLING ME what to sing, you know, sort of fat American blokes lolling around in offices and so on. No way am I into that!

TG: What kind of stuff did you play in the Farinas and so on?

RC: Blues, rhythm & blues, Ray Charles to Otis Redding, your ‘Knock on Woods’ like, right from the Presley era, then Charles was the next big thing and then you move into blues and then it’s the soul variations and that stuff.

TG: What do you think when you hear Dolls House nowadays?

RC: I never listen to it.

TG: Never?

RC: No, never.

TG: Is the new band a permanent affair?

RC: It’s only an album/tour band, that’s how it’s gonna be. We’ll do this tour and then do what we want. I don't want to get into that band thing again, you know when you ‘phone up and ask “what’s the band doing today?”, I just don't want to get tied down like that.

TG: For such a band as Family, really at their best live, how come there wasn’t a proper live album?

RC: We could never really bridge that gap between stage and studio. I really wanted to tie up a proper live thing, bu, well I’m trying to get a live studio sound with this album to try and stop that happening.

TG: When Family went under you carried numbers over to Streetwalkers. Are you going to do that now or is it a clean split from what’s gone before?

RC: Oh yea! I’ve got some things I’m gonna do, but I aint tellin’ you! (laughter) There’s some stuff from both bands, stuff I think is good participation with the audience and numbers that I like to do myself as well. I mean, stuff I think I want to please myself, but I still want to please the audience.

TG: At the end of Family you had a record label, Raft, what happened to that?

RC: Well, Warners just ‘phoned up one day and said “The Raft label is closed”. Just like that, as simple and as cold as that, Charlie and I had an album ready for release, so did Kilburn & the Highroads and Beckett. They just knocked it on the head.

TG: They’ve released that Kilburn album now haven’t they?

RC: Oh they would, the shitbags.

TG: How do you feel about your stage image?

RC: It’s a bit like rampant fuckin’ rage. I mean if I’m really happy and the band’s steamin’ then I really get goin’. It's fortunate in a way, like I can go out and be a vandal for an hour (laughs) and no-one says anything or rather, they don’t fuckin' dare! (laughter)

TG: Is there a single from the album?

RC: They’ve already done it I think, I’ve seen some white labels about.

TG: Thanks for your time and good luck with the album and tour.

RC: Yea, thanks and see ya around.

I then asked RC for a quote and got this one:-


“I think if there was anyone who had any doubts about me, they must have been

fuckin’ stupid! I think I’ve got everything going, like I’m that confident in

me-self. If you want rock ‘n’ roll, then I’m rock ‘n’ roll and that’s it!”




Trevor Gardiner