English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born: 24 January 1941, Leeds, Yorkshire, England - died: 10 September 2021, Brampton, England).
A self-taught musician from an industrial southern suburb of Leeds, Chapman paid his way through art college playing in skiffle bands, strip clubs and jazz trios, plus a brief stint roadying for John Cage (“He did a recital at Leeds Art Gallery. I took him to the market to buy fish to put in his piano”). He later packed up his teaching job at Bolton College of Art, becoming a big name on the Cornwall acoustic scene. As the tale goes, one rainy night in the late 1960s he went to a pub in Cornwall, but didn’t have the money to enter. “So I said, ‘I’ll tell you what, I don’t want to stand outside in the rain; I’ll play guitar for half an hour for you,’” he once wrote. “They offered me a job for the rest of the summer and I’ve been at it ever since.”
He first appeared on the London and Cornwall folk music circuits in 1967, alongside John Martyn and Roy Harper. He recorded his debut album in 1969 for the Harvest label which released 3 subsequent albums. After the release of Wrecked Again (1971), Chapman parted with Harvest, choosing to sign to Harvest’s subsidiary Harvest, where he began adding electric guitar and harder rhythms to his work. Several albums were released on Harvest during the early to mid 1970s including Savage Amusement (1976) produced by Memphis legend Don Nix.
The 1980s was a quieter time for Chapman. He continued to record for numerous smaller record labels, and played on the folk and club circuits. The late 1990s onwards represented a period of rebirth for Chapman. He enjoyed critical acclaim for his albums and attracted the praise of performers like Thurston Moore and Supergrass. The 2000s saw Chapman exploring his guitar player roots and releasing instrumental albums alongside his song based sets. He toured the United States in 2011. 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. In a post to Instagram announcing the news, no cause of death was given, but it was stated that Chapman died at home (Wrytree, the old stone farmhouse on the windswept patch of the Pennines not far from Hadrian’s Wall near Brampton). “Please raise a glass or two to a gentleman, a musician, a husband, a force of nature, a legend and the most fully qualified survivor,” his family wrote.
2024
MIG
CD, Album
2024
2022
Tompkins Square
7xFile, FLAC, Album
2022
Mooncrest Records
CD, Album + DVD, NTSC
2021
Mooncrest
3xCD, Comp
2020
Mooncrest
2xCD, Album + Comp
2020
Mooncrest
LP, Comp
2020
Mooncrest
2xCD, Comp
2020
2020
2019
Secret Records (8)
LP, RSD, Comp, 180
2019
2018
2017
Nana Disc
CD, Album
2017
2016
Vin Du Select Qualitite, Thin Wrist Recordings
LP, Album
2015
Repertoire Records
DVD-V, Multichannel, NTSC, Dol + CD, Comp
2015
2015
2015
2014
2014
2012
Tompkins Square
10", Mono, Ltd
2012
2012
2011
Tompkins Square
2xCD, Album
2011
Market Square
CD
2011
Rural Retreat Records
CD, Album
2011
2010
2010
2008
Electric Ragtime
CD, Album
2008
Rural Retreat Records
CD, Album
2007
Voiceprint
CD, Comp
2007
Rural Retreat Records
CD, Album
2006
Rural Retreat Records
2xCD
2006
Rural Retreat Records
CD, Album
2006
2005
Rural Retreat Records
2xCD
2005
2004
BGO Records
2xCD, Comp, RE, RM
2004
Castle Music
2xCD, Comp
2004
2004
2003
Secret Films
DVD-V, Copy Prot., PAL
2002
Rural Retreat Records
CD, Album
2001
Mooncrest
CD, Album
2001
Rural Retreat Records
CDr, Album
2000
Mooncrest, Mooncrest
CD, Album
2000
Siren Music Ltd
CD, Album
1999
Mystic Records (3)
CD
1998
1997
Demon Records
CD, Album
1995
1992
1988
1987
Homemade Records (10)
Cass, Album
1987
1984
1983
Allied Music Co
7", Single, Ltd
1982
April Music
LP, Album
1981
1980
Criminal Records (6)
7", Single
1980
1979
Intercord, Criminal Records (6)
7", Single
1979
1979
1979
1978
Criminal Records (6)
7", Single
1978
1977
1976
1976
1976
1975
1974
1974
1973
1972
Harvest, Harvest
7", Single
1972
1971
Harvest
7", Maxi, Comp, Promo
1971
1971
1970
Philips
7", Single, Promo
1970
1970
1969
1969
1969
Standard Music Library
LP, Album
Intercord
LP, Comp
Homemade Records (10)
CDr, Album
Not On Label
Cass, Album
Pacific Arts
12", Single, Promo, W/Lbl
2018
2012
Tompkins Square
5xCD, Comp + CD, Album, Bon + Box, Comp, Ltd
2008
Tompkins Square
3xCD, Comp + Box, Comp
2006
EMI, EMI
2xCD, Comp
2006
2005
Woodcraft Productions
CD, Album
Michael Chapman
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