Streetwalkers
Encyclopedia
Streetwalkers were an English
rock
band
formed in late 1973 by two former members of Family
, vocalist Roger Chapman
and guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney. They were a five piece band which evolved from Chapman and Whitney's previous touring band Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers.
The band was managed by Michael Alphandary and Harvey Goldsmith
and were best known for their live performances and their album Red Card (1976). By 1977 their potential to become more important in UK rock
history was diminished by changing musical taste, due to the growing influence of Punk rock
and New Wave music
on Europe
an culture. The band had success in USA and Europe
, particularly Germany
.
label in 1973 and recorded Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers
(1974) with a lineup including other members of Family
and King Crimson
, known as Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers. When writing about the album, Patrick Little of Allmusic commented: During this period keyboard player Blue Weaver
appeared with them at concerts, such as the Reading Festival in the summer of 1974. Bobby Tench
from The Jeff Beck Group
and Hummingbird was also featured in their fluid, informal touring band line up and appeared at concerts such as in Hyde Park, London
, the same year
After recording the album Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers, Chapman and Whitney changed the official name of their band to Streetwalkers and Tench joined them as a band member when they signed to Phonogram Records
, in 1975. Their line-up was completed by, drummer Nicko McBrain
who was soon to join Iron Maiden
and bassist John Plotel. Tench, McBain and Plotel had previously appeared on a European broadcast for the German TV show Rockpalast
with Chapman and Whitney earlier the same year, billed as The Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers. Downtown Flyers (1975) was released in both USA and Europe but did not achieve the anticipated success in USA, although interest in Europe was more encouraging. Their next album, the groove heavy album Red Card (1976) reached #16 in UK album charts and remains a much respected album. The band performed at a series of concerts entitled Who Put The Boot In appearing at UK Football stadiums, during May and June 1976. The billing for these concerts included The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Little Feat
, Outlaws, Widowmaker
and Streetwalkers were the last act to appear before The Who
performed.
On 12 June 1976 they made their first appearance for John Peel
on his "Peel Sessions" recorded by BBC
radio, with the line-up of Chapman, Whitney, Tench, Plotel and McBrain and were featured by Peel once more as a "Peel session", on March 14, 1977. On 19 April the same year, they made their final appearance on Rockpalast
, with a line-up which included Chapman, Whitney, Tench, keyboardist Brian Johnstone, bassist Mickey Feat and drummer David Dowle who later joined Whitesnake
.
By the time Vicious But Fair (1977) was released, Vertigo
had shifted their commercial emphasis to the musical trends of Punk rock
and New Wave music
. The euphoria surrounding the band began to diminish and the potential of becoming more established in Europe evaporated. Streetwalkers Live (1977) was their final album and included a rough and ready compilation of poorly recorded tracks, probably released to comply with contractual obligations. In his review of this album for Allmusic, John Dougan mentions the poor quality of the recording and states that: "Chapman tears off a few soulful moments and it can rock". By now the band had broken up and Tench moved on to work with Van Morrisson, along with Feat.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in late 1973 by two former members of Family
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
, vocalist Roger Chapman
Roger Chapman
Roger Chapman , also known as Roger "Chappo" Chapman and Chappo, is an English rock vocalist. He is best known as a member of the Progressive rock band Family, which he joined along with Charlie Whitney, in 1967 and also the rock, R&B band Streetwalkers formed in 1974...
and guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney. They were a five piece band which evolved from Chapman and Whitney's previous touring band Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers.
The band was managed by Michael Alphandary and Harvey Goldsmith
Harvey Goldsmith
Harvey Goldsmith CBE is a British performing arts promoter. He is best known as promoter of rock concerts, charity concerts, television broadcasts for the Prince's Trust and more recently the Teenage Cancer Trust shows at the Royal Albert Hall.During early 2007 he appeared on the Channel 4...
and were best known for their live performances and their album Red Card (1976). By 1977 their potential to become more important in UK rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
history was diminished by changing musical taste, due to the growing influence of Punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and New Wave music
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
on Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an culture. The band had success in USA and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, particularly Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
History
Chapman and Whitney signed to the RepriseReprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
label in 1973 and recorded Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers
Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers
-Personnel:*Roger Chapman—Vocals, Percussion*John Wetton, Rick Grech—Bass*Godfrey MacLean—Congas*Ian Wallace, Michael Giles — Drums*Charlie Whitney, Neil Hubbard — Guitar*Max Middleton, Tim Hinkley — Keyboards...
(1974) with a lineup including other members of Family
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
and King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, known as Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers. When writing about the album, Patrick Little of Allmusic commented: During this period keyboard player Blue Weaver
Blue Weaver
Blue Weaver is a British keyboard player, session musician, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
appeared with them at concerts, such as the Reading Festival in the summer of 1974. Bobby Tench
Bobby Tench
Robert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
from The Jeff Beck Group
The Jeff Beck Group
The Jeff Beck Group were an English rock band formed in London in January 1967 by former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck. Their innovative approach to heavy sounding blues and R&B was a major influence on popular music.- The first Jeff Beck Group :...
and Hummingbird was also featured in their fluid, informal touring band line up and appeared at concerts such as in Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park, London
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, the same year
After recording the album Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers, Chapman and Whitney changed the official name of their band to Streetwalkers and Tench joined them as a band member when they signed to Phonogram Records
Phonogram Records
Phonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
, in 1975. Their line-up was completed by, drummer Nicko McBrain
Nicko McBrain
Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain is an English musician, best known as the drummer for Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982, prior to which he had played for Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust.-Biography:...
who was soon to join Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
and bassist John Plotel. Tench, McBain and Plotel had previously appeared on a European broadcast for the German TV show Rockpalast
Rockpalast
Rockpalast is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk . Rockpalast started in 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock and jazz bands have performed on Rockpalast...
with Chapman and Whitney earlier the same year, billed as The Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers. Downtown Flyers (1975) was released in both USA and Europe but did not achieve the anticipated success in USA, although interest in Europe was more encouraging. Their next album, the groove heavy album Red Card (1976) reached #16 in UK album charts and remains a much respected album. The band performed at a series of concerts entitled Who Put The Boot In appearing at UK Football stadiums, during May and June 1976. The billing for these concerts included The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
, Outlaws, Widowmaker
Widowmaker (band)
Widowmaker were a British hard rock group, who were active from 1975 to 1977. They were considered by many to be a supergroup and released two albums. Although their influences appeared to offer vast creative possibilities, musical and personality differences lead to their break-up...
and Streetwalkers were the last act to appear before The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
performed.
On 12 June 1976 they made their first appearance for John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
on his "Peel Sessions" recorded by BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio, with the line-up of Chapman, Whitney, Tench, Plotel and McBrain and were featured by Peel once more as a "Peel session", on March 14, 1977. On 19 April the same year, they made their final appearance on Rockpalast
Rockpalast
Rockpalast is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk . Rockpalast started in 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock and jazz bands have performed on Rockpalast...
, with a line-up which included Chapman, Whitney, Tench, keyboardist Brian Johnstone, bassist Mickey Feat and drummer David Dowle who later joined Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
.
By the time Vicious But Fair (1977) was released, Vertigo
Vertigo Records
Vertigo Records today is a UK-based record label operated by Universal Music UK.-History:Vertigo Records was the name Philips Records chose in the late 1960s for its record sub-label to counter the progressive labels of its rivals EMI with Harvest Records and Decca Records with Deram...
had shifted their commercial emphasis to the musical trends of Punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and New Wave music
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
. The euphoria surrounding the band began to diminish and the potential of becoming more established in Europe evaporated. Streetwalkers Live (1977) was their final album and included a rough and ready compilation of poorly recorded tracks, probably released to comply with contractual obligations. In his review of this album for Allmusic, John Dougan mentions the poor quality of the recording and states that: "Chapman tears off a few soulful moments and it can rock". By now the band had broken up and Tench moved on to work with Van Morrisson, along with Feat.
Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers musicians 1973-1974
- Roger ChapmanRoger ChapmanRoger Chapman , also known as Roger "Chappo" Chapman and Chappo, is an English rock vocalist. He is best known as a member of the Progressive rock band Family, which he joined along with Charlie Whitney, in 1967 and also the rock, R&B band Streetwalkers formed in 1974...
- harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
and vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Charlie Whitney- guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use... - Bobby TenchBobby TenchRobert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
- guitar, vocals, percussion, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Max MiddletonMax MiddletonDavid Maxwell "Max" Middleton . He is an English composer and keyboardist and was originally a docker on the Liverpool docks. Middleton is known for his work on the Fender Rhodes Electric piano, the Minimoog synthesiser and his percussive playing style of the Hohner Clavinet...
- keyboards - Michael GilesMichael GilesMichael Giles is an English drummer, best known as a co-founder of King Crimson in 1969...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Ian WallaceIan Wallace (drummer)Ian Russell Wallace was a rock and jazz drummer, most visible as a member of progressive rock band, King Crimson from 1971 to 1972; but known best in the musical community with his contributions as a session musician on his drum kit.-Early years:Wallace formed his first band, The Jaguars, at...
- drums - Ric Grech - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- John WettonJohn WettonJohn Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
- bass and vocals - Blue WeaverBlue WeaverBlue Weaver is a British keyboard player, session musician, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
- keyboards - Tim HinkleyTim HinkleyTim Hinkley is an English singer-songwriter, keyboardist and record producer. Hinkley started playing in youth club bands in the early 1960s, including The Copains, Boys, Freeman Five. During this time he turned down an offer to join The Konrads which featured Davy Jones, who later changed his...
- keyboards and vocals - Neil HubbardNeil HubbardNeil Hubbard is a British guitarist who performed with Juicy Lucy , The Grease Band, Bluesology, Joe Cocker, Roxy Music, Kokomo, B.B. King, Kevin Rowland, and Tony O'Malley; and played on the original 1970 concept album, Jesus Christ Superstar....
- guitar - Bobby TenchBobby TenchRobert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
- guitar and vocals - Boz BurrellBoz BurrellRaymond "Boz" Burrell was an English musician. Originally a vocalist, Burrell is best known for his bass playing and work with the rock bands King Crimson and Bad Company.-Career:...
- vocals - Jim CreganJim CreganJim Cregan, born James Cregan, 9 March 1946, Yeovil, Somerset, England is an English rock guitarist and bassist who best known for his associations with Family, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel and Rod Stewart. Cregan is a former husband of the singer Linda Lewis and worked with her as a record producer...
- vocals - Linda LewisLinda LewisLinda Lewis is an English vocalist, songwriter and Guitarist. Lewis is the oldest of six children two of whom also had singing careers...
- background vocals - Godfrey McLean - percussion
- Poli Palmer - vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
and background vocals
Streetwalkers musicians 1975-1977
- Roger ChapmanRoger ChapmanRoger Chapman , also known as Roger "Chappo" Chapman and Chappo, is an English rock vocalist. He is best known as a member of the Progressive rock band Family, which he joined along with Charlie Whitney, in 1967 and also the rock, R&B band Streetwalkers formed in 1974...
- harmonica, percussion and vocals - Charlie Whitney - guitar, keyboards, slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
- Bobby TenchBobby TenchRobert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
- guitar, vocals, percussion, keyboards - Jon Plotel - bass and background vocals
- Micky Feate - bass
- Nicko McBrainNicko McBrainMichael Henry "Nicko" McBrain is an English musician, best known as the drummer for Iron Maiden, which he joined in 1982, prior to which he had played for Streetwalkers, Pat Travers, and the French political band, Trust.-Biography:...
- percussion and drums - David Dowle - drums
- Brian Johnstone - keyboards
Albums
- Chapman Whitney StreetwalkersChapman Whitney Streetwalkers-Personnel:*Roger Chapman—Vocals, Percussion*John Wetton, Rick Grech—Bass*Godfrey MacLean—Congas*Ian Wallace, Michael Giles — Drums*Charlie Whitney, Neil Hubbard — Guitar*Max Middleton, Tim Hinkley — Keyboards...
Reprise K 54017UK/Mercury USA (1974)< - Downtown Flyers Vertigo 6360 123 (1975)
- Red CardRed Card (Streetwalkers discography)- Personnel :*Roger Chapman -Harmonica, Percussion and Vocals*Charlie Whitney - Guitar, Keyboards, Slide Guitar*Bob Tench, courtesy of A&M - Guitar, Vocals, Percussion, Keyboards,*Nicko McBrain -Percussion and Drums*Jon Plotel - Bass, Background Vocals...
Vertigo 9102 010 UK/Mercury USA (1976). Reached #16 in UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
album chart - In Concert BBC (1975)
- Vicious But Fair Vertigo 9102 012UK/Mercury USA (1977)
- Live Streetwakers Vertigo 6641 703 (1977)
- Best of Streetwalkers Vertigo 846 661 2(1991)
Re-issues
- Red Card Repertoire REP 4147-WP CD (2002)
- Downtown Flyers BGO (2002)<
- Vicious but Fair See for Miles SEECD 352(1994)
- Live at the BBC Windsong 61 (1994)
- Streetwalkers Live BGO (2004)
Singles
- "Roxianna"/"Crack" Reprise K14357 (1974) taken from Chapman-Whitney Streetwalkers album
- "Raingame"/"Miller" Vertigo 6059 130 (1975) taken from Downtown Flyers album
- "Daddy Rolling Stone"/"Hole In Your Pocket" Vertigo 6059 144 (1976) taken from Red CardRed cardRed card may refer to:* A penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction* A suit of hearts or diamonds* Red Card , 1976 release by Streetwalkers* RedCard 20-03, 2002 extreme football video game...
album - "Chilli Con Carne"/ "But You're Beautiful" Vertigo Europe from Vicious but Fair album
External links
- Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers and Streetwalkers at Rockpalast WDR Studio-L Köln 1975 and 1977
- [ Streetwalkers] discography at Allmusic
- Streetwalkers Crawfish. Live at Rockpalast March 25, 1975 at NME.com