This arrived in the post today.
Buzzing with the enjoyment of hearing Streetwalkers live on the two 1977 recordings I referred to in my last post, I also decided to order this 2 CD + DVD package of the guys performing live on the German music TV show - Rockpalast.
The band featured on the programme twice, first on 25 March 1975 when they were still being billed as Chapman-Whitney Streetwalkers and then two years later on 19 April 1977. Both sets are included in this package not only as audio CD's but also as a DVD.
The 1975 lineup consisted of Roger Chapman vocals, harmonica and tambourine bashing, Charlie Whitney and Bob Tench on guitars Jonathan Plotel on bass and Nicko McBrain on drums. By 1977 Chapman, Whitney and Tench were joined by Michael Feat on bass, David Dowle on drums and Brian Johnstone on keyboards.
The 1977 set is of particular interest as, ignoring Chappo's dodgy T-shirt, the band were playing pretty much the same set as they had on the Rainbow and De Montfort Hall gigs I referred to in my last post. There were after all, only two months separating these gigs. Also, for some reason the band did two takes of 'Toenail Draggin'', 'Mama Was Mad' and 'Me an' Me Horse an' Me Rum' although the first take of the latter song is omitted from the CD. As to why two takes were recorded remains a mystery as neither Chapman or Tench can recall the reason. The best suggestion is that such recorded TV shows tended to be beset by "technical problems".
Anyway we are treated here to 20 audio tracks and 21 video tracks, so there is plenty of fine music to enjoy including Chappo 'inventing' rap music during 'Toenail Draggin''. Two years later, Roger Chapman would be back at Rockpalast, but with The Shortlist. That however, is another story and probably for another time.
As the late, great John Peel once said of Family and equally applicable to Streetwalkers, - "a fine band"
I have previously spoken of my love for Family, the rock band that existed between 1966 and 1973. Following their demise, the two main songwriters, singer Roger Chapman and guitarist John 'Charlie' Whitney continued working together and enlisting a group of musicians, as Chapman-Whitney they released an album in 1974 entitled 'Streetwalkers'.
Thereafter the band became known as Streetwalkers and between 1975 and 1977 they released a further three studio albums, 'Downtown Flyers', 'Red Card' and 'Vicious But Fair'. Probably to comply with contractual obligations in 1977 they also released a live album which unfortunately was poorly recorded and did not capture the band at their best, despite the fact that they had a deserved reputation as an awesome live act.
One such gig which saw the band at their best, took place at London's Rainbow on 25th February 1977. The following night they were back on Chapman & Whitney's home turf at the De Montfort Hall in Leicester. Both sets were recorded but nothing happened. The band broke up and the tapes appeared to have been lost.
That is until, if the story is to be believed, the tapes were recovered from a landfill site!
Last year, Mystic Records obtained the tapes and restored them to their former glory, subsequently releasing them as two separate albums, 'Streetwalkers Rip It Up at the Rainbow' and 'Streetwalkers Rip It Up at the Demontfort'.
And what an absolute delight they are!
True the setlists and performances are very similar but while in Leicester they performed Family favourite 'My Friend The Sun', in London they treated the crowd to a 12 minute version of 'Dice Man' from 'Vicious But Fair'.
Listening to these albums reminds one of just how great they were as a live outfit and it seems ironic that the rise of punk in the UK was instrumental in leading to the demise of this fine band. If you were a fan of Streetwalkers and want to hear them at their absolute best, then I suggest you get yourself a copy of at least one of these albums. Personally I got them both and have no regrets.
