Family strange band dal vivo emozionante sentire la voce di Roger Chapman che con il suo incredibile vibrato col suo timbro di cartavetrata scuote i sensi di chi ascolta Una di quelle voci che restano davvero più uniche che rare Robert Plant dei LED Zeppelin una volta disse di Roger Chapman Vorrei riuscire a cantare come lui Nutro per lui una grandissima ammirazione oltre ad essergli amico
Absolutely amazing and unique. Will W going for it like a demented bunny on the violin,Chappo in full throttle;then the sudden gear changes to delay the intensity of the bite back.Rob T banging out the rhthym for all he is worth and Charlie on the double neck guitar underpinning thev songs he largely wrote Nothing like it at the time or since
Love this band. I think I've seen them perform live, always at Portsmouth Guildhall, UK, about a dozen times. They were a really tight band musically. Very well rehearsed, a powerhouse of sound. I think they were under rated. Listen to Music from a Dolls House. And another song of theirs I really love is Drowned In Wine. Thank you Family, you guys are the best.
A blues-based band with art rock inclinations, Family were one of the more interesting groups of hippie-era Britain. Fronted by the deft and frequently excellent guitar playing of John "Charlie" Whitney and the raspy, whiskey-and-cigarette voice of Roger Chapman, Family were much loved in England and Europe but barely achieved cult status in America. While bands like Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, and the Keith Emerson-led Nice (and later Emerson, Lake & Palmer) sold lots of records, Family, who frequently toured with these bands, were left in the shadows, an odd band loved by a small but rabid group of fans. It's Only a Movie Although the band's first official release was Music in a Doll's House in 1968, the roots of the band went back as far as the early '60s, when Whitney started a rhythm & blues/soul band called the Farinas while at college. In 1966, Whitney met Roger Chapman, a prematurely balding singer who had a voice so powerful that, to quote Robert Christgau, "It could kill small game at a hundred yards," and the two began a creative partnership that would last through two bands and into the early '80s. With Whitney and Chapman leading the way, Family became whole with the addition of bassist Ric Grech, saxophonist Jim King, and drummer Rob Townsend. Within a year they were hyped as the next big thing, and under that pressure and intense British pop press scrutiny delivered their debut record in 1968, Music in a Doll's House. Doll's House is pop music redolent of the Zeitgeist: Chapman's voice is rooted in the blues and R&B, but the record is loaded with strings, Mellotrons, acoustic guitars, and horns -- essentially all the trappings of post-psychedelia and early art rock. Almost completely ignored in the States, Doll's House was a hit in Britain and Family began a string of "less art rock/more hard rock" albums that ended, as did the band, with the release of It's Only a Movie in 1973. After Family's demise, Whitney and Chapman formed the blues-rock Streetwalkers; other Family members (of which there were quite a few in the band's tempestuous eight years) such as John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia) and Jim Cregan (Rod Stewart) went off to find fame and fortune elsewhere. Trivia buffs note: it was Ric Grech who was the first to leave Family in 1969 to become the least well-known member of supergroup Blind Faith. Sadly, that proved to be Grech's biggest mistake, as Blind Faith imploded in a year, and Grech (whose last notable band membership was in Traffic), long plagued by drinking problems, died of liver failure in 1990. Charlie Whitney went on to play in an extremely low-key country/blues/bluegrass band called Los Rackateeros, and Roger Chapman moved to Germany, where his solo career flourished. A fine, occasionally great band, Family deserved more recognition (at least in America) than they received -- something that a thoughtfully compiled career-spanning CD retrospective might rectify.
Great info on Roger Chapman + Family, I played in a band with Roger and Ricky Grech in 1964/65, we were called the ' X-citers ' and then called 'Jimmy Stevens and the Jackpots' , the band split up and Roger and Ricky went on to the 'Farinas ', they deserved their success, good times indeed!
Thanks.I was looking at a Blind faith wiki(having a lovely fall afternoon flashback) and this band appeared in a link.You are certainly right about completely ignored in North America.I have never heard of them.
Its the intensity thats incredible and unique plus Townsend and Charlie understand it well and work to back and illuminate.Long drum intro on later Burlesque versions really build things up.Charlie knows when to kick on or build up.. really rich flavor to Glove orswirling distance on between blue and me before the crescendo.Mike stands smashed, tamborines thrown over thee audience etc
I just heard about this band by looking up Rick Gresh (Blind Faith). Checked his bio and looked up Family. I found that they were a progressive band. This band is really cool.
I Family sono stati un'importante formazione per l'evoluzione del rock britannico, dalla psichedelia di fine anni sessanta al progressive, sviluppatosi all'inizio del decennio successivo.
Saw them 2 times in Brussels in 1970. Once in "Théâtre 140", the 2nd time in "Beaux Arts". Chapo drove you crazy. Never heard - before and after - a singer like that...
Excelente intro del violin!!!!!.. ..GREAT clip!!! y gran performance de Familiy resaltando el tio Roger Chapma y esa voz poderoza y aguardientoza que deslumbra...GRANDES Family...
OMG...was looking for Roger's voice ever since youtube started.....what a great find..thanks for posting this video!!!!!!!!!...there was and there is no one like him...was funny to watch his interview with Rick Wakeman...two old brits being polite...what has Rock come to?
Gabriel has said that his two biggest influences were Otis Redding AND Roger Chapman. I heard Family before Genesis and could clearly hear Chapman's influence on Gabriel.
. Albums usually well produced,but tame compared with extended versions worked out live over long tours. You get a sense on some videos but live shows were even more powerful and intense, around Chappo's inensity of feeling and acceleration to the full powered statements at the top of the song,minus tambourine / mike stands , plus clever Charlie guitar work, backing and illustrating . Top of the Hill, extended Burlesque, GNBN, were just three . Hendrix blown off stage!!
you guys fail to realize jimi was just a guitarist. he never even wanted to sing but his producers finally pressured him into it and everybody got super wet over him haha. hendrix is in a whole other caliber when you compare him to this guy. family is fucking rad though dont get me wrong haha.
@Sargebri They had such bad luck on one of their early tours to the US which did so much harm to their reputation here. First Ric Grech quits to join Blind Faith, Jim King flakes out, problems with US visas and then the infamous "Bill Graham mic stand incident". It's still unfortunate since they were one of the 70's most unique British bands. They were certainly better than Jethro Tull (or at least Tull after 1970).
I was a huge fan of theirs, so when I heard that they were going to play at Northeastern university in Boston, I snapped up a ticket! After the first two songs the PA system blew. They said they would be back to honor the ticket holders, but that was the end of it.
Yes, definately NOT Ric [Grech], as he'd already left to join/co-found Blind Faith, so it's either John Whetton, or John Weider, can't remember the order they joined. Also Poly Palmer, looking like a young Bill Oddie out of The Goodies, as he took over from the brilliant Jim King. Rob [Townsend] the Drummer, is now drumming for the Blues Band, along with Paul Jones etc.
They started out as a jazzy fusion band, became more rocky and f.m. palatable and then they went for a kind of celtic minstrelly theme based thing. I think Anderson as a folky non rock artist influenced them too heavilly and so commercially they went down the tubes. Martin Barre was good but constricted. Glenn Cornick was a big loss to them. He moved on to Wild Turkey and then disappeared.
Видеоклипы
One of the greatest bands in the history of rock and roll
mitico Chappo.... ho avuto la fortuna di vedere questa grande band a Roma dal vivo
They had such energy and a great band to see live!!!
Family strange band dal vivo emozionante sentire la voce di Roger Chapman che con il suo incredibile vibrato col suo timbro di cartavetrata scuote i sensi di chi ascolta Una di quelle voci che restano davvero più uniche che rare Robert Plant dei LED Zeppelin una volta disse di Roger Chapman Vorrei riuscire a cantare come lui Nutro per lui una grandissima ammirazione oltre ad essergli amico
What an amazing voice! Great song too.
Obviously a huge influence on Pink Floyd - the Wall
Incredible song, fantastic voice!
Dude played violin and bass? This band rocks! So glad I found them!
Absolutely amazing and unique. Will W going for it like a demented bunny on the violin,Chappo in full throttle;then the sudden gear changes to delay the intensity of the bite back.Rob T banging out the rhthym for all he is worth and Charlie on the double neck guitar underpinning thev songs he largely wrote Nothing like it at the time or since
very good.................................................................................................................
Love this band. I think I've seen them perform live, always at Portsmouth Guildhall, UK, about a dozen times. They were a really tight band musically. Very well rehearsed, a powerhouse of sound. I think they were under rated. Listen to Music from a Dolls House. And another song of theirs I really love is Drowned In Wine. Thank you Family, you guys are the best.
What a band they were. Underrated of course. I regret I never got to them live. Thanks for posting these vids.
What you said.
Just love Family .. and of course Rog's fab voice.. best voice in rock for me.. XX
A blues-based band with art rock inclinations, Family were one of the more interesting groups of hippie-era Britain. Fronted by the deft and frequently excellent guitar playing of John "Charlie" Whitney and the raspy, whiskey-and-cigarette voice of Roger Chapman, Family were much loved in England and Europe but barely achieved cult status in America. While bands like Jethro Tull, Ten Years After, and the Keith Emerson-led Nice (and later Emerson, Lake & Palmer) sold lots of records, Family, who frequently toured with these bands, were left in the shadows, an odd band loved by a small but rabid group of fans.
It's Only a Movie Although the band's first official release was Music in a Doll's House in 1968, the roots of the band went back as far as the early '60s, when Whitney started a rhythm & blues/soul band called the Farinas while at college. In 1966, Whitney met Roger Chapman, a prematurely balding singer who had a voice so powerful that, to quote Robert Christgau, "It could kill small game at a hundred yards," and the two began a creative partnership that would last through two bands and into the early '80s. With Whitney and Chapman leading the way, Family became whole with the addition of bassist Ric Grech, saxophonist Jim King, and drummer Rob Townsend. Within a year they were hyped as the next big thing, and under that pressure and intense British pop press scrutiny delivered their debut record in 1968, Music in a Doll's House. Doll's House is pop music redolent of the Zeitgeist: Chapman's voice is rooted in the blues and R&B, but the record is loaded with strings, Mellotrons, acoustic guitars, and horns -- essentially all the trappings of post-psychedelia and early art rock. Almost completely ignored in the States, Doll's House was a hit in Britain and Family began a string of "less art rock/more hard rock" albums that ended, as did the band, with the release of It's Only a Movie in 1973.
After Family's demise, Whitney and Chapman formed the blues-rock Streetwalkers; other Family members (of which there were quite a few in the band's tempestuous eight years) such as John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia) and Jim Cregan (Rod Stewart) went off to find fame and fortune elsewhere. Trivia buffs note: it was Ric Grech who was the first to leave Family in 1969 to become the least well-known member of supergroup Blind Faith. Sadly, that proved to be Grech's biggest mistake, as Blind Faith imploded in a year, and Grech (whose last notable band membership was in Traffic), long plagued by drinking problems, died of liver failure in 1990. Charlie Whitney went on to play in an extremely low-key country/blues/bluegrass band called Los Rackateeros, and Roger Chapman moved to Germany, where his solo career flourished. A fine, occasionally great band, Family deserved more recognition (at least in America) than they received -- something that a thoughtfully compiled career-spanning CD retrospective might rectify.
Great info on Roger Chapman + Family, I played in a band with Roger and Ricky Grech in 1964/65, we were called the ' X-citers ' and then called 'Jimmy Stevens and the Jackpots' , the band split up and Roger and Ricky went on to the 'Farinas ', they deserved their success, good times indeed!
Music in the doll house is an excellent album, it was my first encounter with Family, and I was stuck in that crime!
Thanks.I was looking at a Blind faith wiki(having a lovely fall afternoon flashback) and this band appeared in a link.You are certainly right about completely ignored in North America.I have never heard of them.
Its the intensity thats incredible and unique plus Townsend and Charlie understand it well and work to back and illuminate.Long drum intro on later Burlesque versions really build things up.Charlie knows when to kick on or build up.. really rich flavor to Glove orswirling distance on between blue and me before the crescendo.Mike stands smashed, tamborines thrown over thee audience etc
Agree agree agree 😊
Saw them open for Elton John in 1972. Explosive.
Fracassant, intense, audacieux et terrifiant. Un excellent groupe tombé dans les oubliettes.
Amazing, wish I'd seen them live.
Fantastic sound...mistic...sinister...crazy crazy vocals...
yeah they sure live up to the term STRANGE BAND
je suis impressionnée par sa voix extraordinaire...
Yet ANOTHER unique UK band!
And why not .
Another sophisticated Brit, you are all so classy.
I just heard about this band by looking up Rick Gresh (Blind Faith). Checked his bio and looked up Family. I found that they were a progressive band. This band is really cool.
My favourite weird psychadelic band, Roger is a real one off with the vibrato voice.....
I knew of Roger Chapman because of his vocal on Mike Oldfield's "Shadow On The Wall" (from "Crises").
I remember hearing these guys back when...man crazy band and vocal.
First band I saw live at Mother’s club in erdington ,Birmingham,amazing.
THE TRACK BULESQUE !!!!!!!!!!!! that IS A ROCKERS ANTHEM !!!!😊👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👊👏g
Génial. ..simplement génial. ..😊😊
I Family sono stati un'importante formazione per l'evoluzione del rock britannico, dalla psichedelia di fine anni sessanta al progressive, sviluppatosi all'inizio del decennio successivo.
Saw them 2 times in Brussels in 1970. Once in "Théâtre 140", the 2nd time in "Beaux Arts". Chapo drove you crazy. Never heard - before and after - a singer like that...
Moi aussi au bOZART....
Chapeau Chapo.
Excelente intro del violin!!!!!..
..GREAT clip!!! y gran performance de Familiy resaltando el tio Roger Chapma y esa voz poderoza y aguardientoza que deslumbra...GRANDES Family...
Shakespeares of Rock from the midlands middlelands ….. unrecognized by da business …
It took guts to be so creative....even then!
From my hometown of Leicester UK Love these guys!
OMG...was looking for Roger's voice ever since youtube started.....what a great find..thanks for posting this video!!!!!!!!!...there was and there is no one like him...was funny to watch his interview with Rick Wakeman...two old brits being polite...what has Rock come to?
strange band !!!the best
Very unique.
brilliant............enough said
saw them in Munich ('69?), great show and excellent sound - the first band, I experienced using a modern PA-System.
I remember someone calling Roger the electric goat due to the vibrato in his voice.
The best!!!
Gabriel has said that his two biggest influences were Otis Redding AND Roger Chapman. I heard Family before Genesis and could clearly hear Chapman's influence on Gabriel.
Woah! The singer sounds a lot like Gabriel in Genesis in 1970. I guess they were fans of Family. Sounds so similar.
Chappo was definitely an influence on Gabriel, he said it himself.
I agree ! Gabriel with a touch of joe cocker maybe ?
Classic rock !
legendary voice
Love roger Chapman...I believe he was in the band streetwalkers....
Dumb ass me...I should have read all the way thru....anyway love Chapman's voice
Chappo obviously liked that top, he wore the same one at the IoW festival!! See the video for 'The Weavers Answer!" GReat Track!
I think he owned two shirts for most of the early '70s. This one and the striped rugby top.
The electric goat at his finest
Way ahead of their time....
Unbelievable! Still....
ai vu a Paris ..dans les seventies..,!
German TV! Das waren noch Zeiten, da gab es noch einen Bildungsauftrag. Da hat man noch gerne die Gebühren bezahlt.
Звучание у них особенное.
teks mi back 40 years saw them at leeds city hall
Did i see them live ?? Cant remember ... must have .. didnt i .. 70s.. yea i did .. surely somewhere?... i saw everybody else 👍
Roger Vibraphone goat-like vibrate vocal zany vox. God, he was good!
I have a couple of their 45's. I was a huge fan back in the day! Loved his throaty vocals. Especially in the song "Burlesque".
. Albums usually well produced,but tame compared with extended versions worked out live over long tours.
You get a sense on some videos but live shows were even more powerful and intense, around Chappo's inensity of feeling and acceleration to the full powered statements at the top of the song,minus tambourine / mike stands , plus clever Charlie guitar work, backing and illustrating . Top of the Hill, extended Burlesque, GNBN, were just three . Hendrix blown off stage!!
@thatmuse76 Incredible String Band, and Donovan should have gotten a lot more recognition also.
HOLY SHIT!
Quite but that why i like em...Chappo Family
Off the hook!
saw them in germany----
@Deetv83
I might be wrong, but I think it's Ric Grech, also bassist for Family and later Blind Faith.
epaaa!!! jodines fue un lapsus!!!!.....
Gracias por ser mi profesor jajajajaa....
😂❤😊😅😮!!!!
Chappo's voice could strip paint at 100 yards!
they were the best, and chapo is still the best.
you guys fail to realize jimi was just a guitarist. he never even wanted to sing but his producers finally pressured him into it and everybody got super wet over him haha. hendrix is in a whole other caliber when you compare him to this guy. family is fucking rad though dont get me wrong haha.
kind of a cross between Gentle Giant and Curved Air
That's a good way to put it instrumentally/musically, except the vocals are all so different it throws off any comparison
Oh how I loved Family. Was there another band with a vibraphone player?
Patto, Gentle Giant, and Pan come to mind
The 70s band GONG had tons of vibes, probably more than any other 70s prog band, particularly the mid to later 70s albums.
Chappo - Electric Goat.
Magic. No band like them. Nobody like Chappo . Raise a glass of chateau Birstal.
It's Peter Gabriel who sounds like Chappo-wannabe :) Chapman was first
Gabriel says that he was influenced by Chapman's singing
Is that Simon house on violin
no that's John Weider
He is the best. Roger Chapman
Did this guy and Bernardo Lanzetti of PFM just lent their voices to each other or what?
I was thinking more Demetrio Stratos of Area?
@Sargebri
They had such bad luck on one of their early tours to the US which did so much harm to their reputation here. First Ric Grech quits to join Blind Faith, Jim King flakes out, problems with US visas and then the infamous "Bill Graham mic stand incident". It's still unfortunate since they were one of the 70's most unique British bands. They were certainly better than Jethro Tull (or at least Tull after 1970).
I was a huge fan of theirs, so when I heard that they were going to play at Northeastern university in Boston, I snapped up a ticket! After the first two songs the PA system blew. They said they would be back to honor the ticket holders, but that was the end of it.
Yes, definately NOT Ric [Grech], as he'd already left to join/co-found Blind Faith, so it's either John Whetton, or John Weider, can't remember the order they joined. Also Poly Palmer, looking like a young Bill Oddie out of The Goodies, as he took over from the brilliant Jim King. Rob [Townsend] the Drummer, is now drumming for the Blues Band, along with Paul Jones etc.
John Weider probably, as John Wetton joined later for the 1971-72 albums (Fearless/Bandstand), before he left for King Crimson.
It's Weider. I don't think Wetton played ever played violin in any of the bands he was in.
+++++++++++++++
Family actually blew Jimi Hendrix off the stage at Hyde Park.Given that Jimi is often seen as the great superstar.it tells you a lot
@thatmuse76 Jethro Tull got better after 1970.
tu teclado tiene S?
PoderoSa , AguardientoSa.
Joder.
f*** man put family on! hi mike
@thatmuse76 these guys were better thn Tull? better see the ear doctor, mate
@thatmuse76
I agree Jethro Tull sucked in the 70's, was there a significant reason for that or did they just run out of ideas.
1m2a3t4t5 benefit was good. After that, I pretty much didn't care for them.
They started out as a jazzy fusion band, became more rocky and f.m. palatable and then they went for a kind of celtic minstrelly theme based thing. I think Anderson as a folky non rock artist influenced them too heavilly and so commercially they went down the tubes. Martin Barre was good but constricted. Glenn Cornick was a big loss to them. He moved on to Wild Turkey and then disappeared.
Sounds like Genesis ripped them off.
Yes I have read that Gabriel was influenced early on by Roger
well I wouldnt say that to all the hundreds of thousands of fans over the years..sounds like you have lots of problems
Unerreicht!