Thursday Apr 04, 2024
Neil Chapman Part 1 (Episode 51)
Neil Chapman is one of North Americas most inspiring guitarists. As well as being a first call session player, having recorded with the likes of Dan Hill, Rita McNeil, Rough Trade, The Sattallites, Heat Exchange, Zombo Zombo, Bill King’s Saturday Nite Fish Fry and Alan Frew, he has played on stage with many great artists such as Leonard Cohen, Carol Pope, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Randy Bachman, Leroy Sibbles, Toots and the Maytals, and Maestro Fresh Wes.
Along with Graeme Williamson and Tony Duggan-Smith, Neil is a founding member of Canada’s “National Treasure” THE PUKKA ORCHESTRA, and the offshoots Neotone and Autocondo.
Neil doesn’t know how he plays the gitar (Neil’s spelling), it’s just something he’s done ever since he first heard his friend Doug playing a Fender Esquire through a Pro Reverb before people walked on the moon. “When I heard that sound I just knew I had to do it” says Neil. Actually the song he heard being played was Peter Gunn, and fortunately it’s all played on one string so Neil picked it up fairly quickly.
From there Neil progressed from tennis racquets in the basement (they make a pretty reasonable gitar facsimile in a pinch) to wankin’ on his beat up Stratocaster and Marshall all over the world. Actually, he ended up buying Doug’s Esquire, personally tattooed by his good friend John Burkitt, until he traded it for a “TV Yellow” 56 Les Paul Special. “If only I had all the gear I ever had,” says Neil with a dreamy look in his eyes…
Well he doesn’t, but what he does have are friends and family, who have supported him through the good times and the bad, and an undying belief that whatever that power is that helps him play like there’s no tomorrow has got to be good.
Visit: http://neilchapman.ca/
Comments (0)
To leave or reply to comments, please download free Podbean or
No Comments
To leave or reply to comments,
please download free Podbean App.