Streetwalkers History

Family's six-year career was wrapped up with a farewell album and tour in 1973, and it wasn't long after that Roger Chapman and John "Charlie" Whitney jumped right back into the game. The main songwriters of Family obviously had more to say musically, but felt that the Family name and image had run its course. In my opinion, fans and critics associated Family with 60's hipness, and the band's 70's works were heard as attempts to reclaim the heights they had reached. In the Streetwalkers period guitarist Charlie Whitney's playing consists of a lot of slide playing (lap steel), while Roger Chapman's voice entered a new stage. It wasn't as self-destructive as before, but remained gruff in the style of raucous soul singing.

In the winter of 1973/1974, only months after the dissolution of Family, Chapman/Whitney completed a duo album called STREETWALKERS with a loose collection of famous musical friends. The album was released in May 1974, followed by a single in June ("Roxianna"/"Crack"). A touring oufit was formed using Bob Tench on guitar, Tim Hinkley on keys, Mel Collins on sax, Ian Wallace on drums, and Phil Chen on bass. Incidentally, Whitney, Wallace and Hinckley found time to back up Tim Buckley on his 5/21/74 "Old Grey Whistle Test" session, featuring "Dolphins" and "Honey Man". These are found on Tim Buckley's Morning Glory.

Some tryout gigs were performed, including one at Leicester Polytech. In August more gigs followed: the Reading festival (second on the bill, under Barclay James Harvest) and London's Hyde Park festival. Faithful correspondent Jonathan Inglis says of this outdoor gig...

...the concert was excellent, what I can remember of it. They did a fantastic version of 'Hangman' still one of my favourites...

In February 1975 they put together a solid backing band, and dubbed themselves the Streetwalkers. The sound was solidified by the only member of the previous line-up that they kept: Bob Tench. The rhythm section of Jon Plotel (bassist, ex-Casablanca) and the previously unknown drummer "Nicko" lent more funk, heavy R&B, and 70's-style hard rock to the mix. In October they released DOWNTOWN FLYERS (known simply as STREETWALKERS in the US), and toured the UK and Europe, where they became quite popular. "Raingame"/"Miller" was released as a single.

The band cut RED CARD in May of 1976, but this lineup was broken up by July; "we wanted a tighter rhythm section" according to Chapman. The single for this album, "Daddy Rolling Stone"/"Hole In Your Pocket", came out in June.

The band returned in September of 1976 with a new rhythm section (David Dowle - drums; Michael Feat - bass) and a full time keyboardist, Brian Johnstone. A short European tour before a UK debut at the Roundhouse. Chappo still had manic stage-presence, and on December 19th there was yet another legendary occurrence when he fell off the stage and broke his foot, spending Christmas on crutches. He finished the show, of course!

They put out their last studio effort VICIOUS BUT FAIR in January 1977 and by the end of the year the Streetwalkers had disbanded. A posthumous STREETWALKERS LIVE was released in December. Chappo says of the breakup: "I can only repeat what I said when Family broke up... It's just time to start working on something new, with different guys."

And in a 1980 article by Dave Seal for UK fanzine Nuggets , Chappo reported that the band manager, Michael Alfandary, caused a number of problems, building friction up with an originally very sympathetic record company and generally doing a counter-productuve job. Roger summed up the final split concisely:

"There was no friction between the members of the band. The only friction was with the way the band was being run. It just got completely . . . boring, we just felt like we were getting on stage to play act the role. There was no point in doing it".

Even though the sound had been remarkably different, the Streetwalkers could have easily been the next chapter of Family. It would have made for an even more diverse career.

For another summary, see liner notes from the BEST OF STREETWALKERS.

David Dowle (drums) and Brian Johnstone (keys) went on to tour with David Coverdale's Whitesnake from March to April 1978. Dowle stayed on through 1979.

Nicko McBrain (drums) worked with Pat Travers and then went on to Iron Maiden in 1982.

Charlie Whitney and old Family-buddy Rob Townsend formed Axis Point for two albums. Roger Chapman began the solo career that he has continued to this day.