When Family broke up, Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney got together with some of Britain’s finest session musicians to create the ‘Streetwalkers’ album, later going on to form the Band Streetwalkers. Fronted by Roger Chapman - vocals, harmonica and percussion and Charlie Whitney - guitar and steel guitar, the lineup of backing musicians included: Boz Burrell – vocals, Jim Cregan – vocals, Linda Lewis - background vocals, Bobby Tench - guitar, vocals, percussion, keyboards, Ric Grech – bass, John Wetton - bass and vocals, Blue Weaver – keyboards, Max Middleton – keyboards, Mel Collins - saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, Michael Giles – drums, Ian Wallace – drums and others. So, as to the album itself, a wonderfully varied collection of tunes in many different styles and genres. Of course, it has the hi-power rock on tracks such as ‘Parisienne High Heels’, Chapman’s vocals growling and loaded with his usual vibrato, but even then, it is hardly a ‘basic’ track, loaded with changes and complex codas. Then there is the gorgeous ‘Sue & Betty Jean’, a gentle, waltz-time, jazzy ballad with the most gorgeous & sleazy sax and none of Chapman’s bellow. ‘Tokyo Rose’ is harder and more forthright, telling the tale of the notorious Japanese propagandist. From memory, it was a minor hit single for the band.
Every track is, at least, interesting and the additional ‘bonus’ material includes a 5 track John Peel session from 1974.
As ever, with Esoteric, the remastering is outstanding and the booklet includes a fine essay from Steve Pilkington.
One of the better reissues of the years and about time this got the Esoteric treatment
