The Sons Of Champlin almost defy description. They are the best of the very
best, musician's musicians of the highest calibre. They've often been classified
as a horn rock band, but they are much more than that. Their R & B and jazz
roots bring something to their arrangements that nobody else can match. And
their lyrics, laced with philosophical themes, touch hearts and souls, garnering
them many devoted fans along the way.
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Although The Sons Of Champlin recorded seven albums
from 1968 to 1977 which were critically acclaimed, they never managed to make it on the
national scene. California and several regional areas of the U.S. knew them well, but that
wasn't enough.
The Sons of Champlin disbanded in 1977, but their fans never forgot them!
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Terry Haggerty - James Preston - Bill Champlin
Santa Rosa, CA - New Year's Eve 1998 |
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The good news is they are back and better than ever! Twenty years after splitting up The
Sons Of Champlin reorganized in 1997, adding Tom Saviano and Mic Gillette to their line up.
They are definitely proving that they've still got what it takes. Their music feels fresh
and spirited and they've actually improved with age. It's great that people once again have
the opportunity to experience the magic of seeing and hearing them play as only they can.
| The Sons of Champlin had a busy Spring 2003 tour,
receiving rave reviews from fans and critics alike.
Although I wasn't able to attend any concerts this year, every Sons concert I've ever
attended has been AWESOME!
Visit my concerts pages from the navigational buttons below for reviews & pictures of
The Sons of Champlin in action in 1998 and 1999. Links to photos at Yahoo can
be found for concerts in 2001 and 2002 on my home page.
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Dave Schallock - James Preston - Mic Gillette
Portland, OR - May 19, 2001 |
The members of The Sons of Champlin included Bill Champlin (vocals, organ, guitar),
Terry Haggerty (guitar, vocals), Geoff Palmer (keyboards, vibes, vocals), David
Schallock (bass, vocals), James Preston (drums, vocals), Tom Saviano (saxophones,
keyboards, vocals), and Mic Gillette (trumpet, trombone, tuba, vocals) from 1997
until the fall of 2001. At that time, Terry Haggerty left the band to pursue other
interests, including his family based band, Fact or Fiction, which now is know as
The Haggertys. Terry introduced the band to his replacement, Tal Morris, who is a
great guitarist and vocalist and fits in with the Son's line up very well.
For more information visit the official Sons Of Champlin web site.
You'll find a discography, histography, band member information, reviews, t-shirts, upcoming performance information,
and more.
Please note that you can order Sons Of Champlin Merchandise including
CD's, posters, shirts, caps, etc. via the Sons Online Store at the web site too. Purchasing in
this way helps to support the band, since none of the CD reissues benefit the band monetarily in
any way. A mail order option is still available for those who chose to use it.
Sons of Champlin CD "Secret"
On February 2, 2002, the Sons of Champlin performed at The Ex'pression Center For New Media in
Emeryville, California and the concert has been webcast for the world to hear. Part of that
amazing concert is now available on CD, and it's titled "Secret". It includes 8 songs, although
the bonus track, "Papa Play" isn't listed. There's a montage of photos on the inside of the
foldout liner notes, most taken by some of the Sons' devoted fans over the past few years. You can order "Secret" from the
Sons Of Champlin Online Store .
You can also access the webcast at The Ex'pression Center For New Media .
Click on the "Immersion Theater" image, then click on your "bandwidth", then click on "Events
Now Playing". Scroll down to "Sons of Champlin", then click on the appropriate playing rate
for your computer, 56k for dial-up or 250k for broadband.
Also the Sons of Champlin are completing production on a new studio CD that should be available
sometime in late 2003, barring unforeseen circumstances.
More Good News For Sons of Champlin Fans
Acadia , the United Kingdom
subsidiary of Evangeline Recorded Works Ltd. who brought us the
re-release of "Welcome To The Dance" last year, has recently re-release two other early Sons of
Champlin albums from Columbia, "The Sons", originally released in 1969 and "Follow Your Heart",
originally released in 1971. I ordered both from Sons Of Champlin CD's via
mail order to help support the band. These are both truly great CD's.
You can also order these CD's from the new Sons Of Champlin Online Store using paypal.
I'll try to update this site with reviews for these CD's as soon as I can find the time needed to do it justice.
I'm very encouraged by the fact that more of The Sons of Champlin's great albums are being
reissued on CD. I'm hoping that all of them will become available in the near future. I'm
especially looking forward to "A Circle Filled With Love", which I managed to find on vinyl,
and "Loving Is Why", which I hadn't heard until about a year ago. (Thanks to Lauren & Rosie
and the services of MyPlay.com which has now closed.)
"Welcome To The Dance"
"Welcome To The Dance" was first released by Columbia in 1973. It was re-released
by Acadia , a United Kingdom
subsidiary of Evangeline Recorded Works Ltd., on June 4, 2001. The U.S. release date was July
10, 2001.
This is a nicely done reissue, remastered in the UK, with the artwork from the original album
re-mixed as well. The liner notes are cool, although I'm not sure how accurate they are. There
are lots of quotes, but I'm guessing these were borrowed from other sources, since I'm almost
certain that the band members weren't interviewed for this release. In fact, I'm under the
impression that fans were the ones to let the band know that this CD was being reissued.
I know that this is a favorite among some fans, and I can understand why. It's quickly become
one of mine too. I had only heard a few of these songs previously, including the four part
"Welcome To The Dance" suite, "For Joy", "Right On", and "Lightnin'". Although I had heard the
"Live" version of "No Mo'" and have been fortunate enough to hear "Lightnin'", "For Joy", "No Mo'",
and "The Swim" at Sons concerts over the past few years.
These are all great! My biggest surprise was "Who/Heaven Only Knows", which I had never heard
before. On my first listen, I found myself misty-eyed. I had to listen several times before I
figured out why. It's depth, melodic evolution, and rhythmic diversity are amazing.
I also found the harmonies on this album to be most interesting and quite different. Another
surprise was that the line up for this incarnation of The Sons of Champlin only consisted of five
members: Bill Champlin, Terry Haggerty, Geoff Palmer, James Preston, and Dave Schallock. And
Bill is credited with playing baritone sax.
This is a wonderful CD... and a welcome addition to my collection!
You can click on the CD on the right to go to Amazon.com's site for
"Welcome To The Dance", which includes customer reviews
and comments. It's currently rated at 5 stars, the highest rating
possible. There are sound files for the first 5 songs on the CD.
Please order from the new Sons Of Champlin Online Store .
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"Sons Of Champlin Live"
On January 24, 1998, at The Luther Burbank Center For The Arts in Santa
Rosa, California, "Sons Of Champlin Live" was recorded during a concert. It was released
on July 28, 1998 by Grateful Dead Records
and distributed by Arista Records/BMG Entertainment.
WOW! "Sons Of Champlin Live" is one of the best live recordings I've ever
had the pleasure of hearing. Bill's vocals prove that he is one of the greatest
blue-eyed soul singers ever, and his Hammond B3 organ is amazing. Terry's
blistering guitar is absolutely incredible. Tom and Mic are one of the tightest,
funkiest horn duos ever. Geoff is without a doubt a master on vibes. And the
groove is anchored by the very talented rhythm section of James and David.
These guys really know how to cook.
I'd have a hard time picking a single favorite song on this CD. Every one is
great, from the opening cut, "Fat City", to the final song, "Hold On". "Time
Will Bring You Love" is the only ballad, and it's one of my favorites, as well
as "Follow Your Heart", which I fell in love with the first time I heard it. Of
course, "1982-A", "Rooftop", and "No Mo'" are favorites too.
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You can click on the CD on the left to go to Amazon.com's site
for "Sons Of Champlin Live", which includes customer reviews
and comments. It's currently rated at 5 stars, the highest rating
possible. There are sound files for the first 5 songs on the CD.
Please order from the new Sons Of Champlin Online Store .
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"Loosen Up Naturally"
"Loosen Up Naturally" was the first commercially released album for The
Sons Of Champlin on the Capitol label in 1968. It includes 11 songs and was
originally a double album. Some of The Sons best loved songs, "Rooftop",
"1982-A", "Freedom", "Get High", and "Misery Isn't Free" are on this CD.
"Loosen Up Naturally" has a bit of a gritty production sound, but the songs
speak volumes. The philosophical and spiritual themes seem to take root
and grow. Many fans consider this to be one of The Sons finest albums.
This is the 1995 re-release by One Way Records. Up until recently, it was
the only CD other than "Sons Of Champlin Live" that was available.
You can click on the CD on the right to go to Amazon.com's
site for "Loosen Up Naturally". It's currently available only
as an import, and that means a higher price. No sound files
are available, but it's rated at 5 stars and has customer
reviews and comments. Please order from the new Sons Of Champlin Online Store .
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"Fat City"
"Fat City" was the first album recorded by The Sons Of Champlin for Trident
Productions in 1966 and 1967. The singles "Sing Me A Rainbow" and "Fat City"
were released in 1967. However, differences between management and the band
ended in the termination of The Sons contract, and the album never saw light
of day... until now.
This CD is the product of Big Beat Records, a UK company, and is the first
in a series titled Nuggets From The Golden State. The booklet accompanying
the CD is worth the price, and the pictures are an added treat.
I had heard some negative comments about this recording before I got my copy,
and I was pleasantly surprised. It's definitely different than what one
would expect from The Sons, but this was recorded prior to their coming of
age, so to speak.
I really like this CD. It contains 15 previously unreleased songs, plus two
of the audition versions of original Sons songs, the two singles mentioned
above, and some radio spots for KCPX.
The Sons sound on this CD is similar to some of the better known harmony
heavy bands of this era, only better. Bill's vocals were just as wonderful
then as they are now. When I first heard "To Me"... I had goosebumps!
It's hard to imagine this voice was coming from a kid. :-)
The Sons musicianship is apparent on this CD too. The harmonies are great,
and it is a fun album to listen too. It takes you back to another era.
Check out The Official Sons Of Champlin CD Info
for more information.
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You can click on the CD on the left to go to Amazon.com's
site for "Fat City", which includes customer reviews
and comments. It's currently rated at 4.5 stars. There
are no longer any sound files available. It is an import
and no discount is offered. Please order from the new Sons Of Champlin Online Store .
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