Mango Crazy

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Mango Crazy
Roger Chapman's studio album

Publication
(s)

1983

Label (s) Instant Records

Format (s)

CD, LP

Genre (s)

Blues rock , pop rock

Title (number)

12 + 1

occupation
  • Singing: Roger Chapman
  • Guitar: Geoff Whitehorn
  • Slide guitar & vocals: Steve Simpson
  • Bass: Boz Burrell
  • Drums: Alan Coulter
  • Keyboard: Ronnie Leahy / Duncan Mackay
  • Alto saxophones: Nick Pentelow

production

Geoff Whitehorn, Roger Chapman

Studio (s)

The Point Studios London

Location (s)

London

chronology
Hyena's Only Laugh for Fun
(1981) 		Mango Crazy The Shadow Knows
(1984)
Single releases
1982 Toys
1983 Mango Crazy

Mango Crazy is the fourth music album by Roger Chapman . It was released in 1983 under the Instant Records label and is assigned to the genres blues rock and pop rock . The album was his first solo album, which was successfully placed in the German Top 100 Charts in May 1983 and stayed there for ten weeks. It reached its highest position on May 9th and 30th at place 37. At the same time, Chapman's most commercially successful phase for the next ten years began with this long player. In October of the same year he had his greatest success throughout Europe as the vocalist of the Mike Oldfield single Shadow on the Wall and thus achieved his highest level of awareness.

Music genre

The album generally lives from the clear synth sounds and the pieces of music have frequent staccatos in the rhythm, which were popular at that time due to New Wave music and in Germany the Neue Deutsche Welle. Music critic Pete Feenstra described this album as typical Chapman with his unmistakable unorthodox voice, great rock and lots of humor. This becomes clear in the title track "Mango Crazy", which contains Synthypop bonds.

Sitting in the park ready to munch

A tuna fish salad that's ready to crunch

A flock of wild geese overhead in a bunch

That ain't mayonnaise that lands on your lunch

----

Sitting in the park - ready to munch

A tuna salad - just waiting to be nibbled

A flock of wild geese flies over us

This is not mayonnaise that ends up on your lunch

[Roger Chapman - Mango Crazy, 1983]


The second piece of music "Toys: Do You?" Was released as a single in 1982. In an ironic way, it addresses competition and the pressure that is exerted on people to get the best possible place in society or to be able to compete with others. The song verses are performed by Chapman in a kind of spoken chant, which the music critic Feenstra called "Chappo Rap". "I Read Your File" is a rock song with strong staccatos and deals critically with being spied on. A classic blues-rock piece is "Bluesbreaker" with a slide guitar break by Steve Simpson. "Rivers Run Dry" is also a classic blues song in terms of its musical structure, with typical lyrics of bad luck, misfortune and being on your own. The album closes with the title "Room Service". A black humor parody of the "four minutes warning" ("caller your 4 minutes") before an atomic bomb is dropped. The term “room service” refers to a concrete bunker, which is equated with a concrete grave six feet below the earth (“6 foot walls oh a concrete tomb”). Six feet is the standard depth for a grave in the UK.

The cover was designed by the respected graphic artist Barney Bubbles , who worked for many bands and musicians. It was one of his last works before his death in November 1983.

Track list

1. Mango Crazy (Chapman / Whitehorn) 4:19

2. Toys: Do you? (Chapman / Whitehorn / Palmer) 4:06

3. I Read Your File (Chapman / Whitehorn) 4:00

4. Los Dos Bailadores (Chapman) 3:44

5. Bluesbreaker (Chapman / Whitehorn) 4:14

6. Turn It Up Loud (Chapman / Whitehorn) 4:05

7. Let Me Down (Chapman) 3:21

8. Hunt The Man (Chapman) 6:03

9. Rivers Run Dry (Chapman) 4:07

10. I Really Can't Go Straight (Chapman) 4:14

11. Room Service (Chapman) 2:56

12. Hegoshegowegoamigo (Chapman) 0:56

Bonus track

13. Maybe A Shot In The Dark 2:42

Publications, chart successes and reception

The album was released all over Europe, but was only able to place in Germany with the highest position 37 in the Top 100 charts. The two single releases "Toys" and "Mango Crazy" could not be placed. Joe Geesin describes the album in the New Wave style matching Chapman's vocals with a wide range of voices. For Pete Feenstra, Mango Crazy is a big rock album that finally gave Chapman long-overdue commercial success.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Roger Chapman - Mango Crazy. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Official German Charts - Official German Charts. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Official German Charts - Official German Charts. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Get Ready to ROCK! Review of CD album reissues by rock vocalist Roger Chapman, original singer with seventies rock band Family called Mango Crazy and Mail Order Magic with bonus tracks. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Roger Chapman. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Roger Chapman. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  7. ^ Barney Bubbles - Roger Chapman | Music to My Eyes | Music. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  8. ^ Roger Chapman - Mango Crazy - hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  9. ↑ Get Ready to ROCK! Review of CD album reissues by rock vocalist Roger Chapman, original singer with seventies rock band Family called Mango Crazy and Mail Order Magic with bonus tracks. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Roger Chapman. Retrieved July 10, 2019 .

Web links