Bill Champlin
The Bill Champlin Band
November 6, 2009
The Coachhouse
San Juan Capistrano, CA
Genre: Singer Songwriter/Rock/Funk
Audience Tape A-
Lineage: Schoeps mk4 > Nbox > Edirol (24b) > Goldwave (volume boost, 60htz highpass, highend EQ, compression, and tracking) > Media Monkey (flac conversion)
Location: FOB DFC
Bill Champlin has had a fascinating life in the California and National music scene.
He started his own band in 1968 called "Sons of Champlin" and they were a San Francisco
psychedelic cult band, with funk backbone. The Sons broke up in 1971 and Bill was the organ
played for the Rhythm Dukes, with Moby Grape's Jerry Miller. The Sons re-formed in 1972 and
were again decidedly anti-establishmen, often performing under nom de gueres like "Yogi Flem."
As Bill once said, although opporunity knocked, they answered the phone, e.g., they ran
away from commercial success. In 1975, being fed up with the hippie scene, Bill went solo with
a series of acclaimed albums which were commercial flops. Undaunted, he hooked up with David
Foster, Jay Graydon, and others to pen a number of hits, such as George Benson's "Turn Your Love
Around" (performed here), Earth Wind and Fire's "After the Love is Gone" and Lee Ritenour's
"Is It You" He also pennd hits for Lionel Ritche.
After Peter Cetera left Chicago, Bill Champlin was asked to fill in, and he began a two decade
relationship with Chicago, penning hits such as "Look Away" and "Your a Hard Habit to Break".
He quit Chicago in August of 2009 in mid tour for reasons not fully discussed. Now Bill has a
new CD, "No Place Left to Fall" and this short 20 City tour in the West Coast.
This concert is the first public appearance of Bill Champlin as a solo act since 1996.
This is well rehearsed band, very tight, with Bill and 4 supporting vocalists. All the
band members are top notch. I want to give special props to Jerry Lopez who is a monster
guitarist and can really sing. The other interesting note is that Bill still lugs around a
beat up, 30 year old Hammond B-3 with a single Leslie. For you keyboard fans, there is no
other sound like a Hammond B-3 and no synthesizer has yet to duplicate this sound, produced
by the spinning rods and dampers of the B-3, and the spinning baffle and horns of the Leslie.
Bill is in fine form telling the crowd at one point, "I paid top dollar for this memory loss."
Enjoy.
Setlist:
1. Concert Introdution
2. He Started to Sing
3. Total Control
4. Banter
5. Lovers Like This
6. The Truth
7. No Place Left to Fall
8. Turn Your Love Around
9. You Won't Get To Heaven Alive
10. Banter
11. Please Hold On >
12. We'll Be Lovers Tonight>
13. Takin' It Up Town
14. Tuggin' On Your Sleeve
15. Banter
16. Angellina
17. Look Away
18. Stone Cold Hollywood
19. Looking for You
20. Headed to the Top
21. Band Introductions > Goldmine
22. Satisfaction
Personnel:
Bill Champlin, Hammond B-3, Yamaha, Guitar, Vocals
Jerry Lopez, Guitar, Vocals
Tamara Chaplin, Vocals
Eddy Garcia, Drums
Rochan Westmoreland, Bass, Vocals
Jamie Hosmar, Keyboards, Guitar and Vocals
Upped by Scooter123