Name: The Polar Bear
Brand: Michael Chapman

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

PTYT 078CD

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

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Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2014-11-19

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Forced Exposure

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

5060174959295

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Total Cap

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Michael Chapman

Genre US

Folk

Label US

Blast First Petite

Michael Chapman was an English singer-songwriter and guitarist born on 24 January 1941 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. He was a self-taught musician who started his musical journey playing in skiffle bands, strip clubs, and jazz trios while paying his way through art college. Chapman gained recognition on the Cornwall acoustic scene after leaving his teaching job at Bolton College of Art. His career took off when he impressed a pub crowd with his guitar skills during a rainy night in the late 1960s.

In 1967, Chapman emerged on the London and Cornwall folk music circuits alongside renowned artists like John Martyn and Roy Harper. He released his debut album in 1969 under Harvest label and went on to release three more albums with them. After parting ways with Harvest, Chapman signed with Deram Records where he experimented with electric guitar and harder rhythms in his work.

The 1980s marked a quieter period for Chapman as he continued recording for smaller record labels and performing on the folk and club circuits. However, towards the late 1990s, he experienced a rebirth in his career receiving critical acclaim for his albums and earning praise from performers like Thurston Moore and Supergrass. In addition to song-based sets, Chapman also explored instrumental albums rooted in his guitar playing background during the 2000s.

The Polar Bear is the third album in Yorkshire-born composer, singer, guitarist, and maverick troubadour Michael Chapman's series of improvisational music. The first, 2011's The Resurrection and Revenge of the Clayton Peacock (PTYT 068CD), was Wire magazine's #5 album of the year. It was widely well-received by press and fans alike as another highpoint in Chapman's late-blooming career, which has been boosted by the public recognition of his talents from the likes of Thurston Moore,Jack Rose, and Will Oldham. The second in the series, 2012'sPachyderm (PTYT 070CD/LP), is a minimalist masterpiece, a single-chord ambient work quite unlike anything Chapman had ever done before. It won him further widespread supportive reviews and a sold-out UK tour with Moore; out of that tour comes the duo heard on The Polar Bear's noise epic "Six, Two, Thirteen." The new record also features Chapman's experiments with cello accompaniment, as well as some pieces showcasing his own atmospheric slide guitar work — further proof of Chapman's relentless search for new musical adventures. Almost half a century after his 1960s beginnings on EMI's legendary Harvest record label, Chapman, at age 73, is playing better than ever.

The Polar Bear

Music US