R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

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10-06-20, 15:15
Mr Soul '68

R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Legendary South Wales guitarist Paul Tonka Chapman has sadly passed away yesterday, on his 66th birthday. No age at all in this day and age.

Saw him first with local legends Kimla Taz when I was still at school. Then with the legendary (and should have been huge) Lone Star. After that wth UFO several times. A mighty fine and very under-rated guitarist was 'Tonka'.
10-06-20, 16:22
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Soul '68

Legendary South Wales guitarist Paul Tonka Chapman has sadly passed away yesterday, on his 66th birthday. No age at all in this day and age.

Saw him first with local legends Kimla Taz when I was still at school. Then with the legendary (and should have been huge) Lone Star. After that wth UFO several times. A mighty fine and very under-rated guitarist was 'Tonka'.

Great guitarist

Saw him with UFO at the top rank after the original gig at Sophia gardens was cancelled because the roof fell in

I was only a nipper , it was a great gig

Interesting reason why he was nicknamed tonka
10-06-20, 16:38
Mr Soul '68

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

Great guitarist

Saw him with UFO at the top rank after the original gig at Sophia gardens was cancelled because the roof fell in

I was only a nipper , it was a great gig

Interesting reason why he was nicknamed tonka

Yes, I was at that Top Rank gig. February '82 if my memory serves me well?

I think he was called 'Tonka' because he was indestructible?
10-06-20, 16:59
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Soul '68

Yes, I was at that Top Rank gig. February '82 if my memory serves me well?

I think he was called 'Tonka' because he was indestructible?

He was called tonka because he had a huge love gun

He was one of the few rock guitarists of his era to use box amps instead of Marshall stacks
10-06-20, 17:08
ToTaL ITK

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

happy to say that i saw lone star...sad to see his passing.
10-06-20, 17:15
ToTaL ITK

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

googled box amps and i'm none the wiser!!!
crate amps ?
10-06-20, 17:27
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

googled box amps and i'm none the wiser!!!
crate amps ?

Typo

Vox amps
10-06-20, 17:55
theclaw

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Yes I was at the delayed gig at the top rank.R.I.P.
10-06-20, 18:01
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Trivia question

What band supported UFO that night?

The guitarist went on to join def leppard
10-06-20, 18:07
ToTaL ITK

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

Typo

Vox amps

:thumbup:
10-06-20, 21:03
The Rev Arthur Belling

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

RIP Tonka great guitarist, he was a massive fan of BC Rich guitars too. Sleep tight
10-06-20, 21:18
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rev Arthur Belling

RIP Tonka great guitarist, he was a massive fan of BC Rich guitars too. Sleep tight

Apparently when micheal schenker left UFO the band went downhill but some of their best stuff was with chapman on guitar

Making Contact was excellent
10-06-20, 21:35
ToTaL ITK

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

MSG was a decent album imo...but tonka in lone star what a band that could have been.
10-06-20, 21:46
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

MSG was a decent album imo...but tonka in lone star what a band that could have been.

I liked MSG when they had graham bonnet on vocals

But schenker was a moody git and went back to Gary barden

Saw em at st David's hall , they were dreadful
10-06-20, 22:00
ToTaL ITK

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

I liked MSG when they had graham bonnet on vocals

But schenker was a moody git and went back to Gary barden

Saw em at st David's hall , they were dreadful

https://youtu.be/JwXXWjdxbu4 the tour i saw
10-06-20, 22:12
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

https://youtu.be/JwXXWjdxbu4 the tour i saw

You can see why UFO picked him up
10-06-20, 22:21
ToTaL ITK

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY

You can see why UFO picked him up

Defo
Second album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker of queen fame....giving them that fat bass and drum sound.
great memories
10-06-20, 22:24
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

Defo
Second album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker of queen fame....giving them that fat bass and drum sound.
great memories

Talking of bassists Pete way from UFO was good

Andy parker was a great drummer as well
10-06-20, 22:37
ToTaL ITK

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Pete way rings a bell ... the drummer not so much.
i think i departed at this time for things likejudas priest and rush
10-06-20, 22:52
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

Pete way rings a bell ... the drummer not so much.
i think i departed at this time for things likejudas priest and rush

Love priest

Rush were great up to moving pictures then they went all keyboardy and technical

Farewell to kings , caress of steel , hemispheres , permanent waves and moving pictures were my favourites
11-06-20, 05:31
Taunton Blue Genie

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK

happy to say that i saw lone star...sad to see his passing.

I saw them several times and have their albums (one of them being a press copy) - and I was surprised that they didn't make it big.
11-06-20, 05:32
Taunton Blue Genie

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

I saw them several times and have their albums (one of them being a press copy) - and I was surprised that they didn't make it big.

I thought that the lyrics of 'The Bells of Berlin' seemed fanciful tosh at the time but how wrong was I!
11-06-20, 07:45
Mr Soul '68

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

I saw them several times and have their albums (one of them being a press copy) - and I was surprised that they didn't make it big.

Sadly, punk 'killed' Lone Star. Unfortunately for them they came out at the wrong time, their debut album being released in 1976, when the UK music press was slavishly groveling to all things punk. Had they formed and released their debut album two or three years earlier I am sure they would have been huge.
11-06-20, 08:05
Taunton Blue Genie

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Soul '68

Sadly, punk 'killed' Lone Star. Unfortunately for them they came out at the wrong time, their debut album being released in 1976, when the UK music press was slavishly groveling to all things punk. Had they formed and released their debut album two or three years earlier I am sure they would have been huge.

Good point. A photograph of a £5 note is winging its way to you....
11-06-20, 08:09
SLUDGE FACTORY

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

The band who supported UFO at the top rank at the rescheduled gig after Sophia gardens roof collapsed were Girlschool , a second rate glam type sleazy outfit with phil Collen from def leppard on guitars
11-06-20, 08:41
Dorcus

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Soul '68

Legendary South Wales guitarist Paul Tonka Chapman has sadly passed away yesterday, on his 66th birthday. No age at all in this day and age.

Saw him first with local legends Kimla Taz when I was still at school. Then with the legendary (and should have been huge) Lone Star. After that wth UFO several times. A mighty fine and very under-rated guitarist was 'Tonka'.

Very sad news. Lone Star were brilliant and hugely underrated; my good friend Tony Smith was a band member.
11-06-20, 13:09
Mr Soul '68

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorcus

Very sad news. Lone Star were brilliant and hugely underrated; my good friend Tony Smith was a band member.

What's Tony up to now then? I have seen Kenny Driscoll play live a few times in the past decade or so. He still possess a damn fine set of pipes
11-06-20, 21:12
Lost Johnny

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Soul '68

Sadly, punk 'killed' Lone Star. Unfortunately for them they came out at the wrong time, their debut album being released in 1976, when the UK music press was slavishly groveling to all things punk. Had they formed and released their debut album two or three years earlier I am sure they would have been huge.

Spot on. Rock music was changing rapidly around 1976/77 and their sound just didn't fit in.

Had they emerged on the rock scene around 1973/74 things could have been so much different for them.

RIP Paul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6UFjlQq5bA
11-06-20, 23:00
cardiff55

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

RIP. I'll give any two Lone Star albums a spin tomorrow.
12-06-20, 10:35
Dorcus

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Soul '68

What's Tony up to now then? I have seen Kenny Driscoll play live a few times in the past decade or so. He still possess a damn fine set of pipes

Tony's living in Ebbw Vale and he's still doing the circuits with an excellent band called Daggers which he fronts. They do a mean "Dazed and Confused" among others.
12-06-20, 17:18
Mr Soul '68

Re: R.I.P. PAUL 'TONKA' CHAPMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorcus

Tony's living in Ebbw Vale and he's still doing the circuits with an excellent band called Daggers which he fronts. They do a mean "Dazed and Confused" among others.

Nice one, hope the band get back playing together after this damn virus is over!

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