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Author Topic: Norman Chapman  (Read 40655 times)

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Bobber

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Norman Chapman
« on: September 06, 2005, 11:18:52 AM »

Following the thread about Tommy Moore: does anybody know something about the whereabouts of former Beatles-drummer Norman Chapman? Pictures? I know he played a couple of times with the boys and had to leave because of his duty into military service. I know from Allan Williams' book that they heard him drumming in an office at night and managed to get him into the group. But that's about it. Anybody knows more?
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pc31

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2005, 09:56:57 PM »

alittle more Norman Chapman - drummer for the Silver Beetles for a few weeks in 1960. Left when conscripted into the Army for two years service in Kenya and Kuwait.
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tkitna

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2005, 12:18:20 AM »

I could only find this-

'In July of 1960, they changed their name once again to the Silver Beatles and acquired yet another drummer for a short time. Sitting in the Jacaranda Club, The Beatles were discussing what they could do about the drumming situation. Allan Williams had gone out to the street when he heard someone drumming away. He called the group outside and they followed the sound of the drumming. The first night the drumming stopped before they found the source, but on the second night, they found Norman Chapman practicing above the offices of the National Cash Register Co. Norman was asked to join The Beatles, but only appeared with them three times before he was called up for national service.'

It would be nice to find some history as to what became of Norman somehow.

pc31

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2005, 01:17:37 AM »

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An Apple Beatle

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2005, 10:31:58 AM »

Damn Conscription!!! lol
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Bobber

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2005, 09:50:24 AM »

On this Brazilian site I found a picture of Norman Chapman. The picture is protected by copyright, so I could not post it here. Check it out. Also a good opportunity to exercise your Portuguese.

http://www.thebeatles.com.br/clube-da-caverna-noites-selvagens.htm
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The End

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2005, 12:24:52 PM »

Quote from: Bobber
The picture is protected by copyright, so I could not post it here.


Not any more!!!! ;D Here's the pic Bobber was referring to:

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Bobber

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2005, 12:30:38 PM »

That's great TE!

Just figured out that the text underneath the picture mentions something like 'just when they thought they had a good drummer, Norman was called to military service for two years. He served in Kenya and Kuwait. The Beatles thought that the army was going to be the end of the band, for John too almost had the age to go, followed by Paul and George. In November 1960 the mandatory military service was extinct in the England. This saved the Beatles. Paul said that the army killed Elvis and would have killed the group.
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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2005, 12:38:57 PM »

Nice one Bobber! Looks like a great site actually!
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Bobber

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2005, 12:42:44 PM »

Quote from: The_End
Nice one Bobber! Looks like a great site actually!

It's just that my Portuguese is not really up to date.
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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2005, 06:31:41 PM »

Quote from: Bobber

It's just that my Portuguese is not really up to date.

Voce e muito como mim porque eu nao falo Portugese tampouco.
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Bobber

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2005, 06:36:01 PM »

Ah, you don't speak Portuguese either. I thought we had a Brazilian member on the forums? I remember welcoming one.
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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2005, 11:33:11 AM »

Quote from: Bobber
Ah, you don't speak Portuguese either.

Ha ha, you translated it! ;D
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Bill Harry

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2008, 06:50:33 PM »

Norman said that he did not regret being 'called up' for his national service. On his return he became a teacher in the south of England and used to fascinate his students with tales of his brief spell with the Silver Beatles. He continued playing drums and was a member of a trio when he died in 1995 at the age of 58
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Bobber

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2008, 08:12:04 AM »

Quote from: 1062
Norman said that he did not regret being 'called up' for his national service. On his return he became a teacher in the south of England and used to fascinate his students with tales of his brief spell with the Silver Beatles. He continued playing drums and was a member of a trio when he died in 1995 at the age of 58

I would have loved to hear his tales.
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Bill Harry

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #15 on: January 28, 2008, 02:52:36 PM »

     Norman became a member of the Silver Beatles for a short time during the summer of 1960.
     When Tommy Moore left the group following a gig at the Jacaranda coffee bar on Monday 13 June of that year, the Beatles were desperate for a replacement. They were pondering over the problem one night while sitting in the coffee bar when they heard the sound of drumbeats from across the street. Almost directly opposite the Jacaranda in Slater Street was a picture-framing establishment. Norman Chapman worked there as a picture-framer and renovator, and played drums as a hobby, practising on a hire-purchase kit in the offices of the firm in the evenings.
     They went into the street, trying to find where the sound was coming from. They knocked on the doors of the National Cash Register Office and Chapman popped his head out of an upstairs window of the building. They offered him the position of drummer with the band. Chapman, an imposing six-foot-two in height, accepted the job. However, he only managed to appear with them on three Saturday night gigs at the Grosvenor Ballroom, Birkenhead, on 18 and 25 June and 2 July, before he was called up for National Service and was conscripted for two years in Kenya and Kuwait.
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Ligger

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #16 on: February 08, 2008, 10:45:52 AM »

I met Norman once in 1989 or 1990.

I got his number from the phone book and just called to say that I was in Liverpool from NYC doing research for a book. I asked if I could possibly interview him about his Beatles' days. He was so surprised and self deprecating on the phone and said it was impossible. But I persisted saying that it was really important for my project to meet with him. He finally agreed to see me, but only if I would be his guest at a charity show for kids he would be attending that very evening.

I arranged to meet up with Mr. Chapman at a working men's club somewhere in Anfield later that night. Perhaps I took a taxi to the address he gave me because I seem to remember the cab driver questioning the advisability of being in that area, at that time of night. The club was not easy to find, but eventually I got there, and the doorman had been expecting me.

He bought me into a large darkened smoky room that was a cross between a theater and a pub. Then I was presented to a table of about four or five nicely dressed men in their late forties. Norman Chapman, the biggest of the bunch, stood up, shook my hand, and introduced me to his table of friends saying, "This guy has come all the way from New York City just to interview me for his book."

That got a great laugh from his friends and sort of broke the ice. He immediately asked me what I wanted to drink, and I said,  "the same as you, please."  I seem to recall that he wound up ordering about half a dozen pints of 'mild,'a type of beer that I had never had before.

The rest of the evening, except for the surprise of watching Ken Dodd on stage, is a bit of a blur, I'm afraid. He brought me there strictly for entertainment value. He really did not want to be the center of attention; that was my role, as far as he and his friends were concerned. And I was happy to play along with the lark.

I had a great time that night. Everything Mr. Harry said in the above post was true. He was a gentle giant, wearing glasses and a long, very un-Beatles looking leather overcoat. A real sweetheart and gentleman. Mr. Chapman completely played down his role as temporary pre-Hamburg Beatles member and reveled in his role as host.

It was a once in a lifetime event for me. Unfortunately, the book did not get finished.
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BlueMeanie

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #17 on: February 08, 2008, 12:22:26 PM »

Great story Ligger. Shame about the book though. Do you still have plans to get it published someday?
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Bobber

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #18 on: February 08, 2008, 02:44:27 PM »

Good story Ligger. Although I had wished you had asked him a couple of questions about his Beatledays.
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Bill Harry

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Re: Norman Chapman
« Reply #19 on: February 08, 2008, 02:58:30 PM »

I enjoyed that story Ligger. It's a pity no one really interviewed him before his death, or took photos. I remember exactly the place where he used to rehearse because on the ground floor there was a shop which used to frame paintings and I got them to frame my one and only oil painting, a portrait of Virginia I did in 1960. If I knew how to put images onto this I could show you.
I would also have liked further details of the Tommy Moore story.
In the meantime, I wonder if any Beatle friends can help me. I've written a piece about the 'Ringo' special from April 1978 with Carrie Fisher, Angie Dickinson etc, but I have no illustrations for it. Does anyone have any images from that special?
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