Mike Chapman and the greatest hits he wrote

His name is mentioned quite... rarely. And this, as it seems to us, is a terrible injustice. After all, it is to this man - his pen - that some of the most legendary hits of the era belonged 70s! Mike Chapman - the man who has written and produced for stars such as The Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Smokie and even Tina Turner! Critics have dubbed him "a major force in the British pop music industry of the 70s", and that's a fact!

Mike was born in Australia, but later moved to the UK where he made some useful contacts and started creating! His main partner was Nikki Chinnwho was working as a waiter when they met. Today his name is also widely known as a talented songwriter and producer. Together they founded the project Chinnichap, a name that occupies not the least place in the annals of musical history. Alas, the tandem suffered some decline with the decline of the 70s, but was able to come back to life thanks to the collaboration with "Blondie".

It would take a long time to talk about Mike and his musical exploits - it would take at least one separate article. By the way: would you be interested in reading about this man in more detail? If yes - write in the comments, we will definitely make a review on such an iconic name. In fact - what is it so iconic? Well, to understand this - we suggest you enjoy some favorite hits from the 70's and beyond that were written directly by Chapman! Let's get started...

Ballroom Blitz glam rock legends Sweet

A song that every seasoned music lover would love to sing! It is already an anthem of its era, and also glam rock movementthat took over the industry in the '70s. "Ballroom Blitz" - is one of the most exhilarating glam rock'n'roll songs imaginable! And yes: we owe this song to Mike, who wrote the lyrics (together with the aforementioned Nikki Chinom).

Not many people know, but the lyrical story the song tells was inspired by a real-life incident! In 1973. Sweet performed at the Great Hall in Kilmarnock, Scotland, where they were chased off stage by a barrage of bottles. Apparently, Mike and Nikki were inspired by this incident, so they decided to write a song about the chaos in the crowd, which turns into a "Ballroom Blitz." (and which the protagonist simply dreamed about).

"The guy at the back of the hall said: "Everybody attack!"
And it turned into a blitz on the dance floor.
And the girl in the corner said:
"Dude, I want to warn you, this is going to turn into a blitz on the dance floor..."

According to Chapman, he and a comrade first came up with the idea of a titleand then they started writing the track. And, as they thought, they came out with a pretty funny and definitely fun song with a cool upbeat mood!

Stumblin' In for Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro is the most soulful duo in music history

"Stumblin' In" - Everyone loved this song in the USSR! And it is not surprising: it is a very soulful, beautiful and calm, relaxed composition, which makes your soul feel somehow warmer... Performed it Chris Norman and Susie Quatro - it's fair to say that these two have the most soulful duet in music history. For Suzy, this track marked a departure from the hard rock sound, and like her partner, it is her biggest hit on the US charts.

Inspiration came to Mike unexpectedly, in a very warm and creative environment. The story goes that he, Susie and Chris were at a party in Germany and Chapman performed a medley of hits he had written with Chinn. The atmosphere was fun and rousing, and Susie went up on stage with Chris to play a tune. While she played, Chris put his arm around herand it gave Mike the inspiration and idea for the song!

"Wherever you're going, whatever you're doing,
You know, in my crazy thoughts.
I'm with you..."

Love Is a Battlefield, or "battlefield" for Pat Benatar.

This song was a big hit for Pat Benatar! VH1 put it on their "100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s" list, and the music video for it. "Love Is a Battlefield" continues to rack up millions of views to this day. The single itself sold millions of copies after its release.

This time, Mike co-wrote the song. Holly Knightex-Spider and Device. They originally intended "Love Is a Battlefield" to be lyrical balladbut, uh.

"When Mike and I heard what Pat had done with this song, we were discouraged. We were a little horrified - it was a dynamic track, not a ballad like we thought it would be. But then the song became a hit, so we had no choice but to say, "Yeah, that's exactly what it was supposed to be!"

The initiator of the more "dynamic" sound was Pat's husband, Neil Giraldo. Subsequently, he said:

"As soon as I heard it, I thought, 'I don't understand why this song is so slow.' So we decided to give the track a rhythm, a mood. I think we did a pretty good improvisation!"

The Best, or Mike's "best song".

This song was originally recorded Bonnie Tylerbut it wasn't a success. And now, soon the sultry hottie presented her version Tina Turner! Her cover became a big hit, one of the greatest of its era, and to this day is still popular with listeners....

Once again, Mike wrote this in collaboration with Holly Knight. Holly later recounted:

"This song can be about anything - depending on yourself. It can be a love song, it can be a love of anything... I think when you find something, whether it's a thing or a person, when you finally find something that's a masterpiece, whatever it is, 'The Best' really describes that feeling..."